10 New Year's resolutions for couch potatoes
Change your view
It’s likely that if you’ve become very inactive, you dislike exercise. But that’s probably because you’ve pigeonholed it, believing it only entails certain activities in certain places like gyms.
A brisk walk in the park, a game of tennis or a gentle yoga class qualify every bit as much as a step aerobics class or a 5-mile run. Open your mind to new ways of getting active.
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Add more energy to daily activities
You may think of activities like hoovering, laundry, window cleaning and gardening as chores, rather than opportunities for exercise - but do them with gusto and you can really work up a sweat.
And of course, there’s the pay-off of having got the job done. Putting lively music on while you do household chores is a good way of making you move around more.
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Wear comfortable shoes
It might sound like something that your grandmother would say, but if you spend most of your time in high heels, heavy boots or stiff leather loafers, standing still on the escalators is always going to win and a cab is always going to seem like a better idea than walking.
If you can’t ditch the heels, atleast travel to and from your destination in more action-friendly footwear.
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Get a pedometer
You clip this simple device to your belt or waistband and it counts the number of steps you take. You may not be achieving the 10,000 steps a day goal, but it will at least give you an idea of how many steps you are taking and where you need to build from.
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Abide by the 10-minute rule
We are all guilty of jumping in the car to drive short distances and that’s a calorie-burning, leg-strengthening, mind-clearing exercise opportunity lost.
Make a pledge to walk or cycle any journey that will take you 10 minutes or less without the car. And do your absolute best to stick to it.
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Stretch yourself
Okay, so stretching isn’t going to make you into a lean, mean calorie-burning machine, but it will get you more in touch with your body. It will help you mobilise your joints, get to know where different muscles are and find out the areas in which you are tight and tense.
Stretching feels great, too. Make a gentle stretch first thing in the morning or when you get home from work part of your regular routine.
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Raise your awareness
Give yourself a pat on the back as you begin to add more activity into your daily life, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that a half-hour burst of activity means you can ‘let it all hang out’ for the rest of the day!
Being aware of things like posture and the way you move your body is a 24 hour a day task. For example, you can undo all the good of an hour-long Pilates class by sitting at your desk with hunched shoulders and your stomach hanging out for the rest of the day.
Equally, it’s no good practicing perfect squatting technique when you are exercising if you bend from the waist or don’t think about your knee position when you bend down to pick up your child or a heavy box off the floor.
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Opt for bite-size workouts
If the idea of going to the gym or taking a fitness class is intimidating, do mini workouts at home.
For example, while the kettle is boiling do as many push-ups against the kitchen counter as you can. Before you sit down on a chair do a few sets of squats, lowering your bottom until it’s just above the seat and then straightening up again. Before you get into bed, do as many abdominal curls as you can.
It may not seem like much at the time, but all these efforts add up.
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Get some support
Changing your lifestyle is never easy and it takes time for new patterns of behaviour to become habit, so get as much support as you can.
It may be from an outside source such as a personal trainer, your doctor or an exercise instructor, or it could entail teaming up with your partner or a friend so you can provide each other encouragement, feedback and motivation.
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Believe it doesn’t have to hurt
A common misconception among sedentary people is that exercise has to hurt to be doing any good: the old ‘no pain, no gain’ adage. Well, it’s not true and particularly at the early stages of getting active.
Gentler paced workouts allow you to continue for longer than tougher ones. They will put you at less risk of injury and they also increase fat utilization, lower blood pressure and ease stress.
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A final word
Remember to be patient! Changes in your fitness, weight and body shape aren’t going to come overnight. Too-high expectations only lead to disappointment, so sit back and enjoy the journey to better health and fitness.
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Next Up: 10 ways to avoid the mistakes of 2012
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