We all know that exercise is good for you, and there are loads of great benefits for both your mental and physical health. But we also know how hard it is to drag ourselves out of the cosy warmth of our beds for those pesky 9am lectures, let alone to abandon your sleep just to go to the gym before class. Despite our best intentions, by the end of session our exercise regimes have all but disappeared, even for the most sport-savvy amongst us. And for those of us who are more, shall we say, horizontally orientated, the challenge is tenfold. So here are the best ways to activate your mind and body, without really having to try.
Yoga
Depending on the intensity you choose, yoga is kind of just a form of glorified stretching. With beginner yoga you can just wake up and do a couple of downward dogs, a few cat poses, and then you’re ready for the day. More intense yoga has a serious mind, body, and soul burn. You’ll be surprised how much of a sweat you can work up from simple poses, but yoga has a huge focus on strength, control and concentration. Definitely worth losing a few minutes of sleep.
Getting busy
As if you need another reason to indulge in some sexy times with your special someone! But here you go anyway. Half an hour of making out will burn 230 calories, and some more vigorous interactions are equivalent to some seriously intense cardio! This form of exercise definitely doesn’t feel like it, but it gets your heart rate up, makes you sweat, and is great for your mental health and connection with your partner. Just make sure to mix it up with some rest days. These kind of exercise injuries are kind of hard to explain.
Swimming
This activity is great form of cruisy exercise, and it’s actually a pretty big part of Australian culture. Beaches, pools, rivers, lakes, bathtubs. They’re all great locations to go for a little paddle. The best bit about swimming is that you can control how much energy you expend. Float around on your back like a starfish, do some mermaid dives, or challenge yourself to some Olympic style laps. It’s all up to you.
Sleeping
This is kind of a last ditch effort to feel a little better about your inescapable laziness. Sleeping burns 60-90 calories per hour, depending on your weight. So this means that in eight hours, you will be burning hundreds of calories. That’s a pretty impressive feat for an activity that literally requires zero effort on your part. And just think, if you burn that many calories while sleeping, imagine how many you burn while you’re awake, or while you’re partying, or on your walks to class. Although this definitely shouldn’t replace real exercise, you’ll soon realise that accidental exercise is everywhere.
