Get fit the easy way

Resolutions to improve our fitness usually fail because we try to do too much too fast. But there are plenty of simple ways we can incorporate exercise into our everyday lives, says Amy Barnard

January. After months of advertising bombardment by the purveyors of fine food and drink, this is the time of year when collectively we decide to repent of our festive excesses.

We often start well, with the best intentions, but after a couple of weeks enthusiasm dwindles. Plenty of perfectly reasonable-sounding excuses can be found as all our fine resolutions seem to just crumble away.

This slump is avoidable – it usually happens because we decide to go too far, too fast. Or, in other words, we decide we are a totally different person: one who goes to the gym three times a week and only eats lean protein, when really we have too many other commitments to sustain that and have a secret fondness for cheese.

However, there’s no need to be discouraged. Current NHS guidelines recommend two-and-a-half hours of moderate exercise a week to stay fit and healthy, which is just over 20 minutes a day.

There are numerous ways to easily incorporate greater activity into our everyday lives that don’t involve signing up to a punishing regime at the gym or with a trainer. The more that exercise feels like a part of our usual routine, the less the need for motivation to do it, as it all feels natural and comfortable.

All in the mind

Motivation feels great when it’s there. It’s galvanising. It’s the initial spark that prompts us into action but often doesn’t stick around for long. That’s why it’s so important to focus on our overall mindset instead – working on the belief that we can accomplish a goal we have set for ourselves.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to use what psychologists call ‘positive reinforcement’, a concept first introduced by Edward Thorndike in the early 20th century that is defined as ‘the establishment of a desired behaviour pattern by means of reward’.

In this case the reward is feeling gratification and triumph when we have been successful in achieving our fitness goal. But to ensure our success and to keep us feeling satisfied with ourselves in a virtuous cycle, we need to make sure the desired behaviour pattern is small and achievable.

Instead of making our goal ‘to be fit and healthy’ or ‘to exercise every day’, which are vague and set us up to feel like a failure if we don’t do enough, we can substitute a goal like ‘do one wall push-up’. One push-up may not sound like very much, but that’s the point. It’s still one more than we would have done otherwise. It’s a little goal that can be made into a habit every time we boil the kettle for a cup of tea. Gradually, assuming you have three cups a day, you will find you have over-achieved your goal by doing three wall push-ups, and feel delighted with yourself.

Over time, you may not get the same satisfaction from three, so you can increase it to six – two for each cup of tea – and so on. By then you will have created a positive loop that will actively help you achieve your goal of being fit and healthy just by making a small change to your everyday routine.

This fundamental psychological method for building effective habits is also the basis for writer James Clear’s 2018 international best-seller Atomic Habits. In it he demonstrates how aiming to improve an area of our lives by something as small as 1% can lead to incredible behavioural shifts.

‘Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement,’ he writes. ‘The same way that money multiplies from compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them.’

This being the case, other than one push-up, how else might we easily build good habits into our daily routine? There are plenty of ways, and the most effective are those that feel most natural. Again, there’s no need to fight this, we just need to make changes that work in our favour.

For example, if you are familiar with yoga poses, aim for a stretch or two during the day. If you used to walk to the supermarket but now get your groceries delivered, reintegrate this habit.

Below are some ideas for everyday exercise. It’s not an exhaustive list, but hopefully could help to spark an idea of something that will work for you. As 2025 dawns let’s all take the opportunity to talk more kindly to ourselves and our bodies. Instead of berating ourselves, let’s focus on integrating small habits into our lives that leave us feeling stronger and more capable.

Walk the walk

Walking has long been known as one of the most complete and natural forms of exercise. Indeed, Jane Austen’s heroine in Pride and Prejudice, Lizzy Bennet, remarked that ‘walking is very beneficial exercise’.

At a moderate pace, walking burns about 250 calories per hour on average, and is low-impact to boot, so doesn’t put excessive strain on your muscles or joints. It encourages good blood circulation as the heart rate rises and is wonderful for gently strengthening the legs.

Many of history’s great figures, such as Beethoven, are known to have taken a daily ‘constitutional’ to combat the physical effects of long hours sitting at their writing desk.

It’s surprising how much difference walking to and from your usual appointments can make, as it can easily add up to a couple of miles a day. Walking to the local shops and carrying back the groceries – instead of hopping in the car – can easily be a mile-and-a-half round trip, and carrying the bags means you will also get some weight-bearing exercise as an added bonus.

Those with dogs have an easy motivation for a daily walk, making the most of their pet’s requirements to help them achieve their own goals. Throwing a ball by hand, instead of with a dog-ball thrower, is also an easy way to incorporate some arm strengthening into the mix.

In the balance

One of the positive changes arising from the covid pandemic is that fitness instruction has moved online. Sites like YouTube are brimming with videos from certified Pilates instructors, and there is the added advantage of being able to watch a video through before you start to make sure it is not beyond your ability.

Pilates can easily be done in the home, and there are plenty of exercises that do not require any equipment yet still deliver results. Created as a set of exercises for dancers, Pilates develops better balance and posture, which in turn can help prevent injuries.

It’s not necessary to carve out an hour for a class – plus the time of travelling to the studio – as there is a plethora of short videos to choose from. A tenminute video is much easier to slot into the day somewhere, whether first thing in the morning, between other appointments or as a wind-down at the end of the day. Setting a goal of ten minutes might leave you craving more, so you can try other short videos to suit your needs.

Strike a pose

As with Pilates, there is an incredible array of short videos to choose from. Yoga does not have to be practised in one- or two-hour sessions, no matter what some purists might say.

Taking 15 minutes out of the day to stretch and centre yourself is perfectly adequate and will still give wonderful benefits. As well as improving muscle strength, balance and flexibility, yoga can help to ease chronic pain and inflammation, as well as improving blood circulation and cardiac health.

Exercise you will barely notice

Housework

This may be an unpopular opinion, but household chores can be beneficial! Have you ever noticed how after a cleaning blitz of vacuuming, mopping, cleaning the windows, mowing the lawn or washing the car you flop into a little puddle of exhaustion on the sofa? These are all forms of aerobic exercise and are really beneficial.

Stairs

Hands down, climbing stairs is one of the simplest forms of ‘anywhere exercise’ there is. It’s easy to do at home, and when you’re out and about always try to use the stairs instead of a lift or an escalator.

Tea break

Even the shortest amount of time, such as waiting for the kettle to boil and brewing a cup of tea, can be turned into an opportunity to form a new habit. A couple of minutes spent on some simple exercises while you wait, like the three listed below, will gradually help to improve your fitness.

Squats

Stand up straight, with your legs shoulder-width apart and arms by your side. Keeping your back straight, lower your body by slowly bending your knees. You can swing your arms out in front if it helps you to keep your balance. Don’t bend your knees beyond a 90-degree angle, as this will put too much stress on your knees. Hold when you are in the ‘chair’ position then slowly push back up. This is an excellent exercise for your legs, hips and bottom.

Wall Push-ups

Stand in front of a wall at arm’s length and place your hands on it, shoulder-width apart. Keeping your body straight and elbows in, bend your arms until you nose touches the wall. Hold, then slowly straighten your arms until you are upright again. This is a great exercise for the chest, shoulders and backs of your arms.

Standing leg lift

Stand with your legs hip-width apart, with your arms stretched out to the side for balance or your hands on your hips. Raise one leg slowly in front, letting your knee bend naturally, as high as possible, without rounding your back. Hold for a couple of seconds and lower your leg. Repeat with the other leg. This exercise is good for the abdominal muscles and will improve your balance.

This feature first appeared in the January 2025 issue of The Lady magazine.
Picture: Adobe Stock