Did you know that leading a sedentary lifestyle is becoming increasingly common, and is extremely bad for your health?
A sedentary lifestyle involves little or no physical activity, and for many people, it means sitting or lying down while engaged in an activity such as reading, watching TV, playing video games, using a mobile phone or working at a computer for most of the day.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that a lack of physical activity can be linked with an estimated 3.2 million deaths per year. A sedentary lifestyle is connected with many negative effects, and here at Foot Solutions, we’d love to help you to get moving and build a healthier lifestyle for the future.
The problem with being sedentary
Jonny Sexton famously wrote,
“It’s not what you do for the hour in the gym but what you do for the other 23 hours of your day”.
We are big believers in this sentiment, and it’s vital to look at your lifestyle critically and see where you can make changes to become more active and less sedentary.
Did you know that a sedentary lifestyle can:
- Increase the risk of certain cancers
- Contribute to anxiety and depression
- Increase your likelihood of developing some cardiovascular diseases
- Lead to being overweight or obese
- Cause a decrease in skeletal muscle mass
- Be linked with high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.
There are serious and life-threatening concerns connected with leading a sedentary lifestyle, and getting your feet in great shape so that you can lead a more active life on a daily basis is a good first step.
Exchanging a sedentary lifestyle for more activity
Becoming healthier doesn’t necessarily mean joining a gym, although many people find this a good way to meet people and create a more active lifestyle for themselves. Walking, for example, is a great workout and costs nothing!
If you are spending a lot of time sitting or lying down, whether this is at your desk for work or in your leisure time, there are plenty of ways that you can build more activity into your day to create a healthier lifestyle that gets your body moving and your blood pumping. You’ll feel the difference almost straight away, so take a look at our suggestions and pick a few to get started with as soon as possible.
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Foot Solutions simple tips to increase your activity levels
Whether you take up a new hobby or begin to add some exercises into your working day, beginning to move more will help you to look and feel great. Spring is a great time to get active, and you can really make the most of the lighter mornings and brighter evenings, as well as the increased energy levels that we tend to experience at this time of the year.
Here are our top tips to introduce more activity into your life this season:
• Use the stairs instead of the escalator or lift. Making small changes throughout your day can make a big difference to your overall activity levels, and a simple change such as walking up the stairs in your office, block of flats or shops can give you a mini workout several times a day. Although recommendations are to raise your heart rate for at least 30 minutes each time you exercise, introducing more movement into your day will make a difference and every step you take is a step towards a fitter future.
• Walk to someone’s office or desk instead of calling them. If you are in a job that involves a lot of sitting at a desk, you’ll probably need to communicate with others within your business several times every day. Make the most of the opportunity to exercise by walking to the offices or desks of your colleagues instead of calling them, and you’ll boost your social interactions too!
• Turn housework into a workout. Did you know that you can burn a lot of calories by cleaning your house? You can kill two birds with one stone when you put some additional effort into your housework and get your muscles moving as you go. Hoovering, dusting and polishing can all get your heart pumping, and if you turn up the music and really let yourself dance as you clean, you’ll improve your fitness and your mood along with your surroundings.
• Leave the car keys at home whenever possible. You can make a big differ-ence to your health and your carbon footprint when you opt to walk to your destination instead of driving. Walking in the fresh air will boost your brain and prepare you better for your working day, and you’ll get your heart pumping without even noticing that you’re exercising. You can even save up all the money you save on fuel for your car, and treat yourself to something special!
• Spend time with your family. Spending time with your family is a great way to increase your activity levels without stress, as sedentary activities tend to be solitary ones. Getting out for a day at the beach or in the countryside will get you all moving and help you to feel great, and you could even learn a new sport or try out a new challenge together.
• Play with your children. How often do you really engage in play with your children or grandchildren? When children play, they are very rarely still, and they tend to be much more active than the adults who care for them. Your children will be delighted if you join them in their play, and this will enable you to get moving and build your connection with them at the same time.
• Set a simple target. A target or goal can be a good way to motivate yourself to get more active, and you can choose one that will work well for you. If you’re just beginning to introduce more activity into your life, perhaps you would like to aim to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes, gradually increasing to five times per week. Or perhaps you could challenge yourself to try a new sport or to attend a walking or swimming group to meet new people and get your body moving.
• Get a pet. Having a pet, especially a pet that needs daily exercise, such as a dog, can be a great way to motivate yourself to get out and get moving, even when the weather is bad. Walking a dog every day can also be a great social activity, and you can encourage your family members and friends to join you to help them to enjoy a more active life, too. If you do not want to take on the responsibility of owning a dog for yourself, you could offer to help a neighbour with their dog, or sign up to a dog walking site to meet people in need of help with dog walking in your local area.
Getting outside and moving is one of the most effective ways to improve both your physical and mental health. Movement is the best medicine!
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Our customers tell us…
Here at Foot Solutions, we are dedicated to finding solutions to common foot problems and resolving foot pain. We work with each unique customer to find the very best solution for them. We carry out a Free Foot Assessment to assess each customer’s feet, and this includes learning about their history and lifestyle, 3D foot scanning, observations and tests to establish the cause of any existing foot pain and we aim to find the best options to support the feet in an active lifestyle. We are delighted that our customers return to us again and again, and we always love to hear about the successes we have helped them to achieve.
Pamela Parkin, who suffered with bunions and hammer toes, told us:
“I was walking down the street and noticed that there was a new shop called Foot Solutions…and realised that they might be able to help me.”
Pamela was offered a full, free consultation, including scans and other tests, and was able to purchase customised orthotics and shoes which are stocked exclusively by Foot Solutions. Pamela was delighted with the difference they made, enabling her to attend social occasions in comfort and take part in regular exercise with friends several times a week.
Visit Foot Solutions and Start Moving More
At Foot Solutions, we are dedicated to helping people achieve better health, starting with their feet! Whether you are a walker, a hiker, a biker, dancer or a binge watcher, we can help lead you towards a better, healthier you. Simply pop into your local store and meet our friendly team, or book an appointment online now. We will be delighted to help you to get your feet in great shape for Spring!
