Be Wise And Exercise
Making time for exercise is nearly impossible when you’re working and looking after a family. And how many of us have the time or money to go to gym? There’s also the matter of simply not having the energy. But when we spoke to Saskia V, radio personality and personal trainer, she said that exercise actually gives you more energy.
We also told her that most of us just don’t have the time, so she’s given us some tips on how to exercise at work each day. Most of us spend the majority of our day sitting at our desks, which means we don’t get enough physical movement throughout the day. This can result in many health problems. She started by telling us why it’s important to exercise, because we all need motivation, right?
Regular exercise helps:
- Reduce your risk of a heart attack
- Manage weight better
- Lower blood cholesterol level
- Lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers
- Lower blood pressure
- Strengthen bones, muscles and joints and lower the risk of developing osteoporosis
- Lower risk of falls through stabilising balance, etc
- To recover better from periods of prolonged sitting, hospitalisation or bed rest
- Make us feel better (more energy, a better mood, more relaxed and better sleep)
We asked Saskia to share with us some of the simple exercises we can do at work.
So, let’s look at a typical day and how we can get our heart rates up and get active at work:
- If there are stairs at work, take them. Ignore the lift and go as quickly as possible up the stairs. If you’ve got time, go up and down a few times to get your heart racing.
- Neck stretches – Sit up tall in your chair and drop your left ear down towards your left shoulder and hold for a few seconds. Then repeat for the right side.
- Walk and talk – If you need to speak to a colleague about something, ask them to walk and talk with you – you’ll be doing them a favour by giving them a workout too.
- Wall sit – Stand with your back against the wall and slowly lower yourself into a seated position, holding for 10–30 seconds at a time.
- Calf raises – Using your desk, chair or a wall for support, stand on your tip toes and hold this position for 15 seconds. Lower back down and repeat for two minutes
In our next edition, Saskia is going to tell us how to get strength training into our daily routines. We’re keen to start a movement of movement. So the next time you see a woman rushing to the bathroom or marching in place in a line, give her a round of applause because you’ll know she’s also doing her best to keep her health and weight in-check.
