What is the first thing you think of when it comes to exercise? Push ups? Burpees? Hard work? Boring? Pain? Weight? Calorie burning? I hear you . Exercise can get a bad rap but it doesn’t have to be that way.. I don’t even like to call it exercise anymore, just because of the negative connotations, so I renamed it fun with movement. There are so many ways to move your body. Do you remember when you were a kid and you could run around for hours and would never get bored or tired? What if I could tell you that you can unleash your inner child again and have fun with movement. Here are 5 tips to get you started.
Be a big kid again
1. Grip Ball. Head to your local toy shop and pick up a Grip ball set. Then grab a mate and head to your local park for a challenge match. This is a great cardio booster that will get your heart rate up quickly without you even realising. You can also make it more challenging by performing vertical jumps in between throws.
2. Sing-a-long Squats. Try this one song workout challenge. Play “Flower” by Moby. Get into your squat position and hold. When the song says, “bring sally up you” you squat up, and when it says, “bring sally down” you squat down. Stay down in a squat hold at “old miss Lucy’s dead and gone”. This song goes for nearly 4 minutes. It is a great leg workout that is fun too!
3. Sports Day Special. Grab some mates and set up your own mini sports day. Think egg and spoon races, relay races, wheelbarrow races and skipping games. Your heart will be racing before you even realise it!
4. Skip o hop. Do you remember these from your childhood? You can pick them up cheaply from a toy store. This exercise is great for a fun activity that will also work your agility, balance and cardiovascular system.
5. Dance like no one is watching. If you don’t feel like going out, then crank up your favourite dance tunes and get dancing!
Moving and you don’t even know it
Moving our body in a way that is enjoyable really is the key to our health and wellbeing. As well as planned movement activities, there are easy ways to sneak more movement into our day. Any form of movement is beneficial to our wellbeing!. I have put together some easy ways that you sneak more movement into your day.
When you are on the phone, go for a walk or pace around the house.
Take the stairs instead of the lift.
Clean the house while dancing at the same time.
Get a standing desk at work.
Start a walking club at work or suggest a walking meeting.
Do squats and balancing exercises when you brush your teeth or watching the TV.
Get off the bus or train one stop earlier.
Lunge around the living room during the ads or hold a plank!
Get a book of post it notes and write different exercises on them, for example 10 crunches., 10 lunges, 10 squats etc. Stick them all around the house. Some good places include the fridge, kitchen cupboard, front door, bed frame and remote control. Every time you see the post it notes- perform the move!
