12 Simple Exercises To Stay Active

Exercising and engaging in physical activity is a terrific way to improve your health, feel better, and enjoy yourself. Therefore, to live a long, healthy, and happy life, it is vital to have regular physical activity. 

There are easy ways to gradually incorporate fitness into your daily life, even when sitting at your desk at work or at home watching television.

To help you get started, we've compiled a list of simple exercises to help you stay active even in a hectic environment.

Benefits of Regular Simple Exercises

Regular simple exercises has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including:

• Improving mental health and mood
• Improving bone health
• Improving joint health
• Improving balance and coordination
• Improving flexibility
• Improving strength
• Improving stamina
• Reducing stress
• Reducing anxiety
• Reducing depression
• Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Reducing the risk of stroke
• Reducing the risk of type II diabetes

12 Simple Exercises

Regular physical activity, even simple exercises, can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your sleep, and increase your energy levels. And the best part is that it's never too late to start! You can begin reaping the benefits of physical activity at any age.

There are so many simple exercises that can be done at home with hardly any equipment so there is no excuse not to exercise. Below are twelve simple exercises to try.

Squats:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms out in front of you
2. Keep your back straight, bend your knees, and lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor
3. Return to the starting position and repeat

Lunges:

1. Start by standing with your feet together
2. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees and your back knee is almost touching the floor
3. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg

Calf Raises:

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Raise on your toes, hold for a second, and lower back down
3. Repeat

Wall Sits:

1. Lean your back against a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and extended out in front of you
2. Slowly slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel with the floor
3. Hold this position for as long as you can

Push-ups:

1. Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet together
2. Lower your body until your chest is above the ground, and push back up to the starting position
3. Repeat

Planks:

1. Start in a push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet together
2. Lower your body down so that your elbows are bent at 90 degrees and are resting on the ground
3. Hold this position for as long as you can

Sit-ups:

1. Lie on your back on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor
2. Place your hands behind your head and curl your body until your shoulders are off the ground
3. Return to the starting position and repeat

Bicycle Crunches:

1. Lie on your back on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
2. Place your hands behind your head and bring your knees towards your chest
3. Lift your shoulders off the ground and rotate your torso to the left, bringing your right elbow to meet your left knee
4. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side

Tricep Dips:

1. Start by sitting on the edge of a chair or bench
2. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the chair or bench and slide your butt off the edge
3. Lower your body down until your elbows are bent at 90 degrees, and then push back up to the starting position
4. Repeat

Burpees:

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Lower your body down into a squatting position and place your hands on the ground
3. Kick your feet back into a push-up position and return to squatting
4. Stand back up, and then repeat

Jumping Jacks: 

1. Start with your feet together and your arms by your side
2. Then, jump into a star position (Hands out to the side above your head, legs spread wide apart)
3. Jump back to the starting position, where your feet are together

Lying Back Extensions: 

1. Start by lying face down on the floor with your hands extended above your head
2. Slowly lift your arms and shoulders off the ground as high as possible, but don't lift your stomach off the ground
3. Return to a lying position

Regular exercise is vital for overall health and wellness. So get up and move! Your body will thank you.

Tips on Becoming More Active Daily

Today, many people face a challenge because they are confined to their desks at work and cannot exercise during the day. According to the CDC guidelines, aim for 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week, such as brisk walking, and at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity, such as the bodyweight training exercises above.

It's also good to take a 10-minute break every two hours throughout a workday because your body becomes inactive when you sit for long periods.

Keep yourself moving throughout the day by incorporating some of the following:

• Do stretches at your desk
• Taking a short walk outside 
• If possible, use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Wear a device that monitors your activity and alerts you when it's time to get up.
• Take a few minutes every hour to do some of the above exercises

Key Takeaways

All forms of exercise are great since it’s better than none at all. If you're not active now, get started with a small quantity and work your way up to the recommended level. Engage in some physical activity on most of your weekdays, if not all of them.

Small modifications in your daily routine, such as walking or cycling instead of driving, getting off a train or bus a stop earlier and walking the rest of the way, or walking the children to school, can increase daily physical activity.

Fitness is a wonderful thing since it can be done at any age. It doesn't matter how old you are or how young you are. Start making positive changes in your life by adding simple exercises into your daily routine. You'll sleep better at night and be less stressed during the day when you exercise, and you'll be able to accomplish all of your goals faster and more efficiently.