Here is a perfectly-matched pair for adding exercise to your daily schedule without taking time, while (probably) improving your mood and increasing your energy and concentration: Bicycling for low-intensity aerobic exercise, stairs for bursts of speed and strength. This would be a great addition to your life even if it weren’t the second most effective path to long-term health and lower risk of all causes of mortality.
The two greatest fitness inventions of all time (in my humble opinion) are the bicycle and the stairwell. Both fit into our city-dwelling lives, adding bursts of energy without taking time from our routines. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is often quicker, and even for ten flights or more adds only 2 minutes or so, and starts your meeting or your workday with tension released, heart pumping, brain in high gear.
Similarly, a bicycle commute is almost always quicker than a bus or even a commuter train, when you take wait times into consideration. And bicycling may well be competitive with driving, if you include the time for parking and walking the last block or two to your destination.
Take a break from work every hour and run up a few flights of stairs. Stairs are conveniently available to most of us, and a minute of climbing is just the right scale for a high-intensity exercise break.
Celebrate the spring by bicycling to work one morning. Experiment with a new commuting routine.
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Hi Josh,
To complement your overall description of supplements, It might be of interest to readers to consider the value of phosphatidylserine in reducing cortisol levels that are driven up by vigorous exercise.
Though expensive this is one of the few supplements that I’ve continued to take over the last 20 years in contrast to the spectrum of all supplements I have tried discontinued over the years.. Having said this I can’t put my finger on or articulate exactly why I still favor the supplement.
Kevin
Right on Josh. The stairway is the perfect exercise devise in almost every home! I think it’s a shame so many elders search for “downsize” homes without them. They don’t realize the detriment to their health.
I am thoroughly delighted by your opinion Josh. One often forgets the importance of building exercise into one’s day. I agree that the bicycle and the stairwell are the two greatest fitness inventions of all time, however, I feel that it is possible for us as individuals to add other forms of exercise into our daily routines.
Walking is a tremendous form of exercise. Taking a walk to the shops down the road or other nearby destinations can truly add great health benefits to us. According to the Stroke Association, walking briskly for up to 30 minutes on a daily basis can reduce your risk of a stroke by up to 27%.
Exercise gives you energy, keeps you happy, boosts your vitamin D levels and keeps your weight in check. Why not add walking into your routine?
Having a job and a busy schedule often doesn’t leave
much time to exercise. Building muscle and increasing
your heart rate, though, have profound positive effects
on your health. Those who exercise tend to live longer
and acquire fewer health issues as they age.
Incorporating daily exercise can be easy and stress-
free with the right tips. Researchers say three 10-minute intervals of aerobic exercise a day can be just as beneficial.So taking a break from work every hour and run up a few flights of stairs can also be very much beneficial.