30|30 Bluezone Challenge

Research shows that as little as 30 minutes of exercise per day can boost our general health and well-being. What are some other benefits of getting in half an hour of exercise every day?

1. Heart health Stroke, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes – minimise your risk with a half hour gym session and keep your heart and blood flow happy.

2. Weight loss Yep – even half an hour of exercise per day can help you to prevent excess weight gain or maintain weight loss. Stick to high-intensity sessions to burn more calories – if you’re struggling for time, get more active in your day to day duties (e.g. taking the stairs or walking to work).

3. Reduce stress Exercise increases the amount of norepinephrine in your body – the chemical that can moderate our brain’s response to stress and stressful situations. If you’ve had a tough day, go ahead and get sweaty — a quick work out can reduce stress, as well as boost your ability to deal with existing mental tension.

4. Mood booster That hatred you can have for your running shoes? Put it to good use in a quick HIIT session – physical activity stimulates chemicals in your brain to leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy the post-exercise endorphin rush?

5. Energy burst When your energy levels are at zero, it can be tempting to skip gym in favour of Netflix – but that half hour of exercise can give you the boost you’re looking for. Delivering oxygen and nutrients to your muscle tissues while helping your cardiovascular system to work more efficiently, exercise will give your body the shake-up it needs to continue working effectively.

6. Improve memory If you’re looking to boost your powers of recollection, take a half hour trek around the neighbourhood. Exercise increases the production of cells in hippocampus responsible for memory and learning.

7. Increase productivity Ever feel like your afternoon coffee break just doesn’t cut it? Taking a half hour walk during your lunch break could be the difference between a 2pm slump and a productive afternoon. Research shows that workers who take time away from their desk to get moving are more productive than their sedentary co-workers.

8. Tap into creativity Writer’s block can’t be avoided by staring extra hard into your laptop screen, so get away from the computer for a half hour exercise session instead. Refreshing and recharging with some outdoor exercise could be your ticket to creative heaven.

9. Improve self confidence We all have days where we feel less than average – half an hour of exercise could be the difference between a self-pity sob session and a well-deserved hit of self-confidence, so get sweaty. Your body will thank you in the long run.

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