TIP 4: How to get in Shape (for Your Wedding Day?). The Relationship between Exercise and Diet-How much Exercise is Enough?. My Story & My Opinions on What Did and Did Not work for me.
I have eat and exercised “a lot” over the past 15 years and learned a huge amount on the way. At 32 I discovered “you cant outrun your fork” and in fact it is mostly what you eat (80%) combined with a small bit of exercise (20%) that is the key to keeping weight off and having a healthy fit body. I admit I have never been fat and although my diet was never perfect, it was never really bad either..and I have always loved exercising. I have done everything from yoga, dance, pilates, circuit training to running, weight lifting and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and I have discovered that it is weight training and HIIT that are the best exercises to get and keep a slim toned body. Once I hit 30, like everyone else, my basal metabolic rate slowed down and my (so called “great diet”) caught up with me. I just couldn’t get rid of that extra half– 1 stone extra. At my heaviest I was probably exercising the most (Running 5 miles 4 days a week and 2 circuit training sessions!! ) But I didn’t see that i was also eating far too much, for example -3 packets of hunky doreys post running with my fiancée on the couch in the evening! Eating back the 600 calories I burnt off, what a waste of time, but alas I have learned.. butI didn’t realise at that time just how many calories were in a packet of crisps and what that actually meant..It wasn’t until I really began to examine and adjust what I was eating that i began to see the root of the problem..which was you cant exercise all those calories off..And realise the truth. You simplyhave to reduce the amount of food you are eating…
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Now that I am a busy working mum, I don’t have the time to attend my twice weekly exercise classes. My life revolves around my business Polished and my husbands work and co-ordinating our babys care and I am “lucky” if I get to go once in a few weeks on a Sunday morning for a swim and a gym session. (Sundays are not a day of rest in my house). Other than that all I am doing is walking my baby in his buggy a few times a week. But I have a 2 stone child and I push the buggy fast, with my core, not my arms and I go up and down hills for a 45min plus walk and I stop at country farmers gates and I do 20 standing push ups against the gate (by 3 sets) which helps tone my upper body cause my legs are getting enough of a workout with the walking. I probably am in the best shape of my life considering I am doing so little exercise. Why? Because my diet is so much better (see other previous tips 1-3 below)and in fact I am doing actually ‘enough exercise’. That little bit. But Consistantly.
Your body doesn’t need to be pushed to risk of getting an injury it just needs a little to stimulate your muscels into action. It is the “amount of effort” not the “amount of time” you spend that really counts. 5 mins of Planks, Squats, Lunges, Pushups is enough at high intensity to get your body kick started and will help in the long run maintain your athletic shape. Also this theory of muscle memory..i think its true..your muscles remember what you consistantly used to do to them so even though I don’t do half as much now (its actually been over 2 years since i ran or did circuit training due to pregnancy) I still have lots of muscle tone.. My husband is exactly the same, all
he has time to do now outside of work and care for baby is walk with me, the odd cycle, the odd trip out on the kayak, but he does his 5 mins of planks and lunges, pullups (see right) pushups etc when we are outdoors, on the beach walking and it also works for him. He has kept great muscle tone (a hottie ahem ahem) even though hes 39 and gave up a football career and surfing addiction 5 years ago. So that’s my thoughts on how much exercise is enough aswell as eating more of the right things (more protein, good fats and vegs) and way less (carbs and sugar) to counteract the fight to keep the pounds off. So thats a few of my thoughts. Hope you get something from it. Call me anytime if you have questions.
Love Fee xx
Fiona Brady ~ POLISHED Hair & Beauty Sligo ~ www.polished.ie ~ 086-8439979
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