Everyday activities for your wellness

NO EXCUSES: EVERYBODY CAN DO THIS!!!

Can taking the stairs instead of the elevator really make you healthier and more fit?
Can get off the bus a stop or two early and walk the rest of the way to the office, or park your car at the far edge of the mall parking lot really be considered exercise?

"Absolutely," says exercise physiotherapist Geralyn Coopersmith, senior manager of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute in New York and the author of Fit and Female: The Perfect Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan for Your Unique Body Type
"We are such an all-or-nothing society, but at the end of the day you are better suited to spend five minutes walking in place then to say 'I can't train for the marathon, so I am not going to do anything,'" Coopersmith says. She continues: "Just walking, as opposed to taking a car, is significant and can make a difference in your weight and heart health,"
If you really want to burn some calories? Climbing the stairs is a great weight loss exercise. "You can't beat them," she says. "Take every other step so you are really working your legs more. This can really make it a challenging workout." Another idea for getting some easy exercise at home? Instead of fast-forwarding through commercials while watching your favorite shows on TV, "do jumping jacks or march in place during the commercial break. This type of activity really starts to add up," she says. Moreover, "there are not a lot of daily activities that involve upper body besides

carrying the groceries and picking up kids... You can even sneak in some strength training at work, you can do push-ups against the photocopy machine while you are waiting for your documents, or wear a headset instead of holding the phone so you can use dumbbells while at your desk... And don't forget your flexibility exercises: you can do neck rolls, shoulder rolls, and stretch your quadriceps or hamstrings while standing at your desk."
Still, when possible, it's best to keep moving for at least 10 minutes at a time. "The guidelines state that we should aim for 30 minutes of moderately intense activity on five or more days of the week or vigorous activity for at least 20 minutes on three or more days of the week," says Ruth Ann Carpenter, MS, RD, LD, director of dissemination at The Cooper Institute in Dallas and author of Active Living Every Day . This can be done in 10 minute bouts, she adds. "That's not to say a five-minute walk in the parking lot isn't going to help, but research suggests that a sustained 10-minute bout is needed," she precises.

From webmd website: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/easy-ways-exercise-home-work