WAYS TO INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Below listed are the simple ways to increase physical activity while you are

At Home:

1. Go for a brisk walk on the morning or evening for at least 15 minutes.

2. Use stairs instead of lifts or elevators. It will tone your leg muscles.
3. Go for a family walk after dinner.
4. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and stretch your arms horizontally. Rotate them clockwise
and anticlockwise, 20 circles each.
5. Clean the house.
6. Extend one arm in front of you with palm facing outwards and use the other hand over the top
of the extended arms’ hand. Stretch and point the finger tips down to floor. Hold for 5 seconds
and repeat pointing the fingers upwards. Stretch another arm in the same manner.
7. Lie on your back and pull your each knee one by one up to the chest. Hold for 5 seconds and
repeat 5-6 times.
8. Sit with your legs together and extended in front of you. Exhale as you bend from the hip, over
your legs. Reach towards feet and keep your hands aside. Hold for 10 seconds and inhale as you
return to the starting position.
9. Stand near a wall for support. Grasp your ankle and gently pull your heel up until you feel a
stretch in your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.
10. Sit with your back straight. Tilt your head to the left, right, forward and back. Hold for 10seconds
in each direction. Repeat 5 times.
11. Lie on your side on a mat/floor with your legs straight. Lower arm can be bent for support.
Exhale and gently raise the upper leg off the lower leg. Keep the knees straight and foot in
neutral position. Now inhale and return to the starting position. Repeat 5-6 times with both the
legs but do not raise the leg too high.

At Work:

1. During breaks, go for a 10 minute walk instead of nibbling in between meals.

2. Stand with one leg straight and try to kick your butt with the other. Repeat with other leg.
3. While sitting on the chair, lift one leg off the seat, extend it out straight and hold for few
seconds. Switch and repeat 10 times.
4. Walk up to your friend’s desk to give a message, forget instant messaging/emailing.
5. Adjust the chair height and backrest. Make sure that hips and feet are at 90-degrees angles to
the floor.
6. Take a deep breath and tighten abdominal muscles bringing them in towards your spine and
then exhale. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
7. While standing or sitting, raise the heels but keep the toes firmly on the ground. This will tone
up calf muscles.
8. Relax the muscles of your hand. Make fists, spread and bend the fingers.
9. Water bottle can be used to increase the difficulty of workout like front raise, overhead press.
10. If maximum time is spent in typing, then rotate the wrist clockwise and anticlockwise at least 10
times after every hour. This will minimize the risk of getting carpel tunnel syndrome.