FitnessDrive

This is about our jouney to fitness

We all start off wanting to lose weight and get fitter and something triggers this reaction; it could be new year or new clothes or a photo that someone took at a party. But it’s not the body we need to focus on – it’s the mind.

Humans generally (but not all) are creatures of habit. Our brain conditions us to do things automatically such as driving or shopping or even making a cup of tea. Our habits form part of our life and our body and brain gets us into a routine.

Humans generally don’t like change. At work when the company announces a change in the way they work this can send a shimmer of dread down the spine of many because it creates uncertainty. People often have fear of the unknown and therefore shy away.

Many people often go to the same places on holiday or same restaurants because they know the routine, they don’t need to overthink or fear the unknown in somewhere new. Getting fit is the same. If we haven’t run, jogged, swam, cycled in years then not only is it a strain on the brain but on the body. Especially if we do as most humans do and go crazy and cycle 10 miles on the first outing and then your legs ache for days and then our brain says give up.

In FitnessDrive we also highlight fitness in older age – especially between 50 to 70, as this is the third stage of our lives when our personal wealth is generally increasing and our children have often left home and we are focusing back on our own lives. This around the time of the  menopause/manopause and we need to consider illnesses, such as metabolic syndrome.

Click on a heading below and see a summary, and if you’re interested you can GO and read more about it!

Here are some facts and stats  about fitness. GO!

See how being fit helps your overall health.  GO!

See which categories of people are the most active. GO!

See what impact physical effort can have on different types of cancer. GO!

See how activity can help mental health GO!

It’s too easy to give in – see how you remain motivated to get fit. GO!

Our third phase of life can start at 60 – see how we can stay fit. GO!

See what impact the menopause can have on fitness. GO!

Is there a change of life for men too? GO!

There are a number of symptoms which can affect us in later life – see what they are and how you avoid them. GO!

If you’re a visitor to our site you can join and download information, assess your own health and create your own action plans, and even contribute to our site.  GO!

We have a video and testimonials.  GO!

See what you can do next. GO!

We have some additional information and stuff on this subject. GO!

Facts About Fitness

of moderate activity
1 minutes

150 MINUTES of moderate intensity activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more, is what all adults should aim for

Diet alone
10%

Only 10% of people are successful at losing weight through diet alone (American Council on Exercise)

a year
1 cases

3,600 CASES A YEAR of cancers in the UK are linked to people doing less than 150 minutes activity a week

Exercise and diet
89%

89% of people who use a combination of diet and exercise were successful at keeping the weight off for over one year. (National Weight Control Registry)

people in the UK
1 out of 10

6 out of 10 people in the UK do the above average 150 minutes per week

Exercise prolongs life
40%

People who are physically active for approximately seven hours a week are 40% less likely to die early compared to people who are only active for less than 30 minutes a week. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

cost
£ 0.1 billion

£7.4 BILLION is what the lack of physical activity is costing the UK a year

Reduce stress
30%

30% of adults report feeling less stressed after exercising. (Tennessee Chiropractic Association)

What are the health benefits of being fit?

The Public Health England paper on Health matters gives the benefits as shown in the diagram.

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ report Start active, stay active has the infographic which shows the benefits of physical activity and some steps you can take.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has a number of clinical pathways that highlight the role of physical activity in preventing and managing illness.

So, which of us are the most active?

The Public Health England paper on Health matters referred to above and the NHS Digital publication on Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet – England, 2018 [PAS] give us this information on who’s active and who isn’t. To see these, see the link below in ‘More Info’. Some key points are shown below. Overall, this shows how we are doing. 

As you will see below, how fit we are varies by gender, age, ethnicity and geography.

fitness by gender
fitness by age
fitness by etnicity

Does physical effort have an effect on cancer?

Physical activity can play a critical role across all elements of cancers; prevention, treatment, recovery and reducing the risk of recurrence..

A study on Cancers attributable to inadequate physical exercise in the UK in 2010 estimates that around 1% of cancers in the UK (around 3,400 cases every year) are linked to people doing less than the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity each week..

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Start active, stay active report (available in More Info below) highlights that a lack of physical activity is a risk factor for cancers of the:
Breast – for every 2 hours a week a woman spends doing moderate to vigorous activity, the risk of breast cancer falls by 5%.
Bowel - by getting cancer-causing substances through faster, reducing insulin (encourage tumour growth) and reducing prostaglandins (involved in inflammation)
Womb – reducing oestrogen levels and circulating insulin

link between fitness and mental health

There is a link between physical activity and mental health

Physical activity can boost mental wellbeing and help reduce social isolation, a risk factor for depression.
The link between physical activity and depression is well established. Physical inactivity and depression in the community: evidence from a field study found that people who are inactive have 3 times the rate of moderate to severe depression of active people. NICE guidelines CG90 recommends a programme of physical activity for people with mild depression. Other positive outcomes of physical activity include:
• a sense of purpose and value
• a better quality of life
• improved sleep
• reduced stress

top tips for fitness

Top tips for staying motivated in fitness

Knowledge and Wisdom Fitness have some good ideas on how to motivate yourself to get fit and keep fit. It describes the need to set measurable goals and monitor progress, which is a recurring theme in our drives! You can also see a lot of these tips in ChangeDrive. See the KWF site here

See below for another list of tips which can help you stay motivated .

Studies show that people who are “externally motivated” — that is, they hit the gym just to look good at your class reunion — don’t stick with it. Those who are “internally motivated” — meaning they exercise because they love it — are the ones who stay in it for the long run.

You would never try to run 10 miles on day one, right? When you do too much too soon, you’ll end up sore, injured, and discouraged. Take it easy as you get started. Maybe you only run a quarter of a mile your first week. When that becomes easy, you can make it more challenging.

Not every day will be good and others fantastic. Every workout takes practice. You’ll get the hang of it if you keep making an effort.

Do different types of exercises to keep things interesting and to exercise different muscle groups. Try different videos or books and if you go to the gym try different machines.

It often happens because they can’t keep up the boot-camp pace they’ve forced on themselves. It’s better to work within your limits, and gradually get stronger.

When your inner demons order you to hit the couch instead of the treadmill, a workout partner can steer you back in the right direction.

30 minutes a day, five times a week, for example), plus weight training at least twice a week. Can’t find room in your crazy schedule? Don’t use the lift at work. Walk out for lunch and go across town to the further sandwich shop. Get off or on a bus stop train stop early and walk the rest. Exercise at your desk.

and you won’t realise it’s part of your everyday routine like fast walking from the carpark to the train station.

You’re not going to skim off 30 pounds in a week. Aim for something that’s realistic as a first step. For instance, increase your workout schedule from 2 to 3 days a week, or exercise for 15 more minutes each time.

…that is measurable; don’t say I want to exercise a bit more, that’s not measurable or I would like to lose a few pounds, not measurable. SMART goals

Small milestones and wins, remember it’s mind as well as body.

older person running

Fitness in our life third phase - why is this so important

The third stage of our lives traditionally starts over 60 but everyone ages at a different rate especially based upon a person lifestyle. From 50 onwards not only is our lives changing but our bodies and minds are changing. If we look at life journey we touch on age; being mental, physical and biological. So, someone who is 50 biologically could be 55 physically and 45 mentally.

45 onwards should be a good time when our children are nearly adults and we don’t need to focus to much on raising children likewise we should in the main have accumulated money and be seeing home ownership happening. For sure our disposable income increases and we tend to start living a life. This extra disposable income also leads to over indulgence and more extreme patterns of activity start to form; luscious living, eating and drinking etc takes place. We over indulge because we can.

If we couple this overindulgence with the changes that start to occur when we hit the big 50 and for some start entering the third phase of our lives then things can ultimately take a down trend on health. Belly fat and obesity are predominant and exercise is reduced.

If you recognise some of these statements you will know exactly what we mean;
• I can’t drink as much as I used to my bladder can’t hold it
• I can’t eat after 8 pm as it kills my digestion and I am up half the night
• I once could it a banana and chips at 2 am after 2 heavy drinking and not feel a thing, not now!!
• I can’t grip that anymore my hand is aches due to too much sport when I was younger
• God, one day you wake up and there is a pain in your elbow, kills for a week then disappears!!
• Lotus position are you kidding, what with this belly, maybe when I was 20
• Run on the spot, are you mad, I’ve had 3 kids, I would pee myself!!!
• Where are my glasses/keys/ bag, I put them down here and they have gone!!
• Sex, love it, often now the mind is willing but sometimes the body is unable!!!

Entering the third phase is different for everyone just like the menopause is for women. Some women never even notice they have started or even finished the menopause whilst other have really bad time, with complex illnesses and side effects of medication.

This whole thing is called aging. It’s the human body getting on.
If you have played rugby from 5 years old and didn’t stop whilst your 40 and then started lushing life then by 55 you are likely to be obese and your skeleton will be well worn and start to creak. You might be one of life’s 1% who remains extremely fit but for most it won’t be the case. We go into the third stage with our bodies starting to creak with extra weight and unhealthy diets.
Staying fit during the lushing years is really important. Yes, go out and make hay while the sun shines but take care of your body as well.

effects of menopause graphic

Menopause – the psychosomatic changes are clear to see

Menopause - it’s a well-documented subject and effects women usually around 51. Around 1 in 100 women experience the menopause before 40 years of age. 73% Of Women Don't Treat Their Menopause Symptoms. Only 15% of women do not have any symptoms of menopause. 25% of women will suffer enough to seek medical relief.

For a woman entering the menopause is not only physical but also mental, hormones changes, body changes, skin is affected, more wrinkles appear. Take a look at a passport photo of yourself at 45 and at 55 and see the difference, it’s scary..

Some of the symptoms of menopause are:

Irregular periods, Vaginal dryness, Hot flashes, Chills, Night sweats, Sleep problems, Mood changes, Weight gain, slowed metabolism, Thinning hair, dry skin, Loss of breast fullness.

A woman not only has to contend with physical aspect to menopause but also psychological impacts such as; mood changes such as irritability, sadness, lack of motivation, aggressiveness, problems focusing, stress, difficulty concentrating, and depression. Much like constant premenstrual syndrome (PMS), these effects can cause emotional strain.

Tips and remedies for dealing with symptoms associated with menopause

1. Eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D
2. Maintain a moderate weight
3. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
4. Avoid trigger foods
5. Exercise regularly
6. Eat more foods that are high in phytoestrogens
7. Drink enough water
8. Reduce refined sugar and processed foods
9. Eating regular meals may be important when you’re going through menopause.
10. Eat protein-rich foods
11. Take natural supplements                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

We talked early about the different ages. Biological, physical and mental age. The problem with life is it goes too quickly. Time rushes by and we don’t realise it and BAM!!!! We are 50.
For many people who are busy in their lives and have a young mental age they don’t even stop to think about their age, or perhaps they don’t want to. This can also be the reality check hey I am going through the menopause which means I am past child bearing age which means I’m old. Like it or not this is the reality of life but it doesn’t mean we have to accept that thought. It should make us step up our determination to make the best of life.

This is an important point because the reality is cup half empty generally deal with menopause easier than cup half full. Cup half empty have probably already accepted they are getting old and mentally are better prepared for it. Cup half full are so focused on life that they often don’t think about it and most certainly don’t like to think the debilitating features of menopause is going to get them down, but they do and can.

If we look at our photos from 35 to 40 there isn’t in the main much difference but there is often for most people a difference between 37 and 50, just take a look at the passport photo. This also can have an impact on confidence and mental health. Some people say; you know you are getting old when men/women stop looking at you. We know this might sound vane but its not. Its part of human behaviour, and we all like to think someone fancies us.

It’s not complex and there are some really simple things you can do. But it does depend on if you are a cup half full or empty as to what you want to do.
Don’t labour on the thoughts you are in the third phase or going through the menopause, just accept it and get on, time waits for no man/woman as the saying goes.

…don’t overindulge in over lushing; overeating, over drinking and over chilling. Keep a check of your body weight and think about healthy life.

This is the best time, no kids, less money worries and more experience. You have more to offer today than you did 30 years ago especially if you have a young mental and physical age.

We heard this statement when we were 20s when told if you want to get on in life find other people who are positive and go getters. He same applies to third stage. Its even more important to surround yourself with focused people.

I don’t mean retired people I mean mentally retired people who are already thinking this is it time to buy a sensible car, a shackleton’s high chair and comfy shoes.

male menopause

Manopause, its it real or fake?

According to most scientists there is a change in men, not as obvious as women in terms of female egg production but a change in hormones as aging occurs.

Aging-related hormone changes in men are different from those in women. Understand the signs, symptoms and treatment options.

Debunking the male menopause myth
The term "male menopause" has been used to describe decreasing testosterone levels related to aging. But aging-related hormone changes in women and men are different. In women, ovulation ends and hormone production plummets during a relatively short period of time. This is known as menopause. In men, production of testosterone and other hormones declines over a period of many years and the consequences aren't necessarily clear. This gradual decline of testosterone levels is called late-onset hypogonadism or age-related low testosterone.

Recognizing low testosterone levels:

A man’s testosterone levels decline on average about 1% a year after age 40. But most older men still have testosterone levels within the normal range, with only an estimated 10% to 25% having levels considered to be low.

Low testosterone levels in older men often go unnoticed. Testosterone levels can be checked by a blood test, but tests aren’t routinely done. And many men who have low testosterone levels experience no symptoms. In addition, the signs and symptoms associated with low testosterone aren’t specific to low testosterone. They can also be caused by a person’s age, medication use or other conditions, such as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. Still, signs and symptoms suggestive of low testosterone include:

• Reduced sexual desire and activity
• Decreased spontaneous erections or erectile dysfunction
• Breast discomfort or swelling
• Infertility
• Height loss, low trauma fracture or low bone mineral density
• Hot flushes or sweats

Other possible symptoms include decreased energy, motivation and confidence, depressed mood, and poor concentration. It’s also possible to experience increased sleepiness, sleep disturbances, mild unexplained anaemia, reduced muscle bulk and strength, and increased body fat.

According to the NHS:
Some men develop depression, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other physical and emotional symptoms when they reach their late 40s to early 50s

Other symptoms common in men this age are:

  • mood swings and irritability
  • loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise
  • fat redistribution, such as developing a large belly or “man boobs” (gynaecomastia)
  • a general lack of enthusiasm or energy
    difficulty sleeping (insomnia) or increased tiredness
  • poor concentration and short-term memory


                                     These symptoms can interfere with everyday life and happiness, so it’s important to find the underlying cause and work out what can be done to resolve it.

Tips on avoiding the symptoms of menopause are spookily exactly the same as menopause for women

1. Eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D
2. Maintain a moderate weight
3. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
4. Avoid trigger foods
5. Exercise regularly
6. Eat more foods that are high in phytoestrogens
7. Drink enough water
8. Reduce refined sugar and processed foods
9. Eating regular meals may be important when you’re going through menopause.
10. Eat protein-rich foods
11. Take natural supplements                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

It can be over time if it becomes chronic. To stop metabolic Syndrome taking a hold It requires you to recognise the changes in your body and mind. Instead of thinking as a cup half empty person might think; oh well this is old age and I’m here now best accept it. I can’t do anything about it. But you can. There are lots of publications books, remedies and suggestions that will help you turn a negative into a positive. Metabolic Syndrome can be avoided if you choose the right lifestyle. In you imagine its like driving a car on a mixture of wrong fuel. It will still work but it won’t work to the best performance. The same analogy of a car only doing the school run is like an inactive person. The car needs from time to time a good run and to blow out the residues that build up in the engine.

Sticking with the car analogy. Why do we service and MOT the car each year? Because we want to keep it in good condition and able to perform for us when we need it. We should all have a blood test every 12 months and check out that everything is ok. Check your weight and fat content. Have a visit to a chiropractor to keep our skeleton in place. It moves and changes and needs Adjusting just your engine needs a tune.

Metabolic Syndrome- what is it and how does it impact on your life

Most of the disorders associated with metabolic syndrome don't have obvious signs or symptoms. One sign that is visible is a large waist circumference. And if your blood sugar is high, you might notice the signs and symptoms of diabetes — such as increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. These conditions include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels.

Having just one of these conditions doesn't mean you have metabolic syndrome. But it does mean you have a greater risk of serious disease. And if you develop more of these conditions, your risk of complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, rises even higher. If you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, aggressive lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems.

Risk factors

The following factors increase your chances of having metabolic syndrome:

  • Age. Your risk of metabolic syndrome increases with age.
  • Obesity. Carrying too much weight, especially in your abdomen, increases your risk of metabolic syndrome.
  • Diabetes. You’re more likely to have metabolic syndrome if you had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
  • Other diseases. Your risk of metabolic syndrome is higher if you’ve ever had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome or sleep apnea.

Prevention

A lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle may prevent the conditions that cause metabolic syndrome. A healthy lifestyle includes:

  • Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days
  • Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains
    Limiting saturated fat and salt in your diet
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Not smoking

I want to get fitter and I know exercise is good for me, so I'll take charge myself I'm going to need some help and support

You have to decide that you want to get fitter and do more exercise – then it’s just down to will power. If you think you have lots of willpower and create some new habits and stick to the plan then go ahead yourself and draw up your plan. If you know yourself and think you are likely to give up, then get support or join a group whereby you can get extra motivation when you need it.

In both cases there’s more information on how best to do it on FitnessDrive – YouDrive Thinks – click here or the button on the back of the slider below.

Clicking the button on the back gives you more information and YouDrive’s view!

For visitors

Why don't you join us?

You can register to join us as a member, when you’ll be able to download our stuff and comment, or as a YouDriver when you’ll also be able to check your health and set up your own action plans to make some improvements.  If you’ve already registered, sign in below. Or let us know what you think.

I'll take charge myself

Start small - walk more. Set your diary to get home at a certain time and perhaps do some floor exercises. Make a plan and try to stick to it.

I'll get some support and help

There are a lot of things you can do with friends and family, or consider joining a club. Once you've found the right support, keep it up!
Click here for more information and YouDriveHealth comment
Workout Exercises for Fitness

EXERCISE VIDEOS

This 6 minute video from Brain and Memory Foundation is also accessed from the NHS website, which has other videos on exercise – click here. In addition there are plenty of exercise videos on YouTube.

“Strength does not come from the physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
ghandi
Ghandi
Activist and leader
“Your body is your most priceless possession. Take care of it..”
jack lalanne
Jack LaLanne
American fitness and nutrition guru

Next Steps

It doesn’t matter what stage  you’re at – it’s important to be the best you can be.  At the end of the day it’s about taking personal responsibility – You Drive!

It’s really your choice. You can find out more information about the subject, or see other institutions that can help by going to Support. There you will find organisations, training, coaching, self-help courses and other items to support your personal change. We have also started developing a panel of experts to provide info, advice, help and support. 

Get Support

There are times when you need some help to meet your aims –  a helping hand. That might be  an organisation that can provide you with some help,  some specialised information, a particular book or tool to help, or just getting some background reading material.

We have a lot of items which appear on our Drives and other pages, which you can go to by clicking on the picture or link.  Some contain affiliate links and we may receive a tiny commission for purchases made through these links.

If you know of anything which could help you or our other visitors then please click the button on the right, which will take you to a Contacts page where you contact us.

Experts

We are compiling a list of experts who can provide advice, help or specialised services.  You will be able to access these experts from anywhere on our site you see our ‘Experts’ symbol.  Click the green E to see what our Experts list will look like, with a couple of imaginary ‘experts’ added!

More Information

Scroll down to see more information on this Drive. 

If you register you can also download reports, white papers, quizzes and other collaterals.  We will never ask you for any financial information, and we’ll only send you the information you want. You can register for our site either above or in the footer below.  You can provide your own questions and experiences in order to help other members.  We only moderate for spam and inflammatory language – see our moderation policy.

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More information

Walking Your Way to Weight Loss

A Simple Two-Part Approach to Becoming Fitter, Healthier, and Happier in 49 Days

If you want to lose up to 25% more body weight in 12 weeks and keep those extra pounds off for good, then read this …


Go to Amazon

The Self-Care Solution

A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier, and Fitter–One Month at a Time

ABC’s chief medical correspondent helps you ring in the New Year right with a resolution that’s actually doable: a year-long plan to improve your emotional and physical health–from giving up alcohol to doing a digital detox, but each for only one month.


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Live the Dream

A revolutionary guide to becoming fitter, smarter, more productive and less bored

Do you want to Live the Dream? The state of believing that your life is at the pinnacle and you possess everything you could want. Of course, you do! Who doesn’t? The good news is that anyone can live life at the zenith if they are willing to do a few unconventional things.


Go to Amazon

Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause

(but were too afraid to ask)

An eye-opening, no-holds-barred guide to the perimenopause and menopause written by campaigner, journalist and documentary-maker Kate Muir.


Go to Amazon

Living With Metabolic Syndrome

The Complete Guide to Risk Factors, Prevention, Symptoms and Treatment Options

An estimated one in four British adults have metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome refers to a combination of medical disorders – increased blood pressure, high blood sugar level, excess body fat and abnormal cholesterol level – that occur together, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. With information on the latest research and treatments, Living With Metabolic Syndrome offers a breakthrough guide in understanding this ever-growing health problem.


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A list of infographics from the Department of Health and Social Care explaining physical activity needed for different age ranges 

The Chief Medical Officer describes how much exercise we should be doing, with supporting documents

Cancer Research have a section on physical activity and cancer – click here to link

Download the original 2011 Start Active Stay Active report which  is by the four Chief Medical Officers of the UK

2011 Start Active Stay Active physical activity guidelines for adults (19-64) as an infographic.

Stuff you might want regarding fitness

Now you’ve read about fitness you might want to make a bit of a statement.  Have a look at some stuff below we think has some humour value!  We may make pennies on commission, but that’s not the point really.  Click on the image to see more details.

Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause.

No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller (Penguin Life Expert Series, 1)

‘Immensely helpful…a tome of medical knowledge. I’m mildly obsessed by Louise Newson. Buy the book!’ Davina McCall

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preparing for menopause book

Get fit don´t quit – Gym workout fitness T-Shirt

Available in may colours and sizes

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get fit tee shirt

The Metabolic Syndrome Diet

Robert H James – illustrator = Paperback and Kindle

Metabolic Syndrome affects approximately one in four of individuals. It is a syndrome because it is a cluster of signs symptoms that occur together and increase your risk for stroke, diabetes and heart disease.

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metabolic syndrome diet book

Sorry If My Biceps Gets In Your Way Sayings Curl Muscle T-Shirt

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biceps tee shirt

Saying: Sloth Running team We´ll get there when we get there T-Shirt

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sloth tee shirt

Cracking the Menopause

While Keeping Yourself Together

Despite the centuries of speculation and propaganda, we are not overheating or inherently cold, we are not hysterics or boiling vats of toxic poisons, we are not dried up or washed up, we are simply menopausal.

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cracking the menopause book

All areas of health are interlinked

You need to scroll down to see all the info in this popup – sorry for going on so much!

Find your initial focus

You might think that physical, financial and mental health are quite separate, and for some people they are. However, often a problem in one area has a knock-on effect on others. Losing your job can lead to anxiety and depression, which can turn you to drink and impact your health.

You might have a severe issue in one area but that can lead to problems in other areas, and the people treating you for the first problem won’t be equipped to deal with these linked issues.

For example, doctors and nurses can treat you for a physical problem but can’t advise you about your job or finances.  Nor for the anxiety that comes with it, apart from prescribing some drugs, which might or might not be the best solution.

We encourage you to take a holistic view – we look at all areas and offer support across the whole spectrum.

health areas interlinked

Even this view of health is simplistic, as you’ll discover later if you go down that route.  You might want to consider overall health, or wellness or wellbeing, which include additional types of health, such as occupational health (how you are in your job).   Then there’s happiness and quality of life – how do these fit?

If you’re interested in that, click the link here to see more information.

To close this box and go back click the X at the top or just click outside the box

Living With Metabolic Syndrome

The Complete Guide to Risk Factors, Prevention, Symptoms and Treatment Options

An estimated one in four British adults have metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome refers to a combination of medical disorders – increased blood pressure, high blood sugar level, excess body fat and abnormal cholesterol level – that occur together, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. 

Go to Amazon

metabolic syndrome book

Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause

(but were too afraid to ask)

An eye-opening, no-holds-barred guide to the perimenopause and menopause written by campaigner, journalist and documentary-maker Kate Muir.

Go to Amazon

menopause book

Live the Dream

A revolutionary guide to becoming fitter, smarter, more productive and less bored

Do you want to Live the Dream? The state of believing that your life is at the pinnacle and you possess everything you could want. Of course, you do! Who doesn’t? The good news is that anyone can live life at the zenith if they are willing to do a few unconventional things.

Go to Amazon

live the dream book

The Self-Care Solution

A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier, and Fitter–One Month at a Time

ABC’s chief medical correspondent helps you ring in the New Year right with a resolution that’s actually doable: a year-long plan to improve your emotional and physical health–from giving up alcohol to doing a digital detox, but each for only one month.

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self care solution book

Walking Your Way to Weight Loss

A Simple Two-Part Approach to Becoming Fitter, Healthier, and Happier in 49 Days

If you want to lose up to 25% more body weight in 12 weeks and keep those extra pounds off for good, then read this …

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walk to weight loss book

Health Areas in Domains

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Domains

We break down the overall concept of health or wellness into ‘bite-sized chunks’ that we can actually do something about.  The first level we call health domains. 

We like the Life of Wellness site and we have chosen the following domains.

1. Emotional Wellness: Awareness and acceptance of feelings
2. Spiritual Wellness: A search for meaning and purpose
3. Intellectual Wellness: Recognition of your creativity, knowledge and skills
4. Physical Wellness: Need for physical activity and balanced nutrition
5. Environmental Wellness: Positive awareness and impact on your environment
6. Financial Wellness: Debt reduction, cash flow balance or financial future planning
7. Occupational Wellness: Personal achievement and enrichment from your career
8. Social Wellness: Contribution to your community

Health Areas

Within each domain, we have included a number of health areas. These are specific issues that you can tackle.  Within each health area, e.g. Depression, we have built additional information and exercises which you can do to help in the area. You can create your own Action Plan to address this area, and see

Emotional: Anxiety, Compassion Fatigue, Depression, Gambling, Laughter, Narcissistic, Personality Disorder, Sleep, Stress

Environmental: Environmental Issues, Greenness

Financial: Debt, Family Finance, Financial Planning, Financial Wellness

Intellectual: IQ, Personality, Procrastination

Occupational: Jobs for Different Personality Types, Retirement Income, Work Life Balance

Physical: Alcohol, Disabilities, Dizziness, Drugs, Fitness, Food Preferences, General Health, Healthy Ageing, Illness, Nutrition, Sleep Apnea, Smoking

Social: Communication Skills, Communication Styles, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Love Partnerships, Mental Abuse, Parenting Styles, Sexual Addiction

Spiritual: Are You Sensitive, Mystical Guidance, Spirituality

Each health area has supporting information and its own questionnaire.

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Understand Health

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Physical, financial and mental health

One definition of health is:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. 

The NHS define health as: ‘We use a broad definition of health that encompasses both physical and mental health, as well as wellbeing. This means we are not only interested in whether or not people are ill or have a health condition, but also in how healthy and well they are.’

We believe we also have to consider financial health, as this can easily impact physical and mental health. Click the button to see an example of how these are connected.

 It gets more complicated…

What is Health? How about Wellness, Wellbeing or Happiness?

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) define Health as a state of the overall mental and physical state of a person; the absence of disease. They define Wellbeing or wellness as a way of life that aims to enhance well-being and refers to a more holistic whole-of-life experience which also includes emotional and spiritual aspects of life.  We expand on this definition of health to include financial health and mental health, to make it synonymous with wellbeing or wellness.  

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Health domains

You need to scroll down to see all the info in this popup – sorry for going on so much!

We break down the overall concept of health or wellness into ‘bite-sized chunks’ that we can actually do something about.  The first level we call health domains.

We like the Life of Wellness site and we have chosen the following domains.

1. Emotional Wellness: Awareness and acceptance of feelings
2. Spiritual Wellness: A search for meaning and purpose
3. Intellectual Wellness: Recognition of your creativity, knowledge and skills
4. Physical Wellness: Need for physical activity and balanced nutrition
5. Environmental Wellness: Positive awareness and impact on your environment
6. Financial Wellness: Debt reduction, cash flow balance or financial future planning
7. Occupational Wellness: Personal achievement and enrichment from your career
8. Social Wellness: Contribution to your community

wellness wheel

Health Areas

Within each domain, we have included a number of health areas. These are specific issues that you can tackle.  Within each health area, e.g. Depression, once you have subscribed we have built additional information and exercises which you can do to help in the area.

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See which domains you should address

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Having established that we use 8 domains, you need to understand which you should concentrate on.

The 8 are:

  • Emotional
  • Environmental
  • Financial
  • Intellectual
  • Occupational
  • Physical
  • Social
  • Spiritual

 

You can take a questionnaire, which scores you in each domain.  You can decide which domains you are strong in, and which you need to improve.

Another analysis shows which domains you should look at, but also which domains you want to look at.

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Locus of Control

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  • We want to help people in all aspects of their health  – physical, financial and mental. We also provide detailed explanations of how overall health (or well-being) is measured.
  • We believe these things are often linked, so we try and address health holistically. We are building templates, questionnaires and exercises to help you identify what’s important to you.
  • We think people should try and take responsibility for  of their own health as much as they can.  See below for what that means.

People look at things differently.  Some people believe things happen to them, while others believe they can influence what happens to them. Technically this is called the ‘locus of control’.  People can have an Internal or external Locus of Control

So how do you see things?

Psychology Today have a 15 minute test which gives you a summary of your position you can buy the detailed results if you want to.

My Personality Test have a 10 minute test which gives you a summary.

People tend to take more responsibility (locus gets more internal) as they get older.  However, external isn’t always bad – for example if you are physically unable to do some things you can accept it and focus on the things you can do.  This American video explains the concept and gives examples of how this can affect relationships.

locus of control

Internal

  • More likely to take responsibility for actions
  • Tend to be less influenced by others

External

  • Blame outside forces for what happens
  • Don’t believe they can change their situation themselves

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Add your attitude to change - see how you view changes in your life

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Do you need to change?

No matter how healthy you are at the moment, the chances are that there are some areas you could improve. It may be that you have a real problem in one or more areas, and you would like to make some improvements.

At YouDrive we accept that there are many different degrees of ‘not wellness’ in a large number of different health areas, ranging from physical illness such as covid-19 through mental illness such as anxiety through to financial problems like debt.  We try and help where the problem ranges from ‘slight’ to quite bad’ – after this expert help and intervention may be needed.

However, especially in these times, we have to try and make these changes ourselves, possibly with some help from others, whether remotely or face to face.

The thing is, to make an improvement we have to change some things.

This involves changing our behaviour in some respects, and that’s not always easy.

Henry Ford, the creator of the assembly line, is quoted as saying “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got”.  

henry ford

Another way of looking at this: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” – attributed to Albert Einstein.

Consequently we need to make some changes.  The problem is that we have already developed a lot of habits, some of which we need to break and replace by better ones.  Some of our bad habits have become entrenched, and the bad results they create in turn engender further bad habits to develop – in effect the bad habits can feed on themselves.

We need to understand how we can make changes and stick to them, and that’s what this part of your health profile is about.

It will involve some learning, through reading, some videos and some additional information and also seeing how you react to change currently.

It will also ask you to consider whether you feel you are in charge of your future, or whether you feel it’s all fate.

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Assess your overall health using a health questionnaire

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At YouDrive we try and help people improve their health. We use ‘health’ but we understand there are other terms such as wellbeing or even happiness that reflect how we are doing in our lives – if you’re interested in the different definitions and ideas see our page on the subject.

We want to help whether you have a particular problem – physical, financial or mental – or if you just want to improve some specific part of your life or just make some improvements overall.

You’d be surprised, but there has been a serious amount of scientific work done in this area over the last twenty years.

So first we allow you to assess your current health (or wellbeing, or happiness).  We do this by questionnaire.  Which one is determined by the type of person you are:

  1. You understand yourself well and want a quick overview of your health and wellness, and will drill down in any areas needing work
  2. You want to do a more detailed assessment and then focus on areas you’re already aware of
  3. You want to look at the whole situation in more detail across all the health domains.

By the way, we take your privacy seriously – we collect information that you choose to provide but we de-identify it as much as possible and will never share it with anyone without your explicit consent.

You can then drill down into some specific areas and there are more questionnaires to see your situation in these particular areas.  We provide you with specific information and refer you to other potential aspects of help. Our next step is to build a personalised action plan – for now we will make a suggestion for you to develop your own plan and then after a time you can see whether this has had a positive impact by retaking the test.

In future we will be engaging with medical and behavioural specialists to devise action plans for individual people with specific situations.

We have an overall questionnaire which you can complete which will assess your current state.

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Values, Attitudes and Beliefs

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We all have our beliefs, attitudes and values – these have developed throughout our life based on who we are and what we have done. Let’s look at what these are.

The University of Reading explain: “People’s values, beliefs and attitudes are formed and bonded over time through the influences of family, friends, society and life experiences. So, by the time you’re an adult, you can hold very definite views on just about everything with a sense of “no one is going to change my mind”.

The combination of your personal values, beliefs and attitudes are your moral principles that guide you in life and affect your behaviour. However, your views can wildly differ to others and in an institution such as a school, these beliefs may be counter to the values of the school, child development or indeed the law.” 

Let’s look more closely at the differences between beliefs, attitudes and values.

Beliefs

These come from real experiences – we think our beliefs are based on reality, but in fact our beliefs colour our experiences; also, an original experience e.g. when we were a child is not the same as what’s happening now. Beliefs can be moral, religious or cultural and reflect who we are. They can be rational (‘it gets colder in winter’) or irrational (‘I am never going to make something of myself’).

Attitudes

This is an immediate belief or disposition about something specific. It is a recurring group of beliefs and behaviours aimed at specific groups, people, ideas or objects. They will normally be positive or negative and we will always behave that way to the target group. Examples of attitudes include confidence (I can or can’t do something), grateful (I an entitled to / grateful for XXX) and cheerful (I am generally happy / miserable).

Values

These are things (principles or qualities) that we hold in high regard or consider to be worthwhile or right / wrong. They are formed by a belief related to the worth of something – an idea or behaviour. Some values are common (e.g. family comes first, the value of friendship) or cultural (which the whole community have – see video at Study.com here)

The theory

Links to Wikipedia

Expectancy Value Theory suggests you balance your beliefs about something with the value you attach to it. The Theory of Reasoned Action suggests that beliefs and evaluation about behavioural outcomes determine attitudes, and intentions lead directly to behaviour.

Beliefs

Expressions of confidence – can change over time

Attitudes

Learned predispositions to something – are subject to change

Values

Ideals that guide our behaviour – Generally long lasting and often need life changing experience to change

Iceberg demonstrating implicit and explicit bias – from Owlcation

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A Butterfly Life: 4 Keys to More Happiness, Better Health and Letting Your True Self Shine

Times of change can be a challenge, no doubt! Whether it’s a relationship breakup, job loss, or being diagnosed with a serious health issue. Or you may WANT things to be different, but it feels a little scary or overwhelming. The butterfly reminds us change can be beautiful, even necessary, in order to realize our full potential and live our best life.