It’s true, your life is busy. But by making exercise a priority, you can find time for it. Schedule your workout in for first thing in the morning, so that life doesn’t get in the way or wake up a little earlier to squeeze it in. Otherwise, take a power walk in your work break, or incorporate it into your daily commute to work or where ever you’re usually travelling.

2. I hate going alone.

Find a work-out buddy! I promise that you won’t be the only one wanting to work-out, and your future fitness friend will probably be really flattered that you’ve asked (and grateful that they aren’t all on their own either)!

3. My kids get in the way.

Wake up before your kids get up and workout. It might not sound appealing to you, but many parents say that this is the best time they’ve found to get alone time and work uninterruptedly on their fitness.

Alternatively, you could workout with your kids. While they’re playing do some laps around the park… or even play with them. You’re never too old for biking, hiking and playing games.

4. It’s boring.

So, perhaps an hour on the treadmill isn’t for you? It’s not for me either! But let me tell you a little secret… There are so many ways to exercise, so you don’t have to restrict yourself to the treadmill!

Find an activity that you find fun! I’ve never seen anyone leaving a Zumba class looking bored, just sayin’. You could try adult gymnastics (yes, it’s a thing, get excited), biking, boxing, cycling, dancing, ice-skating, playground climbing, rock climbing, rollerblading, swimming, skiing, surfing… *deep inhale*… I think you get the point. Find your fun workout and make everyone envious.

5. I’m too fat.

It’s never too late to change your lifestyle, and remember small progress is always better than no progress. Start gradually with a low impact activity, such as walking or swimming, and just keep at it! We’re backing you 100%.

6. I’m already thin.

You’re outside looks healthy, but you want your insides to look healthy too. Being thin, doesn’t automatically equate to healthy. You’re not exercising to lose weight, but make sure you set clear goals for yourself to keep you motivated, such as running 5k or toning up!

7. My back hurts.

Back pain is the worst, but don’t take to bed, get active about your problem. Speak to your doctor or medical professional about stretches and exercises you can do to help with your back pain. Exercise can even help treat or prevent lower back pain. ¹

Bonus Tip!

Fitness apps can be a great way to get motivated and set goals, especially if you’re just getting started on your health journey. Our USANA pals in America compiled a list of favourite apps including MyFitnessPal, Sworkit, Couch to 5k, and Zombie, Run! Head over and read more about these by clicking here.

So, ditch the excuses! Make it a priority, make it fun, and get out there.

Written by Monique Sparks

The post 7 Exercise Excuses You Need to Stop Making appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

Here are our favourite tips to get you more active in the office or where ever you are sitting!

Transport

Kill two birds with one stone, by getting some fitness into your day and travelling at the same time. It beats sitting in traffic!

There are loads of options, like these…

• Walking. If you’re lucky enough to live close enough!
• Cycling (or if you live too far away, catch a train, bus, ferry or even drive your car some of the way and cycle the rest!)
• Public transport. If you catch the bus, train or ferry, you’re probably going to have to do some walking to get there.
• Park your car further away. If driving is the best option for you, leave a little earlier and walk the rest of the way from your car. It’s an easy way to get more steps into your day!

Create Reasons to Get Up

The best way to make sure you get up often? Make it necessary! Move the bin away. Only have a small glass of water on your desk so that you have to fill it up often. Move your folders so that they’re out of reach. Pretty much, just put anything and everything out of reach so that it makes you get up and move more often!

Take The Stairs

In other words, go the long way. You can also apply this same logic and get up to talk to colleagues rather than sending an email.

Photo cred: Everyday Health http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight-pictures/10-ways-to-exercise-at-work-1028.aspx#05

Switch it for a Swiss Ball

You know the big round exercise balls that they have at the gym? Switch your chair for one of these! Unlike sitting in a chair, an exercise ball can help engage your core muscles, improve balance, and posture. Another bonus is that it means you can easily do a mini work-out when you’re stuck waiting for a few minutes.

If bouncing on an exercise ball all day doesn’t sound fun to you, here’s another secret. Sitting on the edge of your chair helps you to sit straighter too!

Lunch is for Food & Walking

Venture outside for a walk in your break! You could even pack lunches which are easy to eat while you walk. Now that’s what we call efficiency!

Can’t stand sitting? Then Stand!

Use an app or alarm on your phone to remind you to regularly stand up during the day. “Standing up once every hour was more effective than walking on a treadmill for 15 minutes for cardiovascular and metabolic changes.” – Dr. Mercola.

Hopefully this helps you to fit more fitness into your day and helps you to become the healthiest you can be!

Written by Monique Sparks

The post How To Prevent ‘Sitting Disease’ appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

Get active – for your mind, body and wellbeing!

But, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, most of us are not moving as much as we should. More than seven out of ten of us don’t exercise enough. Here are just some of the reasons that you should move more!

 Exercising regularly helps to:

1. Blast calories

You gain weight when you consume more calories than you use. Exercise is vital if you want to get lean and stay that way. But beware – unless your exercise is really intensive and you exercise for long enough, you may not be burning off as much as you think. For example, if you weigh around 60kg and you eat a 50g chocolate bar (270 calories) you’ll need to cycle at moderate pace for 35 minutes or walk for over an hour to burn it off! So, as well as burning off calories, thinking about what how much exercise you do and all those snacks and eats will help you to be more conscious about what you’re doing – and not be a distracted dieter!

2. Boost circulation

As you exercise, chemicals in working muscles produce substances that leave the muscle cells. These chemicals cause tiny capillaries (blood vessels) to dilate (widen) and this boosts blood flow which in turn brings more nourishing oxygen-rich blood to your working muscles. Better circulation helps to nourish your internal organs and skin cells, too, so you look better, too!

3. Support the muscles that support your joints

Regular exercise may help to slow down and even prevent problems with your muscles, joints and bones. Regular exercise helps to build and maintain strength and flexibility – important at every stage of life but especially as you get older.

4. Get in shape

Muscle and fat are two entirely different tissues and you can’t replace one with the other. But you can build muscle and reduce body fat with weight training and strengthening exercises.

Muscle burns more calories than fat because it is metabolically active i.e. it needs more fuel to exist rather than fat which is a storage material. Your body uses up fat stores when you exercise and build muscle. And, more muscle means more calories burned daily.

So, for every half a kilo of muscle you put on, you’ll automatically burn an extra 22 to 36 calories daily and you’ll have a sleeker, more shapelier shape.

Muscle and fat take up a different amount of space in your body, too. Take a look at 2.5kg of fat and 2.5kg muscle – when you have more fat, you can see clearly why you’ll have more wobbly bits!

You can target your problem areas – fat from around the exercising muscle is used for energy so you can firm up trouble areas. So if it’s your tummy that’s causing trouble, learn exercises that target your core.

Aim for strengthening exercises like weights at least twice per week for up to 30 minutes to slowly build up your body’s muscle. Oh and if you’re a woman, don’t worry that you’ll get too muscular by weight training – women don’t have enough testosterone to build as much muscle as men.

2.5kg of fat takes up much more space than 2.5kg of muscle

5. Perfect your posture, balance and coordination

Your posture is the way various parts of your body align in relation to one another. Good posture can help to prevent fatigue, headaches, eye strain, and chronic muscular tension. Getting your posture right can also help to boost circulation and even aid digestion. It might also help you sleep more soundly.

For good balance and coordination, you have to be able to control a number of muscles in order to prevent falling over. So, building your muscle strength leads to better balance and may even help to prevent injuries as with age.

6. Feel good about yourself!

According to the Black Dog Institute: ‘Numerous studies have shown that people who exercise regularly experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who do not exercise regularly’. Also, ‘Several trials have shown that regular exercise of moderate intensity can be an effective treatment by itself for mild-to-moderate depression.’ That’s because exercise boosts the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and feel-good chemicals which in turn helps to boost your mood . And as regular exercise helps to tone and shape your body, you’ll have more reasons to feel good about yourself!

Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days. Weight bearing exercise boosts your bone health as well as training your heart and lungs to be stronger. Swimming is an excellent low-impact exercise if you have a lot to lose or have stiff joints.

Include three sessions of strength training. The ultimate in sculpting your body, this flab fighter builds muscle and burns fat so you have a sculpted, leaner look. Plus, the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism – i.e. the faster you burn calories.

So go on, get moving!

By Ravinder Lilly
USANA ANZ Writer and Dietitian

The post Six reasons to include exercise into your day appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.