Nuffield Health is the UK's largest independent not-for-profit health and wellbeing provider. Here, Andy Hedley, Fitness Manager at Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Gym in Gosforth, Newcastle, shares his top five tips to help you boost your physical health and wellbeing in 2019.
1. Keep your NEAT up Your NEAT is your non-exercise-activitythermogenesis. In other words, how many calories you burn living your life, taking the dog for a walk, running after the kids, and working, but not exercise. Your NEAT accounts for a huge amount of calories burnt every day and is often overlooked. Make sure that just because you’re working extra hard in the gym you aren’t lazy at home; this may just undo all of your hard work. The best thing you can do is try to live as active a lifestyle as possible, little things like taking the stairs or walking to the shop may be key in shifting unwanted weight, and improving your health, don’t rely on exercise alone!
2. De-stress Easier said than done, but undoubtedly an extremely important thing to get on top of. Chronic or long-term stress is incredibly detrimental to heart health. Your body releases cortisol in times of stress, this fantastic little hormone holds sugar in our blood stream so we can use it as energy. But when we’re stressed for long periods of time, particularly with emotional stress, we become resistant to the effects of cortisol, and end up feeling tired, unenergetic, and generally down in the dumps
probably not what you’re searching for this Valentine’s Day right? Try to meditate, read a self-help book, or talk openly about your issues with loved ones. A bit of support can go a long way and help to avoid the health complications associated with long-term stress. Remember, if a situation is in your control there’s no reason to stress out. If a situation isn’t in your control, then why waste time worrying?
3. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day A no-brainer! Exercise is fantastic at improving emotional wellbeing as well as the obvious effects it will have on your body such as weight loss, muscle gain, or improved health, depending on your goals. The release of feel-good endorphins will have you feeling energetic for hours after a workout, when you’ll be your most productive too. Perhaps the perfect time to talk to someone you have a crush on with confidence! And remember, exercise doesn’t have to be complicated either, just make sure you enjoy it.
4. Make sure you’re eating your minimum calorie intake at least Sadly we’ve grown to be a nation scared of a few extra calories, and although over eating is still largely an epidemic, I often find that the other end of the scale is relatively common and unspoken about. You have a unique BMR (basal metabolic rate), this is the minimum amount of calories you require on a daily basis to fuel your metabolism. Bearing in mind your metabolism is the sum total of all chemical processes in the body (including fat loss), it is imperative we consume at least this number on a daily basis. Under-eating in an attempt to speed up a little weight loss will only damage your metabolism and result in relapses or muscle loss
not sexy!
5. Remember to live One of the best pieces of advice I find myself giving clients lately, is to remember to live. Don’t get caught up in the negatives surrounding one aspect of your life, like work. Learn to focus on the positives and shift your mindset. We are all a reflection of the standards we are willing to accept, and the sooner you become accountable to that the sooner you’ll be ready for change. Whether that be physically, emotionally, or a lifestyle change, only you can make it happen. You have an amazing life to live, and your health is a huge part of that. Spend time improving your standards and you’ll edge closer to living the life you know you deserve.
If you find yourself in need of some extra motivation to reach a particular health or fitness goal, or you want to build confidence in the gym and getting into exercise, you’re in safe hands at Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Gym in Gosforth.
To support you from the outset, our industry accredited professional personal trainers will give you a unique 12-point Health MOT to establish a starting point for your health and fitness journey. Our Health MOTs are free for gym members and last one hour. They give you quality time with one of our expert personal trainers to discuss your fitness and include key clinical tests, like blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, V02 MAX and a lifestyle analysis. Members come away from the experience with new goals and clear ideas on how to achieve them.
Nuffield Health MOTs help you get fitter, faster by: – Measuring your current fitness – Identifying potential health risks – Defining achievable goals – Providing a personal fitness programme – Giving lifestyle guidance – Tracking progress
To find out more about how Nuffield Health can help you to achieve your health and wellbeing goals, call Nuffield Health Gosforth Fitness & Wellbeing Gym on 0191 213 0070 or go to www.nuffieldhealth.com