FIT IN THE CITY
FITNESS & DIET EXPERT
Australian researchers recently found that watching an hour of TV can shorten your life by 22 minutes. This got me thinking. What are the best ways are to counteract lazy habits (especially if you’re time-poor and highly stressed)? Here’s what I came up with…
TRY A DIFFERENT SANDWICH BAR: Going to the same sarnie bar for convenience has to be a no-no.
GO FOR A DISCOVERY WALK: Try another route that involves a 15-minute round walk.
AVOID THE LIFT: Take the stairs instead – and count them. Then add 10 stairs a week. Watch your bottom lift in a matter of days.
BOYS, DUST OFF YOUR WALLETS…: A Debenhams study found that women take an average of 7,305 steps each time they hit the shops — nearly three quarters of the 10,000 daily recommendation by the NHS.
DON’T WASTE QUEUEING TIME: Ever heard of the No-Crunch Crunch? From a standing position, place your fingers on your hip bones and trace them inward. Then, breathing deeply, imagine that you’re wearing a belt or a tight pair of trousers, and pull your tummy in accordingly. You’re not holding your breath; you’re simply pulling your
TUMMY BUTTON TOWARDS YOUR SPINE. Hold this tummy-pulling contraction for 10 seconds, relax and repeat. Do 5-10 to strengthen long forgotten core muscles.
BIN THE WHEELIES: I’m horrified at the number of strapping men I see with wheelie suitcases housing little more than a laptop and a packed lunch. Whatever happened to using your upper body muscles to carry your bag? Man up – ditch the trolley and watch those biceps bulge.
BECOME A FIDGET: Burn more than 350 extra calories a day by fidgeting, says a study at the Mayo Clinic. And if you’re not a natural born fidgeter, fake it: pace up and down; tap your feet and wiggle your biro a lot. laurawilliamsonline.co.uk