Men’s Health Week runs from June 12th to June 18th in 2017. This year, it focuses on alerting men to the fact that excess belly fat is a major risk factor in conditions such as Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease, raised blood pressure, problems with getting or maintaining an erection, colorectal cancer, sleep apnoea and, in fact, the risk of premature death from any cause.
Winchester Chiropractor, Max Atkinson, says that the problem with belly fat is that it does not just sit beneath the skin – deeper, visceral fat wraps itself around your vital organs.
What Can I Do About Belly Fat?
Two, vital lifestyle changes are needed!
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Incorporate regular exercise into your lifestyle
Beginning – and sticking to, regular exercise can be hard – particularly if you have a desk job or have not participated in sport since leaving school. Some good tips for success are:
- Get checked out by your GP before you begin any exercise program to make sure there are no underlying health conditions that could put you at risk.
- Once you have your GPs blessing, visit your Chiropractor. Poor postural habits and biomechanical problems that have accumulated over time can lead to aches and pains or injuries that can seriously affect your willpower to stick to your exercise plan as well as your physical ability to do so. Getting problems sorted out before you begin and by scheduling regular ‘maintenance’ checks can keep help to keep your body in balance
- Vary your exercise routine so that it does not become boring. Choose an exercise that you enjoy, if working out in the gym is not for you, perhaps joining a fitness class, walking group or swimming club will be more to your liking. It is important to include some cardio exercises in your routine, simple things such as, taking the stairs instead of the escalator, or getting off the bus a stop early, can help here!
- There are exercises you can do at home to build strength and stamina and improve your overall fitness. Ask your Winchester Chiropractor for some guidance on the type of exercises that will be safest and most effective for you.
- If possible, find a friend or colleague who also wants to get fitter and shed some excess pounds so that you can motivate each other.
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Make healthier diet choices
- Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet and use these to replace biscuits, cakes or confectionary between meals too.
- Try to eat simpler meals with fresh ingredients rather than processed, pre-packed or ‘ready’ meals.
- Check pack labels so that you can avoid foods containing ‘trans’ fats or those that have high levels of sugar.
- Ensure that you eat enough dietary fibre for the health of your digestive system
- With busy lifestyles, it is hard, sometimes, to ensure that we are giving our bodies all the essential nutrients they need for optimum health. Your Winchester Chiropractor can advise on making some changes to your nutritional intake and, if appropriate, on supplements that could help you to make up any shortfall.
Make a Start Today!
If you are concerned about an expanding waistline, Men’s Health Week this June could be the starting point for the changes in your lifestyle highlighted above. Please call Bradford House Chiropractic to arrange an appointment on 01962 861188 today, we can help with postural and biomechanical problems as well as nutritional advice to help you in your goal of becoming healthier and more active.
Bradford House Chiropractic wholeheartedly supports the aims of Men’s Health Week. However, the Practice is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the organizers, Men’s Health Forum.
