Would you like to feel better, boost your energy levels, and even increase your life expectancy? Getting there is as easy as exercising. 

We know we know … exercise may not feel easy or attainable, especially for those of us at the beginning of our health and wellness journey—but the benefits of regular physical activity to our mind and body are tough to ignore. 

More mobility! Better moods! Sharper thinking! Lowered risk for heart disease and stroke!

The list goes on and on. 

"Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of their gender, age or physical abilities," said Leslie Ely, registered dietitian at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. "When you partake in physical activity, you burn calories, which can help prevent excess weight gain and help you keep off weight you've previously lost. Exercise also relieves stress, makes our bodies more flexible and reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity."

Get Moving: Six Tips to Ease into Activity

To gain the health benefits of exercise, all you have to do is increase your current daily amount of physical activity. Any level of activity is better than none! 

And for those who are feeling timid or unsure about diving into a fitness routine, Healthier 901 is here to help with tips and tools to lead you where you want to go:

1. Get to Steppin': Walk Your Way to a Healthier Life 

Believe it or not, you can walk your way to a much higher quality of life. Moving your body just 20-30 minutes a day can significantly impact your physical and mental health, and walking is a wonderful way to clock those movement minutes. Recent studies show that adding just 500 steps to your daily routine can have long-term health benefits; even walking in place while brushing your teeth adds up! Are you unsure how many steps you're logging in on a given day? Healthier 901 has a tracker for that! 

2. Tune in to Tone Up: Free On-Demand Workouts

Not a fan of gyms or outdoor workouts? We got you. Healthier 901 offers FREE on-demand workouts (read: exercises you can do from the comfort of your screen) in eleven categories, ranging from weights, strength training, kickboxing and high-intensity interval training to yoga, Pilates, barre and guided warm-ups and cool-downs. To access these workouts, create an account at healthier901.com using your computer or smartphone. 

3. Find a Fitness Community: Join the Healthier 901 Online Community

For those folks who are fans of the gym—or who know you thrive in communal environments where we can get fit with a little help from our friends—Healthier 901 is offering up discounted gym memberships to Planet Fitness, Hotworx Fitness Studio and Silver Bull Fitness, to name a few. To access these gym discounts (you guessed it!), join the Healthier 901 online community free of charge. (Speaking of which—Healthier 901 has plenty of built-in challenges and features to offer community-based resources and support for our members!)

4. Embrace "Atypical" Forms of Exercise: Every Movement Counts

Just because you don't break a sweat in the traditional way doesn't mean you aren't gaining all the good benefits of physical activity. Dancing in your living room, mowing the lawn, working in the garden, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and doing household chores like vacuuming and washing dishes all count toward your daily physical activity total (remember: 20-30+ minutes each day is the magic number). Better yet—for anyone struggling to carve out 30 minutes in a day for activity, you can reap the positive benefits of exercise in short, 2-minute bursts! So turn on your favorite song, dance it out and count it toward your daily fitness goal.

5. Enjoy the Great Outdoors: Get Moving in Nature

If you're into hiking, biking, social media-liking or any other activities that can easily be done outside the house—get out there and spend some quality time in nature! Natural environments invite physical activity and movement, and Memphis has plenty of parks and green spaces ready and waiting for you.

6. Take the Physical Activity Challenge: Get Moving with Healthier 901

Get rid of the guesswork and launch the free physical activity program through the Healthier 901 app. Every day for 30 days, you'll get prompted with a new fitness challenge complete with step-by-step instructions and a program tracker to support accountability and a successful finish. 

Start Your Journey to a Healthier Life Today

Sticking with any of these six steps could be a big leap forward on your journey to a healthier way of life. If you haven't already, team up with Healthier 901 and get the support you need to unlock a new level of physical activity and exercise!