JOHANNESBURG - December is fast approaching, and that means clothing gets skimpier and bulges have less fabric to hide under. Although summer might be the inspiration you need to motivate yourself into reaching your beach-body aspirations, there are real health issues to being overweight.
“According to the latest stats provided by Discovery Vitality, roughly half of South African adults live inactive lifestyles. This is more than double the global average of 23percent, making us one of the most inactive countries in the world. The report goes on to say that insufficient physical activity is one of the leading risk factors for death worldwide. Rather than setting unrealistic goals for themselves this summer, we’d like to encourage homeowners to do what they can to their homes in order to live active and healthy lifestyles all year round,” says Adrian Goslett, the regional director and chief executive of RE/MAX Southern Africa.
With money being as tight as it is, and with time being as limited as it is, it’s understandable how tricky it can be to exercise.
Here are some tips on how you can get fit at home without spending any money on gym memberships or giving up hours of your limited time:
1. Create an exercise nook. There’s a large variety of workout routines available online, from YouTube videos to mobile fitness apps and personal fitness blogs.
2. Squat while you scrub. You know the cliché of “take the stairs and not the elevator”? If you apply this logic to a broader set of tasks, you’d be surprised at how many kilojoules you could burn. Do a set of squats while you’re washing your dishes, do a set of crunches while you’re watching your favourite TV show, and jog on the spot during commercials.