Exercise

Despite the fact that gym membership is soaring, most people still don't take anything like enough exercise.

According to the World Health Organisation, 63% of men and 75% of women do not meet the current government recommendation of 30 minutes of moderately intense activity, five times a week. 'We've lost so much physical activity from our everyday lives that an hour or two in the gym a week can't possibly compensate,' says Neville Rigby of the International Association for the Study for Obesity.

Part of the problem is lifestyle. Where our Stone Age ancestors regularly used 1,200 calories or more to hunt, kill and butcher an animal, we sit at computers all day and use washing machines, online shopping and cars to take the strain that people used to take with their bodies.
Experts agree that the biggest impact you can make on the number of calories you burn each week is by rethinking the way you get from A to B. Never drive if you can cycle, don't cycle if you can walk, don't walk if you can run, don't use the lift if there are stairs. And you can do much more, by tweaking your daily routine.

'It's about making active choices,' says Charlie Foster of the Health Promotion Research Unit at Oxford University. 'Do your shopping online and you use 17 calories. Walk a mile to the shops and back, carrying shopping, and you burn up 311.' According to the Unit, there are other savings you can make in your daily life: drive three miles to work and you lose 24 calories. Cycle three miles and you lose 135. Microwaving a ready meal burns up only three calories. Cooking for 30 minutes uses 67.

These may look like tiny numbers, but the effect is cumulative and soon adds up to useful and effective extra exercise. Consistently add on little bits of physical effort, and over a week you could easily use up more calories than the 430 similar to a one-hour gym workout. That not only has a lasting effect on fitness and health, but as it becomes a habit you won't even notice you're doing it.

Eating Ideas

Don't know your olive oil from your hemp seed oil? Get clued
up with this essential guide.

Oils have been praised for centuries for their health giving properties; many studies attribute the longevity and youthfulness of Mediterranean population with their consumption. But with so many types out there it can be confusing which to choose. Here's what to look for.

Mind & Body

Rest and recuperation are just as important to a healthy body as exercise and diet.

So there are a number of important things to get right. Those include, but are not limited to sleep, recovery from exercise, stress relief and self awareness. All these are directly linked to each other, for example; other training is a common cause of insomnia, and is linked to raised cortisone (stress hormone) leaves.

Always allow sufficient rest time between training the same muscle groups, for most people 48 hours are recommended. To speed up recovery try a cold shower or bath straight after you finish your work out. If that seems a little extreme for you, then try a massage of the areas you have just trained. Sun shine has also be shown to improve recovery time and scene of well being, however, do not forget your SPF15.

Having an early night can do wonders, most people need about eight hours, but too much sleep can leave you drowsy and lethargic. If you have troubles dropping off try a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow. The body’s natural alarm clock is light so if you have blackout blinds open them up and let the light in as soon as possible. I warm shower has also be shown to wake you better than the shock of a cold one, as it warms the spine and brain stem to its working temperature quicker.