Diet & Fitness 

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Let's get physical

Working up a sweat in the gym twice a week is all very well, but if you spend most of your time sitting at a desk you need to do a little extra to see results. Katie Gormley explains how to supplement your exercise routine.

So many of us today lead sedentary lifestyles due to sendentary jobs and (unsurprisingly) this has been linked with our current obesity epidemic, but you don't have to sign up for the marathon to get more active. You don't even have to join a gym...

At home
Hoovering & dusting
A little spring cleaning can create more than just a better looking home. A hard hoovering session can prove to be a great work out for you biceps, triceps, legs and upper back. In fact, take any household cleaning task, put some welly into it and you'll be surprised just how much you are exerting yourself. In fact I would argue that 20 minutes hardcore hoovering is far more effective exercise than sitting on an exercise bike in the gym watching the Simpsons.

Watching TV
In terms of energy exertion, watching television is tantamount to being asleep. Good reason indeed to incorporate a little activity into your viewing time. Hide the remote control, getting up and out of your seat to change the channel is a good first step. Using commercials to punctuate some physical activity is easy and doesn't mean you have to miss out on the programme. Mini sets of sit-ups, press-ups or dips are easy to perform and require no additional equipment. Start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions pr exercise and try and different one for each advertisement break. You'll be progressing and noticing a difference in just a couple of weeks.

Out and about
Getting from A to B
Cycling, walking, skating...changing your mode of transportation is one of the easiest ways to get more activity into your daily lifestyle. I converted my oyster card habit into a shiny bicycle and have never looked back. While cycling might not be for all, walking - a mode of transportation often neglected - is totally free and amazingly good exercise. If your journey is too far to walk consider walking only part of it. It's an oldie but a goodie - get off the bus a stop early.

Riding the Tube / train / bus Remember trying to ride your bike with no hands? Well this is a similar theory - kind of. Your core muscles make up the core of your body (abdominals, back, pelvic floor and hips) they sit underneath other muscles therefore cannot be seen. Their lack of visibility is perhaps what has lead them to be long neglected. They are however of crucial importance to posture and strength as any dancer or yoga teacher will tell you. For a far more entertaining commute see if you can make it from one stop to the next without holding onto anything, or anyone for that matter. This will force you to activate your core in order to obtain your balance. You might well struggle a bit with this one at first which could result in getting a little more up close and personal with your fellow commuters than you intended so make sure there is something stable within reach.

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