14 DAY TRIAL // Trainers and health experts often point out that it’s not only a bad diet that is doing away with our once-enviably slim figures, as sedentariness also plays an important part in it, even if we might not be aware of it. Because of this, perhaps the best form of non-workout workout is reversing everything in our life, as Shape magazine recommends in the latest issue.
Anyone can lose weight or get back in shape without actually hitting the gym, covering themselves in sweat and feeling like they’ve just been run over by a truck, the fitness mag says. All they have to do is stick to a healthy diet and eat sensibly most of the time, and consider changing a few small things (aka habits) in their life. Starting with work, especially if it takes place behind a desk, Shape says we should do all in our power to move around as much as possible.
“Break your e-mail habit. Instead of typing a message, walk to your boss’ or co-worker’s office as much as possible and deliver the news in person. Window-shop at lunch. Brown-bag a healthy lunch, and spend the time you would’ve spent waiting to be served at a restaurant window-shopping or running errands instead. Take a midafternoon walk break. Rather than visiting the vending machine when an energy slump hits, slip outside and take a brisk walk for 15 minutes. Do it just four out of five days, and you’ve added an hour of exercise to your week. Stretch. Hamstring muscles get especially tight while sitting at your desk, and can lead to lower backache.” Shape writes of the little things we can introduce in our daily routine to see results fast and, most importantly, without breaking a sweat.
However, we can change things about our routine at home as well. For instance, as the mag also points out, we can do two things at once (like cooking and laundry, for example) so that we clear at least half an hour from our schedule to workout properly, if we’re so inclined at the end of the day. Another thing we should remember is that we must walk as much as possible and always keep moving – from the restaurant we had dinner back home, with the dog, with a friend / partner at sunset or in the early hours of morning, and so on and so forth.
“Bike to work. Turn your commute into a workout: if you live within cycling distance of work, ride. Keep a week’s worth of clothes and your shoes at work, some toiletries to refresh, and drive one day of the week to ferry dirty clothes back home and to drop off fresh shirts, etc., for next week. You can burn an extra 236 calories a day with a 20-minute ride each way.” Shape also recommends. This way, we will not only stay in shape but also make our own contribution to the environment by cutting down on pollution.