As you’re reading this I should be sitting by the side of a sunny swimming pool in the Loire Valley. It’s also my birthday. Thirty-two today Written as part of Carlos Velez’ pre-writing challenge back in March, I was very mindful of taking my own advice in preparation for the holiday I am now in the middle of. Given my relationship with exercise, I could think of no better day than my birthday to present my light hearted guide to getting fit. Despite the title, I don’t think of myself as lazy but ‘moderately unattracted to regular, formal exercise’ doesn’t have quite the same ring to it Therein lies my problem though. As I said to some friends a couple of months back, I love to have fun. I like to make even the boring stuff fun. How do you do that with 30 minutes of painful aerobic routines?

There is a solution. It is made up of five parts and all five can be fun!

Integrated Exercise

Think about the things you do each day and how you might make them more energetic. Rather than writing this whilst sat on a chair, I could instead sit on an exercise ball. Your body uses a different set of muscles to stop you falling off said ball and this, believe it or not, is good for you! Have you got a load of laundry to fold. Why not march on the spot whilst folding it? The same can be done whilst you’re on the phone (just be sure it’s not a video call )

Do you like to sing? It won’t win you any Olympic medals but singing exercises your insides and used in conjunction with other activities, can get you fit. Sit up where you would normally lie down. Stand when you would ordinarily sit. Walk on the spot instead of standing still. This slight progression is hugely beneficial if you do it as part of your daily routine.

Fidgeting

Believe or not, there have been studies showing the health and weight loss benefits of fidgeting and other non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) activities. Some people are born with a predisposition toward fidgeting but if you’re not one of them, all hope is not lost. You can practice fidgeting on a daily basis and by so doing, burn up to 350 calories each day. If you need some more detailed advice, check out Kristie Leong’s ehow guide to fidgeting. She’s an MD so she’ll explain it better than I could ever hope to

lsometric Exercise

If you’re need more than a casual reminder of the benefits of isometric exercise, you’ll be well served in asking Google to tell you the details. In brief though, isometric exercises are those that require you to either exert force against an immovable object (e.g. pushing against a wall) or hold your muscles in place (e.g. pelvic floor exercises.) The popularity of pelvic floor exercises both pre and postnatally is proof, if any were needed, that these exercises can be very effective. The lazy guide to using them is to employ isometric exercises when you can’t otherwise be moving.

For example, whilst driving, practice clenching and unclenching the muscles in your behind. The same can be done for your thighs and tummy muscles. Used alone, they won’t be enough to get you fit but as part of our routine, they’re a great addition.

Walking

If your life seems to already to be excessively busy, it would be worth getting yourself a decent pedometer (yes, that’s the one I got and no, Give A Brick doesn’t get commission ). You can get them for about the price of a brick but having tried multiple pedometers, I now always recommend folks get a decent quality one. This is especially true if walking ends up being one of your exercise main stays. I did a little bit of reading up on pedometers last June after dissatisfaction with my current one and found a great FAQ section which explains why some are just plain rubbish!

Having got yourself fully equipped, stick it in your pocket and just go about your day as normal. I recommend just wearing for a few days to see what a normal day looks like for you. Ultimately the goal is 10,000 steps which is said to mark the lifestyle of a healthy, active adult. If you’re interested in exploring this tip further, I found a nifty little free website which in includes an iPhone app as well as advice articles and a discussion area. Becoming a member allows you to track your steps online and access loads of other members only perks. (If you do join, feel free to look me up. My user name is GiveABrick )

Slow cadence exercise

All of our tips above are great for what is technically known as cardiovascular or aerobic exercise (stuff that makes your heart work) but some strength training is also recommended.. This is not to suggest you need to be ripped like a pair of old jeans. It is simply related to the fact that muscle burns more calories than fat. Traditional strength training programs will have you working out three times a week or more enduring seemingly never ending repetitions.

That’s not the lazy girls way! I stumbled across a DVD by a lady called Laurette Willis about 18 months ago. She does a whole range of products aimed at promoting a Christian alternative to yoga. However, it was her Slow Cadence Workouts that interested me. Based on the principle known as Super Slow, her Slow Cadence Workouts produce comparable (and some claim better) results to the traditional method.

In a sentence, Slow Cadence works by doing traditional strength training type reps at a super slow speed, taking the muscle to a point where it literally can’t do any more. Doing lots of reps at regular speed will do the same thing, it just takes longer! As a result, you can do a full muscle workout in around twenty minutes and then you’re done for the week Strictly speaking I’m sure you would find benefit in doing it a second time in a week but personally I never seem to find the time

What about you? What things do you like to add to your day to get and keep your body fighting fit?

I’m delighted to bring you another community article today, this from the ‘pen’ of Ryan Hanzel. After a few technical difficulties, Ryan’s blog is back in action and he’s keen to share the journey with you. But without further ado, Ryan, over to you.

For my first post on Give A Brick, I was not really sure what topic to write about. I started looking through the categories for inspiration and read the Health category. The first thing that I thought about is, ‘what do I do to maintain a healthy mind?’ I don’t mean physically but how you tend to process your thoughts.

Your daily actions cause you to think different ways at different times. Why and how this works I am not sure, I am not a doctor. What I do know is that if I sit in the house and watch TV all day, for three whole days, I tend to be more irritable and have tunnel vision when I go to approach my activities instead of having an open mind.

This usually happens on my days off work or when on vacation. I just don’t want to do anything! I like minimal interaction with others because I get so much of it at work. Usually what we like is not really good for us, just like sweets

Now I try to go about my days off with limited time behind the computer and TV. This is more so I can sit down and spend some time with my wife and play with my son. It helps me appreciate the things that are dear to me and keeps the reality intact.

Getting out of the house with or without the family and breathing the fresh air helps a lot, even if it is just to head to the store for some milk. I will stop and look around at any of the surrounding stores just to take in something different. Going for a proper walk also helps. I want to head to the park more now that my son is pretty good at walking on his own. I used to love nature hikes and being at the park when I was a kid. I find a lot of joy in watching my family enjoy themselves.

These are just a few things that I do to let the light into my day. I am by heart a gamer. If I do not moderate my time and actions, I can sit behind a screen playing video games the entire time when I could do more proactive things.

I wanted to share with anyone that tends to have the same problem. These are a few things that I do to stay focused and maintain a healthy mindset. I hoped you enjoyed reading this article as I did writing it.

photo credit: michael_swan