What type of exercise should you be doing to lose weight and maintain a healthy body. Slow and steady seems to be the answer according to new research. It seems to work better than building up a huge sweat in the gym.

Strenuous exercise doesn’t necessarily help you to lose weight. After an hour’s intensive workout you may have only burned about 200 calories which is only the equivalent of a biscuit or two. Your resting metabolic rate amounts to about 60 to 70% of your total daily energy expenditure. A further 10% is burned up by the digesting and absorbing of the food we eat.

That leaves around 15% that we have some control over and that can vary according to age and gender.

Many people suffer from sleep difficulties and there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer to the problem. Research shows that only 14% of adults actually get the right amount of sleep.

Feeling tired is the second most common reason that people don’t exercise.

Try eating some foods that encourage sleep. Banana, marmite and lettuce are supposed to be the best, and it is recommended to eat them together in a sandwich!! Doesn’t sound too appetising but marmite is an excellent source of magnesium which helps to relax muscles and marmite contains natural substances that help induce sleep.

If your mind starts to spin as soon as the lights go out,talking to yourself can help.Have a little conversation about your day and talk through your problems. No it isn’t a sign of madness, it’s helping to alleviate your stress. Say positive thoughts out loud and write them down.

Exercise diet and sleep are crucial to your overall well being  so make sure you are looking after yourself in all of these areas.