Welcome to the latest edition of our guide to help you with ideas to get fit and healthy
Written by Leah Bargota. Exercises performed by Jordan Beard.
Summer is just around the corner and we all want to ditch the warm clothes and hit the beach! So don’t worry if you have put on a few extra pounds eating chocolate over Easter, because with these hints and tips you could be well on your way to your beach body. These exercises will help get your whole body toned and in shape ready for your summer holidays.
There are many fitness clubs or sessions on offer at leisure centres near you. Take a few friends and you can all have fun and keep fit at the same time. Change For Life offer free kits to help you exercise and eat healthier. They include tips for people of all ages. Visit their website www.nhs.uk/change4life. Getting a beach body may sound hard, but a little will power is all you need.
Eating the right food is important. Swapping some snacks like crisps and chocolate, for a healthier option like fruit, will make all the difference. Try eating smaller portions. For example, if you were going to the chip shop, eat a few less chips because you may not notice the difference, but your body will as you wont be eating the extra calories. If you are thiking about dieting then you should consult your local GP for a more serious diet and exercise scheme.
When you’re on holiday a major activity is swimming, so I guess you might be a bit rusty, but that’s fine. All Sandwell leisure centres offer free swimming for under 16’s. Use this opportunity and get swimming. Its fun and a great way of keeping fit as it uses all of the muscles in your body and burns a lot of calories.
Warm-up
It is important to stretch and warm-up before exercising.
To prevent injury, it is important that you warm-up before exercising. This should involve about 5-10 minutes of light activity at a medium intensity; such as stretching, bending, light jogging and knee lifts.
Following the warm-up, your workout should contain between 20-30 minutes of exercise at a higher intensity (during moderate exercise you should be breathing more heavily than normal and feel warmer). You may modify the workout if necessary to suit your circumstances. Increase or decrease the number of repetitions according to your particular needs and physical ability. Finally, you should end with 5-10 minutes of cooling down at a medium intensity (similar to the warm up).
Warning: you should stop exercising if you feel pain or discomfort.
You can do this in a standing or sitting position. Keep your elbows close to your body. Grasp a barbell, hands shoulder width apart. Your grip should be underhand, palms facing upwards. Let the bar hang then bend your elbows to curl the bar to shoulder position, pause and slowly lower the bar.
Start with a weight that is comfortable to lift. Try doing 3 sets of ten and gradually increase your weight or add more reps.
Stand with your back to a wall, slowly shuffle down and bend your legs at a 90-degree angle, using your arms on the wall for support. Tense your muscles to hold the position and breathe slowly. Hold this position for 30 seconds. You should feel burning of your quadriceps and hamstring muscles in your legs.
Try doing this 5 times. Add a few seconds each time to make it more challenging.
Abs – Vertical Leg Crunch
Lie with your back straight on the floor. Lift up your legs pointing up with legs slightly bent, and maintain that position. Crossing your ankles in the air will make them more stable. Contract your abs and raise your shoulders until they leave the floor (Don’t pull on your neck). Make sure you keep your stomach in and you have controlled breathing. Inhale up and exhale down.
Try doing 5 sets of 15, with a 30 second break between each set.
Bum – Reverse Ball Bridge
For this exercise, you will need something to elevate your legs, like a swiss ball, but a sofa or a chair will do. Lie on your back with your arms flat by your side. Place your legs on the swiss ball, knees bent and relaxed. Make sure your upper body is still on the floor. Slowly lift up your bum, extending your legs so your body becomes one straight line. Hold for 5 seconds, and then slowly return back down to the floor. Make sure you inhale up, and exhale as you come down.
Try doing 3 sets of 10. To make the exercise more challenging add more reps or raise one leg up just off the ball and perform the exercise using the other leg only.
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