You never know, you may enjoy a gentle jog
Seventy-six per cent of UK women say they exercise regularly but only seven per cent say they do it for fun.
That’s a finding of a recent survey conducted by National Lottery Good Causes, which also revealed that the main reason we’re willing to work up a sweat is weight loss.
But according to fitness expert Sam Murphy, exercise shouldn’t feel like a chore and if it does, we’re less likely to stick with it. ‘All the research shows that finding an activity you love is the key to making exercise a life-long habit,’ she says. If you can find two or three, that’s even better.
£1.4 billion of National Lottery money has been invested in projects to boost the nation’s health. This has funded something for everyone whether it is walking, cycling, running or team sports.
‘Mixing and matching different activities helps keep you interested,’ says Sam. ‘You’ll also gain a greater range of fitness benefits – for example, getting flexible through yoga and burning fat through jogging or power walking.’
One of the most frequently cited reasons for not exercising – or not doing more – is a lack of time. ‘Most women have so many demands on their time – work, family, chores and social obligations – it can be hard to carve out time for exercise, and that’s why finding ways of integrating more activity into your daily routine is such a smart move,’ says Sam. ‘The message for all of us is to move more, more often.’
Here are her top tips…
Go for bite-size bouts – You don’t need to have hours to spare to make a workout worthwhile - revised exercise guidelines launched last month by the Department of Health state that you can reach the 150-minute weekly target for physical activity in bouts as short as 10 minutes at a time.
Leave the car – Why not pledge to make journeys that take less than 5 minutes by car on foot or by bicycle? And cut short journeys on public transport by getting on or off a stop earlier and walking the remainder.
Don’t sit still –In research from the Mayo Clinic in the US, fidgets burned 100-200 calories per day more than those who sat still, thanks to something called ‘non-exercise activity thermogenesis’ (NEAT).
Hide the remote - One study showed that using a remote control instead of getting up to switch TV channels conserved 10 calories. Do that every day for a year, and you’ve added a pound to your waistline. Think of other ways you could reduce your use of ‘labour-saving’ devices, too…
Up your step count – Health experts reckon we need to clock up 10,000 steps per day for the best health and fitness benefits. The average woman achieves scarcely half of that but, as the old saying goes, every journey begins with a single step. Start by calculating your baseline, using a pedometer, and aim to increase your daily step count by 1000 steps each week (the equivalent of an extra 10 minutes of brisk walking).
Be playful – Take a trip with your kids to one of the 550 Lottery-funded parks across the UK. Getting active with your kids, instead of sitting on a park bench while they play, is a time-friendly way of injecting more activity into your day – and they’ll love it! The same goes for walks with Fido – rather than standing still while he runs back and forth fetching balls and sticks, get involved and chase them too! (Studies show that dog owners are generally healthier and more active than those without dog)
Add more oomph to daily activities You may not think activities like vacuuming, laundry, window cleaning and gardening constitute opportunities for exercise – but do them with gusto and you can really work up a sweat. Putting upbeat music on while you do household chores is a good way of encouraging you to move.
Sam Murphy is one of the UK’s leading fitness experts and authors.
National Lottery players raise £28 million each week for good causes. For more information, click on www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk.
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