Spring has finally sprung, and most of us are guilty of indulging and letting ourselves go, but with summer upon us, how do we get those bodies back?
For professional advice, we spoke to Wheatlands resident, Claire Calvert, one of our local fitness fanatics, about how one can lose weight and maintain a good body shape.
“A successful body transformation should include strength training to preserve and build lean muscle mass,” Claire said.
She added that eating enough food to avoid binges and creating better habits sets a person up for long-term fat loss and maintenance.
Claire also said people need to know that there is no quick-fix, no magic pill, no cleanse or detox that will get them into shape. It takes hard work and commitment.
“Find what you love and what you can see yourself doing in the long-term. If you hate the gym, get some equipment at home; if you love dancing, try Zumba or belly dancing, or why not challenge yourself and try a Cross-fit class?
“My biggest request from gents and ladies is to be toned and feel good about their bodies, but that is going to mean you need to include resistance/ weight training in your lifestyle.”
Claire said diet is also an important part of the process. “You don’t need crazy calorie deficits, diet pills, shakes or any food group restrictive diets. You need a diet that fits your lifestyle and offers sustainability and practical applicability for you and your goals. It has to be something that you don’t look at as a diet which will come to an end, but as a lifestyle.
“If the outcome is to be maintainable, the strategy you take must be sustainable. And that is going to differ from person to person,” Claire said.
Some of the tips she gave for one to maintain a good health include:
• Plenty of non-exercise physical activity (think daily steps)
• Get 7 to 8 hours of good sleep per night
• Wake up and go to bed at the same time most days
• Get out in nature as much as possible
• Spend time with people you actually like
