How to include more movement into your daily life

By the Well Crew

How much do you a move a day? As students, we can be quiet sedentary with long days in lectures and may struggle to get our recommended 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a day completed five days a week. Physical activity is essential to improve our strength, energy, sleep, mood, weight maintenance and flexibility to name a few benefits. Physical activities are needed to benefit our short term and long term health. To get more active and add more fitness into our lifestyle we must move every day. Here are some tips to try get more active and moving daily:

Choose an activity you enjoy such as dancing or swimming

If you get bored of an activity try a new one or a different type of this activity such as different dance classes or gym classes

Set goals and chart your progress such as increasing your daily step count, the distance you walk or jog

Health apps and step trackers can help track these goals

Don’t punish yourself if you don’t hit your goal or miss an activity class, try again the next day

Get active with others, support from friends, family, colleagues etc can keep you motivated and more enjoyable

Short bouts of exercise and movement count. 10 minutes of activity at a time count towards your recommended 30 minutes of physical activity per day

Different settings provide plenty of opportunities to move more:

Shopping centres are a great place to walk indoors and increase your activity levels

At home- active housework counts towards physical activity by sweeping, hoovering etc, listening to music and dancing, balancing on one foot while brushing your teeth or watching TV, TV ad breaks can provide opportunity to do short bouts of exercise such as walking up and down the stairs

In college- join a club or society that requires movement, commute to college by bike, scooter or walk, or going for a jog or walk with friends between lectures

NUIG has its own biodiversity trail which provides a scenic view to fit in a short bout of exercise and catch up with friends during the college day

Challenge yourself to be more active and move every day!

Keep an eye out for the HUB’s up incoming Sports Week and the Marchaton.