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caption@P@ 1 MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR LUNCH BREAK WITH SEVEN WAYS TO GET FIT, NO GYM MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED OFFICE OUT OF 1. Try out fartlek! Fartlek is a Swedish word that literally means ‘speed play’. It’s a way of upping the fitness effects of your activity and it’s very simple. “During a walk or run, pick out a landmark in the distance, such as a lamppost, bin, sign, tree or bench, and challenge yourself to go faster until you get to that point,” says personal trainer, Julia Buckley. “Slow down to recover, then pick another point to get to at speed.” 2. Use natural features Who needs a pricey gym membership when you’ve got the outside world? Go for a brisk 30-minute walk and find things you can use to boost your workout. » HILLS These are the ultimate cardio booster and muscle toner because walking uphill requires the muscles in your thighs and bottom to produce greater force. March to the top, march back down and repeat. Lean slightly forwards from the ankle, shorten your steps and use your arms to power you up.» STEPS This is the perfect place for step-ups – do sets with a leading leg, so 10 on your right, then 10 on your left. Aim for 40 in total. As you get stronger, try jumping up onto the step with both feet at the same time – as long as the step isn’t too high – and then step back down. Repeat the process.» BENCHES Tricep dips work well on a bench. Sit on it with the heels of your hands on the seat, push your bottom off the bench and then lower it towards the ground. It’s easier with bent knees and harder with straight legs. You can also try squats. Stand with your back to the bench, squat and allow your bottom to touch the seat before rising up again.» LOGS Fallen trees make the perfect balance beam, with extra wonky bits for an added challenge! Put your arms out to the side and try to balance while walking along it without looking down. » 76GME_ 1908_ 1_ 316029_ 2.0_ 76# PDF Created with 3DAP PaperType 1 Colour Profile #26/06/2019 11:23:02 a.m.

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caption@P@ 1 be informed be nourished be energised be inspired simply be GME_ 1908_ 2_ 316029_ 1.0_ 77# PDF Created with 3DAP PaperType 1 Colour Profile #21/06/2019 1:15:44 p.m.

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caption@P@ 1 TEXT LISA BUCKINGHAM © TOP SANTÉ  PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES 3. Pack equipment A small backpack filled with a bit of equipment can give you a great lunchtime workout. » HAND WEIGHTS You can use them alone or add them into resistance exercises to work several muscle groups simultaneously. They don’t have to be heavy – for example, add a 2kg weight to each hand when doing a squat. As you rise up, raise the weights in the air above your head and lower as you go back into the squat. » RESISTANCE BANDS These stretchy bands are cheap, and easy to use. For example, wrap the ends of one around your hands a couple of times and stand on the middle, then use it to perform bicep curls and lateral raises (arms out to the side). There are hundreds of upper and lower body exercises you can try with them, you will find lots of videos showing you what to do on YouTube. » HULA HOOP Okay, it won’t fit in a backpack, but it’s a great portable fitness tool. A weighted hoop is easiest to use. It targets the muscles around your middle and is an effective way of toning up. Aim for at least two minutes at a time and don’t feel embarrassed – if you can keep the hoop going, it’ll be all admiring glances! » SKIPPING ROPE Skipping burns a whopping 590 calories per hour, plus it tones the lower body, boosts cardio fitness and is a great weight-bearing exercise to improve your bone health. 4. Go further at every walk Set a timer for 30 minutes on a brisk walk or run. Start at a specific point and note where you get to after 30 minutes. The next time you do it, try to get further by upping your speed. This is a great way to move at what’s known as a tempo pace, which makes your heart and lungs work a bit harder. And plug in your headphones! A 2014 study found that listening to upbeat music has a strong effect on walking speed – participants listening to motivational music walked considerably faster than those listening to non-motivational music. » Warm up with a five-minute walk.» Set a

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caption@P@ 1 TEXT LISA BUCKINGHAM © TOP SANTÉ PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES 7. Perfect your proprioception Proprioception is your sense of how your limbs are moving in space without looking at them. Perfecting it is important as it will enable you to move with grace and ba ance during exercise, and it helps prevent injury in joints that are easily damaged by a ack of ba ance, such as the knees. Take off your shoes for the exercises – it makes them easier as you can feel the ground.» Stand on one leg with the other knee raised to hip height. Close your eyes and hold for 30 seconds. Swap legs. To make it harder, do it on an uneven surface such as grass. Repeat 10 times on each leg.» Stand on one leg, arms out to the side. Slowly bend at the hip to bring your upper body horizontal to the ground with your leg extended out behind you. Hold for a few seconds and return to standing. Repeat 10 times on each leg.» Walk forwards, crossing your right leg over to your left and vice versa, without looking down. Keep the upper body facing forwards. Do 10 forwards and the same backwards. ‘Working on your flexibility combats tightness’ Perfectin mportan a wil enabl o t ov wit grac an balanc durin exercis 6. Focu o flexibilit “Working on your flexibility combats tightness and also enables you to stay injury-free and perform exercises such as squats more effectively,” says Harkirat Mahal, founder of Motivate PT. “After a brisk five-minute walk, find a quiet space in a park and repeat the following sequence a few times.”» LUNGE MATRIX To open your hips, stand with feet hip-width apart and lunge forward, diagonally, sideways and then backwards with your right leg, coming back to standing between each one. Repeat on the other leg.» DOWNWARD DOG This common yoga pose is excellent for stretching the calves and hamstrings. Begin on your hands and knees. Align your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Exhale, tuck your toes and lift your