Everyday activities that count as exercise

If you never have time to exercise, we have some good news. Go for two different types "In general, we recommend people get an hour of moderate exercise a day," says Sandro Demaio, doctor, researcher and newly appointed CEO of VicHealth. "Even brief sessions of 20 seconds of stair climbing repeated three times a day on three days per week over six weeks can lead to measurable improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness," writes Professor Stamatakis. Here are some recommendations from Better Health Victoria, along with tips for doing a little bit more: At work: Instead of calling or emailing a colleague at work, walk to their workstation Organise to have standing or walking meetings instead of sitting down Take the stairs whenever you can, instead of the lift or escalator While talking on the phone, stand up and do a few leg raises or toe stands to strengthen your legs Snack exercise versus longer sessions Photo shows Close-up of red shoes running up a set of blue stairs to depict the benefits of short bursts of exercise vs longer sessions. Gradually build up the length of time you can balance When you unload your shopping, strengthen your arms by lifting the milk bottle a few times before you put it away Commuting: Get off the bus one or two stops earlier than usual, and walk the rest of the way When walking, do it briskly and include a few hills if you can And then there's sex Professor Stamatakis says that sex absolutely counts as high-intensity exercise.