Ways To Increase Physical Activity

The human body burns energy even when not performing any activities. This is known as the BMR (basal metabolic rate), where the body requires energy to perform physiological activities such as breathing, circulatory support, oxygen exchange between tissues and organs, etc.

Any physical activity increases the body’s metabolism so everyday activities do count as exercise. Research has shown that both short and long periods of high intensity physical activity, less than and more than 10 minutes of physical exertion, respectively, in people between 18-64 years of age has shown to lower the BMI (body mass index) as well as lower the risk of obesity. This then means that both short and long bouts of high intensity training are equally beneficial to the human body.

According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the recommended exercise guidelines state that two and a half hours of cardiovascular/aerobic activity should be done every week together with muscle strengthening activities on two or more days when exercising. The combination of both aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises has been proven to be more beneficial than either one performed alone. It's important to remember that physical activities need to be started at one's own pace and then gradually increased according to what the person can handle.

Further research has shown that everyday activities whereby one is physically active count towards these guidelines and therefore have a positive effect on one’s health.

Everyday activities

Walking around – Whether you are taking a walk around the neighbourhood, in the mall or even to work and back, this activity helps to burn around 150 calories every half an hour. Try using the stairs, instead of the elevators and escalators, as this now becomes resistance training due to the fact that you are now working against gravity. This helps to increase the physical effort on your body and therefore burn even more calories.

Cleaning the house – Sweeping or vacuuming the rooms, mopping the floors and doing the laundry all increase the body’s metabolism because of the physical exertion associated with them. Carrying a full load of laundry in front of the body also increases muscle exertion which then helps to build muscle mass as well. These activities all increase cardiovascular output which allows the heart and lungs to function better, thereby improving oxygen transport to the rest of the body. These activities can also aid in burning off 150 calories every hour.

Kitchen duties – Mixing batter by hand, chopping up vegetables and cleaning the dishes can all help to use up around 75 calories.

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Working in the garden – Raking up leaves, mowing the lawn and sowing plants all require muscular output by the body. Once again, these activities improve cardiovascular functioning, but to a better degree than working inside the house, as you are now exposed to fresh air and easier intake of oxygen. These activities can help burn over 180 calories every half an hour. Washing the car is just as intense as working in the garden and is also a good way to be physically active.