Vitality Magazine - Winter 2014

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WINTER EDITION 2014

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Quit smoking Drink less Stop worrying See p57

“WHAT I EAT TO STAY FIT” See p15

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Also inside:

WELCOME TO The Vitality programme is unique, innovative and creative – and it is purely practical. My ambition for most of my life has been to help people get more physically active, and Vitality is the first coherent programme that I’ve come across that builds in an incentive to its members to make those positive lifestyle changes.

MAGAZINE! YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING LIFE WELL Welcome everyone to the winter edition of the Vitality magazine where we hope to help make 2014 an incredible year for you and all our members.

The New Year’s exciting because it’s when most of us set ourselves new personal goals. I’m delighted that through our ‘Lifestyle’ health and protection plans we’re able to help so many of you achieve your health goals. It’s our ability to help our members get healthier and enjoy their lives through benefits they can use, whatever their state of health, that sets our plans apart and that’s what we mean by ‘Lifestyle’ health and protection.

We’re always trying to find new ways to help you stay healthy and inside you’ll be able to find out what’s new with Vitality this year including our new Vitality Partners: Weight Watchers and LloydsPharmacy. And because knowing how healthy you are and stopping smoking are so important when trying to live a healthy lifestyle, we’ve also made our Vitality Healthcheck and the Allen Carr Stop Smoking programme free.

The rest of this winter’s edition is packed full of articles, hints and tips from health and wellbeing experts, stories from our members to show how Vitality has helped them change their lives for the better and an interview with our latest Vitality Ambassador, Lord Sebastian Coe, who has dedicated a lifetime to helping others through sport and still keeps himself very fit and healthy despite his busy schedule.

Enjoy the read, with best wishes for 2014, whatever your goals.

WIN!

A visit to your kids’ school from Seb Coe, our new Vitality Ambassador

New Year Resolutions Whatever you want to do in order to enjoy a healthier life, Vitality can help

Yours in health and wellness,

p42 Neville CEO, Vitality

welcome

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1 Lose weight 16 Seven deadly weight-gain sins!

Wicked low-fat foods, the wrong way to shop, setting unrealistic goals...we’ve researched the latest scientific studies to give you the chance to achieve your goals

18 27 brilliant weight-loss ideas!

Really useful tips: from how to behave in your kitchen to how to order in a restaurant, from portion control to food records, from psychological tactics to new academic research – if you’d like to lose a few pounds, this is the place to start

2 Get fit 39 Exclusive novice, intermediate & advanced guides Whatever level of fitness you’re at, we’ve devised a programme for you

40 Yoga The perfect exercise for beginners

42 Cycling indoors Sounds messy! But it’s not – and it’s a great way to get fitter in winter

44 Solo circuit training Not for the faint-hearted...

49 Get kit!

Clever gadgets to help you get the best out of whatever exercise you do

”WHAT I EAT TO STAY FIT” An insight from Vitality Ambassador Jonny Wilkinson

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”LET’S GET IN SHAPE!”

Good advice from Vitality Ambassador Jessica Ennis-Hill plan your

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3 Look after yourself 52 High energy foods The foods you and your family need to give yourselves an energy boost

54 Stay well this winter Common winter illnesses and ways to lessen their impact this year

57 Quit smoking The latest scientific research on what does and doesn’t work

59 Drink less alcohol It’s tricky but worth trying...

61 Stop worrying Don’t let anxiety rule your life

They’ll tell you about our Vitality partners.

See page 34 for the partners that apply to your specific Vitality plan.

Data Protection and Fair Processing Notice The aim of our Vitality magazine is to provide you with useful health and wellbeing information, and updates and information about your Vitality and PruHealth plan. The magazine will also inform you of special promotions and offers from our Vitality Partners and selected third parties, including PruProtect. If you would like to opt out of future issues of the magazine you can do so by visiting the following website and unsubscribing.

To unsubscribe visit: www.pruhealth.co.uk/stopmag If you do unsubscribe you will still always be able to see the Vitality partners and offers currently available on your plan by logging in to the Member Zone.

Vitality is published on behalf of PruHealth

by John Brown, 136-142 Bramley Road, London W10 6SR. johnbrownmedia.com, 020 7565 3000 While every care is taken to ensure accuracy, PruHealth, the publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of PruHealth or the publisher.

Details and prices correct at time of going to press.

63 Expert Q&A How to cope with the January blues, and see if it could be SAD

PHOTOS THROUGHOUT: MIKE PRIOR, THINKSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES, PA, FULL STOP PHOTOGRAPHY, MASTERFILE, ALAMY. ILLUSTRATIONS: LI LAI

WHAT’S LIFESTYLE HEALTH AND PROTECTION INSURANCE?

What will you achieve in 2014?

Meet Andy, Gareth, Sunil and Louise, our new Vitality member ambassadors.

We’ve chosen four new member ambassadors who have each made inspiring changes to their lifestyle with the help of Vitality.

“Set yourself a challenge, and make sure it’s a tough one, something you have the possibility of failing at. Push yourself to the limit and it is amazing what you can achieve.”

- Andy Barnard Coming up to 50, I decided to get off the couch and back into fitness. I started with a half price bike with Evans Cycles through Vitality. This spurred me on to try new things. I began saying “yes” to some huge opportunities like running a 5 mile race in the Olympic stadium, climbing up the 1,037 stairs of the London Gherkin for charity and most recently training for my first PruHealth ITU Triathlon. It’s been an incredible year and now that I’ve started, I don’t want to stop.

ANDY’S FAVOURITE VITALITY BENEFIT “I’ve inspired my son James to take up running with me. It’s brilliant that we can now be active together.”

“The nature of my job and my busy social life meant I was eating and drinking way more than I should be. I just ignored this, but it got to the point where I was clearly overweight, and that’s when I decided to look into ways to get healthier.”

- Gareth Westhead Like many 30-year-olds who work in the city, the pub – not the gym – was usually my first port of call after I’d finished work.

My job means I am often taking clients out for lunch or dinner and it was starting to take a toll on my health. My big moment of realisation came when I weighed myself and saw that not only had I not lost any weight for 10 years, I had gained weight and was at my heaviest. I started researching Vitality and took up the discounted offer with Virgin Active. By getting up a little earlier to work out, and changing my diet to eat healthier food, I lost over a stone in six months.

GARETH’S FAVOURITE VITALITY BENEFIT, “Joining Vitality was a big turning point. I made small tweaks to my lifestyle which was enough to see a massive difference to my weight and my health. Vitality is keeping me on track.”

We want to be different to other insurers and more importantly we want to make a difference to you. That’s why our ‘Lifestyle’ Health and Protection plans are designed to enhance and protect your life. For us that means making it easier and cheaper for you to get healthy, and rewarding you with benefits that help you enjoy your life through Vitality, our health and wellbeing programme. Importantly it means being there when you need us should you come to claim. Don’t just take our word for it though, see how Vitality has improved the lifestyle of our new member ambassadors.

“In my work as a GP, I see patients entering their sixth decade and the vulnerabilities they face in terms of their health. The importance of keeping fit, not getting overweight, staying a nonsmoker and drinking in moderation cannot be overstated. That’s what keeps me focused on staying healthy.”

“Contrary to what I previously told myself, I am able to find time to exercise in spite of having a busy job and young daughter. She gets play time in the park and I record my daily steps through Vitality, she is also learning from me that exercise is an important way of life.”

- Sunil Limaye

- Louise Cooke

With a daughter at university, a son just about to finish his sixth form and an elderly dad and mother-in-law, it’s crucial that I stay healthy enough to carry on working and providing for my family who rely on me. Vitality has had a huge impact on our lifestyle, making it more affordable to do the things that we enjoy together like being active and taking family holidays.

I felt most unfit after giving birth to my daughter two years ago. I put on weight, was out of shape and tired and found it difficult to get the motivation to do anything about it. I knew I wanted to be a good role model for daughter, to show her that taking care of your health is just something you do. As a busy working mum, I have had to find ways to include being healthy in my day-to-day life. My husband and I have started exercising with a Fitbug through Vitality, counting our steps and seeing our Vitality points increase has kept us motivated to do more.

SUNIL’S FAVOURITE VITALITY BENEFIT “Free cinema tickets plus discounts on concerts, holidays and more are a great extra. Vitality has made a real difference to our whole family’s lifestyle.”

LOUISE’S FAVOURITE VITALITY BENEFIT “As you accumulate Vitality points and move up a status, you’re effectively earning money back on your premium.

It’s a really great motivator to keep us fit as a family.”

1,000,000 Nectar points (£5,000 in rewards)

Create your own Vitality success story in 2014 Need motivation to get going? Why not film, photo and journal your achievements with Vitality over the next six months because in June, we’ll be looking for our next member ambassadors and asking you to submit your entry via video for some great prizes and opportunities.

Start today. Set some resolutions with Vitality and tell us about it. Tweet #vitalityandme

4 www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

WATCH TO WIN Watch a short ambassador video and answer a question for your chance to win

L I KE WAT CH ANSWER

To enter visit

www.facebook.com/PruHealthUK

Terms and conditions apply.

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 5

Vitality Ambassador

How I stay healthy

by Sebastian Coe

Sebastian Coe, double Olympic gold legend and Chairman of the British Olympic Association, isn’t just our new Vitality Ambassador – as an inaugural member of the Vitality Advisory Board, he’ll help to shape the future of the entire Vitality programme you still monitor the health Q Do numbers you had to take seriously when you were an athlete?

No… I think at 57 my racing days are well behind me!

Q

How about blood pressure and cholesterol?

I go for regular medical check-ups and I am lucky as I have always had naturally low blood pressure. I don’t monitor cholestrol and so on, but I do exercise regularly and eat healthily.

Q

Does an ex-athlete pay for years of dedication with aches and pains every time they get out of bed?

Not every time you get out of bed but as a middle-distance runner, my knees have definitely taken the brunt of pavement pounding over the last 40 years. I tend to train on running machines now and carefully warm down after any session to avoid further injuries.

Q

As your body gets older, have you had to change the things you ask it to do?

Well, you clearly run slower and you need to warm up and down properly but occasionally I still push the pace along. The important thing is to maintain muscle strength and flexibility.

Q I try to do something every day and I run Do you still exercise?

every other day.

Q

Can you recommend a way back to fitness for readers who haven’t done physical activity for a while?

Take it little by little. It’s common sense really – don’t overdo it early on as it will put you off.

Go for regular walks, climb the stairs rather than taking the lift and try to integrate physical activity into your everyday life.

6 www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

do you do to help your body Q What recover after an exercise session?

do you do to stay hydrated?

Q What Drink beer (joke).

Take the time to warm down properly.

much sleep do you get?

Q IHow can sleep anywhere…..most athletes I

there any activities that you Q Are practise for mental skills?

Keep reading. You are never too old to learn something new.

do you motivate yourself when Q How you don’t want to do exercise?

I’m not just saying this but I never have to force myself to run. I’ve loved it since I used to make my mother time me to the shops and back as a little boy. If I don’t run for three days, I notice it; if I don’t run for a week, my kids notice it!

know can. I try not to have too many late nights followed by early mornings but I do an immense amount of long-haul flights and have learned through necessity to grab sleep anywhere.

Is it enough?

Q No – it is inevitable that given my lifestyle there are some weeks when I am short of sleep.

do you do to unwind?

Q What Listen to jazz or read.

you born a world-class athlete Q Were or did you become one?

you cook?

Q Do No.

Good question. A bit of both. You clearly need to have natural talent and aptitude but this is not enough unless you are committed to a decadelong apprenticeship. It took me ten years from first joining an athletics club to winning my first Olympic gold medal. Nothing good ever happens overnight.

meals do you like to indulge in Q What as a special treat?

Q I have catholic taste in food but I try to Do you follow a special diet?

Q

Theatre Pub Mobile Phone call Cricket Park Country Beer Sauna Tea Cheese Summer Both!

Premier

same for your kids?

you hung onto any good Q Have nutritional habits from your time as

mums and dads have a role to play?

Q Do Absolutely – they create an environment of

there any foods you avoid?

Q Are Couscous and halloumi.

Cinema or theatre?

Pub or restaurant?

Tablet or mobile?

Phone call or text message?

Cricket or tennis?

Gym or park?

City or country?

Wine or beer?

Ice bath or sauna?

Tea or coffee?

Cheese or chocolate?

Summer or winter?

Track or field?

Premier or Champions League?

dad played a critical role in your Q Your sporting development – do you do the

avoid processed food.

I still eat like an athlete to a certain extent – lots of salad and fresh food. If I’m hungry, though, I’m hungry – I often don’t stick to conventional mealtimes.

If you could only choose one…

Good Italian food and curry.

I always try and watch them play sport whenever I can but they all compete in sports that I certainly couldn’t coach in.

an athlete – even though you no longer strictly need to stick to them?

SEB’S QUICKFIRE ROUND

stability and support.

about schools – is there enough Q How sport played there? Is there enough PE on the curriculum?

Things have dramatically improved in the last few years. The School Sports Premium aimed at giving Primary School pupils the opportunity to enjoy sport will make a huge difference.

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 7

notes

Notes

WELLNESS

KEEPING FIT MAY REDUCE THE RISK OF DEMENTIA

YOUR WELLBEING GUIDE

A high level of fitness in middle age could lower your risk of developing dementia in later life, according to a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

The study assessed the fitness levels of almost 20,000 adults, mostly in their 40s and 50s, between 1971 and 2009 using a treadmill exercise. Almost nine per cent of the participants then went on to develop dementia between 1999 and 2009.

The results of the study indicated that the fittest participants were 36 per cent less likely to develop dementia than those with the lowest fitness levels, suggesting that keeping fit could help to reduce the risk of dementia.

HEALTHY HEART

MEDITERRANEAN DIET IS GOOD FOR THE OLD TICKER Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, fruit, vegetables, olive oil and nuts could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in older people at risk of the condition.

Researchers at the University of Barcelona asked 7,447 participants aged between 55 and 80 to eat a classic Mediterranean diet rich in extra virgin olive oil, or a classic Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, or a reduced fat diet. The results of the five-year study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated significant reductions in the risk of cardiovascular disease for the people following either of the Mediterranean diets.

PICTURE CREDIT

YOU CAN DO IT!

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

20%

That’s how much likelier you are to lose a lot of weight as part of a group than by yourself, according to a study in the journal Obesity. The study, which analysed the weight loss of 12,000 people in 987 teams, found that team-mates influenced each other’s weight loss.

If you’re looking to lose a few pounds, consider starting a programme in a supportive environment with Weight Watchers – our new Vitality partner. We’re now offering all members up to 12 months membership for just £30, giving you full access to meetings, online tools and an app. See page 30 for details.

… p e e l S ean rain cl

MOTIVATION

8

TEAM WORK

Can you talk yourself into exercising longer? The answer, surprisingly, is yes, according to research carried out by Bangor University.

The researchers gathered 24 volunteers for the study – published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise – and asked them to perform intense cycling exercises. Half the participants repeated motivational phrases, the other half didn’t.

The study found that those who recited the motivational mantras cycled an average of 12 and a half minutes compared to the control group who cycled for an average of 10 minutes and 37 seconds. The self-talk group also reported significantly lower levels of perceived effort.

s the b in the …help cent paper that ed A re itself. cience show sposed lS di journa leep, mice h as c as when ain waste su hich are r –w of b oteins lzheimer’s r p d i o amyl ted with A ickly as u a associ – twice as q ake. e w diseas did when a y e th HEALTH

Juicy findings To reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, you should consume more whole fruits and less fruit juice, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health. Researchers found that eating at least two portions of whole fruits, especially apples, blueberries and grapes, can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 23 per cent. But one or more servings of fruit juice a day can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 21 per cent.

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 9

notes HEALTH

LOSE WEIGHT TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF CANCER

WEIGHT-LOSS

To eat or not to eat

A recent study has found that losing weight as a result of a lowcalorie diet might also reduce the risk of cancer.

The research, published in the Cancer Research journal, looked at the effects of a lower calorie diet and exercise on 439 obese and overweight postmenopausal women.

During the year-long trial, the researchers analysed the results of the participants who were placed on one of four regimes: a calorie-restricted diet with the aim of losing 10 per cent of their body weight; three hours and 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week; the lowcalorie diet and exercise regime combined; and a control group who maintained their current lifestyle.

The results indicated the possibility of a reduced risk of cancer in the individuals on the low-calorie diet and diet plus exercise regime who lost at least five per cent of their body weight.

S t re as ba ss s mo d a s k i ng Lau of Soc ra Kubzan ? sky ial

If you’re doing exercise in the morning with weightloss as your goal, is it best to do it before or after breakfast?

According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, the right answer is... before, because you’ll burn more energy when you exercise on an empty stomach.

The scientists at the University of Glasgow measured the effects of exercising before and after breakfast on burning fat and metabolic health.

During the study, 10 men – none of whom were active on a regular basis – took part in three separate trials, a week or so apart. The three trials involved no exercise before breakfast; a 60-minute brisk walk before breakfast; and a 60-minute brisk walk after breakfast.

When the men did no exercise, they ended the day with an average of 49 calories in unburned fat.

Exercising after breakfast burned 216 more calories than doing nothing –but the men burned 298 calories more when they exercised before eating breakfast.

MENTAL HEALTH

Keep an aging mind healthy by learning a new skill SLEEP

Learning a new skill, such as photography, cooking or needlework, can help to improve memory and keep the mind sharp in older adults. A recent study in Psychological Science took 221 adults aged 60 to 90 years old, and gave each one a particular activity to do for 15 hours a week over a three-month period.

The first batch of volunteers was assigned a new skill, such as digital photography, that used their working and long-term memories and other cognitive processes.

The second group carried out familiar activities, such as doing the crossword or listening to music, at home.

And the third group joined a club where they interacted socially and went on field trips. The researchers found that those who learned a new skill showed improved memory in comparison to the participants in the other two groups.

DO YOU FIND SLEEPING A BIT OF A DRAG? As if you needed another reason to quit, US researchers report that smoking can have a bad effect on our ability to get a good night’s sleep.

A study by the University of Florida and the Research Triangle Park looked at sleep difficulty and smoking status, and found that around one in eight smokers have trouble falling asleep, more than 10 per cent wake in the night and just under 10 per cent wake too early in the morning. The good news? The ex-smokers they surveyed actually experienced improvements in their sleep.

WEIGHT-GAIN

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The weight you’ll put on in a year by consuming an extra 100 calories a day – two ginger nut biscuits, for example – without extra fitness to compensate, according to a World Cancer Research Fund study.

JUNK FOOD

50% The amount of actual chicken meat in chicken nuggets, according to a recent study in The American Journal of Medicine. In the study, entitled The Autopsy of Chicken Nuggets Reads “Chicken Little”, the researchers analysed the contents of chicken nuggets from two major fast food chains and found that chicken meat wasn’t the main ingredient in the nuggets from either of them. Analysis of the first nugget revealed it was composed of around 50 per cent meat, large quantities of fat, some blood vessels and connective tissue. The second chicken nugget had only 40 per cent meat...a fact you might want to share with any children in your family who think they’re a good after-school snack. www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 11

notes HYDRATION

ENERGY EFFICIENT? Do you exercise with a sports drink to hand? You might be better off with plain old water, according to a health and hydration review by the British Nutrition Foundation. Energy drinks can be beneficial for people doing more than about 40 minutes of high-intensity exercise, to replace fluids and electrolytes lost as a result of sweating, but even so, the report’s authors say the only electrolyte we really need is sodium – salt, in other words. The trouble is, salty water isn’t easy to sell, so manufacturers will usually include less than the ideal amount, and boost the taste with sugars.

FITNESS

ENERGY TIP

EAT AS MUCH KIWI AS YOU CAN Looking to fight fatigue and boost your energy? Try snacking on as many kiwi fruits as you can afford!

A study of 54 healthy young male students by the Centre for Free Radical Research has revealed that those who ate two kiwi fruits a day over a six-week period had significantly less fatigue and depression than those who only ate half a kiwi. The researchers found the students who ate two also had higher energy levels. The findings, published in the Journal of Nutritional Science, are thought to be due to the effects of the fruit’s exceptionally high levels of immune system-boosting vitamin C. Turn to page 52 for more high energy food tips

HEALTHY EATING

Reduce high blood pressure It’s easy when you know how: eat more potassium, less salt. Recent studies published in the British Medical Journal have revealed that reducing the amount of salt in your diet and consuming more potassium could help to lower your blood pressure.

One of the studies found that people who had a modest salt intake of 4.4g a day for four or more weeks recorded a significant reduction in their blood pressure, which can also help to reduce the risk of a stroke, heart attack and heart failure.

A separate study in the journal examined the research surrounding the effects of potassium on health and found that eating more potassium was linked to lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and a 24 per cent reduction in the risk of a stroke. Add more potassium to your diet by eating bananas, dried apricots, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, such as spinach, and avocados.

80%

FATNESS

What exactly do we lose when we lose weight?

The number of English adults who are failing to get enough exercise each week, according to a study by the University of Bristol. The researchers analysed the exercise patterns of more than a million of us and found that over a four-week period, the vast majority did less than 12 moderate physical activities. Their data also revealed that eight per cent of adults failed to walk for longer than five minutes continuously during the four weeks, while nearly half of us failed to walk continuously for more than 30 minutes. To help us all do better, see Vitality Ambassador Jessica Ennis-Hill’s winter fitness tips on p37!

Body weight can decrease due to loss of water, fat or muscle – or any combination of those three, explains registered dietitian Francesca Esposito. Water normally accounts for around 60-65 per cent of body weight, more if it’s abnormally retained as a result of a salty diet or certain medications or medical conditions. Muscle cells hold more water than fat cells. When we lose muscle or fat, the amount of body water decreases. When we gain or lose weight rapidly, the changes often result from shifts in body water, not necessarily in muscle or fat.

When we put on weight in the form of fat, our fat cells swell until they reach their maximum size.

New fat cells are made only after the existing cells have reached their oversized limit. When we lose weight, fat cells shrink – but their numbers stay the same. So once fat is gained and maintained, it becomes difficult to lose. That’s why it’s a good idea to prevent fat gain to begin with.

Fat needs support in the form of muscle and bone. So as you lose fat, you will inevitably lose some of that lean muscle when it’s no longer needed to support the fat. To avoid excessive loss of muscle while getting rid of body fat, lose weight at a gradual pace (0.5-1kg per week) and maintain a good exercise programme that incorporates both cardiovascular and resistance training.

MENTAL HEALTH

WEIGHT-LOSS

ALCOHOL… …is seriously high in calories. So aside from its associated health problems, it’s worth cutting down if you’re trying to lose weight.

According to the World Cancer Research Fund, almost 10 per cent of a drinker’s calorie intake comes from alcohol: hardly surprising when there’s no less than seven calories in a gram of alcohol – only fat, with nine calories per gram, contains a higher ratio.

Turn to page 59 for our guide to drinking less alcohol

12

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Anxiety and acupuncture A joint study by the British Acupuncture Council (BAC) and Anxiety UK found that two thirds of anxiety sufferers had endured the condition for over five years.

The study was conducted to increase awareness about the use of acupuncture to help people with anxiety disorders. According to the BAC, research has shown that acupuncture treatment can help ease anxiety by acting on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the ‘analytical’ brain which may be responsible for their feelings.

Do you get more anxious in winter? Read our January Blues Q&A on p63

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Vitality Ambassador

Jonny Wilkinson talks to

“What I eat to stay fit” England rugby legend – and Vitality Ambassador – Jonny Wilkinson offers some advice on eating well this winter I am lucky: I get to play the game I love every day. To sustain this level of activity, I know that I need to drink and eat well every day too. As my job requires my body to be at its best at all times, I have developed a dietary routine that I try hard to stick to.

If you’re not happy with your daily nutrition routine, have a go at mine and see how it suits your lifestyle.

Trial and error is a great way to find out what’s right for you…

My daily diet

BREAKFAST Water. Your body is at its most dehydrated in the morning. Considering that you have spent eight hours without any intake of fluids while you have been sleeping, it is a good idea to start the day with a drink of water to make sure you are hydrated from the outset.

Muesli with fruit. One of your five-a-day, and there is also some scientific evidence that it helps lower blood cholesterol concentration.

Low-fat skimmed milk.

I tend to steer clear of high-fat foods.

Eggs/egg-white omelettes. Egg whites are fat-free and rich in high-quality

protein. I try to have high-protein foods at every meal.

Carbohydrates. You need energy at all points during the day, so consider incorporating carbohydrates such as toast or porridge into your morning routine.

LUNCH Fruit, protein, salad. I usually keep my lunch healthy and simple.

Healthy fats. I often eat half an avocado, it contains monounsaturated fat and is great for energy release during the day.

Carbs. Carbohydrates such as pasta and potatoes make sure my energy stays at performance level for the rest of the day.

Beetroot. Beet greens – the leafy portion of the beet, usually boiled or steamed to give it a texture similar to spinach – are a very good source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Beetroots are also an excellent source of folic acid, which helps me rebuild my body after the rigours of training.

DURING PHYSICAL EXERCISE Water. I drink water whenever possible, to make sure my body is fully hydrated and in tip-top condition. I keep a bottle with me and take sips little and often. I set myself the challenge of drinking one and a half litres of water every day, so this approach makes it easier for me.

DINNER Fewer carbs. In the evening I find it’s best to try to avoid consuming too many carbohydrates, as they seem to release energy during the night that can affect my sleep.

Oily fish and chicken. I love eating out and normally order chicken or oily fish, an essential source of Omega 3, protein, vitamins and minerals.

GOOD ADVICE

A LITTLE EXTRA HELP Supplements in diets have now become quite popular. For me, it is very much a case of finding out what it is that I’m not already getting enough of as a result of my regular eating habits. Here are some of the things that seem to work for me.

In the morning I take a ‘greens formula’ which provides me with all the goodness I need from raw vegetables – without the shopping, chopping and peeling!

It’s a mixed variety of raw foods that’s the equivalent to eating loads of them at the same time; your local health food shop should be able to tell you more.

I take multi-vitamins and supplement my fish oils, especially when I feel I’m not getting them into my meals.

I also take a fantastic herbal liquorice drink, which does wonders for my wellbeing!

The important thing to understand is that everyone is different and what works for one of us might not do the same for others. There are some things, though, which just make a lot of sense. Getting your minerals and vitamins is a good place to start, as is anything that helps your body deal with whatever it is that you put it through.

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2. SHOPPING WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY

6. SKIPPING BREAKFAST

Supermarkets put a lot of time and money into enticing us to buy more than we planned to when we started shopping.

If you can make a list first – and try to put only healthy food options on it – and then stick to it, that’s one way to get out of there in good shape. Another is to eat something before you even start shopping. An academic study in the US asked a large group of adults to eat nothing for several hours, then set them all loose in a food store – but gave some of them a snack beforehand. The nonsnackers purchased 19% more food than the snackers…

3. EATING SALAD

Hang on, we’ll rephrase that: it’s a mistake for people who would like to lose a bit of weight to eat only salad at mealtimes.

This isn’t because those leaves aren’t low in calories – they are – but because our brains usually tell our bodies to keep filling up unless we put some carbohydrates in there too. Carbs needn’t steer you off your low-calorie course either: try adding fruit, pasta or bread to that salad, in a sandwich or a bowl of soup.

4. CHANGING WHAT YOU EAT BUT NOT YOUR LIFESTYLE

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But if it’s low-or-no-fat, it’s good, yes? Well, not always, no. Manufacturers often replace fat with sugar, salt and chemical-laden additives which can leave you hungry for more. Culprits include crisps, peanut butter, cheese and yoghurt. Even the packaging can work against your intention to cut down: a study by the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab found that consumers eat a lot more than they usually would if they’ve seen ‘low-fat’ on the label. Our advice: use the real thing, but don’t use so much of it!

PICTURE CREDIT

DEADLY WEIGHT-GAIN SINS!

1. EATING THE ‘WRONG KIND’ OF LOW-FAT FOOD

There’s nothing wrong or unhealthy about a planned, balanced diet – on the contrary, weight-loss will be good for your heart and blood pressure as well as your waistline. But if you want to keep off the weight you lose, dieting alone might not be enough. The journal American Psychologist reviewed a large number of long-term studies that all suggested diets stopped working once the dieters had lost up to 10 per cent of their weight. Hardly any dieters kept their weight-loss after six months, and in the long run, most of them put the weight back on. The researchers’ conclusion? It’s not enough to have a diet plan alone – we also need to rethink our lifestyles and our approach to exercise.

We’ve researched academic studies saying do eat breakfast, and academic studies saying don’t eat too much breakfast. Here are two conclusions we’ve managed to come to: first, it’s probably unwise to eat a big breakfast in order not to be hungry later in the day. German research published in the journal Nutrition suggests this doesn’t really work, because we still go on and consume as many calories during the rest of the day as we would have normally. The other thing that seems to make sense is not to skip breakfast completely – if you do, studies suggest that you’re more likely to reach for a mid-morning snack, and that might be far unhealthier than having breakfast.

5. SETTING 7. PUTTING LESS ON UNREALISTIC GOALS YOUR PLATE, BUT THE SAME AMOUNT IN YOUR GLASS When researchers in Canada tracked the progress of over a thousand men and women who had signed up for a weightloss programme, they found almost half of them dropped out before they’d achieved new, lower weight levels that they would be able to sustain afterwards.

This wasn’t because the programme wasn’t a good one – it involved regular sessions with doctors and nutritionists – so what went wrong for so many people? Dr Daniel Birch, who helped run the study with researchers from the University of Alberta and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, thinks the answer lies in setting unrealistic targets at the start, then getting frustrated when they’re not hit.

“The number one lesson for anyone is to manage your expectations,” says Dr. Birch.

“People are after dramatic, rapid weight drop and usually, that just isn’t going to happen.” Dr Birch’s advice is simple: accept there may not be an easy fix, be realistic about what can be achieved…and take your time achieving it.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition says we can all cut a lot of calories from our diet by thinking about what soft drinks we’re drinking.

Dr Caballero, professor of nutrition at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explains that we’ve all increased our average daily caloric intake over the last 20 years – and surprisingly, “almost half that increase is explained by an increase in consumption of calorific beverages.” If sticking to water sounds a bit boring, at least try to keep an eye on how often you reach for a fizzy alternative.

SIGN UP TO WEIGHT WATCHERS MONTHLY PASS FOR UP TO 12 MONTHS FOR JUST £30 As a Vitality member you can now get full access to Weight Watchers meetings, their online tools and an app. It’s helped lots of people lose weight - now it can help you!

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/weightwatchers

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3. KEEP YOUR HIGH-FAT FOODS IN THE KITCHEN 1. CALCULATE YOUR CALORIES FIRST...

Wear an activity monitor (try a Fitbug or Polar – see page 49 for details) for a week to determine your typical daily calorie burn without making any changes to your lifestyle. Once you have this, you can research the number of calories you can safely drop to (see below), and it will also help you think about the little changes you could be making to your daily physical activity that could have a big impact on your weight-loss results.

It’s a simple rule that lets you sit at the table as long as you like without succumbing to temptation. Replace that cheeseboard, salad cream and slice of cold meat with fresh fruit or raw vegetables instead.

4. USE SMALLER PLATES AND TALL, SKINNY GLASSES

Several studies indicate that we all pour less liquid into a tall, skinny glass than we pour into a short, wide one. Strange but true! And while you’re out buying those new thin glasses, think about picking up a few slightly smaller dinner plates. It’s less strange but every bit as true that a regular, healthy portion of food looks more than enough if it’s not swimming around on a huge plate.

2. BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR DAILY CALORIE ALLOWANCE 5. KEEP BABY CARROTS NEARBY WHILE COOKING Giving yourself a sensible, healthy calorie allowance is a good way to keep track of your eating, especially in the early days when you’re trying to change your nutritional habits. The NHS offers a ballpark figure for maintaining – that’s maintaining, not losing – weight: around 2,500 calories a day for men, around 2,000 calories a day for women. While that general recommendation can’t take into account your age or level of physical activity, it can give you a base to start from, and to gradually reduce. It’s very simple to go online and discover the caloric content of pretty much everything we eat and drink: check out the website of our new Vitality partner, Weight Watchers, for some good ideas in this department.

Masterchefs always tell us to taste what we’re creating, and when it looks good, it’s very tempting to do so...a lot. But try snacking on a tiny carrot instead: your food will still taste fine and your waistline will be grateful.

6. MAKE SURE THE TV IS FOOD-FREE

When Harvard University conducted a study into children’s eating habits in front of the TV, they didn’t just see an increase in calories – they saw a whopping 167 extra calories consumed for every hour spent in front of the box. It might be due to them not concentrating on their plates, or maybe those yummy food adverts had something to do with it! But it’s a pretty good bet that we adults are every bit as bad. Our tip: make ‘no-eating-whilewatching’ into a house rule.

7. DON’T SKIP MEALS

It just doesn’t make good dietary sense.

Aside from the energy deficit you’ll feel during the day, and the urges you’ll feel to snack on anything you can find, if you skip meals during the day you’ll be really, really hungry in the evening – when your resistance will be at its lowest because of how tired you feel. Try setting up breakfast the night before if you seem to have trouble making time for it.

8. KEEP SNACKS WELL OUT OF SIGHT

A professor of nutrition at a US university found that office workers on his campus ate 23% less sweets when he put them in a covered, opaque dish than when he left them in a see-through container. The moral of this tale: keep all the bad stuff where you can’t see it!

BRILLIANT WEIGHT-LOSS TIPS! 27 sounds like a lot, but we came up with so many because everyone’s different when it comes to losing a few pounds. Just pick out the one or two you think might work for you, and give them a try...

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9. HAVE A DRINK BEFORE YOU EAT

It’s simple but effective: fill yourself up a little before a main meal and it’ll be easier to reduce your total calorie intake. If the thought of yet more water makes you cringe, try starting a meal with a thin soup such as chicken noodle or minestrone.

10. PLAN AHEAD

If you want to eat out, see if the restaurant you’re going to has a website. If it does, chances are it will have its menu online for you to peruse before you even set foot in their door. What are the healthy options?

Look for grilled meat and fish if they have it, check out the salads, the vegetables and so on. Then decide on what you’re having – and don’t look at the puddings!

11. FIND OUT IF THEY’RE FLEXIBLE

And while we’re in that restaurant…don’t be afraid to ask if the chef will consider preparing your meal in a way that’s slightly different to the menu. If they’re busy, they probably won’t help, but there’s no harm in asking. Will they switch out the dauphinoise and give you a jacket potato?

How about a double helping of leafy greens and no potato at all?

12. SAY NO TO BREAD AND BUTTER Sorry, we haven’t left the restaurant yet! Beware the basket of bread with tablets of yummy salted butter, sitting on your table begging to be scoffed while you wait for your meal. That’s a lot of calories you could really do without, and besides, they’ll ruin your appetite for the healthy options you ordered earlier. If it’s a struggle not to reach out for one, we understand – and so will your waiter when you ask him to take them away.

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13. START AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON!

Right, one final tip for eating out and then we’ll move on: if you haven’t already tried ordering a starter as a main course, give it a go. The waiter will be used to being asked for this, so don’t be bashful. If you’re feeling strong enough, explain that you want the actual starter – otherwise he might bring it as a main course, which sort of misses the point. (Also, main courses cost more so you’ll save money as well as calories.) Some starters are less healthy than others: skip past anything that sounds as if it would be covered in cheese, oil or a cream-based sauce. Better options include seafoods, salads and grilled vegetables. And if you’re worried about not having enough to eat, see if there’s a soup or broth you can have as a starter to your starter, if you get what we mean.

14. ENJOY (A LITTLE BIT OF) ALCOHOL

Controlling alcohol intake can be a huge challenge for people trying to lose weight.

It’s boring to drink nothing but water all the time, and soft drinks can contain a lot of calories you really don’t need – which is why so many dieters end up reaching for a glass of wine or beer, and that brings its own problems. For one thing, alcohol can contribute a lot of calories to your intake, so it’s a good idea to set yourself a limit before you start. Try going for a maximum of 150 calories: that’s five fluid ounces of wine, or 12 fluid ounces of a light beer. If you like the wine option, consider ordering it by the glass instead of the bottle; it’ll be easier to keep an eye on how much you’re having.

That’s not the cheapest way to drink it, but since you won’t be having too many glasses, it shouldn’t be too expensive either. Another problem with alcohol is that it removes our inhibitions – one of which might be our inhibition about drinking more alcohol!

And bear in mind that drinking it on an empty stomach amplifies its effects and may make it even harder to stick to your plan.

15. PRACTISE PORTION CONTROL

The easiest way to get your portions right when you’re cooking at home is to use visual references. A responsible portion of meat or fish shouldn’t exceed the size of the palm of your hand. When you’re doling out the veg, aim for a portion around the size of your clenched fist. A serving of jacket potato could be about the size of a tennis ball. And here’s a good tip for measuring cheese: an ounce is roughly the size of your middle finger and forefinger combined. Handy!

16. KEEP A REGULAR FOOD RECORD

What exactly did you eat, and how much of it? How about drink? Review your food diary once a week and look for patterns of behaviour – particularly bad behaviour – so you can maybe change them as you go into the following week. When you feel yourself flagging, and are tempted to chuck the thing away, remind yourself of a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found dieters who kept regular food records lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t!

17. SAY NO TO FAT

18. DON’T KEEP WEIGHING YOURSELF!

It’s a common mistake for dieters to weigh themselves too often, simply because what they’re trying to lose is body fat – and there are many factors in the body such as water retention that can cause a temporary blip in their weight, giving them a false idea of how they’re doing and sending their motivation crashing through the floor.

If you have a set of scales, keep them out of sight to resist the temptation to keep stepping on them. Instead, take them out once a week, on the same day and at the same time – Monday morning, first thing before breakfast, for example – then track your progress with that measurement. Better still, make it once a fortnight: you’re in this for the long-term, remember?

When you’re cooking meals at home, the way you prepare the main ingredients can have a major impact on their fat – and therefore calorie – content. Good ways to cook meat: grilling and baking. Not so good: pan-frying. Avoid at all costs: deepfrying. When it comes to seafood and poultry, baking, steaming, poaching and grilling are all good. And while we’re at it, let’s just say no to fried chicken, it’s way too high in calories. In fact, take the skin off any chicken you cook and save your waistline a whole world of pain!

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19. IF YOU REACH A TARGET WEIGHT ...BEWARE!

We’ve all heard of people who have successfully taken the pounds off but failed to keep them off, and studies have confirmed that the figure for weight-losers who are able to maintain their new shape can be as low as 10% of those who diet.

Ever wondered why? Researchers in the US did, and came to an interesting conclusion: taking weight off, and keeping it off, demand two different approaches.

Their report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine highlights the obvious mistake dieters make: returning to their bad old eating ways as soon as they’ve hit their target weight. Clearly, this is going to lead to bad old weight-gain too, because once you’ve lost weight, your body needs less calories to energise it, so going back to that old calorie count is going to pile the pounds back on. They conclude, too, that our bodies might simply be programmed, naturally, to fight against weight-loss, because our ancestors would have needed a barrier against times of famine, when losing weight would have been very undesirable – and they suggest it could take as much as a year after you’ve hit that target before your body gets in tune with the new you and eases up on the evolutionary signals. So try to achieve your target weight, then keep an eye on the size of your portions and don’t relax your alcohol or chocolate rules.

20. EAT SOUP

Here’s a great way to reduce your calorie intake without feeling pangs of hunger, and it’s especially successful at this time of year: eat a low-calorie vegetable soup before your main meal of the day, then give yourself less calories in that main meal. You won’t notice the difference (but your waistline will).

21. GET MORE VITAMIN D IN YOU

There’s been some interesting research into this vitamin. A Canadian study found that people with lower levels of fat had higher levels of Vitamin D, while Australian researchers suggest it helps us to feel fuller – something to do with the release of a hormone that helps weight-loss, they think. We also found a study that looked at the parathyroid hormone, which makes the body hang on to its stores of fat but is reduced by…you guessed it, Vitamin D. There’s no magic pill for weight reduction that will replace healthy diet and regular exercise but if you’re thinking of taking a supplement, Vitamin D seems like a good place to start.

22. PLAN AHEAD

A survey of successful weight-losers by the Centre for Disease Control found a common factor among nearly half of their respondents: they planned a week’s worth of meals in advance. This forward thinking allows you to make sure they’re going to be balanced and healthy, and to do some of the preparation work in advance, too, so there’s less likelihood you won’t be bothered as the week gets busier.

23. GET SOME SLEEP

Researchers writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggest ‘get some sleep’ should be right up there for seriously overweight people along with ‘do some exercise’ and ‘eat less’.

They examined a substantial number of studies conducted around the world, and found that adults who didn’t get enough sleep were 50 per cent more likely to be obese. Among children who didn’t sleep enough, the figure was an even more alarming 90 per cent! No one is sure why this should be, but two theories are being investigated: the way in which natural hormones that affect our appetites are also affected by lack of sleep; and studies that suggest lack of sleep affects the same part of the brain that controls the pleasure we all get from our food. In the meantime, there’s enough evidence to point to a good night’s sleep being well worth the effort, particularly for kids.

24. DINE ANYTIME

A lot of people trying to lose weight believe that it’s bad news to eat an evening meal – because lounging around on the sofa afterwards will somehow transform every bite they took into a mountain of fat. (The risk here, particularly for commuters who don’t get home before evening, is that you’ll overeat the next day because you went to bed hungry.) But it’s a myth anyway: just make sure that evening meal is healthy and balanced, and in line with your caloric intake plans. Then give yourself a bit of time (up to two hours if you can) to digest properly so your sleep isn’t disturbed, and you’ll be fine.

25. EAT SLOWLY

Dr Suzanne Higgs from Birmingham University conducted an interesting experiment to do with the speed at which we eat our meals. Her research, published in the journal Appetite, focused on two groups of workers eating their lunchtime sandwiches – one eating them the way they usually did, the other chewing each bite for no less than 30 seconds. This group were observed to eat less than half as many sweets in the afternoon than the group who chewed at their regular pace.

Dr Higgs suggests eating slowly might somehow ‘stick’ the meal more into your memory, making you more satisfied and less keen to eat snacks later.

26. DON’T TRY TO LOSE WEIGHT!

Here’s an interesting theory: cutting 500 calories from your daily diet is going to be tougher than cutting, say, 250 – but what if you cut 250 and still saw slow but steady weight-loss? Researchers put a number of overweight women on a programme designed to maintain their existing weight, not to reduce it. They asked them to skip junk food and watch less TV, taught them to read nutrition labels on their groceries and encouraged healthy eating. A year later, on average, the women had lost a few pounds. Nothing dramatic – but for people who have tried to lose weight and consistently failed, it felt like a big step in the right direction. If that sounds like you, consider not trying to lose weight but trying not to gain any.

27. CHANGE HANDS WHEN YOU EAT

And here’s a wackier theory, because it forces you to pay attention to what you’re doing with that fork or spoon, and gives you time to ponder whether you really want to eat that or not. Hey, it’s got to be worth a try if you’re desperate!

BONUS NECTAR POINTS WHEN YOU BUY HEALTHY FOODS AT SAINSBURY’S And we’ll reward you with Vitality points too!

FIND OUT MORE:

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BHC 2014

any Britain’s Healthiest Comp

“Everyone was talking about their Vitality Age...”

I wasn’t sure how many people would fill in the questionnaire but we were all interested in finding out our Vitality Ages. I like the fact that it was about mental wellbeing too and not just physical wellbeing.

“Afterwards everyone was talking about their Vitality Age. A lot of people were surprised! The questionnaire made us realise that there is more to it than just being fit and telling people to eat fruit. It’s about finding out what appeals to different people.

“Our company is going to feed it into everyone’s daily lives in a much more natural way. There’s going to be a series of talks and inspirational chats from sportspeople, therapists and nutritionists. Although we would love to win Britain’s Healthiest Company this year, that isn’t the key reason for being involved – we genuinely want people to get fitter and healthier.

Britain’s Healthiest Company 2013 participant Rebecca Cox from Iris Worldwide

OUR BHC 2013 SURVEY SAID

1 in10 employees have reduced their life expectancy by 10 years as a result of their lifestyle...

Could your workplace benefit from some wellbeing advice?

PruHealth, in partnership with The Sunday Telegraph and Mercer, launched Britain’s Healthiest Company last year to create greater awareness of health issues and bring about real change. Our aim is to highlight the large number of lifestyle risk factors in the workplace, and provide recommendations for companies to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees. As we spend most of our waking hours at work, the importance of the workplace in delivering this change is massive.

Nearly 10,000 individual employees took part last year, completing health and lifestyle questionnaires to offer some interesting insights into the state of health inside Britain’s businesses: Lifestyle behaviours are very much linked: people in the healthy range for nutrition were much more likely to also be non-smokers and in the healthy range for physical activity.

59% of the employees who described themselves as being in excellent or good health turned out to have four or more risk factors for their future wellbeing.

The main drivers of difference between an employee’s Vitality Age and their Actual Age (see What Is Vitality Age, below) are low levels of physical activity and poor nutrition.

The 2014 Britain’s Healthiest Company competition is promising to be even bigger and better, and we are delighted to announce a new academic partnership with RAND Europe and the University of Cambridge.

WHAT IS VITALITY AGE? Vitality Age is a measure of your “physiological” or clinical age: it provides an indication of how many years of life you may lose or gain by embracing certain lifestyle choices.

Your diet, the exercise you take and whether or not you smoke are all ‘lifestyle factors’ that influence your health. ‘Clinical factors’ including cholesterol and blood pressure are also taken into account when calculating your Vitality Age. Through Britain’s Healthiest Company, we discovered that across the UK’s working population 86% of respondents had a Vitality Age older than their actual age with an average difference of 4.1 years! A lack of physical activity and poor diet were found to be the greatest factors contributing to this difference. Whatever your own Vitality Age, whether it’s higher or lower than your actual age, there are things you can do right away to help improve and protect your health – or introduce across your organisation to help improve the health, engagement and happiness of your workforce!

Find out more: www.pruhealth.co.uk/vitalityage

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“I quit smoking thanks to Allen Carr”

WORKPLACE WELLNESS Rebecca puts some colleagues through their paces in the office car park – “you don’t need fancy gym equipment to get fitter in the workplace!”

REGISTER FOR BRITAIN’S HEALTHIEST COMPANY 2014 You can now register your interest to take part in Britain’s Healthiest Company 2014. Ask your company to enter and find out how healthy your workplace is.

FIND OUT MORE: www.britainshealthiestcompany.co.uk

member story

Luke Godwin, 31, had smoked for all of his adult life, so he was surprised by how quickly Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking worked for him

S

ome of my friends told me that the Allen Carr quit-smoking method had worked for them, but I was sceptical about it.

Then when I saw that my employer was running the course for free as part of our Vitality programme, I thought it was worth giving a go.

I’d been smoking all my adult life, and was getting through around five cigarettes a day when I initially tried to give up. I used nicotine gum for a while, but it didn’t seem to work for me, especially at times of stress. This mental association started when I was at university in Plymouth. If I was going through a stressful period of exams, cigarettes always seemed to be the best thing for offering light relief.

The Allen Carr method wasn’t anything like I was expecting. Originally I thought I would just get given a free book, but I actually got to spend the first day with other people who were also giving up smoking. The course leader started by asking the group why we all smoked.

She was really good at explaining to us why those reasons weren’t justified. We weren’t

preached at – it was more a case of her highlighting the negatives of smoking and helping us to see things differently. For example, she helped me understand that smoking doesn’t relieve stress – it actually makes you more stressed.

We were allowed a few smoking breaks during the day, which was helpful. At the end of the day, we smoked our last ever cigarettes, and there were a lot of people inhaling as hard as they could to get every last drag!

Some of the things she said really hit home.

The next day, it was my sister’s birthday and we went to a pub where everyone was sitting outside. Lots of people were smoking but I had absolutely no desire to have a cigarette. In fact, the thought of it made me feel nauseous and this has carried on ever since. If smoking does cross my mind, I see the need for nicotine as a monster in the pit of my stomach, then I think, ‘Don’t feed the monster!’ This is something I learned from the Allen Carr method.

It’s now six months on from the start of the course, my chest feels lighter and I don’t get out of breath. I go to the gym every other day, and this is much easier as I feel so much fitter.

Another great thing is that I’ve really begun to appreciate how nice my clothes smell now that they don’t stink of cigarettes. In fact, I never realised washing powder smelt so nice!

“My chest feels lighter and I don’t get out of breath. I go to the gym every other day, and this is much easier as I feel so much fitter”

Since he quit smoking, Luke can go out for the evening without needing to have a cigarette, and can spend his weekends exploring the great outdoors without getting out of breath!

ARE YOU REGISTERED ON THE MEMBER ZONE?

Once registered you’ll be able to sign-up to Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking programme for free, and access your other Vitality benefits. You just need your Vitality membership number. Log in and see what you’ve been missing!

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/register

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member story

YOUR PLAN PRUHM21113

“If only Vitality were free on the NHS, I’d prescribe it to everyone.”

EXCITING NEW VITALITY BENEFITS

- GP Sunil Limaye

Sunil Limaye’s journey to better health has been driven by his desire to live a long and healthy life with his family – and to be a good role model for his patients

W

orking as a GP, I naturally want to make sure that my family is active and healthconscious. I see patients entering their sixth decade and the vulnerabilities they face in terms of their health. The importance of keeping fit, not getting overweight, staying a non-smoker and drinking in moderation cannot be overstated.

I often talk to my patients about choosing the right things to eat, exercising regularly and drinking in moderation. The advice offered by Vitality, through the website and in Vitality magazine, is really on-the-button. Some of it goes beyond the information and advice I have available for my patients. I also impart my first-hand knowledge of Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking, which helped me to quit smoking years ago.

To stay active my wife Mari and I joined Virgin Active with a discounted monthly membership through Vitality. We really enjoy swimming together in Virgin Active’s pool. My son Hari likes outdoor sports and my daughter, who’s 21, rows for her university team. I have also taken up

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surfing, which is something I have a real passion for and wish I had started earlier in life.

As a family Vitality has had a huge impact on our lifestyle, making it more affordable to do the things we enjoy together.

We booked our first Mark Warner skiing holiday through Vitality seven years ago, and we’ve done this almost every year since. The problem when the kids were at school was that we had to wait till February half-term to go skiing,

Su n il ’s top f ive Vit a l i ty b e n e f it s 1. Virg

in Acti ve 2. Mar k Warn er 3.Cine ma 4. Euro star 5. Tick etmast er

and it’s then that the price rockets up! So the savings we got through Vitality were enormous.

We’re now overdue a family summer trip, so we’re looking forward to a Mark Warner sunshine holiday next year.

The Vitality programme gives us an excuse to do things together as a family that perhaps we wouldn’t normally do.

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Up to 50% cashback at LloydsPharmacy…

…plus help with long-term conditions

WE’VE TEAMED UP WITH LLOYDSPHARMACY TO BRING YOU CASHBACK ON YOUR ESSENTIAL HEALTH AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS, TOILETRIES AND FRAGRANCES

TAKE PART IN OUR NEW PROGRAMME AND YOU COULD GET A £100 VOUCHER TO SPEND AT LLOYDSPHARMACY

Lifestyle Health Insurance is there to help you with all aspects of your health, not just if you need to make a claim. So we’ve partnered with LloydsPharmacy to make shopping for your everyday healthcare essentials more affordable.

Vitality status

Cashback

Bronze

10%

Silver

20%

Spend instore at any LloydsPharmacy or online at lloydspharmacy.com and receive 10% to 50% cashback paid quarterly. You can enjoy cashback on up to £50 per month, per plan, on most items, including sales and promotions.

Gold

40%

Platinum

50%

LloydsPharmacy has more than 1,650 branches across the UK. Many stores have private consultation areas – so you could save on supermarket prices and get personal advice at the same time, saving you a trip to your GP’s surgery at this busy time of year.

The percentage of cashback you can earn depends on your Vitality status and whether your or any of the adults on your plan have taken a Vitality Healthcheck. If none of the adults on your plan have taken a Vitality Healthcheck, your cashback will remain at 10%. *Cashback does not apply to prescription charges or purchases of nappies, baby formula, codeine-based products or mobile-phone top-ups. Cashback will be paid to the principal member each quarter as long as you still have a plan with us.

HOW DOES IT WORK? 1. Visit the Member Zone and request your Lloyds card, or pick one up in selected stores 2. Link your Lloyds card to Vitality on the Member Zone. You’ll start earning cashback as soon as you’ve linked your card

If your Vitality Healthcheck or online Health Review identifies you as being at risk of or suffering from diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, visit the long-term conditions page on the Member Zone to sign up free of charge.

PROGRAMME BENEFITS

● A repeat prescription service so you don’t have

Tailored nutriton/exercise programmes

●

I nstore blood pressure monitoring and cholesterol testings

4. We’ll pay your cashback every three months

●

ou could get a £100 voucher to spend in Y LloydsPharmacy after you’ve taken part in the programme for 12 months.*

● Reminders for check-ups and appointments

Visit the Member Zone to get your Lloyds card, link it to Vitality and start earning cashback. www.pruhealth.co.uk/lloyds

of the three million people estimated to have diabetes in the UK are unaware that they have it

350

people in the UK have a stroke or heart attack caused by high blood pressure...every day

to visit your GP surgery each time you need more medication

●

START EARNING CASHBACK

850,000

Who is eligible?

3. Buy your items, pay in full and use your Lloyds card at the checkout

FIND OUT MORE:

28 www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

One of the biggest health problems facing the UK is preventable long-term conditions. That’s why we’ve partnered with LloydsPharmacy to create a new long-term condition management programme.

There are steps you can take to combat the kind of conditions we list on the right, and our new programme has been specifically designed to help.

1/2

More than half the population has high cholesterol

Sources: www.diabetes.org.uk/ Guide-to-diabetes/What-is-diabetes/ www.bhf.org.uk/research/heart-statistics/

READ ALL ABOUT IT

risk-factors/cholesterol.aspx

Visit the Member Zone to learn more about the programme and for help managing your long-term condition.

www.bloodpressureuk.org/

FIND OUT MORE:

*Providing you meet the conditions of the programme and still have a plan with us.

www.pruhealth.co.uk/longtermconditions

BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 29

Six months Weight Watchers pass for £30 NOW YOU CAN SAVE POUNDS AS YOU LOSE POUNDS WITH SIX MONTHS’ WEIGHT WATCHERS MEMBERSHIP FOR JUST £30 We know losing weight can be challenging. That’s why we’ve partnered with Weight Watchers, the world’s leading provider of weight management services, to help inspire and enable you to lose weight healthily and keep it off.

Weight Watchers has already helped millions of people all over the world to manage their weight through regular group meetings and online resources, and with Vitality we’re now offering our members a Weight Watchers Monthly Pass for 6 months for just £30. This will give you access to meetings, online tools and an app for when you’re on the go.

You’ll get a maximum of 15 Vitality points per week for attending a Weight Watchers meeting, too.

What’s more, if you attend at least two meetings per month in your first six months, we will extend your Weight Watchers membership for a further six months. And if you achieve your goal weight, we’ll also refund your initial £30 subscription payment!

READ ALL ABOUT IT

To activate your Weight Watchers membership, simply log in to the Member Zone.

FIND OUT MORE: www.pruhealth.co.uk/weightwatchers

SIMPLE START

This year, Weight Watchers has launched Simple Start – a new approach to weight loss. The Filling & Healthy foods and pick-and-mix meal ideas in Simple Start mean you’ll fill up faster and stay fuller for longer. Because of what you’ll be eating, you won’t have to worry so much about the amount you’re eating – and that means no more counting, measuring or weighing foods.

The idea is that using this method, you’re more likely to avoid the types of foods that naturally lead to overeating.

The Simple Start app for your tablet or smartphone has a range of foods to inspire you in the first few weeks of your weight-loss plan. It’s interactive, too – it will help you choose your favourite treats through the day, and you can enter your own personal motivational story for easy reference when you need a reminder of why you want to lose weight.

Your free To make positive changes, first you need to understand your health.

That’s why we’re offering a free Vitality Healthcheck on all plans. If you have a personal plan, one adult member can have a free Vitality Healthcheck every plan year. If you’re a member of a company plan, the principal member can have one free Vitality Healthcheck every plan year. All other adult members are eligible for a Vitality Healthcheck available at £15.

It’s a simple consultation of up to 30 minutes in one of our partner pharmacies across the UK. A member of the pharmacy team will take a series of measurements including height, weight, blood pressure and resting heart rate. You can use your results to work out where you might want to make any changes to improve your health. And if you pass the non-smokers test, you could earn cashback every three months simply for not smoking. The higher your Vitality status, the more cashback you will receive.

You will also earn Vitality points for some of the measurements you have taken, up to a maximum of 780 points if your results are in the healthy range. And you can earn 300 Vitality points simply if your Vitality Healthcheck shows that you have been nicotine and tobacco free for 12 months.

BOOK YOUR FREE VITALITY HEALTHCHECK ONLINE

Simply log in to the Member Zone and select Vitality Healthcheck from the Health partners menu.

FIND OUT MORE: www.pruhealth.co.uk/healthcheck

Free help to stub out smoking Giving up smoking is one of the best things you can do to improve your health. But it can also be one of the most difficult.

Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking programme makes quitting easier, and is already working for 50,000 people a year. The programme usually costs £250 but with Vitality, each adult on your plan can now attend one free programme during the life of your plan.

BOOK YOUR FIRST FREE SESSION

Call 0800 587 0407 with your Vitality membership number to book your first session at your nearest centre.

FIND OUT MORE: www.pruhealth.co.uk/allencarr

30 www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 31

Save up to 25% on your next holiday

Earn as you burn

NOW THERE ARE EVEN MORE WAYS TO TRACK YOUR FITNESS AND EARN VITALITY POINTS Fitness devices are all the rage. From heart-rate monitors to calorie and step-counters, there are many devices available to help you keep track of your activities. Vitality members can already earn points when they’re working out by linking their Fitbug, Polar or adidas miCoach devices to Vitality. The great news is that we’ve made another five types of devices compatible – so if you got a Nike+, Garmin, Fitbit, Suunto or Timex for Christmas, you can be burning and earning in no time.

HOW DO THEY WORK? Some devices use GPS to work out, for example, how far you have run. Others use vibration or acceleration of motion to measure your progress in a particular activity. Some devices count steps based on the movement of your hips, and some can detect the number of beats per minute to determine your heart rate.

LINK YOUR DEVICE TO VITALITY Simply log in to the Member Zone, visit the Vitality activity tracking page and click to link your device to Vitality. In total, you can earn a maximum of 40 points per week for getting active. This can be

32 www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

made up from visits to a partner gym, parkrun or activities measured with a compatible fitness device or mobile app. The next time you go for a jog in the park, a gym session or a dance around the living room, you’ll be earning points faster than you can say ‘new year resolution’!

LINK YOUR DEVICE NOW

Simply log in to the Member Zone, visit the Vitality activity tracking page and off you go!

FIND OUT MORE: www.pruhealth.co.uk/activitytracking

FREE VITALITY ACTIVE APP You can also track your activity and earn Vitality points with our new Vitality Active app – free to download from the end of January 2014 from the Apple Store or Google Play. It turns your smartphone into a fitness device that records all the important details each time you walk, run or cycle. The app is available to everyone who has registered on the Member Zone.

MR & MRS SMITH

As a Vitality member, you can get up to 25 per cent cashback on the lowest available price of stylish stays with Mr & Mrs Smith, the award-winning boutique hotel specialists.

With a carefully curated online collection of almost 1,000 personally visited and vetted properties, the company’s recommendations are known for being trusted, unique and thoughtful. Whether you’re looking for a city hotel, a country guesthouse or a luxury spa, Mr & Mrs Smith has a range to suit everyone. And the new Smith & Family collection features many child-friendly places to stay too.

As well as receiving up to 25 per cent cashback, there are no booking fees and best rates are guaranteed. Vitality members will also receive exclusive free extras when they check in, such as champagne, spa treatments and picnic lunches.

To get your cashback, you’ll need to pay the full amount or a deposit when booking BOOK YOURS NOW! plus the remaining balance to Visit the Member Zone to find out more, or talk to the your hotel on checkout. Your friendly Smith Travel Team on 0845 034 0700. Lines are cashback will be paid within open 24 hours a day from Monday to Friday, and 10am4pm at weekends.

60 days of the end of your FIND OUT MORE: stay, providing you are still a www.pruhealth.co.uk/mrandmrssmith Vitality member.

MARK WARNER

From the Alps to the Algarve, from sailing to scuba diving, Mark Warner has lots of great holiday packages at popular destinations across Europe. As a Vitality member, you can now save up to 25 per cent on each booking. Visit the Member Zone to see what kinds of holiday are available.

You can make a maximum of two bookings between Mr & Mrs Smith and Mark Warner in any plan year.

FOR BOTH OUR OFFERS… This table shows the maximum discount or cashback you’ll receive per person, up to a limit of two adults: Bronze

£50 off the first £200

Silver

£75 off the first £300

Gold

£100 off the first £400

Platinum

£125 off the first £500

BOOK YOURS NOW! Visit the Member Zone to find out more, or call Mark Warner on 0871 703 3905 to book. You’ll need to have your Vitality membership number to hand.

FIND OUT MORE: www.pruhealth.co.uk/markwarner

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 33

Your

partners

Understand Your Health Free Vitality Healthcheck through our pharmacy network1

STAYING SPECIAL

50% off Health screens Long-term condition management programme

Get Active 50% off flexible individual monthly gym membership fees with Virgin Active or anytime monthly gym membership fees with LA fitness2

Up to 25% cash back for Vitality members with Mr & Mrs Smith hotels

50% off sports shoes with Sweatshop Up to 50% cashback on a bike with Evans Cycles Money off fitness devices Vitality points with Vitality activity tracking and parkrun

Eat Well Bonus Nectar points on Sainsbury’s Healthy foods A Weight Watchers Monthly Pass for 6 months for just £30

Wellbeing and Relaxation 75% off Champneys healthy breaks and 25% off Champneys Spa Products An exclusive 12-month National Trust pass for £33.67 Self-help guides and tools from Living Life to the Full

Stop Smoking Free Stop Smoking programme with Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking

Entertainment Free Cinema tickets with Cineworld and Vue A third off with Ticketmaster3 30% off a Merlin Standard Annual Pass

Stay in Touch Monthly cash rebates of up to £15 with BuyMobiles.net

Vitality Travel Up to 25% cashback on the lowest available price for boutique and luxury hotels with Mr & Mrs Smith Up to 25% off with Mark Warner Up to 50% off rail tickets with Eurostar

Cashback 10% to 50% cashback at LloydsPharmacy4 1

If you have a personal plan, one adult member can have a free Vitality Healthcheck every plan year. If you are a member of a company plan, the principal member can have one free Vitality Healthcheck every plan year.

2

A separate joining fee of up to £55 per person may apply. This excludes Virgin Active Classic Clubs where the joining fee may be up to £150. We can’t offer discounts at Virgin Active Clements Hall, Rayleigh and Chiswick Riverside clubs.

3

You’ll need to pay a fee to activate the entertainment benefit to get discounts with Ticketmaster. The yearly fee is £10 for individuals and £15 for couples or families.

4

Subject to a maximum £50 monthly spend and a Vitality Healthcheck. Excluding nappies, baby formula, prescription charges, codeine-based products and mobile phone top-ups.

Prices and discounts for all partners are correct at January 2014. Find out the latest information about each partner including full terms and conditions on the Member Zone.

Log in at www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

Just choose a hotel on mrandmrssmith.com, ring 0845 034 0700 and quote your Vitality membership number.

See pruhealth.co.uk/mrandmrssmith for full details.

Vitality Ambassador

Jessica Ennis-Hill talks to

“Get into your best winter shape ever!”

HUSH IN A WORLD OF RUSH

Embrace health, fitness and wellbeing.

Feel good inside and out with a luxurious break at a Champneys country spa retreat.

CHAMPNEYS ALIGNS PERFECTLY WITH THE VALUES OF VITALITY; THE MORE YOU LOOK AFTER YOURSELF, THE HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER YOU FEEL. TAKE TIME OUT AND BOOK A ONE, TWO OR THREE NIGHT PAMPER BREAK AT ONE OF OUR FOUR LUXURIOUS SPA RESORTS NOW AND RECEIVE AN AMAZING 75% OFF. EXCLUSIVE FOR VITALITY MEMBERS. CHOOSE FROM TRING IN HERTFORDSHIRE SPRINGS IN LEICESTERSHIRE

HENLOW IN BEDFORDSHIRE FOREST MERE IN HAMPSHIRE

TO BOOK CALL 0843 3162 222 WITH YOUR VITALITY MEMBERSHIP NUMBER TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. VALID ON NEW RESERVATIONS ONLY. CANNOT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER OFFER OR DISCOUNT. LIMITED AVAILABILITY.

CHAMPNEYS.COM

The world’s greatest heptathlete, Vitality Ambassador Jessica Ennis-Hill, offers a few fitness tips from her training routine If you’d like to get fitter, or lose a bit of weight, take up running. Start by investing in a decent pair of trainers (Vitality members get a brilliant discount from Sweatshop, find out more on page 34), then alternate between hill and interval sessions.

For hill runs, find a long but not too steep hill. Run up it as hard as you can but walk slowly back down. Do five of these runs – we call that a ‘set’ – with five minutes’ recovery at the end, then repeat for a total of three sets.

Interval running should be on flat ground. Aim to run at about 70 per cent of your maximum pace. Run hard for a minute, followed by jogging for 50 seconds; then run hard for 50 seconds followed by jogging for 40 seconds. Carry on like this all the way down to 10 seconds of running. Do four sets of this in all, with five minutes’ rest between each set.

If you don’t think you’re ready for running yet, no problem – you can get started with walking! Commuting to work can be ‘dead’ time, and a morning workout is a great way to invigorate yourself for the rest of the day, even if you take the train part of the way and just walk, say, the last two miles. Try to do interval walking: walk fast for 300 metres, then slowly for 200 metres.

One last bit of general advice is around motivation, which is hard enough at the best of times but doubly so in winter. It’s difficult to get motivated for exercise when it’s dark, cold and wet!

I find it’s easier if you have a goal to aim for. Perhaps sign up for a 10k race or triathlon in the spring. That way you’ll have a target to work towards over the coming months. And if you’re able to, train with friends or join a club. When you’re training alone, you’re more likely to give up, but team camaraderie will drive you to complete every session. And that’s a great feeling every time!

Make physical activity a permanent part of your life

GOOD ADVICE

3 THINGS I’VE LEARNED FROM MY COACH 1. SPEED ENDURANCE Toni Minichiello encourages me to build this by asking me to run 200 metres three times, with 30 seconds’ rest between each sprint, then repeat twice. It’s hard work, but you can reduce it to 100 metres. Toni believes doing shorter distances with shorter recoveries means the body gets used to working hard even when it’s not comfortable. I always rest for five minutes between each of those sets of sprints.

2. CORE STRENGTH “Don’t waste energy controlling a weak mid-section,” Toni tells me.

Get into the ‘plank’, the position for doing a press-up (see the photo on page 44). Lift one hand, move it a fraction to the side and tap the floor, then bring it back.

Do it 10 times and repeat with the other hand – that’s one set. Try to do three sets, with a minute’s rest between sets…then try doing the same thing with your feet!

3. PLANNING MAKES PERFECT If the training you’re trying to do doesn’t fit with your life, you’ll start cutting corners – so change it. No time for a long run? Split it into two shorter ones, before and after work, say. “Life can get in the way,” says Toni, “so keep alternative sessions in mind.

Something is always better than nothing.” But whatever happens, make physical activity a permanent part of your life – something you always do, like eating or brushing your teeth.

The benefits are so massive, it’s really worth making the effort.

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 37

Get fit

THIS YEAR HAS A NEW SHAPE! With our wide-ranging plans, everyone can work on their fitness PUSH!

DIG DEEP!

STRETCH IT!

Whatever your age or fitness level, we have a plan to help you get in the best shape of your life. If you’re new to regular exercise or returning to it after a break, it’s a good idea to have a check-up with your GP first ...

VITALITY HEALTHCHECK

Keep track of your health, get advice on how to improve it and earn Vitality points with a Vitality Healthcheck. You can also discuss your results and any concerns with our Vitality GP phone line.

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/healthcheck

123

BEGINNERS

INTERMEDIATE

YOGA

CYCLE

Work on flexibility, circulation and spine strength, at the same time as relaxing and clearing the mind

Turn your bike into a household machine with a turbo trainer and set yourself a focused and high-energy workout

ADVANCED

CIRCUIT Tone and strengthen the muscles you’ve built up – and really feel the burn – with these tough circuit sessions

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 39

Get fit

1

GET FIT

YOGA

S R E N N I G E B

1

4

Fitter in mind and body The ancient practice of yoga is accessible to everyone, regardless of their age or level of fitness. Yogic postures (known as ‘asanas’) increase circulation and flexibility throughout the whole body with specific focus on the maintenance of a healthy spine, while its deep relaxation rejuvenates body and mind. Start on your back with your arms and legs parted, eyes closed, breathing in and out through your nose. Gradually move into a slow and deep abdominal breath. As you inhale, allow the abdomen to rise and expand; as you exhale, allow it to fall and contract. Continue this as you practise each posture and always relax for a few breaths between postures.

3

40 www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

2

5

3

The NHS says there’s some evidence that regular yoga practice is beneficial for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, stress, lower back pain, and depression

1. DOWN DOG 3. BOW

5. TRIANGLE

Benefits: downward-facing dog increases oxygen to the brain, lengthens the spine and releases shoulder tension.

Begin on hands and knees. Place hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips.

As you exhale, press into your hands, stretch hips back while straightening the legs and try to ground your heels.

The shape created is an inverted V.

Benefits: this asana extends the spine. Lie on your tummy, forehead on the ground.

Bend your knees, raise your feet and reach your hands to catch hold of your ankles. Lift head, chest and legs, coming into a backward bend.

Keep lifting the knees higher and drawing the feet back away from your head, which will help to further open your chest.

2. SEATED FORWARD BEND

4. HALF SPINAL TWIST

Benefits: lateral spine stretch and stronger legs.

Stand with legs wide apart and feet parallel.Turn your left foot out 90 degrees so your toes face the top of the mat, and turn your right foot in slightly. Extend your arms out in line with your shoulders and parallel with the ground. Inhale as you stretch your upper body to the left. Exhale as you fold from the hip and rest the left hand on your left shin. Extend your right arm upwards and turn your head to gaze up. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits: flexion of the spine and hamstring stretch.

Sit with legs out straight in front of you. Keep them together and draw the toes back towards the body.

Inhale and stretch both arms up over your head, lengthening the spine. Exhale and fold forward from the hips. Keep the back and legs straight and reach for the toes or feet.

Benefits: stretches the spine. Sit on your heels with legs bent under you. Sit to the left of your hips and bring the right foot flat on the floor outside the left knee. Place your right hand behind your back on the floor. Stretch the left arm up then wrap it round your right knee and rotate to the right.

Release and repeat on the other side.

FINISH Relax in the same position you used at the start.To finish, sit for a few moments with your eyes closed in a comfortable cross- legged position.

VITALITY BENEFIT: 75% OFF CLASSIC BREAKS AND SPA DAYS AT CHAMPNEYS SPA RESORTS

And relax with 25% off Champneys’ luxurious products for men and women...go on, treat yourself!

FIND OUT MORE: www.pruhealth.co.uk/champneys

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 41

Get fit

THE PLAN

TURBO TRAINERS

2

GET FIT

CYCLE

E T A I D E M INTER

Indoor cycling: the any-weather fitness plan

Cycling is a fantastic way to keep fit, gain strength and burn calories, but it can be hard to force yourself into the saddle when it’s cold and dark outside. If you have space indoors, though, you can transform your bike into an indoor cycle trainer for less than £100. A turbo trainer allows you to stay in the comfort of your own home and do some really focused workouts - like the one devised exclusively for Vitality by Michelle Arthurs, cycling expert and blogger at Evans Cycles.

42

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Each session lasts about an hour, and has a goal for you to work towards. For each warm-up, pedal easily for about 10 minutes, gradually increasing intensity until you’re breathing quite hard, feeling as if you’re working at about 5 out of 10, where 10 is your maximum effort. When you cool down, reverse this and allow yourself to wind down slowly.

Some trainers have resistance you can adjust on the handlebar, like our example, right, while others let you simply use the gears on your bike to make pedalling easier or harder.

When you’re training on an indoor bike, it’s best to have a session planned. If you try to pedal for the same amount of time as you might outdoors, you’ll probably find you get a bit bored.

Splitting up your workout with some harder efforts, interspersed with recovery periods, you’ll get much more from your time. Riding indoors, you won’t get the same cooling effect of the air moving around you, so turbo training can become a hot and sweaty affair.

Consider getting yourself a fan to keep air circulating around you. It’s also important to keep hydrated and drink while you ride: if you choose an energy or electrolyte drink that replaces salts lost through perspiration, make sure it’s one with a high sodium content. Because the rear wheel on your bike is constantly moving on the resistance unit (see our example, right) a specially designed turbo training tyre can be used to prevent damage to your bike’s regular outdoor tyres.

MONDAY This session is designed to get you accustomed to using your trainer, and learning to use the resistance or your gears to control effort. It’s called a ‘Fartlek’ session – ‘speed play’ in Swedish. You’ll need a music player and a favourite playlist.

Warm up: 10 minutes.

Main set: 30 minutes Fartlek.

This is where the music comes into play. For each song, pick a word or phrase, and sprint for 30 seconds every time you hear it. Your sprint should be about 8 out of 10, if 10 is the hardest you can go.

Cool down: 10 minutes.

TUESDAY Rest WEDNESDAY This one is about using short, high intensity intervals to increase the amount of power you can produce in a short burst, developing your ability to recover quickly.

Warm up: 10 minutes.

Main set: 10 x 60-second intervals, with 60-second recoveries.

During the one-minute interval, you should be pedalling as hard as you possibly can for the whole 60 seconds, then rest and repeat until you hit your 10.

Cool down: 10 minutes.

THURSDAY Rest FRIDAY This one is all about making you better at climbing - believe us when we say you’ll be pleased you rested your legs yesterday!

Warm up: 10 minutes.

Main set: 3 x 3 minutes seated climbing followed by 1 minute standing climbing, 5 minutes recovery.

For those seated 3-minute intervals, crank up the resistance or click up the gears until it feels like you’re riding up a hill. Keep the effort steady, then click up a couple more gears and do one more minute standing on the pedals before recovering for 5 minutes.

Cool down: 10 minutes.

SATURDAY Rest SUNDAY This session includes slightly longer intervals.

Warm up: 10 minutes.

Main set: 4 x 7 minutes with 3-minute recoveries.

During the intervals, try to hold your effort so you’re breathing hard but can still say a couple of words and can sustain it for the duration. During recoveries, pedal very easily.

Cool down: 10 minutes.

When you’re training on an indoor bike, it’s best to have a session planned

VITALITY BENEFIT: UP TO 50% CASH BACK ON A NEW BIKE WITH EVANS CYCLES

We’ve teamed up with Evans Cycles to give you a rebate of up to 50% on the price of a bike.

FIND OUT MORE: www.pruhealth.co.uk/evans

Get fit

3

GET FIT

T CIRCUI

D E C N A V D A

Good rep Hugh Hanley, national personal training manager at Virgin Active Health Clubs, created this just for us...

Step 1

BURPEE Once you’ve got up to a decent level of fitness, circuit training will help you to work on your physique and strength.

We’ve focused here on five exercises, which can be repeated as necessary according to whether you’re working on endurance, muscular power or power plus strength – see the table just to the right, to work out how many reps you want to do, while overleaf you’ll find a basic week’s training plan. Using these exercises and following the tables will help you have some clarity around your training goals.

On each day, vary the order of reps, sets and timings to keep the body guessing. Recovery time will increase and decrease depending on fitness ability, tiredness, motivation and how much time you can spare. Don’t forget to vary your sets as your fitness progresses.

Overall the workout can be as flexible as you want – you can vary days and the number of days you train and rest. It’s extremely important that you also put in place a clean and structured nutrition plan around this type of training.

Finally, make sure you do a very good warm up and cool down to help with recovery and rest time.

Step 2

Step 1

Step 2

Step 1&2 From an upright position, go into a squat with hands on the floor in front of you.

Step 3 Kick your feet back to a press-up position.

Step 4 Immediately return your feet to the squat position.

Step 5 Leap up as high as possible from the squat position.

Make it easier At step 4, step back into press-up position. At step 5, stand up instead of leaping.

Step 3 HOW MANY REPS SHOULD I DO? EFFECT YOU’RE AFTER Maximum strength

REPS 1-3

Power and strength

3-6

Muscle building and muscular endurance

6-10

Muscular endurance/ conditioning and slight muscle building

10-20

Endurance

20+

PRESS-UP Step1 Kneel on all fours with the hands a little wider than shoulder width.

Straighten your legs out behind you so that your weight is distributed between your hands and toes.

Step2 Bend the elbows outwards to lower the chest towards the floor.

Push back up to the starting position.

Make it easier Stay on your knees while doing the press-up.

Step 4

Step 5

Make it harder Lift one leg off the floor.

Overall the workout can be as flexible as you want

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www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 45

Get fit

3

GET FIT

T CIRCUI

ADVANCED

Step 1

SQUAT

Step 2

Step 1 50% OFF MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP FEES AT VIRGIN ACTIVE

Step 1 Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing forwards.

Step 2 Keeping your back straight, push your bum out and bend your knees. Do not let your knees move in front of your toes.

GET UP GET DOWN Step1&2 Keep your eyes forward as you move from a standing position into a squat, lowering your hands to the floor as you go.

...And with 50% off flexible individual monthly membership fees, you can really get your money’s worth. A separate joining fee may apply.

Step 3 Drive up and jump as high as you can.Upon landing, attempt to absorb the load of the jump by landing on the front half of your feet and then sinking back on to your heels as the hips descend into the next squat.

Step 3

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/virginactive

Step 3

Step 2

Step 3 Lower your bum so that you’re sitting on the floor.

Step 4 Recline into a lying position – try notto let your feet or head touch the ground as you lie flat – then reverse the steps, and repeat.

Step 4

LUNGE Step1 Start standing tall and aim to keep your torso in a good posture throughout.

Step 2 Take a big step forwards with your left leg and bend both knees into a lunge. Aim to make a right angle at both your knee joints at the bottom of your lunge. Return to standing position and repeat with the right leg.

Make it harder Build in an explosive jump as you switch legs.

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Step 1

Step 2

HUGH’S BASIC SESSION PLAN

Make sure you do a good warm up and cool down too

Do the five exercises in each session, but vary the order each time

Three sessions a week, interspersed with other fitness activities such as running and cycling, will really help to tone your muscles and build your strength. I’ve suggested Monday, Wednesday and Saturday as regular circuit days but you can adjust this to suit your schedule. The number of reps and sets should be varied as your fitness progresses.

DAY

TRAINING TYPE

Monday

Power, strength and slight muscular endurance

Wednesday Saturday

REPS

RECOVERY TIME BETWEEN EXERCISES

SETS

RECOVERY TIME BETWEEN SETS

6-10

30 secs

6

1 min

Muscular endurance/conditioning

10-20

20 secs

5

2 mins

Endurance

20-30

1 min

4

3 mins

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 47

Useful kit

POLAR HEART RATE SENSOR

They look like fancy gadgets but they’re much more, giving you an accurate idea of how your body is performing and allowing you to get the most out of your training. And they’re fun too! Better still, Vitality members can earn points simply by linking their Vitality membership to their Fitbug, Polar or adidas miCoach – and we’ve just made Nike+, Garmin, Fitbit, Suunto and Timex devices compatible: see page 32 for more details...

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This sensor sends an ECGaccurate heart rate signal to a Polar monitor such as the one below, or to a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone via the Polar Beat app. It can be used for most types of physical exercise.

N EW

FITBUG ORB

POLAR HEART RATE MONITOR

This fitness tracker does all kinds of useful stuff.

It’s a small, pebblelike device that counts your steps, distance and sleep, and can be worn in a matching wristband or using a belt hook.

Hooked up with Fitbug’s digital coaching service, it helps you track your daily and long-term fitness goals.

This monitor and sports watch, with integrated GPS, provides you with all the data you need to enhance your performance, and saves it for later analysis. You use it with polarpersonaltrainer. com, where you can create personalised training plans and store all your workouts.

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IN STORE | ONLINE | MOBILE www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 49

member story

Enjoy your garden all year round with a Glass Veranda from Eden

“Assistance At Home is the best thing about PruHealth” When Pat Phillips, 70, had a complete knee replacement, she worried about how she and her husband would cope, but Assistance At Home through PruHealth took all the pressure away

S

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ix months ago, I had a sudden knee swelling which became very painful. My GP said I should have an x-ray, so I got in touch with a consultant called Mr Flynn at The Spire hospital in Havant. The x-ray showed that I needed a complete knee replacement.

I was in shock but Mr Flynn was first-class, very approachable, and he understood my concerns completely. I knew I was in safe hands as this area is Mr Flynn’s speciality, and he looks after several professional sportspeople.

Before my stay in hospital, I sent in all my forms to PruHealth. Everything was very clear, so my husband Barry and I understood exactly what would happen. And there were absolutely no problems with the cover.

I chose a date in September for my operation, as I knew all my family would be close by. On that morning, I still had doubts, especially when I found out I was going to have an epidural. I did not fancy that at all. But Mr Flynn and the anaesthetist reassured me, and I went ahead within the hour.

I was in The Spire for five days. My stay was absolutely brilliant and I cannot fault the aftercare.

I discovered later the operation would have cost us over £10,000 if we’d paid privately for it! There were nurses in and out all the time, I had my own ice container to help with the swelling, and the menu was so good that my family were eating in the restaurant all the time!

When I came home, I was concerned because I had no idea how long I would be on crutches for.

Crutches can be very debilitating – even carrying a plate can be an ordeal. I thought, ‘How will I do the cleaning, the ironing and so on?’ I was particularly worried because we have quite a large house and I didn’t want Barry, who is 78, to have to do everything. I also didn’t want to keep asking friends to come over to help.

Then I got a call from PruHealth to say I was

Main photo: Cutting the entitled to 28 cake with husband Barry hours of at their golden wedding whatever care I anniversary party this year, wanted, and I and above, with all the could choose family the hours to fit around me.

Before long, a lady called Sonia began coming over regularly, and we would look forward to her visits. Sonia would turn up in her uniform, bring a fresh plastic apron and her own rubber gloves, and even offer to do any shopping on her way. Then she just went and got on with it.

Anything that was needed – washing, ironing, vacuuming, preparing lunch, changing the beds – she did it. The house was absolutely spotless every time. Sonia would then write down exactly what she had done and I would sign the form to confirm she had done it.

Assistance At Home really is the best thing PruHealth could do for anybody. We were so sad when this came to an end, and now we miss Sonia very much. What I liked most of all was how professional and efficient it was. Sonia was always on time and every week I got a typed list of everything that was going to be done, with the

option of changing the hours if I wanted to.

I cannot thank PruHealth enough for arranging this. It really took all the pressure away. My knee is now completely healed and I don’t need crutches. I do all my own things again but I have to be careful. I am just amazed at how quickly I got over it!

CLAIM ONLINE 24/7

You can submit a claim online 24/7. It’s secure, will only take a few minutes and we’ll get back to you quickly.

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/claim

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Look after yourself

Be suspicious of

VARIETY ‘superfoods’

While it’s tempting to believe in miracle foods that will transform your health, UK health information service NHS Choices stresses that too much focus on individual foods may encourage unhealthy eating and an unbalanced diet. A varied diet is more likely to ensure you get all the nutrients you need to be full of energy. Alongside carbohydrates, a diet high in fruit and veg will provide you with a whole range of vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre, but go easy on dried fruit as it is high in sugar. Dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt are good sources of protein (essential for growth and repair) and calcium (which helps keep your bones healthy) – choose low fat and sugarfree varieties. Lean meat, fish, eggs and beans are packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. We also need a small amount of fat – oily fish, avocados, olive oil and nuts are all good sources of unsaturated fat.

SNACK

Satisfy a snack attack

Keep your energy levels up by supplementing regular meals with a healthy snack in between – especially if you’re embarking on a new exercise programme.

There’s no logic in going on a crash diet and starving yourself so that you feel weak before you even start.

Don’t over-compensate, but the Mayo Clinic says snacks eaten soon before exercise can help keep up your blood sugar and prevent hunger pangs.

A snacking study by Cornell University showed that smaller portion sizes are capable of providing similar feelings of satisfaction to larger ones. Try an oatcake or wholegrain cracker with low-fat cheese, a wholegrain bagel with a thin layer of peanut butter, a banana, a few nuts or a little dried fruit.

Hydrate with water

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, even mild dehydration can result in fatigue and headaches.

It recommends most people drink six to eight glasses (about 1.2 litres) of fluid a day – more if you are doing a lot of physical activity. Plain water is cheap, readily available and sugar-free, but in the colder months you might instead want to up your intake of hot drinks without added sugar, such as herbal teas.

TOP-UP

Start with breakfast

According to the British Dietetic Association, breakfast helps top up energy stores we have used during the night while our bodies have been repairing and renewing themselves – and yet up to one-third of us regularly misses it. So set yourself up for the day ahead with some healthy high-fibre food such as porridge or wholemeal toast.

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December’s excesses can leave us all feeling sluggish just when we ought to be exercising more. And while cutting some calories is a good idea, we shouldn’t forget that our bodies still need fuel. So what’s the best way to give ourselves a boost?

CARBS

Keep the carbs

Despite some low-carb diets having become popular, the British Dietetic Association advises that more research is needed into how safe or effective these are. Eating too few carbs may lead to low blood sugar levels, leaving you feeling weak and light-headed. It’s important to include starchy ‘complex’ carbohydrates such as bread, rice, cereals, pasta and potatoes in your diet. Your body breaks these down slowly, making sure you always have energy in reserve.

IRON

BEEF YOUR VITAMINS UP!

Feeling tired all the time can be a symptom of low levels of iron (other symptoms include a vague feeling of weakness, dizziness and headaches). It’s very simple to find good natural sources of iron all over the meat and fish counters – find it in lean beef, turkey, chicken and fish. Plant sources of iron include beans such as kidney and lentils, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, and fortified breakfast cereals (check the label for details).

H2O

MILK IT

Make the most of milk

Milk contains protein, B vitamins and calcium – all essential nutrients that your body needs to keep functioning well. Choosing semi-skimmed or skimmed varieties will help make sure you don’t consume large quantities of saturated fat at the same time as giving your body a boost.

BONUS NECTAR POINTS WHEN YOU BUY HEALTHY FOODS AT SAINSBURY’S

And we’ll reward you with Vitality points.

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/sainsburyshealthyfoods

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Look after yourself

Keep the doctor away!

UP TO 50% CASH BACK AT LLOYDS PHARMACY

As a Vitality member you can get 10% to 50% cash back at Lloyds Pharmacy, subject to a maximum £50 monthly spend and a Vitality Healthcheck. Some products and services are excluded – please see the Member Zone for full details.

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/lloydspharmacy

5

CIRCULATION TROUBLE

No one looks forward to spending hours in their GP’s waiting room – but is there anything you can do to dodge the five cold-weather illnesses we all suffer from at this time of year?

Cold weather can play havoc with the blood flow to our extremities, and a syndrome known as Raynaud’s Phenomenon can become much worse at this time of year.

DODGE IT! Raynaud’s occurs when the small blood vessels in our extremities, especially our fingers and toes, are over-sensitive to changes in temperature. Up to 20 per cent of the population worldwide is thought to have it. During an attack, the affected area will turn white, then often blue, then red as the blood flow returns. It can be very painful. It’s also difficult to treat – but keeping your whole body warm is the first line of defence. Stopping smoking will almost certainly help. For more serious cases, there are various drugs including nifedipine you might be able to try, and as a last resort you can have surgery that involves cutting the nerves that cause the affected blood vessels to spasm.

1

COLD/FLU

The Common Cold Centre in Cardiff estimates that adults get between two and five colds a year on average, and children up to 10. So it’s tough to escape winter sniffles...

DODGE IT! Common cold viruses are spread by coughs, sneezes and contaminated fingers passing them to the nose and eye. Try not to touch door handles then your own face. Being cold and wet will only bring on a cold if you’re already carrying the virus in your nasal passages. According to a 2007 review of medical trials, Vitamin C does not prevent colds – but it may reduce their length and severity.

Some people swear by echinacea as a preventative but there’s no consensus among the medical community as to whether this is a placebo. Zinc might be more promising: a 2011 study found that zinc administered within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms reduces the duration and severity of a cold in healthy people – but more research needs to be done to assess the best dosage.

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2

SORE THROAT

A sore throat – pharyngitis to the medical trade – often comes along with a cold, but other fairly common causes are tonsillitis, streptococcal infection, adenovirus (which causes conjunctivitis) and the cold sore virus.

DODGE IT! A sore throat will usually clear up after a week and you can treat the symptoms at home. The NHS does recommend seeing your doctor if you have a persistent temperature above 38C, or don’t get better after two weeks, or have frequent sore throats that don’t respond to painkillers.

Antibiotics don’t kill viruses so won’t generally work for sore throats, because the cause is usually a virus rather than bacteria. GPs might recommend paracetamol or ibuprofen, while throat lozenges are effective for the pain too. Gargling with warm salt water might help, and you could consider doing that as a preventative, but to be effective it has to be done ‘frequently and vigorously’, say the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Vitamin C does not prevent colds, but zinc might help reduce the duration and severity of a cold in healthy people

3

ASTHMA

Over 5 million people in the UK have asthma, and Asthma UK, the leading asthma charity, say as many as three quarters of them believe cold air to be a trigger for their symptoms.

DODGE IT! Asthma UK advises sufferers to keep taking their regular medication, and have a puff or two of their reliever inhaler before going out into the cold. You can also keep the inhaler with you at all times, wear a scarf over the nose and mouth to warm up the air before breathing it in, and when exercising, warm up properly first. A survey carried out by the charity in 2012 found that half of asthmatics are badly affected by dusty decorations, with scented candles, open fires and Christmas trees setting some people’s symptoms off too. So giving the baubles a good dust when you take them down from the attic can help, as can using an artificial tree, because real ones might release pollen and mould spores into the air. Sorry about telling you this in January...but at least it will be useful next Christmas!

4

NOROVIRUS

Also referred to in the media by the less charming term ‘winter vomiting bug’, the norovirus causes sickness and diarrhoea. It is extremely unpleasant but will usually be over and done with in a couple of days.

DODGE IT! Hygiene is norovirus’s biggest – at the moment, its only – enemy. The NHS advises washing your hands frequently, disinfecting objects that could be contaminated and washing clothing or bedding that could be infected on a hot wash.

Unfortunately it can also be spread from person to person via infected food or water, and is so contagious that people can even fall ill from contact with viral particles in the air. There’s not much you can do to treat norovirus once you’ve got it, either, but people with healthy immune systems will effectively kill it, and symptoms generally improve after a day or two. The main danger is dehydration, so try to drink lots of water and avoid dehydrating caffeine drinks.

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FREE

ARE YOU READY TO STOP SMOKING?

ALLEN C A EASYWAY T RR’S SMOKING O S T OP PROGRAMM E

HOW TO STOP…

Smoking Tried to quit before but found yourself reaching for the packet again? Maybe it’s time for a different approach...

Action on Smoking and Health has reported that more than 10 million people in Britain have now become ex-smokers. We can help you join them!

IF AT FIRST...

The NHS Smokefree campaign advises that

if you have tried to quit smoking before and it didn’t work, don’t worry – try again.

According to the campaign, research has shown that the more attempts you have made in the past, the more likely you are to succeed in the future, and that it takes most people four or five attempts before they can successfully go smokefree for good.

2

YES

Well done! Just visit www.allencarr.com/pru to book your free place.

NO/NOT SURE

Visit www.allencarr.com/notsure to receive your free booklet ‘Explode 5 myths and illusions about quitting smoking.’

Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking programme normally costs £250 per person. Vitality members can attend for free.

TO BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE CALL:

0800 389 2115

Each adult member can attend one free Allen Carr programme during the lifetime of your plan.

Look after yourself

1

CHANGE YOUR DIET

Some foods may make smoking taste worse

A US study found that dairy products such as milk and cheese, fruit and vegetables, and non-caffeinated beverages such as water or juice were commonly reported to worsen the taste of cigarettes. Caffeinated beverages such as tea, cola and coffee, as well as alcoholic beverages and meat products were said, by contrast, to enhance the taste. The study was led by Joseph McClernon, assistant research professor of medical psychiatry at the Duke Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research. “With a few modifications to their diet – consuming items such as a cold glass of milk and avoiding items like a pint of beer – smokers can make quitting a bit easier,” McClernon said.

THINK DIFFERENT

Accept that smoking is an addiction, not a habit

According to the Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr, most smokers who think about why they smoke come to the conclusion that it’s a habit – whereas in fact, claims Carr, it is a nicotine addiction.

Carr believes that smokers need to accept that it is a drug, and that although it is easy to become hooked, you are never badly hooked. After just six hours of not smoking, you will be 97% nicotine-free.

3

FOCUS ON A REASON

Remember your original motivation for quitting

We all know there are a whole host of reasons not to smoke – from financial considerations to health issues and personal concerns, which might include wanting to set a good example to children or not wanting to support tobacco companies. Try focusing on the main reason that made you think about stopping and keep bringing yourself back to it. Chris, an NHS Choices case study, says: “I used to take a picture of my baby daughter with me when I went out. If I was tempted, I’d look at that.”

4

BE POSITIVE

5

TAKE A WALK OR JOG

You’re freeing yourself, not giving something up

Allen Carr believes our subconscious minds are bombarded daily with information telling us that smokers receive pleasure and/or a crutch from smoking, but that this is an illusion. Smokers also brainwash themselves into believing ‘the little monster’ has to be fed. The key, suggests Carr, is to understand that cigarettes don’t fill a void, they create one. And by stopping smoking, you aren’t giving something up, you’re setting yourself free.

Exercise can help for a whole range of reasons

According to the Mayo Clinic, just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (working hard enough to make you breathe more heavily than normal) can help distract you from tobacco cravings.

The British Heart Foundation says it can also reduce stress and low moods, and help you avoid weight gain – a common worry of smokers looking to quit.

FREE VITALITY BENEFIT: ALLEN CARR’S EASYWAY TO STOP SMOKING PROGRAMME Don’t try to quit smoking on your own – we can help! Just take advantage of this fantastic FREE Vitality benefit.

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/allencarr

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Look after yourself

Spire Healthcare is one of the UK’s leading private hospital groups, with 38 hospitals and 11 clinics across the UK.

HOW TO STOP…

Drinking too much Whether you’re thinking about a month off the booze or even giving up alcohol for good, here are some strategies that could help

This year we achieved our best ever patient satisfaction scores.

According to Alcohol Concern, 200,000 people go into work with a hangover every day. We can help make sure you’re not one of them!

WHAT PROBLEM? This advice is aimed at people who have

over-indulged in the festive season and want to cut back on their alcohol intake. But if drinking is affecting your ability to get on with normal day-to-day life, consider talking to your GP, calling the national alcohol helpline, Drinkline, on 0800 917 8282, or contacting an organisation such as Alcoholics Anonymous: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

2 1

CUT DOWN – OR QUIT? Work out the best strategy for you

The last Office for National Statistics General Lifestyle Survey found that, on their heaviest drinking day in the previous week, 34 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women exceeded the governmentrecommended maximum of four units a day for men and three for women. So are we capable of simply cutting down? In a study by Toronto’s Addiction Research Foundation, in which participants used a self-help approach, reducing intake of alcohol was more successful for women than men. It found that after 12 months, 71 per cent of women and 52 per cent of men had moderated their drinking. If you try cutting down but can’t stick to it, then abstinence – for a few days, a month or more – may be the answer for you.

58

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

or call 0800 434 6600

KEEP A RECORD

It can help you find the easiest way to cut down

To reduce the amount we drink, we must first be aware of the quantity we consume and our drinking patterns, say K Walitzer and G Connors of the Research Institute on Addictions. Whether you use an online drinks diary, a tracker app on your phone or just a notebook, record the number of drinks you’ve had each day and add up the weekly total. If you also include details such as times and places, what you drank, who you were with, if you ate, how you felt and how much money you had with you, this can help you avoid triggers.

3

SET SOME GOALS

Choose an achievable target and stick to it

A review by the University of Amsterdam’s Department of Psychiatry found that allowing participants to choose their treatment goal increased their success rate. If you are cutting down rather than quitting, NHS Choices recommends that before you start drinking, you set yourself a limit, and cut back a little each day – so every day you do becomes a success.

4

HAVE A RETHINK

5

ENLIST SUPPORT

Find healthier habits and new treats

The US National Institutes of Health suggest that, if drinking occupies a lot of your time, you fill your free time by developing new, healthy activities or relationships, or renewing others. For example, if you’re in the habit of meeting a friend down the pub for a big night out once a week, suggest that you go for a weekly jog with them instead – you still get to have a good gossip and could still meet for a drink once a month. Use some of the money you save for interests that don’t involve the pub, such as the cinema or treating yourself to some new clothes.

Ask people around you to help

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism advises that you ask your family and friends for support to help you reach your goal. If you go for dinner, friends will know not to top up your glass and to have some soft drinks available in the house. They might even join you for a non-drinking week.

TAKE THE FREE ONLINE HEALTH REVIEW ON THE MEMBER ZONE

We’ll use what you tell us to set you some goals to help you get healthier, and suggest Vitality partners to help you get there. We’ll also give you 100 Vitality points!

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/healthreview

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Health Assessment

While you work at improving your career, we work at improving your health

HOW TO STOP…

Worrying Use these tried-and-tested tips to keep your anxiety levels under control

A little bit of worrying can catapult us into action, but too much can have the opposite effect. So how do we stop it interfering with our enjoyment of life?

WHY WORRY?

Anxiety UK defines the feeling of anxiety as a

set of bodily functions designed to make us hyper-alert by giving us a boost of adrenaline, making us better able to fight or run from physical danger. But this response can be activated during everyday situations, leaving us with constant anxious feelings. One in 10 people are likely to have a disabling anxiety disorder at some stage in their life.

Nuffield Health is delighted to announce exciting new developments to our Health Assessment portfolio. From the Lifestyle Health Assessment to our comprehensive 360+ Health Assessment, we pioneered the use of physiologists in all our health assessments to ensure ever important lifestyle factors such as sleep, stress and

2

nutrition are addressed. The range of tests and advice available allow you to truly understand your health and create a set of wellbeing goals tailored just for you.

That is why we are launching a new kind of Health Assessment with access to our online health and wellbeing application, Nuffield Healthscore™, allowing you to monitor your personal health and to track your progress towards your goals. We have integrated this new technology to ensure that even when you are on the go, we can be with you, ensuring your health and your goals stay top of your list.

For more information or to book contact : 08452 30 20 40 or centralbookings.proactive@nuffieldhealth.com

Nuffield HealthScore™ is an online and mobile fitness and lifestyle tool which allows you to monitor your health and wellbeing anytime, anywhere. It tracks your exercise, eating behaviours, body measurements and emotional wellbeing

Look after yourself

1

COVER THE BASICS

Give your body what it needs to function properly

Something as simple as lack of sleep, an unbalanced diet or not enough exercise could be contributing to your worrying.

According to the State Government of Victoria in Australia, researchers have found that regular exercise – and the subsequent increase in physical fitness – alters levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which leads to improved mood and feelings of wellbeing. A sport requiring concentration such as football or tennis can distract you, breaking the cycle of worrying, while running or swimming offer time to sort out a problem in your head. Although alcohol might help relax you in the short-term, it can add to anxiety levels later, so it’s a good idea to always drink sensibly.

LEARN TO RELAX

Lower your stress levels

It’s not unusual for a number of small worries to build up until just a tiny concern acts as a trigger and sends you into a state of anxiety. Regular relaxation can stop you getting to this point. Try yoga, reading, listening to music or spending time with friends. NHS Choices suggests closing your eyes for a moment and imagining a place of safety and calm such as walking on a beautiful beach or snuggling up with a pet dog or cat.

3

WORRY USEFULLY

Only worry about things you can control

A self-help guide produced by the Scottish Government <find it here: www.scotland. gov.uk/Resource/Doc/98780/0023935. pdf> describes ‘useful worry’ as the kind that prompts action. It gives the example of worrying that your electricity might get cut off, so you act to pay your bill on time. And that’s the right way to respond: you tackle the worry – and it goes away.

The guide divides other worries into four types: the unimportant, the unlikely, the uncertain and the uncontrollable...none of which are worth worrying about.

4

TALK ABOUT IT

5

FACE YOUR FEAR

You’ll soon find you’re not alone

A report by the Office for National Statistics found that worrying was in the top four of the most commonly reported neurotic symptoms among both men and women (alongside sleep problems, fatigue and irritability): one in five respondents experienced it. That means there’s a good chance friends around you have felt the same way. They might be able to offer advice, while just sharing your worries may make them seem less of a burden.

Avoiding it is only a short-term solution

If you always avoid a situation that scares you, you won’t be able to test out whether it is always as bad as you expect, or have the chance to work out how to reduce your anxiety. The Mental Health Foundation suggests keeping a record of when anything alarming happens and setting yourself small achievable goals.

Just writing these goals down can make you feel better as you will already be doing something about it.

DISCOVER WAYS TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL We’ve got courses, booklets and worksheets from Dr Chris Williams to help you sleep better, do more and feel more confident.

FIND OUT MORE:

www.pruhealth.co.uk/livinglifetothefull

to provide you with a completely holistic picture of your general health.

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Look after yourself

Expert Q&A Because winter can bring its own unique set of challenges

Suffering from the January blues? Join the club! Our experts look at all the different things that cause them - and how we can cheer ourselves up...

Why do I always feel so down in January?

It’s not unusual to feel down in January, explains Dr Niall Dove, Health Screening Doctor at BMI Syon Clinic. After a hectic Christmas and New Year celebrating, over-indulging in both food and drink, and spending hard-earned wages, for some the beginning of a new year can feel a bit miserable. The dark mornings and early evenings could lead to some people suffering with seasonal affective disorder – more about that below. For the rest of us, if you’re feeling lower than usual, try to focus on positive things you have coming up in the year and treat the month as a fresh start. Don’t make resolutions you know you won’t keep as this won’t help with your negative feelings, but try to think about positive changes you can make to your health and lifestyle, which could make you feel physically and mentally healthy.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that has a seasonal pattern. The lack of sunlight – and the resultant effect on hormones and brain chemicals – is thought to be one of several causes that also include genetic factors and personality. The SAD Association believes that about a fifth of the UK population gets the ‘winter blues’, but for about two per cent of the population it is a ‘seriously disabling illness that prevents them functioning normally without appropriate treatment’. If you worry that you might be one of the two per cent, go and see your GP.

How do I stop the blues getting to me?

Engaging in regular physical activity can improve your resistance to stress, says Natalie Alcock, Professional Head of Fitness & Wellbeing at Nuffield Health.

Working out in the gym, for example, can help control the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which builds up when we experience chronic stress. If cortisol levels are too high they can start to negatively affect health. Engaging in moderate exercise regularly helps to dissipate these stress hormones and reduce tension.

It is worth noting, though, that strenuous exercise is not advisable during periods of high stress as it increases the load on the body and reduces resilience. A highly stressed person might want to go and beat a punching bag, or pound the treadmill, but this can actually further increase stress hormones rather than reducing them. It’s an interesting twist that most people aren’t aware of and highlights the importance of getting into a regular routine to improve resilience and cope better with dayto-day stressors before they turn into chronic stress. www.pruhealth.co.uk/member 63

Look after yourself

Expert

Q&A Does diet have an effect on mood in winter?

Almost certainly, says Becki Douglas, Senior Nutritionist at Champneys. Some foods boost our levels of serotonin, the hormone that’s been found to relieve symptoms of depression: try putting more turkey, salmon, oats, walnuts, avocado, bananas and cottage cheese in your diet.

Maintaining stabilised blood sugar levels can also help regulate your mood, so aim to eat little and often, and try to include whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, healthy fats from oily fish, nuts and seeds and good quality proteins like lentils, soya beans and eggs.

You can also steer clear of foods and drinks that work against serotonin.

Limit caffeinated drinks to one a day and avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and white rice.

Turning to sugar for a quick boost isn’t a great idea: it puts additional stress onto our systems, depletes us of important mood-boosting nutrients and causes spikes in our blood sugar level that leave us tired, moody and irritable. Minimise sugary snacks and drinks, and watch out for hidden sugars in foods like yoghurts, salad dressings and soups.

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How do I stop the blues coming back every year?

If you dread winter, find a way to make it a less difficult time for you. Take advantage of the sunnier months to do the Christmas shopping, for example. If at all possible, try to plan big life-changing events such as moving house so as not to coincide with the time you’re likely to feel at your lowest.

Booking a holiday to a country where the sun shines a lot might also help, although some people find that returning to grey, damp Britain after a week of sun can make their SAD symptoms worse!

“Even if it looks a bit grey and dull, it’s a good idea to try to get outdoors in the daylight as much as possible,” suggests Doctor Dawn Richards, Head of Clinical Services at PruHealth.

“If you work in an office, even a 10-minute walk around the block at lunchtime will do you good. And if the weather isn’t too horrible, exercising outdoors over the weekend will also help to lift your mood.”

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Will a bright light make me feel better?

Light therapy seems to be effective for some people, says Dr Chris Dark, Medical Director at PruHealth. It is thought to work by simulating the sunlight that we miss during the winter, encouraging the brain to reduce the production of melatonin, the hormone that causes sleepiness, and increase the production of serotonin, which has a positive effect on mood.

The NHS official point of view is that the evidence is mixed as to whether SAD lights – typically big, rectangular panels that offer at least 10 times the intensity of normal household lights – actually make a difference, but that doesn’t stop many SAD sufferers from finding them effective.

When used for 30 minutes each dark day, this source of very bright light can relieve symptoms in up to six out of ten people. It’s quite safe but starting at around £100 is a little pricey, though you can usually try one of them out free for up to four weeks to see if it works for you.

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*Dock not compatible with iPhone 5 and iPod shuffle.**Payment plan is available on credit/debit cards only and is subject to status. An initial deposit is due at the time of order and all payments will be charged to your credit/debit card. If the product is returned, the deposit is fully refundable. Th ere will be no interest charges from Bose. In the event of late payment, credit/debit card company interest charges may apply. Deliveryis subject to product availability, clearance of payment and security checks and can be up to 10 days from when Bose receives the order. Price/Payment plan / Offer subject to change without notice. Free shipping offer applies to UK standard delivery only. Risk free refers to 30-day home trial only. ©Bose Corporation 2014. All rights reserved. Th e Wave music system’s distinctive design is a registered trademark of the Bose Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Th e Bluetooth® word mark is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any such use by Bose Corporation is under license. iPod and iPhone are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Registered DAB Digital Radio used with permission of Digital One Ltd. Registered in England no 1187672. Registered Office: Bose Ltd., 1 Ambley Green, Gillingham Business Park, Gillingham, Kent ME8 0NJ. ®

64 www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

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Exclusive members competition

£50

WIN A school visit from

Joh

n Le wis vo u c he rs

Seb Coe

SEB LD! The Olympic champion runner and Oeles champion Olympic organiser – and new WINSAG g n s Vitality Ambassador – has agreed to visit Lo 1984 a school that’s attended by the children of one of our Vitality members. It might be presenting prizes on sports day, addressing an assembly or helping with a fundraising initiative – the winning school gets to choose!

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED TO DO email sebcoe@pruhealth.co.uk on or before 14 February 2014 and tell us what you’d like Seb to do for your school. Seb will select his favourite and we’ll notify the winner by phone or email by 21 February 2014. write EITHER your membership number OR your name and postcode in the email subject line.

Terms & Conditions: this competition is only open to PruHealth and PruProtect members. Employees of PruHealth, PruProtect, John Brown and their families are not eligible to enter. Entry is by email only, restricted to one entry per member. Closing date for entries: 14 February 2014. No cash alternative is available. For full terms and conditions, please visit www.pruhealth.co.uk/sebcompetition.

Top: Seb winning 1500 metres gold in LA; waving to the crowd after receiving his medal; and celebrating on the track afterwards. Right: the magical first 1500 gold, when he pipped arch rival and teammate Steve Ovett

66

www.pruhealth.co.uk/member

SEB WINS GOLD! Moscow 1980

Vitality was made for resolutions.

Make yours with PruHealth (and reward yourself with £50 at John Lewis).

Recommend your friends and family to PruHealth and you’ll introduce them to Vitality where healthy living is made easier and effort is rewarded.

If they take out a plan you’ll both receive £50 of John Lewis vouchers once they’ve been covered for 3 months – quite a good incentive to keep those resolutions going…

CALL US ON 0808 159 3644 or text friend to 80800 for more information

www.pruhealth.co.uk/refer Terms and conditions apply. Both referring and new member plans must be active for 3 months after new member inception. For more information please log into Member Zone. Calls may be recorded and monitored and charges may vary. PruHealth will not charge you to send a text message, however your mobile operator may charge for some services, please check with them.

Get some happy in your life in 2014 with the stunning pools, state-of-the-art gym equipment, sizzling group classes, superb racquet courts, brilliant kids’ facilities and soothing spas at Virgin Active Health Clubs.

And as if that wasn’t enough, our members also benefit from exclusive competitions and unique offers from the likes of Virgin Holidays, Virgin Media, Virgin Trains, Polar, Puma, and a whole lot more.

With over 100 clubs throughout the UK, you don’t have to go far to find your nearest Virgin Active. PruHealth members can enjoy it all for less with half price flexible monthly membership.

To find your nearest Virgin Active and put more living into your life, go to virginactive.co.uk/pru

VIRGIN ACTIVE HEALTH CLUBS Terms and conditions apply. Joining fees apply. Offer not available at The Riverside Health & Racquet Club Chiswick, Virgin Active Clements Hall or Virgin Active Rayleigh.