Fitness and health

Confront your inner potato 
Fast food is an all too easy substitute for sensible home cooked meals and once the rubbish diet kicks in, it's a small step to hunting through a pile of empty pizza cartons, chardonnay bottles and Mars Bar wrappers hunting for the remote control and that probably equates to your exercise for the day.

If you can’t bring yourself to move away from the TV, you could try some stretching exercises, press-ups and sit-ups on the living room floor. When you need to get the groceries, leave the car at home and walk. The journey home carrying the shopping bags not only helps to get you fit, it encourages you to buy lightweight food (like lettuce).

Get fit, have fun
The mention of exercise may conjure up thoughts of beautiful bodies parading in exclusive gymnasiums or it may induce a panic attack. If you are a complete stranger to exercise, it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about how much is right for you. A good goal is to work up to exercising four to six times a week for thirty to sixty minutes at a time. Remember though, that even a small amount of exercise is beneficial and is better than none at all.

The best way to ensure you will stick to your exercise regime is to chose something you enjoy – swimming, for instance, is easier on arthritic joints than jogging and you may be less inclined to bordom or injury if you vary your routine. So, walk one day, bicycle the next. Consider activities like dancing and rambling, and even the more physical domestic chores like washing the windows (yeah right).

It can take several weeks before you notice any of the benefits of regular exercise so try not to get discouraged.

Home work-out
Working out at home can be done by following instructions from books, DVDs or the internet and by using, for example, an exercise bike or treadmill. Department store John Lewis has a good selection of home exercise equipment to help you attain that flat stomach and sleek thighs with inexpensive balance balls to top of the range cross trainers and treadmills.

Don’t forget that ordinary household objects can double up as weights for extra impact but be warned; a tin of baked beans swung around in a sweaty hand is likely to end up flying through the nearest window.

Getting physical

Get physical, keep fit
Being fit physically should not be optional. It increases your energy levels and makes day-to-day activities easier to manage; it improves your quality of life and is important in maintaining a good standard of health.

The basic aim is to undertake a combination of the following three forms of exercise:

Aerobic exercise: to maintain a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. Anaerobic exercise: to build muscles and improve physical performance. Stretching exercises: to reduce strain during exercise and maintain your body’s mobility.

You don’t need a gym to get fit
Begin your life after divorce exercise regime with a suitable book or DVD. There is a big selection of reading matter on the subject of getting and then staying in good shape and if you want to give up smoking then there is plenty of literature to help you wean yourself off the demon weed including Paul McKenna's guides; Quit Smoking Today Without Gaining Weight and Quit Smoking Today:Programme Your Mind to Stop Now.

If the thought of exercising solo doesn’t motivate you, an organised class can be a fun way to get fit (and it’s a good way to socialise). There are a plethora of classes available. Local authority classes - run at all times of the day - are widespread and you can get details directly from them or at information points in libraries or sports centres. You may also want to think about joining a privately run gymnasium .

Alternatively you can do it yourself. Instead of taking the car for short distances, walk instead or cycle. If the roads are busy and polluted near you, head for the parks or designated cycle tracks. Swimming has all-round benefits for your health. A good diet is fundamental to a healthy lifestyle. Resist takeaways and ready meals and opt for healthier alternatives.

Guidelines
Eat wholemeal and wholegrain bread and pasta. Avoid fried and processed foods, creamy sauces and dressings. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Cut down on the amount of milk, butter and other dairy foods. Eat moderate amounts of meat and fish, including at least one portion of oily fish each week. Minimise treat foods such as chocolate, crisps, sweets, biscuits, pastries and ice cream to two or three times a week.

Join a club

Improve your health (and your social life) at the gym
Think about it. A health club is an obvious place to meet people with whom you have something in common – keeping fit. And while not everyone there will be divorced and wishing to socialise, the modern gym – with its juice bars, saunas, jacuzzis, spas, steam rooms and therapies – has become as much of a lifestyle experience as a way to improve and maintain good health.

Choosing a club
Initiating a health and fitness regime is hard enough without making it more difficult by joining a health club that doesn't meet your needs. Before handing over your hard earned cash consider the following:

Location Location Location
It has to be convenient or you’ll use that as an excuse not to go. The closer and easier it is to get to, the better.

Get your money's worth
Not all gyms are the same so make sure they have exactly what you want - you don't want to waste any of that precious divorce settlement money - and similarly, make sure you are not paying a fortune for facilities you will never use. For example, a suitable creche at the gym may mean you would get much more use out of it than one with expensive equipment but no childcare.

Hands on experience
Ask for a trial membership or a day pass and spend some time trying the equipment and sizing up the atmosphere of the place. How busy is it? Are the staff helpful? Are the facilities well maintained? Who's that gorgeous bloke/girlie on the rowing machine?

Costs and contracts
Membership fees can sometimes be a complicated business, with lots of different deals available. So check out exactly what is included - personal training, classes, pool, towel service, lockers, child care, etc - and if there are extra costs for additional services.

How to pull more than a muscle
If you want serious socialising along with your step class and sauna, there are some tactics and gym etiquette you should get to grips with before you slide (or wrestle) into your lycra.

Firstly, show that you're serious about getting fit. If it seems you are only there to make friends and meet members of the opposite sex, you’ll just appear one of the desperate and divorced and no-one will be interested.

Secondly, don't turn up in your old gardening T-shirt and trackie bottoms or worse, a shell suit (can you still buy them?). Wear something a little more flattering. By the same token, don’t go overboard with the designer gear or chest. Simple elegance is the aim. John Lewis has a complete range of fitness wear for men and women that should appeal to anyone involved in the serious business of getting into shape and impressing likely looking totty..

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