Get outside for a walk!

Owning and working in a small business can eat up all your spare time. Exercise or time for yourself is often the first thing that is abandoned to fit in the many other things you have to do in a day. And while many of us finish the year with lofty goals for exercise in the new year, these lofty goals can be hard to achieve.

Is this you?

Here’s an idea… Instead of setting goals that are vague and big, set smaller more specific goals that are much easier to achieve. Make a point of getting outside every single day and getting ‘a little’ exercise – it doesn’t have to be a gym membership, a bootcamp or going running. Even just a walk around the block will be a step in the right direction!

A study in the journal Preventive Medicine found that just by minimizing sedentary activities, and replacing some of them with light-intensity activities can achieve benefits for your health. So start small and stick to it. Soon you’ll be benefiting from the short time away from work, more time to think, and the fresh air.

• Start walking – Walking has multiple health benefits both physical and mental. Find out about walking groups in your area or join a friend a couple of days a week.
• Take the stairs rather than the lift – When the option is there to take the stairs, use them.
• Replace your daily drive with a bike ride – If your exercise is part of your daily commute it becomes integrated in your day rather than another thing to achieve.
• Walk ‘further’ to the office – if biking is not an option perhaps you could park a bit further away from the office or get off public transport one stop earlier.
• Go out for coffee – You may not achieve it every day, but if you find a great coffee shop a couple of blocks away, you’ll have a reward to look forward to.

For a healthy lifestyle, the adult recommendation is at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on five or more days per week. This will not only increase your quality of life but also your sense of wellbeing. So give yourself a present this Christmas and go for a walk.

Happy Christmas!