Published: 08 January 2007
Inspiring a Healthier Lifestyle
A new TV series on ITV Wales is aimed at inspiring people to make a change to their lifestyle that will lead to a healthier 2007.
Fit for a Change, presented by Lucy Owen, was made in association with Health Challenge Wales and it features six teams of people each week that will be working to improve their health and fitness.
As the series will show, people don't have to make dramatic changes to their lifestyle to have a major positive impact on their health.
Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons said the New Year provides the ideal opportunity to make that change, whether it be to stop smoking, drink less or to cut out junk food from the diet.
New Year’s resolutions are a great way to take some small steps to improve our health. The key to making New Year’s resolutions a success is not to make too many and to make them as achievable as possible.
Your resolution could be to either to:
· give up smoking
· take regular exercise
· start to eat more healthily or
· drink more responsibly in 2007
The first programme last Friday featured dinner ladies in Treorchy, who serve up healthy food every day, but find it very difficult to keep off the snacks themselves.
Leading extremely busy lives, it’s not easy for them to start a programme of physical activity and healthy eating, but with the help of a fitness expert, an exercise programme is developed that can be slotted into their daily lives.
Dr Gibbons added:
As the programmes will show, any changes to your lifestyle need to be built into your every day life so that they don't become a chore - small but effective changes can have a major positive impact on your health.
The changes could be as simple as walking instead of using the car for short journeys, or taking the stairs instead of the lift at work to get extra exercise.
To improve your diet you can swap that chocolate bar for a piece of fruit and by choose low fat, low sugar, low salt option foods.
If you are a smoker, the most effective thing you can do to improve your health is to give up. There is plenty of free advice and support available through the Smokers Helpline Wales on free phone 0800 169 0 169.
The series is designed to encourage all of us to be more active for life, to build physical activity into our daily routine, to eat well and maintain a healthy balance.
All these small steps do add up and can help to improve your health.
Make a pledge to make a change to your lifestyle in 2007 to help us make Wales a fitter and healthier nation.
The first programme will air at 11pm on Friday, 5 January and run until Friday, 9 February.
Further information
Health Challenge Wales
Fit for a Change
ITV Wales
WAG: Free Swimming
WAG: Sport and Active Recreation
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