‘Tis the season where holidays are disrupting daily routines. Exercise classes are often first to be tossed on the ‘I’ll get back to it’ pile. But the holidays are no excuse for not getting healthy movement into our day!
Before we had gyms, Zumba and all other manner of workout classes, people simply lived lives moving more.
They walked, ran, carried stuff, climbed, squatted and did all kinds of movement that kept their bodies in working order. Holidays often meant there was more to do, and a season with more reasons to be active.
We’ve got it all upside down in city life. Movement and exercise are often sacrificed when we get busy. But that doesn’t mean our fitness has to dip over the holiday season.
It just takes a little flip in thinking to make it an everyday happening, like brushing our teeth.
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Here are some ideas to sneak more movement into the day.
They touch on basic moves for functional movement involving cardio, strength and flexibility.
While these tweaks may not replace formal exercise classes, they could help you maintain strength, mobility and balance, or even improve it for those who aren’t yet exercising.
Why Do It?
But first, why would we even want to move more?
Well, what does being fit mean to you? What could it mean to your family? Or your work? What is the value of fitness in your lifestyle? What would it enable you to do, to be? Would it bring continued independence? Confidence? Energy? Make you feel good about yourself?
Invest in a few minutes to think about this. Crunch that into a few words or find an image that says it all for your fitness goal. Stick this in a place where you look at every day, like your bathroom mirror, and let it remind and inspire you to move.
What To Do?
Squats, lunges, crunches and push-ups help us maintain the freedom of a basic range of motion. Stretches help with flexibility. If you’re new to them, there’s always YouTube to learn how they’re done.
Sounds tough? Not as tough as life will be when you lose the ability to get up and down from a sofa on your own, or carry grocery bags, or comfortably walk and go up and down stairs, or recover from tripping without falling.
If we want to stay able, it becomes necessary to counter the muscle loss that comes with age with exercise. The good news is, there are easy versions of every exercise, and you don’t need any fancy equipment.
I had my frail 87-year-old mother doing push-ups off the wall, and more, during the pandemic lockdown. If she can do it, just about anyone else can.
So, if you’re ready, check out these ways to sneak movement in at home and outside.
Start by a commitment to do at least one of these exercises daily. Yup. Just one. Three is great. 10 is wonderful. But start with one, especially if you’re new to regular exercise.
It could be one push-up. Or a crunch. After you do it, immediately pat yourself on the back — you showed up for yourself!
And on days when you can do more, do more! Add another exercise after you get familiar and develop a rhythm with the first, say in a week or two.
And another after the same happens with the second, etc.
The goal is not to become an exercise fanatic, but to make it a habit to invest the effort in a fitter you for your tomorrows.
Cues For Success
Next, cue the exercises to your daily routine to make it easier to remember. One friend used getting into the bathroom to do squats before showering.
I have a pair of push-up handlesby my bed to visually remind me to start my day with a few push-ups. What do you do regularly that could remind you to make movement a habit?
Possible cues:
- Your morning alarm can cue you for 5 minutes of breathing or stretches. Make it part of your morning routine to help you wake up and get your day off on the right foot. Try a similar routine at night to calm mind and body for sleep.
- Waiting for the kettle to fill or boil could give a minute or two to do several squats or push-ups. Start with one and work your way up to as many as you like.
- Lunge instead of walking short distances at home, like from the bedroom to the kitchen. Put a hand on a wall or stable furniture to help with balance if needed. Work your way up to 10 lunges a day.
- Sitting at the TV? Do seated crunches or toe taps to strengthen core muscles. Work your way up to 10-12 crunches.
- Sitting at your desk? Fidget by bouncing your knees up and down to keep your circulation going.
- Brushing your teeth? Do it standing on tip-toe to strengthen your ankles to improve balance. Stabilise yourself with a hand on the counter.
Let these example spark ideas where you can squeeze movement into your life at home.
Write the ones you’d like to do on a sticky pad, one exercise per sticky note. Stick each in view at the places you plan do them in to remind you to act on them.
Caveat:You know your body best, if you’re new to these moves, or recovering from an injury, go slow, listen to your body and don’t do it if it hurts!
Moving More Outside
Meanwhile, when outside:
- Unless you’re cycling or skating, choose to walk distances that can be covered in 10-15 minutes or less.
- Walk to the supermarket if it’s a few bus stops away.
- Get off a bus stop or two before your usual stop and walk home.
- Park further away from the lift or exit if you’re driving.
- If it’s just a basket load, carry your groceries instead of wheeling it in a trolley.
- When walking, walk as if you’re in a hurry, to get your heart rate up.
- Forgo escalators and elevators at stations and malls. Take the stairs up and down. Painful knees are often a sign of weak leg muscles. Protect yourself from that!
And remember, sweeping, dusting, mopping and other housework count as movement too, especially if they raise your pulse rate!
Finally, how do you know if you’re doing enough? If you’re fit, the target movement goal is 150 exercise minutes a week. If you’re not, it could be more. Use a movement tracker to monitor yourself. (HPB gives one out for free.) Let it motivate you to a perfect week of movement. And then another, and another…
Better still, round up a few friends who are also wanting to get and stay fit. Motivate each other!
Soon it’ll be second nature, and you’ll have to adjust your goal for more intense exercise.
Inspiring Role Models for Fitness and Health
Takeshita Mika, 92, oldest fitness instructor in Japan, who started her fitness track at 65.
