Fitting Activity into a Working Day
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
The commonest reason people give for not exercising is not having time, and for someone with a long commute and a desk job that is a fair description of the day rather than an excuse.
The way through it is to stop looking for a free hour. Activity broken into small amounts through the day counts towards the same weekly total, which means the day does not need restructuring — it needs a few substitutions.
What tends to work:
- Get off one stop early, or park further away, both directions. That is often twenty minutes without any time set aside.
- Stairs instead of the lift, at least on the way up a few floors.
- A ten-minute walk after lunch rather than sitting through the whole break.
- Walk while taking phone calls that do not need a screen.
- A walk after dinner, which is the most valuable one because it follows your largest meal.
Breaking up long periods of sitting matters in itself. Standing and moving briefly every hour or so is worth doing even when the total minutes are unchanged.
Household and caring work counts too, and for many women it is already substantial — that is genuine activity, not a lesser form of it.
Add up what you already do before concluding you are doing nothing. Many people are closer to the target than they think.