Feel like your lifestyle is too busy to get in some good exercise sessions? Here are some sneaky ways to exercise more.
A study that was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that increasing ordinary daily physical activities can actually increase your cardiorespiratory fitness.
Increase Your Everyday Activities
The researchers called these activities “IPA,” short for incidental physical activities. Examples of these activities are doing housework, working down to the copier machine or walking from your car in the parking lot. If you can increase the time spent doing these activities, you can increase your health in the long-term.
In the study, participants wore accelerometer, which measures the duration and intensity of movement. Participants wore the accelerometer for a week and also took part in a test to measure their cardio-respiratory fitness.
Significant Health Benefits
The results showed that increasing moderate physical activity throughout the day offered significant benefits for fitness and long-term health.
So next time, do your housework with some more energy. Lift some more of those heavier objects and vacuum with more speed and vigor. Instead of emailing your colleagues, walk over to their room and chat in person. When you park you car, take the long way in to your office, or even a detour. Of course, don’t take the elevator, take the stairs. Sit at your desk a lot? Try fidgeting your legs.
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE: Increasing your amount of ordinary physical activities you do throughout the day can actually offer significant benefits for fitness and long-term health. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Yes, you can also just sit in your chair and fidget more!
Journal source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Incidental Physical Activity Is Positively Associated with Cardiorespiratory Fitness
