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Questions and answers

Why bother getting fit?

There are all kinds of reasons why many of us find it hard to start exercising – we don’t have the time, the motivation, have better things to do, rely on our cars to get us around, spend hours in front of the computer - the list is endless.

It’s important to think about how regular exercise or making even a partial improvement to our fitness can help us improve our overall health. After all, look at just some of the benefits it can bring.

• reduces risk of heart disease
• reduces risk of high blood pressure
• decreases resting heart rate (so your heart doesn't have to work as hard)
• increases bone density
• reduces risk of osteoporosis
• improves strength and stamina
• increases co-ordination and balance (especially important for older adults)
• improves flexibility
• improves respiration
• improves circulation
• helps with weight control
• improves sense of well-being and reduces stress

Although there are lots great reasons for getting fitter, the reality is that sometimes it is really difficult to find the motivation or determination to do it. Yes, we know that statistics can be boring but sometimes they are just the wake up call we need to get ourselves on the road to a healthier lifestyle. Consider the following:

• According to a 2006 Department of Health report, on current trends, a third of men will be obese by 2010
• Between 2003 and 2006, obesity in adults rose by nearly 40 per cent
• By 2010, it's predicted 22 per cent of girls and 19 per cent of boys between the ages of two and 15 will be obese, with girls under 11 at particular risk
• Obesity is responsible for 9,000 premature deaths a year in this country, and is a major contributory factor to heart disease
• Coronary heart disease (CHD) is still the leading cause of death in the UK, accounting for about a fifth of all deaths, according to the Office for National Statistics
• About a third of deaths caused by CHD are among people aged under 75

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What about my age?

Regular activity is especially important as you age because it has beneficial effects on conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and helps you maintain mobility and mental well-being.
Some of the health benefits you'll get are the same as younger people, but there are things that are of particular benefit as you get older:

• More energy - exercise makes you feel more energetic, while sitting around not doing much makes you feel sluggish and unable to do anything
• Improved sleep - your body and mind feel as though they've done something and are ready for rest at night
• Stable weight - regular exercise helps to keep you at a healthy weight
• Improved circulation and lower blood pressure
• Delayed ageing - keeping active strengthens your muscles, joints and bones as well as helping with mobility and balance, important as it helps to prevent falls, which are the leading cause of injury and death for the over-75s

Whether you’re raring to go or are still a little doubtful, why not give us a call and find out how Bodyprojects can help you on the road to a healthy future?

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Who should exercise?

The bottom line is that exercise is for everyone! At Bodyprojects, we believe that there shouldn’t be any barriers to living a healthy lifestyle. Whoever you are, whatever your age, there’s an activity for you!
And just as getting fitter doesn't have to mean pushing yourself to the limits of your endurance, you don't have to be technically brilliant at a particular sport to derive pleasure and health benefits from it.

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What exercise is right for me?

Whether you plan to exercise for general health benefits, to increase your physical fitness or to help maintain or lose weight — perhaps all 3 reasons are your motivation — it is important to select types of exercise that you can continue to do, week-in and week-out. The health, fitness and weight management advantages of exercise all depend on you being physically active regularly and for the long term.

• Choose exercise that you enjoy.
• Choose more than one type of exercise.
• Vary the intensity of your exercise.
• Choose exercise options that are readily available.
• Choose exercise options that don’t depend on good weather.
• Choose exercise options that can become part of your routine.
• Set aside an exercise time each day.
• Choose an exercise that accommodates any health problems you may have.

At Bodyprojects, we can help you make the most of the time that you have put aside from your busy life for exercise, as well as help motivate you, help you with technique, monitor your progress, adjust your exercise programme in response to your changing fitness level, and offer alternative exercise options to keep up your enjoyment level.

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How often should I exercise?

There are some simple guidelines as to how often we should exercise. To avoid obesity, heart disease and other life-limiting conditions, the chief medical officer (the government's top doctor) recommends the following:

• Adults should do a minimum of 30 minutes moderate-intensity physical activity, five days a week.
• You don't have to do the whole 30 minutes in one go. Your half-hour could be made up of three ten-minute bursts of activity spread through the day, if you prefer.
• The activity can be a 'lifestyle activity' (in other words, walking to the shops or taking the dog out) or structured exercise or sport, or a combination of these. But it does need to be of at least moderate intensity.
• People who are at specific risk from obesity, or who need to manage their weight because of a medical condition, need 45-60 minutes of exercise at least five times a week.
• For bone health, activities that produce high physical stresses on the bones are necessary (for example, strength training is a great way to increase bone density)

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What if I’ve not exercised before?

If you’re new to exercise, you need to make sure that you start off slowly. As your body gets stronger you will be able to move on to more strenuous activities. As a start, you should try to make a schedule available for exercising two or three times weekly of fifteen to twenty minutes each time. After two or three weeks you will be able to increase the time spent exercising by a few minutes until you spend a reasonable time of about thirty minutes to an hour for each session.

It’s also important not to push yourself to hard, too fast - progression in fitness occurs over weeks and months, not days. Increase only one exercise variable at a time — how long your exercise session lasts (duration), how hard you work during the exercise (intensity) or the number of exercise sessions each week (frequency) — and only by a small amount.

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How hard do I need to push myself?

The intensity at which you workout can be described as strenuous, moderate or mild. What constitutes a strenuous, moderate or mild exercise workload for you will depend on your current fitness. If you're a seasoned runner for example, jogging one mile in nine minutes would count as mild activity. For most people, though, it would be strenuous, if not impossible. Experts recommend that for purposes of general health, mild to moderate levels of physical activity are all that's required.
If you're not sure how hard you can work because of any health problems you may have, talk to your GP for help and advice. You shouldn't assume because you have, say, a heart condition or a bad back that you can't exercise. In fact, there are many conditions for which certain exercises are positively beneficial.
All that said, here at Bodyprojects, we can help to design exercise routines that cater for all levels of fitness and, as an added bonus, we’ll give you all the motivation, support and encouragement to see them through!

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Where should I exercise?

The great thing about keeping fit is that you can do it anywhere! At Bodyprojects, we understand that people might like to exercise on their own or in groups, at home or in the gym, or perhaps in the great outdoors.

Using our extensive range of mobile equipment and fitness assessment tools, we are more than happy to come and train you in the privacy of your home. Or, if you would still like a quiet environment, we offer the same level of service at our own house in Middlewich, Cheshire where we have a some additional pieces of exercise equipment such as a spin bike, rower and elliptical trainer.

Alternatively, through arrangements with local gyms, we can provide personal training using a wide range of state of the art exercise equipment including treadmills, bikes, rowers, free and static weights, etc.

Lastly, weather permitting, why not try keeping healthy whilst enjoying the great outdoors? There really is no better way to keep fit! At Bodyprojects, we use the natural surroundings combined with some of our mobile equipment to design fun exercise programmes – a breath of fresh air!

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