My Weight Matters Week three: Physical activity
essexwellbeingservice.co.uk
Before you start week three
Review your goals:
Did you achieve your goals?
Remember to treat yourself to a non-food reward each time you achieve your goal
If you did not manage to achieve your goals, were they realistic for you?
essexwellbeingservice.co.uk/myweightmatters
Review your diary
Are you eating regularly? This is the best way to keep hunger at bay
What about the balance of foods? Does it match the Eatwell Guide? Did you choose healthier versions within each food group?
Did you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables?
What quantities are you eating? Does it match the recommended number of portions? Don’t be tempted to consume less. Remember to fill up on low calorie fibre-rich foods as much as you can. They’re best for staving off hunger pangs. Fibre is found in fruit and vegetables, oats, whole grains and beans & lentils.
Are you drinking enough fuids?
TIP - try using a smaller plate and eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for messages from the stomach to tell the brain it’s full. So stop eating before you are full and wait.
Use the food diary on the back page to record what you eat and drink. It’s known to be helpful when on a weight loss programme.
NHS recommended levels of physical activity To stay healthy or to improve health adults need to do two types of physical activity each week: aerobic and strength exercises. How much physical activity you need to do depends on your age.
Guidelines for adults aged 19-64 To stay healthy, adults aged 19-64 and older adults (and 65+ who are generally fit and have no health conditions that limit their mobility) should try to be active daily and should do: • At least 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, and • Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) OR • 75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes) of vigorous aerobic activity such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, and • Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) OR • A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week. For example, two 30 minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, and • Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms)
A good rule is that 1 minute of vigorous activity provides the same health benefits as 2 minutes of moderate activity. One way to do your recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity is to 30 minutes on 5 days a week. Older adults (age 65+) at risk of falls, such as people with weak legs, poor balance and some medical conditions, should do exercises to improve balance and coordination on at least 2 days a week.
essexwellbeingservice.co.uk/myweightmatters
What counts as moderate exercise?
What counts as strength exercise?
• Brisk walking • Cycling - on level ground or with a few hills • Water aerobics • Ballroom and line dancing • Playing doubles tennis • Pushing a lawn mower • Canoeing • Volleyball
• Lifting weights • Carrying or moving heavy loads such as groceries • Activities that involve stepping or jumping, such as dancing • Heavy gardening such as digging or shovelling • Exercise that uses your body weight for resistance , such as push-ups or sit-ups
What counts as vigorous exercise?
• Yoga
• Running or jogging
Exercises to improve balance or co-ordination
• Swimming fast • Riding a bike fast or on hills
• Yoga
• Singles tennis
• Tai Chi
• Football
• Dancing
• Rugby • Skipping rope • Hockey • Aerobics • Gymnastics • Martial arts
The level of activity reached may depend on the intensity, e.g. walking. Ensure you assess the intensity of walking: 0 breathing easily, conversation is easy 1 breathing lightly and talking easily but heart rate increases 2 still talking comfortably but breathing more quickly, body warming up 3 breathing more deeply and harder, talking with a little more difficulty 4 breathing very hard and short of breath, cannot carry on a conversation
Light activity 0-1 Moderate activity 2-3 Vigorous activity 4 You should be aiming for 2-3 for the walking to count towards your activity level.
How to start being more active So that’s the guidelines for physical activity from the NHS but remember it’s all about where you are now and then taking small steps towards achieving the recommended levels as far as you are able. Find out your starting point by completing the ‘fitness self-assessment’ essexwellbeingservice.co.uk/myweightmatters For some people the initial focus may be to reduce the amount of time spent sitting or lying down. Your first goal for example may be to monitor your inactive time and to reduce it by an amount you can see yourself achieving.
There are 2 ways that have been suggested to achieve this: Take an active break from sitting every 30 minutes. Break up long periods of sitting with shorter bouts of activity for 1-2 minutes. • Once you have reduced inactive time, you might want to add in some additional activity in your daily routine such as walking, heavy housework, climbing stairs or gardening. • You may be at the stage where you are ready to undertake more formal activities perhaps at a Leisure Centre, gym or community class.
A good place to look for ideas for physical activity is ‘Find your Active’ www.activeessex.org/find-your-active/
A reminder about setting goals: 1. What will you do? 2. When will you do it? 3. How much? 4. How often? 5. How long for?
Is your goal realistic? Can you imagine yourself doing it? It is important throughout the programme to keep a record of your goals so that you can see your progress and achievements.
Week three summary This week you have focused on: 1. Reviewing how you are getting on. Check out our guidance at www.essexwellbeingservice.co.uk/ wellbeing/physical-activity 2. Assessing your current level of activity 3. Setting a plan for you to increase your level of activity based on where you are now
Week three action check-list Monitor what you eat and drink using a food diary Work towards eating the recommended portion sizes.
Start to record the level of physical activity you achieve each week.
essexwellbeingservice.co.uk/myweightmatters
Prefer to record your weight online? Track your weight, set goals, and stay motivated with the AmaraHealth™ app
Food diary Day:
Time
Date:
Food/drink
Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbs
7 (Women) 8 (Men)
Fruit and vegetables
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
Dairy and alternatives
Oil and spreads
Other foods and drinks high in fat, salt or sugars
At least 5
2
3
2
1 max
TOTAL number of portions: Recommended number of portions:
Physical activity log: Step count:
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