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Staying fit, bit by bit


BY COLIN PEDEN


Our lives are dominated by speed, our communication is instantaneous, and our ability to take a moment for ourselves is squeezed; there never seems to be enough time. With 1,440 minutes in each day, it shouldn’t be hard to find the 30 minutes of daily physical activity recommended by fitness experts. But for most people, this half hour falls by the wayside in a life dominated by family, work, errands and our daily routines. Does this mean that people with busiest schedules are doomed in their quest for a healthy lifestyle? Here’s the good news: There’s hope, even for those under the most pressure. The key is to make staying fit as conve- nient as possible. One of the biggest reasons why


people slide into inactivity is that we assume exercise is successful only when we commits hours and hours to it. When such ample time is not avail- able, many people consider fitness a lost cause, and abandon exercise. But what alternatives – other than hours at the gym – could someone include in a daily routine? Here are a few easy ways to include physical activity dur- ing your day.


AT HOME • Make household chores count; work at a fast pace to get your heart pumping.


• Go for a walk after dinner rather than collapsing in front of the TV with a full belly.


• Try working in the garden or mowing the lawn. Gardening burns up to 300 calories an hour, and builds strength.


• Enlist the dog. Instead of just letting your pet out, take him or her for a brisk walk.


www.ottawaoutdoors.ca ottawaoutdoors 39


AT WORK • If you ride the bus, get off a few blocks before your workplace.


• If you drive, park further away from the office.


• Take the stairs rather than the elevator, or get off a couple of floors early.


• Take a walk rather than a coffee break.


• Start a lunchtime walking group, or team up with a friend to squeeze a walk in.


By including a few of these brief


activities in your day, those 30 minutes of activity may not be as tough as you thought to achieve. Look at your day, be creative with opportunities as they present themselves, and be as active as you can. (And try for some weekly structured exercise as well to reinforce the daily bits.) You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how you look, and more importantly, how you feel. /OO


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