Warmer weather and longer days have arrived here in Melbourne, and I am excited for it!
With this change in the weather, I am starting to prioritise my physical fitness more. I know all too well the importance of maintaining fitness and muscle mass as I age to support my bone strength, heart and brain health, and immune system function.
As a mum and a business owner who works in different roles, I understand the struggle to find the time for this. So I am continuing to build in small, achievable actions regularly, rather than wondering where on earth I will find the time to be able to lock in an exercise class or gym session.
Last weekend I walked into the city and soaked up the sunshine, and I have been spending more time in the park after school pick-up and on weekends with my son. I am getting back into the push-up challenge, and I have started with 8 this week, so watch this space. Feel free to hold me accountable on this. I am also continuing to reach 10k steps a day (after a few hiccups… I am, after all, human!). As a habit stack, I regularly do two minutes of squats while I brush my teeth in the morning, and have some 5kg weights in my living room to do some bicep / tricep work while I chill and watch an episode of something on Netflix some evenings.
My point here is that movement doesn’t have to be big to count. Even small increases in daily activity are linked with better mood, sleep and cardiometabolic health, and small habits tend to stick better than big overhauls that may only last a month or two. Habit stacking, where you pair a new habit with something you already do every day, like eating your lunch and brushing your teeth, also makes it much easier to remember to do.
Increase Your Movement
What is one small action you can take to increase your daily or weekly movement?
Here are some of my favourite examples:
Go for a 10 minute walk after lunch.
Park a little further away or get off the tram one stop earlier.
Do some squats while the kettle boils.
Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth, swapping over after 1 minute.
Use a standing desk.
Do calf raises while working at your desk.
Go for a walking meeting with a colleague.
Dance to your favourite music with your kids or while preparing dinner.
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Katie practices at: Uprise Health, 136 Lennox Street, Richmond, 3121, Victoria.
Appointments: Face-to-face and online (Australia wide)
Contact: admin@katiehopcraft.com.au
Areas of Special Interest: Gut health, hormonal health (perimenopause, PMOS, PMS, endometriosis), and fertility (preconception care, pregnancy and post-partum support).
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