You wake up in the morning, have a shower, make breakfast and go to work in your car. You sit behind a desk all day and then drive home, eat dinner and flop in front of the TV because it’s been a hard day at work. Does that sound familiar? The combination of a busy lifestyle together with the convenience of a car means that many of us just aren’t doing enough physical activity.
Add to this the fact that exercise doesn’t appeal to a lot of people: the idea of going for a jog is laughable; going swimming takes too much time; playing a sport requires skill; going to the gym can be a bind; joining an exercise class is daunting …. all these reasons (or excuses) mean that we end up doing little to nothing in a day. However, it doesn’t have to be like that: it is possible to increase the amount of physical activity you do in a day without much change in your routine. Here are some suggestions to help you get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day:
1. Walk the Dog
Walking the dog is an excellent way of getting some exercise, but if you feel you need to increase your level of fitness there are a few things you can do: walk at a brisker pace, do 10 minutes extra on top of what you already do; and sometimes go for a walk somewhere where you need to put in a bit more effort (e.g. through fields, where there are hills etc.) You’ll benefit from it and your dog will love the extra bit of exercise!
2. Take the Stairs
When you’re tired or feeling lazy, the lift or the escalator seems like the best (or even only!) option. However, if you’re committed to getting fitter, make sure you take the stairs - you’ll feel better for it!
3. Do Some Gardening
If you have a garden, gardening is a great way to get some exercise. You could just mow the lawn or you could start doing a bit more around the garden - weeding, raking, planting - you may find you enjoy it and both you and your garden will benefit from the work.
4. Go for a Walk!
Walking without a purpose can seem a bit of a bind and it is often easier to motivate yourself to do it when you have a dog. However, try to change your mindset and think of walking as a pleasure rather than a chore. Perhaps you could go for a short walk after dinner, perhaps walk to the shops, or maybe go for a walk with a friend. You might find you enjoy exploring new areas and start appreciating the environment around you.
5. Get out More
A great excuse to get out of the house! You could simply walk around your local shopping centre or arrange a fun day out with your family - the zoo for instance is a great place: you’ll find that you’ve spent 3 or 4 hours on the go without even noticing it. How about strawberry picking at a local farm? If you live near the seaside, how about a walk along the beach? How about a day out at a local attraction? There are limitless options if you look around - have a look at enjoyengland.
6. Walk to School
Why not walk your child to school if it isn’t too far? Beats sitting in the traffic and means you get to spend a bit of time with your son or daughter ….
7. Do some Housework!
Housework is a real chore, but try to make the most of this necessary bore by using it to increase your physical activity. Perhaps clean an extra cupboard out, do a bit more dusting than usual, or clean the oven. It’s not fun but the house will look great!
8. Choose a New Place to Park
The ideal parking spot is the one that’s as close to your destination as possible, but buck the trend and park further away! Finding a space will be easier and you’ll get that extra few minutes of walking.
9. Buy an Exercise Bike
If you’ve got the money to spare and the space in your house, an exercise bike is a great way to exercise without investing much time and effort. It’s not easy to motivate yourself to do it, but just think about it - how much effort does it take to jump on the bike for 20 minutes a time a few days a week? Listen to music while you’re cycling and the time will go much quicker. It may be boring, but you will be proud that you’ve done it.
10. Join an Exercise Class
Now I know that I’m contradicting myself here because this article is supposed to be for people who don’t want to take part in any formal exercise routine, but I’ve included it here because once you’ve started getting fitter and losing a bit of weight, you will hopefully have more incentive to build on the excellent work you’ve done so far. If you have the time, if you’re not too embarassed about exercising in front of others, and the idea appeals to you, join a class. You’ll meet people and be able to exercise under the supervision of a trained professional - and hopefully you’ll enjoy it.
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