Little and often is best when it comes to exercise
Rather than worrying that you haven't enough time to improve your body with a proper exercise regime, it's better to incorporate small amounts of movement into each day.
This is the advice of exercise specialist and personal trainer Joanna Hall, who said many people think getting fit will take up a lot of time and therefore put it off.
In fact, a recent survey carried out by Scottish Widows discovered that 45 per cent of respondents think they don't put as much emphasis on keeping fit as they should.
However, 37 per cent put it on the back burner because they are too busy, creating a vicious circle of guilt and meaning they remain unfit.
Joanna said she is not at all surprised by the outcome of the study.
"Our increasingly busy lives mean that 'traditional' exercise is difficult to fit in. Many people then feel guilty or worried that they haven't exercised and in turn create what I call 'a template of failure', setting unrealistic goals that they can't meet," she explained.
Instead of succumbing to this and then giving up, the expert recommended doing regular, gentle activities such as walking for just 20 to 30 minutes a day.
"In my opinion, this is the best way to make movement work for you and creates a 'template of success'," Joanna commented.
Walking is undoubtedly one of the easiest activities to incorporate, but the British Heart Foundation recommends that any form of gentle exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week could help to keep you healthy and fit.
This means swimming, gardening and even walking up stairs could have significant benefits on the body while also being easy to squeeze in around your daily routine.
It suggests building up to 30 minutes if you're not used to it, while the Ramblers' Association states that you should still be able to talk while you're exercising in order to avoid over-exerting yourself.
Over time, both organisations point out that even this amount of movement could improve the health of your heart, bones, lungs and even your mind, keeping all sorts of ailments at bay.
Give the 'little and often' theory a try and see if you can improve your fitness levels - the easy way!
This is the advice of exercise specialist and personal trainer Joanna Hall, who said many people think getting fit will take up a lot of time and therefore put it off.
In fact, a recent survey carried out by Scottish Widows discovered that 45 per cent of respondents think they don't put as much emphasis on keeping fit as they should.
However, 37 per cent put it on the back burner because they are too busy, creating a vicious circle of guilt and meaning they remain unfit.
Joanna said she is not at all surprised by the outcome of the study.
"Our increasingly busy lives mean that 'traditional' exercise is difficult to fit in. Many people then feel guilty or worried that they haven't exercised and in turn create what I call 'a template of failure', setting unrealistic goals that they can't meet," she explained.
Instead of succumbing to this and then giving up, the expert recommended doing regular, gentle activities such as walking for just 20 to 30 minutes a day.
"In my opinion, this is the best way to make movement work for you and creates a 'template of success'," Joanna commented.
Walking is undoubtedly one of the easiest activities to incorporate, but the British Heart Foundation recommends that any form of gentle exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week could help to keep you healthy and fit.
This means swimming, gardening and even walking up stairs could have significant benefits on the body while also being easy to squeeze in around your daily routine.
It suggests building up to 30 minutes if you're not used to it, while the Ramblers' Association states that you should still be able to talk while you're exercising in order to avoid over-exerting yourself.
Over time, both organisations point out that even this amount of movement could improve the health of your heart, bones, lungs and even your mind, keeping all sorts of ailments at bay.
Give the 'little and often' theory a try and see if you can improve your fitness levels - the easy way!
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