The GI Walking Diet: Lose 10lbs and Look 10 Years Younger in 6 Weeks

Ageing isn’t really ageing – it’s inactivity that’s the problem

As we progress through life, we may find it more challenging to be as active as we once were. The ageing process imposes changes upon our bodies that can gradually reduce our capabilities, but this can be compounded by lack of physical activity. There are many reasons for being inactive. Often, life seems to get in the way as we spend time focusing on careers, bringing up a family or caring for elderly relatives. We may be so busy that we feel guilty about taking time out for ourselves. Whatever the reasons, you may find your middle has got thicker and you’re not feeling quite the way you’d like to at this stage in your life.

Sedentary lifestyles contribute to a number of physical complaints that start to creep in as we get older. Suffering from – or a fear of suffering from – arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, creaky knees or a troublesome back can all be potential barriers to getting us moving. The sad truth is that by not taking an active role in your body’s ageing, you are accelerating the process of decay. Yet there is a viable alternative that can make you feel better, look better and lose that middle-age spread.

Asking people to define their level of activity is often a sensitive issue. In my experience of working with clients, I have found that many of us tend to overestimate how active we are. This is not because we are lazy, though some of us by our own admission do prefer to curl up with a good book. To me, the confusion comes from the different ways we can define being active.

Ask anyone about their day and they usually reply that they are tired because they have been very busy and active. We naturally associate tiredness with a physically active day. When you probe a bit deeper, however, you often find that their day has not been physically active – it has been active in quite a different way. You can, in fact, be geographically or mentally active.

Here’s the scenario for a geographically active day. You wake up and think about the things that have to be done. You need to drop clothes off at the dry cleaners, pick up dog food for Fido, get to work, get across town for a lunch meeting, get back to the office to finish a report, grab something for dinner at the supermarket, get home, unload the car, cook dinner, get things ready for tomorrow. It gets to 8pm. You are tired. You have had a busy day and you’ve been all over town but you have not moved your body much – the car has moved, the train has moved but in reality your body has not really moved that much. You have been geographically active but not physically active.

Here’s the scenario for a mentally active day. You wake up in the morning, having been up half the night thinking about all the things you need to do. The monthly report needs to be completed before 10am, and the sales director wants figures by 11am. You’ve got a dinner party to plan for Saturday night, and you need to do the online shop by midday to get the home delivery service to deliver by 5pm on Friday. Your tax return is late so you need to get on with it. You also need to speak to the family about the arrangements for Christmas or that special occasion. It gets to 8pm. You are tired. You have had a busy day. Your brain has been all over the place – but you have not moved your body much. You have been mentally active but not physically active.

Our days will always be geographically active and mentally active but we have to encourage ourselves to be more physically active, and this is where this book comes in.

At this stage in your life, you may find you have more time for yourself than before. Your children may have left home. You may be retired or working part-time. This could be a real opportunity for you to make time to get active.