FIVE WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
1. USE TECHNOLOGY I’M not talking about the PlayStation when I say technology. But, believe it or not, your phone can be your friend. There are plenty of great apps for your smartphone that will track how many steps you are doing each day. It’s cheaper than buying a fitness band or a fitness watch and always keeps you accountable because you can go back through your history and see how much you are doing. You should be trying to get about 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day. Set it on your phone and make it non-negotiable. 2. WALK DURING YOUR LUNCH BREAK MANY people say they don’t have time to exercise. Well, what about during your lunch break? All you need is half an hour to an hour. Everyone has that sort of time to get out in the sun. Grab a bunch of your co-workers and start pounding the pavement. It’s a good chance to get the heart rate up and you can do a bit of socialising while you’re at it. 3. CHOOSE YOUR CAR PARKS WISELY THIS is an old one, but a good one. Park your car as far away from work as possible and walk in. So, let’s take Geelong for example. Don’t park at Haymarket and pay $10.50 for the privilege. Park down the hill near Kardinia Park in some of the free spaces and stroll in. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and some sun and your wallet will be looking fuller by the end of the week. Parking at Haymarket costs $52.50 per week, so over 52 weeks you can save $2730. Talk about some extra Christmas pudding! If you work in Melbourne, walk from Southern Cross station rather than taking the tram. 4. TAKE THE STAIRS WE’VE heard this one before too, but it’s another good way to get some extra exercise in. There are stairs everywhere. They’re in the office, the train station, sports stadiums, concerts. See a set and go up them rather than taking an elevator or escalator. It’s great for your legs and your heart rate will go up too. 5. EXERCISE DURING TV AD BREAKS CHOOSE a handful of your favourite exercises — think push-ups, sit-ups, squats, planks, lunges, tricep dips, that sort of thing. Every time an ad break comes on the TV, do one of those exercises for the length of the ads. When it’s finished sit back on the couch and enjoy your show. Next ad break? Choose a different exercise and go again!