5 Ways to Shape Up This Spring

The weather’s getting warmer but your trousers are getting tighter! Here are the best ways to shape-up in double time this spring.

1. Get gardening. Chances are your garden needs a bit of attention after a long cold winter... Did you know that an hour of gardening can burn as many calories as a brisk three mile walk? Weeding, digging and carrying are your best bets in terms of calorie-burn and muscle-toning.
2. Feed on fibre. Including lots of fibre-rich foods in your diet can promote weight loss by making you feel full so the urge to snack or overeat at mealtimes is less. Start the day with a bowl of wholegrain cereal like bran flakes, and snack on apples and bananas to kill mid-afternoon sugar pangs.
3. Walk with poles. Trendy Nordic walking uses poles to work the arms and upper body as well as the legs – it’s thought that Nordic walking uses 90% of your muscles (running uses 70; swimming 35, btw). For more info, visit www.nordicwalking.co.uk.
4. Keep it simple. Too tired at the end of the day for a full-on workout? The 15 Minute Workouts for Dummies DVD (£9.99) consists of four different workouts for problem areas, making it easy to split your routine over a week.
5. Brush your teeth. No, not as odd as it sounds. New research has found that the minty taste of toothpaste tricks your brain into thinking mealtime is over. Whether or not the science works for you, or whether you just can’t bear the thought of eating after brushing your teeth, it’s worth giving it a go!

Article by Diet and Fitness Expert Laura Williams

Image from Flickr by Lars Ploughmann

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