I'm a fitness expert – here are the top ways to keep fit for free | The Sun

AN EXPERT has revealed the top ways to keep fit for free – including carrying shopping bags as a form of weight lifting, cleaning the car for a full-body workout and gardening – with the added benefit of being outside in the fresh air.

The Sun's resident GP Doctor Zoe Williams claims you don’t need to spend a fortune to stay active and healthy – simply boosting your everyday regimes can be just as good.

Cleaning the home and upping your daily steps by walking instead of driving can go a long way when it comes to benefiting health and mental wellbeing – and it won’t cost you a penny.

Other daily activities guaranteed to keep people in tip top condition include vacuuming or sweeping your home – especially if you turn on your favourite tunes and add some dance moves to this everyday chore.

As well as playing with pets and children or grandchildren, or even the bending and stretching involved in unloading the dishwasher or washing up and putting it away.

It comes after campaigners We Are Undefeatable carried out a poll of 2,000 adults,  including 400 living with a long-term health condition, which found more than a fifth (22 per cent) say their mood has been lowered due to the increase in the cost of living.

read more health news

What is giant hogweed and what does the toxic plant look like?

Dog whizz issues warning over what to do when your furry friend eats chocolate

With a third (33 per cent) admitting they’re staying home more because of it.

And 68 per cent of adults are interested in incorporating physical activity into their lives without spending money.

While 16 per cent of them are now looking for more free ways to keep active than they were previously, 10 per cent can’t afford as healthy a diet as they’d like.

Nearly three quarters (74 per cent), however, consider everyday activities like household chores or gardening to count as exercise.

Most read in Health

HIGH RISK

Two thirds of under-50s could be living with undiagnosed killer condition

DRUG ALERT

Warning to millions of Brits whose medication makes them more sun sensitive

HELP BABY RUI

Brave little fighter needs YOUR help to raise £300k for life-saving heart ops

SWEET RELIEF

‘Life-changing’ migraine pill could be available in the UK by Christmas

And this is slightly higher (77 per cent) among those who are living with a long-term health condition.

Duleep Allirajah, chief executive of Richmond Group of Charities, and spokesperson for We Are Undefeatable, says: “Boosting your physical activity doesn’t have to come at a cost.

“If you’re trying to build up your activity levels, moving around your own home is a great way to start.

“Pacing the room as you take a phone call, doing some seated leg raises whilst watching TV, or doing a few laps of your kitchen while waiting for the kettle to boil, are great habits to get into, particularly for people living with long-term health conditions.”

Four in 10 of all respondents think carrying in shopping bags counts as a workout, and 44 per cent feel the same about running around after kids or grandchildren.

However, 19 per cent would like to do a lot more physical activity than they currently do, and only 17 per cent currently have a gym membership.

Of those with long-term health conditions, 59 per cent say their ability to stay physically active is affected at least somewhat.

And 18 per cent report that it is holding them back a lot, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

Doctor Zoe Williams added: “For people with long-term health conditions, the management of their health and wellbeing can be more difficult to navigate.

Read More on The Sun

EastEnders legend set for exit after 38 years

Adam Peaty in horror punch-up with Team GB teammate over ex-girlfriend jibe

“But we know that the majority do want to be more physically active in their day to day lives, despite there being some barriers to take into consideration.”

“Rest assured that, for most of us, being active is beneficial and especially for many living with long-term conditions, it's simply a matter of finding what activities work best for you and adding more movement into your routine in any way that you can.”

DR ZOE WILLIAMS TOP WAYS TO KEEP FIT FOR FREE:

1. Making the bed for mind, body and soul – Kicking off your day by making your bed, could have benefits – including reducing stress, helping to clear your mind and boost your mood – it’s a great way to gently awaken our body and set the tone for an active day.

2. Vacuuming or Sweeping to your favourite songs – When vacuuming or sweeping the floor, the motion of pushing and pulling engages your arms and shoulders, while encouraging you to move more around your home, providing a light whole body cardio workout.

3. Carrying food shopping to maximise movement – Carrying heavy bags of food shopping from the supermarket to your home, is a combined cardio and weightlifting exercise in disguise. 

4. Cooking with Cardio – As you create your delicious dishes in the kitchen, the movements you make contribute to a gentle whole body workout. Lifting pots and pans out of the cupboard, chopping ingredients, stirring, and mixing all involve small arm movements that can build up to more active cooking.

5. Playing with pets or children – engaging in playtime with your pet or little ones in your family, whether it’s throwing toys for them to fetch or chasing them around, can be a fun and natural workout session that engages your entire body depending on how you’re feeling.

6. Washing the car -isn’t just about cleanliness – it’s a full body workout in disguise, scrubbing and reaching work your arms and core, while bending and stretching engages your legs.

7. Walking and talking -being active whilst on the phone – whether you’re out and about or simply indoors wandering around your living room, is a great way of increasing your step count without even realising you’ve done it.

8. Dusting surfaces or cleaning windows -dusting high shelves or cleaning windows and getting into the hard-to-reach corners involves stretching and reaching, which activates your upper body and could require balance if you need to step onto something to get to those hard to reach spaces – all of which counts towards your daily physical activity levels.

9. Gardening and getting out in nature – gardening is a holistic workout that combines squatting, bending, lifting, and reaching. As you tend to plants and dig in the soil, you’re engaging your entire body. Being outside in nature can also give you a sense of freedom, and has other benefits including getting some vitamin D (in the summertime) and fresh air in your lungs.

10. Unloading dishwasher or washing-up- unloading and loading the dishwasher contributes to a gentle daily cardio workout that engages your core, arms and legs and contributes to overall muscle tone. As you reach, lift and bend, you’re engaging multiple muscle groups across the body. Hand washing plates, pots or pans, also engages your arm and shoulders as you scrub, rinse and lift plates out of the water and onto the draining board.

Source: Read Full Article