Aren’t you more likely to have success incorporating the second scenario into your life than the first? Here are a few ideas to get more movement in your day.

• Change your framework. A standard theme I have found with my clients is the guilt that comes with the “should” of exercising. Leave behind the “should” and find your “want.” Think of “exercise” as movement that brings you joy, not as an obligation that hangs over your head. Even traditional types of exercise like hiking, biking, running, swimming, kayaking, dancing, skiing, and tennis can be incorporated into your daily life if you focus more on the fun and less on the result. After training for marathons for a few years straight, running started to feel more like an obligation to me. I decided to leave the heart rate monitor, distance watch, and speed expectations at home. As a result, I found joy in my running again.

• Think outside the box. My dad is one of those people who won’t make his way to the gym, but he does like to walk his neighborhood. He lives in the desert, so in the summer it’s too hot to walk outside. He gets creative. He walks inside the air-conditioned mall. I had never heard of such a thing, but he says there are many other “mall walkers” (a term I see readily comes up on Google). Mall walking certainly has its benefits. You are in a climate-controlled environment with easy access to bathrooms. You can even get some errands done at the same time. If it’s not mall walking, maybe it’s hula hooping? It’s a great abdominal workout and it’s fun too. Jumping rope is good cardio and reminds us of our childhood days. How about a game of hopscotch, Frisbee, or basketball with the kids? Or turning on the stereo and dancing around to your favorite tunes? The point is, be creative. If it gets you moving, it counts as exercise.

• Think inside the box. Some people like the gym. If you are one of them, that’s great. You don’t need to be creative like the rest of us to get exercise into our lives. Keep it up! My stepmom loves watching TV while on the elliptical at the gym. She has been known to stay on the machine for two hours because she’s hooked on a show she’s watching. For those of us who need a little nudge to get to the gym, think about how to make it more enticing. Can you go at a certain time to watch a show you like? Download some new tunes that are reserved just for your gym workouts? Meet a friend? Try a new class?

• Talk and walk. Instead of meeting your friends for coffee or lunch, meet them for a walk. You save money and you get some exercise. You’ll spend so much time gabbing, you’ll forget your legs are doing a lot of walking.

• Do it with a group. It is easier to cancel out on yourself than someone else. Also, having support from others can get you through on the challenging days, and even make it fun. Sign up for a tennis class, join a hiking group, or participate in one of the many charity organizations that walk and run various distance races. Even gym classes these days are becoming more fun with offerings that range from belly dancing to boxing.

• Count your steps. Wearing a pedometer can make walking fun and motivating. Set a goal of at least 7,000 steps a day. Make it a family activity and see who can get the most steps in a week. Walking is a great way to stay healthy. Be prepared by keeping comfortable shoes in your car so that you can go for a walk any time you find yourself with a free moment.

• Keep moving. Try to make movement part of your daily life rather than something you do at a certain time of day that counts as “exercise.” For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park in a far spot at the grocery store, or do your own gardening. At work, deliver something in person rather than using interoffice mail or walk to a different floor to use the bathroom. In your house, try walking around when you are on the phone or stretching while watching television. Even cleaning your house counts as movement.

I love my time on Gypsy and look forward to getting out for a ride every chance I get. What's your Gypsy?

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Dina Colman Mitchell, MBA, MA, NBC-HWC a widely published health coach, is the founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina credits four quadrant living for helping her go through her own cancer diagnosis and treatment last year with grace, strength, and health. Now cancer-free, Dina continues to devote her time to helping others around the world live healthier, happier lives. Her Amazon Top 100 book, Four Quadrant Living: A Guide to Nourishing Your Mind, Body, Relationships, and Environment, shows readers how to take responsibility for their health and make healthy living a way of life. Contact Dina at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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My bike, Gypsy