Shakespeare once said, “To be or not to be”.
What has been lost throughout history is that Shakespeare was talking about being physically active. I know… Mind blown, right?? *Alright, I admit I made that up.
Exercise, whether that word makes you smile, or you develop an adverse reaction and need a lie down with a cool towel on your forehead, is I’m sorry to say, fundamental to all human beings.
The benefits of engaging in daily movement whether in a structured form of exercise or talking a morning walk, with or without a dog (if you have a dog, don’t find one on the street and take it, could be problematic), are numerous and are highlighted in the image below.
Image 1: Courtesy of Adam Meakins Published on Twitter The sports Physio @adammeakins
With ever increasing demands on our time throughout the day. Home and work pressures reduces your time to participate in healthy activities. Developing strategies to manage time is required, and possibly these tips can help you?
A circuit of three exercises of 10 repetitions without a rest in-between to be completed once before midday and once again before 5pm.
To further challenge yourself you complete this circuit whenever you have to go to the bathroom, or if you have to get out of your chair to do the circuit before sitting down again.
Three exercise circuit
Bodyweight squats to a chair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wnrrEuM_Gc
Wall push ups https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB0egDzsu18
Forward lunges https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE_hU8XX48I
The bodyweight squat is primarily a lower body strength exercise, major muscles are the quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings. Why do we like this exercise? The squat replicates a lot of movements we do in everyday life, combined with the use of a chair provides a physical queue to achieving appropriate depth in the downward motion of the movement.
Push ups are a good upper body exercise, the major muscles are the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids and triceps. Increasing upper body strength aids in daily activities at home or work.
Lastly, the lunge is not only a lower body strength exercise, it combines moving into single leg and balance movements. This combination can assist with daily activities such as walking up or down stairs.
In addition, to achieve small extra efforts of activity, because…I can tell if you have read this far down you are interested.
Drive to work? Park approximately 10 mins away. That will give you any extra 20 minutes of walking each day.
Use public transport? Get off one or two stops earlier and walk to your workplace.
Shakespeare’s quote does apply, only you can “be” or do, the motivation to exercise comes from within, it doesn’t require any fancy movements or equipment to get the benefits from exercise, just consistency and effort. Try these exercises for one month and see how you feel?
