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“I
work shifts, I’ve got small children, I haven’t
got a babysitter, I’m too tired to go out after work,
I never get a lunch break, there isn’t a fitness centre
near here, I can’t afford a trainer, the pool doesn’t
open early enough, there isn’t a shower at the office,
I’ve got a bad back, I don’t know where to start
…”
If you’d like to be fitter, slimmer and healthier but
can’t seem to manage it, the chances are you’ve
used one of these excuses at some time in your life. And if
you’re in the fitness business yourself, the chances
are you’ve heard them all. |
The truth is that high tech equipment, lycra, glitzy clubs
with saunas and swimming pools, delicious cappuccino bars
and delectable personal trainers are all just fine –
for some people. But all those glamourous, expensive da-glo,
fashion fitness extras also put an awful lot of people right
off the whole idea of getting into shape.
It’s a real sign of our consumer society that so many
people think they have to be rich and socially mobile to be
beautiful. The media message is that it takes time and money
to be a physically Grade A human being.
Well, maybe if you want to be an Olympic athlete or play for
Manchester United you really do need an army of coaches, physiotherapists
and trainers and a couple of wardrobes of kit. But that’s
premier league stuff, and super fit isn’t necessarily
the healthiest way to be.
Baseline fitness doesn’t cost anything. It’s free.
You can do it at home or in the local park. And you don’t
need special clothes or equipment. Over the page are some
ideas to get you started? |
| Get
yourself a Fat Jar |
| Earlier
this year a Dutch survey showed that people who work out
intensively at a gym once or twice a week but led sedentary
lives for the rest of the time, were less fit than people
who incorporated more gentle activity into their daily lives.
Our bodies were designed for one thing only, movement. We
were designed to be constantly active. |
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Children
are born with this knowledge but are gradually taught to
ignore it as the adults in their lives teach them to sit
down for long periods of time.
Everybody knows about the Lighten Up Fat Jar. And if you
haven’t, it’s time you got one. It’s just
a jar, any jar, with a ‘Fat Jar’ label on it.
Every time you do fifteen minutes of brisk activity, put
a coin in the jar. Start with one or two a day and see if
you can work up to four or more.
What do we mean by brisk exercise? Well it could be anything
that puts your heart rate up a little and makes you breath
faster – walking, gardening, cycling, housework or
playing with children. It’s not necessary to experience
pain or feel exhausted. You could walk to work or ride a
bike to the shops or even take the children out to the park
instead of parking them in front of the tv. |
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| Inconvenience
foods |
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One interesting thing about convenience foods
is how much easier they make it for you to eat more than you need.
Another interesting thing about convenience foods is how long
the labels usually are. Processing something so it can be reheated
and stay edible takes a lot of additives and preservatives. Even
low fat options often have extra sugar to make them palatable,
to say nothing of all the chemicals.
The best food for staying slim and healthy is simple, fresh stuff
that you prepare yourself. It may sound like a lot of work but
actually grilling fish or making a salad is not such a big deal.
And that little bit of extra activity, shopping and carrying and
chopping may even burn a few extra calories. |
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| Eat
In |
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In fact, eating in is usually the healthiest, slimmest option
when it comes to food. It’s much easier to know exactly
what’s gone into the meal you’ve prepared and to make
sure you aren’t serving yourself too large a portion. Restaurant
meals – particularly the fast food ones – are heavily
loaded with fat, sugar and salt. So, staying at home with something
simple, fresh and delicious is a great option. You can give yourself
time to eat slowly, so that your stomach can register when you’re
full.
And, instead of ordering an extra brandy afterwards, you can roll
up your sleeves and do the washing up. That gets your metabolism
working again and gives your more chance of digesting what you’ve
eaten instead of turning it into fat for storage. |
| Make
it at home for nothing |
And
if you want to a full scale fitness routine for free, consider some
of these options:
Investing in home fitness equipment may seem like an expensive option,
but if you have the room, it’ll save you a fortune in club
membership fees.
Exercise bands are so cheap and so small you can even take them
on holiday with you. And they come with a set of resistance training
exercises.
Jogging is free – and you can wear what you like if you run
early enough so you won’t meet anyone you know. |
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The
only thing you don’t want to economise on is your running
shoes. Buy the best you can afford and replace them regularly.
If you don’t want to go alone, find a jogging buddy, or
offer to take your neighbours’ dogs out for their early
morning or late evening exercise. (Once you’ve made a commitment
like that, you won’t want to let either the dogs or the
people down).
Exercise
balls are cheap, and you can do loads of exercises with them –
especially for backs. And of course, like the exercise bands,
they travel well (when deflated).
Last, but
not least, exercise videos can be very motivational. But don’t
buy one until you’ve been to your local library and borrowed
a few. That way you know which one works best for you. And if
you feel like a complete idiot working out alone in front of the
tv, get together with a couple of friends and do it together. |
| Look
after yourself |
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If you haven’t exercised for a while, do take advice from
your doctor before you start.
If you’ve never used weights before it’s a good idea
to have a couple of sessions with a personal trainer to make sure
you’re doing it correctly.
Listen to your body. If something hurts or doesn’t feel
right, stop it. Rest and take expert advice before you start again.
One of the most important elements of building
muscle, staying slim and keeping fit is rest and relaxation. Include
some breathing exercises and plenty of time to warm up, cool down
and chill out whenever you exercise. |
| Frighten
yourself into fitness |
It’s
easy to convince yourself that you don’t really have time
to go to the gym. But confronting your own inertia levels is a great
motivator.
Draw a circle and divide it into 24 slices. Colour or shade it in
according to the following categories:
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Time spent sleeping
Time spent
sitting – watching TV, sending emails, chatting in the pub
(while you drink and eat crisps of course).
Time spent
pottering about not doing much at all, and certainly not doing
it very strenuously.
Time spent
in brisk exercise – not necessarily sweaty stuff, but
cycling, walking or dancing all count.
Time spent
really working out – resistance or aerobic training,
playing squash or swimming or whatever sport you enjoy.
Take a look at your circle and notice how much of your time is
spent on your back or your bottom. You’ll probably be surprised
– most
people are. Now, doesn’t that make you want to make some
changes? |
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