Move more
Easy ways to get active
If you’re like a lot of people, you don’t move as much as you should. The average Australian spends at least 39 hours per week doing sedentary activities: watching TV, surfing the Internet, talking on the phone and reading. All of this sitting can make diabetes harder to control. According to the Journal of Preventive Medicine, women who sit for prolonged periods of time are more likely to have increased insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. And the more you sit, the worse it gets. Another study found that adults who sit for 11 hours or more on a daily basis have a 40 per cent greater risk of dying in the next three years than people who spend fewer than four hours a day in a chair. Use these tips to incorporate more movement into the activities
you’re already doing.
START YOUR DAY WITH A QUICK WALK AROUND THE BLOCK
Nothing intense, nothing long – just a brisk walk to get you going. Leave your walking shoes by the door before bed so you’ll be ready. Listen to your favourite radio show or podcast on the go.
HOOK A PEDOMETER TO YOUR BODY
Studies show that when people are keeping track of their steps, they tend to walk more.
You can even get into a friendly competition with your spouse or a co-worker to see who can rack up the most steps in a day or a week.
DON’T WASTE COMMERCIAL TIME
While watching TV, get up and do a minute of star jumps or a minute of high knees every time a commercial comes on. Research shows that people who walk on the spot during ad breaks burn an average of 600 kilojoules in about 25 minutes.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT CHORES
Put on your favourite tunes and start tackling those chores you have been avoiding. Whether you mop the floor, vacuum the carpets, dust those hard-to-reach areas, weed the garden or wash your car, you will feel those kilojoules burning in no time.
BE INEFFICIENT
Do you have loads of laundry to haul upstairs or downstairs? Take one basket or one handful of clothes at a time. Do you have groceries to carry in from the car? Don’t carry them all at once. Deliberately break up daily tasks so you make multiple, frequent trips.
PARK THE TROLLEY FOR QUICK TRIPS
If you need just a handful of items at the supermarket, take two reusable bags and throw them over your shoulders. Put your food in the bags as you shop. While you wait to pay, hold the bags by your sides and do shoulder shrugs.