Tips to get your Summer Body!
How Much Movement People Need

Everyone is different, and there is no perfect one-size-fits-all target for daily or weekly movement. For general health purposes, though, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults ages 18 to 64 get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, plus 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening activities (Body Blitz ideal!).

For many people, this amount of activity may sound like a tall order. Only 53% of adults 18 and over meet the CDC’s guidelines for weekly aerobic activity, and only 23% meet the guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.

Still, it is important to remember that some activity is better than none. It is never too late.

If your lifestyle means you truly do not have time, there is no problem with breaking up your daily movement into smaller chunks. Even 5 or 10 minutes here or there adds up to significant benefits for health. Here are 10 tips to help you move more.

Get the Family (or Pets) Involved
If you have kids, try making an after-dinner walk or bike ride a regular family date. Even playing classic physical games like hide-and-seek or tag will get everyone up and moving.
Borrow a dog if you don’t have one. Tossing a ball with your pet or walking the dog can be fun and gets you moving and people talk to you!

Start Your Day with a Stretch. One small study found that a regular 10-minute stretching program helped people reduce anxiety and physical pain and boost flexibility.

Take the Long Route We have all heard the advice to take the stairs or park further away from the supermarket to increase our number of daily steps. While this may seem a simple tip, there really is something to choosing to go the extra mile (or just an extra few feet). Not only does it up your physical activity but helps to create a mindset that small extra challenge is a good thing.

Match Your Activity to Your Environment I think a lot of us discovered new places when we were out on our walks during Lockdown. Maybe you have forgotten them – good time now to get back out there discovering and taking your litter pickers with you!

Motivate Your Exercise with Entertainment Whilst out walking/jogging plug yourself into your favourite playlist, audio book – the time and steps will whizz by

Move at a Consistent Time  Research shows that about 40% of our daily activities are driven by habit. One crucial factor behind habit creation, is performing activities at the same time each day.

Just like you may be used to eating lunch around noon or dinner at 6 p.m., perhaps you could set a consistent time for physical activity. Knowing that your daily walk, jog, or swim will take place after work or every Saturday morning helps ingrain it as a habit, rather than a one-off experience.   Or of course come to class!

Get Up During Commercials Ever since the invention of the television, it has always been good advice to get up and move during commercial breaks. But now that many of us have access to streaming services for entertainment, we may not encounter commercials like we used to.

If you watch TV shows or movies without built-in breaks, make a habit of getting up in between each episode. Take a quick stretch, try a round of jumping jacks or squats. A brief activity break may not be an actual workout, but it will get your heart pumping more than staying totally sedentary.

Keep Up With Housework Do the cleaning with vigour – maybe actually wash up instead of using the dishwasher – it all adds up!

Try a Stand-Up or Walking Meeting Walking and thinking go hand in hand. In fact, according to a 2014 study, walking could increase creative output by an average of 60%.4 Take this principle to work by making your meetings mobile. What a good idea!

You will be helping your colleagues as well as getting your blood pumping and increase the amount of calories you will burn. Even if you work from home, try pacing the room while on a phone call.

Increasing your activity level does not have to look like taking up a new sport or hitting the gym every day. Even small habits can set you on a path toward better health through more movement. Try any of these suggestions as a starting point—or invent your own.! And let me know!

You should have made a start to creating your summer body and so I am hoping the above maybe of help to achieve your goal.