Tips-Exercise & Fitness

1)    Do you talk a lot on the phone? If so, get up and walk about while on the phone to get those extra steps in.

2)    Break up the minutes of exercise into smaller bouts if needed, even if it’s only 5 minutes morning and night. If it’s more than you are used to, it’s an improvement.

3)    Boost activity by building incidental exercise into your day – park further away, take the stairs, walk and talk to colleagues instead of sending emails, get up at least every hour and walk around. Little extras combine to make a big difference.

4)    Get active around the house to burn excess energy. Mow the lawn, do some gardening, wash the car, clean the pool, bath the dog, spring clean the cupboards - it’s all exercise!

5)    If you have sore knees or a sore back and find it hard to exercise, why not try walking laps in a pool. The water will provide some support and take the pressure off the joints.

6)    Exchange 1 hour per day of sedentary activities, like TV watching, for something standing and moving.

7)    Weather is not an excuse to stop exercising. If it is raining outside stay indoors and use an exercise DVD or home exercise equipment to keep on track with your exercise routine.

8)    How active are you during the day? Do you sit behind a desk all day? Wear a pedometer to see how many steps you do daily. Aim for 10,000 steps or more every day.

9)    Vigorous exercise is generally unsustainable. It’s much better to re-jig your lifestyle while gradually increasing your activity levels. That way, the changes will stay long term.