Another week, another great 30 second video from Mental Health Ireland to explain what we mean by ‘Be Active’
We all know that exercise is good for us, and many of us need to do more of it (I am absolutely part of that group). But it can feel difficult to fit it into our day amongst many other competing priorities.
Here are two strategies that could help you to get motivated or fit extra activities into your day.
Habit Stacking
Think about the things you already do every day – like brushing your teeth, turning your laptop on, making a cup of coffee. Then think about activities you could add in while you are doing these existing habits. For example you could jog on the spot while you are waiting for your coffee to brew, or standing leg stretches while you wait for your laptop to load. You can also use the existing habit as a trigger for a new habit, for example thinking “as soon as I have brushed my teeth, I’m going to do a 5 minute exercise routine”. This technique is known as habit stacking.
Here’s a link with some more ideas:
https://www.mondaycampaigns.org/move-it-monday/habit-stack-your-way-to-more-movement
5 Minute Challenge
Getting started is often the hardest part of exercising, especially if you are planning to exercise outside and it’s winter! The 5 minute challenge helps to get you going, and works like this:
The psychology behind this tip says that once you have done the hard bit and got started, in most situations you will feel able to carry on beyond the original five minute target. But even if you don’t, you will have done 5 more minutes of exercise then you might otherwise have done!