Building physical activity into daily life

Increasing your physical activity levels can start off very simply – some easy ways to build more activities into your day could be:

• Taking the stairs instead of the escalator or lift

• Getting off the bus a couple of stops early and walking the rest

• Parking further away from your destination

• At work, go for a walk on your lunch break

• Have periods of standing, either on the bus, at work or home

• Walking to the shops and carrying the shopping home

• Doing regular exercise/stretches while watching TV or doing some stretches during TV breaks

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Performing some light exercises while doing everyday activities can make a big difference for example:

• Whilst making a cup of tea/coffee, if you drink 5 cups a day, that could be an extra 15 mins of activity you add to your daily total

• Side-stepping while clearing the dishes away

• Standing on one leg while brushing your teeth, to challenge your balance

• Calf raises/heel raises whilst waiting for the bus to arrive

• Squatting to look at the bottom shelf in the supermarket throughout a trip around the supermarket rather than bending over.

• Exercise can sometimes feel daunting, Sarah shares ways to start getting active by making small changes to your lifestyle.

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Have you found a different way to build more physical activity into your day? Use the comments box below to share your thoughts or any things you’ve found helpful to increase your activity levels.