Walk the weight off in winter

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 633, 23 April 1996, Page 4

Walk the weight off in winter

The thought of winter usually conjures up images of cosy, curl-up-by-the fire weekends with the television and plates of melted, high-kilojoules snacks, washed down with hot, sweet chocolate drinks. It is also the season many people gradually pack on the extra cuddly rolls of fat, hide them under big jumpers and feel the regret once spring blossoms are blooming and magazines are previewing the latest swimwear. Winter canbe more vigorous and healthy, even if it' s too wet for tennis, too boggy for gardening, and much too cold for swimming. Long winter walks can keep up the mctabolic rate of our bodies, says the general manager of Weight Watchers New Zealand, Jeanette Clarke. "Walking is something most people can do and it's excellent for the heart and lungs, gets your circulation going, and of course, it burns off kilojoules." Research recently carried out by an American univer- " sity, had shown pacc walking burned off more fat than jogging. "According to this study, the scientists found jogging used up 20 percent fat and 80 pcrcent glycogen, yet pace walking at 120 strides a minute for the same distance, burns up 80 percent fat and 20 percent glycogen. Our feelings of hunger are controllcd by glycogen which is our energy fuel, so walking should leave us less hungry." Depending on how quickly a person walked, and how much they weighcd, walking could burn off anywhcre betwecn 700 and 2000 kilojoules. "A brisk 30-minute walk, six days a week. can help you lose up to a kilogram each week." Clearly, what one eats over winter makes a huge difference to whether they plump up like a cosy quilt or not. But, says Jeanette Clarke, winter foods do not hav 70 consist of chilled cottage cheese, lettuce and cooled tomatoes. Recipes for warming meals, perfect for wintery days and evenings, could be found in a wide range of recipe books. "Winter is a good time to attend weight control classes, because they can moti vate and help people to stay on track at a time when winter comfort snacking can be a problem." Being inside more often over the winter months can often be a catalyst for spontaneous snacking, especially if boredom takes over. And that's the other esSential ingredicnt in the recipe for weight control — staying busy. There's all those hobbics and jobs to be done - the ones we wouldn't waste time on in summer. Spend winter nights in front of the television by all means — but do it while you're knitting a jersey, sorting through those packets of photographs and putting them in an album, or writing letters. Why not attend night classes for pottery or furniture restoration, yoga or learning a language or how to play a musical instrument? Have fun with your ideas because these can be surprisingly effective distractions from the extra and often unhealthy food you just don't need.