The most difficult thing for me in a healthy lifestyle is physical activity. To my great regret, she will not become my “drug” in any way. You have to constantly persuade yourself, motivate, come up with new options that seem interesting. Of course, I feel much better when I exercise regularly: my energy level rises, my mood improves, my back and knees stop aches and pains. And nevertheless, this is more difficult for me than, for example, giving up harmful foods or meditation. Because of this “dislike” for sports, I’m trying to figure out how to calculate the optimal (in my case, the minimum) level of load, so as not to torment myself once again)))) While researching this topic, I came across such information.
If you don’t exercise regularly and are not particularly mobile during the day, then even a small increase in physical activity will benefit you. Any physical activity that results in a noticeable increase in heart rate, such as aerobic exercise, is especially helpful in preventing disease. Various studies show that walking for only 1-2 hours a week (that is, 15-20 minutes a day) decreases the likelihood of a heart attack, stroke or diabetes, and decreases the risk of premature death.
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans indicate that healthy adults are advised to have a minimum of 2-2,5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, or a minimum of 1-1,5 hours of vigorous aerobic activity, and it is better to combine them. To reduce the risk of injury, it is better to distribute this load evenly throughout the week, for example, exercise at an energetic pace for 20-25 minutes for two days in a row, and another two days for 30 minutes at a moderate pace.
There is nothing wrong with evenly distributing the load, doing only a few minutes a day, but not less than 10 minutes. Adults should also do strength training at least twice a week. For children, the norm of physical activity is at least an hour or more per day, in accordance with their age.
In theory, everything sounds clear and simple, but in reality it turns out to be much more complicated: unfortunately, even 30 minutes a day for classes is not easy for many to find. Therefore, it seems to me that you need to try to make slight adjustments to everyday habits. To reap the most of the health benefits of each day you live, try these physical activity tips in your daily life.
1. Choose activities that you enjoy. Many types of physical activity can be considered workouts: dancing, walking, gardening, yoga, cycling, playing football. To make it easier to start moving, choose any activity that gets you moving.
2. Break up physical activity. You don’t need to do all the exercises in one sitting. A 10-minute workout in the morning, afternoon, and evening will do just as much benefit as 30 minutes at a time.
3. Practice with a friend. The presence of your partner will help you stay on track and get you off the couch.
4. Walk a little faster. If you are walking, pick up your pace because brisk walking helps you control your weight better than slow walking. What should be the pace? Imagine that you have agreed to have lunch with someone and are a little late. You can count how many steps you take per minute: 120-135 steps correspond to a speed of 5 to 6,5 kilometers per hour, this is a good pace. If you are moving more slowly, try to speed up your pace briefly as you walk on different days of the week. Over time, you will notice that your stride has accelerated.
5. Spend lunch time on the move. Don’t sit in one place during your lunch break. For example, choose places for lunch that are 15-20 minutes away.
6. Try different pedometers that are now available in large numbers for free as iOS or Android apps. Pedometer motivates me to set daily individual records)))
7. Walk up the stairs. If possible, use stairs instead of elevators and escalators.
8. Walk an extra stop. When you get home by bus or metro, get off one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way.
9. Park further away. If you are driving to work or on business, please leave your car out of the way. It may not be a big load, but if you add up all the steps taken in this way over several weeks or months, you get a good workout. Moreover, in Moscow, for example, it is almost impossible to park near your destination.
10. Bring sports into your home. Consider buying a cardiovascular machine for your home, such as a treadmill, exercise bike, or elliptical trainer. Home models are much more comfortable than you think and don’t take up much space. We have a treadmill at home, and my husband walks on it almost every day while watching the news.
11. Introduce your loved ones to sports. Take walks with a friend, spouse, or the whole family in the morning or evening.
12. Seek professional help. In my case, it works: I found a wonderful coach who, in addition to motivating me to study, makes each lesson interesting, varied and useful for me and my condition at the time of training.
13. Reward yourself. Try to set goals to participate in rewarding activities, such as charity bike races or marathons (this is very fashionable now)))). Participation in them will give you motivation. Set short-term goals and reward yourself for achieving them. But not cakes and rolls! Come up with fitness-related rewards, like a new workout suit or a heart rate monitor.