When gym won’t fix it!

Jan 7 2008 by Katie Campling, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

DID you pledge to get fitter in 2008? If you did and are just about to sign up for a costly gym membership, stop right there.

Research shows that by February 30% of new gym members will struggle to work out even once a week and by the close of 2008, four in 10 people will have abandoned their attempts altogether.

Instead of punishing your body and your bank balance to get fit, there are simpler and cheaper ways of getting in shape.

Believe it or not, simply standing up more often, shaving your head and having more sex can help you tone up and shed the pounds.

These are theories expounded by Professor Marc Hamilton, of the University of Missouri, who has been researching ways of losing weight.

He has discovered that the sheer effort of standing upright is enough to double the metabolic rate and the amount of calories you burn.

He said: “Many activities like talking on the phone or watching a child’s ball game can be done just as enjoyably upright and you burn double the number of calories when you’re doing it because you’re probably going to pace around.”

Prof Hamilton has conducted a series of studies that showed enzymes responsible for breaking down fat are suppressed when a person is sitting rather than standing, leading to fat being stored, rather than burned off.

He said: “To hold a body that weighs 170lb upright takes a fair amount of energy from muscles. There is a large amount of energy associated with standing every day that can’t easily be compensated for by 30 to 60 minutes at the gym.”

Prof Hamilton is not alone in his beliefs. Andrew Shields is the editor of a new book, 365 Ways To Get Fit, which has been produced in association with Sport England. He also believes that small activities in daily life, like brushing teeth or turning on the television, can be bulge busters.

He said: “Simply standing up uses 0.3 calories per minute. It’s small changes made to a lifestyle will build together to make a real difference – it only takes 30 minutes a day to feel healthier and happier. So don’t go crazy and start running every day because it’s probably unsustainable.

“Your aim is to gradually increase the amount of activity in your life – an extra bike ride here, an additional game of football there – and to extend the duration.

“Stay out half an hour longer when walking in the country, or prolong that afternoon gardening session.”

So, if even the thought of the gym breaks you into a sweat, maybe it’s time to consider slow and steady lifestyle changes instead of a crash diet.