The Small Steps expert panel
Fitness coach, Jane Wake and style guru, Nicky Hambleton-Jones spoke to us to reveal the importance of taking small steps to healthy resolutions.
Research released from Splenda has shown that 94 per cent have made a healthy resolution at some point, but more than half manage to break well-intentioned plans at least once a week.
So, this spring, Splenda are launching the 'Small Steps' campaign and with the help of an expert panel, will be giving women tips on how to keep going on those tricky resolutions.
We caught up with Jane and Nicky to find out more...
Nicky: We're questioning what we can do to help women achieve their resolutions. The Small Steps campaign is a panel of experts including myself, Jane, a life coach Liz Wild and a nutritionist Kiran Dwyer and we're just basically giving women lots of tips and advice about the small things that we can do to keep ourselves motivated and on track of those resolutions.
So why did you both want to get involved with the campaign?
Jane: I was really excited to get involved because it's something that I've known being a personal and celebrity trainer and working with people and getting people to try and achieve things. I know that when you set goals that are too far away to obtain it's much much harder to do it. But if break that down and you make small steps then you can achieve those big things. You don't just look at that one big goal, you look at something smaller, you achieve it and reward yourself - because that is something else that women are really bad at doing, we don't reward ourselves enough - and you treat those little steps importantly, even more importantly than that end goal. It's all about looking at getting from A to B but actually enjoying the journey there.
Nicky: For me, I'm a firm believer that little things can make a big difference. You don't have to go for the big goal, go for the little things that can make yourself feel better. For me, being a fashion and style guru, the clothes you wear are an important part of how we feel about ourselves. Whether you want to go for a whole new look or you just want to rework your existing wardrobe. There is nothing worse than looking in the mirror every day and saying, 'I'm fat, I'm unfit and I look awful' giving yourself that much negativity will not keep you motivated.
Jane, you mentioned rewards. What sort of things should women be rewarding themselves with when they do reach a goal?
Little things like buying a fashion item, treating yourself to a manicure, things that make you feel better about yourself. That kind of feeling will motivate you and spur you on to more and that's so important. If you want to lose weight for the summer holiday you should start making steps towards that now and then you're more likely to not only achieve this, but keep it up afterwards. So many women make changes for an upcoming event and then once it's over they're back to their old ways.
Changes should become habitual. Not all of us can go out for a run for an hour, that's not achievable, but you can take a 10-15 minute walk everyday that is something like cleaning your teeth that you can do day in and day out. When you make those small little changes you start to become an active person generally. Your whole outlook on life becomes active, it becomes healthier and those small changes can lead to other changes as well.
Nicky: I think that what we're trying to get across, is that when we're doing something big in our lives we can't do it on our own, we need support, we need encouragement and we need people who are going to be there for you on your journey.
Make small changes like using sweetner in your tea instead of sugar, instead of driving to drop your kids off at school walk them there - it's those little things every day that will make a difference.
Jane: As much as we need people to support us, by supporting others you help yourself as well. One of the tips that I give is about doing activity in groups, maybe do it for a charity, do it for something that has another motive which at the same time gets you fit and healthier. You kind of don't look at getting fit as your end goal but you provide yourself with another goal, maybe it's to get somebody else ready for their wedding, to run a 5k for a charity, find yourself goals that help others and you'll help yourself.
Nicky, we're talking about small steps; so what is the one small thing that women can in their wardrobe that will make them feel and look better?
Clear out your wardrobe. We've all opened our wardrobes and found clothes that are too small and no longer fit yet we're holding out for the day that they will. You know what, the chances are when and if you do, you're going to want to go out and buy a whole new outfit. 40 per cent of women want to reward themselves with a new outfit and not get into an old one that they've been holding on to all of this time. Holding on to clothes that don't fit just gives you that negative reminder every time you open your wardrobe door. You know, who needs that in the morning?! I say just get rid of them, keep the clothes that actually fit you.
Jane, the same question to you. What small steps can women make to their lives to increase their levels of fitness?
Well, I always say start the day as you mean to go on. So set yourself up with a fitness, healthy habit in the morning. You can do this by getting up in the morning and doing some simple stretches, think about taking in big deep breaths of oxygen and that's going to make a difference. Whether it's some stretches, a yoga routine or to walk out of the door and walk to work or wherever you are going. Just by doing that on a daily basis you'll change your outlook on life really.
Jane, finally, a lot of people say that they don't have the time for exercise, what advice would you give them?
Well, it's about making time but also to not look at exercise as something that you have to do in big chunks. We know that by doing small amounts of activity on a daily basis, it can make a difference. It's the habitual aspect of doing it day in and day out that makes the difference. This is what adds up the number of calories that you burn.
When you do chunks of exercise here, there and everywhere, it builds up in the same way. So it may be as something as simple as walking to work, by doing this you're getting yourself into an active lifestyle. We also know, through research, that high intenstity bouts of exercise are not only a really great way to get fitter quicker, but also to burn more calories. So, when you are in a position to go for it a little bit more and start doing some running, or something a little more vigorous so it in little chunks. Don't think, 'Argh, I've got to run for 20 minutes'. Run for 30 seconds, walk again and maybe run again for another 30 seconds and walk until you've recovered. Before you know it you'll be running for one minute, then two. It's doing these little steps and building up to something that can really make a difference.
This spring, SPLENDA® is launching the ‘Small Steps’ campaign and with the help of an expert panel, will be giving women tips on how to keep going on those tricky resolutions. Style guru Nicky Hambleton-Jones, celebrity fitness expert Jane Wake, life coach Liz Wilde and SPLENDA® nutritionist Kiran Goraya.
For the chance to win a personal style consultation with Nicky, a healthy eating plan from Kiran and a healthy eating cookery class or a personal fitness program with Jane, please visit www.facebook.com/splendaUK or www.splenda.co.uk
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in Health fashion Guru fitness tips