Guide to physical activity
and exercise

Get active – what are you 'weighting' for?

It's not too late to live longer

The case for staying active couldn't be stronger. The health benefits gained through regular exercise are widely acknowledged and numerous. Here are just some of the reasons why we should be active…

Regular physical activity can:

• reduce the risk of developing and dying from coronary heart disease - Britain’s number one killer
• reduce the risk of stroke
• reduce the risk of developing colon cancer
• reduce the risk of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes
• lower high blood pressure
• help people to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
• help to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints thus reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis (brittle bones) and osteoarthritis
• increase levels of good cholesterol.

And that's not all! Besides helping to protect from health problems, evidence shows that regular physical activity can also have a positive effect on people's moods, helping to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. In general, exercise promotes psychological well-being and in turn reduces feelings of stress. If that wasn't incentive enough, exercise can also slow down the ageing process and can increase your life span.

So, what are you waiting for? No one is too young or too old to enjoy the benefits afforded through regular physical activity. In fact, evidence indicates that exercise has benefits for all age groups.

How much physical activity should I do?

Moderate-intensity physical activity

For an adult, 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity physical activity per day is recommended. This equates to using up about an extra 200 calories. Moderate-intensity physical activity should make your heart rate increase and should make you feel warm, slightly sweaty and slightly out of breath. Such activities may include:

• walking or cycling to and from work, or part of the way
• using the stairs instead of lifts
• walking short distances instead of taking the car, i.e. to the shops or to a friends house
• doing heavy housework or doing it at a faster pace than normal
• DIY, such as painting or laying floors
• gardening

Don't worry if this seems a little daunting, the good news is that you don't have to complete the full 30 minutes all at once and the activity doesn't have to be strenuous. In fact, it's possible to achieve your 30 minute a day target by making simple adjustments to your everyday life.

Incorporating these activities into your daily life shouldn't prove too difficult and is the ideal way to start your new routine.

Once you have started you may want to try to increase the amount of time spent exercising to 45-60 minutes each day, particularly if your aim is to lose weight.

Aerobic exercise

For the greatest health benefits, it is recommended that you complete 30 minutes of aerobic exercises at least three times a week as well as some kind of muscle strengthening activity and stretching. If you have been inactive for a while, it is best to start off with less intense activities and increase your exercise over time.

Aerobic activity is an important addition to the more general moderate-intensity exercise and includes activities that make you breathe hard and use large muscle groups at a regular, steady pace.

Aerobic activities are beneficial if your aim is to boost your fitness level as well as to lose weight as they burn more calories than other activities. There is also evidence to suggest more strenuous activities are better in terms of strengthening your heart and preventing heart disease.

Aerobic activities include:

• running
• cycling
• swimming
• racket sports
• field sports
• winter sports
• climbing
• going to the gym and using aerobic equipment

Stretching and strengthening exercises, for example using the weight machines at the gym, should also be a part of your physical activity program. In addition to burning up additional calories, these exercises strengthen your muscles and bones and help to prevent injury.

A healthy diet

It is important to combine physical activity with a healthy diet in order to take full advantage of the health benefits associated with exercise.

Body weight is governed by the amount of calories you eat and use each day. Pretty much everything you eat and drink contains calories and everything you do helps burn these off. However, if you consume more calories than you burn off, your body will store the extra calories and you will gain weight. On the other hand, if you consume fewer calories than you use your body uses the stored calories causing you to lose weight. So, even when exercising regularly it is still important to have a healthy diet.

Eating healthily

A healthy balanced diet is essential for good health. The key to keeping weight in check is to combine roughly the right foods in roughly the right amounts and to vary what you eat. Getting into a healthy eating routine can be difficult. It is important to take it slowly and avoid 'faddy' diets. Setting goals that work with your tastes and fitness plan. Make sure though that you include fruit and vegetables, starchy and wholemeal foods and protein rich foods.

You should aim to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. This can be achieved easily by:

• having a glass of fruit juice or a fruit smoothie with your breakfast in the morning
• eating a side salad or a portion of vegetables with lunch or dinner
• snacking on fruit throughout the day.

The concept of a healthy diet is based on 3 principles:

Balance – this involves the inclusion of different foods in roughly the right proportion to each other.

Moderation – get a feel for how much food is enough and how much is too much. The feeling of fullness can take around 15 minutes to register with the brain. As such, it is important to regulate the amount of food consumed and then wait for a while before eating more in order to gauge if you are still hungry. Eating in moderation teaches the brain the difference between hunger satisfaction and fullness.

Variation – healthy diets should include varied food types. This not only has health benefits but also helps to avoid boredom when eating. Trying new food can be interesting and rewarding.

Drinking healthily

To keep hydrated you should aim to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day and increase this when undertaking physical activity or during hot weather. It is best to minimise non-diet fizzy drinks as these tend to be very high in added sugar. Remember that the thirst sensation doesn't kick in until quite late which means that if you simply drink in response to thirst then you're already likely to be dehydrated. You should try to get into the habit of drinking habitually throughout the day - whether you're thirsty or not. Having a large bottle of water on your desk and making sure it's empty by the time you leave for home often works. You can also do this with 2 or 3 pieces of fruit.

For alcohol, it's recommended that women can drink up to 2-3 units per day and men up to 3-4 units without significant risk to their health. Alcohol consumption should be spread throughout the week and binge drinking avoided. Over indulgence can have serious health implications. Also, remember that some alcohol is very calorific and take this into consideration when planning your health routine.

Follow these simple steps and wake up to a happy new you.

If you have any concerns please do not hesitate in contacting your GP. There are also various other sources that you can refer to or contact for further help and information.