Revealed! How Slimming World supports an active lifestyle

Did you know that 50% of our members have become more active since they joined Slimming World?* What’s more, almost half of them have encouraged their families to increase their activity levels, too! If you’d like to start moving more – or you’re already active and are keen to take things to the next level – we can help.

Slimming World’s Body Magic programme is unique. It’s been developed with a deep understanding of the challenges that people wanting to lose weight face when starting to move more, and helps members tackle the emotional stoppers that many of us have around exercise. No matter what your age, weight, ability or current level of fitness is, we’ll support you to increase your activity levels at your own pace, and turn exercise into a regular habit that you stick with for life!

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A bounty of benefits

Being more active can bring a whole host of amazing benefits – for your weight, for your health and for your mental wellbeing, too!

The great thing is, these benefits don’t have to come from intensive exercise, like a long hike, running several kilometres or a high-energy spinning class… simply spending less time sitting down and more time moving about will help you reap the long-term rewards. That means there are many simple ways to add active habits into your day – you might even be doing some of them already without even realising it…

More on the blog: Discover our 5 active habits for a fitter lifestyle

Lois Aleema discovered a passion for cycling during her weight loss journey. She says: “I noticed lots of the other members were embracing the Body Magic programme. They talked about how they’d now go to the gym, running and swimming – nothing that interested me. Then, by chance, a children’s cancer charity worker suggested a bike and trailer loan, so I could go cycling with my little boy, and it seemed perfect!”

Full story: Read more about how Lois Aleema lost more than 3st

Support to break through your barriers

For many of us, changing our mindset about activity can be the biggest obstacle of them all. That’s why our Body Magic programme has a deep understanding of the psychological barriers baked into it. With the support of your Consultant and fellow members, you’ll learn to spot the things that sabotage your activity plans, discover how to take the fear out of change and find an activity you love. 

More on the blog: Find out how our members overcame their Body Magic barriers

Ashli Sterling, who’s lost 3st 7lbs, didn’t think it was possible to enjoy exercise. Now, she can’t imagine not being active. She says: 

“I always had a reason why I couldn’t go to the gym: it was too cold, too late, I was too busy… Then my Consultant explained how we could build our fitness up gradually. I set myself a challenge of walking 10,000 steps a day, no matter what. Now, I love every second of my new active lifestyle – and I honestly never thought I’d say that!”

Full story: Discover how Ashli Sterling let go of her fitness hang-ups

Strategies to help you make activity a habit

We all have days when our motivation drops. It’s not that activity doesn’t feel good but, sometimes, it can feel like there are so many other important things to do… And, let’s face it, there are times when you just want to collapse in an armchair and take it easy! The good news is, your Consultant and fellow slimmers have plenty of nifty ideas to help you get moving when your mojo is low. Here are some tips to get you started…

• Ask a friend or family member to go with you – Body Magic with a buddy can boost your motivation, improve your wellbeing and make things more fun.
• Sign up to a weekly activity – this is a great way to boost commitment. Head over to the members-only website and app for our guide to finding a fitness class that’s perfect for you.
• Keep your activity schedule on the fridge door – if you’re a Slimming World member, you can use your FIT log to plan and record your efforts.
• Look back at your achievements – keep your Body Magic awards on display to remind yourself of how far you’ve come.

Jamie Woodend used to find all sorts of reasons not to go swimming, until the members in his Slimming World group suggested he put some foot-out-the-door strategies in place. He says:

“I changed my route home from work, so that I had to walk past the pool, and I packed my swimming kit so I had no excuse not to go. Although I felt a bit self-conscious when I first walked out of the changing rooms, I quickly realised no one was paying me any attention and I really enjoyed that first swim.”

Full story: How Jamie Woodend lost 4st to reduce his stroke risk

Awards to boost your motivation

Body Magic is all about doing a bit more than you currently do, making it a habit and then building up at your own pace. Our Body Magic awards will guide you step by step – from doing an extra five minutes a day, all the way to 30 minutes a day on five days of the week – with plenty of encouragement along the way.

Mike Davis has lost 9st and discovered the mood-lifting benefits of Body Magic. He says: “I’ve always been a very competitive person, so aiming for my next Body Magic award in group helped to keep me going. I’ve since added the Platinum award to my collection and I just can’t imagine not being active now.”

Full story: Discover how Mike Davis overhauled his health and lost 9st

Tip: How often you exercise – rather than how hard or for how long – is the most important thing. That’s because when you do something regularly, it becomes a routine you couldn’t imagine breaking. So, if you’re new to activity, start gently and build up gradually – that way, you’ll find it more enjoyable and sustainable, reduce your risk of injury and get to experience the full feel-good factor.

More for members: Read more about how to form healthy habits in our online features, Making Body Magic a lifelong habit and How to make changes that stick. 

We offer a full toolkit to help our members get more active and enjoy all of those brilliant Body Magic benefits. It includes: 

• Totally tailorable programme to take you step by step to a more active lifestyle
• FIT log to record your activity plus goals, challenges and strategies
• Body Magic awards to recognise your activity achievements
• Online activity planner to track your activity and work towards your Body Magic awards
• Activity features on the member website about everything from getting started to getting fit for free
• Workout videos to help you get active at home
• Support in group to help you overcome your Body Magic barriers and make activity a healthy habit for life

*Pallister, C, Avery, A, Stubbs, RJ and Lavin, JH (2009). Influence of Slimming World’s Lifestyle Programme on Diet, Activity Behaviour and Health of Participants and their Families. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 24(4): 351-358.