Fair weather fitness? - get active and beat the cold and rain!

The last couple of weeks of sunshine have lifted our spirits after a long and colder than usual winter. The sun encourages us to get on our bikes, go for a walk, get in the garden and generally get active. But now the sun has gone in and it has turned chilly again and the inclination is to stay in and do less. This is really bad news for our health and our fitness. There is no doubt, activity is a pleasure when you feel the sun on your back.

But activity needs to be regular if we are to see real benefits to our health and fitness and we need to develop a few good habits. They don’t need to be revolutionary. Just small changes that can make a big difference when we add them all up together. For instance, make a rule not to leave things on the bottom step of the stairs – take them up every time. All that stair-walking burns extra calories and tones up your bum. Park your car at the far end of the car park and walk further. If you wear a pedometer you will be amazed how these extra steps mount up and it will really encourage you. Climb the stairs rather than take the lift – even if you can’t manage all of the floors if you are going up a long way, you can always take the lift for the final bit when you’ve gone as far as you can. And rather than send an email to your colleague two desks away, walk over and ask the question.

We all need motivation and a pedometer will help you to find it. Just being conscious that every step you take clocks up on this little gadget so you can see how many steps you have taken in a day is so enlightening. I promise wearing one will make you move more. If you move more, you burn extra calories. When you burn extra calories, you help yourself lose your weight. So, search for that pedometer that you have knocking around in a drawer somewhere or treat yourself to a new one. Choose a simple one as it is off-putting if you have to spend half an hour setting it up. We have a great one that’s dead simple to operate. Just check out our web shop for details.

I know it’s colder today, but don’t use that as an excuse not to become more active.