Fitness Fun
It’s recommended that you take 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days of the week.
If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry. The good news is that you can split up the 30 minutes into two bouts of 15 minutes or 3 bouts of 10 minutes activity. The important thing is that whatever activity you do you should start to feel warm and experience an increase in heart rate.
Getting more active has lots of benefits
Believe it or not being more active gives you more energy – if you’re feeling sluggish the best thing you can do is get active!
It reduces stress and improves concentration
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Improves your body shape and appearance, helping to increase your confidence
Want to get more active but not sure what type of activity is best for you? Try this great variety of suggestions.
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Jogging
Running will really get you fit. It's cheap and can be done anywhere, at any time. If you haven’t run before, build up slowly. Run at a pace at which you can still hold a conversation, but which definitely feels harder than walking. Aim to alternate running for 1 minute, then walking for 1 minute, for 10 minutes in total. Gradually reduce the walking and increase the running until you can run for the full 10 minutes. Then start to build up the length of your runs.
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Walking
Mile for mile, running and walking burn approximately the same number of calories. This means if you are new to exercise, walking may be the activity for you, as you will be able to walk further than you can run. Walking is also easy to build into your day.
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Swimming
Swimming is a great way to tone up and trim down. Just swimming a few lengths involves most of the major muscle groups, giving your body a good workout. If you crank up the pace, you'll get an aerobic workout, too.
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The Gym
Gym-based activities are good because you can try lots of different activities including aerobic exercise such as running, rowing or cycling, weight training, and classes, such as aerobics. All ages and fitness levels are catered for- also because you are indoors, you won’t be put off exercising just because the weather is bad.
Some gyms can be expensive to join, but local council leisure centres are great value, offering all the facilities of the major chains, at a fraction of the cost.
To find about more about local gyms, click here.
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Take a friend or family member: Do you usually workout alone? Sometimes all you need to do is have some good laughs and conversation while you're working out to make the time and the sweat fly. Why not make a regular date three times a week to get together. You’ll help encourage one another and can keep up to date with each other’s news at the same time. Better yet. Start a walking club!
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Take a yoga class: Even though yoga focuses a lot on breathing and mediation, the amount of stretching and strength training you get will provide a great change for a workout.
- Limit time spent watching TV, DVDs and playing computer games. Watching TV for even as few as two to five hours per week is linked to being overweight. Sadly enough, the number of children who watch five or more hours of television per day has increased dramatically in recent years. Instead of just watching TV, encourage your children to spend time each day in play that requires them to be physically active. Health professionals agree that physical activity is essential to helping children not only reach, but more importantly maintain, a healthy weight.
- Exercise can strengthen children's bones now as well as later in life.
- Use physical activity rather than food as a reward.
- Spend as much time outdoors as possible.
- Buy new trainers once a year, or as soon as the treads start to wear down, because worn treads can cause injury, like slipping or overcompensating on one leg/foot.
- Wear comfortable clothing and shoes when you take your walk. Get off the bus a few stops early. Walk up the escalators on the tube or take the office stairs.
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For women, make sure you have a decent sports bra. There’s nothing that will make you stop exercising faster than feeling like you’re not ‘well-supported’!
- Make sure you stretch before and after your exercise.
Dancing
Dancing is a great way to get more active, and if you join a class, you’ll be socialising, so exercising will be more fun. It burns calories, boosts energy and tones muscle. In fact, dancing can burn just as many calories as other, more ‘traditional’ exercises. Whether you choose to join a local salsa class or just turn up the stereo and dance at home, it’s a great way to stay in shape.
Breaking down barriers
There are many reasons why some people are less active than others. Here are some common reasons people say why they’re not being more active – and some helpful tips to break down those barriers.
‘I don’t have time’
If you build activity into your daily routine, or break up your 30 minutes into 3 ten minute bouts, then soon you’ll be making time to exercise without even realising:
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Don’t wait for the bus if you can’t see it coming - try walking to the next stop or get off the bus a stop or two early at the end of your journey.
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Take the stairs instead of the lift
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Jog on the spot or do star jumps in the ad break of your favourite TV show.
‘I’m always too tired to do exercise after a hard day at work’
Being more active gives you more energy! If you are stressed out at work, a bit of a workout is a great way to clear your head and relax. Try it and see!
‘It’s embarrassing exercising’
You don’t have to go to a gym or wear lycra to be more active! Try walking, or if the weather is bad, why not rent an exercise video and do it in the privacy of your own home.
‘It costs too much’
Walking is free – and could even save you money. If you walked to work and back everyday for a year instead of paying 90p on your Oyster Card for the bus you could save up to £620 a year!
‘There’s nothing to do where I live’
You’d be surprised how much is going on in Hackney and the City of London. Check out our activities database » to find something near you.
Some more tips:
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Get fit for Charity: Consider signing up for a Cancer Research UK 5k walk or run. It’s a great fitness goal, and the money you raise will go to a great cause.
- Find a mentor. Perhaps you know someone who has lost a few pounds? Ask that person to help motivate you and give you tips on staying on track.
- Make a list of what you hope to achieve: to enhance the overall quality of your life; increase general energy; improve sleep; to have a better feeling of wellbeing.
- Get into the groove! Music is a great motivator. Download some of your favourite music to listen to while you exercise. Safety tip: Do not jog alone with your IPOD on.
- Hulaerobics – Go for a spin with a hula-hoop! Burn calories and tone your waistline with this latest fitness craze from America. Use special hoops that are heavier than the playground variety, and start gyrating your hips! You can burn as many calories as running an eight-minute mile.
