No. 9 - Take the 21-day challenge
Simply swap your normal milk for soy milk on your cereal for21 days. Sanitarium So Good is challenging Australians to give it a go.Research shows that 21 days is the length of time it takes for a new habit toform, and you could be reaping soy’s health benefits, such as lower cholesteroland blood pressure and strong bones. To sign up visit www.deltagoodrem.com.au
No. 10 - Get fit with a Frisbee
“Carry a Frisbee in the back of your car as an excuse for arun around with your children,” suggests Susannah Marriot in 1001 Ways To Get In Shape (DorlingKindersley, $39.95). “Running, leaping to catch, and throwing buildcardiovascular fitness and endurance.”
No. 11 - Pump it up
Make the most of your local park with the Playground Pumpdeck of 50 workout cards (Hay House Australia, $24.95). Pick six exercisesincluding upper body, lower body and abs for a complete 30-minute workout.
No. 12 - Upgrade to intervals
If you’re a strong lap swimmer, splash out of your comfortzone with interval training. “Changing to intervals has a similar benefit tomuscle strength and stamina, and if you changed from lugging a sack of potatoesaround all day – which would just make you tired – to taking that sack, liftingit, throwing it, jumping with it and running up stairs,” says Jim Fowlie, headswimming coach at the NSW Institute of Sport.
He suggests boosting your fitnesswith this set:
- Swim freestyle continuously for 200m, aiming for 22strokes in a 25m pool length. Swim at an easy pace, resting for 30 secondsafterwards.
- Now swim 2 x 100m with a 30-second rest in between eachset, swimming at a perceived exertion level of five out of 10. Aim to finisheach 100m set in half the time of your first 200m.
- Swim 4 x 50m, increasing the intensity so you take a20-second rest between each set and swim at a perceived exertion level of sevenout of 10.
- Swim 8 x 25m laps, taking a 10-second rest between each.You should be swimming at an exertion level of nine out of 10.
- Finish with 200m continuous freestyle at an easy pace.