Physical Health

Getting fit doesn’t need to mean spending hours a day (and half your weekly wage) in the gym. Being active and moving more will benefit your health and fitness and you can make simple changes to your lifestyle to achieve this, and most of these are free.

Walk everywhere
Walking is one of the easiest ways to get more activity into your day, lose weight and become healthier. Research shows people who fit moderate activity, such as walking, into their daily life burn more energy than those who make weekly visits to the gym.  Try to fit walking into your routine by not using the car for short journeys, walking all or part of your journey to work, getting off the bus or train one stop early, and planning longer walks at the weekends.

Couch to 5K
Couch to 5K is a free running plan for absolute beginners. Running is great for weight loss, improving heart and lung function, strengthening bones, and giving you a general sense of wellbeing.  The Couch to 5K plan involves 3 runs a week, with a day of rest between each run and a different plan for each of the 9 weeks.  Find out more about Couch to 5K by visiting www.nhs.co.uk. For graduates of Couch to 5K or regular runners, try 5K+ running podcasts, a running podcasts series designed to work on your technique, speed and stamina.

Strength and Flex workouts
Fancy a personal trainer, but cannot afford one? Download the Strength and Flex exercise plans  from www.nhs.co.uk and get a fitness coach for free. The virtual trainer will guide you through a series of equipment-free exercises designed to improve your strength and flexibility. The workout instructions and pace are easy to follow to ensure you do each exercise correctly and in time. The 5-week Strength and Flex plan consists of 5 podcasts, each 35 to 45 minutes long, which are available as a mobile download for smartphones and some wearable fitness trackers.

Stair climbing
If you're looking for an easy way to add more activity into your day, take the stairs. Stair climbing burns more calories per minute than jogging and counts towards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise.  Research shows that regularly walking up stairs is good for strong bones, cardiovascular fitness and weight management. It's also a safe, low-impact exercise that requires no equipment

Skipping
An excellent way to keep fit, skipping can be done anywhere at any time. Just a few minutes of skipping brings a range of health benefits, including heart and lung fitness, stronger bones, balance and flexibility. The average person will burn up to 200 calories during 15 minutes of skipping. Skipping is a strenuous exercise, so start slowly at first. Try skipping for 20 to 30 seconds, marching on the spot for 30 seconds, and then repeat. As your fitness improves, you can increase the time you spend skipping.  Once you have perfected the basic moves, you can make your workout more interesting by trying different jumps

Trim trails (outdoor gyms)
Trim trails (also known as outdoor gyms, fitness trails or activity trails) are made up of simple pieces of exercise equipment, such as parallel bars, leapfrog blocks, inclined press-ups and balance beams and are found around parks, recreation areas or alongside cycle routes. The free equipment can be used to do various exercises, including step-ups, sit-ups, lunges and press-ups, to develop balance, strength and co-ordination. Search online to learn how to do the exercises properly to get the most from them and avoid injury. Contact your local authority to find out if there's a trim trail in your area.

Military-style fitness classes
Military-style fitness classes are happening in parks around the country. There's no reason why you cannot create your own boot camp-style workout for free, and without someone barking orders at you. Just plan your routine, mixing running with a series of exercises such as jumping jacks, squats, lunges, running up and down stairs, press-ups, bench dips and squat thrusts. Do some research online to make sure you're doing the exercises correctly before starting. For extra motivation, try to enrol a friend to do the boot camp sessions with you.

Your local leisure centre and council
A local leisure centre may be offering initiatives such as free exercise classes or a free swim on certain days of the week to encourage people to get active. Many local authorities also have outdoor gyms, which include the same type of equipment you would find at an indoor gym, as well as basketball hoops, tennis courts and football pitches that you can use free of charge. You may also be entitled to free leisure services if you're under 16 or over 60, or receive benefits. 

Contact your local authority to find out what is available in your area.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount
of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. People with special dietary needs or a medical condition should ask their doctor or a registered dietitian for advice.

Food groups in your diet
The Eatwell Guide on the NHS website shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to:
 eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
 base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
 have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
 eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
 choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts
 drink plenty of fluids (at least 6 to 8 glasses a day)

If you're having foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar, have these less often and in small amounts. Try to choose a variety of different foods from the 5 main food groups to get a wide range of
nutrients. Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much saturated fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish or fibre.

Fruit and vegetables: are you getting your 5 A Day?
Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals and fibre, and should make up just over a third of the food you eat each day. It's recommended that you eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced. There's evidence that people who eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Eating 5 portions is not as hard as it sounds.
A portion is:
 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables
 30g of dried fruit – which should be kept to mealtimes
 150ml glass of fruit juice or smoothie – but do not have more than 1 portion a day as these drinks are sugary and can damage teeth

Just 1 apple, banana, pear or similar-sized fruit is 1 portion each.
A slice of pineapple or melon is also 1 portion, and 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables is another portion. Adding a tablespoon of dried fruit, such as raisins, to your morning cereal is an easy way to get 1 portion. You could also swap your mid-morning biscuit for a banana, and add a side salad to your lunch. In the evening, have a portion of vegetables with dinner and fresh fruit with plain, lower fat yoghurt for dessert to reach your 5 A Day. 

Starchy foods in your diet
Starchy foods should make up just over a third of everything you eat. This means your meals should be based on these foods. Choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta, and brown, wholemeal or higher fibre white bread. They contain more fibre, and usually more vitamins and minerals, than white varieties. Potatoes with the skins on are a great source of fibre and vitamins. For example, when having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, eat the skin too. Milk and dairy foods (and alternatives)
Milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps keep your bones healthy. Go for lower fat and lower sugar products where possible.

Choose semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk, as well as lower fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower fat, lower sugar yoghurt. Dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks, are also included in this food group. When buying alternatives, choose unsweetened, calcium-fortified versions.

Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
These foods are all good sources of protein, which is essential for the body to grow and repair itself. They're also good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals. Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc and B vitamins. It's also one of the main sources of vitamin B12. Choose lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to cut down on fat. Always cook meat thoroughly. Try to eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages. Eggs and fish are also good sources of protein, and contain many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish is particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 portion of oily fish. You can choose from fresh, frozen or canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can often be high in salt. Pulses, including beans, peas and lentils, are naturally very low in fat and high in fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. Nuts are high in fibre, and unsalted nuts make a good snack. But they do still contain high levels of at, so eat them in moderation.

Oils and spreads
Some fat in the diet is essential, but on average people in the UK eat too much saturated fat. It's important to get most of your fat from unsaturated oils and spreads. Swapping to unsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol. Remember that all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.

Eat less saturated fat, sugar and salt
Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease. Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk of getting heart disease or having a stroke.

Need to lose weight?
Most adults in England are overweight or obese. Check whether you're a healthy weight using the NHS BMI calculator by visiting their website. If you need to lose weight, you can use the NHS weight loss plan. It's a free 12-week diet and exercise plan to help you lose weight and develop healthier habits. The plan is designed to help you lose weight safely, and keep it off.