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 are 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 have 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 have been craving all week.

No Time to Exercise Today?

You are very busy! The thought of an hour long workout is far from your mind, and probably far from possible. Getting the recommended 60 minutes of exercise a day is difficult for those who try to do it all at once.

Fortunately, studies show that doing two 30-minute exercise sessions, three 20-minute workouts, or even six 10-minute bursts of energy a day is just as worthwhile as getting it all over within a single one-hour session. Not only that, studies also show that people who exercise for just 20-30 minutes at a time are more likely to be consistent with their workouts, compared to those who think they have to spend a grueling hour in the gym. And the more consistent you are with your exercise sessions, the more overall time you will spend exercising each week.

So instead of forgoing your one chance to burn a ton of calories today, break it up into smaller, doable acts of exercise. Take a 15-minute walk in the morning to gear you up for the day ahead. Spend 10 minutes doing sit-ups and push-ups between household tasks. Kick around a ball with your kids for 20 minutes when they get home from school. Put a little extra elbow grease into doing the dishes for 15 minutes. And voila! You have accomplished your 60 minutes of exercise for the day!