#8 Move your body
We all know that regular physical activity of any kind has immediate and long-term health benefits and improves our quality of life. I like the summary of the benefits on this site as it talks about why it’s good for our well-being. When we exercise, our bodies release chemicals called endorphins that trigger positive feelings in your body - I know that I feel very different if I can’t get my usual fix of activity.
Humans evolved over millions of years to be active - so we are just not meant to be sitting down in front of a screen for hours on end. When we sit and do nothing for too long, our bodies shut down and burn less energy – a bit like a computer. As long as you're moving the mouse and tapping the keys, all systems are go. But inactivity causes it to go into power-conservation mode.
Our modern lifestyles are so unhealthy that there is even a new area of medical study called inactivity physiology which explores the effects of our tech-driven, sedentary lives.
Exercise has played an important role in my life for many years and I suppose I am lucky because I really enjoy it. It’s not just about controlling my weight, it’s about feeling fit and strong and having more energy. Here are some tips on how you can get more active:
Find an activity that you love – it is absolutely pointless joining a gym if you hate working out in a gym! But you might love cycling, swimming, hiking, yoga or dancing
Non-exercise activity also counts – simply getting up and moving around more during the day, housework and basically anything that gets your body moving
Mix it up - ideally the activities that we choose should focus on combining movement that work on endurance, strength, balance and flexibility
Don’t make the excuse that you don’t have time – that is just not true. Everyone can find the time to move – you just need to commit to it
Short workouts such as HIIT (High Intensitiy Interval Training) are a time-efficient way to get the benefits of more traditional cardio
If I can’t get out to a class, I do a workout at home – either from Youtube (my favourites are Popsugar fitness or The Body Coach or I just make up my own session with a combination of jumps, squats, press ups
Monitoring your progress can give you a boost so you can see the results of upping your activity levels. I just bought yet another fitness gadget, a heart rate monitor with a phone app that let’s me compare what heart rate zone I am in for various activities (that is my version of geek!)
Book yourself onto an organised sporting event for charity in the future so that you have a reason to get out and train for it
Of course it is pointless doing lots of exercise if you don’t fuel your body correctly so make sure you are eating healthily too (that is the topic of a future blog as I am currently studying nutrition).
