City AM – June 2010

Fit in the City

(Laura’s weekly diet and fitness column in City AM newspaper)

Tighten your budget and your waistline

Get peddling.  Gridlocked traffic, the rising cost of fuel and temperatures on the underground reaching 40 degrees this summer should make this one a no-brainer (better still, invest in some good running shoes and pound the pavements Forrest Gump-style).

Back away from the remote. With the rising cost of the energy, there’s never been a better time to turn off the TV and head outdoors to savour long light evenings while you can. Escape from the office early and stroll along the Embankment to watch the sunset with a loved one. More romantic  and less depressing than watching the news/football.  

Scrap the takeaway habit. A takeaway here and there may not break the bank but they’re usually waistline suicide. Expensive, fattening and not terribly nutritious, takeaways are probably best left for the odd treat (or emergency). When you do treat yourself, try and keep it healthy: opt for thin-crust pizzas over the lardier variety and plump for stir fries over anything battered.

Get green fingers. Give gardens and balconies a bit of TLC this summer  by getting busy with planting and digging. Bulbs and seeds don’t cost a fortune and all that bending, raking and mowing will help to burn off big Sunday lunches a treat. You’ll also get a chance to work and tone muscles that have probably lain dormant for years.

Make a pukka packed lunch. Avoid paying over the odds for mediocre sarnies by taking your own lunch to work. Plan ahead so that you’ve got some tasty things lined up for the week - think stuffed wraps with chicken and sun dried tomatoes, try rustling up a mozzarella and grilled pepper rocket salad.

To book a session or to find out how Laura can help you get into shape, email her at laura@laurawilliamsonline.co.uk

Or call her on 07712 001525.