How to get healthy this weekend

Every January people resolve to join the healthy brigade, and those of us who are already longstanding members vow to maintain the balance between eating well, exercising regularly – and having fun while we’re at it. But sometimes we all need a little live-well inspiration, and this weekend’s Fare Healthy event is an ideal place to find it…

If you’re in the capital on Saturday, head west to Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green, a baroque-style pub, which, for one day only, will be transformed into a healthy haven. Organised by boutique catering company Peardrop London, Fare Healthy brings together cooks, nutritionists and fitness experts (many of which you’ll have read about in Healthy Food Guide) for an event like no other. There’ll be talks, demos and book signings from the likes of Hemsley + Hemsley and Deliciously Ella, exercise classes such as yoga and a Beyoncédance workshop (it promises to be bootylicious…), plus stalls selling guilt-free treats and stylish sportswear. Did we mention there’ll be cakes and cocktails, too? 

 

‘If this January’s anything like the last one (and the one before that), the dark winter days will be giving our willpower a workout,’ says Peardrop founder and event organiser Rose Lloyd Owen. ‘So we’re getting everyone together to bring some collective resolve to those New Year’s resolutions. To get fit and healthy – and to stay that way.’

When: Saturday 24 January, 9.30am–6pm

Where: Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green

Price: £17 for general admission and one book-ahead talk or exercise session; £10 general admission on the day

For more information and to book your ticket, visit peardroplondon.com/fare-healthy

How to get the best from a fitness tracker

By David Stalker, CEO ukactive

Did you get a shiny new activity tracker for Christmas? As well as measuring distance and pace, they’re vital for monitoring your heart rate. You need to understand what they can do for your health so they don’t end up in the back of your drawer with the loose batteries and old phone

The activity tracker market has expanded dramatically in the last two years. Measuring distance and pace are pretty standard, but the most important one is to be able to track and record data on your heart rate. This shows how intensely you’re exercising.

Why is this useful? To get the most out of exercise, whether running, cycling or anything else, to get fitter and healthier you need make progress. By knowing your heart rate you can understand how hard you’re working and not just how you're feeling. Armed with this knowledge, you can vary the intensity of your exercise to push yourself harder next time. All this information can also be displayed in readable charts – so even if you don’t fully understand the data, you’re able to see if you’re improving or not. Everyone gets encouraged when they see progress. You can be training hard but the improvements are not always obvious unless you know what your body is doing.

Share your progress
Your tracker should form a part of your wider exercise routine and use them as an additional tool to keeping motivated. They allow you to compare your progress and share successes, both big and small, with others so you’ll be accountable not only to yourself.

Trackers are often best used when part of the tech hub of a wider social community. Some exercise groups track your efforts in real time and integrate that with wider online communities, where you can log your miles or the points you get from meeting certain challenges.

Activity trackers won’t do the hard work for you, but they can become one of the important tools you use to motivate yourself.

How to get your fitness on track

Physical activity is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle, says David Stalker, CEO of ukactive. And, whether you’re active by habit or not, it’s easy to go astray. Here are some tips to help you stay on the go

Just start...
That first step is always the hardest, so willpower is key. Focus on and remind yourself why you want (need!) to make being active an important part of your daily life. Even if you start small, getting started will make all the difference.

Make time
Decide on a time that works you and stick to it. If a walk at lunchtime fits your schedule, a light run after work is better or even a short fitness class before work – put it in your diary, then refuse to move it.

Find something you enjoy
It’s all about doing something that appeals. If running isn’t for you, try a new sport or an exercise class. There will be something out there that gives you a buzz.

Involve your folks
Tell friends and family about your fitness plans and they’ll give you the encouragement we all sometimes need. They might even join you in getting fitter and make it a part of your social life.

Don’t focus on losing weight
Even if it’s your weight that kickstarts you into exercise, getting fitter and healthier should be the priority. By being more active, the weight usually takes care of itself as long as you make good nutritional choices. Importantly, muscle weighs twice as much as fat, so weight isn’t always the best indicator of health or fitness levels.

You don’t have to be sporty
Being active doesn’t have to be all about sport, though. Recreational cycling, swimming, dance or anything that gets your heart rate up and your body moving will get you on the way to a healthier future.

Make sure you rest
Eating healthy food and having plenty of sleep after exercise is vital in recovering from exertion. I know as much as anyone that finding time to get enough sleep can be tough, but trying to do an hour of hard exercise after only 4 hours’ sleep isn’t fun for anyone.

Record your progress
Activity trackers can be great way to keep motivated. Apps that learn from your daily movements and give advice can act like a virtual coach, helping you improve and maintain your fitness. Remember effort leads to rewards so look for something that tracks heart rate so you can get an accurate picture of how hard you’re working. Listening to your body is vital, but knowledge is great and keeps you accountable.