How To Stay Healthy Outside The Gym

Life gets very busy in Nigeria. As much as we may want to be fit and healthy, we don’t always get the chance to hit the gym. On such days, don’t feel bad, as there are organic ways to make up for it.

Though nothing can really take place of the health benefits of a good workout, here are some simple tips that could keep you healthy outside the gym.

1. Walk More:

When it comes to staying active without the gym, walking is one of the easiest, most convenient activities you can do. To burn calories, all you have to do is walk faster and devote more time to each walk. For the most benefit, use a pedometer to keep track of how much you’re walking, and slowly work up to 10,000 steps a day. Walking more does have added value, especially when you walk briskly for a longer duration, up hills, or use your arms for more than just a comfortable gait and swing them with your body. It might not just be more that’s better, but the intensity and variety of your walking. If you can’t walk outside where you live, try indoor walking at a nearby mall, or using a step-exercise video at home.

2. Stand Up at Work:

Work is a place where many of us are sedentary for hours, and the result is a lost opportunity to burn hundreds (if not thousands) of calories every day. A stand-up desk could help change that. “Standing obviously puts more stress on the body than sitting, thus it will burn more calories. If you stand for an entire workday, it can help increase leg strength and endurance. A little change like standing instead of sitting can go a long way. If your workplace isn’t a stand-up kind of environment, take a five-minute break at least once an hour to engage in some activity.

Experts estimate that standing burn 50 percent more calories than sitting, so a 155-pound person could burn an extra 50 calories an hour just by getting on their feet.

3. Fidget While You Work

If a stand-up desk isn’t practical at your workplace, there are other ways to incorporate more activity into your workday. At the office, replace your chair with an exercise ball. Sitting on it forces you to stabilize your abs. Or take a break every couple hours and walk a few flights of stairs — it will help you energize and re-focus. When you’re talking on the phone, don’t just sit there. Stand up, and pace around your room or office.

These little changes add up: Even small amounts of movement such as drumming your legs increases your calorie burn above resting levels 20 to 40 percent.

to be continued…