With the first signs of spring in the air, April is the perfect time to get motivated and get moving again. The advice from probiotic experts, Yakult, is that exercise and good gut health are directly linked. One of the main effects of winter laziness is that our metabolisms and digestive systems become sluggish and slow down along with the rest of the body.
To help kick-start spring, Yakult has teamed up with fitness expert Joan Geraghty to help get you on the move with some top tips for fitness success:
1. Find a way to exercise that is enjoyable - Walking, tennis, swimming. Even gardening or dancing! Overhauling your health shouldn’t feel like a chore.
2. Set yourself achievable goals - Most people give up after overdoing it at the start and suffer burnout quickly. Build up slowly and at your own pace.
3. Consult a fitness expert - Many people think that just running or walking a set distance every day is enough to achieve their fitness goals. In truth, everyone’s body responds to exercise in different ways. A tailored fitness programme will help maximise your time and energy.
4. Diet - It may seem obvious, but combining a healthy balanced diet with your fitness plan is crucial. Your body comes under pressure it is not used to when embarking on a fitness plan. Healthy eating combined with a daily probiotic, such as Yakult, will help your body recover from a workout and will prevent you from becoming run-down.
5. Build exercise into your daily routine - Walking to work or taking the stairs instead of the lift are some of the small changes you can make to give yourself a sneaky head-start with your fitness plan. These small changes won’t feel like much, but will actually make a big difference over the weeks, months, and years.
Remember, the key is to get your heart rate going, and you’ll get your digestive going too. So, dust off the winter cobwebs and embrace the joys of spring. It’s never too late to change they way you look and feel.
Yakult’s Inside Out Diet book offers free advice on health and lifestyle and is available free to download from www.yakult.ie More advice and insight can be found in Joan Geraghty’s books ‘Fit For Success’ and ‘Anyone Can Run’, published by Currach Press.
