Are you less active these days than you were before? If the answer is yes, it's no surprise with continued lockdowns and restrictions affecting how often you can go out and be active.

But it’s important to stay active, as exercise can help boost your mood, relieve stress, improve sleep and reduce your risk of a range of health conditions, including heart disease.

And you only need 20 to 25 minutes of exercise per day to get these benefits.

So, if you’re remote working or generally not getting out that much, here are some easy ways to fit exercise into your day:

• try this 5-minute workout when you wake up
• walk up and down the stairs while brushing your teeth or talking on the phone
• use any break in the day to walk around, climb the stairs or stretch
• alternatively, use a break to do do 5 minutes of lunges, squats or push-ups
• do a 10 to 15-minute fitness or yoga class on your lunch or coffee break — search YouTube for tutorials
• dance to some music while cooking your evening meal

Try to vary the exercises you do from day to day.

If you’re going out, use every opportunity to be active. For example, if you’re going to the shops or taking the kids to school, walk or cycle instead of taking transport if possible.

And if it's cold outside, don't let that put you off — be prepared instead.