We should all aspire to be more active – it’s important for our health and wellness. Regular physical activity helps reduce our risk of developing serious diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and cancer. The more active you are, the better quality of life you will enjoy. The good news is that it’s easier than you think – you don’t need to start training for a marathon to be more active!
Learn to Love Walking
Walking is a low-impact exercise that pretty much anyone can do without any investment in equipment or special clothing. If you are accustomed to driving everywhere, try going out for a daily walk, either in the early morning or in the evening after work. It’s a great way to explore your neighborhood and see things from a whole new perspective.
Experts say we should aim to do at least 4,000 steps a day but achieving 10,000 will have more benefits. Buy a fitness tracker to motivate you – they are easy to use, and you can also track your sleep patterns.
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If one long walk isn’t achievable, split your exercise into three 10-minute walks a day. As long as your pace is reasonably brisk, this will help you get fitter.
Adopting a dog is also a good excuse to be more active. Dogs love walks and if your pet is staring at you mournfully from the rug, it will be hard to say “no” to a decent walk, whatever the weather.
Set Up a Home Gym
Commercial gyms are not the best place to hang out these days, thanks to Covid. If the thought of other people’s sweat makes you leery, set up your own home gym, so you can exercise whenever you have a spare 10 minutes.
Look for a mix of weights and cardio equipment. Choose a quality weight bench, some free weights, a yoga mat, and perhaps a stationary bicycle or treadmill. This is all you need to get started. If you don’t have a lot of spare cash, browse Facebook marketplace or eBay for online bargains. People buy and sell exercise gear all the time, so you can probably pick up some items cheap or even for free.
The best place to set up a home gym is in the garage, a basement, or a spare room. The last thing you want to do is fall over your weights every five minutes. Fix a TV to the wall for entertainment and you can burn some calories before and after work, or even during your lunch hour if you work from home.
Fit Exercise into Your Daily Commute
Commuting to work is a huge time sap. Whether you are stuck in a car or riding a bus, exercise opportunities are non-existent, unless you want to attract some strange looks by doing leg raises on the train.
To be a bit more active, try parking further away from the office or jumping off the bus at a stop or two before you reach your destination. This way, it’s very easy to increase your daily activity levels without much effort.
Walk the Kids to School
If you usually drive the kids to school, start walking them instead. It’s a great opportunity to chat about things happening in their life and enjoying the local scenery. It also sets a good example whereby you are encouraging them to exercise too. In addition, you can save money on fuel!
Once you start being more active in your day-to-day life, you’ll soon discover how much fun it is to go for a scenic walk or hike or plan a family bike ride. Give it a go today!
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