Even if you are a full-time dad, it may be hard for you to find the time to keep your body in a good shape. And if you are a working dad, especially one with a busy schedule, the time you can spend with yourself can be even shorter. But there are ways in which you can burn a few extra calories without you even noticing.
All you need to do is pick up a few good habits and drop a few bad ones – and voilá, you are on your way to a better physical fitness, a better and longer life, and less stress (physical activity is known to do that for you). So, if you want to be a fitter Instagram husband (or dad), here are some things you can start doing today.
Take the stairs
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator – especially when it is busy – can be the more efficient way to reach your office. Besides, it is a quick and efficient way to burn some extra calories. One minute of walking up the stairs can burn as much as 8 calories – the equivalent of one cup, or 56 grams of New Zealand spinach (raw). But there’s more to climbing stairs than just getting rid of the spinach from your salad: climbing the stairs can ease job-related stress and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Climbing six flights of stairs each day can help you lose up to 18 lbs in a year. It’s not much – but it’s something.
Pace while you talk on the phone
Some people – often unconsciously – get up from their desk and pace around the office while talking on the phone. This might be an annoying habit for the coworkers – but it’s a good one for the pacer’s health.
Walking around slowly in the office while on the phone burns between 15 and 40 calories for every 15 minutes. And the added value of this low-intensity physical activity is its potential to increase creativity, prompting some companies to switch to standing desks, and standing meetings entirely.
Dance
Last but not least, here is one activity that doesn’t belong to the office but to the unwinding after work: dancing. Dancing is a fun social activity (something each young gentleman and lady should learn) that, aside from being entertaining, is very healthy, too. Depending on the type, dancing can consume between 34 (slow ballroom dances like waltz, tango, and mambo) and 60 (Irish step dance, polka) calories.
Besides, it is an activity fit for pretty much all ages, it improves the condition of your heart and lungs, it improves coordination, flexibility, balance, and spatial awareness, and most importantly, it helps your kids improve their social skills.
