A RingwoodTown Expert Guide to…
Health & Nutrition: Getting Fit for Summer
RingwoodTown has searched the country for a leading health professional to give his expert opinion on great ways to get fit and improve nutrition.
   We grabbed a moment in the busy schedule of Personal Trainer, Lifestyle Consultant and Nutritional Advisor Simon Lovell.
Regardless of where you are in your life, at what level of fitness - there’s no doubt that Ringwood and The New Forest is a fantastic place to get in shape, and whether there’s a slight bulge on your belly or you’re desperately trying to improve your health for your children’s sake, I’ve got some great tips to help you along the way.
   The most important part of getting in shape and staying there is about seeing results and keeping up variety, building into a part of your lifestyle. Not everybody reacts well to the same kind of exercise – and for most it’s about learning to be specific about your goals and training according to where you want to be.
   You need to find out what is the most practical exercise for you. It’s vital that this is something you’ll be able to stick at in the longer term. The great thing about Ringwood is that there are so many options available to you. If you’re someone who has never undertaken proper exercise before, then you may want to start by taking up a sport you enjoy watching, such as football, netball, tennis, or badminton. On the other hand, how about something a bit more adventurous like indoor rock climbing? Whatever you do, you should make it a regular weekly activity and involve other people that can motivate you.
   If you’re feeling the stress from work or you just need some time to unwind, exercise can recharge your batteries and offer a whole host of other benefits. It’s not all about joining a gym in January, being a member until February and paying until December! However, you may find the gym a good place to start. Gyms can offer a wide range of equipment that doesn’t depend on the weather, and they have a positive social aspect to them. With some proper direction, you can see some great results.
   If you do decide the gym is for you, make sure that it’s within a decent distance of your home so you can keep up making it a few times per week. This way you will make most of the membership costs. Always haggle with the costs and be aware that in January, prices are as high as they’ll ever be. You can sometimes get a good price by leaving it until the last days of any month as clubs need to hit their targets and will often reduce or even cut out admin charges completely. Always ask for a free trial day (or try for a week) to see it if works for you before signing into a contract.
   Be sure to find out how busy they get and ensure you understand fully what you’re doing when you’re there. You wouldn’t expect to get into a car and know how to drive it for the first time, so don’t be under the illusion that you’ll walk into a gym and automatically know what’s best for you straight away.
   Most gyms offer induction processes. This will teach you how to operate the machines safely, but won’t delve too much into how your body works and how to get results in optimum time – the best way to find out this information is by hiring a personal trainer. PT’s can be found in most of the big gyms, but it may be worth asking in smaller, independent centres. Alternatively you can find one that comes to your home.
   Not only will hiring a PT give you a great workout, but you will constantly learn about how your body works. Once you start leaning, you will become more interested and this is where it’s easy to catch the fitness bug.

Picking a Personal Trainer
DO YOU CLICK?
You could be seeing this person for three days a week, so the first thing to establish is whether you have a rapport with the trainer. Do your personalities match? If the trainer has good personal skills then they should adjust naturally to you, but if you find yourself unsure then make your excuses! Of course, just because you click still doesn’t mean they’re right…

QUALIFICATIONS
Should be REPs (Register of Exercise Professionals) Registered. Ensure registration is up-to-date. Ideally with a Diploma in Personal Training or equivalent.

FOOD FOR FITNESS
Your trainer should be able to speak to you confidently about good nutritional practises. Fifty percent of your effort is in what you eat when it comes to your results so be sure that they can explain to you what to eat before and after training as well as suggesting healthy, energy-boosting meal ideas.

EXPERIENCE AND CLIENT BASE
• Find out how long your trainer has been working for. The longer the better, for obvious reasons. Ask how many active clients they have and if so whether you would be able to speak to any of them for a recommendation, if you are feel happy in asking this. If you do, then it would be obviously sensible for the trainer to find a client with your similar goals. Also, has the trainer been featured in the media? If so ask if you can see articles.
• If you are a sports person for example, then it would be sensible to try and find a trainer that has already trained individuals in your discipline. If you’re a pre or post pregnancy client then somebody who is trained in ‘Special Populations’ is advised. Ideally find somebody who has already trained a client of this nature, and better still who is female and had a baby!
• If you want to go outside running in sessions, then find a trainer that is happy to take to the road with you and does not just offer treadmill work.

Dieting the healthy way
Of course, if exercise really isn’t your cup of tea then you can still lose weight and feel trim by cutting out the bad calories in your diet. Of course, Ringwood offers many temptations with its broad range of bars, cafés and restaurants, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t have the things you enjoy if you cut out the calorie heavy foods at other times of the day.
   The best way to keep your body in shape and in the clothes you feel best is by eating small regular meals. This speeds up your metabolism - the body’s way of burning fat.
   Unfortunately our taste buds are often acclimatised to foods high in sugar, fat, and normally carbohydrates. If they’re out of shape, getting your food sensors back to how they should be can take a bit of time but by eating energy foods you can gain more energy, have more focus at work and generate a healthy body for life.
   Many clients use my Lunch Box Diet which promotes eating small regular meals. It is very easy to implement into most people’s working week, without eliminating those tasty treats in the area's fantastic restaurants and pubs.

Here are Simon’s Top Nutrition Tips for a healthier body
Avoid adding salt to your food
Eat the majority of your carbs (pasta, bread, rice) in the morning/afternoon.
Drink more water, a couple of litres a day to start with, more if you are active
Low in ‘fat’ often means high in something else, normally sugar.
Look for foods low in saturated fat
Always eat breakfast, wholesome oats or wholemeal bread with poached egg is a great start, along with a natural fruit smoothie!
Try and have a source of protein (fish, meat, eggs etc) with each meal.
Always get as many vegetables you can into your diet, providing essential nutrients
Avoid frying. Steam, bake, grill and microwave!
High sugar foods will increase body fat if the sugar isn’t burned off
Reduce alcohol intake for a more slender figure

Take time to check things out… Before undertaking any exercise programme,
or change of diet, please be sure to consult your doctor.

Written by Simon Lovell
Profile: Simon Lovell
Simon (far left) has been a health professional for several years, working with a huge range of clients – from wannabe body-builders to weight loss clients, new mums as well as assisting those with special needs. He is the resident UK fitness expert for the national ‘Sport’ magazine www.myfreesport.co.uk and recently published his acclaimed healthy eating plan, The Lunch Box Diet. His website can be found at www.theheatfitness.co.uk.

Local Health and Fitness activities to check out
Buggy Fit
If the gym don’t sound like your cup of tea, but you’re a mum and want to meet up with other happy new females then Buggyfit is a fantastic service that can get you out and exercising with your new born in tow. All Buggyfit classes have been developed by experts to suit the various stages that mothers go through after having
a baby.
   Buggyfit trainers are experts in assessing how hard to work each Mum, and will always ensure safe technique is used to gain maximum results, so why not give it a go?
   For more information contact Jo on 07808 470 031 And don’t forget to say Hi from the team at RingwoodTown.co.uk!

 Singles that Mingle
www.singlesthatmingle.co.uk
Free and ready to meet other people in the local area? If so then check out this fantastic service that is growing in popularity by the week. There are regular social events organised such as Tapas evenings, nights out at a Comedy Club and even regular jaunts in the country. Maybe you won’t only find a new exercise partner here but maybe it will develop into something a bit more romantic! – The good thing about this is that it doesn’t put emphasis on dating, so the pressure is taken off. Singles that Mingle have events going on all the time and there are loads of other benefits besides the obvious!

 Race for Life
www.raceforlife.org
If there’s one fitness event on the yearly calendar that all women should get involved with, it’s the Race for Life. This Cancer Research UK event attracts thousands of women every year, and millions are raised across
the country.
   Whatever your ability, the chances are you can get involved and help this important cause while burning off some of those unwanted calories at the same time. Simply log onto the site and check out when the next race is on and tell your friends around the country, there’s bound to be one near them too!