Looking for a new activity to try? In this post, I share a comprehensive list of physical activities for anyone looking to increase their daily activity.

According to the CDC, “Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health”, and this is because physical activity provides a vast number of health benefits. These benefits range from promoting strong muscles and bones to reducing your risk of depression and other chronic diseases including heart disease and diabetes.

The Key to Unlocking Health Benefits: Getting “Regular” Exercise

When it comes to being physically active & unlocking health benefits, it is recommended to reduce sedentary time (AKA the time spent sitting or being stationary), and increasing the amount of movement you do throughout the day. More specifically, the key to unlocking the health benefits of physical activity is to move on a regular basis, and it is recommended to accumulate a total of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity spread out throughout the week. To learn more about the movement guidelines, click here!

The Movement Guidelines:

It is recommended adults obtain 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) each week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more.

MVPA: Any activity that increases your heart rate and makes it difficult to carry out a conversation.

So how exactly do you get “regular” exercise?

The first suggestion that comes to mind is to find an activity that you enjoy doing, as it is much easier to stick with something you enjoy. If you’re having trouble finding an activity to do, or you want to change up your physical activity routine, I’ve compiled this physical activities list totaling 100 ways to be physically active!

100 Ways to Be Physically Active: The Ultimate Physical Activities List!

While on the Go:

1. Walk/bike to work/use active transportation (e.g., use a scooter)
2. Get off the bus a few stops early
3. Take the stairs
4. Walk around the mall
5. Park farther away

At Home:

6. Clean the house, vacuum, do yard work (e.g., mow the lawn/rake leaves/yardwork/shoveling)
7. Do some gardening
8. Wash the car
9. Try a YouTube workout video – Check out my YouTube channel for some fun home workouts!
10. Treadmill/bike while watching tv/reading
11. Do some exercises during commercial breaks
12. Have a dance party around the house
13. Build your own workout/exercise sequence (e.g., 10 push-ups, jumping jacks, jogging on the spot)

At Work:

15. Desk stretches/breaks – Check out my desk stretching video here!
16. Use a standing desk
17. Host active meetings (e.g., turn a meeting into a walk)
18. Walk while on the phone

In Your Community:

19. Try sightseeing (museum, walk around your local city)
20. Volunteering
21. Swimming
22. Hit up the local track

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Try a Fitness Class:

23. Yoga
24. Spin Class
25. Zumba
26. Learn self-defense
27. Circuit Training
28. Tabata class
29. Pilates
30. Dance class
31. Pole dancing
32. Aerial yoga/aerial silks
33. Aquafit/water aerobics
34. Hire a personal trainer

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Hit up the gym:

35. (1) Lift weights
36. (2) Try CrossFit/Bootcamp

With Your Friends/Family:

37. Obstacle course
38. Bowling
39. Trampoline park
40. Play with your kid/pet
41. Fly a kite
42. Play Catch
43. Pillow fight
44. Interactive games (e.g., Wii, Play Twister)
45. Night out dancing
    

Try Yard Games:

46. 4 square
47. Dodgeball
48. Hopscotch
49. Tag
50. Duck, Duck Goose
51. Play in the snow/sand; snowball fight, build a snow fort/snowman/sandcastle

Try a Hobby or Sport:

52. Build something
53. Train for a Marathon/Race/triathlon

Join a rec league/play a sport:

54. Soccer
55. Badminton
56. Baseball
57. Basketball
58. Frisbee
59. Golf
60. Boxing
61. Tennis
62. Boxing
63. Hockey
64. Tai Chi
65. Football
66. Ping pong
67. Squash
68. Volleyball
69. Rugby
70. Paintball
71. Field Hockey
72. Gymnastics

Do Something Outdoors:

73. Walking
74. Walk the dog
75. Hiking
76. Running
77. Biking
78. Workout in the park
79. Horseback riding

Try Seasonal sports/activities:

80. Cross Country Skiing
81. Downhill Skiing/snowboarding, surfing
82. Tobogganing/Sand surfing
83. Snowshoeing
84. Ice skating
85. Rollerblading
86. Kayaking
87. Canoeing
88. Rock climbing
89. Frisbee
90. Geocaching
91. Try a ropes course
92. Hit up the Playground
93. Climb a tree
94. Jump on the trampoline
95. Fishing
96. Mountain biking
97. Skateboarding
98. Tubing
99. Go bird watching
100. Explore in nature
101. Try orienteering

So what’s next…?

Great! You have this long list of 100 ways to be physically active. So how exactly do you “move” forward & start being active? The next step is to do it! Spend some time this week trying out your chosen activities & take note of how they make you feel. For additional wellness tips, check out my latest blog post: Wellness 101: 5 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Wellbeing | Simple Self Care Tips & Wellness Strategies to Enhance Your Health in 2022 🌿

Try this brief activity below to help you narrow down your focus:

1. What activities sound interesting to you? Brainstorm a list of activities you would like to try. 

2. Is there anyone you want to reach out to & try the activities with? Write down their names and reach out to them to gauge their interest in the activities.

3. Schedule them! Whether you choose to do the activities solo, or you want to bring a friend, pick a date/time to do the activities and schedule them.

4. Do them! When the scheduled time comes, do the activities & enjoy!

5. After doing the activities, reflect on how the activities made you feel. If you feel great, schedule them again. If you didn’t enjoy the experience, that’s okay! Repeat this activity and try something else!

I hope you enjoyed this article & found this physical activities list fun to try. I want to know… what activities are you going to try? Also, I’m wondering do you engage in any hobbies that should be added to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Take care,

Heather