Veggie Blog

Everyday activities that count as moderate exercise

Picture this: you walk through the door after a draining day at work, and your three kids are waiting with a basketball, begging you to join them. Your first answer is “later, after I rest.”

What if you gave them a yes instead? Half an hour of play often leaves you with more energy than you started with, not less.

What half an hour of activity does for you

Thirty minutes of moderate movement is enough to lift your mood. Research ties regular activity to a better state of mind, better concentration and better sleep, so the evening game may help you sleep well that night too.

Regular activity also teaches discipline and can change the way you look at your day. It is good for your spirits and may help with a low mood, but see a doctor if low mood lasts, because exercise does not replace treatment for depression. Beginners can start small, with about 15 minutes two or three times a week, and build up gradually. A sensible long-term target is around 150 minutes of moderate activity spread over the week.

Listen to your body. Pain is a signal to stop. If you need a few days off, take them, and ease back in at a lighter level instead of picking up where you left off.

Activities to try

The activities below need no special equipment and are easy to enjoy:

1. Go for walks. Your neighbourhood is free to use. Take the dog, your roommate or your child along, and make a daily walk a family habit. It burns calories, and you get fresh air and daylight at the same time.

2. Try yoga. Basic poses are easy to learn and leave many people feeling both calmer and more awake. Even five minutes of stretching at the end of the day can help you unwind and loosen tight muscles.

3. Play a game. Basketball, football, baseball, tennis and badminton are all good choices, and doctors often suggest sport as an enjoyable way to keep fit. Keep it casual: a relaxed game of shooting baskets with a friend is still exercise.

4. Start something at work. No exercise group at your workplace? Suggest one to your manager and invite your co-workers. Three 30-minute sessions a week burn calories and help colleagues get to know each other.

5. Turn housework into a workout. Gardening, raking, mowing, laundry, vacuuming and washing the car all get you moving. Doing some of these jobs by hand instead of with a machine adds a little extra effort.

Once activity becomes a normal part of your day, the calories add up. A typical half hour of moderate activity uses roughly 150 calories, and you burn more the longer and harder you go.