There has been increasing evidence for high intensity training in terms of changing and improving your metabolism in terms of insulin resistance. This may have benefits in terms of improving you metabolic profile over the long term.

How does it work?

20 secs of maximal effort in between normal steady paced exercise for three interval that's it.... three times a week.

This may be of benefit but has to be taken in context. Weight reduction is aided by exercise. The mental and physical benefits of exercise are well documented. This is not an alternative but may be incorporated into an exercise program. Remember before starting a high intensity exercise program have a chat with your doctor if you are not used to exercise.

Also weight reduction in overweight patient's is an important part of improving overall health, but remember diet is far more important than exercise.

The effect of emotion on our ability to do things is so important. Get the emotion right get the thought right get the action right. Applying this to healthy living to get the thought right we need to rationalise to attain the correct emotion first. Visualisation is a well established technique. Image the feeling of good health and a trimmer figure. Hold the emotion. Then think of the action plan. Then act on it.

The type of exercise or diet plan is not crucial to be honest, sticking to the plan is.

I recently spoke with a patient and having discussed their lifestyle modifications we came up with simple strategy for weight loss. 

1. weigh yourself everyday to act as a motivational tool

2. your carbohydrate intake and increase your protein content... educate yourself about what you eat

3. try to exercise more often

The patient came to see me; he had lost 8 kg since his last appointment.

keep it simple 

four rules to lose weight

1. Weigh yourself everyday. Although people don't always agree with the regularity of weighing yourself it does give you a motivational tool to watch your weight so do it everyday at the same time.

2. Reduce the carbohydrate and increase the protein. Carbohydrate can be stored as fat, protein generally does not and it keeps you fuller for longer

3. Use my fitness pal app to calorie count. It keeps you focussed and it educates you about food and portion size.

4. Write down the calorie content of the ten foods you eat the most this helps educate you about your food.

1. Gradually build up the intensity to avoid injury.

2. Vary what you do to avoid boredom-- walking, sitting up, bowls it does not matter.

3. Like a medicine take exercise regularly.

4. Start now and make it part of your daily routine.

 

 

Forming a habit of exercising is a lifelong gift. If I could prescribe it I would. Make exercise your medicine before you need to start taking medicine.

Christmas is a great time to be with friends and family. Following on from this is new years and the inevitable drive to make a new year's resolution. Many of us will make a resolution to lose weight and get fitter.

A lot of us will keep the resolution for about a month and then slip back into our old habits. The secret is to make the resolution now and test yourself over Christmas. If your resolution survives the next few days then is may be strong enough to last well into the new year. Most diets work, but a year on we are back to our original weight. With weight loss keep it simple. Try four simple rules,

1. eat a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner

2. No snacks in between

3. allow yourself to feel hungry before you eat, don't eat just because it is time

4. do 20 minutes of any exercise you like a day

 

Don't tell anyone about the resolution JUST DO IT.

Good luck

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful new year!

Exercise has many health benefits both mental and physical. A sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for heart disease

Tips for starting exercise.

 

Martial arts provides a good way to improve cardiac fitness 1. Be regular, just do it. It does not matter what you do initially but creating the habit of exercise in adults and indeed children is important.

2. Use complex movements and use larger muscle groups, this is more "efficient" at burning calories in terms of time and effort.

3. A good rule of thumb for exercise is to get slightly out of breath then you know you are doing something worthwhile.

4. Sweating a little is also a good sign you are doing enough

5. Do something you enjoy cycling, martial arts, running, tennis this way you are cheating your brain into doing exercise and are more likely to stick at it.

6. Vary what you do to avoid boredom.

7. Don't join a gym, start by getting regular at exercise at home or in the park or running round the local area, then if you stick at it for 3 months still don't join a gym stick at the free stuff, then spend the money you save on a holiday to show off your six pack!

weight training with high reps and low weight will improve cardiac fitness8. Create the habit of exercise, vary it, stick at it, being slightly out of breath and sweating means you are doing enough.

Being overweight has negative effect on your well being and particularly your cardiovascular health

 

Simple rules for reducing your weight

 

1. Weigh yourself regularly

 

2. Reduce your portion size

 

3 Reduce your carbohydrate intake

 

4 Consider using a free app like "myfitnesspal" to calorie count

 

5 Increase your activity level, start slowly and build up everyday