Exercising should never be a chore right? Well in theory, yes – but then there are days when all you feel like doing after work is laying in bed and binge-watching Netflix until you go cross-eyed. Of course there’s always rest days to do just that, but how does sneaking in some exercise throughout your day WITHOUT going all out of your way to work out sound? Yes, exercising without making a special trip to the gym!
Awesome, we bet!
Exercise, is after all, part of a larger plan to live healthily. Eating well, sleeping well and keeping your mind relaxed are all equally important. And life is more than just one continuous gym visit. So all you need to do is to make some conscious adjustments to daily habits and routine, and you’ll find yourself burning through those calories while keeping your heart pumped throughout the day.
1) Alight one bus stop before and walk the extra distance
Singapore’s transport network is so well-planned that it will not take you more than 15 more minutes to walk the extra distance when you alight one bus stop before. Brisk walk and you’ll cut the time spent walking to 10 minutes but know this: walking is really underrated as a low impact cardio activity. You’ll definitely not have to make a special trip anywhere to do this. If walking in heels is an abhorrent thought enough to make you consider taking a taxi right to your office doorstep, remembering to pack a comfortable pair of walking sneakers to tide you through the bus stop walks is all you need to do.
2) Take the stairs instead of the elevator
No one is forcing you to walk 40 flights of stairs up, but if you can – POWER TO YOU, BABE! People actually participate in vertical marathons (read: they run up hundreds of flights of stairs) so you aren’t exactly breaking new ground here. Stair-climbing is definitely both cardio and toning! Arrive at work 15 minutes earlier and climb as many flights of stairs as you can. Again, we don’t recommend doing this in your heels so those sneakers are a must! The good news is that climbing DOWN stairs is much, much easier – so your evening traipse down should be a bit less daunting to tackle!
3) Walk through your errands
Walking and keeping your body constantly moving is the key, so one really neat trick we like is to walk your way through those lunchtime errands instead of driving or taking a bus. Eat on the go so you’ll have enough time and plan your route well. Singapore is pretty well set-up with facilities you may need for your errands, so you should be able to plan a walkable route that you can take on during lunch-hour 😉
4) Do your household chores
The important point here is YOURSELF. Do your chores yourself instead of paying someone else to do it and you will inevitably exercise as you do them. Sweeping and mopping the floor are well-known workouts in themselves, so is doing the full laundry cycle and scrubbing the toilets. Gardening is another chore that keeps you working out as you work, with all the bending over, digging, pulling and lifting guaranteeing you break out into a healthy, rosy sweat. Washing your own car is another great way to zap those calories almost mindlessly, as you stretch your arms and legs, lift buckets of water and exert force as you clean.
5) Make plans with your friends
We love this one! Make plans with your friends that naturally include walking or movement. That means meals aren’t on the cards but these days, we are all about doing something different with friends right? How about a beach volleyball game, or a visit to the park for a picnic and an afternoon game of frisbee? Or explore a hiking trail together before adjourning for a yummy, well-deserved meal? Our personal favourite is a day-long shopping trip in Orchard, walking down the length of Orchard while indulging in some good old retail therapy. 🙂 Keeping active with friends is really one of the best feelings in the world and truly, you will hardly feel like you are working out!
Our latest No Work Out Cardio Burn treatment currently on promotion will be the perfect complement to these lifestyle tweaks that will keep you exercising throughout the day. Do contact us to book your sessions with us today!