Small Steps to Health: Everyday activity

Little explorers on the loose.

I realized today that we had a long weekend in the US because of Memorial Day, while the UK had one for Bank Holiday Monday and Norway had one for Whitsun. Which means that the majority of the people who read my blog are probably getting back into real life after enjoying an extra day off. So: how was your long weekend?

We had a really nice one. Saturday was a good combination of spending time with family (Grandma and Grandpa were in town!), getting stuff done like mowing the lawn, weeding the flower beds and planting some flowers that have been living in pots because it's been too rainy to get out and plant them lately. And, thanks to some other kind family members, Nick and I were able to sneak in dinner and a play on Saturday night, which was so needed and so great.

We started our Sunday at church, then spent the afternoon baking with the kids and just generally hanging out together before Nick's younger brother and his wife joined us for dinner. They cooked for us (being cooked for is my favorite!) and then we spent the evening chatting and playing board games. I love that they live close enough to have Sundays like that with us.

Then on Monday we drove up to Big Cottonwood Canyon (in the mountains behind Salt Lake City) and took the kids on a hike up to Doughnut Falls. We charged up our batteries with a picnic lunch and then hiked the 1 3/4 miles up to the fall. It was a bit steep and muddy in places, but the kids were incredibly good sports (not a single complaint!) and it felt so good to be outside in fresh air and beautiful surroundings, using my body in a way I don't often do. We will definitely be doing some more kid-friendly hikes this summer!

Which leads me to this week's small challenge for myself. Now that my sprained foot is starting to heal, I'm going to try to add a little bit more casual activity to my every day life. I'm not talking about dusting off my running shoes and galloping around the neighborhood every morning (although I wish I wanted to do that!) or doing anything very great and heroic. I'm just thinking a few little things, like maybe taking a walk to the mail box instead of stopping by on the way home in the car, riding my bike to a friend's house or having a little dance party with the kids. Just a little something extra every day to make sure that I'm getting my heart rate going and moving around a little more than I do at the moment.

And if you need a little inspiration to fit a little more physical activity into your day, check out this video from the Norwegian department of health! (No, really! Do it.)