Health: Treat your body like an engine (From Free Press Series)

Health: Treat your body like an engine

WE all know that exercise is good for us but, sometimes, it's all too easy to curl up with a good book or watch TV!

There's no excuse not to get moving and the experts agree that you don't have to be terribly energetic or adventurous unless you feel fit enough and want to.

Your body is like an engine - keep it tuned in and topped up and you feel ready to face anything. If you neglect it, however, put in a low-grade fuel - junk food - things are bound to go wrong.

We can't all have model girl figures, glossy hair, gleaming white teeth and exude health and vitality.

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the demands that are made on all of us, we can't expect to be a picture of health all the time. But it is within everybody's grasp to make just that little bit of effort.

One of the best forms of exercise is simple walking and if you don't want to walk alone, you could join a local rambling club.

Joining a gym or aerobics class could also have the desired effect. Health clubs are the obvious places for those who are worried about their shape.

A good health club can offer a range of facilities, most of them fairly painless, along with good advice. Some of them will devise personal fitness programmes for clients.

Not that you'll want muscles the size of footballs especially if you are a woman. Dancing, jogging, swimming, cycling and skipping can all pay dividends leading to a leaner, fitter you.

Exercise uses up calories, improves posture and can even counteract stress, say the experts. But don't do anything too strenuous straight away. One step at a time is best.

And if you don't want to fight the flab in the gym you could always invest in exercise equipment. You could even 'pump iron' - it's definitely not something just for the men these days.