15-minute fitness

Lack of time is one of the main reasons people give for finding it hard to get active. But don’t worry if you don’t have much spare time – you don’t have to spend an hour in the gym! Remember that to reduce our risk of cancer WCRF UK recommends we all take no less than 30 minutes of moderate activity every day. But did you know that it doesn’t all have to be in one go? Being active in 15 minutes slots (or even 10 minute ones) a few times a day will still be beneficial to your health.

Getting started

Start slowly, and gradually build up the time you spend being active. It will seem less scary that way and you will soon feel the benefits.

Workout ideas

Here we share some 15-minute suggestions for building up your level of activity and reducing your cancer risk.

1. If you have a mobile phone (or a cordless phone), walk around while you talk. That way a 15-minute call means 15 minutes of physical activity.

2. Why not take a short, brisk walk after lunch to work it off? If you are feeling adventurous you could try a short jog or a combination or jogging and walking.

3. Do a mini activity circuit in your living room. Try the following:

• Lunges to right leg (60 seconds), followed by left leg (60 seconds)
• Squats (60 seconds)
• Star jumps (60 seconds)
• Rest (60 seconds)

If being active is new to you, start by going through these exercises once, then build up your fitness so you can repeat three or more times.

If you enjoy watching TV, make a pact with yourself to get up during commercials (or every 15 minutes) and do some vigorous star jumps or sit-ups to get your heart racing. You could always challenge yourself and see how many sit-ups you can do before the commercials end and see how you improve.

4. Play lively music as you clean the house and make your cleaning routine more energetic than usual. The faster you clean, the more calories you’ll burn and the housework will be over sooner.

5. Switch on a fitness video/DVD. If you only have 15 minutes to spare you can pause the video and continue another time.