Spring into fitness with
lifestyle fitness advice
It's never too late to improve your health and vitality with a bit of lifestyle and fitness advice. But getting fit doesn't have to mean gruelling hours sweating on a treadmill. Nor does it mean giving up all your favourite foods. Just a few handy pieces of lifestyle advice and fitness advice can help you make just a few small changes and reap serious health rewards.
Fitness advice for you
It's estimated that four out of ten people over the age of 50 do little or no exercise. And this doesn't just mean that you pile on the pounds, it also puts you at greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Exercise makes you stronger, more confident and less stressed. It also means that you are more likely to stay independent longer.
The good news is that you don't have to take up jogging to improve your level of fitness, all you need to do is introduce 30 minutes of activity a day. This can be a leisurely swim at the local pool, pottering around the garden or even giving the house a good clean.
And this 30 minutes doesn't even have to be in one go, two sessions of 15 minutes or three sessions of 10 minutes every day are just as effective And by giving you the fitness advice that's appropriate for your life, we hope you can build these simple activities into your daily routine:
- Use the stairs rather than the lift or escalator when shopping and why not make a point of always using the upstairs loo
- Walk to the local shops rather than driving or taking the bus
- Get digging in the garden - this is a great way of keeping active
- Whistle while you work - by putting on some music while you wash the car or vacuum the house, you won't even realise you're burning off calories
- Volunteer as a dog walker - you'll not only earn extra cash, but you'll also be getting some great exercise
Mind Power
It's not just your body that needs regular activity, fitness advice is also about keeping your brain in good working order. Mental decline is not an inevitable part of ageing and you can find out more information about keeping your brain sharp here. Here are some simple daily mental exercises to keep your brain in good shape:
- Pick up a book or magazine and read more
- Take up a new interest that will stimulate your mind
- Enjoy a daily puzzle like the crossword or sudoku
- Play mind-stretching games like bingo, bridge or chess
- Memorise your shopping list
- Socialise more and meet with friends or sign up for voluntary work.
Nutrition
Research shows that any lifestyle advice concerning fitness has to include information about diet. There is a proven link between what you eat and many of the major diseases, including coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Unfortunately, there isn't one single food that can give us everything we need to keep in tip-top condition. Variety is not only the spice of life, it's also key to a healthy, balanced diet. Here are the golden rules of healthy eating:
- Make small changes to your diet. Switch from full-fat milk to semi-skimmed, choose leaner cuts of meat or try steaming or grilling foods rather than frying them.
- Something fishy. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or sardines are rich in vitamin D and a type of fat that can reduce the risk of heart attack. Aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week including one portion of white fish such as haddock. Tip - add a tin of sardines to a tomato-based pasta sauce for a simple but nutritious supper.
- Reduce salt. Salt is essential for health, but too much can increase your risk of high blood pressure and strokes. Tip - taste your food before you sprinkle on the salt. Or add herbs and spices for extra flavour instead.
- Increase fluids. It's not just in hot weather that we need to keep our fluid intake up. In the cold our bodies become dehydrated thanks to central heating. Aim to have 6-8 glasses a day. Water is best, but tea, fruit juice or squash will do. Tip - try swapping one cup of traditional tea with a fruit or herbal tea.
- Eat plenty of iron-rich foods, which can be found in red meat, pulses (peas, beans, lentils), oily fish such as sardines, eggs, bread and green vegetables. Tip - avoid drinking tea or coffee with iron-rich meals as this might affect how much iron your body absorbs.