Why should you bother adding a little pep to your step? Because random acts of fitness really do add up. You may not think that walking a few extra feet every day is worth the extra effort, but it really does have a snowball effect if you keep it up.

Focus on the simple stuff, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking farther away from the entrance of the store you’re shopping at. These tasks are easy to do and are a great way to burn extra calories, without having to drive to the gym.

Once you have incorporated these simple ways to put fitness back into your day, branch out and try something more difficult, like walking or riding your bicycle to work. Burn an extra 50 calories here, 100 calories there, and before you know it you’ve earned enough calories to lose those extra 5 pounds that have taken your love handles captive. Or if you don’t need to lose weight, burn the extra calories so you can have that double-fudge caramel swirl ice cream you’ve been craving all week.