Five ways to increase incidental exercise

Five ways to increase incidental exercise

We all know incidental exercise is important. We often hear about suggestions of parking our car further away from where we need to be, and taking the stairs instead of the lift. It doesn't hurt to be reminded every now and then of how we can squeeze some extra exercise into our day without having to allocate huge amounts of time.

1. Walking to the stores. If you need to make a relatively small purchase and you live close to your local supermarket or mall, then why not walk there? Often it's an easier option in comparison to battling the carpark! This is an excellent way to get some extra exercise and make your purchases. If you have a backpack or a shopping trolley bag you can carry items home quite easily. Carrying them in shopping bags in your hands can also be a surprisingly good arm workout if they are not too heavy!

2. Household chores. These days we are so busy that many of us outsource our car washing, gardening, and house cleaning. If you do have to prioritise and these activities absolutely cannot fit into your day then you may need to outsource them. However if you do have the time then these simple chores can be a good way of getting some extra movement into your day. Washing your car and gardening can often be quite vigorous, requiring you to be bending, lifting and carrying. These are all good functional movements utilising your legs, arms and core strength. Plus you are out in the sunshine and the fresh air. Often this makes a nice change if you work in an office all day.

3. Walking the dog. As long as you have an active dog you could take it for quite a brisk walk or even a jog if you have good fitness levels. If you have a large dog it would probably be happy to be out with you for the exercise! Instead of just talking it for a brief walk, why not plan a particular route that includes hills or a challenging cross country section so that you both get a great amount of exercise.

4. Playing with your children. Many parents find it a challenge to spend time with their children as they often work long hours, or they have many activities in their day to juggle. Allocating some time in the evenings or on the weekend to spend time with your family will increase their exercise levels as well as yours. Bike riding, scootering, going for a walk, playing footy or even playing with a Frisbee are all good ways to have some quality time with your kids and get a bit of a workout at the same time.

5. Go dancing! Dancing is a great form of exercise whether you take up dancing classes or you just go out dancing with your partner or a friend. How often have you cut up the dance floor and been exhausted at the end of the night? It's a great recreational activity as it's fun, it makes you feel good, and you work your body all at the same time. There are some great dance classes around these days, with Zumba being the most popular at the moment.

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