At last Summer’s here and it’s time to take off that winter coat whether its layers of blubber or literally a winter coat there’s lots you can do to shape up for Summer.
You can make some minor adjustments to your daily routine to help you with your task of shedding the insulation your body loved you for in those cold dark winter months.
Start with your daily commute...
If your regular commute involves driving a car then why not park the car 20 minutes away from where you work put some comfy footwear on and walk the rest. That’s 40 minutes of walking per day about 150 calories worked off. If you did this 5 days a week within a month you’ll have burnt off just over the equivalent of a pound of fat. Keep your energy intake under control and follow a low glycaemic index (GI) diet and the benefits of this daily short walk will pay off.
Here are some alternatives fitness classes to walking to work and the calories burnt during the activity per hour for a 70kg individual:
Cycling – 563kcal
Running – 704kcal
Snorkelling – 352kcal assuming no current
Snorkelling? Well maybe if you lived in Llanwrtyd Wells, they host the World Bog Snorkelling Championships every August Bank Holiday!
I’d be blogging myself out of a job if I didn’t say exercise outdoors and get fit with some BMF outdoor bootcamps. But scientifically it’s been proven that exercising in bright conditions increases serotonin levels which then ups your leptin levels.
But to understand this fully we need to know a little more about how these hormones work together...Ghrelin is a hormone responsible for detecting an empty gut which tells you to then eat. During your feed Cholecystokinin (CCK) detects a full stomach, triggering insulin to metabolise food into energy and Leptin tells your brain that you’re satisfied.
And here’s why the above is so important...
Overweight people suffer from a resistance to leptin therefore if we can produce more leptin we can stop overeating from occurring.
Training in Bright Conditions = ↑ Serotonin = ↑ Leptin = ↓ Overeating = ↑
Whenever I book a holiday I always think, right......I have a goal!
I need to look good for the beach so when someone comes up to me and asks “which way is it to the beach Mr?” I’ll flex my guns and point and say “that a ‘way!” like the cartoon character Johnny Bravo. That’s yet to happen by the way and I don’t think it ever will either.
But my point is by setting goals, like looking good for your holiday it can motivate you to partake in fitness classes and get into the shape of your life.
Why not make the holiday an adventure holiday? This will keep you out of the bar during the day and help maintain your physique until your return to blighty.
Did you know BMF do holidays? Sorry for the shameless plug but the BMF Events Team do trips to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Kilmarnock? Ok maybe not Kilmarnock but they do take you to Scotland in the 3 Peaks Challenge. These are just a few of the events you can get involved in.
And lastly on here I want to give you tips on goal setting.
Whatever your goal make sure it’s SMART!
Specific
Measureable
Attainable
Realistic
Timed i.e. give it a deadline
Good luck with whatever you have planned this summer and I’ll see you at the park soon.
Neal