Move more….exercise less 3rd February 2017

Hi guys,

Hope everyone is having a great week – Its finally Spring time and I’m really looking forward to some brighter days.

With that in mind I’ve decided to talk about exercise and movement. Since starting Meal Genie last year unfortunately I haven’t had as much time and as much of a routine as I used to. My regular exercise regime has gone out the window and to counter that I’ve been trying my best to incorporate movement into my days.

Exercise is so important to me – not just for the obvious benefits – controlling your weight, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease & type 2 diabetes and of course strengthening your bones and muscles… but most importantly for my mental fitness.

Here are my top tips for incorporating movement into your day if you don’t have time for your regular exercise regime.

Remember every little helps and its the sum of your efforts with regards food, exercise, nutrition and stress management that make the real difference to the quality of your life.

– Take the stairs … such a simple thing to do – a lot of the time people can just simply fall into the routine of taking the lift/escalator when it isn’t at all necessary. Taking the stairs is such a simple way to get more movement into your day.

– Cycle or walk to work … I know, I know its dark and horrible outside still but think of how good you would feel getting to work knowing you already have your daily exercise done for the day? If this isn’t possible why not get off the bus/luas/dart a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way?

– Every hour on the hour get up…if you are at a desk all day aim to get up every hour on the hour and walk around. A great way to do this is go to the water cooler and fill up! Not only are you upping your water intake you are also getting up and moving around…winner all round.

– Do some squats on your toilet break…so this might not be for everyone but I love this. Every time I take a toilet break I’ll do 10 squats. It might not sound like a lot but it adds up over a day and will definitely get your heart rate up.

– Dance! Waking up in the morning and feeling a little bleugh? Why not put on your favourite song and dance like no ones watching? This is the perfect tonic for some morning blues and is sure to get your heart racing and the endorphins flowing.

– Walk your dog…sometimes its hard to bring the dog for a walk after a long day buts its such a nice thing to do after a day sitting at a desk. If you really are feeling very tired play fetch with your dog in the garden or the park. Its sure to lift your mood too.

– Do chores – one of the less fun ones but still… Do the ironing, hoover the house, or do some gardening. A clean house & your daily exercise done – A win win.

– Exercise on your lunch break – this is great for people who have a lot of family commitments. You might find it’s just too difficult to commit to exercising pre or post work so make lunch break your time. Look for a class in a nearby gym or simply get out and stretch the legs with a long walk.

– Don’t press send on that email – we’ve become so reliant on email as a communication tool. Why not take a walk over to your colleague instead and have a chat? You can always send a follow up email if you need to tie down details. By walking over you might even encourage your other colleagues to start walking too.

– Carry your food shopping home for a mini weights work out…even better you could order a Meal Genie recipe bag to your workplace and carry it home. Movement and dinner shop complete!

What do you think? How do you incorporate movement into your day?

We love to hear from you

Lauren