DO YOU LOOK GOOD NAKED? PROBABLY NOT BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO CHANGE YOUR BODY SHAPE, YOU’VE GOT TO AIM HIGH! Do you remember why you joined a gym? A recent study, cited at a seminar I attended in the UK, suggested that nine out of 10 people join a gym for fat loss, but only one per cent of those are successful. So, in essence, everyone joins a gym to look good naked,…

LOSING WEIGHT IS DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR GENES WON’T PLAY BALL. BUT ANYONE CAN LOSE A FEW POUNDS IF THEY FOLLOW A FEW SIMPLE GUIDELINES ON EATING AND EXERCISE Weight-loss articles in women’s magazines paint a rosy picture about how easy it is to lose unwanted extra pounds. They suck you in with claims like ‘Lose 10 pounds in a week,’ or ‘Fit into a size six by August.’ Most women know there’s no quick…

WANT TO KNOW THE SECRET TO LOSING WEIGHT? KEEP A FOOD DIARY DETAILING EVERY SINGLE MORSEL THAT PASSES YOUR LIPS. DIETERS WHO KEEP A DAILY FOOD DIARY CAN LOSE TWICE AS MUCH WEIGHT AS THOSE WHO DON’T. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR… There comes a time when people become frustrated at their fruitless attempts to lose weight. Many give up, while those hell-bent on success seek the advice of a professional and they also take…

WHETHER YOU’RE AN ATHLETE OR OFFICE WORKER, GOOD FLEXIBILITY AND POSTURE ARE IMPORTANT. STRETCHING, WHEN DONE CORRECTLY, CAN HELP ACHIEVE BOTH AIMS As the years roll by, our faces will probably age and one thing that can have a detrimental effect on our appearance is gravity. Compression on our bodies during our 16-hour days really takes its toll. So whether you are a serious athlete or a couch potato, everybody can benefit from stretching. The…

LIFTING HEAVIER WEIGHTS FOR FEWER REPETITIONS — AND TAKING YOUR SWEET TIME ABOUT IT — WILL ULTIMATELY MAKE YOU STRONGER MUCH FASTER It’s entertaining to read health writers’ columns encouraging women to lift light weights and perform lots of repetitions to change their body shape. Jane Fonda still seems to have an influence over some training routines. Long after her fitness career has come to an end, her followers can still be seen performing exercises…

HAVING THE KIDS AT HOME ALL SUMMER CAN THROW YOUR FITNESS REGIME OUT OF WHACK — BUT DON’T BLAME THEM IF YOU CHOOSE TO STOP TRAINING ALTOGETHER School holidays are pretty much upon us, but it’s not only the children looking forward to their break. As kids are seen running away from the school grounds, their parents are seen abandoning their fitness regimes. The women’s Mini-Marathon has finished, the holiday abroad may have come and…

WE SPEND MUCH OF OUR DISPOSABLE INCOMES ON PRODUCTS THAT MAY BE DOING US MORE HARM THAN GOOD. BUT INVEST YOUR TIME AND ENERGY IN A HEALTHY BODY AND YOUR NATURAL BEAUTY WILL SHINE THROUGH Every morning, millions of women reach for the shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser and make-up. Without giving it a second thought, they diligently spray, paint and powder, blissfully unaware that this daily ritual exposes them to more than 200 synthetic chemicals —…

A JOB THAT INVOLVES FOREIGN TRAVEL MAY BE GOOD FOR YOUR CV BUT NOT SO GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH. HOWEVER, WITH SOME CAREFUL PLANNING AND HOME-MADE SNACKS YOU’LL SOON BE BACK TO YOUR JET-SETTING BEST The booming economy of recent years has led to many Irish companies expanding and doing business abroad. Whilst this has been excellent for our economy it has meant that the life of a business executive involves a significant amount of…

IT’S TEMPTING TO TAKE A GLANCE IN THE MIRROR DURING A WORK-OUT, BUT IT COULD HINDER MORE THAN HELP Gyms today are more like beauty salons with their floor-to-ceiling mirrors for fear that you may put a hair out of place during your exercise. Studies done at the Student Recreation Centre in Dallas found that women became depressed when they watch themselves in a mirror during exercise. The findings reinforced earlier studies completed by Les…