first steps to getting fit

by Matthew Barbour

first steps to getting fit | help and info

help and info

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organisations

British Heart Foundation (BHF)
4 Fitzhardinge Street
London W1H 6DH
Tel: 020 7935 0185
Heart Information Line: 08450 70 80 70
Website: www.bhf.org.uk
Loads of information on how to stay fit, eat the right food and find events and activities, all designed to get the adrenaline going.

Keep Fit Association
Astra House
Arklow Road
London SE14 6EB
Tel: 020 8692 9566
E-mail: kfa@keepfit.org.uk
Website: www.keepfit.org.uk
Teaches safe and effective movement, exercise and dance classes for people of all ages and abilities.

National Register of Personal Trainers
PO Box 3455
Marlow
Buckinghamshire SL7 1WG
Website: www.nrpt.co.uk
Provides details of qualified, insured and experienced UK Personal trainers via a fully searchable online database and a forum.

Sports Council for Wales
Sophia Gardens
Cardiff CF11 9SW
Tel: 0845 045 0904
E-mail: publicity@scw.co.uk
Website: www.sports-council-wales.co.uk/index2.cfm
Official home of welsh sport which encourages physical activity and has lots of information on why and how to get involved in sport in Wales.

Sports Council Northern Ireland
House of Sport
Upper Malone Road
Belfast BT9 5LA
Tel: 028 90 381222
E-mail: info@sportni.net
Website: www.sportni.net
Provides funding and the site has information on sports organisations in Northern Ireland.

Sport England
3rd Floor Victoria House
Bloomsbury Square
London WC1B 4SE
Tel 08458 508 508 (Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm)
E-mail: info@sportengland.org
Website: www.sportengland.org.uk
Aims to make England more active by encouraging people to get involved with sport and physical activity. The site has a fully searchable database of over 15,000 locations in which to play sport, get fit and have fun!

Sport Scotland
Caledonia House
South Gyle
Edinburgh EH12 9DQ
Tel: 0131 317 7200
E-mail: library@sportscotland.org.uk
Website: www.sportscotland.org.uk
National Agency for sport in Scotland. The site has a 'Get Active' section where you can find a large number of different sports facilities locally plus a link to a database of sporting events across Scotland.

websites

British Nutrition Foundation
www.nutrition.org.uk
Features lots of useful information on nutrition tailored to people of all ages and stages of life.

BUPA – Physical Activity
www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/asp/healthy_living
/lifestyle/exercise/
Health page with advice and details of how to be more active and lots of information on nutrition and health.

Everyday Sport
Website: www.everydaysport.com
Hotline: 0800 587 6000
Great place to find out what sports activities are going on near you. Check the website or call the hotline.

The Fit Map
www.thefitmap.com
UK health, fitness and exercise portal with articles about healthy living, interactive tools, and details of health clubs and gyms throughout the UK.

FoodFitness
www.foodfitness.org.uk
Government site with practical advice on healthy eating and an active lifestyle.

Healthy Living
www.healthyliving.gov.uk/physicalactivity/
index.cfm?contentid=1343
Advice on the benefits of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle and how to achieve the recommended level of exercise for good health.

I want 2 b healthy
www.iwant2bhealthy.com
Discusses the importance of a good balanced diet for health and wellbeing. Divided into user age group, this site looks at topics such as healthy eating, nutrition, obesity, cancer and heart disease.

Join the Activaters
www.jointheactivaters.org.uk
Fun website with games and info for parents, teachers and kids on how to get active and eat healthy food.

Men's Fitness Magazine
www.mensfitnessmagazine.co.uk
Lots of health and fitness tips and features. Take the fitness test (there's a print-friendly version) and browse through the workout archive.

NHS Direct
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Information on healthy eating is available from the NHS Direct website or by contacting them on 0845 4647.

Prevention Magazine
www.prevention.com
US health and fitness magazine promoting healthy living. Lots of great tools and quizzes, latest news and research findings and online exercise programmes to follow.

Walking the Way to Health
www.whi.org.uk
If you want to get fit but don't like the idea of traditional sports then walk your way to health! This site has everything you need to know about walking in England. Includes great walking routes, training information, special events, a discussion forum and much more.

reading

	ABC of Nutrition by A Stewart Truswell (BMJ Books, 2002) This well established ABC has been updated with new charts, illustrations and guidelines on aspects of nutrition which affect heart disease, blood pressure, chronic diseases such as diabetes and some types of cancer. Get this book
	Choose to Lose: Weight-loss plan for men by Ron and Nancy Goor (Houghton Mifflin, 2000) A weight loss plan that helps men create a 'fat budget' they can live with while encouraging aerobic exercise, stretching, and weight training. Get this book
	Eating Well for Optimum Health by Andrew Weil (Time Warner Paperbacks, 2001) The author focuses on how food can influence health and well-being. He makes clear that an optimal diet should not only supply the basic needs of the body for calories and nutrients but should also reduce risks of disease and fortify the body's defences and healing mechanisms. Get this book
	The Endorphin Effect by William Bloom (Piatkus Books, 2001) Explains the way endorphins work in our bodies to promote vitality and wellbeing. Get this book
	The Exercise Bible: The definitive guide to total body health and wellbeing by Joanna Hall (Kyle Cathie, 2003) Cardiovascular, flexibility and resistance exercises are covered in this overall guide to attaining fitness. Eating guides and exercise programmes are provided to create a fitness regime for yourself. Get this book
	365 Activities for Fitness, Food and Fun for the Whole Family by Julia Sweet (Contemporary Books, 2001) Drag your young spuds off that couch and pick up some motivational advice on how to have fun and obtain physical wellbeing with the whole family. Get this book

(January 2007)

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