Make that change now

January 18, 2011

Molly Cameron was recently quoted as a health, fitness and weight loss expert in this Herald Scotland article.

So what's it to be?

Weight loss? Achieving a super-toned Beyonce behind? Walking upstairs without getting out of breath? Yes, we’re talking about new year’s resolutions and it’s only November. What’s going on?

This is the optimum moment – not January 1 – to start a fitness regime, for two very good reasons.

Firstly, if you start now, there’s no need to feel like a Christmas pudding in your party dress because there’s still time – yes, truly – to firm, tighten and tone the body for the festive fortnight.

Secondly, you will get a flying start on your new year’s resolution. Resolutions are usually made in the grey dawn of January, in a grey frame of mind. Many people are at the heaviest they’ve been all year, gyms are at their busiest and the weather is at its most uninviting.

Which begs the question, why start in January? Begin a manageable fitness regime now and you will start the new year halfway along the road to your goal.

“People think there’s no point in starting a fitness regime now because they won’t be able to enjoy themselves over the festive season,” says Sarah Jane Walls, a personal trainer and founder of SJ Fitness in Glasgow. “Well, another way to think about it is this: what if you go through this party season and don’t put on any weight?

“You can still enjoy yourself. Go out and have a great time, but just watch what you eat between nights out and make sure you’re still exercising.”

It’s important to be realistic, you’re unlikely to get a body like Jennifer Aniston for Christmas, not in three weeks – not unless you’re already a committed athlete. Most of us, though, just want the simple things in life: bingo wings that aren’t capable of lifting you off the ground in a strong breeze, a trimmer waist and firmer thighs. Those things are achievable.

“You can tone those bits that wobble, those bits that hang out of the dress, in three weeks,” says Ms Walls. You could probably drop a dress size if you really pushed it, she adds. Even a more moderate pre-Christmas routine will tone you up.

Lynda Shepherd, 35, a chartered secretary from Glasgow, can testify to the effectiveness of a three-week workout. She is getting married next summer and started a regime at SJ Fitness two months ago. She wants to be in great shape for a wedding dress fitting in December and is pleased with her progress.

“In the first three weeks I lost about nine pounds – though the weight loss has slowed since – and noticed a big difference on my waist and bust,” she says. “My muscle tone also improved majorly.” She works out three times a week, doing bums and tums classes, Powerplate sessions, spinning and Boxercise.

So there you have it, three weeks are enough to make a real difference. Here are 10 pointers to get started.

Five times a week:

Molly Cameron, a strength and conditioning specialist who runs Nexus Sports Consulting, agrees that it is realistic to achieve results in three weeks, but stresses that you must keep at it. After the first few days, this might prove easier than it sounds: “Exercise gains its own momentum,” she says. “If people are in the habit of exercising regularly, they notice when it’s missing.”

Do cardio:

Ms Cameron recommends a regime of cardio and weights. “There’s no getting around cardiovascular work,” she says. “Burning more calories is going to contribute to making your physique leaner. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you are burning doing nothing: you’re increasing your internal furnace. You’re going for overall body toning. You might desperately want to lose the bingo wings, but it might be the legs that tone up first. But just get it done.”

Cardio doesn’t necessarily mean running around: “Cardio means getting the heart rate up. It’s anything that gets you hot and sweaty,” says Ms Walls. “If you do a squat for five minutes, you’re knackered, out of breath and your heart’s beating.”

If you are a gym member or if you have some dumbells, follow your cardio work with weights – for instance, do upper body work on Monday, lower body on Tuesday, abdominal conditioning on Wednesday and so on. Mix it up so you don’t get bored.

A few basic exercises:

“You need to get the big muscle groups burning,” says Ms Walls. “Top exercises would be squats and lunges for the bum and legs.” Don’t do too many stomach crunches, as those will bring limited results.

Ms Cameron also recommends tricep dips off the stairs or a chair, and doing the plank (lying face down and raising yourself up onto your toes and forearms, keeping the body straight).

And Ms Walls has a special tip for women wishing to tone their upper arms for a skimpy dress: press-ups. “You can do them against a wall if necessary. They lift the boobs and tone the arms,” she says. “Also, get a fake tan – it hides a multitude of sins.”

Progress your workout:

That could mean increasing the distance you run or cycle, or the intensity of the workout on a treadmill or cross-trainer. You could also work out in intervals, where you vary the speed or intensity of your exercise as you go along, says Ms Cameron. “Instead of going on a cross-trainer on level five, go four minutes on level five, then go up one level for four minutes. You’re getting a higher overall calorie burn.”

Try this at home:

“You don’t have to go to the gym,” says Ms Walls. Do your squats and lunges at home. Walk to work (make sure you go at a decent clip, adds Ms Cameron) and take the stairs where you can – it all adds up. Just one thing, if you do want to join a gym, it’s likely to be cheaper now than in January.

Set goals:

Ms Cameron recommends SMART goals: simple and specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-specific. And give yourself a deadline. “That way, you’re moving towards something positive instead of away from something negative.”

Have a buddy:

Ms Shepherd greatly appreciates the support she gets from fellow gym-goers at SJ Fitness. “Some gyms are very impersonal, whereas here it’s like a family environment,” she says. “The exercise is fun.”

Have a buddy – a friend, personal trainer or colleague you’re answerable to, says Ms Walls. “Buddying up with someone is really helpful.”

Dr Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, can prove it. He carried out a study in 2007 into 3000 men and women who had set themelves new year’s resolutions.

He found that women were more likely to succeed if they had told family and friends what they were trying to achieve and had their support if they fell off the wagon.

Have some “me” time:

“We in the UK tend to be down on ourselves,” says Ms Walls. “Spend time on yourself, whether it’s reading, listening to music or whatever. If you feel good about yourself, you want to spend time on yourself.”

Make it easy:

No-one wants to leave the warmth of home on a freezing wet night, so go to the gym or an exercise class straight from work – and get your kit ready before bed so you can just grab it in the morning.

Forgive yourself:

“You are going to fail at some point: everybody does, it’s normal,” says Ms Walls. “Recognise it’s going to happen and give yourself a kick up the backside, but don’t beat yourself up. Put it to one side, it’s done with. Don’t look back, look where you’re going.”

Article By Rebecca McQuillian

To read the on-line versio in The Herald see http://www.heraldscotland.com/life-style/fashion-beauty-wellbeing/make-that-change-now-1.1071399#have-your-say