When you first start exercising finding the right clothes to wear is important for both comfort and safety. Should you wear the latest Nike joggers or are sandals ok? Should you wear lycra or track pants?

Fashion may be important to some but the most important thing is to get through each session so that you can follow up with more exercise tomorrow. The key to success in weight loss is consistency. Being able to exercise regularly. Wearing the right clothes will make this possible. Wearing the wrong type of shoes could give you blisters or shin splints, and wearing the wrong type of pants could cause excessive rubbing of the thighs. If you’ve had any of these things happen to you then you know it’s tough to exercise the next day.

Let’s start with the shoes. This is probably the most important piece of clothing and therefore this is where most thought should be given. You need to wear something supportive, with a flexible sole. Cross-trainers or running shoes are best. Make sure that the shoes are not too tight.

Next are the socks. It is important to wear cotton socks. They allow your foot to breathe and they cause less friction on your heal. If you like the low cut socks, make sure they won’t slip down into the shoe or you may get blisters.

The pants you wear must comfortable. Depending on the temperature, you should wear shorts or track pants. Just make sure they are cotton and not nylon. Cotton will allow your pants to breathe, whereas nylon will cause an increase in your body’s temperature. This in turn will make your heart beat faster which means the exercise will be harder. If you have large thighs then you may also want to wear lycra pants as well. This will eliminate rubbing and chaffing.

Your shirt should be cotton too. If you are going to be out in the sun then it’s a good idea to wear something with sleeves as this will reduce the risk of sunburn. Make sure it is light fitting as well as this will help to keep you cooler.

Other accessories you should consider if exercising outside is a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a water bottle. A wide brimmed hat gives the best shade, sunglasses will reduce glare, sunscreen will protect against ultra-violet rays from the sun, and the water will help keep you cool.

Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the Health and Fitness industry. To sign up for his free 7 Day Weight Loss Course go to Lose Weight: Tips and Programs

Hello people,

At this time of the year many of you go on holiday, or have the children at home, and adding to this the warm evenings, barbeques, and enticing beer gardens, many people find that they are slipping out of their good habits, and starting to feel sluggish. It is an often repeated scenario that effects many of you, including myself, that just when you seem to be getting somewhere, improving fitness levels, and loosing unwanted weight, life takes over, holidays loom, work tires you out, babies are born, and suddenly it seems as if you are back to square one. Many people feel that when they have taken time out from their exercise routine, or when social engagements and holidays have sabotaged their healthy eating habits, that they have to start from scratch again. This can seem daunting and unfair, and often is enough to put you off altogether. We feel that all the hard work is useless if you can loose it all so easily, and that it is easier not to bother, and that we have failed. This may lead us back to bad habits and spiraling low-self esteem, where it becomes harder and harder to get back into fitness and health.

It is never too late to get back into health and fitness.

I think that we should take a leaf out of the government’s book and replace the word FAILURE with DEFFERRED SUCCESS. Slipping out of your health and fitness routines is merely a normal part of the journey towards changing your lifestyle for the better for ever (no that is not an excuse for deliberately slipping out and buying that chocolate gateau). We should view these little excursions from out healthy routine as minor blips. Do not allow them to continue, don’t think about having to start again, just think about continuing with your good work. Try to see the bad times as an exception to the rule, and the good times as normal life, rather that the other way round.

Last week I was talking to my dad and he explained that they have had lots of visitors staying and provided them with lots of lovely (and naughty) food, and that next week they were having a dinner party and so he would be dropping out of his healthy routine yet again. He told me that he would start again after the dinner party, but I reminded him that he could continue to eat well until the dinner party, and then just take a day off. I think that this illustrates the way that many of us think about our healthy lifestyles, often it seems something that we can put off until later, but sometimes later becomes a lot later and sometimes it never happens. I am afraid that we have to be a little strict with ourselves, pick ourselves off the sofa, turn off that TV and get out there, book a badminton court, turn up to a class or go for a walk.

Summer is such a great time to take a look at your exercise routine and what you eat and make some more effort. If you go on holiday do not see it as a time to do all of the things you would never dream of doing at home, look at it as an opportunity to try some new pursuits such as fitness walking, sea swimming, pony trekking, skiing etc Take in the scenery whilst being active, visit markets to sample local fruit and vegetables, and if you are close to the sea, go to seafood restaurants and eat loads of fresh fish. If you are at home with kids, try some active pursuits with them, get down the farmers market and get them to choose some interesting seasonal fruits and vegetables. Go out into the garden and do some gardening, use the better weather to stay active, and then when the Autumn comes and most people are feeling remorse for the damage that they have done to themselves over the Summer, you will know that you calmly carried on living well and healthily.

If you find that you are struggling to fit everything in, then write down the way you feel when you are eating well and exercising regularly; more energy, sleeping better, feeling confident, feeling less stressed, having a more positive body image, feeling physically strong, feeling proud of yourself. Remind yourself of these things, and then continue with this healthy happy path. Forget the period of relapse, don’t feel bad about it, don’t let it put you off making the effort to get back into health, just calmly take the steps needed to get you back on track. Clear the rubbish out the fridge, telephone a squash partner, pick up a timetable from the gym, put a note in your diary and make an appointment with yourself to get fitter and feel better.

Health and fitness is about progression not perfection, don’t look back at where you went wrong, look forward and think about the things that you can do today to progress.

Nag over, cheerio until next time, and have a healthy happy week.
Vikki.

Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? If you do, then treat them to free copy of this newsletter, forward it to them, and get them to e-mail me with a request. E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk subject: newsletter request. Would you like to bring health into the workplace? Getfitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes/courses, Massage, Nutrition and Stress Management seminars, team-building events, conference breaks, Company Wellness days and Healthy Friday a monthly wellness event. Please visit www.corporatechill.com or ring Vikki on 0117 3300655.

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

When you first start exercising finding the right clothes to wear is important for both comfort and safety. Should you wear the latest Nike joggers or are sandals ok? Should you wear lycra or track pants?

Fashion may be important to some but the most important thing is to get through each session so that you can follow up with more exercise tomorrow. The key to success in weight loss is consistency. Being able to exercise regularly. Wearing the right clothes will make this possible. Wearing the wrong type of shoes could give you blisters or shin splints, and wearing the wrong type of pants could cause excessive rubbing of the thighs. If you’ve had any of these things happen to you then you know it’s tough to exercise the next day.

Let’s start with the shoes. This is probably the most important piece of clothing and therefore this is where most thought should be given. You need to wear something supportive, with a flexible sole. Cross-trainers or running shoes are best. Make sure that the shoes are not too tight.

Next are the socks. It is important to wear cotton socks. They allow your foot to breathe and they cause less friction on your heal. If you like the low cut socks, make sure they won’t slip down into the shoe or you may get blisters.

The pants you wear must comfortable. Depending on the temperature, you should wear shorts or track pants. Just make sure they are cotton and not nylon. Cotton will allow your pants to breathe, whereas nylon will cause an increase in your body’s temperature. This in turn will make your heart beat faster which means the exercise will be harder. If you have large thighs then you may also want to wear lycra pants as well. This will eliminate rubbing and chaffing.

Your shirt should be cotton too. If you are going to be out in the sun then it’s a good idea to wear something with sleeves as this will reduce the risk of sunburn. Make sure it is light fitting as well as this will help to keep you cooler.

Other accessories you should consider if exercising outside is a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a water bottle. A wide brimmed hat gives the best shade, sunglasses will reduce glare, sunscreen will protect against ultra-violet rays from the sun, and the water will help keep you cool.

Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the Health and Fitness industry. To sign up for his free 7 Day Weight Loss Course go to Lose Weight: Tips and Programs

Want to enhance your health in surprising ways? Drink green
tea.

We’re not talking about a new health discovery here. This
beverage has been used for thousands of years by the
Chinese. It has proved itself for centuries as worthy of being
included in our diet for its health properties.

Not only has this drink been endorsed for ages, but modern
science also has discovered astonishing facts about what
it may be able to do for your health.

There are a lot more benefits to drinking green tea than are listed
below, but here are seven:

1. Drink it to help shed extra pounds.

A study published by the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition in November, 1999, is encouraging. It shows that
this drink may enable people to burn more calories.

2. This ancient brew may help combat signs of aging.

That’s because it contains large amounts of vitamins E and
C which are antioxidants. Antioxidants have the reputation
of being able to combat free radicals that damage cells.
Cancer, heart attacks and diabetes can result from damaged
cell membranes.

In April, 1999, researchers at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland revealed that green tea may ease the
symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

3. This drink may help asthma sufferers.

Because it contains theophylline (a muscle relaxant), it can
help the muscles surrounding bronchial tubes to relax. This
helps asthma sufferers to breathe with less restriction.

4. Green tea may help lower blood pressure.

High blood pressure makes you susceptible to heart attack
and stroke. This ancient brew may also keep blood clots from
forming.

5. Green tea has been reported to help in the fight against
cancer.

Doctors from the prestigious Mayo Clinic found that green
tea extract given to four leukemia patients seemed to help
three of them experience regression of the disease. And even
the fourth patient showed some improvement. The reason the
doctors tried green tea extract is that a 2004 test tube
study showed that leukemia cells were killed by the
extract.

By the way, in Japan there are fewer reported cancer deaths.
Could it be because the Japanese drink a lot of green tea?

6. Drinking this beverage my help lower cholesterol.

Lowering cholesterol with no side effects has been reported
in studies using green tea. Your ability to fight heart
disease and ward off stroke is tied in with your cholesterol
count.

7. This brew may help your body fight infections.

The New York Times reported in April of 2003 that the immune
system’s ability to fight disease may be strengthened by
drinking green tea. Microbiologist Milton Schiffenbauer,
professor at Pace University (New York) stated, “Our
research shows tea extracts can destroy the organism that
causes disease. If we can stimulate the immune system and at
the same time we are destroying the organisms then it makes
sense to drink more tea.”

Now that you’ve learned 7 ways green tea has been shown to
help your health, why not give it a place in your daily
diet? It’s not a magic cure, but this proven ancient
beverage may just help you to be healthier.

Patricia Wagner offers informative tips and a newsletter to
help you live a more energetic lifestyle. Learn more about adding healthy foods to your life at A to Z Wellness website.

Caveat emptor is Latin for “let the buyer beware”. Nowhere is this phrase more applicable than in the weight loss industry of today.

It seems that every time we turn around we are blasted and bombarded with the latest, greatest, new and improved treatment for obesity. From miracle pills to the latest fad diet, the gimmicks just keep coming. The sad truth is that few of these products work. Even fewer will result in real, permanent and lasting fat loss. A very few of the weight loss gimmicks on the market today are not only a consumer rip-off, but they are also quite dangerous…..even deadly. Caveat emptor indeed!

-> A PRIME SUSPECT?

As an example, consider the prescription diet drug Meridia. Does it help you lose weight? For some people, the answer is yes. For others, the answer is no. Can it kill you? The answer to this question seems to be a nervous ‘maybe’. “The consumer group Public Citizen had petitioned the Food and Drug Administration for a ban, citing Meridia users who died of heart problems as young as their 20s and 30s. Even before Meridia was approved for sale, the FDA knew it could increase users’ blood pressure, the group contended.” (Source: www.cnn.com)

Recently the FDA again refused to ban Meridia, even though whistleblower David Graham (an FDA drug safety officer) testified to Congress last fall that his agency was allowing five unsafe medicines to stay on the market, including Meridia.

-> ANOTHER PRIME SUSPECT?

Ephedra was banned in the United States last year, in part due to numerous deaths attributed to this popular weight loss supplement. On April 14, a federal Judge in Utah reversed the short-lived ban on ephedra. Within minutes, spammers were filling our email boxes with messages to BUY BUY BUY before ephedra was banned again.

One of these spammers, on their website, states that “Finally, the forbidden fat-burning herb banned for being ‘too effective’ - Ephedra - is available to the public again”. We’re not going to quote the source on this one because we don’t want to give this guy any free publicity.

Yes, ephedra will help some people lose weight. Yes, ephedra is safe for some people in low doses. But there is that little nagging fact that people have DIED and that their deaths have been attributed to ephedra use…..

-> MORE EXAMPLES

“The Advertising Standards Authority in Great Britian has ordered L’Oreal to pull ads for an anti-cellulite cream. The board found that claims as to the effects and timeliness of the skin treatment were misleading and could not be backed up by any research. The ads featured Claudia Schiffer and L’Oreal has agreed to make changes to the advertisements.” (Source: www.adjab.com)

For whatever reason, some people have decided that anabolic steroids are the best way to lose weight. Despite the well-documented and serious side-effects of steroid use, the lure of easy weight loss has caused many to throw caution to the wind. Perhaps the most concerning trend is steroid use among our teenage population: “Teens also listed steroids, growth hormone, amino acids and other potentially unhealthful products among those they’d tried in the previous year.” (Source: www.cnn.com)

-> THE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE

Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) is indeed the rule when it comes to many weight loss gimmicks. However, there is one weight loss method that has never been banned, has never led to an investigation, and has never been been listed on a ‘whistleblower’ fraud report: EXERCISE.

Exercise is the only path to health and fitness that virtually every doctor in the world agrees upon. Exercise is safe, effective, and brings many more benefits to our lives than diets or drugs ever will. Exercise is fun, invigorating, motivating and the single most powerful way to improve our life and well-being!

Instead of looking for another short-cut to weight loss success, choose the proven method that gets results. Choose exercise.

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.