The problem with this is that I do eat anything I want! I'm not an extra big meal person, but I snack like anything and choose whatever I fancy, which is usually unhealthy!
My issue here is that I worry all the bad stuff is building up on the insides, around my arteries etc, and I don't do anything to get rid of it. I'm the least sporty person you'll ever meet, I was literally the person always picked last for teams, and I didn't blame them!
So being active is what I plan to do this year! (I don't want to call it a new years' resolution - I've only ever kept one of them and that was to get my tattoo!) It's my promise to myself that I will get active and healthy.
There are so many benefits to being active (I'm trying to avoid the word exercise!) including reducing risk of serious illnesses (heart disease, cancer, strokes...) by up to 50%, reducing the risk of dementia, Alzheimers, stress and depression.
(These health benefits are based on 2 and a half hours and week of aerobic exercise plus 'muscle strengthening activity' according to the NHS, but if you're active for any amount of time it's better than not at all!)
It also really increases your mood and self-esteem due to all the endorphins (happy chemicals!) it releases into your brain.
It also really increases your mood and self-esteem due to all the endorphins (happy chemicals!) it releases into your brain.
So in my quest to get active I started thinking about what I could do. Swimming was my first choice. To me it just feels so much more comfortable and less scary than running - running is always cold and uncomfortable and I think I've been going for ages and completely worn out when I've only been running 5 minutes. Swimming is also very good for you - because of the resistance of the water it is a much better cardio and muscle workout than you originally think. It's a full body workout as well, toning your arms, tummy, back, legs and bum, all while gliding up and down the pool.
Even though you have the hassle of swimming costumes, remembering all your clothes for after, driving home dripping wet and trying to get the chlorine out your hair, I still find it so much easier than running (this shows you how much I hate running!).
So last Friday I dug out a swimming costume, found a towel, remembered to take pants for after, and set off to the pool. I'd set myself a goal of 20 lengths (which is about a 3rd of a mile in my pool). This might not sound much but I hadn't done anything active in a very long time.
I struggled.
People make swimming look so easy and graceful, but it really isn't! By length 12 I was really starting to suffer. I was regularly running out of breath and my arms we getting soooo painful, but I battled on. Length 18 I almost gave up, but stood at the edge of the pool and thought 'it's really not that far...' so forced myself to carry on. By the end of length 20 I was exhausted and felt like a giant was standing on my lungs, but it's so satisfying to reach your goal.
The funny thing was, by Sunday, I couldn't wait to do it again. As I said (and you probably knew anyway), exercise (I said it!) releases endorphins (so difficult to resist a Legally Blonde quote here!), but I didn't realise how effective they were. At the weekend I felt so happy with myself, and really wanted to get out and do it again. If I can keep this up all year I'll definitely be a happier person!
I have more to say about my quest to get active in 2014, but I think that's quite enough for today - apologies for the long post. I'll update you soon about what else I'm doing to get active!
Bucks x
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