“I have been thinking about exercising, but all that thought is making me tired.”
This is one excuse I hear often. For all those couch potatoes, any level of exercise is good. You just need to get your backside off the sofa.
As part of their global action plan to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart diseases by 2025, The World Health Organization recommended a target of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week. Or 30 minutes, 5 times a week.
Feeling tired already?
Tension not: I have good news: Exercise doesn’t need to be an ‘all or nothing’ deal. According to a new analysis published in the British Medical Journal some exercise (even if it does not meet the WHO goal) can go a long way in improving your health.
The researcher analyzed seven studies from around the world and found that people who did some physical activity had a lower risk of dying than those who were inactive (even if it was less than the recommended 150 minutes a week). The message is clear: don’t be afraid of exercise - plan on starting small but aim to shoot for the stars (or at least the WHO goal).
The mantra is to incorporate exercise into your daily life. Here are five ways you can get your exercise on:
Walk Whenever You Can
Park your car a block away from the office, walk to the nearby market and talk when you’re on the phone. Make your surroundings your gym.
Use Your Lunch Break
Don’t just sit in front of your computer checking the latest gossip during your lunch break. If you’ve the luxury of a long lunch break, step out for ten minutes and walk back. That’s 20 minutes of exercise right there!
Take The Stairs
Resolve to stop waiting for the elevator. Walking up the stairs doesn’t just get you places, it’s can also raise your heart rate quickly.
Make The Most of TV Ads
Try doing sit-ups, arm circles or lunges between TV breaks. It’s much healthier than grabbing a snack.
Workout While Working
Contract your stomach and back muscles while sitting in your chair or on the bus.
These exercises are not earth shattering, but they can go a long way in getting that extra flab off your body. So get out and get those endorphins pumping: even though you may not see outward results, your body is undergoing a true metamorphosis. And leave those Hrithik Roshan or Deepika Padukone abs to the movies: uske liye bahut papad belne padte hain, bapu!
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