EXERCISE SNACKS
Happy New Year!
I hope you celebrated 2024 well with laughter, family, good food and some restful moments by the fire. Here we are in January already and a whole year of new adventures ahead of us.
Hopefully the snow is falling by now, and for some of us that means winter sports such as skating, xc skiing and sledding! For others it might mean a time to hunker down in the warm indoors and check off those home to do lists. Whatever this season means to you, it is still important to incorporate some movement and activity for our brains and our body.
According to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, 61% of adults over the age of 18 are insufficiently active for optimal health benefits. This puts us at a higher risk for chronic conditions, injuries and diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.
If you are struggling to be active through the winter season or setting lofty goals for yourself that fall by the wayside, remember it doesn’t have to be all or nothing! There is a saying that calls short activities through your day “exercise snacks”. Who doesn’t like to snack? These are short bouts of activity (2-5 mins) that you can incorporate into your day – anytime, anywhere. The goal is to increase your heart rate a little, improve your heart health, increase your flexibility and manage your blood sugar levels. If you can add 2-3 exercise snacks into your day, you will notice changes such as better energy, improved sleep and less mood fluctuations.
Some ideas include taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a bit further away to increase your walk to the store, stretches / lunges / jumping jacks / squats during a commercial break, high knee marching while your coffee brews, hop on an indoor bike or treadmill. The point is to choose an activity or movement that gets you breathing harder and increases your heart rate – knowing that you will still benefit with only a few minutes at a time. You don’t need to commit to hours in the gym. Current research is touting the benefits of higher intensity interval training (HIIT workouts) that take less time and can be done more conveniently. It’s not about perfection or big goals, it’s about consistency and small, attainable moments through your day. Every little bit counts and this will help you feel like you are not quitting or failing at some traditional new years resolution that becomes too daunting after a few weeks!
All the best wishes for a great beginning to 2025! We are here to help you get moving, keep moving and feel better so you start this year off right. Happy New Year to you!
Jennifer Gordon
(BSc.PT, GunnIMS, AFCI)
Physiotherapist – Bragg Creek Physiotherapy
www.braggcreekphysio.com
