All those who attended the recent Health and Well-being Festival at the Venus Beach Hotel will, no doubt, have discovered how to relax a busy mind, change your eating habits, stop smoking, improve your mind or just feel good about yourself. For those of you who didn’t, Louise Randall looks at a few of the ways in which to keep mind and body in tip-top condition.

Yoga and Pilates

Many health and fitness experts recommend that exercise enthusiasts combine the physical fitness of their body with that of their mind and spirit. One way to ensure that you have a healthy mind, body and spirit is through Yoga and Pilates.

An Indian science and art, Yoga dates back 5,000 years. It offers a set of physical exercises and mental techniques that align and tone the body, and focus the mind. Yoga uses movement, breath, posture, relaxation and meditation in order to establish a healthy and balanced approach to life.

Pilates, named for its founder Joseph Pilates, is a total conditioning programme that works your body by focusing on core abdominal and back muscles. It is also a mind-body exercise, which, like yoga, stresses proper breathing while strengthening and lengthening the muscles. The benefits of Yoga & Pilates are many: participants get a whole body workout while strengthening and building endurance. You can develop better balance, coordination, posture and flexibility through building core strength. Yoga & Pilates provide improvement in circulation and increased breathing capacity while also creating an outlet for stress, physical and mental tension, and encourage relaxation. They have proven to be effective in the relief of back pain, sports injuries and other chronic health problems.

Many health and fitness centres have added Yoga and Pilates to their class schedules. Along with increased demand, fitness enthusiasts are looking to combine many of their favourite high-intensity classes with Yoga and Pilates. Some examples of new fusions of these philosophies include Boga (boxing and Yoga), Yo-Chi (Yoga and Tai Chi) Power Flow Yoga (suited for athletic people seeking advanced flexibility training) and Power Stretch (which combines Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi).

Fabulous feet

Too often, the results of foot care neglect in the colder months reveal themselves in the form of corns, calluses and dry, cracked heels in the spring – unsightly foot problems that we happily pay pedicurists to correct come sandal season.

Dry, cold conditions dry out and crack the harder skin on our feet, especially on the heels, and indoor heating exacerbates this problem. Cracked heels provide an opening for fungus to enter, in addition to their unsightly appearance. To make matters worse, the soles of the feet contain no oil glands to lubricate and soften, so moisturising is critical. Sweating in thick socks and getting feet damp from walking in the rain also create a breeding ground for odour and bacteria.

To help prevent friction corns and callouses forming, use padded insoles to keep your feet firmly placed in shoes or boots that have stretched. Give your

feet a therapeutic soaking at least once

a week to exfoliate and remove hard dead skin and smooth away rough surfaces. Luke-warm water (hot water dries out your skin) and a few drops of skin-softening oil is recommended. After you thoroughly dry your feet, treat them to a massage from heel to toe using a cream specially formulated for feet.

The reality is that people don’t provide much thought to prevention – only to taking care of unsightly foot problems after they develop. This winter, with just a little bit of care, you can keep your feet in great shape and get a head start on their ‘unveiling’ once the warmer weather comes around again.

Making new health and fitness resolutions - and keeping them

Time and time again, people resolve to get in shape and to live a healthier lifestyle, but this is the number one resolution most often broken – and typically within just six weeks.

Why is having a healthy mind and body easier to talk about than to achieve?

It is important to realise that health and fitness goals are continuous, involving a process of assessment, commitment and adjustment.

It is not just about acknowledging what you need to do to get in shape, but also about formulating a plan of action for getting there. Visualise how you want to look and feel, research health and fitness routines, and then set personal growth and development goals.

Start by researching and exploring fitness facilities that foster your new commitment to a healthy way of life. The more closely a fitness centre matches your goals and expectations, the more likely it is to stay used.

A positive attitude Once you have come to terms with past broken resolutions, you can set realistic ones for moving ahead. A positive attitude will make all the difference in your ability

to stick with it. Do not abandon your goal just because you missed one day of exercise or diet. Build confidence with each step of progress that you make.

Diet and exercise Once you have set your routine in motion, there are a few useful health tips to remember:

• Don’t be tempted to skip meals but try eating several small meals and a few small snacks throughout the day to keep your metabolism active. Balanced meals include protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. Diets which restrict any of the above can be effective for a quick short-term weight loss but damaging to your health over time. Drink plenty of water, at least 1.5 litres per day.

• Rest and reward yourself. As you work toward your fitness goals, remember to reward yourself for progress along the way. Treat those hardworking muscles to a massage, or buy yourself a new item of clothing to flatter your new look.

• It might be easier to stick to your routines and good habits if you have someone to answer to. Choose a friend or family member who will offer encouragement while also setting an example for you to follow.

• Get your money’s worth from your fitness club membership by getting to know all the classes and facilities on offer and varying your activities. If you alternate your gym workout with a fun dance class or swimming session, you’re more likely to keep going on a regular basis.

Rescuing your resolution Permanent lifestyle changes take time to accomplish. When you start to feel that your health and fitness are suffering at the hands of your other daily tasks and obligations, find out where you might have gone wrong and determine where you need to make changes. Be realistic about what you can accomplish. Review and adjust your routine to find out what works for you and what does not. If you set yourself the wrong goals to start with, don’t beat yourself up about what you did wrong, jut concentrate on what you can do to put it right. Once you have the right attitude inside, the results will soon show on the outside.