PERFECT EXERCISE

Is This the Perfect Exercise?

I'll be the first to admit that I was skeptical. I first heard about the arrival of Nordic Walking in the UK several years ago but - with only the barest information - I didn't really envisage myself having a go. Now I have and I'm suitably impressed. I cannot think of another activity that ticks so many boxes; increased calorie burn, less perceived exertion, more joint-friendly and open to all. It's god's own keep fit activity. All for the price of a pair of poles and a sturdy pair of trainers. The sport has crept in relatively unnoticed and is now gaining ground apace.

An angry sky promised rain to come as I drove up for my Nordic Walking initiation. I was cold, tired and hungry after a long drive and more inclined to curl my fingers around a hot chocolate rather than a pair of poles. Half an hour later our large group was snaking along the Thames path and I was beginning to enjoy myself. It's the mood-boosting outdoors-never fails.

You simply cannot Nordic walk with poor posture and the pole propulsion is quite remarkable. Lift up the poles and you experience a definite deceleration. I was working hard and was ravenous so without doubt burning off lots of calories. Throw in a few pole stretches, resistance exercises and Nordic circuits and the potential benefits to a wide range of people are evident. There's also Nordic boot camps, hill walking, jogging and bounding which is an odd mixture of hopping and skiing. The possibilities are seemingly endless. In fact, I'll wager that Nordic barbie is on the drawing board at this very moment.

I met a spritely group of four senior ladies strapping on their Nordic poles. Having struggled for years to lose weight they claimed to have lost a total of twenty pounds betwwen them since taking up Nordic walking and believed that the key to this success was altered focus. "Whereas in the past I'd be pre-occupied with and hell bent on losing half a stone, now that is secondary to my main motivation which is the sheer enjoyment and sociability of the activity. I can do this. I look forward to it as a chance to catch up with my friends in the great outdoors. The fact that my clothing is getting looser is simply an added bonus."





The problem with the'last meal' mentality is that it's just another delaying tactic. You've decided to tackle your weight yet feel deserving of a final blow out before embarking on what you consider to be a long period of grim deprivation. Two things; firstly, if you stopped seeing your diet as a block on all your favourite foods then why would you feel compelled to gorge on them? Secondly, take action right now! So it's a Sunday morning and you resolve yet again to shed those extra pounds. If you were to start RIGHT NOW on your quest and forget about waiting until tomorrow to start then you won't view the rest of Sunday as an all out eating extravaganza.

If you're still with me here then don't allow yourself to feel cheated out of your usual pre-diet binge - I know that your diet is often preceded by a frenzy of slamming cupboard doors as you attempt to clear the house of all the food you really love. You may still decide to do this in some measure but the key here is that you are not a dustbin. The redundant food does not need to be funnelled into your mouth.

So don't feel cheated - which implies that you've lost something - feel excited and know that you've everything to gain. Failing to plan is planning to fail, right? So spend the rest of Sunday in planning mode. Why are you back here again? We are creatures of habit and you will inevitably find that it's the same things that rear up to thwart your efforts every time. Be honest and decide what it is that always hampers your quest for a healthier you. Uncover your top three saboteurs and then decide what you will do to overcome them. Want an idea of what the most common saboteurs are for everybody?

1. Grazing. You pass the cookie jar and just take one. Surely one won't hurt? Then it's just a small square of chocolate as you grab the car keys on your way out. No harm in that. Later just the tiniest end of that freshly baked baguette. Before you know it you've mindlessly put away several hundred calories!

2. Emotional eating or eating for any reason other than hunger.

3. Regularly eating beyond the point of fullness.

Let's take grazing. Stop grazing! It is simply a question of taking firm control of your mind and deliberately choosing your habits rather than allowing them to just develop in any old way. Make a decision. There are only two alternatives. eg. I exercise/I don't exercise. I will follow this plan/I will not follow this plan. I graze/I do not graze. After 3 weeks not grazing will be your new habit. Done.

Similarly, if you're not hungry or eating simply to finish what's in front of you then believe me your body would really prefer to wait awhile. You know exactly what it does with excess food.