SALT LAKE CITY — We all know that we should exercise. We’re also told that everyday motion counts, like taking the stairs, carrying the car seat or playing with the grandkids. It invites the question: am I moving enough?
KSL Health Contributor Miki Eberhardt sat down for a conversation that is part pep talk, part reality check.
Minimum Recommended Activity
Eberhardt said that many adults don’t realize how far they fall below baseline activity recommendations.
“One in four adults is not meeting the minimum recommended requirement,” she said.
- 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week OR
- 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week
- 2 days of strength training
She explained that moderate activity is something like brisk walking, and strength training can be body weight movement or weight lifting.
4 Signs of a Sedentary Lifestyle
Eberhardt said that a surprising number of people fall into the sedentary category. She explained that if half or more of your waking hours are spent sitting or reclining, you are living a sedentary lifestyle. She also said that you will see warning signs in your body long before you would find out at the doctors office.
1. The Flight of Stairs Test
If climbing stairs leaves you winded, Eberhardt said it’s less about leg strength and more about underused lung muscles.
“ The muscles around my lungs have not been used and they might be weak, just like our regular muscles are,” she explained.
2. The 3 p.m. Slump
Eberhardt said that this is more than a basic afternoon drag that everyone feels to some extent. This is exhaustion for no reason.
“ That is if our heart’s deconditioned, it’s not pumping the blood the way that we wanna get it up to our brains and to our muscles to actually continue to give us the energy, even if we’ve fueled ourselves properly,” she explained.
3. Achy Mornings
“This is more than, ‘Oh, I’m getting old. Gotta kind of, roll those ankles and get going here this morning,’” Eberhardt explained. “But this is kind of chronic aches in those joints.”
She noted the common phrase, “motion is lotion. When we are consistently moving our bodies, those joints stay lubricated.
4. Poor Sleep
Tossing and turning at night and not being able to get good sleep is a sign of a sedentary lifestyle.
“Not moving during the day actually prevents your brain from going to those deep restorative cycles,” Eberhardt explained.
Movement Snacks
Sometimes taking all the steps to get in a full workout just isn’t feasible. Instead, Eberhardt suggested movement snacks—simple, low‑pressure bursts of activity.
- Set hourly alarms: If your work is primarily sitting or you find yourself on the couch all day, set an alarm every hour to remind yourself to stand up for a while.
- Walk during shows: Walk in place for the first five minutes of a favorite show or during commercial breaks.
- Add 10 minutes of daily movement: Citing a UK study, Eberhardt noted that participants improved their health with just five to 10 minutes of movement a day without ever going to the gym.
“ Consistency is more important than intensity,” Eberhardt emphasized.
The body is meant to move, and when we lighten up the expectation of 60 Minutes, the gym or getting hot and sweaty every single day, that movement becomes more motivating and more doable.