Your Steps

Tips for staying motivated: 

Motivation Tips: We all have days when we don’t feel like being active. If you’re feeling unmotivated, take a moment to think about how you would feel after exercise. Think about how much better you would feel if you did than if you didn’t!

• Getting started is the hardest part, don’t give up! Choose your favourite forms of physical activity and stick to them!
• Don’t like running? Don’t do it! Choose an activity that you enjoy and avoid pressuring yourself into activities you don’t!
• Set goals and plan! How many kilometres will you do? How will you complete them? The mind is powerful when used in the right way. Try your best to stick to your activity goals.
• Habits can be hard to shake! Use this to your advantage and aim to be active every day. Soon your activity will become second nature and you’ll successfully live a very active lifestyle.
• Encourage your whānau and friends to get active with you! It’s often easier to keep motivated when you’re moving together. Consider joining a group or sports club.
• Battle of the best! Create a friendly competition between you and other participants.
• Be flexible. Don’t be restricted by your routine. Find time throughout your day to keep active. A few minutes every hour soon adds up.
• Check up on your account! Reminding yourself of the distance you’ve travelled and the money you’ve raised for others is a great motivator!
• Music as Motivation: Music can help us to feel motivated, choose a tune to match your pace and get going!
• Remember it’s not a race! 100 metres is 100 metres no matter how fast or slow you complete it.

Tips for keeping active:

Tips for the weekday worker: If you’re counting steps why not walk at work? A large part of our working week is often spent sitting at desks for hours. There are plenty of ways to add steps to a normal workday. Take your walking shoes with you and give some of these a shot:

• Take a lunchtime walk with a colleague.
• Arrive a few minutes early and take a brisk walk before you start.
• Use bathrooms and printers on other floors or further from your desk.
• Walk and talk! Take a brisk walk whilst you make phone calls.
• Where and when you can, deliver a message to a colleague by foot rather than sending an email.
• Encourage your employer to offer lunchtime fitness classes.
• Suggest walking meetings and further away cafés than your usual.
• Lose the lift! Take the stairs instead.

Active Transport: Walk to where you need to be! Changing your transport options to something more active is a simple way for you to get your step count up. Active transport offers benefits not only to you but to the environment too. By using your body you’ll reduce greenhouse emissions and decrease your carbon footprint. Try some of these active travel tips:

• Avoid the traffic jam! Cycle, skateboard, rollerblade, scooter or e-scooter instead! Remember your helmet
• Get off the bus a stop or two early. Take your keep cup and grab a coffee for your walk
• Popping to the shop? Give yourself a little extra time and walk instead

Active downtime: The time we spend relaxing at home is a great time to add a few peaceful steps into the day. Pacing or strolling whilst doing everyday tasks is a fantastic way to add to your step count:

• Take a walk around the house while you wait for the kettle to boil.
• Whisk and walk! While you’re cooking add some movement where you can.
• Every time an advert comes on the TV, get up and move!
• Take some time for yourself and enjoy a solo walk. Exercising is a great way to clear the mind.

Tips for kids: There’s no better way to build strong muscles than by moving them! Try some of these tips this week, you’ll keep fit, healthy and strong!

• Take your parent or caregiver on an adventure! Explore your local surroundings, but don’t get lost!
• Hit the playground, the skate park or the field and get moving with your friends.
• Join a team! See what sports teams or clubs your school or local community has to offer.
• Use physical activity as a homework break: A good way to boost energy for studying.
• Make it a competition! Ask your friends to challenge you to something active. A running race? A cartwheel competition? Tree climbing race?
• Have some activities ready for rainy days. Maybe you could head to an indoor tramp park, go rock climbing, or set up an obstacle course in your own house!