SPRING SPLASH
Does your bare body make you cringe? What are you waiting for?

 

Can’t remember when you last saw your toes? Sat on the couch all winter thinking ‘it’s too cold to exercise’? Chances are, then, that the words ‘spring’, ‘summer’ and ‘summer uniform’ all bring a sense of dread. So while there are no quick fixes to getting a great body, there are steps you can take to ensure you enjoy the warmer months.

• The first step should always be to see your doc- see your doctor if you suffer from any health or injury issues - but even if you don’t but it’s been while since you exercised, then it’s always good idea to get checked over anyway.
  
  
• Secondly - get moving. Today.
  
  The gym might seem a frightening prospect when rst starting out, so why not do something outside of the gym. Take a walk with your partner or pet (or both) before or after work, or take a workmate with you at lunchtime. Begin by walking, then, as your body gets used to it, build up.
  
  Challenge yourself, Challenge yourself, but remember, walking is a great exercise and is just as effective as running in keeping us in shape, without the high risk of injury. Walking, running and swimming will help you build strong heart and lung muscles and help you control your weight. These types of exercise also tone your body.
  
  
• Step three - work out what goals you work out what goals you want to achieve. want to achieve.
  
  Do you want to lose weight, tone up, increase your fitness or maybe a combination of these? Maybe you want to compete in a 10km walk or half marathon or maybe you just want to walk around the block without feeling like your chest will explode.
  
  Setting goals and writing them down is a great way to work out exactly what you want, what you need to achieve it, and how you are progressing. Set goals with your PTIs Set goals with your PTIs - they are a great source of information and inspiration. They can help devise programs to suit all shapes and sizes and can help keep you motivated.
  
  People pay thousands of dollars for personal trainers while you can take advantage of this for free. They can take you through all of the daunting equipment in the gym so that you can feel confi dent.
  
  
• Next, examine what you eat. examine what you eat.
  
  This way you can determine your eating habits and work out where and how you need to improve. Eating a balanced combination of foods in balanced quantities will help you get and maintain the body you want. That means you need to eat carbohydrates (starches), protein (meat and dairy products) and yes even some fat. Your local doctor is a valuable source of information and can help with nutrition guidelines.
  
  Remember that fad fad diets don’t work - look for sensible long term eating habits, such as the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, which promote a good all-round diet designed to increase energy but decrease risk of heart attacks and other diseases.
  
  The following are some tips to get you started:
  
  
• 1. Eat protein at every meal.
  Try a smoked-salmon bagel for breakfast, chicken for lunch and a steak for dinner.
• 2. Reduce wheat- and flour-based products.
  If you can’t resist, at least go for brown and wholemeal options, steering clear of the white breads, rices and pastas. 3. Increase your salads and low carb veg
• 3. Increase your salads and low carb veggies. gies.
  You will still feel satisfied and with a variety of salad vegies you will have increased your vitamin intake as a bonus.
  
• 4. Get into juicing.
  A healthy juice is not only a great way to start the day but also an easy way to consume your serves of fruit or veggies before you have even walked out the door. Buying fruit at the weekend markets and having it chopped, ready to go, means there are no time excuses in the mornings.
• 5. Go low fat dairy.
  Enjoy your dairy products - they are a great source of many things including calcium, but go for the low-fat, low sugar varieties.
• 7. Be a label freak.
  Read the labels as you shop for your groceries. Don’t be fooled by labels that claim to be ‘Lite’, ‘No cholesterol’ and ‘Fat Free’. Compare products and look at what you are really consuming.
  
  Do a little research and you will make more informed choices. There are plenty of websites which explain the differences - your doctor can also help.
• 8. Reduce the booze
  A glass of red wine has been shown to reduce risk of heart disease, but many other varieties of alcohol, such as beer, contain nothing but empty calories and way too much sugar.
  Enjoy a drink - but do so in moderation.
• 9. Watch the types of fat you consume.
  The amount of fat is probably less important than the kind you eat. The best fats are omega-3 fats found in foods such as fi sh, particularly deep-water varieties like salmon.
• 10. Obsessively drink water.
  Consume at least eight or more large glasses each day, and more if you are exercising in the warmer weather. Drink water every day. No excuses. A good lifestyle is all about making in- A good lifestyle is all about making informed choices and committing to them. formed choices and committing to them.
  
  It is always much harder when we go to sea, but watch what you eat and make time to exercise, even if it’s half an hour on the treadmill, or one of the PT classes, and you will be amazed at how good you feel. Making the changes now means not only enjoying the warmer months ahead, but also enjoying a longer and fuller life.
  
  It’s not always about how we really t’s not always about how we really look at all but it’s certainly about look at all but it’s certainly about how we feel.
  
  Information for this article was gained from a resources including www.activeforlife.com.au, www.heartfoundation. com.au, www.csiro.com.au and www.mydr.com.au.

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