Getting active

Feeling a bit sluggish? Getting more active, alongside a healthy diet, is a great way to burn extra calories, help you lose weight and give you more energy.

When we eat more food than our body uses during the day, it gets stored, usually as fat, and we put on weight. Here are some practical tips to help you get more active, choose a healthier diet and burn that excess energy.

Getting started

Getting going is half the challenge. So, if you're thinking about stepping up your activity levels, here are some simple ideas to get you started:

• Go for a walk – a brisk walk can make you feel good and it’s free. Leave the car at home for those short journeys or get off the bus a stop early.
• If you're already doing lots of walking, try increasing the pace (or perhaps try jogging) – even if it's just to the end of the road or to the shop, but build up gradually and take it at your own pace.
• Take the stairs. If you're only going one or two floors, give the lift a miss. Climbing the stairs will help you get fit and is a great way to tone your legs and bum!
• Get out in the garden or go to the park. Take a football, a frisbee or a bat and ball. You don't need lots of fancy sports equipment to get out and have fun.
• Swimming is great exercise for all ages. Discounts and even free sessions might also be available at certain times for older people, children and families on income support.
• If you want to stay a bit closer to home, a bit of vigorous vacuuming or gardening can be a great way of getting physical and burning some calories.

It's a good idea to do something active every day, but you don't need to join a gym to do this if you don't want to. Try building up slowly and aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five times a week.

Moderate intensity means you should feel warm and slightly out of breath, but still be able to hold a light conversation during the activity.

But remember, any increase in your activity levels is an improvement and means you’re already making a good start.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you think about your safety. Check with your GP before you get started, they might also be able to give you some tips on what will work best for you.

Sticking with it

Fad exercises are usually hard to keep up, so try to pick an activity you enjoy and make it part of your daily or weekly routine, that way you're much more likely to stick with it.

If you think you need a hand to help you stick to your new active lifestyle, try asking yourself the following questions (write down your answers to help you to think about them):

1. What sort of activity do I enjoy doing?


2. What good will it do me?


3. When and how often will I do it?


4. What might stop me from doing it?


5. How will I keep going towards my goal?
6. What help do I need from other people to do this?

It's also a good idea to plan to do an activity with a friend or relative, having that extra support might just help you stick to your plan.

Why don't you use our activity diary to record your progress? Seeing the improvements you're making is an important part of any lifestyle change and will help you keep on track.

Eating for healthy weight

Taking up gentle exercise alongside a healthy diet will help you lose weight. Eat fewer calories than you burn off, through normal activities such as walking, plus the extra calories you use during your activity, and you'll start to lose weight!

We can all benefit from a bit of extra thought on what we're eating but it doesn't need to be complicated. Unless you’re planning a lot of competitive sport, all you need is a varied balanced diet.

Include plenty of starchy foods such as rice, pasta and bread – these should make up a third of the food we eat. We should also be eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, and some dairy and protein-rich foods every day. And don't forget to cut back on those snacks high in sugar, fat or salt.

We should all be aiming to:

• eat plenty of fruit and vegetables


• eat more starchy foods such as rice, pasta and bread – choose wholegrain when you can


• cut down on fat – especially saturates


• cut down on salt and sugar

If you're thinking of doing a lot of sport, or if you're already active, thinking more carefully about your diet might help you improve your performance. You can find out more about food for sport below.

Tips to improve your diet

It's not a good idea to go on a crash diet, because it might mean you miss out on some important nutrients. Diets are hard to keep up and will only leave you feeling guilty when you have something you're 'not allowed' to have. Try to make some simple lifestyle changes that will make your diet healthier and help you lose weight.

Here are some tips to help you think more about what you're eating:

1. Think before you reach. Do you really need that extra helping or that snack? Try a glass of water instead. Often we think we're hungry when we're actually thirsty.


2. Put your cutlery down between mouthfuls. Chat more and chew more.


3. Avoid eating in front of the TV. TV distracts you from your meal and you're likely to overeat without realising it.


4. Try eating more veg with your meal and having some fruit for dessert or for a snack. Not only will this help fill you up, but it will set you on your way to 5-a-day.


5. Don't miss meals. It might sound strange, but missing meals might make you eat more calories in the long run.

Drinking enough

We should all be drinking 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day, plus extra when we're getting active. Water is the best choice of drink. How much you need will depend on how hot or humid it is, how long and hard you exercise for.

It's not usually necessary to drink special sports drinks when you're exercising, unless you're doing competitive sport. They often contain lots of sugar, so will have extra calories and could lead to tooth decay.

What are you waiting for? Grab your trainers, some water and head out to enjoy the countryside, your local park or just get dancing with your duster!