Like purchasing hats or undergarments, maintaining good health is not a one-size-fits-all situation. This applies to diet, mood, and exercise, which is why behavioral scientists suggest that the key to staying fit is finding exercise that suits you. The great news is that even if you’re not a fan of the gym, don’t want to commit to team sports, dislike jogging, or simply don’t have much time, you can still engage in physical activity by splitting it into small, convenient intervals throughout the day.
According to Marie Murphy, a professor of exercise and health at Ulster University, the idea that you need to sweat for at least 20 minutes for exercise to be effective is no longer true. 10-minute sessions are just as good, and even a few minutes of exercise will still benefit you. Murphy compares this to the saying “if you look after the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves.” The official weekly guidelines in the UK recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a combination of both, along with strength exercises and reduced sitting time. However, you can easily surpass these recommendations by incorporating short bursts of activity throughout the day, and you don’t need any special equipment. “If you don’t have much time but are physically able, then you can do things like running up a couple of flights of stairs or other small bouts,” says Murphy.
In fact, accumulating exercise throughout the day may even have advantages over doing all your activity in one session. “Even if you’re a marathon runner, if you then sit for prolonged periods, then that has an effect on your health,” says Murphy. “By breaking up your sitting with short bouts, there’s an advantage over other forms of exercise.”
With that in mind, here are 23 exercises you can incorporate into your daily routine:
1. Sit on the floor in various positions while watching TV to stretch, improve posture, and increase muscle activity.
2. Use the stairs for calf raises to strengthen calf muscles and hamstrings.
3. Perform side leg raises to target outer thigh muscles and hip abductors.
4. Grab a tea towel and use it for a shoulder opener to counteract rounded shoulders.
5. Take the stairs instead of using lifts or escalators to burn calories and improve aerobic capacity.
6. Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth to improve coordination and challenge your brain.
7. Practice wall handstands or wall pike handstands for a full body workout and improved balance.
8. Try wall press-ups with a spine stretch to work your shoulders, arms, chest, and improve stability around your shoulder blades.
9. Take the stairs two at a time to save time, burn more calories, and work your muscles.
10. Imagine your head is suspended from a golden thread to improve posture.
11. Master the sit-to-stand test to test balance, core, and lower body strength.
12. Do squats while waiting for the kettle to boil to strengthen the lower body and core.
13. Keep circling your feet to promote blood circulation and prevent stiffness after sitting for extended periods.
Remember, staying active and finding exercises that work for you is essential for maintaining good health.