Looking to easily incorporate some more exercise into your day? Try these quick and simple tips to get moving
Private dancing
Set your alarm 10 minutes early (or don’t hit the snooze button) and spend those 10 minutes dancing. It will lift your mood as well as boosting energy levels. If you’re dancing where no one else can see, why not crank up some guilty pleasure tunes to boogie to?
Salute the sun
Take a few minutes in the morning to do your Sun Salutations – a great way to stretch out after a night’s sleep and greet the day. Don’t be put off if you’re new to yoga – there are plenty of guides and videos online. Feeling stressed? Follow up your practice with five minutes of Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing, also found online), which can really help balance your mood ready for the day ahead.
Commute better
Get off the train or bus one stop early, or park your car a 10-minute walk from the office. You might be surprised at what you see on the way.
Keep fit with kids and pets
Got kids? Take them out scooting and run alongside. Got a dog? Why not jog for your next walk?
Make a cuppa
Why waste the time it takes for the kettle to boil? Pick up a couple of baked bean tins and do some bicep curls, plank or half-squat in Horse Stance. See if you can keep it up until the kettle boils.
Take a lunch break
Can’t take a full lunch break? Even a few minutes’ brisk walk around the block will bring you back to your desk refreshed and ready for the afternoon’s work.
Tidy time
Do you find yourself going up and down stairs 20 times as you tidy up? Don’t worry, you’re exercising! Next time you’re cleaning, don’t collect all the things to take upstairs and do it in one go – run up and down every time you find an item. It won’t take that much extra time but it will improve your fitness and ironically, your mood.
Work standing
Really can’t spare any time? Why not switch to a standing desk at work. Standing desks lower blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, ease back pain and boost energy and mood, reports say. If you can’t get a standing desk, is there any work you could do standing up at your regular desk?
Go outdoors
Spend 10 minutes towards the end of the day watering plants, weeding or tending your garden, balcony plants, or indoor pots. It will gently get you moving and lift your spirits.
Bedtime yoga
Downward Dog, Child’s Pose and Seated Spinal Twist are just some of the yoga poses that can help you relax and sleep more soundly – look up evening yoga exercises online for more poses and instructions. Follow up your practice with a meditation session and you’re bound to enjoy sweet dreams and wake up bright, rejuvenated and ready for anything next morning.
