Keeping the pounds off this winter.

Keeping the pounds off this winter.

Now that many of us have put away our boats, paddleboards, swimming gear, bikes and other outdoor equipment for the winter it seems a long time before we will get some enjoyable exercise again. It can be hard to find time to get outdoors once the clocks go back. However, if you want to be fit and healthy next spring you need to do some form of exercise to get you through the winter. Here are some ideas to help you be as fit when Spring starts as you are today.

The scary bit. If you put on one ounce of weight per day for the next 4 months, you will weigh 7.5lbs more than you do now. To achieve a daily one-ounce gain you only need to eat an extra 220 calories more than in the summer. That’s only 3 biscuits extra per day. A long-term view is even worse, if you put on just one ounce every week for a decade, you will weigh over 2 stone more! So, weigh yourself today and make a firm commitment to yourself not to put on an ounce by next April.

That’s enough doom and gloom. On the positive side we live in a beautiful part of the world where the opportunities for exercise are endless. We also have a fantastic range of food shops and supermarkets that sell nutritious food, often surprisingly cheaply. For example, you can buy a pineapple for 60p and a kilo of healthy apples for £1. Add a couple of bananas, cut it all up, add sugar-free orange juice and you have a huge fruit salad that can be served as pudding for several days. It’s great with some natural yogurt and is far healthier and cheaper than a factory made pudding.

Walking is the easiest and cheapest way of keeping fit. Humans are designed to walk vast distances and our joints, lungs, heart and muscles will eventually fail if we don’t use them. Many of our modern western diseases would almost disappear if we all walked a few miles a day.

If you decide to do some walking this winter, why not have a go at completing the South West Coastal Path from Brixham to East Portlemouth. It is very beautiful and can be done in stages quite easily. Or just go down to our many beaches and coves with your children and explore the rock pools and caves. (You could take a carrier bag and pick up some plastic bottles and washed up bits of helium balloons whilst you are there to make you feel really virtuous!)

Inland, there are some lovely walks along green lanes all the way to Totnes or through the Long Wood to Greenway. You don’t need to buy lunch, just take a flask and a sandwich. The Walk and Talk group in Dartmouth walk most Thursdays if you feel happier walking with other people. If you are office bound during the week why not have a fast half-hour walk every lunchtime? Higher Ferry one day, Dartmouth Castle the next! And, for a treat, march to the top of College Way and back!

Fancy something harder? Nordic walking can be mastered in an hour and is a great calorie burner and all-round workout. My clients walk fast with me for four miles and can really feel it in their upper body and quads when they finish. It’s worth a try if you aren’t keen on traditional sports but like being outdoors and want to really work your lungs and limbs.

If you usually watch sport on TV on a Saturday afternoon why not go and support one of our sports teams instead? Walking a few laps of the rugby, hockey or football pitch whilst watching a game is so much better for you than sitting indoors. Go out, shout a bit, get some weather, meet people and go home energised and enthused.

There are 4 or 5 gyms nearby that offer somewhere warm to exercise when it is cold, wet and dark outside. The gyms around here are friendly places and aren’t adorned with ripped poseurs looking at themselves in the mirrors. I know that indoor training doesn’t suit everyone but a couple of trips every week to a gym can be very beneficial. If you don’t like lifting weights there are treadmills, cross-trainers and rowing machines, all easy to use and designed to burn calories. Ideally, do some cardiovascular training and some strength work each time you visit. It’s a good idea to get advice from a member of staff if you want to start strength training.

Begin with lighter weights and perfect your technique. Don’t forget, it is important to warm up at the beginning of your gym session and cool down and stretch at the end.

If you don’t fancy going to a gym but like the idea of training at home, consider using a personal trainer for a few months. An experienced trainer will motivate you to exercise and show you the best way to achieve your goals. A personal trainer should not work you so hard that you are sore the next day. It is all about gradual change and building up the amount of work as your body gets used to it. They will also find out what exercises you enjoy doing and which ones to avoid. One thing everyone seems to relish during a session is getting boxing gloves on and taking their aggression out on the pads.

There are also a range of Pilates, Zumba, dancing, circuit training and Yoga classes in and around Dartmouth. Why not give one a try? You may love it. How about joining a singing group that will exercise and enthuse you more than doing nothing and just sitting at home watching the tv.

The main thing is to do something to keep your weight stable and your muscles strong so you are ready to carry on your chosen hobby next spring. Good luck.

First published By The Dart December 2014

If you found this article interesting and would like one-on-one help exercising or dietary advice please contact Harry Fenton (tel: 01803 770752). Harry is a qualified Personal Trainer with over 30 years experience in training and competition. As a 54 year old, he understands the problems of keeping fit when you are older and now specialises in fitness for the over 40s. Sessions cost £20/hour