January is typically a time when many people throughout the UK, and in fact the world, decide to detox after an over-indulgent Christmas and New Year.
During this time the media is jam-packed with new faddy diets and exercise plans, all of which assure people that they can help shed those pounds and make you feel great.
I have concerns about these mixed, disjointed messages. Yes, we need to exercise and yes we need to eat healthily but doing detox diets and severe exercise programmes independently is not the answer. We as a country are failing to see the crucial link between balancing regular exercise and a healthy diet, which will result in a better quality of life.
If we want to tackle the obesity time-bomb, the increasing number of Type 2 diabetes sufferers and the increasing number of preventative heart problems, it is important that we communicate the importance of balancing exercise, healthy eating and the importance of enjoying everything in moderation. New diets and exercise programmes simply confuse our consumers. Our aim, at Leisure Connection, is to keep it simple, which we believe will breed success.
Similarly to the messages of the 5 A DAY programme, we believe that people should aim to do at least five exercise or physical activity sessions each week.
We want to communicate that it is not just exercise which produces serotonin - the feel good hormone - our diet also affects our moods. Lots of fatty, stodgy foods can make us feel just as blue as doing little or no exercise.
Eating plenty of fresh, nutritious food, such as a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables can make you feel great on the inside and make you look good on the outside.
We are pleased that we have the opportunity to communicate these messages in partnership with the Department of Health.
We will be partnering the DoH in the 5 A DAY programme to communicate to our members, and 30 million visitors a year, the positive link between enjoying exercise and eating a more healthy balanced diet, which should incorporate a variety of five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day.
We will be distributing the new and free DoH recipe guide - ‘Fuel For Living’ - throughout our public access leisure and sports centres which are spread out across the UK.
We will also be looking to distribute free fruit and vegetables to our users, which will allow the messages to be transformed into tangible items that consumers can take away with them. This is especially good news for communicating with many of the hard-to-reach populations who often use and visit our centres.
We look forward to fully implementing the 5 A DAY programme and enjoying a long term relationship with the Department of Health. âóè
