Hayley Newton shares her expert advice
The reluctant exerciser
Can't seem to lose those extra pounds no matter how much you diet? Well there's no need for a Jane Fonda-style workout before your eyes are even open. One of the many reasons you may not want to workout is that you don't like to exercise in front of other people. Another way to discourage yourself is to set an unreasonable goal–there will be no way for you to hit it, and you’ll wind up getting frustrated and giving up.
Losing weight gradually is the best strategy, but if you need to drop pounds in a hurry, here's an option that some experts say to approach it. 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times. Some science have proven that this is the most effective way of improving both aerobic and anaerobic fitness.
The difference between getting healthy and becoming a statistic "is increasing your activity level gradually''. Here are some of my top tips for easing yourself into a healthier lifestyle:
1) Try increasing your activity levels by 20% a week - slow and steady is the way! When you get out of bed in the morning, before heading to the shower, try doing 15 knee bends, 15 lunges and 15 crunches.
2) A handy hint for those who get hungry during the day is to add peanuts OR peanut butter to your breakfast. This can help control cravings for up to 12 hours.
3) Double your walking speed. This may sound silly but if you can walk fast enough to get slightly out of breath you will be exercising without knowing it…. Great for those dog walks or mums taking their babies out in strollers.
4) While sitting on a chair - (you can practice doing this at home or work) - raise your thighs slightly by clenching your muscles and then take them back down to 2 inches above the floor. You have to lean back slightly at an angle and this will really engage the core. Not only will your legs appear to be more toned - you will also unwittingly be exercising them
5) Try not to use lifts or escalators; instead, take the stairs. Start with one such substitution a day, and build up slowly. So you work on the 20th floor? Ride up to 18 and walk up from there. Careful, though -- walking down stairs can be hard on your knees. Walk up, but ride down.
6) Stop circling car parks and fighting for the closest spot. Park a little bit farther away from the office or shopping center and walk. You'll not only increase fitness, you'll decrease stress.
7) Consider taking a lunch break at a local shopping center and burn some calories while browsing. It doesn't feel like exercise when window shopping. The trick here is to leave the wallet and debit cards in the car.
8) Before smartphones, life was tough. If you wanted to keep track of your workout, you had to use this thing called a "pen" and write it all down. Now there are fitness apps that do it all for you. Check out the fitness apps and yes there is one for the reluctant exerciser… Good luck!
Hayley Newton is an Ambassador for the Italia Conti Arts Centre @italiacontiac / @HayleySNewton