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6 Easy Ways to Incorporate Movement Into Your Day
By Dominic Pereira
Finding time to work out or elevate your heart rate enough to burn a few calories can be tough for people with busy schedules. Our guess is that you are one of those looking for ideas. You’ve come to the right place!
Many of us are glued to our desks for long periods and this can really wreak havoc on our body and mind. Taking the necessary steps to ensure you take care of yourself will benefit you as you grow older and your body starts to suffer from all the things you did (or didn’t) do when you were younger.
So here are 6 easy ways to incorporate movement into your day.
1. Go for a Walk
Back to basics! Walking is a brilliant workout for anyone looking to lose a few kilos and trim the visceral fat (fat that wraps around your abdominal organs). Having too much fat around your waist can be dangerous to your health as this raises your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, a stroke, or high cholesterol.
Walking has such great benefits including boosting your mood (it releases feel-good endorphins), burning calories, strengthening your heart, lowering your blood sugar, and so much more!
It’s also a great low impact exercise, especially if you cannot run due to a sensitive back, some trouble with your joints, etc.
So grab your tekkies and your dog, and go for a walk!
Some tips before you hit the trails:
- Wear comfortable shoes that protect your feet but which don’t impede your natural foot biomechanics.
- Walk with a friend or let someone know you’re going for a walk by yourself. Maybe it’s time to adopt a pet as they are the best companions when going for a stroll!
- Always cool down after a walk and do some light stretching.
- Take it slow at first to build up your tolerance.
- For extra fat burning, try to keep your heart rate up.
2. Join a Pilates Class
What is Pilates (Pi-laa-tees)? Pilates focuses on training the brain and body to connect. This is initially done using small, controlled movements to teach your muscles to fire by laying down new neural pathways. This motion will strengthen your muscles and create optimal movement patterns.
This will improve posture, breathing, digestion, joint health, and many other physiological benefits.
You can join a Pilates class either online via Zoom, or in a studio (like ours in Gardens, Cape Town). The studio is great if the online world isn’t your favourite place to be right now.
Some benefits of joining online workout classes or using one of our pre-recorded, edited videos:
- Get fit and healthier
- If you’re bored, this is a fun way to burn some calories!
- Interact with others. We know lockdown can be a bit lonely and it’s hard to go on group outings these days
- You have instant access to classes
3. Mini Workouts Throughout the Day
Have a desk job that’s keeping you glued to your seat for 8 hours a day without much movement other than going to the bathroom or grabbing some coffee? Our bodies aren’t meant to be in a seated position for extended periods. Sitting for so long can increase your risks of type 2 diabetes or heart disease. Don’t worry, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting diabetes, but all the sitting isn’t helping your body in any way!
Luckily there is good news! If you don’t really have time to fit in a 30-minute workout in your day, a study has found that doing mini-workouts throughout your day can be beneficial. But, there’s a catch… Your heart rate must be elevated for at least 10 minutes for this type of exercise to be effective.
Ever heard of High-Intensity Interval Training aka HIIT? Other than it being such a quick, effective workout, this type of workout will burn fat HOURS after your session has ended.
Does your street (or any nearby street) have a nice steep (ish) hill? Try doing some hill sprints as a HIIT workout! And if you don’t have hills near you, stairs are just as beneficial.
4. Invest in a Standing Desk
If you’re still working from home (or if your boss is cool and will get you one), a standing desk is one of the best purchases if you want to improve your health.
We already mentioned above how bad too much sitting is for your health (and your glutes) so adding a standing desk to your office space will surely help you sit less.
This adjustable standing desk by JUMBO DeskStand is a popular purchase by many.
However, if this one is a bit out of your budget, here is another more affordable option (it’s also eco-friendly), and here.
Alternate Between Sitting and Standing
Ensure you alternate between sitting and standing as too much standing can also be detrimental to your health.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, standing for long hours can cause the following problems:
- Varicose veins
- Low back pain
- Sore, swollen feet and legs
- Neck and shoulder stiffness
A good rule of thumb is to alternate between sitting and standing every 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Light Stretching
If it’s possible, stand up and do a few light stretches at your desk. This will help you wake up and it will get your blood flowing again.
Below are a few stretches you can do at your desk, but be careful and take it slow so you don’t hurt yourself.
6. Invest in a Smart Watch
This tip is only if you don’t mind splurging a few bucks on yourself for your health. These nifty watches are a great addition to your health journey as they have many cool functions including reminding you to stand up and move. Depending on the watch, you can adjust its settings to remind you every hour that you must move around a bit or get some steps in.
This tip is only if you don’t mind splurging a few bucks on yourself for your health. These nifty watches are a great addition to your health journey as they have many cool functions including reminding you to stand up and move. Depending on the watch, you can adjust its settings to remind you every hour that you must move around a bit or get some steps in.
Make it fun
If this whole idea of living by a watch is not your cup of tea, why not make it more fun by creating a challenge between you and your partner, friend or family member?
For example, the one with the least steps or calories burned by the end of the week has to do laundry or wash the dishes the following week. Or the winner can choose the next movie when it’s movie night. This is a great way to keep you (and the other person) motivated to continue making healthy choices.
Join Pilates, Yoga, and HIIT Classes with moveOn 89
Whether you want to join us via Zoom (when offered, buy a pre-recorded, edited video or at our studio in Gardens, Cape Town, at moveOn 89 we offer a wide range of wellness classes including Pilates, Yoga, and HIIT.
To join our classes, simply visit our Schedule page to choose a time that works for you and book!