Post-silly season slim-down

Right, so we’ve got the sugar cravings covered, now it’s time to try and work off those few extra Christmas kilos. But don’t worry, I’m not about to tell you that you’ll need to spend a million hours in the gym (those sorts of resolutions are clearly unrealistic – case in point: last year’s gym membership, which I may as well have donated to charity).

Nope, all it’ll take is 10 minutes of easy-peasy bits of incidental exercise (you know, the type where you don’t actually feel like you’re exercising but you really are – gotta love that!) and you’ll be on the right track to a healthier lifestyle. Plus, once these simple 10-minute sessions become incorporated into your daily routine, you’ll be more likely to become motivated to be more active, so it really is a win-win situation!

To get you started, try these tips from the weight management experts at Jenny Craig:

• Take a 10-minute ‘walk break’ instead of a ‘coffee break’ at work.

• Walk the kids all the way to school.

• Do resistance activities while waiting in line.

• Exercise for 10 minutes. Whether it’s walking, working out to an exercise video or lifting light weights, three 10-minute bouts add up to the 30 minutes of exercise that experts recommend you do on most days of the week!

• Take 10 minutes to vacuum (you’ll burn 160 kilojoules), garden (210 kilojoules), or push the lawn mower around (294 kilojoules).

• Take your dog for a 10-minute walk and you could burn approximately 175 kilojoules in the process.

• Make your next 10-minute walk a meditative experience. Focus on your breathing. Be conscious of your posture. Feel your stride. See how awareness can relax your body and rejuvenate your spirit.