Fit for life (not just for the summer!)

Summer is here which inevitably means we’ll be bombarded with ads for slimming tips and tricks and ‘helpful’ guides to get the perfect beach body. Many of us make the mistake of thinking of getting in shape solely for summer, after all it’s when we generally show more of our body to the world. But this can be a damaging cycle to get into where we just diet and exercise for a specific goal only then allowing our fitness and healthy habits to fall by the wayside once summer is over.

So this month we are going to be looking at how and why we need to focus on getting fit for life.

Eat Healthily
There are always trends and fads when it comes to dieting and losing weight but the best approach is to aim to eat a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet and be sure to fuel your body so you have enough energy.

Last year the government launched a health campaign called Better Health to help people make better choices with diet and exercise. This campaign is great for helping you make changes to your lifestyle that you can stick to for life.

Don’t skip meals
You might be tempted to cut out all snacks and even skip meals but this is not generally advised, remember it’s not just about quantity of food it’s also about quality- sweet, sugary snacks that lack fibre and nutrients should be replaced with fruit and healthy snacks that provide energy along with vitamins and minerals.

Exercise all year round
Change your mindset and embrace exercise as a part of your everyday routine. Even simple changes such as making sure you go for a brisk walk every day will set you on the path to lifelong fitness. It’s important to make exercise part of daily life as we age- adding in  strength training up to 3 times a week will help strengthen your bones, muscles and improve your posture and balance.

Join a class
Make a commitment to exercise by joining a regular class such as Move It or Lose It or Bootcamp. Taking part in a regular class means you’re more likely to stick to it, you’ll make new friends and it’s a great way to get professional support and advice on nutrition and exercise.

Make sure it’s fun!
In order to make sure you stick to a healthy lifestyle you need to make sure it’s fun. So pick activities you enjoy and try to do them regularly. Set yourself challenges to complete to ensure boredom doesn’t set in- you could sign up to complete a swimathon or maybe a sponsored walk or run. Whatever you choose make sure you enjoy it!

Get gardening
Get out in the garden and raise your heart rate while you do a bit of weeding, digging and planting. As well as some much needed vitamin D if you work a bit harder you’ll be getting a healthy dose of cardio and strength training too.

*Please speak to your healthcare professional before you embark on any new exercise or diet regime.

Please get in touch if you would like to find out more about the classes or one-one fitness sessions with Amanda. Personal plans to help you start making changes now, have accountability with some added motivation to help you succeed!