Start the day right

Run before breakfast and you could burn up to 20% more body fat, according to research from Northumbria University.

Scientists sought to find out whether the benefits of exercising on an empty stomach were offset by extra calories being consumed later in the day.  They discovered that those who had exercised in the morning did not consume additional calories to compensate for their activity, and they burned more fat than those who exercised after breakfast.*

This is useful to know but there are two things to remember:

1) A small breakfast prior to exercise could help you work out for longer or with greater intensity, increasing your fat burn yet further

2) If you ensure your workout schedule is regular, you'll be an efficient fat burner whatever time of day you find to exercise

So, if you really want maximum fat burning, check your schedule to accommodate exercise every 2-3 days and work hard during each training session.

*Source Women's Running Magazine

Image by lululemon athletica Flickr

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Fit for Work? The Boss may be counting your calories

Thanks to a new Big Brother-style gadget being adopted by American companies — and coming to Britain early next year — bosses can measure exactly how many calories you are burning in a day and compare the data with “performance benchmarks”.

In other words: staying in shape might soon become as important as getting to the office on time.

I'm all for new ways to motivate staff to improve their health and wellbeing and I'm sure this gadget will work for some. You can read more about it here.

It won't be for everyone though, so what businesses who adopt it must do, along with all organisations putting wellbeing programmes in place, is aim to devise a range of initiatives - a menu of interesting wellbeing services - that ensures there is something for everyone. This means tackling the key areas of health and wellbeing - exercise, nutrition and stress management - with creative solutions that fit the various schedules and priorities of the workforce.

This is the most simple way for businesses to make wellbeing easy for every single employee. Not only can there be no more excuses for not participating in something relating to improving wellbeing and performance; better than that, all members of staff will be able to find something healthy that inspires them and that will guarantee they get a great result.

One size wellbeing does not fit all so when planning initiatives, take care to sample individuals to find out what they would find useful and make sure your solutions cater for everyone.

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