Cycling is a fun and easy way to get more active, and can be enjoyed by everyone at all ages. It allows you to easily incorporate exercise into your daily routine because it is also a simple form of transport.

With more people opting for alternative methods of transport, cycling is also the perfect option to get plenty of vitamin D if you don’t like exercising indoors at the gym.

It’s also great for weight loss as brisk cycling burns around 500 calories per hour!

Cycling only helps you lose weight, but also maintain weight and it has various other benefits too:

• It can boost your mood

• Reduce your stress level

• Help minimise the risk of chronic illnesses

• Save you some money

• Help the environment

To increase your weekly exercise, why don’t you cycle to work a few days a week, or do a couple of shorter rides during the week and add a longer ride at the weekend?

If you’re thinking about commuting by bike, you can plan your route to work using Google Maps or contact your local council for free cycling maps. You can also check online for an interactive cycle journey planner.

As much as cycling is fun, don’t forget to stay safe whilst on the road.

Here are a few simple safety tips that you can follow:

• Look behind you before you turn, overtake or stop

• Use arm signals before you turn right or left

• Obey traffic lights and road signs

• Don’t cycle next to another person on busy or narrow roads

• When overtaking parked cars, watch out for car doors opening suddenly and allow room to pass safely

• Don’t use headphones and mobile phones whilst cycling

If you’re new to cycling or are out of the habit, find a traffic-free area to practice, such as your local park. Try to ride single-handed so you can make hand signals, and get comfortable looking over both shoulders to improve your visual awareness. If you want to cycle with confidence, visit CyclingUk and Bikeability for information on training schemes.

Not got a bike? 

Unless you’re aiming to become a pro, any good working bike will do – hybrids, road or mountain bikes are the most popular.

Go to any bike shop and talk to a specialist who can advise you on the correct frame size and help you choose the right bike to suit your budget and the type of cycling that you want to do.

Make use of cycling, a low impact form of exercise that you can use to commute and improve your health and wellbeing.

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You don’t have to go to the gym to stay active, fit and healthy. “Physical activity” accounts for so much more, and is essential for improving and maintaining health as well as preventing disease and numerous health risk factors.

But what counts as Physical Activity?

This is simply anything that gets you moving. Activities that increase your heart rate and breathing rate can be classed as beneficial physical activity.

How long do you need to be active to achieve the benefits?

The NHS recommends a minimum of 150 minutes each week of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.

The difference between the two is still up for debate and will depend significantly on the person performing the activity.

Stay Fit-2-Work with our

Top 4 Choices for

Alternatives to Traditional Exercise

1. Take the stairs

Use every staircase as a chance to efficiently improve your activity levels for the day. Stair climbing is a great way to strengthen your leg muscles as well as improving your cardiovascular fitness and burning extra calories.

2. Get out for some fresh air

Use your lunch break or evenings as an opportunity to get some fresh air whilst improving your health with a leisurely walk. Particularly if you have spent the majority of your working day indoors and sat down, your body will appreciate some much-needed movement.

Find the nearest park or open space and refresh your mind and body with a welcomed walk. Track your progress and aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps per day.

3. Do it yourself (DIY)

Manual labour is a great way to increase your physical activity levels whilst staying productive. This could include gardening, decorating or tidying at home. Instead of just sitting in front of your TV, get productive and active whilst you watch your favourite show or listen to the radio.

4. Try some sport

Remember that physical activity doesn’t have to just be ‘traditional exercise’ like going to the gym or attending an aerobics class.

Sports are a great option and a competitive, or non-competitive, alternative to traditional exercise. Individual or doubles racquet sports such as badminton and squash are great for your cardio and coordination. But if team sports are more your thing then football, netball, volleyball, basketball or cricket are just a few of the options.

Remember that you don’t have to go to the gym to stay fit and active, simply use our 4 tips for alternative exercise to keep yourself fit-2-work!

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Some say that we were “born to run,” and as a child it comes so naturally. Yet in later life, running, jogging or even walking for many people is seen as more of a chore, and it’s as though we have forgotten how to do it. 

How many times, when seeing a runner go speeding past you, have you thought about your New Year’s resolution or said to yourself  “I’ll start tomorrow.” The intention is there, but inevitably come the evening after a long day at work, the couch looks far more attractive than putting on your running gear and taking to the road.

Don’t let these excuses bring you down again. If you’re planning to change your health habits for the better, running, jogging or walking can be easy and accessible even for beginners.

Everybody can do it and it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune.

Walking, Jogging or Running can be a great way to stay Fit-2-Work!

Just follow these 10 simple rules to improve your health and have fun whilst you walk, jog or run:

1. Don’t use just any footwear

This doesn’t mean that you have to buy the latest or a super expensive pair, but if they’re called running shoes this must be the case for a reason, right? Especially for beginners who’s bodies may have to get used to running, it’s important that your bones, joints and feet are well protected.

If you’re unsure about which pair you should get, just go to any running shop and get some advice. Specialist shops will give you the chance to try your trainers on the treadmill so that you know exactly what you’re buying.

2. Always warm up well

Try to avoid running too fast straight away, but always remember to start with a moderate jog or lower intensity activity for at least 3 to 5 minutes. This way, your body knows that you’re about to start some sort of physical activity and you’ll reduce any potential injury.

The same thing applies when you finish, don’t just stop running abruptly but gradually cool down and go back to a light jog or walk.

3. Move step by step

Especially at the beginning, it’s perfectly normal that you feel breathless and tired after just a few minutes of running. The best thing that you can do is take it step by step and progress gradually until you find your pace and rhythm. This way, you’ll steadily start completing a longer distance without putting too much stress on your body.

4. Focus on your breathing

Breathing difficulty and side stitches are common problems when running, especially for beginners, and there are many theories regarding the best practice for both. The best piece of advice is not to force or change your breathing but try to do what comes naturally. The trick is to inhale deeply through your mouth or nose so that maximum air can reach your lungs more easily.

 Try to find a rhythmic breathing pattern so that you can breathe in harmony with your pace.

As for side stitches, they tend to be associated with muscle fatigue or nutrition. As long as you are consistent with your workout and your condition improves, side stitches should decrease too.

5.  Stay positive

The important thing is that you don’t give up and that you stay positive at all times. As with any other sport, running and jogging can be a bit of a roller coaster. You’ll have some bad days when you’ll feel too tired or demotivated. Just keep moving and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.

Remember that everyone is different so just be patient and focus on the progress that you make every day, even if each step in your progression might seem small.

6.  Find a running buddy

Being active with a friend can be the perfect solution if you need someone to give you a little nudge and motivate you when the couch or the fridge seems more appealing. A buddy can also be the perfect distraction when you feel like the pain is too much to handle or when you feel like giving up halfway. Especially at the beginning, running with a mate can help you find your pace, jogging or even brisk walking should allow you to run and talk at the same time.

7.  Run to the beat

If you prefer to walk, jog or run solo then listening to music can be both your running buddy and your motivation. Listen to your favourite playlists or if in doubt there are some great free running playlist online to keep you motivated and focused during your workout.

If you run on the street though, just remember to be mindful of what is going on around you. Safety first!

8.  Prepare for the weather

If you wait for the perfect weather condition to go for it, you’ll probably wait forever. The UK is famous for its 4 seasons in one day so just accept it and dress for the occasions. As long as you dress in layers and wear breathable fabric you have nothing to worry about.

9.  Record your run

You don’t need to buy a heart rate monitor or any other expensive gadget to track your progress. Simply download apps such as Runtastic, Runkeeper or Nike+ Running and set your goals. This way you can check your duration, how many calories you’ve burnt, your distance and your average pace.

Once you feel like you’re becoming a pro you can consider using wearable devices such as a Fitbit or smartwatch.

10.  Have fun & enjoy your run

Last but not the least; enjoy your run! Running, jogging and walking can be a form of meditation, a “me time” when you should only think about yourself. Take a deep breath and try to get rid of all the negative and stressful thoughts that crowd your mind.

Focus on your run and just listen to your body. Once your brain releases endorphins you’ll feel like you don’t want to stop. So keep this happy thought for your next walk, jog or run.

10 TOP TIPS TO A BETTER WALK, JOG or RUN

SUMMARISED 

1. Footwear first

2. Warm-up well

3. Progress slowly

4. Focus on breathing

5. Think positive

6. Find a buddy

7. Enjoy some music

8. Be weather ready 

9. Track your stats

10. Have fun & enjoy!

Remember that we were born to move, but running isn’t for everyone. A walk or jog are great options too and there are many other outdoor exercise alternavites

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Stretching… Our 5 top tips to keep you Fit-2-Work

Stretching is often associated with the end of an exercise routine or a yoga class and although this is a key activity which is often missed during sport and exercise, many people neglect the need for stretching on a daily basis.

When the body is stationary for long periods of time muscles can become tight and weak, causing restricted movement in our joints as well as postural imbalances which can lead to pain.

1. Stretch for your health

Static stretching is the traditional ‘reach and hold’ elongation of muscles. Studies have shown that this method can increase flexibility and strength as well as lowering cortisol (the stress hormone).

Static stretches are great for injury prevention and reducing tension, whether you’ve had a hard day at work or a heavy session in the gym.

2. Make it count

Timings for stretching are crucial. Maintenance stretches are those with the intention of maintaining a good healthy functional range of movement for everyday living, these should be held statically for 10-15 seconds.

Developmental stretches are those with the intention of stretching to improve flexibility of a specific muscle that may lack sufficient function, or where a greater range of movement is desired. These should be held statically for 15 seconds or more.

3. Multi-task stretching

This is simply stretch at every opportunity! Taking time out of your day solely for stretching can become a monotonous task, so throw in your daily stretches at every chance. When watching TV, on the phone or even during comfort breaks between tasks. This will help you to improve your health, fitness and flexibility with minimum effort.

4. Go dynamic to maximise energy

Dynamic stretching refers to stretches combined with movement, and there is evidence to suggest that this type of stretching can be more effective than static stretching when used in a warm up as preparation for further physical activity.

Dynamic stretching has also been shown to increase core temperature and blood flow to the active muscles, as a result increasing oxygen uptake, alertness and energy.

5. Stretch but avoid injury

A good stretch can be an easy route to improving your flexibility and decreasing postural imbalances and back pain. However, taking a stretch too far can be the quickest route to an injury. Remember that stretching shouldn’t be painful, although can at times it can be uncomfortable.

The key to an effective developmental stretch is to find a point of full range in a joint. This may produce a mild discomfort, after which focus on the muscle relaxing as you slowly exhale and ease into the stretch. Always remember to stretch only to the point of tension and not pain.

5 STRETCHING TOP TIPS SUMMARISED

1. Stretch regularly

2. Stretch for the right time

3. Combine with other tasks

4. Do dynamic stretches

5. Always avoid pain

Make stretching an essential part of your daily routine

to improve your health and stay Fit-2-Work.

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‘Bone health’ largely refers to bone density – the amount of bone mineral in bone tissue, but also the ability of our skeleton and its bones to protect, repair and recover from serious injuries.

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