insideKENT Magazine Issue 34 - January 2015 | Page 83

HEALTH+WELLNESS

Fitting Exercise In
WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE? WHETHER IT'S NOT ENOUGH TIME, ENERGY, OR YOU SIMPLY
CANNOT GET MOTIVATED, EXERCISE NEED NOT BE A CHORE. BY LISAMARIE LAMB

So why not turn exercise into
playtime again?

Children do it without thinking
– they run, jump, skip, and
move about constantly during
the day, and this generally
keeps them fitter and
healthier than if they were
sitting still. They love it, they
make games out of it, and
they never plan it. If there is
an opportunity to run when
they could walk, they will take
it. If they can jump up the
steps instead of taking them
one at a time, they will do.
And if they can climb
something, swing from something, spin on something, will they go for it?
Of course they will.

There are some simple ways that
super busy people who really don’t
have the time to join a gym or
commit to a class can use to boost
their health and fitness levels. And
it’s not as hard as you might think.
If your commute is walkable, why
not walk it? Whether it’s the school
run, your journey to work, or a day
out visiting friends, why not see if
there are footpaths that can take
you there? If you really get into it,
you could always start jogging, but
a nice, brisk walk to start with is
plenty. You’ll enjoy the area around
you, discover new things, and get
fitter without too much hassle.

However, with adults it’s different. As we grow up, we lose that childhood
view that exercise is fun (although kids call it 'playing') and it becomes a
chore that often falls to the wayside when compared with all of the other
adults jobs we have to do such as going to work, cleaning the house, and
doing the weekly shop.

If you can’t walk the whole way,
you could drive part of the way,
park your car and walk the rest. If

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you take the bus, tube or train, get
off a stop or two earlier than usual;
not only will you be getting healthy
by walking the last leg of the journey,
but you’ll be saving a bit of money
on your ticket too. When shopping,
park your car at the far end of the
car park – even that seemingly short
walk is better than nothing at all.
When you get to work, depending
on what you do, you may find
yourself sitting at a desk for the next
few h ours. When it comes to break
times, don’t keep sitting there. Get
up, have a stretch, and take a walk.
Perhaps venture outside and take
a walk around the car park, or do
a circuit of the inside of the building.
Whatever you want to do, go for it.
It’s better than not moving, and
you’ll feel refreshed and ready to
get back to work once you reach
your desk again.