Winter exercise: One minute workouts for in-house fitness

With winter starting to bite, there’s a tendency to hibernate. But, in Taranaki, there’s no excuse to just sit on the couch.

Health provider Tui Ora has launched Mindful Movement, a weekly series of ultra-short fitness videos aimed at keeping whānau active without having to leave the whare.

“Tui Ora is a kaupapa Māori health and wellness hauora provider in Taranaki. We have a GP service, smoking cessation, mental health and youth services,” Dr Dave Grant said.

“We like to think we do things differently. We try to have a really holistic view of the person and their whānau.”

Tui Ora has engaged personal trainer Chance Hazel as the face — and body — behind the videos.

“I’m giving really, really basic at-home exercises that anyone could do. Almost everyone boils the jug at least once a day to make a cuppa.

“It takes a minute or two for the jug to boil, so why not do something while you’re doing nothing?” she said.

“You could stand at the bench while the jug boils and do a few push-ups or a few squats, just moving your body.”

Hazel believes fitness isn’t just for those who can afford a gym membership.

“A gym membership is an extra expense, especially with the cost of living now. People can do this exercise at home and get something out of it without having to pay. It’s free for everyone.”

And followers don’t need any special equipment, either.

“You can grab a couple of cans of baked beans and have yourself doing some shoulder press or bicep curls. You can find anything around the house that weighs a little bit.

“You don’t need a set of dumbbells, kettlebells or fancy gym equipment. You can use anything — even a rock from the garden,” she smiled.

Hazel grew up in a sports-oriented home and wanted to provide a similar environment for her daughter.

“I have a six-year-old daughter. I wanted to choose a career path that was good for my health and for her to grow up in. She comes along sometimes to personal training sessions.

“I wanted her to see that exercise is important for overall health — she loves it.”

Each video is around a minute long, allowing people to use any small pockets of time available.

“Even in small amounts throughout the day, that cumulative effect is amazing for well-being and health,” Grant said.

“There are so many health benefits to exercise. You could take a trip around the whole body and identify ways movement improves health outcomes in each body system.”

And those benefits aren’t just physical.

“We know that moving our body is a really beneficial and protective factor against mental distress. There are lots of mental health benefits,” Grant said.

And being ‘too busy’ doesn’t wash with him.

“Have you ever met someone who didn’t say that they were busy? Like, we all feel busy. There’s no excuse,” he smiled.

The videos include exercises for hapū (pregnant) women, kaumātua (older people), and fitness to enjoy with tamariki (children).

“When you take the kids to the playground, instead of sitting on the bench, push them on the swings, kick the ball around, doing something — even small things — is better than doing nothing,” Hazel explained.

There’s even a video on how to incorporate movement into the workday.

“Get up and say to your mate, ‘Hey, you get up, too. And let’s do something together. Let’s go out and have 15 minutes of our break on a stroll around the block.’

“Then you’ve got yourself out and your workmates out. You’re changing the dynamics of your workplace.”

Grant hopes the region will embrace the Mindful Movement.

“We’re a kaupapa Māori service, and we’d love for whānau to get as excited about this as we are.”

“We know that Māori tend to have worse outcomes, especially with some of those cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. And a lot of these diseases are really, really responsive, especially in the early stages, but throughout that disease process, to exercise or movement.

“Exercise or movement can be just as effective, in some cases, as some medicines for some diseases.”

Grant said the videos were gaining traction.

“When you look to start exercise, it can feel overwhelming, and you can feel lost or stuck — like, ‘Where do I even start?’

“[But] movement doesn’t have to be so inaccessible. We’re getting whānau starting to talk about it, the number of viewers is increasing, it feels like more people jumping on the waka to move their body more.”

Hazel said she was delighted to be part of it.

“I’m really proud to be part of the initiative. I’m pretty stoked. And I hope people start watching, get involved and give it a go.

“Do it for your family, yourself, your children, and your health.”

“Just get up and get moving.”

Glossary

Whānau — family

Kaupapa Māori — a philosophical framework based on Māori knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and worldview

Hauora — health

Hapū — pregnant

Kaumātua — elderly

Tamariki — children

Waka — canoe, vehicle