Move More, Live Better: Making Exercise a Lifelong Habit for Wellness

September 17, 2025

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Summary

Find Your Exercise “Happy Place!”

Even if you don’t think you like exercise, there may be something you enjoy! Think of a time when you were active and happy at the same time. It might have been in childhood or when you were a young adult, or it may have been recent. Here are some examples.

Playing at recess in elementary school
Chasing the ice cream truck
Jumping on a trampoline
Playing with your dog
Dancing at a party or in a bar
Shopping on a boardwalk or at a mall
Pool party or water play

There’s a good chance that you can find some activity to enjoy and keep up long-term.

Physical Activity Recommendations

Moderate to Vigorous Intensity Activity

Aim for at least 150-300 minutes per week, with more benefits at the higher end. Here are examples of aerobic activities to consider.

Brisk walking, uphill walking, hiking, jogging
Swimming laps, water aerobics
Stationary or outdoors cycling, spinning
Playing and training for sports, e.g., tennis, soccer, basketball, golf, pickleball, badminton
Group fitness classes such as kickboxing, zumba, aerobics, boot camp
Rowing, elliptical, stair climber machines

Remember to keep trying different activities until you find some that you love!

Muscle-Strengthening Exercises

Aim for two to three weekly sessions that work all major muscle groups. These are the major muscle groups, along with sample exercises.

Arms - bicep curls, concentration curls,
Shoulders - shoulder press, arm raises
Chest - chest flies, bench press, push-ups
Back - seated rows, kneeling rows
Abdomen - planks, side planks, crunches, dead bugs
Hips - side lunges, hip adduction, hip abduction
Legs - dead lifts, lunges, dips, squats, hamstring curls, leg press, calf raises

Perform them with proper form. Ask for help if you need it. You can use gym equipment, home weights like dumbbells, resistance bands, and soup cans, or body weight for resistance.

Benefits of Physical Activity for Physical and Mental Health

Physical activity has many benefits for physical and mental health.

Weight Management: Burns calories during and after

Blood Sugar: Reduces insulin resistance and lowers blood sugar

More: Heart health, mood, stress reduction, better sleep, improved cognition, better memory, reduced risk of cognitive decline

Find your personal reasons to maintain motivation to be active.

Common Barriers to Exercise

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Challenge	Possible Solutions
Too tired	Go to bed earlier Eat healthier Exercise earlier in the day Exercise before getting home or going indoors
Too busy or not enough time	Schedule it in your calendar Prioritize it Get active during TV time Make it productive - multitask! Fit in small bouts
Don't know what to do	Walk in your neighborhood or on a treadmill Try a group fitness class Hire a trainer (even for just a couple of sessions)
Nobody to exercise with	Ask friends, neighbors, and family members Phone a friend while you walk Be flexible to accommodate your partner!
Injured or restrictions	Talk to your doctor or a physical therapist Modify (e.g., lighter weights, smaller range of motion, or low-impact) Take breaks
Don't like exercise	Fight boredom with books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, or music Try other activities: dancing, circus classes Try “non-exercise” physical activity, such as gardening or dancing
Not motivated	Identify your reasons Look inside yourself for internal motivation Tell others about your intentions and goals
Bad weather	Use a DVD or video at home Buy a treadmill, stationary bike, or other piece of cardio equipment for home Check for recreation or community centers with classes, equipment, or open gym or court hours

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Creating Your Exercise and Physical Activity Plan

Here are four steps to creating your plan. Access a printable pdf worksheet here.

https://www.lark.com/resources/lark-physical-activity-plan-worksheet

Name your goals and reasons for wanting to get active and stay active.
Identify which activities you want to do, when and where you’ll do them, and for how long.
Think about challenges or barriers you’re likely to encounter. Lack of time, lack of motivation, poor weather, and feeling tired are common ones.
Make plans for what you might do to get in your physical activity even if these challenges happen. For example, you might overcome bad weather by taking your workout indoors or modifying it. If you’re feeling tired, you might consider a shorter or less intense workout, and an earlier bedtime.

Overcome All-Or-Nothing Thinking

All-or-nothing thinking happens when you think that if things don’t go perfectly or as planned, you might as well give up. Since things rarely go perfectly or exactly as planned, all-or-nothing thinking can lead you to give up on your healthy intentions.

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If barriers come up, consider modifying your workout to accommodate them. For example, walk later in the day if you have to go to a meeting instead of taking the walk you had planned at lunchtime. Or, if you have to pick up the kids during your scheduled gym time, play with them to get in a workout. Any activity you do is better than nothing!

Starting or Re-Starting a Physical Activity Routine

If you haven’t exercised in a while, or if you’ve never exercised regularly, start slow and well within your abilities. Ask your healthcare provider if you have any exercise limitations. Then choose a start date and a starting activity. Try a short and slow walk, for example. Only increase intensity and duration gradually.

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Health Coach Q & A

Lark is here to help!

Lark Customer Support!

https://support.lark.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Facebook page for DPP

https://www.facebook.com/groups/larkdpp

Make a Physical Activity Plan!

https://www.lark.com/resources/lark-physical-activity-plan-worksheet

Lark blog

https://www.lark.com/blog

Lark recipes

https://www.lark.com/resource-type/recipe

Email a Lark coach with questions or to make an appointment

coaching@lark.com

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21319234

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Strength training is challenging to do at home. Any suggestions that will not require gym membership or buying equipment?

Great question! Yes, you can absolutely do effective strength training at home without a gym membership or buying expensive equipment.

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For resistance, you can use any of the following:

Body weight (for example, pushups, tricep dips, and one-legged squats)
Resistance bands or dumbbells that you purchase for your home
Household items like a jug of water for goblet squats, or cans of vegetables or water bottles for bicep curls and tricep extensions.

Some people invest in a weight bench or home gym weight machine, but that’s not necessary if you just want to get started with weight training.

Here are sample exercises that you can do at home with dumbbells.

Bicep curls: Stand and curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
Overhead press: Sit or stand and press the weights straight up over your head.
Rows: Bend forward at the waist and pull the weights up toward your chest, squeezing your back muscles.
Lower Body: Goblet Squats: Hold one dumbbell vertically against your chest while you squat.
Lunges: Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides as you perform a lunge.
Calf Raises: Hold weights and lift your heels to stand on your toes.

Here are sample exercises that you can do at home with resistance bands.

Bicep curls: Stand on the middle of the band with your feet, holding one end in each hand. Curl your arms up towards your shoulders.
Tricep extensions: Anchor the band high on a door or pole. Face away from the anchor point and extend your arms down, straightening your elbows.
Rows: Anchor the band to a low point, like the base of a door. Sit on the floor with your legs straight and pull the band toward your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Overhead press: Stand on the band with your feet and press your hands straight up over your head.
Glute bridge: Place a band around your thighs, just above your knees. Lie on your back and perform a glute bridge, pushing your knees outward against the band.
Squats: Place the band around your thighs and perform a squat, keeping tension on the band by pressing your knees out.
Lateral Walks: Place a band around your ankles or thighs. Get into a mini-squat position and take sideways steps, resisting the tension of the band.
Pallof press: Anchor the band to a post or door frame at chest height. Stand sideways and hold both ends of the band at your chest. Push your arms straight out in front of you and hold, resisting the pull from the band.
Leg raises: Lie on your back and loop the band around your feet. Perform leg raises, resisting the pull of the band as you lower your legs.

Here are ideas for using everyday household items.

A backpack filled with books: This can be used as a weighted vest for squats, lunges, and push-ups.
A towel: You can use a towel for resistance exercises. For example, pull the towel apart with both hands to engage your chest and back muscles.
Heavy books or cans of food: These can be used as light weights for arm exercises like lateral raises or bicep curls.

Here are more exercises that you can filter by equipment, target muscle group, and level of experience.

https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/

I wish I could find a workout partner to help keep me motivated. I work from home and I really need to get out more.

Finding a workout partner is a great way to stay motivated and get out of the house. Since you work from home, it's a perfect solution to add more social interaction to your routine.

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Here are a few ideas to help you find a partner and make it a habit:

Ask friends, neighbors, and family members. Many people are looking for the same kind of motivation you are. Reach out to those you know in your area who might be interested in walking or working out with you.
Look around your neighborhood when you walk. You may notice people who are regular walkers and may be interested in company.
Phone a friend while you walk. If you can't find someone who can meet in person, you can still get that social connection by calling a friend while you get your steps in.
Be flexible to accommodate your partner. To make it work long-term, you may need to adjust your schedule or activity to match your partner's.
Look for a local walking or running club. A quick search online or on social media can often turn up local groups that meet regularly. This can be a great way to meet new people and find a community of like-minded individuals.
Ask at local running shoe stores and bike shops. Many sponsor weekly or twice-weekly runs or bike rides for all levels.
Consider joining a sports league at your local park or rec center. You don’t have to be experienced or a good athlete to find a welcoming group of people, have fun, and get motivated.

I had no idea that WFH was going to be so isolating and a bit depressing. I was trying to go to gym at lunch, but it was hard to get in a workout and still have a bite to eat.

It makes complete sense that working from home has been a challenging adjustment, and it’s totally understandable that it can feel isolating and even depressing. Finding a way to fit in a workout and a lunch break is tough when you’re already juggling so much.

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The good news is that you don't need a formal gym or a full hour to get the benefits of exercise. You can still incorporate movement into your day in small, manageable ways that can help with both your physical and mental well-being.

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Here are a few ideas that might help:

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Take a "work walk" or "phone call walk." If you have a meeting or a phone call where you don't need to be at your desk, take your phone and walk around your neighborhood. It's a great way to multitask, get some fresh air, and move your body.
Try a quick "desk workout." There are many simple exercises you can do right at your desk or in your office space. Things like chair squats, calf raises while you wait for a document to load, or even just stretching can make a difference.
Break up your workout into smaller bouts. Instead of trying to squeeze in a single long workout, you could do a short 15-minute walk in the morning, a 10-minute stretching session after lunch, and another short walk or some light strength training in the afternoon. All those small bouts add up and can be easier to fit into a busy day.

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