We all know that getting active regularly is good for us. There’s a long list of benefits for our health, our motivation, our mood – and it also supports weight loss and will help us to maintain our dream weight for life. Still, knowing that something is good for you isn’t always enough, and many of us have invisible barriers to activity that are difficult to overcome. That’s where Slimming World can help. We will give you all the support and tools you need to make activity a healthy habit – and to help you reap all those brilliant Body Magic rewards.
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Common Body Magic barriers
“I don’t believe it will make a difference“
Activity is one of the three key elements of Slimming World – alongside Food Optimising and our unbeatable group support – because we know that it can make an important difference to our health, well-being and long-term weight loss success. We developed our unique Body Magic physical activity programme to help Slimming World members build active habits and enjoy the benefits of a fitter, healthier lifestyle.
Slimming World member Kathryn credits Body Magic for helping her to stay at her target weight for an incredible 36 years!
“Body Magic has been a big part of my Slimming World journey. As I started to build activity into my day, I discovered a passion for fitness that I never thought I’d have. I’m now a grandma, and keeping myself fit and healthy means I have no problem running around after my grandchildren – if anything, they struggle to keep up with me!”
“I need to lose weight first“
Our Body Magic programme will help you to get active, no matter what your level of fitness or ability. If you’re taking your first steps towards a slimmer you and you’ve never exercised before, we’ll help you get started with 5-10 minutes of activity a day.
We know that adding increased activity to your routine can bring brilliant benefits (like better sleep, reduced stress and improved mood) from day one. What’s most important, though, is that you get active at your own pace. You can rest assured that there will never be any pressure from Slimming World to do more than you’re comfortable with. When you are ready to challenge yourself, though, moving through our Body Magic programme is great motivation.
Steve lost 7st with Slimming World – and found a love of Body Magic along the way! He decided to try Aquafit, as a way to workout without putting pressure on his joints:
“I felt incredibly nervous getting into the water for the first time. But as I stood in the pool, going through the exercises with the instructor, I realised the class was filled with people of all different shapes and sizes – and they were all laughing and enjoying themselves. I realised then that no one was really interested in what I looked like.”
More on the blog: Read Steve’s story here
“I hated PE at school“
A negative experience with exercise in the past can have a big impact on how we feel about it going forward. The trick is to build new positive experiences, to break that negative association and motivate you to get active again and again, until it’s a new healthy habit that you enjoy. At Slimming World, you’ll be supported with both the emotional and the practical challenges, with strategies to help you disspell those deep-rooted fears around exercise and build an active lifestlye that you love.
Our member Becki lost 2st 11lbs and found a new love of fitness with Slimming World:
“At school, I hated playing sports and I’d beg Mum to write me a note – and, as an adult, the thought of physical activity still filled me with dread. Then I joined Slimming World and I felt like I had endless support. I’d proved to myself I could lose weight, despite what I’d believed before, so what was stopping me doing the same with exercise? At my first aerobics class, I hid at the back, wearing a baggy T-shirt and shorts – until I realised that the only person who cared what I looked like was me. Free from worrying about what other people thought, I genuinely looked forward to my workouts.”
“I don’t have time to exercise“
We know that doing something regularly is key to making it a lasting habit, which is why our Body Magic programme encourages members to make activity part of their routine. Choosing a way to get active that fits into your life will make it much easier to stick to.
Natalie has lost 5st 10lbs with Slimming World. She got the Body Magic bug this year and has found a way to fit it into her busy life as a teacher:
“Step by step has always been my approach to slimming, so I started doing a bit of activity every day. I can’t join a gym or take a class at the moment – however, running is something that I can do, and it’s easy to fit around work, too.”
“I don’t want people to see me exercising“
Not wanting to exercise in front of other people is totally understandable, especially if you’re new to fitness or don’t feel confident about how you look. The good news is that there are lots of ways to get active in the privacy of your own home, from vigorous vacuuming to online workouts to counting steps on your stairs.
If you want to exercise outdoors, buddying-up with a supportive friend or family member can help to lessen that ‘being on show’ feeling. This worked for Anna, who’s lost 4st 7lbs with Slimming World:
“I did zero exercise before I started Slimming World. I was too self-conscious about wearing gym gear and I’d never walk anywhere with anyone because I was embarrassed about them seeing me out of breath, sweating and red in the face. Eventually I agreed to go for a walk with my dad and he made me see that if I didn’t take steps towards getting fitter, I’d always feel the same way. He was right. The more I walked, the less I worried about how I looked. Now I adore long walks with my dad. They have become such an outlet for me mentally and I wouldn’t give them up for the world.”
Slimming World Consultant Judit (@sw.eat.slim.judit) doubled down on her activity and paired up with a partner for tennis.
More for members: We offer a full toolkit to help our members get more active and enjoy all of those brilliant Body Magic benefits. It includes:
- Totally tailorable programme to take you step by step to a more active lifestyle
- FIT log to record your activity plus goals, challenges and strategies
- Body Magic awards to recognise your activity achievements
- Online activity planner to track your activity and work towards your Body Magic awards
- Activity features on the member website about everything from getting started to getting fit for free
- Workout videos to help you get active at home
- Support in group to help you overcome your Body Magic barriers and make activity a healthy habit for life