PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

 Being physically active is important for ALL ages and abilities and the health benefits gained from an active lifestyle are undeniable.

 The key to physical activity is doing something that you enjoy…. and lots of it... no matter what your interest and ability Leisure Warrington can undoubtedly accommodate you.

 What are the benefits of being physically active?

 The World Health Organisation defines physical activity as “ a fundamental means of maintaining and improving peoples physical and mental health”

This means that the health benefits gained from living an active life can be numerous and reduce the incidence of, or dramatically improve certain health conditions such as:

• Heart Disease (Angina, CHD)
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Weight control (obesity)
• Mental Illness
• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Certain Cancers

What activity should I be doing?

Firstly, remember it needs to be something you enjoy!

This activity can literally be anything and may include one (or more) of the following:

• Walking or jogging
• Cycling
• Going to the gym
• Swimming
• Dancing
• Exercise classes like aerobics
• Competitive sports, such as badminton or tennis

How often should I be physically active?

We should be physically active as often as possible.

The Department of Health recommends that adults should aim for at least:

“30 minutes of a moderately intense activity at least 5 times a week”

The guideline is “moderate activity”! This means something that gets you a little out of breath. As long as the activity raises you heart rate a little and gets you a bit sweaty, you’re doing ok!

Can I do too much physical activity?

The simple answer is yes…but this is uncommon.

Firstly, everyone is different. Some people may have more specific needs or health conditions which need special attention.

Most of these people can and should undertake some kind of suitable activity and with Leisure Warrington this is possible. Reach for Health is a service in conjunction with NHS-Warrington and supports those who need special or additional support with exercise or activity. If you feel this may be for you click here:

For everyone else, the key is to be sensible. Listen to your own body and if you feel over tired or a little stiff, then relax and exercise on another day.

Spread your activity over the week and, most importantly, make sure that what you do is enjoyable.

HEALTHY EATING

Just like physical activity, the link between eating a healthy balanced and varied diet and health is indisputable. The next few tabs may help to answer some of the common questions about the relationship between food, diet and health.

What should I eat?

Easy! A little bit of everything!

 A good diet is varied and enjoys foods of different colours, textures, flavours and origins. A good diet is all about BALANCE, VARIETY & MODERATION.

 As a general guide, a diet should be broken down into the following:

Most MEN should aim to consume 2000 – 2500Kcal
Most WOMEN should aim to consume 1500 – 2000Kcal

CARBOHYDRATE = 40 – 50%

These types of foods include:

Grains
Rice
Pasta
Fruit & Vegetables

PROTEIN = 20 –30%

These types of food include:

Fish
Meat
Dairy products 

FATS = 10 –20%

These types of foods include the good fats:

These should be good fats such as olive oil or Virgin coconut oil.

How do I loose weight?

This is such a common area of discussion and debate, which can seem confusing, but it does NOT have to be!

When an individual is looking to lose weight they, ultimately, need an energy imbalance!

How a person decides to get this imbalance is what causes the confusion and debate! Tactics used by people include dieting, increasing exercise, cutting out certain types of food or just not eating at all.

These all do the same thing…cause an energy imbalance, so more calories are expended than consumed!

What is important to remember is that for most individuals, initial success in weight loss relates poorly to long-term success. All research suggests that just limiting calories is not going to work…in the long run!

The main thing that needs to change is YOU! Your thoughts, feelings, ideals and tactics to lose weight!

Activity needs to be often (at least 5 x week) and calories need to be counted (don’t go over your daily allowance)! 

Once this is established, then just stick with it!

A healthy weight loss is from 0.5 to l.0lb a week (that’s around 600g on metric scales) and therefore a substantial and maintained weight loss can take time. However, being fit and healthy AND losing weight is a lifestyle approach and not just for Christmas.

When you lose weight with exercise you are only losing the fat. This is opposed to the no exercise/consume less calories method which will cost you lean tissue that you want to keep, like muscle, cartilage and bone.

Depending on the type of exercise you do, you may even add more muscle. The great thing about this is that muscle is more active than fat and will help you burn more calories.

Exercise also helps to normalise your body functions and vigorous exercise can actually depress your appetite! When you provide it, your body will be able to start to return to the natural and healthy state that is want to be in.

This is why achieving healthy weight loss with exercise is so much easier than without it.

Top 10 Tips to Help with Eating Healthy!

Make each meal as colourful as possible:

Use lots of different vegetables and fruits, this will help get your full spectrum of essential vitamins and Minerals.

Eat 5 fruit/Vegetables a day:

This will help to bulk up your diet and allow for sustained energy and decreased cravings.

Drink lots of Water:

The body is mainly water, so this will help with concentration and digestion.

Use the most raw ingredients possible:

Raw ingredients are usually fresh ingredients and therefore tend to have less salt, sugar and additives in. 

Cook:

People who spend time cooking tend to have better, more balanced diets.

Don’t rush. Enjoy your food and take time to eat it:

Don’t eat to quickly. Take time with a drink and enjoy what you eat.

Try something new:

Don’t be scared. Try that unusual looking vegetable.

Don’t be greedy! Eat till your satisfied, not until you feel stuffed:

Don’t stuff yourself and eat for the sake of eating. Eat until you are full and then set aside the food or save for another mealtime.

Don’t over do it! Portion size is important. Don’t pile too much on:

Take account of how much you eat. Calories can deceive by using unusual amounts for their Kcal content. Have some kitchen scales always at hand.

Enjoy your food:

Don’t force yourself to eat foods which you think are good for you but you don’t like. Though you can’t necessarily eat what you like, you should definitely like what you eat.