Here’s the help that could get you fitter and happier this new year

Embrace physical activity and better eating, says Conor Mclean

Most of us know that regular physical activity can help us maintain or achieve a heathy weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain cancers. And let’s not forget the stress reduction and moodboosting benefits physical activity also provides. Inactivity, on the other hand, does just the opposite. Despite this knowledge people are becoming more and more sedentary and overweight.

In 2011, Scottish men were reporting 5.5hrs of sedentary time per day with women reporting 5.4 hours per day. This rise in inactivity unsurprisingly coincides with the climbing levels of adult obesity. In 2015, 65 per cent of Scotland’s adult population aged over 16 years was overweight. Of this 65 per cent, 29 per cent were actually classified as obese. This is an increase of 10 per cent since 1995. These statistics sadly highlight that Scotland’s overweight / obese population (65 per cent) exceeds the UK average of 61.7 per cent.

Now that the festive season is behind us, and with National Obesity Awareness week running this week, from 9-15 January, it is a great time to remind ourselves how powerful regular physical activity and exercise can be in supporting weight management and improving overall health.

At Edinburgh Leisure we are working in partnership with NHS Lothian to deliver Get Moving with Counterweight, a 12-week weight management and physical activity programme for people with a BMI of over 30. The programme consists of six fortnightly education sessions and 11 weekly supervised group physical activity sessions.

Some of the topics discussed are: goal setting, energy requirements, eating habits, maintaining weight loss and how to lead a healthier lifestyle. The physical activity sessions suit all ability levels and help participants find a form of physical activity they enjoy to adopt as a regular, healthy habit. All participants receive support through the following year to enable them to stay active, eat well and maintain a healthier weight.

If you’re interested in enrolling in a future course, your GP can make a referral on your behalf to the Weight Management Department at the Astley Ainslie Hospital. One of the Get Moving participants described his lifestyles changes and experiences on the programme in the following way: “I don’t eat processed foods and I’m sticking to my portion sizes.

“I’m not depriving myself, just being sensible. I actually really enjoyed the physical activity sessions the most and have been doing things I hadn’t done for years”

“Now I feel so much better. My trousers have gone from too tight to too loose. I don’t feel sluggish and I look forward to my walks. One morning when I was out walking, I felt that I wanted to run. So, I did – it felt brilliant.

“Before the programme I couldn’t have even run for a bus”

Aside from aiding weight manage-

ment, physical activity has many more benefits. Yet over the past few decades, we have become less active with only 41 per cent of the Edinburgh and Lothians adult population currently meeting the government’s recommendations of 30 minutes a day, or 150 minutes across the week, of moderate physical activity.

Physical activity can sometimes be incorrectly interpreted as a high intensity gym session or participating in sport, making it seem unattractive or unachievable to many. However, in reality moderate physical activity can be as simple as walking, gardening, vigorous housework or a low-level activity session.

You will know you are achieving a moderate level of physical activity if there is an increase in the speed your heartbeats; you might also break into a slight sweat while still being able to talk (but perhaps not sing).

So, as I said at the start, leading a healthier and more active lifestyle can improve your health and wellbeing and prevent you becoming overweight in the first instance.

This can be achieved by a combination of being active for at least 30 minutes per day, reducing sedentary behavior and following a healthy diet; ensuring portion sizes are not too big, eating your five a day and minimising foods high in fat or sugar.

This will provide a plethora of benefits including reducing the financial strain on our National Health Service, but more importantly improving your own quality and length of life, and minimising major risk factors which can lead to serious chronic health conditions.

So, it’s time for everyone to Get Moving and start reaping the rewards of being physically active. Physical activity truly can help you lead a healthier, longer and happier life. Let’s do it! Conor Mclean, Weight Management Development Officer, Edinburgh Leisure.