Why your health is more than skin deep

A shocking new survey has revealed that most women don’t exercise and eat healthily to stay fit or live longer, they do it because they want to look good.

Eat a healthy diet, exercise five times a week, stay out of the sun, don’t drink too much alcohol, avoid cigarettes… we all know the basic rules of looking after our health, but why do we follow them?

Why do we force ourselves to go to the gym when we really, really don’t want to?

Why do we knock back a vegetable juice when what we actually want is large glass of Pinot Grigio?

The answer to all these questions should of course be, to live a long and happy life, free of disease and other consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.

But, as recent research shows, the truth is a lot more self-centred: we do it because we want to look good.

A study of UK women found that for the majority, the real motivation behind a healthy lifestyle is to look younger or more attractive.

A massive 87% admitted to making positive lifestyle changes so they can appear younger for as long as possible – while just 40% said they wanted to stay free from ill-health.

Insurance company Aviva commissioned the research, which also found that over half of respondents would choose a slim and toned figure over low cholesterol or stable blood pressure – which could potentially prevent heart disease or strokes.

Shocking figures

The figures relating to smoking were perhaps the most shocking. The motivation to kick a smoking habit should surely be to protect our lungs and avoid cancer, but for most women (74%) it was stained teeth and wrinkles that were the real reason for stubbing out.

Just 49% said they were more concerned with the impact smoking has on their health.

When it comes to booze, 53% claimed that the effect drinking has on their weight or looks is the primary motive for cutting back on alcohol, compared with just 32% who were worried about the impact on their long-term health.

Perhaps less surprisingly, six in ten respondents said that they exercised to lose weight rather than to improve their health and fitness.

Meanwhile, a huge 86% of women said they knew their weight, while just 42% were aware of their blood pressure.

The issue of where to get trustworthy health and fitness advice also came up in the study.

Almost eight in 10 women said they consult celebrity magazines for health and lifestyle advice, compared to 31% who said they seek advice from a medical professional.

Are men more responsible?

So where do men fit into all this? It should come as no surprise that they are less vain than us – 69% of the nation’s men are motivated to eat well and exercise for no other reason than to stay healthy.

Perhaps this explains why, in another recent survey, experts found that women are becoming more beautiful than men.

Dr Doug Wright, from Aviva, warns women that their health is more than skin deep:

“Just because you like what you see in the mirror today, does not mean that an unhealthy lifestyle isn’t actually taking its toll on your long-term health.

“Although you may think that you look healthy on the outside, it’s what’s inside that really counts. Potentially serious conditions such as heart disease and diabetes can often go undetected until it’s too late.

“Regular health checks are the best indicator of wellbeing – and should be more motivating than images in celebrity magazines.

“Leading a healthy lifestyle needn’t be costly or onerous. It’s not just about going to the gym or the latest fad.

"Simply going for a brisk walk, gardening or even shopping all help contribute to improving your fitness.

"Coupling this with a healthy, well-balanced diet can make a real difference to both your looks and long-term health.”

Beat morning dress stress

Create a 'look book'

When stylists help create "wardrobes" for their clients they'll often spend a day with them putting complete outfits together and taking Polaroids for reference. You don't need a stylist to create a work-look book though. At the beginning of the season, get a friend to help take the photos and spend a day creating top-to-toe outfits — remember to include shoes and accessories, too. Try to create at least 10 looks so you'll have two full weeks of outfits to rotate. That might seem a lot but remember you can mix and match items of clothing (that new shirt, or your favourite tunic dress), as much as you like. Once you have all your outfit photos, stick them to the back of your wardrobe, or compile them in an album for easy morning dressing.

Tidy your wardrobe

If you can see and reach all the clothes in your wardrobe easily, dressing in the morning will be a lot less stressful. Investing in good quality hangers (think wood or sturdy plastic and clip-hangers for pants and skirts) saves on ironing time in the morning because clothes aren't as likely to crease in your cupboard. Men, keep ties stored on tie racks so they don't emerge from the wardrobe a crushed mess.

Be season-specific

A jumble of warm and cold-weather clothes crammed into your wardrobe makes selecting a work outfit a challenge. Try dividing your work wardrobe into winter and summer (some of your staples will work all year round). Taking out those lightweight dresses when winter hits and storing those heavier jumpers during summer will create closet space and make finding the right thing to wear easier. Store items you don't need in another cupboard if you have one, or fold them into airtight plastic tubs or vacuum-seeled bags and pop them under your bed until you need them again.

Be brand loyal

We're not suggesting becoming a slave to one particular brand but it does make good dressing sense to buy a few items from the one store, as brands tend to sell clothes that work together. Ask the store assistants to advise you on what items they recommend pairing, and then consider buying an entire outfit (for example a skirt, jacket and coordinating shirt, or tie and shirt for men). Brands also tend to sell clothes that go with their previous seasons so you'll find matching last year's work clothes with this year's easier if you stick to a few favourite stores.

Keep shoes neat

Shoeboxes may protect your shoes from getting damaged, but they make it hard to find what you're looking for each morning. Try visiting a storage shop for some clever shoe-storage ideas, such as shoe racks or clear shoeboxes for easy selecting. Or try taking a photo of each pair of shoes and tape it to the front of the shoebox. Knowing what you've got means you'll wear all your shoes more often rather than just grab the pair you wore yesterday because you're short on time.

Tips for a better work/life balance

Work, kids, social and family commitments … are they all getting on top of you? Then it's time to take a step back and put some balance into your life.

Read our top tips for getting your work and home life stress-free and back on the right track.

Look after your health
Your health should always be your number one priority. If you're not in top shape both mentally and physically, it will affect all areas of your life. Stress is one of the biggest causes of poor health. To combat this, get enough sleep, eat regularly and choose healthy options, take time out for relaxation, and exercise at least three times a week.

Take time out for yourself
As much as your work and family takes priority in your life, it's important that you schedule "me time". Taking just one hour, once a week to do something for yourself can do wonders for your wellbeing — and your relationships and career will benefit too.

It doesn't need to be a visit to a day spa (although that's a great idea!) — take a novel to the park and enjoy the outdoors, play a round of golf, visit the gym or go for a long, relaxing walk ... just make sure you get away from it all and give your mind a chance to wander.

Manage your time
Learn how to use your time more effectively — both at work and home. Poor time management can result in a loss of hours and contribute greatly to your stress levels. Enrol in a time management course or implement some simple time management techniques:

• create to-do lists and prioritise tasks,
• avoid time wasters like surfing the Web and e-mail,
• share the load (both at work and home wherever you can),
• set yourself time limits and boundaries.

Learn to say "no"
Taking on too many tasks can be to your detriment. Learn to say no to things when there's too much on your plate. This applies to both work and personal events/tasks. Rather than feeling guilty, you'll learn that saying "no" can be really empowering.

Separate work and family life
Australia may be a laid-back nation but as workers, we are working longer and longer hours. And many of us are "addicted to work" and failing to separate our working life from our family life. Is this you?

Learn to turn off the laptop after hours and resist checking your e-mails at all hours of the day and night. Ideally the minute you leave the office, you should leave your working life behind. For many this isn't possible, but be sure to give yourself plenty of "unplugged" time during your weekends and nights — that means no laptop, no e-mail and no mobile phone.

Find a flexible employer
Searching for a new position? More and more employers these days are catering for a more flexible workplace. Look for options like flexible hours, working from home, job sharing, onsite childcare facilities and family-friendly offices.

Use up your annual leave
Most of us are allowed four weeks or more annual leave a year, but rarely take it. Remember, it's there for a reason — to provide you with some much needed R&R.

Take a career break
If work's getting too much and your health's really suffering, taking time out to think about your career and what really matters in your life could be the perfect solution. Use up any outstanding annual leave or enquire about leave without pay. Take a short sabbatical and use the time wisely to evaluate your goals and life plan.