Why don’t we just move more?

By David Stalker, CEO of the not-for-profit health body, ukactive

There’s one single message that will help us tackle the inactivity crisis: Just do more than you’re currently doing.

Researchers are saying current exercise guidelines are unrealistic. In the British Medical Journal, they argue the ‘150-minutes of physical activity’ message needs to change. We need to see a greater emphasis on simply getting inactive people to move more.

Smoking kills – we know that. Inactivity kills – we now know that, too. Cambridge University released research last week, showing that twice as many deaths in Europe are caused by physical inactivity than obesity – if that’s not enough of an incentive to get up off the couch and go for a walk, we’re in deep trouble.

The evidence continues to mount on the impact inactivity is having. Although you may not know what technically qualifies someone as ‘obese’ (the BMI scale), everyone has an idea of what obesity looks like. It’s easy to look in the mirror and think, ‘I’m not overweight, what have I got to worry about?’ This has got to change. It’s time to think about the health of our hearts, not just the size of our waists.

The Cambridge study bolsters the ukactive’s ongoing work to underpin the fight against inactivity with a firm evidence base. It’s a welcome piece of work on the European population, but closer to home, the recent report Steps to Solving Inactivity showed the UK’s inactivity rates are among the worst in Europe, with around 30% of adults classed as inactive.

Is message is getting through?
When it comes to explaining how much physical activity is required, it feels complicated. The Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines tell us adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week.

Research has shown even GPs struggle to recall the appropriate dosage of movement needed by their patients. For people who are completely inactive, just the thought of attaching measured requirements to exercise can fill them with dread. On the other hand, we need to know what we’re aiming for; and these guidelines have been judged by leading scientists as the minimum for good health, not the summit.

So what else can be done to get people off the couch? Here are my prescriptions:

• More local authority funding for local physical activity schemes, such as Birmingham’s ‘Be Active’ initiative, where Birmingham City council and three local PCTs work together to increase physical activity in the area by providing free access to public leisure centres, green spaces and structured chronic disease management services. 
• Greater focus on strong evaluation, providing evidence of what works and how this can be rolled out more widely. 
• More action by the government to highlight the dangers of inactivity for health. We’ve done it for smoking, with billboards and posters to tackle the issue, so why not for inactivity? 
• Get activity embedded in our DNA at a young age. Children are now doing less PE now than ever before. Organisations such as ‘Fit For Sport’ that work with schools to provide physical activity programmes are a great example of what can be done.

As individuals we need to ask: are we active enough? We all have a responsibility to take care of our own health. There is a school of thought that says if you’re sitting; stand, if you’re standing; walk, and if you’re walking; jog; if you’re jogging, start trying some box jumps!

Is it simply enough to tell yourself to ‘just do a bit more than you did yesterday?’ Looking at the inactivity figures in this country, I’m inclined to say ‘yes’. Your life depends on it.

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How to get the best from a fitness tracker

By David Stalker, CEO ukactive

Did you get a shiny new activity tracker for Christmas? As well as measuring distance and pace, they’re vital for monitoring your heart rate. You need to understand what they can do for your health so they don’t end up in the back of your drawer with the loose batteries and old phone

The activity tracker market has expanded dramatically in the last two years. Measuring distance and pace are pretty standard, but the most important one is to be able to track and record data on your heart rate. This shows how intensely you’re exercising.

Why is this useful? To get the most out of exercise, whether running, cycling or anything else, to get fitter and healthier you need make progress. By knowing your heart rate you can understand how hard you’re working and not just how you're feeling. Armed with this knowledge, you can vary the intensity of your exercise to push yourself harder next time. All this information can also be displayed in readable charts – so even if you don’t fully understand the data, you’re able to see if you’re improving or not. Everyone gets encouraged when they see progress. You can be training hard but the improvements are not always obvious unless you know what your body is doing.

Share your progress
Your tracker should form a part of your wider exercise routine and use them as an additional tool to keeping motivated. They allow you to compare your progress and share successes, both big and small, with others so you’ll be accountable not only to yourself.

Trackers are often best used when part of the tech hub of a wider social community. Some exercise groups track your efforts in real time and integrate that with wider online communities, where you can log your miles or the points you get from meeting certain challenges.

Activity trackers won’t do the hard work for you, but they can become one of the important tools you use to motivate yourself.

How to get your fitness on track

Physical activity is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle, says David Stalker, CEO of ukactive. And, whether you’re active by habit or not, it’s easy to go astray. Here are some tips to help you stay on the go

Just start...
That first step is always the hardest, so willpower is key. Focus on and remind yourself why you want (need!) to make being active an important part of your daily life. Even if you start small, getting started will make all the difference.

Make time
Decide on a time that works you and stick to it. If a walk at lunchtime fits your schedule, a light run after work is better or even a short fitness class before work – put it in your diary, then refuse to move it.

Find something you enjoy
It’s all about doing something that appeals. If running isn’t for you, try a new sport or an exercise class. There will be something out there that gives you a buzz.

Involve your folks
Tell friends and family about your fitness plans and they’ll give you the encouragement we all sometimes need. They might even join you in getting fitter and make it a part of your social life.

Don’t focus on losing weight
Even if it’s your weight that kickstarts you into exercise, getting fitter and healthier should be the priority. By being more active, the weight usually takes care of itself as long as you make good nutritional choices. Importantly, muscle weighs twice as much as fat, so weight isn’t always the best indicator of health or fitness levels.

You don’t have to be sporty
Being active doesn’t have to be all about sport, though. Recreational cycling, swimming, dance or anything that gets your heart rate up and your body moving will get you on the way to a healthier future.

Make sure you rest
Eating healthy food and having plenty of sleep after exercise is vital in recovering from exertion. I know as much as anyone that finding time to get enough sleep can be tough, but trying to do an hour of hard exercise after only 4 hours’ sleep isn’t fun for anyone.

Record your progress
Activity trackers can be great way to keep motivated. Apps that learn from your daily movements and give advice can act like a virtual coach, helping you improve and maintain your fitness. Remember effort leads to rewards so look for something that tracks heart rate so you can get an accurate picture of how hard you’re working. Listening to your body is vital, but knowledge is great and keeps you accountable.

Healthy eating advice for the year ahead

Healthy Food Guide’s experts share their tips for important diet tweaks that could make a difference to your health in 2015

Boost fibre – senior nutrition scientist Bridget Benelam
Fibre will be in the spotlight this year, as recommendations may be increasing from about 24g per day to as much as 30g per day. With average intakes around 18g per day, we're way below the current recommendation, let alone an increased level. Fibre can have a range of health effects - not just keeping you regular! It can help control blood sugar and blood cholesterol (mainly soluble fibre found in oats, barley, rye, pulses, root vegetables and fruit), can help support the healthy bacteria in your gut, may help reduce the risk of bowel cancer and can help with weight control.

To boost your fibre intake, make sure you get your 5-a-day, have wholegrains, or potatoes with skins, at each meal and go for high-fibre snacks, such as unsalted nuts and seeds, rye crispbreads or oat cakes.

Cut sugar - GP Dawn Harper
We all eat too much sugar and most of us don't even know we’re doing it! Start looking at a few labels and you’ll soon find hidden sugar in all sorts of places you would never have guessed.

Ditch beige - recipe consultant Phil Mundy
Cut back on all the pale carb heavy foods, such as pastry, biscuits, white bread and regular pasta, swapping them for wholegrains, sweet potatoes and other brightly coloured foods that will fill your plate for far fewer calories, while adding a lot more vitamins.

Reduce portions – nutritionist Amanda Ursell
If there’s one thing we can do to help reduce our calorie intake and, over time, our weight, it’s to reduce portion sizes. Shaving off 100 calories from breakfast, lunch and dinner, two snacks and one drink each day means we could drop 3,500 calories a week – which equals 1lb of fat. It may not sound much, but this adds up to 4lb a month, over half a stone in two months, almost a stone in three and over a stone in four. In other words, you could lose more than 3 stone a year just by making a little adjustment in portions each time you eat.

Get diagnosed – dietitian Norma McGough, Coeliac UK
If you think you have symptoms (of coeliac disease) that won’t go away, go to your GP and get your condition investigated – don’t try to second- guess what the problem is and treat yourself. For more information, visit coeliac.org.uk

Drink aware – dietitian Juliette Kellow
Drinks can contribute a huge amount of extra calories to our daily intake. A glass of orange juice with breakfast, a medium-sized coffee shop latte in the morning, a smoothie with lunch and a large glass of wine with your evening meal adds up to a massive 570 calories – that's more than a quarter of your daily calorie needs! Swap these for calorie-free options every day and in a year you could lose more than 4 stone!

And drinks can unwittingly push up our sugar intakes – the example above provides 49g sugar or the equivalent of around 12tsp of the white stuff (all sugars – regardless of whether they occur naturally in foods such as fruit or milk, or are added – count towards the maximum 90g a day that's recommended). Part of the problem with drinking calories is that our bodies don't recognise the calories from fluids as well as the calories from food. This means that although a drink can give us a calorie hit, it often doesn't leave us feeling satisfied or fill us up so we still continue to eat the same amount of food. The best drink, without doubt, is water – if you need a sweet hit, try sparkling water with a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice.

Choose mindfully - David Stalker, CEO, ukactive
All the time, we hear in the media that we should be cutting out fat, reducing sugar, exercising more, watching our weight. I’d like 2015 to be about simplicity and going back to basics. A little bit of everything is generally fine. Healthy living is about making mindful choices and consciously thinking about what we’re doing when we open the fridge, or avoiding that spin class to go down to the pub.

Ditch dieting - dietitian Helen Bond
The first thing should be to say no to the ‘D’ word! Weight-loss diets, gurus, celebrities and fads come up with anything and everything to help you see the number on the scales drop. But, if a diet is time-limited and has a start and a finish date, it’s bound to fail – that small break from bad eating habits means you’ll soon be back to lifestyle that made you put weight on in the first place. Evidence has shown that people who lose weight gradually are more successful at keeping the weight off long term. So get yourself on track, by making a plan and setting small, realistic and sustainable healthy eating and lifestyle goals!

Conscious eating – dietitian Tracy Kelly, Diabetes UK
My challenge to HFG readers is to develop a healthy relationship with food. Know what you are eating, the effects it has on your body and ask why you’re eating the foods you are. Many people eat when they aren’t truly hungry, ie, when they’re bored, stressed, feeling emotional, or to please other people. Be kind to yourself and enjoy eating, by choosing foods that nourish your body. And don’t ban anything. Instead, make informed choices. Recognise when you’re hungry and stop eating when you’re satisfied. Make yourself your number one priority! For more information about eating a healthy, balanced diet with diabetes go to diabetes.org.uk/enjoyfood

Move yourself! - Professor David Haslam, Chair of National Obesity Forum
Partly because I detest slow people who get in the way, for example stepping off an escalator and standing motionless at the top, and people who walk down Oxford Street at a snail's pace while texting their mother. But [I feel this way] mainly because moving one's carcass from A to B without the assistance of carbon-based fuel is a healthier way to go.

What have you resolved to change about your diet or fitness this year? Tell us in the comments below.

Why a Christmas pretox beats a detox

Are you a post-Christmas detoxer? Or are you in with the in crowd and giving healthy pretoxing a go? You’ve still got time to start – and you could be feeling the benefits well before you take your first bite of turkey…

The Christmas pretox isn’t something you hear about much, but new research commissioned by Currys PC World has found it to be a growing regime adopted in the run-up to Christmas. And – here’s a surprise – it’s not just the ladies who’re looking to fit into sparkly LBDs: nearly a quarter of UK men are embracing a healthy regime in preparation for the festivities.

The survey found that 22% of men are pretoxing, and looking good at the office Christmas party is one of their main motivators. But – perhaps not a surprise – only 15% are good enough to maintain their diet and fitness regime through the winter. Around 47% of those men surveyed began their pretox in the final week in November. Currys saw sales of health-boosting gadgets such as juicers and step counters begin to spike during that month.

But it’s the post-Christmas regime where the figures fall short, with 93% of the men surveyed expecting a weight gain of around 8lb. Fitness and nutrition expert Lucy Wyndham-Read offers her tips on staying on track in the run-up to the holidays:

1. Speed it up. Walking a little faster is a great way to burn off extra calories. Aim to walk at a speed of 4 miles per hour, as this helps you burn fat. Use a wearable fitness product to measure, or count how many steps you take in 20 seconds at a speed of 4 mph then multiply by 3 – it should be 135 steps per minute. 
2. Stand up. In the office, set a timer on your watch or phone for every 20 minutes. When it goes off, stand up and move if even for a few seconds. After 20 minutes of sitting, the body starts to slow down the amount of calories you burn, so move every 20 minutes to keep it fully active. 
3. Swap biscuits for a smoothie. Save calories and get your vitamins at the same time. 
4. Calorie challenge. Every day, challenge yourself to burn off an extra 100 calories over the build-up to Christmas. 
5. Skip. Skipping for 10 minutes can burn up to 135 calories and it sculpts and tones your lower body. 
6. Add oats to your smoothies. Throwing these into your blender will help stabilise your blood sugar levels so you’ll be less tempted to snack on mince pies. 
7. Take the stairs. Taking the stairs two at a time works your thighs and bottom harder. If you avoid the handrails, you’ll contract your abs more for balance. 
8. Create a playlist. Music is a great motivator, so draw up your list, name it ‘My Pretox Christmas Playlist’ and listen to it when you work out. 
9. Keep gym kit in sight. Put your workout gear on the radiator – this way you’re more likely to slip into it and head for a quick workout. 
10. Apply determination and discipline and you’ll get the desired results.

Good luck!

For more advice about enjoying this year’s festivities without sacrifice, pick up a copy of December’s HFG for tips on keeping a smart festive party strategy, see our choice of savvy drink swaps and cook up the best healthy versions of Christmas favourites.

How to get a lean ballerina body

By Rebecca Almond

Thighs burning, abs shaking, face a sweaty mess – working for a toned ballerina body is harder than I thought. I’m at Barrecore in Mayfair, London, road-testing the ballet-inspired workout craze that’s got the nation pirouetting with glee at its body-shaping power. ‘It’ll be fine,’ I convince myself as I walk into the studio, recalling my dance training of days gone by. But this is not the toes-pointed, tutu-wearing Swan Lake style of ballet I remember. Ballet shoes and experience are not required for this exercise class – just a willingness to work your body hard.

‘This will hurt – your muscles will shake, they’re supposed to,’ the instructor warns at the beginning of the session. And she’s not kidding. The 60-minute workout is a blend of high repetition pilates and barre exercises that use your body weight and small equipment (light weights, pilates ball, resistance band) to exhaust every muscle group, alternated with stretching – and boy do you need to stretch! It’s these isometric movements (static holds with small contractions) that shape and hone the muscles, improving your posture and alignment – and burn up to 500 calories.

In spite of the pain, I leave the class feeling a few inches taller, tauter and buzzing with endorphins – I even booked myself in for the same time next week. An exercise class that tones the whole body and burns calories, all under the pretence of gracefulness… I'm hooked.

The next day, I catch up with Barrecore founder Niki Rein and ask her to share her ballet-body tips:

What’s so good about the Barrecore way of exercising?

We work the body like dancers do – targeting every muscle in the body, especially the small stabilisers (the muscles that hold the body in place so a desired movement can be performed) to create long, lean lines.

What’s your favourite exercise?

I love our thigh exercise, V Waterski. Stand at the barre, heels together with toes turned out, then lean back and pulse towards the barre. It’s a thigh killer that shapes the inner and outer muscles, stretching and elongating them at the same time. Plus, it lifts the seat, flattens the abdominal wall and sculpts the back. 

The V Waterski

When is the best time of day to exercise?

Before 10am is the best time as our cortisol (stress response hormone) levels are highest. The amount of cortisol in our bodies naturally reduces throughout the day so we are relaxed by bedtime, but exercise – a stressor – results in the release of extra cortisol from the adrenal gland. By working out in the morning when cortisol levels are already elevated, it gives the body plenty of time to reach the relaxed state needed for deep restorative sleep. Exercising later in the day may disrupt the natural cortisol rhythm. Plus, studies show people who work out in the morning are more consistent exercisers than those who exercise in the evening. 

How long should you wait after eating before working out?

Two hours after a large meal, but it’s fine to have a light snack just before exercise.  Great light snack choices include a handful of nuts, a raw energy bar such as LoveRaw, or even a couple of bites of chicken will help you burn fat and sustain your energy levels during the workout.

What is your favourite post-workout snack?

I love a green vegetable and apple juice after exercising. Workouts cause acidity in the body, so the greens help increase alkalinity, while the sugar in the apple helps improve insulin uptake after exercise. I always aim to get a little bit of protein shortly after my juice, too, for muscle recovery.

What’s your best piece of fitness advice?

Stay mentally connected to what you are doing – try and visualise your muscles working and changing. This will get you working harder and burning more calories.

Fancy trying it for yourself? Barrecore has studios in London’s Mayfair and Chelsea, or you can download one of the online classes and workout in the comfort of your own home. Visit barrecore.co.uk for class times and prices. 

Tina tries... Up close and personal

By Tina Betts

In her first ever gym session, Tina is put to work by her personal trainer…

I’m nervous about meeting my personal trainer for the first time. My most pressing worry is… argh, what do I wear?

My trainers are caked in mud, as the last time I used them was for gardening, and my trackie bottoms are stored safely in a suitcase on top of the wardrobe (they’re certainly going to need an iron!)

But with trainers cleaned and bottoms pressed, I'm ready to meet my nemesis… Nuffield Health’s Lloyd. Turns out he’s a laid-back kind of guy who quickly puts me at ease, but just as quickly puts me to work. Taking into account last week’s MOT and having listened to my goals, he’s worked out a programme for me. I start with a set of exercises, so he can gauge my fitness level (squats, twists, mountain climbing). With each set he ups the challenges. So far, so good as, 20 mins in I'm still standing and confident I can get through this first session without looking like a numpty.

I resist the urge to giggle every time Lloyd asks if I can "feel it in my glutes yet?" I have no idea where my glutes are (I now know they’re bottom cheeks, and yes, I can feel them). I’m also introduced to my core – that’s tummy, mid and lower back, hips, shoulders and neck regions. And, boy, do they get a work out (I’m really feeling it the next day).

Was the workout worth it? Well! I’ve overcome my reluctance about gyming it - I’m even excited about my next session. Best thing is, I’ve realised I can do it. Over the next few weeks Lloyd is going to help me build up my stamina and, to help, he’s suggested I fit in a cardio session. So next week you can read all about my aqua aerobics session. Now where’s that cossie?

Personal training sessions at Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Centres cost from £55 for a single session. A five-hour booking costs £230 (that’s £46 a session) but it’s cheaper if you pay by direct debit. See www.nuffieldhealth.com.

We’d love to hear about your endeavours to get fit… 

Tina tries…

In our new series on shaping up, Healthy Food Guide’s art director Tina Betts starts on her journey towards a proper exercise plan to supplement her day-to-day walking…

By Tina Betts

How did it happen? I’m 43, and things are starting to sag. I haven’t changed my eating and drinking habits, so age is starting to catch up with me. I inherited my ‘walk everywhere’ gene from my Dad. I don’t have a car, so think nothing of whizzing down to Sainsbury’s with my trolley bag. But despite frequent trolley dashes, there’s a big but – my big butt, in fact! I’m lucky that I’ve always been a healthy weight, but it’s starting to creep up, the muffin top is rising steadily and there’s no way I’m going to fit into my dream 40th birthday dress again, at least not the way things are going.

My fear of exercise means I’ve never liked the gym or classes. It’s the classic ‘I was always the last to be picked’ for the team at school. It’s made me a tad anxious in sporting environments.

But that all changed a few weeks ago. As part of a work feature, I tried a yoga class for the first time with my work colleagues. And I could see the attraction of exercising as a group. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. And so, Tina tries… was born. It’s a week by week log of my mission to get fit - and get me back into that party dress.

My first stop was the Health Check at Nuffield Health at their flagship centre at London’s Cannon Street (it’s really more hip hotel than soulless gym). All members go through checks before starting their fitness plan.

Nuffield Health’s senior wellbeing adviser Katarina Berceliova took me through my body MOT, checking my BMI, resting heart rate, blood glucose levels (all healthy) and quizzed me about my sleep patterns (fine) and lifestyle habits (cholesterol and alcohol quotas not so fine). Generally, at 5ft 5in and 9 stone 3lb, my BMI at 21.2 is very good and my blood pressure spot on. But I know I need to do something about my fitness levels – I’ve reached the age where you can’t take anything for granted. 

I came away feeling optimistic with three main Wellbeing Action points: to monitor my blood cholesterol, up my water consumption and increase my activity and fitness levels.

Come back next week to read about my first ever session with my personal trainer. I have to admit, just those words make me nervous…

Dancing in the street

By Rebecca Almond

Those who know me will agree when I tell you I’m not at all “street”. So when I was invited to sample the new urban dance exercise class at Fitness First, I was conscious my moves would be more hip-pop than hip-hop.  

Now I’m not one to shuffle around my handbag when I hit the dance floor – 16 years’ of ballet training instilled a modicum of rhythm in my body – but this genre of dance is way beyond my comfort zone. Still, the allure of burning up to 400 calories in a one-hour ‘fun-filled workout’ led me to pack my gym kit and prepare to take centre stage…

Diversity Street Dance promises to help you achieve traditional exercise goals through high-energy street dance moves, offering a workout that boosts cardio fitness, muscle strength, balance and flexibility. And, as the class name suggests, the routines are choreographed by the winning dance troupe of Britain’s Got Talent 2009, Diversity.

“This class is for absolutely anyone,” says Diversity’s leader and man with the moves, Ashley Banjo. “We hope the class will attract more people to street dance – the idea is people have fun, gain an insight into a different style of dance and get fit.”

So, warm up done, positions taken – and my eyes sheepishly averted from the surrounding wall of mirrors – the instructor takes the class through the routine. The steps are easy to grasp, combining a series of jumps, body rolls and powerful moves both upright and on the floor. And when we’re ready to put everything to music and the beats start booming, I’m quick to realise Ashley’s get-fit pledge has grounds. Two takes of the routine and I’ve worked up a sweat and am gasping for water – but all worries of looking like a fool have been danced away.

This class is hugely energetic, but not in a humdrum, must-keep-pounding-the-treadmill sense. There’s something about dance that turns your mind away from achieving your exercise goal and focuses it instead on mastering the moves and having fun – regardless of whether your interpretation of the routine is as polished as the instructor’s.

If you have two left feet, this class probably isn’t for you as the choreography is fast, varied and high impact in places. But don’t let age hold you back – my session was filled with men and women of varying generations. ‘There should be something for everyone,’ says Ashley.

A class that burns calories and builds strength but doesn’t feel like an exercise class? I’m sold. In fact, street dance is likely to become a regular feature of my stay-fit regime. So come on Mr Banjo, I’m waiting for your call – I quite fancy myself as the 12th member of Diversity…

Diversity Street Dance is available at selected Fitness First clubs nationwide. For more information and to find your nearest class, visit fitnessfirst.co.uk/Diversity