I'm sure I'm not alone in just wanting to go home when it is dark and snuggle down in front of the fire.  The thought of doing some exercise doesn't really appeal, particularly if it involves going out in the cold, wind, rain, snow etc.  However, come Summer and a whole new mindset appears.

This usually starts with my annual holiday to Madeira where I spend most of the week mountain walking. 

On the first day I usually puff and pant my way up the smallest one, stopping for copious breaks and fall asleep as soon as I get back to the apartment. 

Second day it's not quite so bad, by the end of the week I'm not only walking faster with fewer breaks, I feel more energised, my joints don't ache, my mind is lifted so I'm more aware of the beautiful surroundings and I sleep like a log.  All that in just seven days for a 50 year old body! 

I do this every year, but I still forget how much my body likes the fresh air and exercise and give myself every excuse under the sun (or lack of it) not to do any form of energy generating, mind calming exercise when I'm back in cooler England.  So, as I ask my clients every week - "What have you learned?"

1.  You don't have to do masses of exercise every day for your body to start to change for the better.
2.  Never, ever do a form of exercise you don't like - you'll resent it and you won't want to do it.  Would I want to walk 6-10km through a city?  No, I wouldn't.  Through a mountain pass on an island so beautiful it's known as the "floating garden" is a different matter.
3.  If I feel pain should I push through it - of course not.  That nonsense went out with Jane Fonda in the 1980's.
4.  Losing weight is not enough - the holistic approach to a healthy body is best, i.e. weight, nutrition and exercise.
5.  The gym is not the only form of exercise.  Anything that raises your heart rate and leaves you feeling slightly sweaty and breathless is exercise.  Walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, trampet (mini trampoline), yoga, pilates, aqua-aerobics, the list is endless.  Some can be done at home, some outside, most won't cost you anything.  Just do something.

If all of that isn't reason enough - just look at how many calories you can burn with even moderate levels of exercise, which all helps towards both weight loss and weight maintaining:

Whilst you are on LighterLife stick to:

20 minute moderate pace walk = 106 cals burned

20 mins breaststoke swim = 194 cals burned

30 mins Yoga (Hatha) = 121 cals burned

Then when you have completed the Programme and are weight maintaining, you can step it up a gear and go for:

1 hr High Impact Aerobics = 678 cals burned

1 hr badminton - 436 cals burned

1 hr moderate cycling = 774 cals burned

1 hr dancing = 436 cals burned

If you consider that the bottom line of weight maintaining is balancing the calories in with the calories out, then you can see how much a regular exercise routine can impact on that!  And now is the ideal time to get into the swing of creating that routine.

Have a great summer!

If you want to find out more about the LighterLIfe Programmes and what we can offer, give me a call on 01509 234433 or email Debbie.ford@lighterlifecounsellor.com or text 07860 017700 (text service only - not a mobile phone).

Payment accepted in either cash or card with a small charge payable for the use of cards.