Challenge yourself to a game of 'activity bingo' to move and stretch more at home
13 July 2021, 14:29
Promoted by This Girl Can
Getting daily exercise doesn't have to be as rigid as 40 minutes in the gym or having a brisk walk in the park, you can get squatting, lunging and crunching at home whenever you like!
'Scheduling time for exercise' simply doesn't work for everyone - especially if you've got kids or pets that are needy and accident prone!
It can seem overwhelming to have to block out an hour or more from your already busy day to focus on moving around more, and at the end of the working day it can be hard to sacrifice family time for a trip to the gym or to a Zumba class.
That's why 'Activity Bingo' is a brilliant way to bring more movement to your daily life - and not only do you get to choose what to do, you get to choose when to do it, too!
We have teamed up with This Girl Can, a Sport England campaign funded by the National Lottery, which has one mission... to get more women enjoying being active in the most fun ways possible.
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All you need to do is pick five simple exercises or movements that you can do on a daily basis.
Finding time to move more in your daily life can be as simple as challenging yourself to do as many star jumps as you can while the kettle boils!
You know what you enjoy doing, and what movements you are able to do without pain or risk of injury, so you can choose what goes on your bingo card.
Then, mark them off as you go along - what your prize is is up to you!
If you're stuck for ideas, here are five to get you started...
Enjoy the ab break
With the average telly advert break lasting two minutes, why not challenge yourself to get your heart rate up while waiting for your favourite programme or soap to return?
You could try holding a plank for the whole two minutes, or do something more physical like crunches, star jumps or jogging on the spot.
Step up
It's easy to increase your daily step count and your heart rate by taking the stairs instead of an escalator or lift.
If you've got small children or a buggy, get off the bus a stop or two early and enjoy some fresh air.
Pumping tin
Don't underestimate how everyday items you have at home can power your body and make it stronger...
All you need are a couple of tins of food to get busy working your biceps and triceps.
Take the lunge
Work your thighs and bum with some walking lunges.
if you don't feel up to doing them outdoors, why not try a few laps through the house.
Squat's the problem?
Performing the perfect squat is harder than it looks - so get practising while the kettle boils.
There are lots of tutorials available online, and just make sure you take it easy to start with!
