GET FIT FOR THE BEACH
Did you know going on holiday is one of the most stressful things you can do in life? Weirdly, something that’s meant to be a roll in the relaxation hay actually spikes stress levels. But why does the idea of taking time away from work, doing what the hell you like, even if that just means lolling on the beach with a book in one hand and a beer in the other, fill us with such anxiety? Well, it seems hitting the beach is one of the stress-generating problems because it involves more flesh-flashing than a lot of us would like, with a recent survey showing a whopping seven-in-ten of us are unhappy with the way our bodies look and don’t exactly relish the prospect of beach-combing. So, in the interest of stress management the best way to ready your body for The Great Summer Strip-Off is to head to the Cardiff International Pool.

Obviously, there’s a pretty serious pool (my first clue was the name), which is seriously impressive. There’s a 10-lane Olympic-sized pool with seating for 1000 spectators, as well as a 25m 4-lane indoor waterpark with flume rides, a lazy river and jacuzzi, so both pro-class swimmers and people who want to mix a bit of exercise with a bit of fun are catered for. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was the extent of the other facilities. There’s a large, airy gym with floor-to-ceiling windows to maximise the stunning views across the renaissance bayside area with 120 stations, meaning that the tedious gym irritant of waiting to use a machine is kept to a minimum. Most impressively, the list of classes you can take is extremely eclectic, taking in yoga, tai chi, spin, Pilates and something called Body Combat, which is a fusion of karate, kick-boxing, tai chi and taekwondo. All of which should get even the laziest and lardiest among us beach-body buff.
www.leisurecentre.com

DITCH THE NICOTINE
Of the UK’s 12 million smokers, three million attempt to quit each year, but only three per cent manage to stay “on the wagon” long-term. As a smoker who no longer wants to be one, I know how hard kicking the habit is because I’ve pretty much tried everything. Apart from hypnotherapy, that is. Perhaps it’s the natural cynic in me or perhaps it’s the idea of being out of control in some way, but I’ve always dismissed it. However, a few friends swear by it and its track record has been proven, so I thought, in the interests of open-mindedness, I’d give it a go.
I went to James Angove of Soft Skills, Cardiff, who has been practicing hypnotherapy for over 20 years. The process of ‘taking you under’ isn’t the hammy look-into-my-eyes routine of clichélore, but is much more subtle, beginning with listening to soothing music and then Angove’s relaxing voice reading from a book of short stories. These stories seem to be designed to tap into emotions rooted in the subconscious and, as in my case, to disassociate certain emotions with wanting to light up. After the treatment, I didn’t wake up hating cigarettes, but instead found that when particular triggers in my life make me think about having one, there is no desire behind that initial trigger. Three weeks on, I still haven’t had one so I’m an early-days convert.
www.soft-skills.co.uk

GET YOUR EYES CHECKED
Every year in the UK, around 100,000 people have laser eye surgery with the figure set to rise over the next few years. However, it may not be the cure-all it first appears with opticians reporting a large increase in patients needing glasses and contact lenses post-surgery. “I think some of us are too quick to have a non-reversible surgical procedure before exploring other options that may be better for our eyes,” says optometrist James McNabb of The Optic Shop in Cardiff. “People don’t realise that often even after surgery you may still have to wear glasses or contacts because your vision might not be corrected completely. Nor are people fully aware of just how far contact lenses have improved in recent years - the most up to date lenses are so much more comfortable and better for your eyes. Most people probably aren't aware of these developments and should ask their optician for the latest advice.” McNabb isn’t anti-laser surgery, though – he’s had it done himself – he just wants us to take the maintenance of our sight more seriously. “The eyes can be very accurate indicators of general wellbeing,” McNabb says. “We can spot diabetes, high blood pressure and glaucoma, which untreated can cause blindness. We need to adopt the attitude of people in other European countries who regard spending time and money on their eyes as an investment in all-round health.”
www.theopticshopcardiff.co.uk

CALLING IT QUITS
If your New Year’s resolution is to pack in the fags, you’re not alone. Of the UK’s 12 million smokers, three million attempt to quit each year but the bad news is only 3% manage to stay on the wagon long-term. As an ex-smoker, I know how hard kicking the habit to the curb is, because I’ve been off the nicotine for three years and I still get the occasional craving. If you want to take the sting out of stopping then smoking cessation programmes are becoming increasingly popular, primarily because they’re more likely to work. The late anti-smoking tsar Allen Carr’s much-vaunted course is probably the most famous. Spread over five hours of one day in groups of about twenty, it uses a psychotherapy/hypnotherapy double whammy approach and focuses on why smokers continue despite the obvious disadvantages as opposed to concentrating on why they should quit. It’s successful because it’s about cognitive behavioural therapy: changing your behaviour to change the way you think. The course costs £220 - private sessions are a couple of grand - which sounds a lot but is a mere drop in the ocean compared to how smoking dents your wallet over a lifetime - and this will actually prolong it - and if it doesn’t do the trick then there’s a money back guarantee to boot. For details of your local Allen Carr therapist log onto the website: www.allencarreasyway.com 10 WAYS TO BEAT THE WINTER BLUES
1. Don’t sheep-flock to the gym with the masses this January, take up a team sport instead. Try not to barf, but the camaraderie can be a real mood elevator
2. Take up a new interest. I know this sounds Simon Says simplistic, but sometimes simple is best
3. Lay off the drowning-your-sorrows approach, as alcohol is a potent depressant. You may feel a temporary lift but the high is soon goodbyed
4. Eat spicy food. The substance that makes chillies hot, capsicum, stimulates the release of feel-good endorphins in the brain. Think about it: have you ever seen a depressed Mexican?
5. Drink green tea. It contains high levels of antioxidants that help fight mild depression as well as protect against cancer and heart disease
6. Take vitamins. Zinc is especially effective at upping the brain’s good mood medicine, serotonin
7. Do a negativity edit. If you’ve got a whinger mate who’s always on the moan, limit the amount of time you spend together. Or, harsher still, hit the delete button
8. Change your routine. Experiment by chopping and changing the ingredients of your life to keep things fresh
9. Have a Thai massage. This is much more energising and rigorous than other forms of massage, literally extracting stress from the body
10. Remember winter doesn’t go on forever so enjoy some of its perks, like long walks on crisp, frosty days or having a Sunday roast in front of a crackling country pub fire

THE HEALTH REPORT

<<<BACK Jason Jones rounds up the best ways to stay in rude health