17 ways to fight the inertia, step by step

Take one — or many — of the walks in Charles Fleming’s L.A. Walks columns: Read here.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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)