Fit for life

Let’s take a look at your overall fitness strategy… Even if you loathe exercise, you can do a lot to help this entire program (and your own cause) by moving. Even half an hour a day is really beneficial. If you chip away at it, you can still generate health benefits in the long term.

Walking is great – get headphones for your iPod (See our recommendation for our choice here at Girlosophy: Beats by Dr Dre headphones) and get out there!  If it’s cold, layer up. Put a beanie on and scarf plus a hoodie and just de-layer as you warm up. Summer is easier of course, just change your iTunes library and you’re set.

Running and swimming work too.  Combine these with some light resistance work for a total body workout.  You know the drill: push-ups, sit-ups, tricep dips, squats, lunges, and you’ll already put some pep in your step. 

“Working out is an essential tool to recovery.  There’s nothing like being physically exhausted to lose emotional and mental baggage.”

Sport of any kind is another great tension reducer: tennis, surfing, golf, skateboarding, rollerblading or sailing. Team sports such as basketball get you focused on a group goal.

Incidental exercise is not to be overlooked as a way of staying generally fit either. Take the stairs in the airport instead of the elevator. Walk to the shops for the milk. Ride your bike to do small chores in your local area.  

But the key to really getting stress out is the gym.  Pump iron – free and fixed weights are great mood lifters.  Maybe it’s time to book a session with a personal trainer (we love an expert to get things rolling) and give them a specific brief of what you’d like to achieve. 

Add to this gym routine some yoga and some less goal-oriented activities like bushwalking and windsurfing or even just bodysurfing for fun, and you have a balanced plan. Mix it up for best results. Being active while you’re just enjoying yourself is one of the best ways to get fit.

Photographer: Anthea Paul