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Get up and go!

If your New Year’s resolution was to exercise more and  you’re finding it a struggle to get up off the sofa, you could do with a bit of a prod. Here’s some inspiration to get you going.

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Eight reasons to exercise If you can manage half an hour of moderate-intensity activity a day you’ll:

  1. Be less likely to have a heart attack

Regular activity strengthens your heart muscle, lowers blood pressure, helps your blood flow better and your heart work more efficiently, reducing your risk of getting heart disease.

  1. Reduce your chance of having a stroke

A stroke can be completely debilitating, as well as life threatening. According to one study, people who are just moderately active have 20% less chance of having a stroke than people who are barely active.

  1. Cut your chances of getting diabetes

Exercising can help you lose weight, which in turn can improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure and increase your sensitivity to insulin – which are all important if you have diabetes. A Harvard University study found that walking briskly for an hour a day can cut your chances of getting type 2 diabetes by 34%.

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  1. See an improvement in back pain

Strengthening the muscles in your back and stomach will not only help you to manage existing back pain, but can help to prevent it in the first place. Exercise that encourages you to be flexible – such as yoga – is also great for your back.

  1. Be less likely to be overweight

Exercise, along with a healthy diet, can help you lose weight if you need to, and to maintain a healthy weight. Being obese is linked to a variety of unpleasant illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease. You also have a greater chance of dying early if you’re carrying around excess kilos.

  1. Be helping your bones

Weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, dancing or lifting weights, along with a diet adequate in calcium and Vitamin D, strengthens bones and helps to prevent osteoporosis. A huge American study into the health of thousands of nurses found that women who walked four or more hours a week had 41% less hip fractures than those who walked less than an hour a week.

  1. Have better mental health

When you exercise your body releases chemicals called endorphins, which improve your mood and how you feel about yourself. Exercise can help you to deal with stress and keep depression and anxiety at bay.

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  1. Reduce your chance of getting some serious illness

Some studies suggest that regular exercise can help lower your risk of getting some types of cancer.

Eight excuses for not exercising – and how to get over them

  1. I don’t have time

Thirty minutes exercise a day is all it takes to make a difference. That’s one episode of Shortland Street, a couple of chapters of a book or even a natter on the phone to a talkative friend. Make an effort to fit it in somewhere – get up half an hour earlier if necessary.

  1. I can’t afford it

Regular exercise doesn’t have to mean an expensive gym membership or a personal trainer. Walking is cheap (all you need is a good pair of shoes) or try dancing around your living room to your favourite music.

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  1. It takes too long to see results

Good things come to those who wait. No, you won’t see or feel changes to your health overnight but persevere and it will happen. Keep a diary (ie record your weight if you are exercising to shed kilos) and jot down how much weight you lose, plus other things like your general mood and if you find it easier to do activities like walking up several flights of stairs.

  1. I’m embarrassed about people seeing me exercise

Don’t be. Everyone had to start somewhere. If it really does concern you, work out where nobody can see you, such as your bedroom or living room, or with people who are a similar size and ability as you are.

  1. Nobody gives me any encouragement

This can be hard but at the end of the day remember that you’re not exercising for anybody else, you’re doing it for yourself. While the support of other people really helps, if you don’t have that you may have to be your own “cheerleading team” and keep reminding yourself you’re doing it for a good reason – your health.

  1. I can’t get motivated

Find something that will spur you on – a photo of yourself when you were slimmer, a dress you’d like to get into again, pictures of an activity you’d like to be fit enough to do. Keep them on hand and keep telling yourself over and over, “I can do this”. If all else fails, offer yourself a reward as motivation (as long as it’s not unhealthy food).

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  1. People who devote lots of time exercising are vain

A friend once told me this was why she didn’t exercise – there were too many vain people at the gym. Some people who exercise do it because they want to look good, but what’s wrong with that? Exercising can make you look good as well as making you feel great and improving your health too.

  1. I hate exercising

Surely you can’t hate every single type of exercise? Weight-lifting or jogging won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but what about rowing, roller skating, playing table tennis or bouncing on a trampoline? Find something that is fun and choose several different activities so you don’t get bored. Then get up off the sofa and do it!

Did you know… If you really can’t manage to exercise for 30 minutes at a time you can break it down into three 10-minute chunks. This is called “snackerising” and is just as effective as doing all your activity in one hit.

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