No time to work out… really?

Time to exercise

You are reading this article from some sort of screen so letʼs start this workout by doing a quick posture check. If you are at a desk, are you sitting up tall? Is your monitor, keyboard and seat at the right height? Are you hunched over, straining all the muscles in your neck if you are reading this from a tablet or phone?

Now that we have got that sorted, let’s begin…

The following tips are for men and women, whether you are an office worker or stay-at-home parent. This might not be your typical routine but you can see how easy it is to incorporate ʻmovement minutesʼ into your busy day.

  1. Wake up stretch – 30 seconds x 7 days = 3.5 minutes
  1. Boil the kettle bench push ups – 3 minutes x 7 days = 15 minutes
  1. Pre-breakfast skipping (no rope needed) – 1-2 minutes x 7 days = 7-14 minutes 
  1. Brushing Teeth quad wall holds – 4 minutes morning & night x 7 days = 28 minutes
  1. Bus/Tram/Train pace while you are waiting for transport – 4 minutes x 5 days = 20 minutes
  1. Always use stairs not lifts and walk up escalators – 1-2 minutes x 5 days = 5-10 minutes
  1. Lunchtime window shopping without cash/credit card – 15 minutes x 5 days = 75 minutes
  1. Office Chair posture checks. Tie a piece of wool or hat elastic around your waist…so it tightens when you slouch. This will serves as a gentle reminder to sit correctly – belly button drawn into your spine. Youʼll be amazed at the results and, it will help lose centimetres from your waistline – hours
  1. School pick up step ups. Use gutters for some toe-tapping moves – 2 minutes x 5 days = 10 minutes
  1. Traffic light pelvic floor exercises every time you stop at a red light. Boys, I know this is an embarrassing subject but last time I researched there were also incontinence pads for men so, this includes you! The sensation we are looking for is similar to walking into cold water (I am lead to believe!) – hours
  1. Supermarket Trolley resistance training. When you first arrive at the supermarket load your trolley with a couple of boxes of bottled water (return to the shelves before paying at the checkout). Push that heavy trolley around the aisles (btw…have you noticed that all the ʻhealthierʼ food in supermarkets is around the edges so perhaps you should be avoiding the aisles?) – 15 minutes x 2 days = 30 minutes
  1. After School Action. Practice what you preach and get moving like the kids. If they are at netball training, walk around the court. If itʼs a footy match, even better: ovals are bigger! You get the picture. Donʼt stand watching at the sidelines, walk and talk with a friend – 1 hour minimum
  1. Pre-dinner squats (easy to do while something is simmering on the stove) – 2 minutes x 7 days = 14 minutes
  1. TV ad break plank (for every 1 hour of TV there would be approximately 15 minutes of ads) – 15 minutes x 7 days = 105 minutes
  1. Sleep Time meditation – 5 minutes x 7 days = 35 minutes