Dance in the kitchen & walk while using the phone… trainer’s top tips to carry out recommended 22 minutes a day exercise
LAZINESS is at the root of 12.4million Brits being in danger of deadly conditions due to a failure to do a crucial 22 minutes of exercise daily, experts have warned.
The World Health Organisation says the workout is essential to ward off the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, cancer and dementia.
But around 31 per cent of people – 1.8billion adults – worldwide fail to move enough.
Personal trainer Jenny Francis tells Nikki Watkins how to combat laziness the lazy way, by incorporating 22 minutes of activity a day – two and a half hours a week – into your normal routine.
1 MINUTE: On waking up sit on the edge of your bed and lean from side to side with your arms in the air.
This stretches and works the core. When you stand up, sit back down, and repeat “getting out of bed” from seated ten times.
You’ll wake up those glutes, the group of muscles that make up the buttock area, and get the blood pumping immediately.
2 MINUTES: While the kettle boils for your morning cuppa, do bodyweight squats. Just two minutes of these will raise your heart rate and seriously work your glutes.
2 MINUTES: While brushing your teeth step side to side. This sounds low intensity but actually raises your heart rate significantly and gets those extra steps in towards your 10k a day.
2 MINUTES: Got kids to get ready for school? Every morning put on their favourite bop and do an energetic dance together in the kitchen before breakfast. Not only will you get a two-minute workout in, it will lift everyone’s mood by getting those endorphins pumping.
1 MINUTE: Stuck behind a desk? Don’t worry, you can still work that core. Sit upright and lift both feet off the floor, with knees still bent, hold for a second at the top, then lower. This will strengthen your abdominal muscles and prevent you staying still too long if you repeat throughout the day.
3 MINUTES: Is your mum or colleague prone to lengthy phone calls? Take the chat on the move. A fast-paced walk while answering not only raises your heart rate and gets you moving, it also prevents you from being sedentary for extra time in your day.
2 MINUTES: That basket of wet washing can also improve your health. When you are pegging out clothes, instead of bending over and arching your back to pick each item up before you hang it, bend your knees, squat down then come up to standing position.
Most loads of washing have at least 20 items. That’s 20 squats which will lead to a firmer bottom.
5 MINUTES: When you pop to the shops make the trip count by walking back with a bag of groceries in each hand. This added weight works your core and your shoulders while also getting those all-important steps in.
2 MINUTES: When you get the shopping home, before you put your items away, you have two handy “dumbbells” in your hands. Perform 20 bicep curls holding the bags before you unpack the shopping.
2 MINUTES: Does it always feel like you are in the kitchen? Make what feels like dead time work for your health. While you are waiting for the sauce to thicken, or microwave to beep, march on the spot. This raises your heart rate and counts towards your daily step goal.