Merry Christmas, Happy Mid-Winter and a Prosperous New Year To You All

Thank you to all of our readers and faithful community who have made this a great year for MotleyHealth. This is our third full calender year operating as a full time business.

There have been many new developments in this last year. We have redesigned and restructured the whole site and are now able to provide richer content and a better user experience. We hope you all are enjoying the new site.

In 2013 we will continue to improve our diet and nutrition section and also develop the content in the fitness and strength sections. These sections are really at the root of health and fitness. Whether you are trying to lose weight, run a marathon or just be healthier, these topics are at the heart of the plan and key to success.

If you are planning to re-start your weight loss plans in the New Year then we will be here to guide you and help you to reach your goals. We have some exciting developments lined up for 2012 and hope to be able to offer more personalized fitness and diet advice to help you to lose weight and get fit.

This is the second year that we are featuring the Florin Street Band on our Christmas eCard – it still seems the perfect Christmas song and video. Merry Christmas!

We wish you all good health and happiness in the New Year!

Have a Healthy Christmas With a Boxing Day Walk

There is a movement underway to encourage people to burn off their Christmas calories by going for a walk on Boxing day (which has nothing to do with boxing workouts!), and this is something that MotleyHealth supports. What a great idea! Get some fresh air and burn a few calories in the process.

The average Christmas meal, which includes turkey and all the trimmings, with Christmas puddings, hams, sausage rolls, plus all the snacks before, and the cake and chocolates after, amounts to around 2,000 calories. This is 2/3 of a moderately active man’s daily calorie requirement.

A brisk walk can help to burn some of the calories off. In addition to burning some calories it can help lift spirits on Boxing day, when many people feel a little down after the excitement has worn off and the sugar levels start falling.

One problem our society is currently suffering from is that many people are just less active now than that previous generations were. This is causing people to be both unfit and overweight. Many parents feel that it is the responsibility of the school to encourage children to exercise, however the schools and government say that children’s lack of interest in physical activities starts in the family. So to get our nation fitter and healthy again, families need to encourage each other to do things. A family walk on Christmas day is a great way to do this.

Walking for as little as 1 mile, which should take only 20 minutes, will help you manage your weight. Walking 2 miles will work better though. Family walks can also help to bring families together. Walking is a time to talk too – just ensure nobody brings an iPod.

Many people use the excuse that there are no free facilities available in their area to get fit, however walking is an effective way to keep fit and manage your weight. There really is no excuse for not going for a walk. Just remember to leave early, before it gets dark. If you are looking for a more structured plan then read out article on walking for fitness.