Summer is finally here and the whiff of sun tan lotion, lazying on a beach and a dip in the pool is almost within reach….but there is dreaded bikini shopping to do before you even so much as set foot near your lilo or sunbed. The one moment when it suddenly dawns on you that you had indeed been “comfort eating” to keep warm in the colder months and the stark reality that you no longer fit into last years bikini hits home like a sledgehammer; but rather than try and squeeze into an itsy bitsy polka dot bikini, why not try and get fit and lose some weight.  Forget the gym or expensive pilates and yoga classes, research has shown that the benefits of walking (and when I say walking I mean briskly) for 30 minutes each day is huge.  Check out this little lot below:

• Reduces the risk of coronary heart disease
• Improves blood pressure and blood sugar levels
• Maintains body weight and lowers the risk of obesity
• Tones legs, bum, tum and arms
• Vitamin D Booster
• Enhances mental well being
• Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
• Reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer
• Reduces the risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes

And more importantly it gives you energy and makes you happier! Yes – thats right – those lovely legs and feet were actually made for walking!

With the hectic lifestyles that we all lead these days then 30 minutes each day does sound like a a lot, but it really is about looking at your lifestyle and making some minor tweaks to accommodate.  If you usually get the bus or train to work then why not walk to a stop or station a bit further away?  At lunch time make sure that you have a break.  Get out of  the office for a walk – even if it means doing some errands or picking up lunch for other colleagues. At weekends get out of the city, breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the nature around you as well as keeping fit at the same time.

Try and change the walks you do every day so that it keeps you interested.  Although walking has the lowest dropout rate of any fitness regime, you can still get bored, so push yourself to walk up hills or try a longer walk on a flatter surface. It also goes without saying that you are doing your bit for the environment if you are walking and not jumping into your car too!

The sooner you get started the sooner you’ll notice the difference in your mind and body. If your aim is to lose weight, then according to the NHS walking estimates, just 30 minutes of walking will help a 60kg (9.5 stone) person lose 99 calories.

So what are you waiting for?  Operation Bikini = lots of walking.

Let us know how you get on.