Most people believe that in order to stay fit, they must spend hours a day working out or going to the gym. That’s why so many of us claim we don’t have time to exercise!
However, working out and staying physically fit does not require hours out of your day. A few simple elements you can incorporate into your daily routine will lead to a healthier, more active lifestyle.
Contact South Sherbrook Therapy today to learn more about how to become a healthier you!
1. Think about physiotherapy!
According to the National Institute of Health, being physically active has numerous health benefits. It could even help you live a longer life. If you’re avoiding physical activity because you’re in pain, know that there’s help available.
Physiotherapy can treat the aches and pains that are preventing you from getting the necessary amount of exercise.
Because of all the stretches and exercises your therapist will have you do, many physiotherapy sessions are considered workouts in their own right. This can also assist you in reaching your weekly cardio or endurance goals.
Your physiotherapist will also provide you with daily tips for changing up your daily habits in order to live a healthier, more active lifestyle.
They will go over your daily routine and advise you on how to incorporate more fitness activities and exercise into it. If you have chronic pain, your PT can show you how certain movements can help you reduce or even eliminate your physical challenges.
2. Keep any exercise equipment in plain sight.
Place your yoga mat or 5-pound weights by your bed or in an area you frequent. Hook up your resistance bands in the kitchen or laundry room.
You’ll notice them as soon as you walk into the room, and you’ll be more likely to do a few reps and exercises while watching TV or waiting for your food to cook!
3. Set yourself up to move more often.
There are ways to encourage yourself to get up and move. For water, use a smaller glass or mug, and for tea, use a smaller mug. This way, you’ll have to return to the kitchen more frequently for a refill.
You can also go down the hall to ask a coworker for office supplies or go upstairs in your building to speak with someone in HR about your vacation time.
Experimenting with fitness technology can also be very motivating; if our Fitbits have taught us anything, it’s that a hundred extra steps here and there really do add up over the course of the day!
4. Don’t have time? Use chores as a form of exercise!
Just doing 20 or 30 minutes of chores per day results in a much cleaner, more organized environment. You could do a lot of dishes in that time, not to mention sweep, vacuum, mop, or weed your garden!
These tasks can be dreaded, but remembering that they also burn calories and strengthen your core may make you more eager to tackle them!
5. Work standing up.
A standing desk is one that allows you to work while standing up! It is far healthier to stand and work than to sit for 8 hours a day in front of a computer.
You burn more calories, hunch less (which eliminates shoulder and neck pain), and your fitness levels significantly improve. This is because your blood sugar will be more stable after a meal, encouraging you to move more.
There are numerous brands that sell standing desks as well as collapsible extensions that you can place on your regular desk to take a break from sitting all day.
6. Walk to lunch.
If you’re at work, choosing a healthy restaurant or marketplace for lunch instead of going to the cafeteria is a great option. Do you pack your lunch? No problem.
If there aren’t any eateries around, go on a short 15-20 minute walk before you return to your brown-bag lunch. For those of you working from home or retired, taking a walk around your neighborhood or to a local grocery store to gather ingredients for lunch is fine too.
7. Take the longer path.
We all know that taking the shortest, fastest route makes your day go by much faster and easier. However, consider whether the time you saved by parking a few spaces away from the front of the store was truly beneficial to your health.
Make a game out of parking as far away as possible (preferably at the far end of the parking lot!) so you have to push your shopping cart or carry your bag further. Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work unless you’re running late for a meeting!
Looking for extra guidance? Contact South Sherbrook Therapy today!
Incorporating more activity into your life does not have to be difficult.
Contact our office today to learn how physiotherapy can help you live a healthier, pain-free life!
