Get groceries without a car
Getting your groceries on foot, walking around the aisles and walking back with your bags is worth a good hour of exercise and doesn’t compromise your daily obligations. If you buy everything you need for the week at once, use the biggest stroller or buy a little cart if your children are older.
Walk to school
If your child’s school is nearby, why don’t you walk with them or use your bike when the weather is nice? It’s a great opportunity to walk a little bit each day and to get to know your neighbourhood.
Don’t delegate everything
Your maid, gardener and husband are doing a lot of things that could get you moving. Clean your own house, take out the trash, mow your lawn, pick up dead leaves and shovel the snow. The more you do, the easier it gets. Play your favourite music to get going and you will soon be much lighter and faster.
La Passeggiata
For Italians, la passeggiata is an evening stroll that takes place just after supper. They don’t walk fast, they don’t run, they walk around and enjoy their neighbourhood. In Italy, single people also use this stroll as an opportunity to meet other single people. It’s a moment to find something to talk about and to make your neighbourhood friendlier.
7-minute-workout
The American College of Science Medicine published in its journal a method to melt fat and improve insulin production, cardio and muscle health in 7 minutes. With so many strange techniques suggested over the years, we are glad to see one that is science-approved! The exercises are simple and as you can see on the picture, they are no strangers to you, but they must be practiced vigorously and in quick succession for 30 seconds each. On a scale of 1 to 10, the College of Medicine assesses discomfort during exercise to 8. So this is basically 7 minutes of discomfort that will keep you in shape. You have to suffer a little to be beautiful it seems...
Avoid drive-thru restaurants
They are convenient, don’t require parking and give you the impression of being able to eat as soon as you feel hungry without having to move your sleeping children. Yet, when you think about it, it is the pinnacle of inactivity. Take some time to walk a bit before eating, it’s the least you can do...
Park your car as far as possible
Rather than looking at the parking spots that are right by the door for an hour, park a little further. It will not take longer than waiting in the car for someone to leave his place; you will burn less gas and more calories!
Walk to dinner
Your lunch hour is the perfect time to get some fresh air. Alone or with colleagues, use this time to evacuate and walk. You can eat in peace and walk a few minutes later or find a place to eat dinner 15 minutes away from work. If you work from home, you can listen to music and dance away while nobody is watching!
Use the stairs
That's the thing we hear most often, but it is another opportunity to move that you can easily miss. Rather than taking the elevator or escalator, get to your destination by taking the stairs. Over time, this extra step will give you pretty legs.
Wax on, wax off
It’s also possible to speed things up and increase your heart rate by performing your daily activities faster. Wash your bath more vigorously, stand while you fold your laundry, do all your housework at once and vacuum faster. You can also alternate arms when you wash something to train your muscles on both sides.
