Answer:
1) Even if you are busy, you can plan physical activity in short bursts that fit around your life.
Join a lunchtime walking or running group. No group available? Set one up!
Depending on your building facilities, you may be able to do yoga, swim or gym workouts before or after work, or in your lunch break.
Ask your boss if you can get a standing desk. And plan standing or walking meetings.
Meet outside so you can walk while you talk.
Take regular breaks from your computer. Every 30 minutes, stand up and move around.
Walk somewhere for lunch, preferably outside.
Rotate sitting tasks (such as emails) with standing tasks (such as photocopying or presentations).
Stand to greet visitors or when you’re on the phone (which is easier with a headset or speaker phone).
Go and talk to colleagues at their work stations, instead of having them come to you, or talking by email or phone.
Use the stairs instead of the lift.
Drink more water. Going to the water cooler and bathroom will break up your sitting time.
Move your bin away from your desk so you have to get up to use it.
2)
Identify your style of physical activity
Do you like things organised or prefer a more casual approach? Do you like to do things on your own or to be part of a group-based activity?
Some issues you may like to consider include:
Exercising alone – are you self-motivated? If so, this is a good option, especially if your busy schedule prevents you from planning a regular time to be active every day.
Training buddy – you may be more likely to commit to a physical activity routine if you are doing it with someone else, because you don’t want to let your training buddy down.
Team sports and group physical activity programs – organised activities offer the chance to widen your social circle.
Mixing it up – some people like to combine two or three options. For example, you may choose to exercise alone on two or three days of the week, and train with a buddy or participate in a team sport on a couple of the other days.
Physical activity – decide on your health goals
While any type of physical activity is good for you, different physical activities offer different results. Deciding your health goals will steer you towards the right intensity of activity for you.
For example, weight-bearing activities such as walking, running, weight training or cycling are good choices for weight management because they help burn kilojoules.
