Exercise is so important to our health and wellbeing and yet it is often the first thing we drop when life gets hectic. Here are some fun and easy ways to fit in fitness when you don’t have the time for a full workout at the gym.
Walking
Get off the bus one stop early or walk the long way to the train station. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Need to have a short meeting with someone at work? Have a walking meeting where you can get outside and talk as you walk.
Put the phone down
If you need to speak with a work colleague, pop over to see them instead of picking up the phone. Not only is speaking face-to-face a great way to build rapport, it gets you up and out of your seat. Increased blood circulation means plenty of oxygen getting to your brain (which comes in handy during the work day!) If you can’t avoid the phone, do laps of your office or house while you talk.
Fidgety?
Don’t sit still! Fidgeting means you’re moving, which means you are keeping your body active. People who are even moderately restless burn more calories than people who sit perfectly still.
Retail therapy
A shopping trip is an opportunity to burn through more than just your bank balance. Burn calories by strapping on a pedometer and doing laps of your local shopping centre. See how long it takes you to hit 10,000 steps on
a shopping spree.
Justify watching TV
Sitting on the couch doesn’t burn any calories unfortunately so break a sweat during the ad breaks by doing sit-ups or pushups. It’s a great way to justify binge-watching Game of Thrones.
Before you go to sleep
As you lie in bed each night, try tensing and relaxing all the muscles in your body. Not only is this great for keeping muscles supple, it releases tension, giving you a better night’s sleep.
These are just some of the ways that we can fit more physical activity into our busy lives. The whole world can by a gym. We just need to get a little creative!
This wellbeing message is brought to you by the health and wellbeing team at rt health – the health fund for transport and energy people. You are welcome to reproduce this article with mention of rt health fund as the source. The health information provided here is intended to be informative only and should be carefully evaluated for its source, accuracy, completeness and relevance for your purposes. It is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Always obtain appropriate professional advice relevant to your particular circumstances.