• Will your work or family commitments allow you to attend group meetings or classes?
• Are you happy recording your daily diet online or interacting with online forums?
• Do you have a problem with portion control or do you need advice on eating healthier?
• Do you want to be free to eat whatever you like or do you need more discipline and prefer being provided with specific recipes  or food from special ranges with healthy proportions of carbohydrates/protein and fats?
• Do you need to change your lifestyle to incorporate more activity such as being encouraged to walk up stairs or leave the car at home for short journeys, or are you already quite active but have reached a weight loss plateau and would prefer to attend fitness classes or follow a workout plan to kick-start your metabolism?
• How are you motivated? Do you want public recognition for your weight loss achievements or are you happier seeing graphs and statistics that record your activity and calorie intake?

No one weight loss plan is right for everybody,  so although joining the same program as you best friend maybe good for support, if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle or personal preferences you won’t stick with it, especially over the long term. So make sure you check out exactly what the benefits of each program are for you before you sign up. We have highlighted a few of the most popular UK weight loss programs to help you decide.

Who?

WeightWatchers

How?

Meetings or Online

What does it involve?

WeightWatchers’ approach is to help members achieve their sustained weight loss goals by adopting a healthier lifestyle and a healthier relationship with food and activity.

Founded over 40 years ago WeightWatchers is now the global leader in weight management services, providing 50,000 Weight Watchers meetings each week in countries all over the world. Scientific Studies have backed up their approach which is based on the underlying premise of behaviour modification, helping you learn how to change their relationship with food and activity.

WeightWatchers have recently launched a brand new plan. This is their biggest innovation since the POINTS® system launched almost 15 years ago. The new ProPoints plan uses the latest nutritional science that reflects how your body processes food. They claim ‘you’ll discover foods that’ll keep you satisfied and that are healthy and foods that’ll make life enjoyable as you’re getting to the weight you want to be.’

Why could it work for me?

Easy to incorporate the diet into your lifestyle as many food products, including supermarket own brands, already list the  Weight Watchers’ points so no need to personally calculate potion sizes and values.

Any special joining offers?

Sign up  now and SAVE MORE THAN £10 WITH their 3-MONTH PLAN!

Who?

Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club.

How?

Online, Classes, Magazine and Food Ranges

What does it involve?

With over 37 years experience in Diet and Exercise, Rosemary Conley has helped thousands of men and woman from all over the world, to achieve their weight loss goals and get fitter for life. Today, the brand has a reach of over 1 million customers who wish to follow a healthy lifestyle.

The Rosemary Conley approach is unique as the only national slimming organisation to include an exercise session in every class, with workouts designed for everyone, no matter what age, size, or fitness level. Don’t be concerned if you haven’t exercised for a long time – you can start with gentle, low intensity movements and walking on the spot, resting whenever necessary.

At Rosemaryconleyonline, their aim is ‘to assist and support members in achieving and maintaining their weight-loss and fitness goals in a friendly, caring and positive environment.’

Online you can also follow Rosemary’s Amazing Inch Loss Plan, which is based on low-fat, low-Gi foods.

If you’re dieting on your own and looking for a proven eating plan which includes tasty meals for one that are both healthy and hassle-free then you can Use the Solo slim diet range of foods.

Why could it work for me?

With an exercise session in every class, it is a great option for people who want to increase their calorie expenditure and fitness through exercise.

Any special joining offers?

This January Rosemary Conley will be offering all new members joining from this link £10 off membership to rosemaryconleyonline. In addition to this they will also get a year’s free subscription to Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine worth £19.99 if you join for a year.

Who?

Fitbug.com

How?

Online

What does it involve?

Since its launch in 2005, Fitbug has helped thousands of people achieve their personal health, weight-loss and fitness goals and to lead far healthier lives. Fitbug provides an all-inclusive, non-intimidating programme which is suitable for all; irrespective of age, gender, location or physical fitness which encourages individuals to improve their lifestyles for the long term.

How Fitbug has developed a little gadget (essentially a pedometer) which records all the exercise you do – every step you take and every stair you climb. You then simply download the results onto Fitbug.com and you’ll be to view exactly how much exercise you’ve done. By slowly increasing the amount of steps you take each day and following Fitbug’s healthy eating advice, helps you get fitter, slimmer and healthier. Requires inputting your daily food intake online and then it displays just how much fat, protein and calories you have eaten that day and how you need to alter your diet.

An online forum provides support from other members and online challenges to motivate you to become more active by competing against friends, colleagues or complete strangers to achieve your weekly targets.

Why could it work for me?

Fitbug has unique motivation through Nectar, the UK’s leading loyalty programme. Nectar collectors can earn 1,000 points just for signing up to Nectar Fitbug, plus if you’re serious about leading a healthier lifestyle, you can collect up to an additional 80 points a week! Ten points for 12,000 steps. Take more than 10,000 steps a day, five times a week and receive an additional ten bonus points With all the Nectar points you collect, there are plenty of ways to treat yourself sooner.

Who?

Tescodiets.com

How?

Online

What does it involve?

From one of our main high street supermarkets Tesco diets offers some unique approaches. Firstthere is DNA (Diet Needs Analysis), a 1-2-1 consultation service offering a personal 45 minute phone call with a qualified nutritionist.

Personal diet mentor, recipe club and16 different diet plans available from vegan to gluten free to low salt.

There is also an easy to follow personalised fitness programme. Tell them what area of your body you want to work on and they generate a weekly work out plan for you. Virtual online trainers show you how to do the exercises safely. Also included are online support such as exercise journals, workout logs, activity and heart rate calculators.

Why could it work for me?

After you have received your personalised diet Tesco then allows you to order your diet plan shopping list online. OK this gimmick gets you to buy from their store but you will also be able to avoid the temptation to buy treats in the supermarket.

Who?

Bootsdiets.com

How?

Online

What does it involve?

Bootsdiet.com gives you a personalised calorie target, record everything with an online food diary and stay within this target. No meal plans or special foods. Online forums for encouragement and support. Calorie counted recipes for inspiration

Why could it work for me?

No food is banned but the aim is to educate you about food so you can develop a healthier lifestyle. Can also access your account from your iPhone, Blackberry or other internet enabled phone.

Any special joining offers?

Visit  Bootsdiets.com for a free 7day free trial. Or save up to 1/3 on 3 or 6 months membership at Bootsdiets.com by buying a BootsDiets.com Online Weight Loss Service  Membership Voucher direct from the Boots website.

Last year the Ministry of Sound released an album which smashed expectations selling over 150,000 copies and became a must have fitness product. Now they have released Running Trax 2, 3 CD’s described as the ‘most upbeat and energetic tracks to spur you towards the peak of physical fitness.’ Click here for Track Listing.

The 3 CDs will certainly keep your heart racing during a rigorous fitness regime with tracks by Calvin Harris, Eric Prydz and Dizzee Rascal. However, I would have preferred there to be a change in tempo between the CD’s for different runs. It is described as specially selected tracks to guide you through any style of training you choose, whether it is a Sunday morning jog or a rigorous fitness regime but I found that most of the tracks, whilst probably would keep your heart pumping, are more suited to a spin cycling class or an intense session on the cross trainer. The tracks are not ones I would choose to run to, maybe for high intensity interval training, but I would have preferred more contrasting speeds for warming up, recovery jogs or Sunday long runs.

There is no doubt the 3 CD’s contain some of the most upbeat and energetic tracks you could choose to exercise to, I am just concerned that if you try to run at their pace you may injure yourself. Admittedly, The Nightcrawler’s Push The Feeling On is suitable for a Sunday morning jog, but I find The Unicorn Kid’s Wild Life is way too fast to run to, yet other tracks such as Example’s Kickstarts changes the rhythm so much during the track it is hard to run at a constant pace.

To justify the Running Trax title the CD’s also include a 12 page booklet giving advice on how to start training for your own race and tips to keep you feeling confident up to race day and beyond. Some tips are helpful such as how to avoid injuries and how to be motivated. But suggesting that on a race day you need deodorant and to carry spare £1 coins to make emergency phone calls kind of feels that were running out of useful advice, when a few more diagrams of how to stretch may have been more helpful.

Overall

A good value 3CD selection of energetic tracks to exercise to but if you plan on running to them you will need to invest some time in selecting suitable tracks for each style of training run.

Release Date 28th December 2010

Available to buy as a boxset from Amazon.co.uk, Sainsbury’s, Play.com and other retailers. Also available to download from Amazon or iTunes.

Running Trax 2 Track Listing

This DVD is ideally aimed at under 20’s and first time exercisers who need a bit of motivating to become active. If you want to encourage a child to dance without imitating provocative moves from Christina Aguilera then this DVD will give some dance move ideas from Street Dancing to working your way round a night club.

One of best aspects of the DVD has to be the music. The on-set DJ providing tracks from artists including Dizzee Rascal, Black Eyed Peas, Ellie Golding and Rhianna. Extras on the DVD include the soundtrack only when you want to listen to the music without the workout as well as original videos for other tracks. It could be a great alternative to put on when you are getting ready to go out and want to experiment with some dance moves with your girlfriends. But as an exercise routine I find pointing at a guy you fancy and strutting backwards is not that effective as a cardio or toning workout. However as an introduction to workout videos the dance routines are easy to follow and remember. Many advanced DVD’s often just shout grapevine or downward dog and expect you to know what they are and how to do it. Whilst instructions by the presenter, Gareth Walker, to push through the nightclub doors or look for your phone whilst may not be established terms for exercise moves they do help you remember what you should be doing.

Fortunately you don’t need to feel intimidated by the dancers, Gareth Walker hides under baggy T shirts and long shorts and the girls, whilst thin, have little muscle definition perhaps inferring that this workout is not going to tone you and develop muscles but rather just provide a fun dance workout another indication that this DVD is aimed at teenagers.

Road Test

To evaluate the cardio benefits of the DVD I wore a heart rate monitor throughout the workout. Next to each section I have highlighted my Average and Maximum Heart Rate for that section. My heart rate throughout the workout can be seen here. To allow you to compare the effectiveness of each section the relative heart rates for my age/gender are: Between 105-135 is considered as light intensity or recovery zone; 136-153 is the zone for fat burning and weight loss; 153-176 is for higher level aerobic activity.

The ‘Warm Up’ section is easy to follow and a very gentle warm up. (Avg HR 114; Max 137)

The ‘Tone’ section is one of the most effective sections allowing me to maintain a workout in the aerobic zone, training here will develop your cardiovascular system. (Avg HR 147; Max 171)

The ‘Shake it Move it’ section is all about having fun and learning funky dance moves. Expect to be flicking your hair, shimming your shoulders and strutting your stuff. (Avg HR 133; Max HR 146)

The second dance option ‘Pop it Lock it’ incorporates the hottest craze right now, Streetdance, a genre that has been taking our screens by storm. From Britain’s got Talent winners Diversity to Cheryl Cole’s Fight For This Love video everyone has been embracing Streetdance. This section is dedicated to learning the moves and as such does not give a great workout. (Avg HR 128; Max HR 146)

‘Burn it Lose it’ is for the more advanced fitness fanatic as it is an aerobic dance option. It is a high impact section aimed to get your heart beat pumping and provides you with a cardio workout. It includes everything from boxing to squats. (Avg HR 140; Max HR 159)

‘Legs Bums and Tums‘ is a stationary routine of crunches and yoga positions so not intending to raise your heart rate. The positions are efficiently described with one of the girls demonstrating a simplified version for beginners. Although the routine contained nothing new if you have ever taken part in any other ab based workout before.

Overall

If you are a regular exerciser looking for a challenging work out then this may not be the DVD for you and if you are over 25 you may feel a bit stupid if you ever get caught doing the routines in your living room. This DVD is most suited to teenagers and total beginners to exercise. Although the music is enjoyable to workout to or listen to, the moves are aimed to appeal at a young audience and if you are even moderately fit you will find half of the sections not challenging enough and as a consequence quite boring and frustrating.

A plus point is that the DVD also suggests a basic week long diet plan if you are looking weight loss and is an enjoyable introduction to starting to become active. Also it doesn’t assume that your living room is the size of  dance studio and as such you only need a small space to move around in. Finally beware that you will soon outgrow the routines but at least you still will have a well-mixed soundtrack for your next party.

Pump It Up- Body Burn DVD is available from retailers including HMV, Play.com, Sainsbury’s, Amazon.co.uk and LoveFilm.com

Release Date: 27th December 2010

Everyday we’ll suggest original stocking fillers for the active person in your life.

Today Relaxation Experiences

Even the most active adrenalin junkie needs to relax. Whether its de-stressing before an important event or recovering after a race or hard training session. Or if your gift recipient is someone who always seems to be wet, muddy or windswept it is occasionally nice to be pampered, have your hair styled and be seen in some glamorous clothes. So check these suggestions of relaxing experiences.

Activity Superstore

Make someone’s special dream come true this Christmas – treat them to an activity they’ll never forget!

Choose Activity Superstore for the largest range of original and exclusive gift experiences including total indulgence pampering experiences from a day at a luxury health spa, to  facials, massages, manicures and body treatments for both men and women.

FREE Special Delivery on orders over £50 and last Christmas posting day is Thursday 23rd December.

Buy a Gift

Buyagift are the leading online gift experience retailer, selling over 2000 different gift ideas.

Share your gift by buying Buy A Gift‘s two for one offer of an Indulgent Pamper Day at one of 18 health spas nationwide, including two 30minute treatments for only £44.95.

Other pampering experiences include makeovers, beauty treatments, salons and beauty products.

Running from 24th – 31st December, Buyagift are offering 25% off everything in their Christmas sale. From 1st January the discount will drop to 20%, and will exclude special offers. The code to use is JANSALE25

Leisure Vouchers

With over 50 fantastic leisure brands and locations that accept Leisure Vouchers you can be sure you’ll really enjoy spending them.

From great restaurants and brasseries to holidays abroad, weekend breaks and thrilling days out to relaxing and chilling out at spa’s – these are just a few pleasurable ways to enjoy your vouchers with many more besides.

The Leisure Voucher is a great gift or simply a nice extravagance for you to enjoy!

Red Letter Days

Created in 1989, Red Letter Days pioneered the concept of giving experiences as unforgettable gifts. Owned by Dragons’ Den entrepreneurs, Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, Red Letter Days offers a huge selection of experiences for him, her, couples, kids, groups and families to enjoy. 

Those who enjoy a good dose of luxury will love a pamper spa day or romantic weekend break, while culture vultures can enjoy a theatre evening or sightseeing tour. Gourmets are also well catered for with a host of cookery classes and wine tasting days.

Spa Finder

SpaFinder‘s mission is to empower people to find their perfect well-being experiences.
Our Gift Vouchers make the perfect present on any occasion all year round, and can be redeemed at hundreds of spas across the UK and thousands of spas across the world.

Virgin Experience Days

Top Offers from Virgin Experience Days

Personal Shopper (also Deluxe and VIP) from £225.00

Whether it’s a crucial job interview or a hot date, first impressions really count. Project an image of confidence and you are more likely to succeed in business and social relationships. Here’s your opportunity to restyle yourself with expert advice from Personal Shoppers at House of Fraser. Sit back and relax in the privacy of the personal shopping suite with a tea or coffee whilst the store is brought to you.

National Trust Day for Two £49.00
Discover the mystery of an historic house and garden, or the fascination of an English castle or archaeological remains on your day out for two at a National Trust property. Top it off with a cream tea for two and remember your day with a commemorative book!

Theatre and Dinner for Two from £85.00

Discover the magic of London’s famous West End with this Theatre & Dinner package for two. This is a fantastic chance to enjoy a delicious pre-theatre dinner for two at a popular central London restaurant and then see one of the West End shows. The perfect gift for any theatre lover. There’s something to suit every taste with the selected choice of shows. Depending on what is available when you book your choice may include; the star studded hit musical Chicago, the gripping adaptation of best selling novel ‘Woman in Black’ or Willy Russell’s award winning musical ‘Blood Brothers’. Whichever you choose you are sure to be enthralled.

Visit to RHS Garden Wisley & Overnight Stay for Two £235.00

Wisley is undoubtedly one of the greatest gardens of the world and is the flagship of the RHS. This experience will enable you to take time out and explore everything the gardens have to offer. Relax with an afternoon tea in the glasshouse before making your way to the luxury Mandolay Hotel where you can enjoy your overnight stay.

<<<Magazine Subscriptions<<<More Christmas Gift Ideas

Or are you looking for an original personalised Christmas present for an exercise lover?

Then look no further, shopping for the perfect Yoga Mat has just become easier on CafePress. You can now buy personalised Gaiam Yoga Mats on CafePress, making you stand out from the Yoga crowd!

Online retailer, CafePress has launched its unique range of custom yoga mats, ideal for Yoga classes or Pilates. They measure 24” (wide) by 68” (long) and 3mm thick and roll up easily, perfect for slipping into a gym bag or carrying under your arm.

The mats are Eco friendly, durable with a non-slip skidless surface and have a lightweight, cushioned feel. These factors are what attracted me to them. I’m not a yoga devotee but I am often sitting down stretching before or after a run and the cushioning did work well when I placed it in the car park and the non-slip surface was easy to wipe down afterwards.

It was also a excellent non-slip surface for exercising in the carpeted living room when following an exercise DVD or Wii fitness game. And if you are going to have to store it in your living room then it’s great that you can customise the colour to coordinate with the room.

No matter what your age, people love personalised products that look different from everyone else’s either for identification or to express their personality, interests or views. On the CafePress site you can browse through a large variety of personalized designs and find the perfect custom printed yoga mat for you. Styles for Adults, Men, Women, & Kids are available. The range of designs on the site is endless with 1000’s of ideas from pop culture to Sci-Fi, holidays to humour, hobbies to pets – but of course, the best thing is that if you don’t like any of the designs up there, you simply create your own.

To design a Yoga Mat on the CafePress website, users simply select from 5 available mat colours (green, blue, pink, beige or grey), chose either a pre-loaded design template or upload their own image, photo or graphic, then insert text into the design if they want to. The final design is displayed in all its colourful glory before you place your final order. All mats cost £22.00.

If you are looking for any other personalised gifts from T-shirts, to coffee mugs, sweatshirts, posters, audio CD’s, books, tote bags, flasks and more then visit CafePress – the world’s leading marketplace for user generated products.

What could be a better goal than to complete a 5k this summer for charity?

Entries are still available for the Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life series this June and July. Whether you want to walk for fun alongside girlfriends and family members, or get competitive with your work colleagues, you can improve your own health and fitness whilst also helping to raise money for Cancer Research UK, whose work has saved millions of lives in the UK and across the world.

5k is an achievable distance for most people and women are being encouraged to come together to walk, jog or run to help raise over £60 million to fund Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work into all types of cancer. 5k is also a good distance to attempt if you are beginning starting a fitness program and with a little bit of training through the summer you may be ready for one of Cancer Research UK’s Run 10k events that occur in the Autumn, when the men in your life can also enter.

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life continues to be the most successful and largest women-only fundraising event series across the UK and has raised a staggering £290 million for the charity’s life-saving research. The 2009 series was the biggest yet with over 730,000 women taking part. This year is Race for Life’s 16^th Birthday and since it began there has been a 15% drop in the death rate from cancer, something that Race for Life has helped to achieve.

If you are looking for something to wear during the event then visit the online shop, where you can buy your fancy dress accessories including fairy wings, bunny ears and pink glitter cowboy hats. If you want to show your support in other more subtle ways there are also socks, sweatbands, caps and key-rings as well as essential T-shirts. These include the new Race for Life 2010 celebrity T-shirts designed by choreographer, Arlene Phillips; girlfriend of Arsenal star Theo Walcott, Melanie Slade; and fashion designer Tracey Boyd.

This year there are over 230 Race for Life events throughout England, Scotland and Wales.  Women from across the UK of all ages and abilities aged are invited to enter, whether you are a cancer survivor, want to test your fitness, celebrate or remember a loved or simply do something positive to raise money for a great cause. Entry fee is only £12.99, although participants are encouraged to also get sponsorship and help is available to set up on an on line fund-raising page. Enter by clicking on the banner below or visiting www.Raceforlife.org.