Fit and Fabulous

The message we have all heard, loud and clear, for the last 30 or so years is that exercise is vital for health. And it is. Anything you may have read recently about how going to the gym won’t help you lose weight is partially true, but it is only half the story. Because we should not just exercise for weight loss but for all the other health benefits exercise brings to our bodies and minds (don’t forget those feel-good endorphins which are released after a great work-out or a long, fast walk).

We need to exercise our bodies for a whole range of reasons, and weight-loss is only oneDumbbells of them; our bodies are not designed to be sedentary; they are designed to be used, for walking, climbing stairs, bending, stretching, flexing – all the things that women just a couple of generations before us, were forced to incorporate into their daily life through hard, physical housework, cooking (back in the day that meant whisking, beating, grinding, chopping, etc, by hand, not by labour-saving machine), walking their children to school, and all the other little daily tasks that meant they were using their limbs and muscles daily.

Research has also shown that lack of exercise exacerbates the loss of bone density in women of 40 and over. Particularly for those at risk of osteoporosis, but ideally for all women over 40, exercise specifically designed to increase bone density is vital. Known as bone-loading, this includes walking, gentle jogging, swimming, press-ups and stretches using wrist weights. The concept is explained fully, with detailed exercises, in “Bone-Loading: Exercises for Osteoporosis” by Ariel Simkin and Judith Ayalon, available on Amazon.

When it comes to weight-loss and exercise, the latest reports claim that exercise alone does not help, and the reports are, of course, right. If you carry on eating more than your body needs, exercise will merely prevent you adding more weight; if you eat as much as, or more than, your body needs and “reward” yourself with treats after your gym session – either because you feel you deserve it, or because exercise makes you hungry – you will not lose weight, and may – yes, the hard truth – put it on.

On the other hand, if you combine exercise with healthy eating, you will be doing the very best for your body in terms of fitness, weight maintenance and general health.

Understanding healthy eating, however, is not simple. There is absolutely no doubt that our bodies function better when our diet mainly comprises the right kind of fresh, unrefined foods, with lots of fruit, vegetables and salads, naturally low-fat meats such as chicken and turkey, whole grains, skimmed milk, nuts and pulses, with olive oil for cooking, and keeping butter, cream and foods with a high sugar content (milk chocolate, soft drinks, sweets, jam) as an occasional treat.

The problem is that healthy foods are not necessarily also slimming foods. Nuts, for instance, are high in fat, and fruit contains sugar, which is where the dread phrase “portion control” comes in. That means understanding that almonds are a healthy snack, but a very small handful (around 6 to 8) gives you the nutrients and energy you need to give you a mid-morning boost; that grapes are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins A, B, C and K and folate and therefore are great for you, but a four-ounce (100g) bunch is plenty as a snack or lunchtime dessert.

60&Sensational believes that to be fit and fabulous you need to eat healthily, but be wary of high-fat, calorific “healthy” foods; keep portion size small (and eat slowly to allow the “I’m full” bell to register in your brain); and do three or four sessions of exercise each week that you enjoy (ideally combining aerobics for cardio-vascular function and stretching for flexibility and balance).