With hectic commutes and trips to the supermarket, lots of us spend a lot more time stuck behind the wheel than we’d like to. Of course, there are times when driving is unavoidable, but if you’re looking to use your car less there are plenty of ways to get creative with your journeys – and squeeze in a bit of Body Magic while you’re at it.
Upping your activity levels while following our Food Optimising eating plan will help to give your weight loss a boost, and choosing to leave your car at home once in a while is a fantastic place to start. The great news is there are loads of ways to get from A to B without using four wheels. Here are our tips to help you get around without getting behind the wheel.
Take a hike
Walking is the easiest, simplest and most cost-effective swap for travelling by car – and it’s also one of our favourite forms of Body Magic. Whether you’re taking a brisk stroll to the shops or pounding the pavement on your way to work, you’re bound to find the opportunity to get some steps in during your day.
@sw_graciielou recently discovered the joys of lacing up her trainers and taking a muddy walk through the park, and now there’s no stopping her. She says: “Completed my first walk today! 💪 Did about a mile and only stopped twice to take a picture, haha 😊”
Shop local
Making the most of your local greengrocers, butchers, markets and farmer’s markets is a fantastic alternative to driving out to a busy supermarket once a week. Not only will you be able to eat the freshest, tastiest produce in your Slimming World recipes – check out our September shopping list to find out what’s in season right now – you’ll be able to make the journey on foot or on your bike. Just remember to bring a bag or shopping trolley, or fit the front of your bike with a basket, so that you can safely carry your haul home.
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Active commuting
If you struggle to fit Body Magic around work and the school run, making activity part of your commute could be the perfect option. Many people choose to walk or cycle to work – you could even get money off a new bike if your work takes part in one of the bike-to-work schemes – and foldable travel bikes make them easy to carry on the bus or train if you decide you want to active commute just part of the way.
Our Greatest Loser 2020, Phil Kayes, started cycling between the train station and his office, and now he’s working towards riding his bike all the way to work from his home.
Park and stride
Parking your car further away from your destination is a clever way to get some extra steps in. If you’re heading into the city centre for a shopping trip or work, you could drop off your car at a park and ride and then walk the rest of the way. If you’re just starting out on building up your fitness, get off the bus a few stops earlier and tackle the rest of the route on foot or park at the furthest spot from the supermarket doors.
MORE ON THE BLOG: Viv Steadman loves ‘that feeling’ of getting on her bike
Know your limits
I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely one for driving everywhere I need to go – no matter the distance – just because it instinctively feels like the quickest and easiest way to get there. A great way to break this habit is to set yourself a time limit for car journeys. If it takes less than 15 minutes to drive somewhere, you could commit to walking, running or cycling the journey instead. Once you’ve gotten into the groove of this way of thinking, you’ll naturally ask yourself if you can make the journey a different way, rather than automatically jumping in the car.
Choose your moments
As much as we’d all love to fill our days with activity, sometimes life is simply too hectic to make it possible. When time is tight, it’s important to pick your Body Magic moments. You might drive the kids to school to speed up the morning rush, and then choose to walk them home when you’ve got a bit more time. It’s a wonderful way to get some extra steps in – and spend some quality time with your children by talking about their day while you walk.
Ben uses his scooter to pick his children up from school, and then races them to the park for an extra bit of Body Magic fun.
Walk to the gym
Taking a brisk walk or jog to your gym, pool or fitness class is a great way to warm up and get your heart rate going before you exercise – as well as a brilliant cool down once you’re finished.
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If you’d love to get more active, but don’t know where to start, Slimming World’s Body Magic programme can help. Our unique activity plan is designed to help you overcome your personal obstacles to exercise and gradually make activity part of your lifestyle, whatever your weight, age or fitness level. You’ll also get access to our full get-fit toolkit, which includes:
- more than 50 on-demand activity videos, with workouts for every ability
- easy-to-follow exercise guides and activity ideas
- an online activity tracker, so you can chart your progress towards your next Body Magic award
- the FIT log tool, to help you identify any barriers and put strategies in place
- exclusive fitness-themed podcast episodes
You can find out more about joining Slimming World here.
