Exercise
If you need to lose a significant amount of weight, you will need to increase the levels of activity in your life. Cutting down the calories will stop you putting on more, but you need to burn off the excess fat.
We lead busy lives, so you need to work out ways to build extra exercise into your daily routine. Start slow - even just taking the stairs not the lift - and build it up. You should be aiming to work up a sweat and get your heart-rate pumping.
Here are some suggestions:
- How do you get to work? If you get public transport, consider getting off at the tube or bus stop before your own and walking a bit further. Or if you are feeling brave, cycling is quick and cheap and cycle routes in urban areas are improving.
- If you have kids and they go to school nearby, maybe you could walk them to school instead of driving. It is healthier and will teach them to be more active.
- You could buy a treadmill or exercise bike, and exercise while watching telly or reading a magazine. Most gyms have TVs, so you can use the machines and enjoy a bit of distraction!
- Swimming is great gentle exercise, so if you are a bit afraid of going to the gym, it's a simple and perhaps less pressurised way to start getting healthy.
- Jogging is free, though you will take a while to get into it. The first time I went after ten minutes I looked like a blueberry on the verge of cardiac arrest, but gradually it got easier and I could really see a change after a week. Only fifteen minutes will make a big difference.
- Think about sports you might enjoy - tennis, dancing, badminton, whatever. Join a class or get some of your friends together once a week. It is much easier to stick to something if you enjoy it.
- Call or email your local sports centre to see what facilities they have. Most offer subsidised exercise and sports classes, swimming and have a gym.
- Alternatively, there are hundreds of private gyms, which as well as having gyms and pools, offer more trendy sports classes, from pilates to bikram yoga. You pay a monthly or weekly fee, but their facilities are usually very pleasant and they are geared towards meeting the needs of those who work. Make sure you have a good look round first and talk it through with them to make sure they can meet your needs.
- If you want to pay more, then you might also consider hiring a personal trainer. They will help you develop a personal exercise program and will show you how to exercise, as well as giving you an extra push.
If its been a while - or never - since you last did some exercise, especially if you are struggling with your weight already, then it can be really difficult to start.
Don't push yourself too far, take it slowly to begin with and don't be embarrassed to ask for help. You risk damaging yourself if you don't take the proper precautions and especially in the gym some of those machines look like contraptions designed for medieval torture. It's the job of the people who work there to help you. Get them to show you how to warm up and down as well.
If you feel awkward about exposing your body more than you would normally, most sports centres and gyms will offer single-sex classes. But also don't expect that everyone will be Amazonian goddesses, you get people of all ages and body shapes doing sport.
Buy the proper clothes. Good trainers will take some of the strain off. And if you are a woman, a sturdy sports bra is a must. Boobs flopping all over the place is not only painful but damages them. Bravissimo is an excellent lingerie shop for women with a larger chest. Get fitted regularly as weight loss means your boobs will shrink.
No one expects you to suddenly morph into Paula Radcliff, but you'll find that once you start, a little effort and it will get more and more natural. Exercise makes you healthier and definitely happier - it's a brilliant way to shake off the blues.