The holiday is well and truly over and it’s time to get your fitness groove on! Whilst it usually feels like a hard slog to get into any kind of fitness routine post-Christmas the sooner you get to it the better, BUT in moderation so as not to turn yourself off before you get turned on to it!

But why bother to get your fitness groove on?

I saw these figures from a recent report:

The number of obese or overweight people in the developing world nearly quadrupled from 250 million to 904 million between 1980 and 2008, according to a study published this month by the UK think tank. Over the same period obesity rates in high-income countries increased by 1.7 times. One-third of all adults worldwide—1.46 billion people—are now overweight or obese, says the report from the Overseas Development Institute.

(Read more)

To me, that is reason enough! But it is important not to throw yourself on some crazy diet or exercise plan in the hope that it will change your health & wellbeing in 5 minutes. Real change requires real commitment and a better understanding of how your body works.

Some minimum guidelines are:

• 30 minutes of activity 3-4 times per week. This can be something as simple as walks to the more strenuous activities like running, aerobics, swimming or strength training. Get a mix in to get the most benefit (aerobic & strength). Set yourself a fitness challenge rewarding a charity for your hard work

• Drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day. Build up to it! It can be a real struggle if you go from no water per day to 2 litres. It can cause discomfort and many trips to the loo! As your body begins to rehydrate that need and discomfort will reduce.

• Eat food that works with your body, not against it. We live in a society where ‘fast & quick’ is part of everything we are encouraged to do. The foods you need to reduce include pre-packed meals, sweets, alcohol, high sugar content, red meat and processed dairy products. Instead go for fish, poultry, vegetables, fruit, nuts, goats or feta cheese, seasoning & spices, oils (like sesame oil) and grains (lentils, pulses)

• Look after your skin – it’s the biggest organ you have and it requires care to be at its best. Exercise, food and water will definitely help but what you put on your skin matters too. Avoid products that contain parabens, ureas and petrochemical to name but a few! I’ll do a separate post on ingredients and why they need to be avoided at a later date.

And lastly… Have FUN getting your fitness groove on! I say it all the time because I mean it. Fun, laughter, smiling; these can all impact the chemical makeup of your body… positively!

YvonneB