Time for a better you? Small steps beat giant leaps

If you want to be slimmer and healthier but you can’t face running or ditching your favourite foods, all is not lost.

The good news is you’re much more likely to succeed if you do it in small, achievable steps and not huge, ambitious leaps.

If running seems too much for you, regular walks can help do the trick. Walking is free, it’s something most people can do, it needs no special equipment and it can be included in even the busiest of lifestyles.

Changing your diet is the same. Instead of immediately swapping all of your favourite treats and snacks for fruit and vegetables, you’ll cope better by gradually reducing the amount of sugary, salty and fatty foods you eat as you introduce healthier options.

Many people within our communities want to do more to improve their health and wellbeing but feel that they don’t have the opportunities they need.

However, you don’t need to be marathon runners or dietitians to be healthy. By becoming more active and by gradually tweaking our diets we can get to where we need to be – and by doing it in a series of small steps we’re much more likely to succeed than by trying to do it all in one go. So walking to the shops, to school or to work are a great start, while also shifting your diet.

Getting started on the journey and by sticking to it are the most important things we can all do, so why not rope in family or friends to join you? That way you can motivate each other and have some fun along the way.

From January through to March, the Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System is running a campaign to support people in making healthy changes to their lives.

There will be regular messages around activity, healthy weight and blood pressure, with links to information on local walks and walking groups, on suggested activity levels, on formal weight loss programmes, on healthy diet, guidance on blood pressure testing and more.

You can find out more about getting active, managing your weight, about blood pressure and much more here: fhac-archive.frimley.icb.nhs.uk/healthyliving