Top Tips to Get Going Without Too Much Effort

Sometimes life just gets in the way and we find we are not able to exercise in the usual way.

If this is a problem for you, we share some easy ways to get fitter without especially exercising...

Taking a fifteen minute walk 

Walking is an easy way to start where even short trips will count and if you can choose a route with some ups and downs or walk at a brisker pace, it can make a big difference.  Just a fifteen minute walk can help to break up a sedentary day, increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain and releasing serotonin and endorphins to make you feel happier.

Finding ways to lift heavy objects to help with age-related muscle loss

Do you still lift and carry bags of shopping?  Apparently, we lose three to five percent of our muscle each decade over the age of thirty.  Lifting heavy objects helps to counteract this loss.

Try challenging the body regularly throughout the day with activities that use our muscles.  Suggestions include: carrying shopping; lifting and carrying young children; moving furniture around when doing household chores and more.  Lifting an object from the ground to somewhere higher often involves movement that can require more balance and core activation.

Taking the stairs

There have been nine recent studies following close to half a million people that found that climbing stairs was linked to a twenty four percent lower risk of early death from any  cause - and a thirty nine percent lower likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease - including heart attacks, heart failure and strokes.

One of the researchers - Dr. Sophie Paddock of the University of East Anglia and Norfolk in the UK -says "Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts and short bouts of stair-climbing should be a daily target."

I always think it is a backward step when people (as they grow older) decide to downsize to a home without any stairs.  I have two flights of stairs in my own house so there are constant bouts of stair-climbing!

Doing chores in speedy bursts to boost your brain power

Performing regular housework has been linked to a sharper memory and attention span as well as better leg strength - and greater protection against falls in older adults.

Some of us might not consider housework as exercise but for example dusting ensures we use our body to twist, reach and wipe while doing the dishes even when using a dishwasher entails lifting and bending.

Make the most of doing chores as a form of exercise by setting a timer and blitzing one area of your home at a time to boost activity levels and brain power.  You will benefit from working up a sweat - and doing it in short bursts means you won't have time to become bored.

Gardening to get fit and reduce stress

Research has found that those who garden every day have wellbeing scores that are six and a half percent higher and stress levels that are four point two percent lower than those who do not garden at all.

The researchers who surveyed more than six thousand people found a significant association between regular gardening and improvements in wellbeing, stress and physical activity.

The benefits of gardening including helping to keep your body flexible and building muscle strength.  Every major muscle group can be worked as you stretch, bend, lift, pull and push, giving you a strength, cardio and conditioning all in one full body workout.

Standing up more often

We all now know that sitting for too long can harm our health.  It is thought to slow down the metabolism which affects the body's ability to break down fat as well as to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure.

Suggestions include: standing to watch the first ten minutes of a TV show; taking phone calls standing up; drinking your morning cup of tea or coffee standing; or having your computer or laptop on a higher place so you can stand and work too.

Remember too to use that period of standing to shift your weight or tap your feet so you are keeping your metabolism subtly engaged.

Layering activities to make the best use of your time

You can multitask too!   An early morning walk can be the time when you can plan the day ahead with a mental to do list.  You can even be more creative when you are moving and thinking.  

A study by Stanford University found creativity levels were regularly much higher for those walking than those sitting with one experiment finding that people walking (whether outdoors or on a treadmill) produced twice as many creative responses as someone sitting down.

Those short sharp bursts of movement helps to boost heart health and make you more resilient.

SOURCES:

https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/Climb-stairs-to-live-longer

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/health-and-wellbeing/articles/why-gardening-makes-us-feel-better