Simple ways to get more exercise into your life at home or in the office

Shauna McCrudden talks to coach Cathy Soraghan on some simple ways to get more exercise into your life at home or in the office

According to 2018 research by Deloitte, in Ireland, 500,000 people are members at 710 health and fitness clubs, which is equivalent to 10.5pc of the total population. But the rest of the population are not members of any club or gym and as schedules fill up with meetings and appointments, they might start to convince themselves that they have no time to start exercising.

People are used to making excuses, says Cathy Soraghan, Director of Women On

The Run Ltd. Cathy is a performance and motivational coach with over 23 years’ experience who won the Best Freelance Trainer award 2019 sponsored by Nutrimino. Cathy says people won’t bother going to a gym if they are working full-time, with children’s schedules to attend to or elderly parents.

“Most people want to do something to get more fit, but going to a gym or club can be a task they just can’t fit in. We need to think more laterally. Discourage the idea that you need to set aside an hour or an hour and a half into your day to get fit. Break up the time – if you only have 10 minutes in the morning, then use this time wisely.”

If you only have time at home or at the office, you can still get some exercise. In fact, this could be a way to get started on your exercise adventure – if you find you are comfortable exercising on your own by adding little extras into your routine, it could be the start of something new and encourage you to join a gym to continue your fitness habit.

So, what are Cathy’s top tips on getting more exercise at home or at the office?

1 Sleep in –

According to the Critical

Care and Sleep Medicine at Western University, poor sleep is linked to difficulty controlling temptations for junk food and the willpower to exercise.

“Believe it or not, lack of sleep makes us less motivated and more inclined to eat the wrong foods,” says Cathy. “Recent research on weight gain and depression shows that we are not getting enough rest. Try out a better bedtime routine and set the alarm for a half hour earlier, to enable you to find 20 minutes to move before you start your day.”

2 Cycle more –

“I recommend buying a bicycle and start cycling every second day to work or school. If you haven’t cycled in a while, you can go online and find a local cycling club, which will help you get back to the idea of cycling. You can even get adult lessons with Cycling Ireland. It’s still one of the safest ways to commute and car drivers are getting better at looking out for bikes.”

3 Create a group –

Put together a group in the office to motivate each other, keep an exercise diary and start rewarding yourself each week for your achievements. “Don’t try to run a full marathon in the first week!” says Cathy. “Get a group in the office and take a walk at lunchtime, or try creating a little circuit class with the office equipment you have onsite. You would be amazed how easy it is to work against your body weight. Press-ups anywhere pack a punch. As do tricep dips off a chair or a desk, or squats against the wall.”

4 Walk more with the family –

Recent studies have shown that exercise can boost mood and help to alleviate anxiety and depression. And doing this with family and friends can help boost motivation and confidence.

“Instead of just rushing in and getting food ready in the evening, go out for a nice walk around the block together and while you are walking, you can chat and see how everyone’s day has gone. Make mealtimes an opportunity to get everyone involved in the prepping too which is also a nice workout.”

5 Just move –

Using the staircase instead of the lift is one of the best ways to burn more calories but the most important part, according to Cathy, is just to move as much as you can.

“Sitting has now become as big a health risk as smoking. Use your office chair and practice standing up and down, starting with 10 reps. Then see how many reps you can do in two minutes, building towards a five-minute routine. I invented my programme, ‘Gym in a Box’, as it really does exercise the whole body as effectively as a resistance routine in the gym. It’s so light, you can take it anywhere if you have to travel. Leave it on your desk and you can do lots of these exercises even whilst on conference calls – no one will be any the wiser!”

Cathy says lots of people prefer outdoor exercise, so the best way to start getting fit is in public parks, in beautiful mountains and joining hiking groups. This can be the simplest way to start getting fit.

“Find a programme that you actually like. No one is going to keep up with a routine that they don’t enjoy. My message to the person that feels overwhelmed is to try new things: It doesn’t matter if you haven’t done it before, just give it a go!”

For more from Cathy Soraghan and her personal fitness regime, visit www.womenontherun.ie