Move more, sit less: 8 Tips from Rujuta Diwekar to boost your health and energy!

Are you tired of feeling like a couch potato all day long? Do you want to add some more movement to your daily routine but don’t know where to start? Look no further! We’ve got some easy and fun tips to help you move more and sit less, so you can feel energised and healthy. Whether you’re a busy professional or a stay-at-home parent, these tips from celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar will make it easy for you to add some extra activity to your day without feeling like you’re sacrificing your precious downtime. So, let’s get moving and let go of that sedentary lifestyle!

Why do we need to move more?

Our lifestyles are changing, and we are becoming more sedentary. Remote work or work-from-home jobs have drastically reduced opportunities for physical activity. However, we cannot afford to compromise our health by sitting for prolonged periods of time. Even if you are conscious about your health, follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and maintain a good sleep schedule, spending most of your day sitting is not ideal for your health routine.

Even studies have shown that movement is extremely important and people who sit most of the day are more prone to heart strokes. Moving regularly throughout the day helps keep the brain flexible, reduces the risk of back pain, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. So, it is important that we make efforts towards moving more and sitting less.

How to move more and sit less?

Incorporating more movement and sitting less is important for maintaining good health. Diwekar recently shared a post on her Instagram handle which has 8 tips that will help you to bring about more movement in your day. Let’s take a look at them:

1. Stand up for at least 3 minutes for every 30 minutes of sitting. It might seem hard to just stand idle for 3 minutes, so you can purchase a standing desk and keep switching between sitting and standing while working.

2. Distribute your weight evenly on both feet when standing. ‘Stand at ease’ and ‘attention’ this is what we were taught in school, so stick to that instead of always leaning on something for support. According to Rujuta it is important to keep your glutes and quads tight.

3. Take the stairs instead of the elevator and aim to climb at least 4 floors each day. You can maybe start with climbing one floor or one set of stairs and then gradually increase.

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4. Park your car farther away from your destination to add more steps to your daily routine. You should aim to park your car at least 500 steps away from your destination.

5. Once a week, take a walk around your neighborhood or walk your child to school or other destinations. Walking not only provides exercise for your physical health but also helps in improving your mental health.

6. Do at least one household task each week that is typically done by a housekeeper or gadget, such as washing your own clothes, doing the dishes, or cleaning your home. These are good reasons to move your limbs and get some chores done.

Also read: Mopping and sweeping: Give a twist to your warm-up routine with household chores

7. Cook a meal and/or clean up after the family has eaten at least once a week to create a nurturing environment and get that required amount of daily movement.

8. Take a walk of 100 steps or shatapawali—an age-old tradition of taking a stroll after meals—after dinner.

It is important to note that activity is different from exercise and should not be seen as a replacement. Start moving today and prioritise movement over sitting whenever possible.