1. Incorporate short bursts of vigorous activity into your everyday life. This improves your overall wellbeing and counteracts the effects of being stationary. Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor of physical activity and population health at the University of Sydney, suggests incorporating 30- to 60-second bursts of higher intensity activity several times a day, every day. “People who don’t like vigorous exertion can incorporate forms of moderate-intensity activity instead. Your heart rate will start racing at about 30 to 40 seconds, and you will ideally need to keep it up for about two to three minutes until you’re out of breath.” He suggests exerting yourself while stair climbing, grocery shopping or taking walking sprints.
2. Use half the recommended amount of laundry powder. It still results in a solid clean, according to tests by the consumer group Choice. “We also suggest ditching the fabric softener, as it actually makes your towels less absorbent and can reduce the fire retardancy of your clothes,” says Matthew Steen, a white goods expert at Choice.
