6 ways to increase your activity without stepping foot in a gym

Welcome to 3 Easy Ways, my weekly newsletter where I share simple and actionable tips to get you moving, maximise your output and improve your overall week.

Each newsletter includes a short video demonstration of a workout or mobility routine, a health hack and a discussion of the latest industry trends.

What’s in store today:

• A movement to help fix your posture

• 6 ways to increase your activity without ‘gymming’

• A podcast that will make you want to become more active

1. Introduce scapular wall slides into your daily routine

Scapular wall slides are one of the most underrated mobility movements to fix poor posture. If you spend most of your day sat at a desk, have tense shoulders or a sore back, introduce them into your daily routine and I guarantee, it will help.

They might look easy but they are deceivingly challenging — don’t worry, that’s a good thing.

Some key things to be mindful of:

• Aim to keep you elbows, lower back and glutes on the wall at all times

• Keep the tempo slow and steady throughout

• ⁠Do as many quality reps as you can to start (1-6) and then build it up over time

Watch the video for a full demonstration and give it a go!

Enjoying this newsletter? Click the link below…

2. Here are 6 easy ways to become more active 🚶🏼‍♂️

Having an active lifestyle doesn’t have to mean going to the gym every single day.

Some people might see going on long hikes as being active and others might see resistance training as being active.

Everyones definition is different.

But, one thing I know is that most people can and should improve their daily activity. Most adults spend the majority of their time sat at desk, hunching over a computer or laptop which does not lend itself to an active lifestyle.

So here are 6 easy ways to become more active without stepping foot in the gym.

1️⃣ Walking Meetings

Where you can, make your meetings walking. If you’re working from home join your calls from your phone and get outside. If you’re in the office, take your internal 1:1 meetings outside.

2️⃣ Take the stairs

When travelling always choose the stairs rather than getting the elevator. If you’re taking the escalator, walk up or down them rather than standing stationary. This will increase your step count without you even noticing.

3️⃣ Don’t forget to stand up

Break your day up by standing for at least 10 minutes every hour. This will increase your blood flow and make you feel more energised. You can do this by investing in a standing desk or work from a countertop.

4️⃣ Make walking part of your commute

If you get the tube to work get off 1-2 stops early and walk the rest of your journey. If you drive to work, park your car a 15 minute walk away from your place of work. Not only will this increase your steps but it will help set you up for the day.

5️⃣ Invest in a desk-treadmill

This ones a bit of an investment but well worth it if you can. A desk treadmill allows you to get your steps in by walking on a mini treadmill underneath your desk. You can also use it whilst watching TV so you’re staying active whilst relaxing.

6️⃣ Carry your food shopping

And, the final one is totally for free! When doing your weekly food shop, avoid getting a trolley or having it delivered. You get bonus points if you are able to walk home with your whole food shop.

➡️ In isolation these small adjustments to your daily routine will seem minor. But, they will make a huge difference to your overall activity.

3. Gary Brecka: Biohacking to Live Longer and Feel Better — give the podcast a listen

If you can listen to one thing this week, you should listen to the High Performance podcast with Gary Brecka. He talks all about how to live longer and feel better.

Gary Brecka is a renowned human biologist and expert in the science of human performance. He has become the leading voice in the world of biohacking — optimising health and and extending lifespan through science-backed methods.

One of the most interesting parts of this podcast is Gary’s explanation of how increasing oxygen levels in the body can lead to transformative health improvements.

When talking about this, Gary references one of the world’s few blue zones, which is in Sardinia. This part of the world has more people living to 100+ than any other part of the world. One of the reasons for this is the level of functional activity. Most people living there walk everywhere rather than driving and because of the steep nature of the landscape this means that people all ages are getting low-medium intensity exercise every day.

If that’s not a sign to be more active, I don’t know what is.

That’s all for this week team.

Stay strong!

If you’re interested, here are a couple of ways I can help:

1. If you have a question about health, wellness, exercise or nutrition, reply to this newsletter and I’ll try to answer it in next weeks newsletter.

2. When you’re ready to get healthier and maximise your output, I can help you get there. I offer private 1:1 Personal Training in central London as well as Hybrid and Online Coaching. If you’re interested, sign up here. 

3. Want your organisation and employees to have access to a healthier lifestyle and increase productivity? We’ve got wellness initiates and programs to solve that. Visit www.peakonic.com for more info.