NO, YOU'RE NOT TOO BUSY TO STAY FIT!

If you struggle to schedule in exercise, multitasking movements could be the answer

- Trudie McConnochie

Sometimes the idea of exercise just seems like too much of a commitment when you’re time-poor. The good news is, you don’t have to sweat it out for intense hour-long gym sessions to get – and stay – physically well, says accredited exercise physiologist Amy Harding.

“Small amounts of exercise can still prove to be valuable for your health,” says Amy. “There is evidence to suggest that breaking up exercise into smaller bouts can still lead to improvements in overall fitness. For example, a 10-minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) session can be just as beneficial as a 30-minute walk.”

If high intensity isn’t your style, you can squeeze in valuable bursts of physical activity without dramatically overhauling your schedule, thanks to the wonders of incidental exercise.

WHAT IS IT?

Incidental exercise means being physically active in small amounts throughout the day, which makes it an ideal way to exercise if you haven’t got a large block of time to set aside for physical activity .

“It’s an accumulation of your activities of daily living,” explains Amy. “For example, housework, gardening, walking the dog and certain occupations – ones that require more time standing and moving than sitting, for example nurses, hospitality workers and labourers – are all classed as incidental exercise.