Article and illustrations by Roseatta Long, CPT
Roseatta Long is a Hamilton/Dundas based Fitness Coach and Pilates mat instructor who specializes in older adult fitness.
Today’s Action Fractions is about keeping it simple and getting small bursts of movement into your day! We’re going to do certain activities for one minute.
You can try…
- Squats
- Lunges
- Dribbling a ball
- Running on the spot (while moving your arms up and down)
- Walking fast (maybe with arms above your head)
- Marching-knees high
- Mountain Climbers
- Sit to stand
- Step-ups (using the bottom step)
- Walking/Running the stairs
- Dancing
- Skipping
- Grapevine
- Hopping
- Push ups
- Planks
- Jumping Jacks
- Or all of the above
If it’s feeling good and you’re going to keep going by adding a few more intervals, then one minute might be too long. Try 30 seconds and then rest for 15 seconds in between (light, easy marching on the spot). Intervals of 30/15 or 20/10 are ideal for an extended period of activity.
If you’re running and jumping, keep your foot work light and stay on the balls of your feet. If you have any joint concerns or injuries, stick with low impact exercises. Find your pace. You should be working hard but able to speak. It may be challenging but you need to find the right pace to be able to complete that one minute or 30 seconds of movement without gasping for breath.
You can do a few intervals and call it a workout or add small bursts of activity here and there throughout your day. Instead of taking a coffee break, stand up and get three – five minutes of movement in. It will decrease your sitting time and energize you better than a coffee ever could. And it’s kind of fun once you get going!
Always monitor your exercise response and adjust. And of course, if you have any pre-existing conditions, health concerns or joint issues, always consult your doctor before starting any new physical activity.
You can contact Roseatta Long, rbodies at www.rbodies.com or follow her on www.instagram.com/rbodies.
Read Roseatta’s other articles in this series:
Using action fractions: Grab your mobile…and get mobile!
