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Work | Home | Travelling | School | Additional Ideas | Climbing Stairs    

Integrating Exercise 

 

The integration of exercise into your everyday routine can be simple. Successful ways to integrate exercise into your daily routine include:

 

Work

  • March on the spot when waiting for the photocopier
  • Have walking meetings or start a staff walking group before work, at lunch time or after work
  • Stand up to talk on the telephone
  • Sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair. This will not only improve your posture, but will strengthen abdominal  muscles
  • Use a pedometer to keep track of how many steps you are doing. Aim for 10,000.
  • Perform desk stretches  Take a break every hour, stand up, take a walk and stretch your muscles(will link to stretching page)
  • Walk to co-workers instead of emailing or calling
  • Organise a staff netball, soccer or other sporting team and join in a social sport competition in your local area
  • Climb up and down stairs in or around your office

Home

  • During television ad breaks, get up and stretch or do a lap of the house
  • Sit on a gym ball instead of a lounge chair. This will better your posture and improve abdominal muscles
  • Put extra effort into making beds, hanging up the washing, mowing the lawn and vacuuming as they all count as physical activity
  • Instead of walking from the kitchen straight to the fridge, walk around the house and then go to the fridge
  • Spend time playing outdoors with your grandchildren or pets
  • If you have a young child, play games with your child in the backyard or at the local park

Travelling

  • Walk to your destination (ie shopping centre or place of work if appropriate)
  • Park at the far end of the car park to maximise the distance you can walk
  • Walk at a pace that makes you feel as though if you were going any faster you’d be running
  • Stand up on short train and bus trips
  • Always use the stairs in place of a lift or escalators
  • If stairs are not available, walk quickly up the escalators

School

  • Enjoy playing sports and games with friends after school
  • Become involved in a school sport team of interest to you
  • Walk or cycle to and from school
  • Make your lunch breaks active. After eating your healthy lunch, make it a regular routine for you and your friends to do a lap of the school

Additional Ideas

  • Get active with your family by exploring a national park, going camping or hiking, spending time at the beach or get on your bikes and explore your local area
  • Join a local walking group or social sporting group (link to IHF Activities)
  • If you have a baby, join in local mum and bub activities, such as playgroups or Hot Mums fitness sessions (link to Hot Mums on IHF Activities)


These are just a few suggestions as to how you can integrate exercise into your everyday routine.  Every little bit counts.