Do you ever find yourself sitting for long periods of time? You’re not alone! Whether it’s working at a desk, scrolling on our phones or relaxing on the sofa after a long day, so many of us spend more time sitting down than we’d like.
That’s why we welcome the latest activity guidelines from the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, which emphasise how small, everyday movements can make a big difference to our health and wellbeing.
If you’re a Slimming World member, you’ll know that this fits perfectly with Slimming World’s active lifestyle programme. Our activity plan is all about moving more, more often in daily life for a fitter, healthier future.
Small steps make a big difference
If exercise brings to mind sweaty gym sessions, long runs or intense fitness classes, this update brings some reassuring news: every move you make matters.
While the guidance is still for adults to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, it emphasises that all movement counts – and spreading it throughout the day helps minimise the time we spend sitting down.
Our active lifestyle programme encourages you to build up your fitness levels in small, manageable steps that fit into your existing routine. If you’re new to activity, doing just five minutes a day will start to bring benefits.
The key is doing a bit more than you do right now, and repeating it so that it becomes a habit – that way it’ll become a natural part of your routine, so you stick with it long-term.
More on the blog: 9 quick ways to update your activity levels today
Sit less, move more
One of the most powerful messages in the new guidance is the impact that sitting still for long periods can have on our health. Even for relatively active people, spending too much time sat down can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers.
Fortunately, there are plenty of simple, effective ways to build movement into every day. Things like:
- Parking your car further away
- Standing up for a quick stretch during TV ad breaks
- Walking around while you’re on the phone
- Standing or walking meetings at work
Slimming World’s active lifestyle programme encourages you to develop five active habits – and one of those is sitting still less. It’s a great starting point on your activity journey and vital to your overall health.
More on the blog: Why we should sit less
Make activity fun
The guidance also highlights that we’re much more likely to stick with an activity when we enjoy it and it fits naturally into our everyday lives.
Slimming World’s active lifestyle programme is tailored to you, your fitness level and your lifestyle. We’ll help you find activities that feel safe, doable and that you actually enjoy – whether that’s gardening, dancing, walking in the countryside or running a 5K.
Plus, members have access to 90 exclusive activity videos – covering a range of styles and ability levels – walking podcasts, activity guides and quizzes to help them find their fitness fit.
More on the blog: Try our legs, bums and tums activity video
Strength matters too
Alongside moving more, the updated guidance recommends doing muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week.
We lose 3-5% of lean muscle mass every decade after we turn 30, and building strength helps to preserve it. Plus keeping our muscles strong protects our bones and joints, and it supports our balance and mobility to help us stay independent as we age.
This is even more important if you’re taking weight loss medication because, as well as losing fat, you’re more likely to lose more lean muscle. Building strength training into your routine will help protect this muscle.
More for you: Find out how Slimming World can support you alongside weight loss medication
Muscle strengthening is baked into Slimming World’s activity awards, encouraging members to ultimately build up to two sessions per week. Plus, building strength is another of our five active habits for a fitter future.
And if you think strength building means lifting weights like an oiled-up body-builder, put down that baby oil! All your body needs to build strength is resistance (something to push or pull against) – whether it’s your own body weight, a bottle of water or a resistance band.
Slimming World members will find a 7-day strength building plan and 16 strength-focused activity videos on our app and website.
More on the blog: Slimming World’s 30-day strength challenge
The bottom line
The latest UK physical activity guidance sends a reassuring message: you don’t have to be perfect to experience the benefits of movement – every active choice counts.
It’s a message Slimming World wholeheartedly welcomes – because it reflects exactly what we encourage our members to do every day: start where you are, move in ways you enjoy and build healthy habits one step at a time.
Take the first step to a fitter, healthier you
When you join Slimming World, you’ll gain access to our full fitness tool kit. It has everything you need to level up your activity, including:
- the Slimming World app and website – home to our activity tracker, exercise guides and fitness-themed podcasts
- more than 90 workout videos to suit all abilities, ranging from five to 30 minutes in length
- mindset-shifting, strategy-packed online articles, to get you off the starting blocks and make moving more a regular part of your week
- our unique FITT log, to help you identify and overcome any personal obstacles
- motivating activity awards to inspire you through your fitness journey and celebrate your achievements