HEALTH + WELLNESS
Thinking about getting fit …
BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
Summer ’ s well and truly on the wane , so we can all breathe a sigh of relief and let go of the guilt that looms over our quest to obtain the perfect bikini body like a black cloud that keeps offering cake . Truth be told , that ’ s all a myth anyway . Ladies , here ’ s how to get a perfect bikini body : appreciate the body you ’ ve got and put a bikini on it . Gents – you do the same ; speedos , trunks , your choice . The key to lasting health , happiness and , importantly , confidence when it comes to clothing , is fitness , and whether you ’ ve already embarked on a regime and are getting a bit bored of it , or haven ’ t yet had that push you need to start thinking about getting fit , there ’ s never been a better time to find your fitness mojo than now . Here ’ s how you can do it .
Start small
It ’ s all too easy to over-motivate yourself when you get excited about a new fitness goal and , even if you ’ ve been quite fit in the past but let it slip , you ’ ve got to be cautious when starting again . The key to keeping something up is consistency , so don ’ t go jumping into a 40-minute high intensity interval training workout on day one ; instead , go for something that you know won ’ t make your muscles so sore that you can ’ t repeat it the next day .
A great way to build your fitness confidence – and your capability – slowly and safely is to train for a 5K run ; the NHS ’ s ‘ Couch to 5K ’ plan is a really comprehensive online guide to achieving that goal and you can view and download the training schedule at : www . nhs . uk / Livewell / c25k / Pages / couch-to-5k . aspx . If you ’ re not a runner , set a target to do a 30-minute exercise class two to three times a week , either at the gym , or online – www . fitnessblender . com is brilliant .
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