While we’re hard at work attacking our New Year's resolutions, organisations such as World Obesity and The Obesity Society are hard at work running the National Obesity Awareness campaign. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the issues caused by obesity - and there’s a few! With that said, we wanted to have a quick dive into what obesity is, the risks, and how we can best tackle it. So, grab a cuppa, and let’s get started..
WHAT CAUSES OBESITY?
Consuming more calories, particularly those found in sugary and fatty foods, but not burning them off through physical activity results in this excess energy being stored in the body as fat. If that sounds like you and you’re struggling to stay on track after the party season - give our article Keeping New Year’s Resolutions On Track a go! Full of our best tips and tricks to keep you on the road to health.
It’s definitely important to note that there are also some underlying health conditions that can occasionally contribute to weight gain, and they’re always best controlled through medical advice.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF OBESITY?
Being obese can lead to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Coronary Heart Disease
- Stroke
- Some types of cancer such as breast cancer and bowel cancer
- It can also affect your overall quality of life and lead to psychological problems, such as depression and low self-esteem
HOW CAN YOU TREAT OBESITY?
In honesty, the best way to naturally treat obesity is to eat a healthy diet and to exercise regularly.
It’s not revolutionary or ground-breaking, and we’re sure it’s something you’ve heard before - but that’s because it’s true! To be fit and healthy it is recommended that you take up fitness activities for around 2.5 to 5 hours a week - and you can do this from the comfort of your own home if needed! Whether you take the dog for a walk (I'm sure they’ll love that too), or get your sweat on from home with our On Demand classes, there are heaps of ways for you to get started.
Plus, we know that exercise helps you get physically fit, but it’s also proven time and time again to improve your mental health too, which is just as important.
So, with that being said, let’s get you back on track and flooded with some lovely endorphins again! Here’s a little look at our top tips and tricks to get you back on track:
- Having a PT to help with weight loss can be ideal. Our expert Personal Trainers will speak to you about everything from your fitness goals to your medical history to put together the perfect plan, tailored to you..
- Tackling one of our many fitness classes could be the perfect way for you to get back on the road to health. You could blitz fat at our Boxercise classes, burn away the calories at our Les Mills classes, or shed away the pounds in our Circuit Training classes - there’s something for everyone!
- If good old fashioned cardio is more up your alley - you’ll love our brand new, top-of-the-range fitness equipment!
- If you're getting back on the road to fitness, it's a good idea to have a complimentary Health & Wellbeing check with us before you get started. Using the latest technology, your trainer will take various measurements including your Body Fat Percentage, Body Fat Mass, Visceral Fat, Muscle Mass, Bone Density, Metabolic Age and your Blood Pressure. Our expert trainers do this so that they can tailor a plan that specifically suits you.
- Finally, to help keep you motivated and accountable, we have The Fitness Orientation. This is where, using the measurements taken at your Health & Wellbeing Check, we'll create an initial 6 weeks fitness plan to help you work towards hitting those goals. We'll even set you up on our latest top-of-the-range Technogym equipment using My Wellness technology to track your progress through the Village Gym app!
Now that you're all set, we would love to hear from you! So, don't forget to get involved with all the fitness fun on social and share your snaps with us over on the gram...
