100 EASY WAYS TO GET ACTIVE
1. Going shopping? Find a parking spot that is at least a brisk ten-minute walk to the store.
2. Walk your dog, and invite your family and friends to join you.
3. Prune, weed and dig your garden. You’ll improve flexibility in your arms, legs and back while enjoying the outdoors.
4. Dance to your favorite music 10 minutes each day.
5. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
6. Ride your bike.
7. Play catch with your kids.
8. Walk to the store for milk.
9. Skip a rope.
10. Try curling in a local league or bonspiel.
11. Dance with your kids.
12. Rake your leaves.
13. Trade in your power mower for a push mower.
14. Wash and wax your car, vigorously!
15. Hit the trail! Discover local trails or try trails in new communities. Don’t forget your bike, running shoes, cross country skis or hiking boots.
16. Go for a swim at your local pool or in your favorite lake.
17. Join a marching band!
18. Grab a racquet and play squash, racquetball or badminton.
19. Try walking, rollerblading, wheeling or biking to work.
20. Join a fitness class.
21. Hit a tennis ball with a friend.
22. Play softball, baseball or slow pitch.
23. Row your boat.
24. Put a basketball hoop up in your yard.
25. Try a yoga or tai-chi class.
26. Strike out inactivity by bowling.
27. Play soccer in a league, or with family and friends in a park or field.
28. Play tag.
29. Make housework fun! Dust and vacuum to your favorite tunes and throw in a dance step or two along the way!
30. Celebrate your cultural heritage by learning a traditional dance.
31. Play hopscotch with your kids.
32. Add a stationary bike or exercise equipment to your home.
33. Flood ice in your yard or neighborhood park for skating or hockey.
34. Climb hills during your next walk or hike.
35. Go golfing and walk the course.
36. Try a new type of dancing such as square, folk, round, jig, hip hop or ballroom dancing.
37. Pitch in and help build a trail in your community. It’s great exercise and there will be a new facility for the enjoyment of future generations.
38. Dig out your hoola hoop and twist to some old favorites.
39. Suggest a break during work meetings and encourage your colleagues to stretch, walk the halls, or climb the stairs.
40. Post a recording sheet on the stairwell at work for people to sign when they use the stairs. Award prizes and incentives.
41. To encourage use of the stairs, place a question to a riddle at the bottom of the stairs and place the answer at the top.
42. Replace your coffee breaks with walking breaks. You’ll enjoy the outdoors and be revitalized when you go back to work!
43. Organize a lunch-time walking or fitness club. Bring in speakers from time to time to keep you motivated. 44. Organize an Alternative Transportation Day. Walk or cycle to work.
45. Be an agent for change. Determine the task or define the problem in the meeting room, then discuss it while out for a 20-minute walk.
46. Roll your shoulders and stretch your neck when sitting in front of the computer.
47. Contract your back and stomach muscles while sitting on the bus or in your office.
48. Try a new physical activity: goal ball, ultimate Frisbee, speed skating, folk dancing, fencing and many others are available.
49. Join a league, club or leisure centre. The social support will keep you in motion.
50. Rise one-half hour early in the morning and go for walk. Ask a family member or friend to join you.
51. Take advantage of local hiking trails.
52. Walk in your local malls if weather is an issue for you.
53. Hit the slopes with your skiis. It’s fun and it will give your lungs a good workout.
54. Get off the bus a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way home.
55. Shovel your sidewalks.
56. Keep pathways in your neighborhood free of snow so the elderly and disabled can get their mail and walk to the bus stop or corner store with ease.
57. If a seniors’ residence is your home, start a hall-walking group. Meet daily and stroll the halls. Go for distance by adding a route each time.
58. At school, create a walking school bus! Have parents or older siblings take turns walking the children to school each day instead of taking the car.
59. Have students research games, activities or dances that are a part of their cultural heritage as part of a history, geography or physical education assignment. Present the information, then have all students participate in the activity.
60. Ensure that your child’s pre-school program includes vigorous physical activities each day.
61. Have students design, organize and implement active living intramural programs. Make sure all interest groups are represented when planning this activity.
62. Have students make a list of different activities that get the body moving – from walking to more vigorous activities. Encourage them to participate in these activities, as well as traditional sport and exercise programs.
63. Allow teachers to organize “Gym Blasts”. It’s a full day of physical activity games the whole school can partake in.
64. Promote physical activity in the school by having school teams challenge the teachers.
65. Organize a parent and toddler active living group. Meet weekly for vigorous activities with babies and toddlers.
66. Have a street hockey tournament.
67. Play shinny.
68. Go skating.
69. Play snow pitch.
70. Go tobogganing.
71. Snowshoe to your neighbors.
72. How about a camping trip? Take advantage of hiking trails, swimming in the lake and other Park activities. 73. Join a martial arts program.
74. Climbing walls can be good for you! Try rock or wall climbing. It will challenge your arms, legs and finger strength, as well as challenge your balance.
75. Do a walking tour of art galleries, museums or libraries.
76. Collect and chop your firewood.
77. Do sit ups, pushups, stretch or other exercises at home.
78. Participate in community, provincial and national events that offer physical activity opportunities. In many cases, you’ll be supporting a worthwhile event while enjoying social interaction and getting some physical activity.
79. Try dogsledding. It’s more fun that you may think!
80. Play hockey or ringette. Join a league or play a “pick up” game.
81. Build a quinsy (snow hut) with family and friends.
82. Prepare for cold weather by video taping an episode of your favorite exercise show. Invite a friend over and sweat away the cabin fever.
83. Make a personal or a family commitment to try a new physical activity each season: snow shoe, bowl, dance, hike, curl, etc.
84. Host a barbeque in your neighborhood, apartment complex or village. Invite guests to play active games in the park, playground or open space. Then enjoy feasting on healthy foods.
85. Organize a neighborhood-walking group. Choose different routes, one for each day of the week, and invite family and friends to join you.
86. Join a lawn bowling league.
87. Red Rover, Red Rover…don’t forget about old fashioned street games like Red Rover, Kick the Can, Follow the Leader, and Hide and Seek. What a fun way to stay active!
88. Support your community with a physical activity twist…help build a new structure at your neighborhood playground, a Habitat for Humanity home, a barn raising or simply participate in a local fundraising run or walk. The benefits are amazing!
89. Orienteering in the snow.
90. Have a winter picnic on skiis.
91. Join a bird watching club. You will get to enjoy the outdoors while making new friends.
92. Enjoy a moonlit stroll or use a flashlight to light the way on a trail.
93. Play a musical instrument (strum a guitar, play a trumpet or “tickle the ivories” for upper-body workouts).
94. Try water polo.
95. Play beach or court volleyball.
96. Toss a football in the park or join a football team.
97. Play table tennis.
98. Remember Jumping Jacks?
99. Play croquet, lawn darts or horseshoes.
100. Think small doses. Do an activity that will get your heart beating faster, even just for ten minutes at a time. Walk briskly, climb a few extra stairs, dance, walk up a hill, be active in the pool, skip rope or play tag with the children. Try to accumulate at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
Help others to be physically active by holding a community sports equipment exchange
or used equipment sale.
Find a physical activity you enjoy doing and do it for life!
Please, always check with your physician before beginning any new exercise.
It is important to choose activities that are right for you. Following the advice of a health or fitness professional will help to ensure the success of your new in motion lifestyle!
2. Walk your dog, and invite your family and friends to join you.
3. Prune, weed and dig your garden. You’ll improve flexibility in your arms, legs and back while enjoying the outdoors.
4. Dance to your favorite music 10 minutes each day.
5. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
6. Ride your bike.
7. Play catch with your kids.
8. Walk to the store for milk.
9. Skip a rope.
10. Try curling in a local league or bonspiel.
11. Dance with your kids.
12. Rake your leaves.
13. Trade in your power mower for a push mower.
14. Wash and wax your car, vigorously!
15. Hit the trail! Discover local trails or try trails in new communities. Don’t forget your bike, running shoes, cross country skis or hiking boots.
16. Go for a swim at your local pool or in your favorite lake.
17. Join a marching band!
18. Grab a racquet and play squash, racquetball or badminton.
19. Try walking, rollerblading, wheeling or biking to work.
20. Join a fitness class.
21. Hit a tennis ball with a friend.
22. Play softball, baseball or slow pitch.
23. Row your boat.
24. Put a basketball hoop up in your yard.
25. Try a yoga or tai-chi class.
26. Strike out inactivity by bowling.
27. Play soccer in a league, or with family and friends in a park or field.
28. Play tag.
29. Make housework fun! Dust and vacuum to your favorite tunes and throw in a dance step or two along the way!
30. Celebrate your cultural heritage by learning a traditional dance.
31. Play hopscotch with your kids.
32. Add a stationary bike or exercise equipment to your home.
33. Flood ice in your yard or neighborhood park for skating or hockey.
34. Climb hills during your next walk or hike.
35. Go golfing and walk the course.
36. Try a new type of dancing such as square, folk, round, jig, hip hop or ballroom dancing.
37. Pitch in and help build a trail in your community. It’s great exercise and there will be a new facility for the enjoyment of future generations.
38. Dig out your hoola hoop and twist to some old favorites.
39. Suggest a break during work meetings and encourage your colleagues to stretch, walk the halls, or climb the stairs.
40. Post a recording sheet on the stairwell at work for people to sign when they use the stairs. Award prizes and incentives.
41. To encourage use of the stairs, place a question to a riddle at the bottom of the stairs and place the answer at the top.
42. Replace your coffee breaks with walking breaks. You’ll enjoy the outdoors and be revitalized when you go back to work!
43. Organize a lunch-time walking or fitness club. Bring in speakers from time to time to keep you motivated. 44. Organize an Alternative Transportation Day. Walk or cycle to work.
45. Be an agent for change. Determine the task or define the problem in the meeting room, then discuss it while out for a 20-minute walk.
46. Roll your shoulders and stretch your neck when sitting in front of the computer.
47. Contract your back and stomach muscles while sitting on the bus or in your office.
48. Try a new physical activity: goal ball, ultimate Frisbee, speed skating, folk dancing, fencing and many others are available.
49. Join a league, club or leisure centre. The social support will keep you in motion.
50. Rise one-half hour early in the morning and go for walk. Ask a family member or friend to join you.
51. Take advantage of local hiking trails.
52. Walk in your local malls if weather is an issue for you.
53. Hit the slopes with your skiis. It’s fun and it will give your lungs a good workout.
54. Get off the bus a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way home.
55. Shovel your sidewalks.
56. Keep pathways in your neighborhood free of snow so the elderly and disabled can get their mail and walk to the bus stop or corner store with ease.
57. If a seniors’ residence is your home, start a hall-walking group. Meet daily and stroll the halls. Go for distance by adding a route each time.
58. At school, create a walking school bus! Have parents or older siblings take turns walking the children to school each day instead of taking the car.
59. Have students research games, activities or dances that are a part of their cultural heritage as part of a history, geography or physical education assignment. Present the information, then have all students participate in the activity.
60. Ensure that your child’s pre-school program includes vigorous physical activities each day.
61. Have students design, organize and implement active living intramural programs. Make sure all interest groups are represented when planning this activity.
62. Have students make a list of different activities that get the body moving – from walking to more vigorous activities. Encourage them to participate in these activities, as well as traditional sport and exercise programs.
63. Allow teachers to organize “Gym Blasts”. It’s a full day of physical activity games the whole school can partake in.
64. Promote physical activity in the school by having school teams challenge the teachers.
65. Organize a parent and toddler active living group. Meet weekly for vigorous activities with babies and toddlers.
66. Have a street hockey tournament.
67. Play shinny.
68. Go skating.
69. Play snow pitch.
70. Go tobogganing.
71. Snowshoe to your neighbors.
72. How about a camping trip? Take advantage of hiking trails, swimming in the lake and other Park activities. 73. Join a martial arts program.
74. Climbing walls can be good for you! Try rock or wall climbing. It will challenge your arms, legs and finger strength, as well as challenge your balance.
75. Do a walking tour of art galleries, museums or libraries.
76. Collect and chop your firewood.
77. Do sit ups, pushups, stretch or other exercises at home.
78. Participate in community, provincial and national events that offer physical activity opportunities. In many cases, you’ll be supporting a worthwhile event while enjoying social interaction and getting some physical activity.
79. Try dogsledding. It’s more fun that you may think!
80. Play hockey or ringette. Join a league or play a “pick up” game.
81. Build a quinsy (snow hut) with family and friends.
82. Prepare for cold weather by video taping an episode of your favorite exercise show. Invite a friend over and sweat away the cabin fever.
83. Make a personal or a family commitment to try a new physical activity each season: snow shoe, bowl, dance, hike, curl, etc.
84. Host a barbeque in your neighborhood, apartment complex or village. Invite guests to play active games in the park, playground or open space. Then enjoy feasting on healthy foods.
85. Organize a neighborhood-walking group. Choose different routes, one for each day of the week, and invite family and friends to join you.
86. Join a lawn bowling league.
87. Red Rover, Red Rover…don’t forget about old fashioned street games like Red Rover, Kick the Can, Follow the Leader, and Hide and Seek. What a fun way to stay active!
88. Support your community with a physical activity twist…help build a new structure at your neighborhood playground, a Habitat for Humanity home, a barn raising or simply participate in a local fundraising run or walk. The benefits are amazing!
89. Orienteering in the snow.
90. Have a winter picnic on skiis.
91. Join a bird watching club. You will get to enjoy the outdoors while making new friends.
92. Enjoy a moonlit stroll or use a flashlight to light the way on a trail.
93. Play a musical instrument (strum a guitar, play a trumpet or “tickle the ivories” for upper-body workouts).
94. Try water polo.
95. Play beach or court volleyball.
96. Toss a football in the park or join a football team.
97. Play table tennis.
98. Remember Jumping Jacks?
99. Play croquet, lawn darts or horseshoes.
100. Think small doses. Do an activity that will get your heart beating faster, even just for ten minutes at a time. Walk briskly, climb a few extra stairs, dance, walk up a hill, be active in the pool, skip rope or play tag with the children. Try to accumulate at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
Help others to be physically active by holding a community sports equipment exchange
or used equipment sale.
Find a physical activity you enjoy doing and do it for life!
Please, always check with your physician before beginning any new exercise.
It is important to choose activities that are right for you. Following the advice of a health or fitness professional will help to ensure the success of your new in motion lifestyle!
