Exercise is something that everyone can do, it can be inexpensive or even free, easy to do, and has wide ranging benefits. 

It can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.

If you’re looking for a ‘pick-me-up’ or need to blow off some steam after a stressful work day, going for a run or a session at the gym can help. You’ll not only feel better about your appearance but it can boost your confidence and self esteem as well.

Regular exercise can improve your quality of life in various ways. Say you’re struggling to sleep, physical activity can lead to falling asleep faster, deeper sleep, and generally a higher quality of sleep. Remember not to exercise just before bed though, as it may lead to you being too energised to drift off.

If you’ve ever felt tired after doing regular household chores, or felt weak when carrying the groceries from the car to the house, then adding exercise to your weekly routine might be what you need. You can easily improve your endurance and the strength of your muscles by exercising, this will also improve your heart and lung function, meaning you’ll have much more energy to knockout those pesky tasks.

A great way to start taking steps towards a healthier lifestyle is to prioritize getting 150 minutes of exercise every week. An example would be 30 minutes of exercise a day, for five days. Both the CDC and DoH recommend either 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity.

Swimming, taking brisk walks, or things like mowing the lawn would fall under “moderate aerobic exercise”. “Vigorous aerobic exercise”, on the other hand, would be activities like going for a run, dancing, or body weight training. Here’s some 15 minute ab workouts if you need help getting started.

Aiming for at least half an hour of moderate exercise a day is an ideal way to start getting active. Losing weight, feeling healthier, and becoming happier with the way you look are just some of the benefits you’ll experience.

These tips are especially valuable if you spend a lot of your time sitting. The longer you’re seated each day, the likelier that you will suffer from metabolic problems. There are multiple ways to alleviate this problem such as standing desks or even stationary bike desks. 

These desks are ideal for those of us not used to working from home and just now realizing  how much time we spend sitting down, with little movement throughout the day. Alternatively, you can spend time doing yoga on your lunch break, or spend 5 minutes every hour standing up performing stretches for both your upper body and legs to improve circulation.

If you don’t have long chunks of time available, then you can break up the 30 minute period into multiple 5 minute activity breaks. You can use weights that are under your desk, or even resistance bands to help stretch your arms and shoulders. The most important thing is simply making regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.