Too many of us have an all-or-nothing attitude when it comes to staying fit. We feel too busy to go to the gym, or maybe we have children who demand our full attention. However, as busy as you might be, you can introduce some activity in your day to help you stay more fit. Take a look below at three ways you can introduce more activity into your day right now:

1. Walk more

When we’re trying to get from point A to point B, we usually try to take the shortest possible path. We take elevators to go up or down a few stories. We take escalators just to move up one level. We park as close as we can to the entry of the store so we don’t have to walk very far. However, we encourage you to stop seeking these conveniences and add more distance to your daily movement.

Take the stairs. Park farther away. Go outside and walk during your lunch break. Adding more movement into your daily life can help your muscles stay more active, which helps reduce pain and improve your flexibility and circulation.

2. Spend more time on your feet

Many of us have jobs that require us to be at desks or in a vehicle for long periods of time. Prolonged periods of sitting can cause stiffness in your back, core and lower leg muscles. Make sure you get up and walk or stretch for at least 10 minutes every hour. 

You may also want to consider investing in a standing desk, or a hybrid desk that can convert back and forth from a sitting to standing setup. This way you can stand and engage your muscles while still accomplishing your work.

3. Set yourself up to run more errands

There are some ways you can trick yourself into needing to move more frequently so you don’t have to think about it as much. For example, you can use a smaller cup for water or your coffee, which forces you to have to get up more often to walk and get refills. Think of some ways you can add some tricks to your daily routine to introduce more activity into your life.

Our physical therapists at Franklin Rehabilitation can help you stay active and manage pain

No matter how active you try to be, you can still develop painful conditions or injuries that affect your day-to-day life. When you cannot manage pain on your own or are struggling with stiffness and other physical limitations, physical therapists can help.

At Franklin Rehabilitation, our physical therapists can examine your condition and develop a personalized treatment to help you recover. We use a variety of methods that help reduce pain and improve your range of motion, including:

• Therapeutic stretches and exercises
• Joint mobilization
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Posture guidance
• Patient education and more  

You don’t have to have a doctor’s referral to begin using any of our therapy services. Are you ready to learn more about treating your aches and pains with physical therapy? Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.