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ON THE MOVE

9th June 2005, Page 60
9th June 2005
Page 60
Page 61
Page 60, 9th June 2005 — ON THE MOVE
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Exerdse needn't mean going to the gym. Doing anything is better than doing nothing. Emma Penny reveals simple moves you can do anywhere

Worried about your weight creeping up? It's a common problem;people generally gain weight over the years due to a continuous small energy imbalance. But if you smoke, regularly exceed healthy drinking limits and/or are inactive, you are at much higher risk of gaining a gut -and that tends to be an increasing problem with age.

Weight gain usually occurs for one reason alone your energy intake from food and drink exceeds the amount of energy you burn through your metabolism and physical activity.

The extra energy is stored, unfortunately. as fat. You can eat a more healthy diet -see last week's CM-in an attempt to burn this off,but you'll achieve better results more quickly by being more active too.

Choose a healthier life

It is often difficult to see how you can fit things into an already packed day. You're into the traffic office early in the morning, leaving late at night, and there's hardly a chance to grab a sandwich. Drivers have even less chance to stretch their legs as they spend all day driving and queuing at RDCs waiting to tip.

Many people think that stress, fatigue, illness and poor fitness levels are a necessary result of theirjob. While you may not be able to do anything about the hours and kind of work you do, you can make lifestyle choices that will have a huge impact on your health. Physical fitness, diet and how you choose to deal with stress can have a profound impact on your overall feeling of wellbeing and quality of life.

Being more active helps prevent weight gain by keeping up energy expenditure. It also enables you to deal with stress better, putting an end to comfort eating. There are lots of quick and easy ways to be more active during the working day.You can: • Take the stairs rather than the lift • Put more energy into daily tasks — dump the remote control!

• Take short walks whenever you can throughout the day • Leave the car and walk whenever you can • Choose an active hobby such as gardening, cycling or brisk walking.

General advice is that we should aim to do 30 minutes of moderate exercise three times a week. This can be split into 10 minute chunks if you don't have time to do half an hour at once.

Moderate exercise includes walking briskly, swimming, table tennis, golf, dancing, heavy DIY (such as mixing cement), digging the garden and heavy housework (which would also get you plenty of Brownie points!).

Doing some stretching will also help your wellbeing. When you spend hours behind the wheel or at a desk, your body can suffer due to lack of movement and sitting in one position for a long period of time.This can lead to joint stiffness, back pain, sore knees and limited mobility in general. It's important to take regular breaks every couple of hours, and to stretch the legs and the upper body.

There are simple exercises you can do in your truck cab (with the engine off) or in the office to help relieve tension, keep muscles active and to protect the spine.11-y to do them once a day, or a few times a week.

Inner thigh squeeze This will help tone the thighs and reduce knee pain by correcting the position of the knees.

Place a ball or rolled up copy of CM between your knees and squeeze and release 15 times. Repeat twice. Then do the same exercise again, but this time see how long you can hold each squeeze.

Shoulder rolls This loosens the shoulders and relieves tension.

Imagine you are drawing a circle with your shoulders. Lift them up towards your ears, take them back and squeeze the shoulder blades together. then lower them down and forwards Repeat 10 times.

Calf circles Pick up one foot and circle the foot around keeping the whole leg as still as possible. Make 15 circles in each direction with each foot.

Neck rotation Use this exercise to ease tension in the neck, which can build up and cause headaches. Let your head rest back against the head rest. Gently and slowly allow your head to roll to one side. Try to keep the back of your neck long and your shoulders relaxed. Repeat several times, as often as possible.

Standing calf raises/squat Boosts circulation, stops that sluggish feeling! Stand tall, feet parallel and hip width apart. Come up onto your toes, then lower the whole body into a small squat. Heels are on the floor, knees in line with the toes.Come back up to standing. Repeat 10 times Shoulder press Take two equally weighted objects (try 1.5 litre bottles of water) and raise them slowly straight above your head. Release slowly back down. • TAKE CARE If you are unfit, on medication or in any way incapacitated, you should consult your GP or practice nurse before embarking on any new exercise regime

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