Activity and Fitness

When you're active, life can be so much better. We were designed to be active! The changing world around us has of course changed the way we now live. The inventions of cars, televisions, computers and other types of modern technology have of course made it harder for us to be sufficiently active. We all now know that low activity + ‘poor’ diet = excess body weight and ill health. The challenge is how to break out of this cycle.

Whilst being active will ultimately help you to look and feel good it will more importantly improve your health and probably help you live longer. There is no doubt that activity lowers your risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers. It also improves the quality of your life by giving you the energy to do the things that you want to do and/or make you happy.
If you have a problem with your weight, it may be that you haven’t been fully active for a long time and therefore getting into the habit of daily activity seems extremely daunting, and for some people impossible. The aim of this section is to guide you to information that can show you that you CAN find activities that fit in with your lifestyle and that you enjoy. You can FIND LIFE ONCE AGAIN.

How can I get motivated to start and stick with a fitness or exercise activity?
Grab a pen and paper and some thinking time…..

Firstly, we believe that everyone needs a ‘wake up call’ – something that makes them stop in their tracks and say “I have to do something and change my life NOW”. This is different for each and every one of us but might include:

• Being newly-diagnosed with a serious illness such as Diabetes that requires treatment
• Seeing yourself in a photo with others and thinking “I look awful”
• Trying to do something you have previously done and just not being able to physically do it

The list could go on, but it is important to define for yourself what your ‘wake up call’ was. You need to hold onto it too as further down the line you might be struggling and need to remember how bad things were.

Secondly, some people also couple their ‘wake up call’ with their target goal – where they want to be and why. This might be around losing weight (men wanting to be a size 34 waist, or women getting into a size 12) or around fitness (being able to do a charity bike ride, taking up a ‘dream’ sport or activity). It could also be health-related goal – you want your Diabetes or high blood pressure to improve so you can hopefully come off your medications.  Some people have a special anniversary, celebration of holiday to aim for. It doesn’t matter what goal you have but you should try and have one.

Thirdly, you need to work out a PRACTICAL plan to fit activity into your daily life pattern so that it has a good chance of becoming a regular part of your life. This is not always easy and you need to be realistic! If you work, think about your work hours, travel times and type of job you do. You may have home responsibilities too that eat into your time such as children, a partner or caring for another family member. Also identify the waking ‘down-time’ you currently get and see if you could devote 30-50% of that time to doing activity. It may be that you need to get up 15-30 minutes earlier to find activity time. There is no point in saying to yourself ‘I am going to get fitter’ if you haven’t realistically thought and planned and how you’re going to fit it into what is already a busy lifestyle.

The final thing is to work out what type of activity or exercise is right for you – what type do you PREFER? You may think you don’t know – you’ve just convinced yourself you hate it full stop! However, if you can honestly work out what your likes and dislikes are relating to activity and exercise you stand more chance of finding the right activities for you and turning them into a lifelong habit that ultimately leads to improved health. Activity has to be fun otherwise you won’t continue doing it. Your goal is to make physical activity a daily habit.

How do I choose the best activity for me?

Look for activities that you enjoy and that fit into your lifestyle. Answering the questions below may help you figure out what activities would be best for you. After you've thought about your answers, develop your personal list of ideas for getting active.

Do you prefer being active by yourself or with others (eg: in a group or class)?
Do you enjoy being outdoors when possible, or do you feel safer and more confident in an indoor setting?
Do you prefer activities that involve some contact (soccer, basketball) or no contact (swimming)?
Do you prefer to compete with others, compete with yourself, or not compete at all (eg: gardening or dancing)?
Do you prefer activities that also involve some mental challenge (eg: team sports or mountain biking), or do you prefer not to have to think or concentrate while you are being active (eg: doing housework set to music, raking leaves, or going for a walk or a jog)?

Other considerations are:

Do you prefer being active in the morning, midday, or evening?
We all have different body clocks that make us more energetic at certain parts of the day. And our work/home schedules often determine when we can take the time to exercise and when we can't. Which part of the day is best for you? The better you plan your activity times to match your energy levels and your daily schedule, the more likely you are to keep up your healthy activity habits.

How much money are you willing to spend on gear or other expenses related to an activity?
There are activities to match every budget. You can walk around your neighbourhood without spending any money. Exercise DVDs involve a small one-time cost. You may be able to join a community yoga or tai chi class for a small fee.

Sometimes people try a sport or activity, buy expensive equipment or clothes for that activity, and then never use them again. It's usually a mistake to think that you will keep up with a particular sport or activity just because you've invested money in it. Wait until you know that you really enjoy the activity, and then spend the money. In some cases, you can rent the equipment to find out if you like the sport.
On the other hand, spending some money can also be a wise investment in your health. For example, joining a fitness centre or gym, or buying quality exercise equipment (if you have the space to use it!)  can help you succeed at becoming more active.

Are you interested in taking classes or getting instruction to learn a new activity?
You may not know how much you'll enjoy a certain activity until you become familiar with it. A class or other type of lesson can help you find out. If you don't want to join a class, choose something you can learn or do on your own.

Do you prefer “everyday” activities, such as gardening, to more structured activities?
Many people find everyday activities easier to keep at. Others feel they are more likely to stay with an activity if it requires them to show up for a class or for a game.
How do I get started?

We may be wrong (and we apologise if we are) but we will assume that exercise is not currently second-nature for you and that you are concerned about you current weight and health. To start to lose weight and improve your health you need to do at least 2½ hours of moderate activity a week - brisk walking is a good example. However any activities—including daily household chores—that raise your heart rate (aerobic exercise) can be included. It's perfectly acceptable to be active in spurts of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week.
Aerobic exercise gets the heart working to pump blood through the heart and blood vessels more quickly and with more force than normal. As blood is pumped faster, it must be oxygenated more quickly, which speeds up respiration (breathing). Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and boosts healthy cholesterol levels. Low impact aerobic activity includes walking and swimming. Running, tennis and dance are high impact types of aerobic activity.

As a ‘beginner’, you may find it helpful to follow the Vita You 5 steps to fitness programme:

• self assessment – assess your fitness level at any time and determine what to do to improve it
• core, balance and posture – ‘hidden’ fitness that won’t lose you inches but works your ‘inner’ (core) muscles and helps prevent back problems and muscle strain
• gentle activity – starting to move around more and generally doing more (at home or work)
• low-impact aerobic – working the main muscle groups generally and starting to raise your metabolic rate
• high-impact aerobic – targeting certain areas and starting to push yourself a bit harder

We call it steps because you may be standing on the first step looking up thinking you can’t get to the top. Well, step-by-step you can! It may take time, and it may be some time (a couple of months before you really start to look and more importantly feel different) before you start to feel ‘fit’ but you must remember that you are in this for the long term – this is not a ‘quick fix’ (there is a reason why we asked you to write things down at the start – you’re going to have days where you feel like giving up and those pieces of paper need to be re-read!).

Step one - Fitness self-assessment
Click on the following link to work through a simple but very useful test that will assess your fitness levels and use the results to work out where you are on the Vita You fitness staircase:
http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Fitness.aspx

Step two – Core, balance and posture
Your body's core - the area around your trunk and pelvis - is where your centre of gravity is located. A strong core provides you with:

• Increased protection and "bracing" for your back
• Controlled movement
• A more stable centre of gravity
• A more stable platform for exercise and activity movements

When you have good core stability, the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work in harmony. They provide essential support to your spine for just about any activity.
A weak core can make you susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries. Strong core muscles provide the brace of support needed to help prevent such pain and injury.
The muscle most people identify with the core is the rectus abdominus at the front of the stomach. People with prominent rectus abdominus muscles are said to have "six-pack abs." Other core muscles in the stomach area include the transverse abdominals, also called "nature's weight belt" or “love handles” and the obliques.

Strengthening your core

Core strengthening requires the regular and proper exercise of your body's 29 core muscles. Doing strengthening exercising for this area at least three times a week can help protect you from injuries and improve your balance. Sit-ups alone won't work the core muscles.

Also not all equipment that claims to help the core muscles works - be wary of exercise gadgets that claim to make an abdominal workout easy or promise a flatter stomach in 30 days. The likelihood is that if you can't get on the floor and do the exercise properly, then those machines aren't going to help you.

You should also be aware that core training probably won't give you a washboard stomach. Well-defined abdominal muscles show a very low amount of body fat and not necessarily strength.
However a stronger core can advance almost any physical activity - even those as routine as mopping the floor or picking up a child. People with back pain or who can’t do normal activities really appreciate what core exercise can do for them because they see their body get stronger and move the way it is supposed to move.

A fun way to help you develop a basic core strengthening programme is to learn exercises that use a fitness ball. Balancing on these oversized, inflated balls makes you focus on using your core muscles for support.

Click on the following site for teaching points, muscles worked and a picture and video for each exercise:
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/strengthening/swiss_ball.php

Getting the most from your workout
It's important to do your core exercises at least three times a week. For the best and safest results, remember to:

• Choose exercises that work your core muscles simultaneously. Rather than isolate each muscle group in your trunk, the best exercises for your core are those that get muscles working together at the same time.
• Focus on quality of movement rather than quantity. You'll gradually build up to a greater number of repetitions. When starting out, take it slow and learn how to properly perform each exercise with the best technique.
• Breathe steadily and slowly. Breathe freely while doing each of the exercises in your core strengthening workout. Your instinct may be to hold your breath during an exercise, but it's better to continue breathing.
• Take a break when you need one. When your muscles get tired, stop and change exercises. And, if you work your core muscles to fatigue during an exercise session, wait at least a day between workouts to allow the muscles to recover.

Keep in mind that core strengthening workouts are just one part of a complete fitness and activity programme. Include aerobic exercise and flexibility training to round out your programme.

Step three – Gentle activity

Walking is a great way to kick-start ‘gentle-activity’. It’s been proven that brisk, regular walking helps weight loss and maintenance by exercising large muscle groups and increasing metabolic rate. Other health gains include reduced risk of osteoporosis, along with improvements in heart health, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. Another consideration is that most people can do it and you don’t need to purchase expensive equipment.

One of the key things about walking is it makes people feel good mentally. Also, using a pedometer can also help motivate you further. Walking can be done anywhere and everyone lives within a car or bus ride of a park or the countryside. Even on a cold, wintry day a brisk walk can be invigorating. For more information check the walking for health website: http://www.whi.org.uk/

For each activity, consider when, where and how often. For example, if you have decided to take up walking as a way of being more active and to help with managing your weight:

• Where will you walk? Will it be near your workplace during your lunch break, or will you walk from or near to home? Is there a local park?
• When will you walk? In the mornings after dropping the children at school, or at lunchtime perhaps? Maybe in the evening?
• How many times a week is realistic for you? What time of day will suit?
• Who with? Would you prefer to walk alone? Or do you need someone to go with you for company/confidence? Some people find it easier to keep to a goal if they're meeting a friend (and in the winter it can feel safer).
• What will you need? Do you need some good walking shoes or new trainers? A torch or mobile phone can be reassuring.
• What might get in the way of achieving your goal? Think of potential barriers and how you might overcome these.

Step three – low impact aerobic

This may include brisk (‘power’) walking or swimming. The use of a pedometer and stop-watch can help you progress the pace and intensity of your walking from Step Two.

For those carrying excess weight, the prospect of getting into a swimming costume and going swimming can appear daunting to say the least. Work out when for you is a realistic stage to start swimming (eg: ‘when I’m down to a size 18’ or ‘I can fit into a size 42 waist pair of swim shorts’). Also, find out when the quieter times of your local swimming pool are – eg: adult-only sessions. For some, even going out of the local area to swim is preferable as they don’t want to meet anyone they know. Consider joining an aqua-aerobics class – other people are likely to be there for the same reasons and will therefore feel the same way as you do. Try and identify what works best for you and why, and remember to review your choice as things will improve.

If you have children the swim4life website has great tips, games and activities to make swimming fun:

http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/PartnersC4LSwim4lifeToolkit.aspx

Cycling is another great from of exercise. In the right location it can be relaxing! If you live in a town or city, find out where the nearest cycle routes/parks are, invest in a cycle rack for the car and off you go….

Click on the following website to help you find out where to go cycling:

http://www.bikeforall.net/index.php

If you’re feeling a bit rusty on your bike and need to feel more skilled and confident, click on the following website:

http://www.bikeability.org.uk/what_is_bikeability__/bikeability_near_you.php

Step five – High-impact aerobic

Let the unachievable become reality! When you’re at step one or two, entering step five may seem like an unattainable dream. However, as you move through the steps you will begin to see and feel that this is not the case.

Undertaking either sports or social activities such as dance can be achieved for anyone.

Dancing may seem a bit ‘daft’ for some but it’s a fantastic form of exercise. Why not practise in your home on your own to your favourite music. EVERYONE has rhythm despite what they may think and the more you dance the better you get! Dancing in front of a mirror helps too. There are also plenty of DVDs that successfully incorporate dance and exercise, making it more fun.

Men often struggle to start this step, being put off by issues around body image and competitive sport. Why not try cycling or mountain biking first? Once you’ve gained fitness and improved self confidence, you may then want to try ‘team’ activities such as tennis or golf, where being a ‘beginner’ is totally acceptable.

Whatever you choose to do, it’s about having fun, feeling fitter and maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. It is ESSENTIAL that you also eat a healthy and nutritional diet, soas not to undo all the good work.

Getting fit is a journey – it takes time and does not happen overnight. You need to set yourself realistic and achievable goals and continually review your progress.

Some examples of realistic activity goals:

• To walk to the shop at least five times a week instead of driving
• Use the stairs at work at least 3 times a day instead of the lift
• Do gardening for one hour every week

Whatever your goal, it has to work for you - only you know what you like and dislike, and what's realistic and achievable for you. Keeping an activity log can also help you to see areas for change in your activity levels, and it can help monitor your progress. Download the Vita You Activity log here:

Measuring success

How are you going to measure success? Think how long it might take to achieve a specific goal and set a date for checking your progress against it. Tick if achieved or not by the review date. If not achieved, identify why not and what you need to do differently.

Think about how you feel after being active and remind yourself of the positive benefits you identified before the start. What was your ‘wake up call’ and your original goal? How's your breathing now? Are you feeling better in yourself? Do you have more energy than before? It is ESSENTIAL to remind yourself of these things.

If your aim is weight loss, don't expect to see immediate results - this is likely to take longer (2-3 months). For weight loss, you have to combine activity goals with some changes to your eating habits too, so click on 'Food and Diet' to set yourself some eating goals.

Getting support and encouragement

Making changes is never easy, and to be truly successful, you'll need support and encouragement. Identify where you hope to get your support from. It might be a partner, friend, family member, local fitness instructor, or a group. Someone saying "Well done!" or "How's it going?" occasionally can make all the difference to your motivation and confidence, especially on a ‘down day’.

What if things go wrong?

It's normal! There are bound to be times when other things get in the way of you achieving your goals: family pressures, busy periods at work, holidays, illness, bad weather. Identify what went wrong, why, make the necessary adjustments and move forward. Don’t self-punish – it’s pointless and won’t help you achieve your long term goals. Just stay focussed and move on!

Remember, we can also help. If you feel things are getting out of control and you’re starting to give up and gain weight, our Specialist Medical Weight Management programme may be what you need to get you back on track.

If you think we can help you further contact us here or call 0800 849 4050 and speak to a specialist Nurse or Dietician.