INSPO Magazine September 2019

Active tips for the
TIME POOR
While the benefits of
moving are unquestionable,
sometimes it can be a struggle
to fit it all in.
So before you exchange your exercise
session for being sedentary, try keeping
active without even the need for a
structured session.
Active commuting
Active commuting, like cycling or walking,
has all the benefits of a standalone workout
except that some of the time would be spent
commuting anyway. While it’s not suitable
for long distance travelers, even walking to
a further away bus stop or walking on days
where the weather is better can be an option.
Need more convincing? A study of more
than 2000 participants in the UK showed
that commuting by bike was associated with
a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD),
cancer, and all-cause mortality.
The study also measured walking and
found it was associated with a lower risk
of CVD independent of major measured
factors.
Saving the planet
If you are keen to save the planet, combine it
with some active moving and you’ll get to improve
your health as well as that of the planet.
Whether it’s a small pot or a full garden,
growing your own vegetables provides ample
opportunity for physical activity in the
outdoors, with the added benefit of low food
miles, and easy access to healthy food.
Dancing
Dancing is essentially exercising with style.
The benefits of dance extend beyond the
physical, with the coordination required
exercising neural pathways as well, contributing
to mental alertness and helping retain
memory and cognitive function, especially
as we age.
Housework
Whether it’s carrying
groceries, doing a
brisk vacuum, or
stretching to dust under
the furniture, using
domestic chores
as a chance to be
active is unlikely to
lead to a new-found
joy for housework.
But it may make it
go faster and will add
some easy heart rate
raising activity to
your week.
If a regular scheduled
workout is not
inspiring you, then
• Mobile Personal Training
• Sport Specific Strength
and Conditioning
• Nutrition analysis and
strategies
• Small group training
look at other options. This could include
using a trainer, trying a class, getting some
new exercises, or even trying the pool. Exercise
works best when done regularly, each
week, month, and year; so choosing exercise
and physical activity that you want to do is
important.
At the end of the day there are a number
of reasons you don’t have time for exercising
and lack of time is only one of them.
It’s easier to find time to do things we
enjoy, so if the exercise programme you
have been doing doesn’t inspire you, then
don’t sell yourself short - go looking for a
sustainable, motivating form of exercise or
physical activity.
INSPO SEPTEMBER 2019
17