Posted by kathryn in Seasonal Health

It’s the weekend, so how do you feel about a 20 minute task for today’s 31 Days to Better Energy tip? Here in Sydney it’s another beautiful day, so your task is to go for a 20 minute walk.

Why?

We all know the benefits of activity, but sometimes it feels like a big deal to start an exercise programme. While some people love the gym, jogging and more intense forms of exercise, that doesn’t suit everyone. It’s easy to put off being active until you have more time, more money, or your life is different. Plus many people have sedentary jobs and we’re surrounded by labour saving devices – all designed to stop us from being active.

However, I’m a firm believer in not putting off being healthy until some indistinct future date. Inactivity is bad for your health in general, plus it affects your energy levels. Your body is designed for movement and when you don’t move a lot, everything slows down – including energy production.

For those of you who are not big exercisers, increasing your activity level is simply about moving more than you are at the moment. Once you move more, you’re improving your fitness levels and doing it in a sustainable way.

Today’s task

The task for this Saturday is to take 20 minutes out of your day and go for a minute walk. You can go by yourself or with your partner or a friend. You could walk around the park, or march up to the shops the long way round, instead of driving. Alternatively, simply go out of your front door, walk in one direction for ten minutes and then turn round and walk home again.

You don’t have to spend hours exercising to improve your energy and fitness levels – anything over ten minutes will make a difference. So go out for a walk today and spend twenty minutes improving your health and boosting your energy levels.

This post is part of a series I’m writing over August – 31 Days to Better Energy. For more information and to view the other tasks, take a look at the introductory post.

11 August, 2007