To tell the truth, being and staying healthy is hard work, and most people just want to laze around and enjoy whatever the day has to offer. Plus all that stress that life has to offer in Nigeria, why burden yourself with more work.

Regardless, no matter how lazy you want to be, here a few tips for you to make sure you do it in a healthy manner.

1. Buy your fruits in quantity and freeze them: Now if you are lucky to have some form of power on a daily basis, let’s face it, power generation is not yet our thing in country, you can buy your fruit in bulk and freeze them in your refrigerator. It stops you constantly running out to buy fresh fruits, when you can simply walk to the fridge, and grab what you need, let it thaw and eat it.

2. Eat from small plates, bowls and cups: This not only helps to control the portion of food you eat, you also get to wash up a little less as well when you are done eating. Research suggests that you’ll have an easier time with portion sizes (and feeling good about limiting portion sizes) when you eat from smaller plates and bowls. Because when you have a small portion on a big plate, you feel like you are depriving yourself — but when that same portion takes up the space on a smaller plate, you’ll think you’re eating more. Plus you will take a shorter time to eat, a shorter time to wash up and you are back to what you love best, just lazing around.

3. Get your snack on: Now, just because you have to watch your weight, does not mean that you have to starve yourself. If you need to keep your energy levels up during the day, you can help yourself to some healthy options, which will also prevent from overeating. Best to pack your snacks for the week on Sundays, so that you don’t bother yourself during the work week. These snacks should be of the healthy variant and should include fruits and vegetables.

4. Carry a bottle of water around everywhere you go: Sometimes we get a little dehydrated and our body makes us think we are hungry. Now if you are not feeling up to getting up and finding something to eat, you can have some water. This not only keeps you hydrated, sometimes it keeps hunger at bay, so you don’t eat as much.

5. Use the stairs at work: It is important to exercise, as this reduces your health risks but if you are not the running or gym type, simple walk the stairs to your office. Now don’t over do it from the beginning, slowly build up and in time, you find yourself walking 10 flights like a pro without breaking a sweat or going to the gym. Easy

6. Do more house work: I know, it is more work but it is either that or the gym….your pick. Actually, doing housework has been proven to burn calories and because you do not think these are exercises, when they indeed are, you tend to get your required fitness regime without thinking much about it and with no running shoes too.

7. Dance more: Yep, blast that song that makes you move what your mama gave you and dance your heart out. Not only does it set your mood for the next few hours, you also get to burn those calories.

8. Walk the talk: If you are one of those people that like to talk, when next you are on the phone to family or friends, instead of sitting down, get up and walk during the conversation. The conversation will distract you while to burn those calories.

9. Two minute exercises: There are some discreet do-anywhere exercises that you can pretty much do anywhere without anyone knowing that you're working out and without any equipment, expense, or even time. Do butt squeezes at your desk, stomach crunchers in the car or bus (big fast exhale and squeeze your abs...repeat), heel raises in an elevator or waiting in line, and floor presses when sitting in a meeting (as if you're trying to push the ground away from you). You can do this for no more than two minutes every hour or so viola, and you are done.

10. Laugh and smile a lot: When we laugh for 10 to 15 minutes burns between 10 and 40 calories. In addition to burning calories, laughter may also improve your quality of health in a number of ways. A study by Loma Linda University found that laughing raises the levels of immunoglobulins, which ward of disease, by 14 percent. According to research at Johns Hopkins Medical School, humor in the classroom improved test scores, while a study at UCLA discovered that laughing helps with pain tolerance. Plus, when we smile often, we tend to feel good about ourselves and become more motivated, which can push us to get off our lazy butts and do something.

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Nice Post. You should however caveat what you mean by 'Snacks'. To the average Nigerian, snacks means pastries like meat pie, puff puff, scotch egg etc. These are rich in carbohydrates and saturated fat which are high in calories and unhealthy. Fruits and vegetables make very healthy snacks and can be every bit as tasty as pastries

Orobo2Lekpa:
Nice Post. You should however caveat what you mean by 'Snacks'. To the average Nigerian, snacks means pastries like meat pie, puff puff, scotch egg etc. These are rich in carbohydrates and saturated fat which are high in calories and unhealthy. Fruits and vegetables make very healthy snacks and can be every bit as tasty as pastries

You are quite right and will make the changes. Thanks

Nice post.

But nigerians can like junk foods as well as sedentary lifestyles.

PRISTINEMUSCLES:
Nice post.

But nigerians can like junk foods as well as sedentary lifestyles.

Agreed, so trying to educate them on the dangers of living off junk food and not doing any form of exercise. Hopefully some people might chnage their habits and take their health more seriously.