Scottsdale, Arizona - The authors of a small study published in "Diabetes Care" on April 13, 2016, found that interrupting prolonged sitting every half hour with 3 minutes of light-intensity walking or simple resistance activities reduced the after-meal blood sugar and other cardio-metabolic risk markers in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The authors concluded that light-intensity walking or resistance activities such as half-squats, calf raises, gluteal contractions and knee raises may be beneficial and practical in adults with poor adherence to structured exercise activities.

We all know that increasing activity is good for our health, but if you hate the thought of a regular exercise routine or you simply don't see how you can fit it into your busy schedule, there are simple ways to incorporate more movement into your daily life.

Try these:

• Move while watching TV, especially during commercials. Walk around, march in place, stretch, dance or do pushups, sit-ups, toe touches, squats, lunges or jumping jacks.
• Lift hand weights, food cans or other household containers.
• Walk around or balance on one leg while talking on the phone.
• While waiting in line, shift your weight from side to side.
• Walk around the field, rink or court as you watch your kids or grandkids play sports.
• Look for a parking spot further from the store's entrance.
• Take the stairs all or part of the way to your destination.
• Move trash or recycling bins to an area that requires you to walk to them.
• If you take the bus, get off a few stops early. 
• If you drive to work, park a few blocks from your workplace.
• If you usually sit throughout your workday, set a timer to remind you to get up and move every 30 minutes or hour.
• Wash your car in the driveway instead of at the carwash.
• Water the garden, plants and grass with a watering can and hose instead of an automatic sprinkler system.

Please share your ideas for adding more activity to your daily routine.

Keep it moving!