There are many good things about April.  Spring is sprung, Easter egg hunts, and Earth Day. You may not have known, but April is also “Move More Month!” This April challenge is a great way to get into a good routine of getting up and moving! Exercise is such an excellent benefit for your health. Exercise has proven to help people sleep better, increase serotonin levels (happy hormone), and overall be healthier.

Some simple ways to get moving are going on walks, stretching, lifting small weights, riding a bike, and many more! It’s all about making small changes to get into a routine. Our ENCORE Research staff challenged themselves for April to get moving, even while at the office. Every hour we get up and move, doing a quick exercise. We find that setting a reminder alarm helps to keep us on track. We hope that you can follow along and get inspired to move more!

Here are some ideas to help get you started:

Easy:

• Walk in place
• Chair sits
• Countertop plank
• Countertop push-ups
• Step-ups
• Go for a walk

Medium:

• Chair squats (not fully sitting)
• Knees down Plank
• Knees down push-ups
• Hand slap step-up
• Go for a walk/run (alternating)
• Speed Clean (set a 5-minute timer)

Hard:

• Squats
• Planks
• Push-ups
• Stair (or bench) step-up
• Go for a run