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Blogs by Leon Stevens
Fitter or Fatter (Part Two) 4/19/2020 5:54:04 AM
OK. We have made breads and sweets and countless other goodies. We have also sat and read books, binge watched shows and movies, and slept. Feeling a bit sluggish? Oh course, we all are. There are things that you can do to lessen the affects of having to stay at home.
I’m all for the distancing rules, but in the last two weeks, I’ve seen a lot of people walking and running. More than I have seen before. How do I know? I usually run at the same time of day, and I tend to see that same amount of people (and often the same people). You can tell people are getting a bit stir crazy because there is a lot more pedestrian traffic out there. I don’t blame them. Now, there are some people who shouldn’t be out, and I hope that you are following the guidelines, but like everyone else, fresh air is, well, it’s a breath of fresh air. If you go out, just be considerate to everyone else.
Commercial-size: I admit, I watch more television than before, but that doesn’t mean you have to be immobile the whole time. This is what I have been doing: Commercial breaks are about 3 minutes long. Can you do something for 3 minutes? Maybe not right away, but I be t you can do something for 1 minute. Then 1 ½, etc. Do what you ask? Walk in place, knee/leg raises, plank, any yoga poses, sit-ups, push-ups…you get the gist. If you are lucky to have stairs… I don’t recommend the following, but there have been news stories of people running marathons on their balconies, or mountain climbing in their living rooms. Creative? Yup. Just get up and walk around.
I read somewhere that there is a group of hunter/ gatherers that although spend much of the day doing those activities, that they do have about the same amount of sedentary time at the end of the day as the average American. The difference is that they are not sitting on a soft comfy couch or in a recliner. What are they doing? Standing, sitting on the ground, crouching, and squatting. All these positions require effort, not a lot, but if you stood for an hour vs. sitting in a chair, I bet you would feel a better type of tired. There’s a reason that more schools and offices (remember those places…?) have standing desks available.
Shivering: I heard that shivering burns calories, but I don’t like to shiver.
Interactive Games: If you are one of the many who still have a Wii system, then this is the time to pull it out. I also know that you have figured out that you can sit while doing it – So cut out that nonsense! Get up and look like a fool playing tennis in your living room. Dance, Dance, Revolution is always a good choice too. Wheel of Fortune? Not so much…
The Extra Clothes Rack: AKA The Treadmill and/or The Stationary Bike. You bought them for a reason (no, not the clothes, yeeesh!).
Cleaning: Yes, cleaning is exercise. You were going to do it anyway, right? Springtime is a great time to air out the house. We won’t be having any garage sales very soon but there will be a lot when it happens. Put on some music and vacuum, wash, sort, and soon you will have a nice smelling place!
