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 governments 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, dont 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, dont feel bad about it, dont 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, dont 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.