FITNESS TIPS FOR THE NEW YEAR

MILLIONS of Brits will have been vowing to shed the festive flab and get fit for the New Year.

In fact, according to statistics, 15million will make getting fit and healthy our No 1 priority in 2010.

But experts at the University of Scranton in the US also claim that one in four of us will abandon our New Year promises within just one month, with many letting new expensive gym memberships slide.

So what are the fitness New Year’s resolutions you can make – and keep?

Here JAMES MOORE has come up with 15 simple and practical ideas that will help you get a better body in 2010, from having more sex to clever ways to burn calories.

1. DROP 100 CALORIES A DAY

A study by scientists at the University of Colorado showed that cutting just 100 calories out of your normal daily diet could help turn the tide in your bid to lose weight.

In fact it could help you shed a tidy 10lb during the year. And there are loads of easy ways to do it too. For instance, swap 300ml of full-fat milk on your morning cereal at 195 calories for 300ml of skimmed milk at about 100 calories.

Swap a bacon sandwich with streaky bacon, butter and ketchup for one with just ketchup and lean, grilled back bacon to cut another 100. Or trade a 250ml glass of wine for a 125ml glass to ditch a ton.

2. VEG OUT

Having at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg each day reduces your chances of developing heart disease. Eating just one more piece of fruit or veg a day can reduce your cancer risk by 20%.

There are some good tricks for increasing your intake, such as drinking an extra glass of fruit juice for breakfast, adding some sliced banana or raisins to your breakfast cereal, extra veg to a curry or some tomato to a sarnie.

3. CHANGE YOUR TAKEAWAY HABITS

Vow not to give up your favourite weekly takeaway but to make it healthier. At the chippy, ditch pies and sausages for cod or haddock and avoid eating the batter. Add in some mushy peas too.

If pizza is your weakness, go for thin crust. At the Chinese avoid fatty pork dishes and go for things like beef in oyster sauce or chicken in black bean sauce. Opt for chicken madras, tikka or bhuna with boiled rice and dhal at the curry house.

4. MAKE A PACKED LUNCH

You can save cash as well as calories by taking a packed lunch to work every day.

Plan your lunches for the week at the weekend and fill your daily sandwiches with healthy fillings like lean meats such as chicken and turkey.

Or choose tinned sardines or tuna. If you are a cheese fan, go for Edam rather than high-fat cheeses. Always add salad.

5. FOLLOW A CELEB WORKOUT

Do you just know that you will be wasting money on the gym?

Then why not get a celebrity fitness DVD? Exercising at home is back in favour, with sales of exercise DVDs up 65% on last year. There are plenty to choose from, too.

Big Brother host Davina McCall, 42, has the new Davina Fit DVD out and there’s dance-based Pussycat Dolls Workout, led by sexy Nicole Scherzinger, 31.

6. SEX IT UP FOR 2010

By making sure you get enough nookie, you’ll be helping your heart and burn vital calories at the same time.

In fact, experts say that having a 15-minute romp just three times a week can help you burn off an extra 30,000 calories a year – that’s the same as about 135 chocolate bars!

7. CUT OUT THE SALT

Make this year the one that you stop eating so much salt.

Too much can raise your blood pressure, which, in turn, can lead to heart disease and strokes. Try not to eat more than 6g per day by checking the labels on food.

A rough guide is that if an item of food contains more than 1.5g salt, then it is high in salt. And if an item of food contains 0.3g salt or less, then it is low in salt. You can now even get low-salt versions of foods like baked beans to help.

8. EAT BREAKFAST EVERY DAY

Skipping meals slows down your metabolism. This means you are actually more prone to putting on weight.

And a study in the Journal of Obesity Research shows that eating breakfast is the key to those who want to lose weight.

Also, vow to eat your meals more slowly. You can lose 20lb over the course of the year just by not cramming down your food.

9. GET YOUR TEETH AND EYES TESTED

Yes, you’ll get better pegs and protect your eyesight.

But making regular appointments at the dentist and the optician in 2010 could help protect the rest of your health too.

For instance, experts have discovered a link between gum disease and heart problems and getting your teeth checked could also help identify oral cancer early. An eye test can pinpoint early signs of diabetes, high cholesterol and even brain tumours.

10. CHILL OUT

You can even get fitter by spending more time in bed.

Scientists say that getting the right amount of sleep can help us fight disease.

Getting seven to eight hours’ kip is considered the optimum amount. Take up a new, relaxing hobby to help your body battle stress too. Stress makes you three times more likely to develop heart disease, according to an American study.

11. WALK OR BIKE YOUR WAY TO FITNESS

Don’t fancy the gym? Adding in just a bit of exercise to your week can have massive benefits.

Adding a 20-minute walk or a 30-minute bike ride three times a week can help work off your waist. Three 20-minute walks each week will burn 428 calories – the same as a burger and helping you lose 6lb over the year.

Three 30-minute bike rides will burn 900 calories, the same as a curry – and a huge 13lb per year.

12. DO A TV DIET

Change the way you watch TV and you could lose weight.

Make it your New Year’s resolution to stop using the remote control. Changing the telly manually 12 times a day could burn off 4,000 calories a year.

13. QUIT SMOKING

Giving up smoking is one of the best things you can do. It causes heart disease and an incredible 11 types of cancer. Getting help with your resolution to quit will make you four times as likely to succeed.

Try your local NHS Stop Smoking Service or call 08000 224 332. You can avoid putting on weight when you give up by chewing on sugar-free gum or lollipops.

14. SHOP TO DROP LBS

When you’re at the super- market try not to get a trolley. If you take a basket you’re more likely to eat less food.

Never shop for food when you’re hungry – studies show people load up with more snacks when they’re famished.

Add in some fish. Health experts reckon we should eat two servings of fish a week to protect our health, including one serving of oily fish.

15. MIND HOW YOU DO IT

Taking just one of these ideas and sticking to it could be the way to boost your health, according to Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology at Hertfordshire University.

He advises: “Don’t repeat last year’s resolution. If you do, pick a different technique to achieve it. Plan a reward for when you achieve your goal. This will give you something to focus on.”

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