Healthy Fitness features - July 2008

We’ll all be admiring the skill, dedication and fitness levels of the world’s leading athletes as they compete at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. But let’s not be passive observers, says personal trainer Jonathan Owen: we can all get motivated to get – and stay! – fit this summer.

This summer is a sports fan’s paradise, with football at Euro 2008 (albeit with no participating home nation team to support!), tennis at Wimbledon, Test Match cricket, Open Championship golf – and, of course, the ultimate test of sporting skill and endurance: the Olympic Games.

So there’ll be no shortage of sporting role models to inspire us to dig out those golf clubs or tennis rackets gathering dust at the back of the cupboard, or perhaps take up a new sport altogether. But once the major tournaments are over, how can we maintain our resolve to exercise regularly in the face of all the competing demands on our time and energy?

Advanced personal trainer Jonathan Owen offers his top 10 tips to motivate us to make this summer the season of sport and exercise.

• Take up a sport or exercise that you enjoy – the fun factor will keep you looking forward to it.
• Set realistic and specific goals for yourself – both short and long term. For example, “I want to lose weight and tone up” is too vague; your goal needs to be something like, “I want to lose 5kg in eight weeks so I can fit into my size 12 bikini on my holiday to Barbados”.
• Accept that there is a challenge ahead: write down all the benefits you’re feeling as you go through each week and get closer to your goal.
• Put a ‘before and after’ photo of yourself on the fridge – every time you reach for something you know you shouldn’t have you’ll be reminded of how far you’ve come and all the hard work and discipline it took to get you there!
• Get a fitness programme devised for you by a personal trainer who will know exactly what needs to be done to attain your desired goal. Write down everything you achieve so you can look back and see how far you’ve come.
• Change your exercise routine – run a different course, for example, and do some different sit-ups. As well as stopping you getting bored, you should see an improvement in your results, which will keep you motivated.
• Read health- and fitness-related magazines to learn new and different things about nutrition and training. Cut out realistic pictures of people’s bodies that you aspire to look like and put them up in places where you will see them every day!
• Organise regular workout sessions with family and friends – you can encourage each other and you’ll be more likely to go if you have someone to meet.
• Walk or run with your children and the family dog. Make it a regular activity – their enthusiasm, enjoyment and energy will spur you to keep going.
• Set up your iPod with the music that gets you pumped so you can ‘zone out’ and keep running when you feel the burn!

The burning question...
We've all been told for years about the dangers of too much tanning. But now experts are saying that too little sun can cause serious problems.

The burning question...
We've all been told for years about the dangers of too much tanning. But now experts are saying that too little sun can cause serious problems.

Have fun, get fit, feel free - it's Bike Week 2008!
On June 15, around 27,000 people will set off for the UK's largest charity bike ride from London to Brighton – a gruelling 54 miles. The rest of us, though, can join one of the many shorter rides on offer during Bike Week, and take up the challenge to ‘Have fun, get fit and feel free’!

On your bikes, kids!
As well as improving their fitness, cycling boosts children’s confidence, independence and self-esteem, say the campaign’s organisers.

Running back to fitness
Has your New Year's resolution to lose weight or exercise more begun to lose momentum? If so, don't lose heart: our fitness and nutrition experts have devised a simple running programme to get you back on track to a healthier lifestyle!

Boost your bone power!
It is an alarming fact that one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 will suffer a broken bone as a result of osteoporosis at some point in their lives, yet there is much that we can do to build strong bones.

Animal Magic
Want to get fitter, healthier and more emotionally resilient? Get a pet. A growing body of studies confirms the health-boosting power of furry, scaly or feathered friends

3 treatments that make a difference
Millions of people visit complementary therapists for a variety of pains and problems, but can they really help? We weigh up the evidence for three of the most popular 'alternative' treatments

Living a normal life with Asthma
GP Martin Bell takes an in-depth look at asthma. Living a normal life is an achievable aim for most people with the condition, stresses Dr Bell – the secret lies in getting it under control.

Getting fit and back in shape for summer
Fitness exercises advice adapted to you and to your specific needs

Living with high blood pressure
GP Martin Bell takes an in-depth look at high blood pressure or hypertension, a potentially life-threatening condition affecting many adults.

Fitness for life – exercise regimes for all ages
Exercise advice for all age groups, from children to older adults.

Overweight and inactive. Avoiding the negative spiral.
Lucy looks at some of the reasons for the obesity epidemic.