For Goodness Sake
With Deanne Ashford
Keeping Active – Incidental Exercise
When life is in going at break-neck speed, we are always on the lookout for ways to save time. But time-saving tricks are usually counter-productive when it comes to our health and weight control.
“Incidental exercise”, or the activity we undertake to live each day, can make a big difference to our general health and our ability to maintain a healthy weight.
Consider increasing the amount of incidental exercise you undertake during the day:
Remove the batteries from your remote control and get up/out to change the channel/open the garage door. As well as being good for you, it is cheaper and better for the environment.
Give someone else the best parking spot. A brisk 10-minute walk to the shops is an extra 20 minutes (round trip) of exercise you have incorporated into your day.
Climb your way to the top, avoid the lift.
Do you spend a lot of time on the phone? If you can, walk while you talk. At the end of the call you can check how many minutes you have been moving.
Hate housework? Look at it as a workout. Scrubbing, vacuuming and window cleaning are great energy-burning activities.
Turn your lunch break into a chance to move and stretch. Twelve minutes a day is an extra hour of movement a week.
Get out in the garden. Mowing the lawn and pulling the weeds are great ways to keep you and what is yours looking great.
Try not to sit for more than half an hour without moving during the day. If your have small children, try to sit for half an hour without moving during the day.
If you must have takeaway (we must) try to avoid the drive through. Hop out of the car!
Planned exercise (huffy puffy exercise) is important, but the fact is that you can get in great shape by incorporating a little extra movement into your day. Move, move more, move more often.
Good health to you.
Deanne Ashford is a Group Exercise Instructor at Coastlands Helensburgh and Definition Health Club, Menai. She is currently studying to be a Personal Trainer. This column is dedicated to developing health and fitness awareness.
