Health Hints 2008
January – After the disruption of Christmas, now is the perfect time to build exercise into your day – before you slip into the old routine of not having exercise as part of your day. Even better put your trainers and exercise gear beside your bed so you put those on first rather than a dressing gown – it will inspire you and you have one less hurdle to overcome to start your exercise!
February - Weight training for ladies is one of the best ways to improve your body shape, boost your confidence and improve your mood after the Christmas excesses - and it doesn’t mean you end up with huge muscles. Check your technique with a professional personal trainer or instructor to get the most out of your exercise time and avoid injury.
March – Do you know that often many people spend more time thinking about starting their exercise session than it would take to actually do the session? As long as the exercise session stays in your mind you won’t get fitter or feel more energised. Stop thinking and start doing – it’s really that simple.
April – Take time out by eating an orange for breakfast! By sitting at a table and peeling an orange you have to stop and relax during the morning rush to get to work. You also get one of your ‘five a day’, avoid tooth erosion from the acid in your carton fruit juice and increase your fibre intake. Time to head off to the shops?
May – Feeling a bit blue despite the sunshine? Then get walking. Research shows that 30 minutes aerobic exercise 3 to 5 times a week has the same or better effect on depression than drugs, regularly reducing symptoms by nearly 50 per cent.
June – Stretching makes you look better and exercise makes you younger! Developmental stretching - where you hold a stretch for 20- 30 seconds - allows time for muscles to lengthen and relax, giving you a longer, leaner appearance. And scientists at King’s College London have found that three hours of exercise each week can knock a decade off the cells that make up your body compared to people who exercise for under 15 minutes each week. More exercise please?!
July - Eat at the table or watching TV? Eating whilst watching TV means you consume 70 calories more than when chatting at the table - enough for a weight gain of a pound in a month!
August - Keeping a daily gratitude list of ten things you are grateful for each day for a month can make us healthier. In a recent study scientists discovered feeling grateful means people sleep better, feel more optimistic, exercise more, become less materialistic, have reduced anxiety levels and adopt a more positive attitude towards their own lives and other people. Time to take note?
September - Notice whether you use the word ‘want’ or ‘need’ when you are setting targets or goals for yourself. ‘Want’ means you are making a choice and comes from being in control of your life; ‘need’ is about your life being controlled by circumstances. Try saying the following aloud and see if you can feel the difference – ‘Today I want to have a great day’ and ‘Today I need to have a great day’. Probably best not to try this as you wait for the number 19 bus though!
October -
Much of the stress people feel comes from not finishing what they have started rather than having too much to do. Stick with a job until its finished and your mental load gets lighter.
November - If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got. This applies to everything - your career, your relationships, your finances, your life! If that means your life is going the way you want it to and are happy congratulations and keeping on doing what you are doing; if not then maybe it’s time to makes some changes?
December - Is Christmas friend or foe, chore or a breeze? It’s going to happen anyway so the way you approach it will make the difference. Focus on how you actually want it to be rather than be persuaded by adverts or the magazines, let go of past experiences and set out to enjoy the whole event. Look for the smiles and laughter and you’ll be amazed how easily presents come to mind, meeting friends is fun and everything happens so easily. And if you do find you are struggling remember Christmas is the one deadline we always meet!
2007 Health Hints
