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Workouts - Getting Back In Shape

By Paul Stephen Lubicz – The Wellbeing Manager

Once Christmas and New Year have passed and the resolutions have been made and you have some idea of what you want to accomplish, you need to figure out how to get there.

How much exercise do you need? How much will you realistically do? Setting up a program initially can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.

Exercise Tips

Figure out where you're going to exercise. You can workout at the gym, at home or on your lunch hour. You can set up your own program or use videos. Look at your schedule, your calendar and your budget and map out your plan before you get started.

Progression, start where you are! The biggest mistake beginners make is taking on too much too soon. That can lead to injury or burnout and you may find yourself struggling to keep up that pace. Start slowly--if you can only exercise for 10 minutes, start there and work your way up. You'll enjoy exercise a whole lot more if you ease into it and gradually work your way up. I always recommend visiting a qualified health care professional before you start a new exercise program.

How much is enough?

For an adult, regular, moderate intensity physical activity means using up about an extra 200 calories per day, most days of the week. This equates to about 30 minutes of activity, such as a two-mile brisk walk, that should make you feel warm and mildly out of breath. During moderate intensity activity, you should still be able to talk without panting in between your words.

If you have previously been inactive and 30 minutes of activity per day sounds like a tall order, the good news is that separate sessions of ten minutes can count towards the total.

It's possible to achieve your 30 minute target by making fairly simple changes to your everyday routine, without joining the gym or running a marathon.

Examples of everyday activities that count:

• walking up stairs instead of using lifts,
• walking up moving escalators,
• for short journeys, walking instead of driving,
• doing the housework at "double-time",
• DIY and gardening, such as painting or raking leaves.

Keeping fit

Your ability to keep up a physical activity such as jogging, racket sports, cycling or swimming, is related to your aerobic fitness – or stamina.

Generally speaking, the greater your stamina, the greater are the health benefits. If you want to improve your stamina, it's important to start gently, increasing the frequency of your activity before increasing how hard you exercise.

Have fun

The key to keeping up with a resolution to get fit is finding an activity, or range of activities, that you enjoy. Not everyone sees exercise as fun, and doing something you find boring just because it's good for you is very difficult to sustain. But you can take steps to make it more enjoyable.

Change your workouts regularly. To build muscle and lose fat, you need to be challenging your body. That means going faster or longer, adding weight, reps and/or sets to each workout and finding new activities to keep from hitting plateaus or getting bored.

Or try out new sports or activities until you find something you like. When you find an activity you like, try exercising with a friend, at a pace that still allows you to talk. Activities that you can do as a family or with friends may help with motivation.

Perhaps try activities to music, such as dance or aerobics, and make sure you vary your activity a little so you don’t get bored. Try exercising in beautiful scenery, such as on a beach or in a park. Maybe you could buy yourself some new exercise clothes that you like wearing and feel good in.

Diet

The amount and type of food we eat has a major influence on our health. Unfortunately, it is easy to eat badly, with a diet that contains too much of the wrong foods, such as high-fat convenience meals, and not enough of the nutritious foods, such as fruit and vegetables.

A balanced approach

Healthy eating is about learning which foods to eat to stay well. But it is also about integrating a balance and variety of different foods into an enjoyable daily routine.

Why we need to eat well

The body needs a constant supply of energy to power the continuous processes of life, such as the heartbeat, breathing and digestion. Energy is also needed to grow and repair the body's tissues, and to power the muscles for movement.

This energy is provided by food and drink. The energy content is measured in calories (kilocalories, Kcal). In addition to energy, we need to make sure the diet includes essential nutrients such as protein, fats, vitamins and minerals.

The food choices we make can have a long-term impact on health. There is good evidence that eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease and several cancers (especially bowel cancer).

What is healthy eating?

According to most dieticians, there are no unhealthy foods, only unhealthy diets. Healthy eating is about eating the right quantity and balance of foods, month in month out, and not about whether you succumb to fish and chips or a slice of chocolate cake once in a while.

Eating the right balance of foods from the major food groups is the foundation of day-to-day wellbeing, and will reduce your long-term risk of disease. BUPA’s Dr Paula Franklin says ‘the healthiest approach is a long-term one, where regular exercise and healthy eating are just the way you live your life. If you can do this then occasional indulgences can be enjoyed without guilt.’

There are three major food groups: carbohydrate, fat and protein. These have different functions in the body. For more information on diet and exercise visit the BUPA website www.bupa.com.