Small bursts of physical activity in blocks of at least ten minutes can easily fit around your work day. Try taking the stairs instead of the lift
As Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, The Honorable Justice Robert French understands how important physical activity is to help him manage a busy and stressful worklife. Being active helps maintain his work-life balance, and his programme can help you plan a month of activity around and within your workday.
The idea is to write down a programme for a whole month on the Activity Planner using the '30 minute+' ideas in my programme as a base. Go to it and enjoy!
Use the Activity Planner to track your progress and keep you motivated.
| 30 Minutes + | |
| 1. Hop off the bus early | 2. Lunchtime walk or jog |
| Hop off the bus a couple of stops early and walk. You'll cover up to 400 metres twice a day - that's four km in a working week! | Get out of the office and de-stress with a head-clearing walk or run. Better still, get your workmates along and start a regular running team. |
| 3. Walking meeting | 4. Early bird walk |
| Walk and talk - you can get a lot done with an active meeting. Four people or fewer works best. | Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier and go for a walk or run before work. It's a great way to clear your head before you start the working day. |
| 5. Play with the kids | 6. Enter a work team |
| As tempting as it is to head for the couch after a hard day, go and kick a ball around outside for 30 minutes with the kids. You will benefit and they'll love it. |
Set up a work team for indoor netball, soccer or cricket. Most cities have a lunchtime league. |
| 7. Lunchtime swim | 8. Bike to work |
| Take your togs to work and head out to the pool for a good dozen lengths of swimming or aqua jogging. |
You can go a long way in 30 minutes on a bike and do yourself a lot of good, so maybe it's time to rethink your transport arrangements. |
| 9. Weekend sport | 10. Switch off, switch on |
| There are dozens of sports and activity groups that are crying out for new members – Find a Club here. |
You'll get a lot more out of a 30-minute evening walk with your partner or a friend than 30 minutes of telly, so turn it off and step away from the couch. |
| 11. Bush walk | |
| This country has some beautiful short (and long) walks. Take the family on a weekend walking adventure through the bush or by the sea. | |
| Snacktivity - activity snacks | |
| 1. Walk on the phone | 2. Office walking circuit |
| Every time you're on the cordless or the mobile, walk while you talk! Maybe the person you are talking to could do the same! |
Set out a walking route in and around your workplace. Measure it out so people know how many times around makes a kilometre. |
| 3. Take the stairs | 4. Work your legs |
| Don't waste time waiting for the lifts. Take the stairs - you'll feel much better for it. | When you're talking on the phone, stand up and sit down several times. It's great for your legs. |
| 5. Abdominal squeeze | 6. Walk an email or phone call |
| When sitting at your desk or walking around the office... suck it in. It does wonders for your posture and strengthens that hard-to-control area! | Take the opportunity to use your legs and get face-to-face by walking around to talk to a workmate rather than emailing them. |
| 7. Park your car further from work | |
| Use a car park further away from work, so you can walk. It's a great way to get in the mood for work - and to get it out of your head at the end of the day. |
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