10 Ways to Move with Others

What’s one of the most dangerous things we can do as we age? Watch TV at night. At least, that’s what this study reported. It found that older people who watched more than five hours of TV per day and did three or fewer hours per week of total physical activity had more than a three times higher risk of being unable to walk or having difficulty walking by the end of the 10-year study.

Luckily, another study showed that decreasing sedentary leisure time only 21 minutes a day improved markers of health, such as fasting glucose levels, and helped maintain muscle mass. So clearly, we need to move.

And since this month we’re focusing on ways to connect, why not make it a Healthy Habit to move with other people? Here are 10 ways to move while interacting with friends, family, neighbors, coworkers or strangers about to become new friends.

1. Go for a hike, whether with an official hiking group or with a buddy.

2. Participate in a river or beach cleanup day.

3. Swing a hammer with Habitat for Humanity.

4. Turn office coffee meetings into walking meetings.

5. Sign up for a 5K walk or fun run.

6. Join your kids when they play tag, jump rope or toss a baseball, instead of watching them.

7. Get a plot in a community garden.

8. Try a sport you’ve never tested out before, such as Ultimate Frisbee.

9. Kick up your heels by salsa or ballroom dancing.

10. Take turns working on big chores, like raking the yard, power washing a deck or painting a fence.