17 ways to fight the inertia, step by step
Meeting with a colleague? Take a walk rather than sit around a table. The longer the meeting, the closer you’ll be to the 10,000 steps a day some health experts recommend. (Nikada / Getty Images)
Have you heard? Downtown L.A. is groovy. Take the train and walk around. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Run. However far you can. A block? A mile? And run a little farther the next day. Do that all summer, no matter how slowly, and you’ll be signing up for a 10K soon. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Watch a play in the park. Go early and take a hike in Griffith Park before settling in with a picnic to watch free Shakespeare performances. www.independentshakespeare.com (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Stand, fidget, pace, dance, whatever, while you watch TV. But no sitting. Oh, and no walking to the refrigerator. (George Doyle / Getty Images)
Take the stairs. If you can’t take them all, go a few flights and then get the elevator. A week later, try one more flight. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Walk around a farmers market and buy a vegetable — Rutabaga? Baby artichoke? — you’ve never cooked before. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Figure out whether you like to exercise in a group or alone. And then do it. (Alan Hagman / Los Angeles Times)
For just one day, send no email to your office colleagues. Get up and say what you’ve got to say in person. (Thomas Barwick / Getty Images)
Walk the dog. Or walk the neighbors’ dog. They’ll love you for it (the dog and the neighbors). (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Organize a group of co-workers for a weekly walk. Even if it’s to a restaurant for lunch. (Huchen Lu / Getty Images)
If you travel for work, try to stay at a hotel with a decent gym. Then use it. (Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)
Rent a recumbent bike, or some other equipment you’ve never tried before. (Christina House / For the Times)
Those 10,000 steps cited in the first idea? Try them. Corral a spouse, a dog, a pal and see where you get to by going 10,000 steps. I plan to do it; I’ll let you know what happens.
Times staff writer Mitchell Landsberg contributed to this report. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)