Sneak in more exercise this year without really trying

HERE are some covert training tips for your day, whether you’re at home, at work or out and about.

Work time can be stretch time.

FOR most of us, incidental exercise is just that. In theory, we know that taking the stairs over the lift is the smart option.

As is getting off the bus a stop early so you can walk the rest of the way.

But, really, it’s usually a matter where time trumps inclination and (between work meetings, childcare and maybe just a bit of well-deserved you time) automation wins out over motivation. That said, exercise doesn’t need to be confined to formal gym or road sessions, it can be wedged in sneakily.

Like a piece of ginger into a chocolate box assortment. Here’s how:

WORK OUT FOR ONE MINUTE

NEXT time you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, knock out three 20-second sets of jumping jacks, squat jumps or burpees. Researchers from McMaster University in Canada found 60 seconds of high-intensity exercise three times a week for three months resulted in similar gains in insulin resistance and endurance as 150 minutes per week of gentler exercise.

STAND ON THE JOB

WHEN a team from the UK’s University of Chester asked employees at a real estate agency to stand for at least three hours a day at work for a week, it was found that not only did their blood sugar levels fall more quickly to normal levels after a meal, they also burned 210kJ an hour by being upright. Over the course of a year, that translates to almost 3.6kg of fat burned for this one change made during the working week.

This may be a bit extreme for some.

CRANK THE TUNES

WHEN you’re doing tasks around the house, turn up the stereo that’s been preloaded with an up-tempo playlist that makes you groove no matter how stressed or tired you are. An hour of hip-hop steps burns between 1546-2550kJ for a person weighing around 80 kilos. So don’t just stand there, bust a move.

PLAY SOCCER BEFORE THE PUB

MEET at a nearby park half an hour beforehand to kick or pass a ball around. A 58-kilo person burns about 25kJ a minute kicking a soccer ball. Or switch to a league ball — passing it also involves the upper body.

GIVE THE DOG A SECOND WALK

A 70-kilo person will shred about 855kJ an hour. Throw in two extra half-hour strolls a week, that’s 27,360kJ a month. If you have a pup that pulls on the leash, it also counts as resistance training for the arms. You’re welcome.

RACE YOURSELF

DO you tend to a garden? Treat it as an exercise session and see if you can do it in 45 minutes. A recent Korean study published in the journal HortTechnology found that tasks including digging, raking, weeding, mulching, hoeing and sowing qualified as “moderate to high intensity” activity.

DO SOME CURLS

GRAB a basket at the supermarket and load it up as you walk the aisles. Holding it works the triceps, biceps and shoulders and contributes to the 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise women should do on most days to help ward off osteoporosis.

Originally published as Sneak in more exercise this year without really trying