9 EASY WAYS TO MOVE DURING THE DAY

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many people continue to work remotely, and therefore, don’t participate in group classes, avoid gatherings with friends, and skip outings to crowded public places. As a result, there is less movement in our lives. How do we maintain the level of physical activity necessary to stay healthy? We've prepared 9 easy ways to move more throughout the day.

Moderate exercise can reduce your risk of developing noncommunicable diseases (such as type 2 diabetes), strengthen your heart and lungs, muscles and bones, and maintain emotional health and prevent depression. In terms of physical inactivity, it remains one of the most important risk factors for death worldwide.

Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that people aged 18 to 64 devote at least 150 minutes a week to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. If you prefer high intensity workouts, do at least 75 minutes per week.

For additional health benefits, you must gradually double your workout duration, doing up to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises and 150 minutes of high-intensity workouts per week.

1. Move when you're on the phone

Due to the pandemic, there are more and more phone and online calls. Utilize this idle time in a way that benefits your body - connect a headset to your smartphone and go for a walk or do simple exercises while talking like squats, calf raises, or wall sits.

A wall sit or “chair” is an exercise similar to the plank but for the leg muscles. Thanks to the lactic acid that builds up in the muscles during exercise, it releases the hormones needed for muscle growth into the bloodstream. At first, like any static exercise, this will be difficult to do, but try to stand this way for 40-50 seconds each time and you will begin seeing results.

If you find it difficult to do this exercise, then start with 30 seconds, gradually increasing the time. It is advisable to do 3 repetitions and work up to 45 seconds. Make sure your knees are at right angles and your back is pressed firmly against the wall.

2. Stop using the elevator

While you are riding in the elevator, you do not burn calories and do not strengthen your heart and blood vessels. In addition, in the elevator, you come into contact with other people, which may not allow for true social distancing coronavirus pandemic. Instead of pressing the elevator call button again, head up the stairs! In 10 minutes of climbing the stairs, you can burn more than 100 kcal. Increase your stepping speed if you want to make your workout more effective.

3. Add short workouts to your schedule

If you do not have an hour a day for training, it does not matter, find at least 10 minutes (this should be the minimum duration of training, according to WHO experts). For example, during a break between work sessions, do 2-3 rounds of simple exercises.

As you can see, training every day is easier than it might seem at first glance. And by the way, don't forget about your lunch break - use this time to move more, not to do a little more work.

4. Clean your house more often

Cleaning can become more interesting if you don't treat it as a routine and a duty, but as a workout. Washing floors (240 kcal per hour) and windows (167 kcal) will allow you to burn a lot of calories, muscles are actively involved in work when you vacuum (up to 190 kcal per hour is spent). And the reward after such a training will not only be excellent health and well-being, but also order in the house. An excellent option for those who have very little free time.

5. Listen to books while walking

Walking is an effective and low-impact form of physical activity. Walk whenever possible: on the way to the office, during your lunch break. It is true, walking for a long time can be boring, so to add motivation, start listening to an interesting audiobook. Then the next time you want to walk again - go ahead and listen to the sequel. And by the way, you don't have to walk 10,000 steps a day for it to be beneficial!

6. Spend time with children

Kids love to move a lot - so why not keep them company? Catch up with each other, ride a bike or scooter, swim in a river or pool, jump rope, or fly a kite. These are all great ways to burn calories and maintain the whole familys’ good spirits.

7. Make appointments in the park.

If you spend most of your day in front of your computer, try holding meetings in a park. You can just as easily discuss plans with a business partner and chat with friends as you walk. This is exactly what Apple CEO Steve Jobs did, and this tradition is continued by one of the founders of the social network Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. Scientists from Stanford University (UK) have shown that walking improves creativity. And by the way, the effects last for some time after you return from a walk and sit down at the computer again.

8. Start running

Running is a simple and accessible sport for many. You do not need special equipment- you can run anywhere - in the park, on sidewalks, or on dirt roads outside the city. Create a schedule for yourself with a training intensity that works for you and stick with it. When you have a goal and a strategic plan to reach that goal, skipping a workout becomes more difficult.

9. Use social media

Smart watches will help you determine how much you are actually moving (moving around the house or apartment also counts), whether your workouts are intense enough, and whether the recovery process after physical exertion is proceeding correctly. Some gadgets will even remind you that it's time to warm up if you sit at the computer or at the TV. Track your activity, set new goals for yourself, and share them with your friends on social networks. Then, you simply will not be able to spend the day without adequate physical activity, because promises (even data in social networks) must be kept.