Five Ways to Sneak Physical Activity into Your Day

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. It can help prevent depression and non-communicable diseases like heart disease and even some cancers. Ongoing research is showing that not exercising may be even more harmful to your health than smoking, diabetes, and heart disease (1). 

Unfortunately, many people feel that they simply can’t make time in their schedules to work out. The good news is that there are a whole variety of opportunities in your daily life to squeeze in a little bit of exercise – sans gym or yoga pants. And when it comes to exercise, every little bit helps! Do your long-term health a favor and add some of these simple moves into your daily routine whenever you find the time. 

1. Stand up while browsing your WeChat moments

In Chinese, there’s a word for the growing portion of the demographic that spends much of their time with their heads craned over while looking their phones: 低头族 (dī tóu zú). Literally translated, it means the tribe with bowed heads. Maintaining this unnatural head position can result in the early onset of degenerative changes to the neck that doctors only ever used to see in patients aged 70 and older. Don’t believe us? Here’s what BJU Chiropractor Dr. Roger Hinson has to say about it. 

Besides, sitting around all day on your phone does your heart health and fitness levels no favors. Researchers are increasingly finding that sitting for prolonged periods is detrimental to your overall health, even if you do exercise (2). Whenever a moment of idleness hits you and you feel that you’ve just got to browse your WeChat moments or other social media feeds, then go for it – just dislodge from your desk chair or sofa seat and stand up (and try to be aware of your neck position) while you do it! 

Bonus: To break up long periods of sitting, you can also stand up whenever you make or receive a phone call at your desk job, or whenever you need to watch an ad on the TV. 

2. Do discreet seated stretches while you’re in your Didi

Shifu won’t mind – we’re sure s/he’s seen all kinds of things! While you’re in the backseat idling through Beijing traffic, perform a few seated stretches (keeping your seatbelt fastened, of course) to pass the time and improve your flexibility. To stretch your neck, tilt your head to the right, bringing your right ear toward your right shoulder until you feel a stretch in the left side of your neck. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. To stretch your arms and upper back, lift your right arm out in front of you at shoulder height, keeping it straight, and cross it over your body. Use your left hand to pull your arm closer to your body. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. To stretch your buttocks, pick up your right foot and lay the outside of your right ankle over your left knee. To get a deeper stretch, lean forward a little. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. 

3. Do squats while cooking your dinner

A gold star for you for cooking dinner! You’re reducing your intake of salt and MSGs and (hopefully) eating a bit less oil than you would otherwise. While you’re waiting for your pasta to boil or your onions to brown, do ten squats. Stand with your knees hip-width apart and lower your body down, pushing your butt back as though you were about to sit in a chair. Your knees should not go forward. You could also hold a squat position while you consult your recipe for the next steps. 

If you prefer to rely on waimai and meals out, we don’t blame you. It’s so cheap and easy! Try to do some simple exercises while you fill up your water bottle, boil water for your tea, or wait for your coffee to percolate. You could even consider getting up and holding a squat position while you decide what feast to get the fine, blue-clad gentlemen at Eleme to deliver to your doorstep. 

4. Do calf raises while on the subway or waiting in line

Since Luckin Coffee delivers coffee to your door and you now buy everything on Taobao, you may have forgotten what it feels like to stand in a physical line with other humans. If ever it does happen, or if ever you find yourself standing around waiting for a bus or on the subway, do some calf raises to pass the time. Other calf-raising opportunities include while you’re drinking your coffee, opening your Taobao packages, or brushing your teeth. 

For bonus points, take the stairs at the subway station. Some stations have stairs to spare, but this is made up for by the fact that you’ll have way more elbow room compared to if you take the crowded escalators!

5. Do core exercises at your desk

In this modern age of internet and computers, there’s a good chance that you spend a fair bit of time sitting at a desk staring at a screen. If you want to keep your muscles working but don’t want to look like a weirdo in the office, you can opt for discreet exercises that your coworkers won’t be able to see. While you’re in your swivel chair, use your desk as cover and use your legs to do core exercises. Lower your chair so that there’s some space between the top of your knees and the underside of your desk. Then, with your left foot flat on the floor, engage your core and lift your right leg, keeping it bent at 90 degrees, and tap your right knee on the underside of your desk. Place your right foot back on the ground and repeat with your left leg. Keep going until your tummy muscles start to burn! To work your thigh muscles, you can place something sturdy, like a strong mug, between your knees and squeeze, holding the position for 30 seconds and relaxing. 

Ideally, WHO recommends doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise every week. Adding these exercises to your day will help you get closer to that goal, but probably won’t get you all the way there. If you don’t already get 150 minutes of exercise a week, consider making lifestyle changes like going for a walk during your lunch break, challenging your kids to a game of soccer or tag in the park, or meeting up with friends for a stroll instead of a big buffet brunch or evening drinks. You can also try biking to work or taking up a new sport. The more you’re able to add a little physical activity into your life, the better!

This article was fact-checked by Ying Swee Ong, BJU’s New-Zealand-trained Physiotherapist. She speaks English, Malay, and Mandarin. If you wish to make an appointment with her or any of our other specialists, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.

References:

1) https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/19/health/study-not-exercising-worse-than-smoking/index.html 

2) https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24532996 

• Not sure what your physiotherapist can do if you get injured?Read Ying Swee's guide to the discipline.

• Want to learn some more general tips for getting into exercising without injuring yourself? Ying Swee dives deep here. 

• Keen to get into cycling this fall? Do it! Just make sure you do it safely.