Out of shape?  Stressed out?  Here's an easy program to help you change your mind - and body - in just 28 days.

Most people approach change with a wariness that is almost debilitating in itself. When it comes to physical activity, there can be so many distractions that Sunday night's resolution to walk every morning soon transposes into Friday night guilt. If you suspect that the only way you will ever build a regular pattern of being physical is to go to a spa for a week and start afresh, think again. The best way to change your attitude is to change your behaviour one step at a time.

At a spa, your daily routine might go like this: wake to the sound of birdsong; do an hour's tai chi; power-walk through a rainforest; eat a breakfast of muesli, fruit & yoghurt; have a facial; eat a lunch of fresh vegetable soup with grain bread; play water volleyball; have a massage; eat a dinner of steamed fish and rice salad; stroll to the top of a hill to gaze at the star-studded sky.

At home, your daily routine might go more like this: wake to the shrill sound of the alarm; scurry around to get yourself and the kids out of the house; grab a piece of toast and a coffee for breakfast; drive to school and on to the day's work; eat a few biscuits for a morning pick-you-up; more work; a late lunch of a chicken and mayonnaise sandwich; four more hours of work to get it all done; drive home; throw together a spaghetti bolognaise; watch TV and collapse into bed.

The facts are, most of us don't have the time or the money to spend a week at a spa, and a spa lifestyle just isn't realistic at home. However, being overwhelmed by a hectic schedule leaves little time to transform your life into one you feel good about.

A healthy diet, moderate physical activity and plenty of sleep are essential for maintaining all-day energy and plenty of sleep are essential for maintaining all-day energy and long-term health. Lack of physical activity is one of the most accountable factors in obesity, heart disease and osteoporosis. These are landmines to our health.

"Active For Life" is the new adage, and the aim should be to engage in a minimum of three 30 minute sessions (not all at once!) of moderate physical activity a week. Only 20 per cent of the population manages to make it to specific places at specific times to take part in organised exercise. It's often just too difficult to stick to. Never forget you're in life for the long haul - it's a marathon, not a sprint.

The key to changing the way you care for yourself and your body is to exchange negative behaviours for positive ones, a negative attitude for a positive one. Changes will follow. Reflect on how you treat yourself and your body, and ways in which you can improve this. By taking it one step at a time, you can make a real difference to how you look and feel in just four weeks.

Mind / Body Health & How to Get It

Day One
This is time for you.  Think about how you feel.  Knowing you have four weeks to take the steps towards change, take a close look at your life and decide where you will be able to commit time for yourself.  Finding 30 minutes in easy if you plan ahead a little.  Remember it is only for a minimum of three days each week (or up to five days a week if you're really keen - just double up on some of the work-outs listed).

Before You Begin
Exercise based on the PRE scale will only be successful if you're honest with yourself. If you cheat on your exertion levels, you're only cheating yourself.

It is advisable that you consult your doctor before you begin any new health programme.

Always spend five minutes warming up and cooling down when you exercise to prevent muscle injury. This can be as simple as walking on the spot, extending your arms and legs.

Activities such as stepping and running should be avoided if you have a history of knee problems, and caution should be taken with certain abdominal activities and running if you have a history of back injury.

Just Three Simple Steps...
Following are the three elements to this month-long program, plus training instructions:
 

Read the suggested exercise sessions for each element, then refer to the table to see how they can be incorporated into a weekly program.  Your Perceived Rate of Exertion (P.R.E.) Level will gradually increase over time.

Element One:  Aerobic Endurance
Undertake 30 minutes of continual aerobic exercise that can be maintained at a perceived rate of exertion (PRE) of 11-13 and which uses legs, back and arm muscles. We have included four work-out sessions from this element in the weekly programme: the pool; home circuit; favoured activity; walking & variations. If not all of these suit your lifestyle, you can mix and substitute to suit. But do try to ensure you are not doing the same session for days in a row.

We offer the highest qualified personal trainers in Perth, with a wide variety of expertise including weight management, resistance training, postural correction, exercise rehabilitation, sports specific training, and intense cardiovascular sessions.

Aerobic session one: the pool
A 50m pool is assumed. Warm up with two laps of easy breaststroke followed by two laps of freestyle. Now run in the water to the 25m mark (drive your legs forward and lift knees high). Next, swim freestyle at a PRE of 13 for the remaining 25m. Breaststroke back to the shallow end (use this lap to recover). Now, back at the shallow end, position yourself facing the wall with your hands up on the pool edge. Use your arms and legs to jump up and straighten your arms, supporting all your body weight on the edge. Hold for three seconds then lower yourself back down. Do 10 repetitions. Repeat this complete set four times. Try not to stop between activities. Use a kickboard to do a freestyle kick to the 25m mark, again at PRE of 13, then change over to breaststroke kick for the remaining 25m. Repeat twice. Cool down with two easy laps of the stroke of your choice.

Aerobic session two: home circuit
You'll need:
- a skipping rope
- light weights or soup cans
- two broomsticks
- your favourite upbeat music
- a watch.

The following six exercises make up the Home Circuit. Some require set-up so do this before you get started. Choose the most spacious room in your house, garage or backyard.

Aerobic session three: favoured activity
Choose any activity you know you enjoy, or that you can do with a friend or your children. Try to maintain a PRE of 14-15 throughout the session.

Choose from: touch football, tennis, golf, squash, a personal training session, horse riding, a walk in the park, bike riding, rollerblading.

Aerobic session four: walking & variations
Variations include soft-sand walking, steep-hill walking, step-ups on a park bench, or stairs and lunges. Before beginning walking or variations, warm-up with basic stretches.

For walking, choose a route that takes you over5 mostly flat surfaces. Walk for 15 minutes from your home base, at a PRE of 11-13. Find some stairs, and on the right leg, do 30 repetitions of one step at a time, then 30 reps of two steps at a time (focus on straightening the leg on the step completely before stepping down). Lastly, do 30 reps of one step at a time as fast as you can. Repeat on the left leg then rest for 30 secs, then repeat cycle in full.

Turn for home, walking for 10 minutes. Find a fence or railing (not absolutely necessary) and do 10 lunges on each leg, then repeat. The lunge technique is important. Four good tips to remember are:
- Take a very large step forward to get into the starting position. One hand on your hip, the other on the railing or fence.
- Point your back toe so that your rear heel remains off the ground at all times.
- Slowly lower your back knee until it touches the ground. Return to starting position. (You must be able to see the toe of your front foot at all times. If you can't it means your centre of gravity is too far forward).
- Always keep your head up and your hips parallel. Cool down by walking the last five minutes home at a nice, easy pace. Once home, complete the session with basic stretches.

Element Two:  Stress Busters
Stress buster one: breathing
Oxygen is energy. By taking small, short breaths, you're denying your body the oxygen it needs to stay alert. Sit up tall and place your hands over your navel. Breathe deeply through your nose, using your breath to push your stomach into your hands, then release the breath through your mouth. Use a simple reminder - eg take three long breaths every time you get off the phone - to jog your memory.

Stress buster two: attitude change 1
Identify one negative attitude you want to change.  Let's say you're in a job you don't like. As yourself how you'd act if you had your dream job. Would you start earlier? Put in more effort? Smile more? Do these things for one week. They won't change your job but they'll improve the way you feel.

Stress buster three: attitude change 2 
Identify another attitude you want to change...and add it to the first. For example, if you feel grumpy as soon as you wake up, fill the bathroom basin with warm water and a few drops of lavender oil. Wet a face cloth and hold it to your face three or four times. Splash your face with cool water, make a glass of fresh juice and put on your favourite piece of music. Spend 15 minutes sitting in a quiet place with dim lights, simply breathing. Take long, deep breaths and allow your mind to acknowledge how your body feels.

Stress buster four: reflection journal
Write down five good things that have happened to you that day. It may be as simple as being grateful for your friendships, or that you did all the ironing, or that you rang someone you have been meaning to call for ages. Then take time to reflect upon the day.

Stress buster five: time out
Do something that gives you time out for 30 minutes. Read a book, have a candlelit bath, or sit outside in the summer breeze and listen to the noises of the night.

Element Three:  Posture
Helium Head
Think helium head, not air head! In other words, pretend your head is filled with helium and is floating straight upwards. This tricks you into adjusting your body accordingly. Since your head weighs 4.5 to 5.4 kilograms, it pays to have it properly positioned. Make time to think about this good posture trick, eg whenever you stand up. Practice in front of the mirror.

Pelvis Under
Stand in a relaxed position, knees slightly bent. Place one hand on your pelvic bone below the belly button and the other on your tail bone. Push your tail under, feeling the change in position with both hands. Squeeze your lower abdominals to assist. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat five times.

Shoulders Back
Stand at ease. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat 10 times. Maintain your lower body posture throughout.

Stand at Ease
Your body doesn't have to be as stiff as a board. Stand with your feet about 30cm apart. Balance your weight evenly on each foot and keep knees straight but unlocked.

Lower abdominals
Try these exercises to strengthen your abdominals, which will also help improve your posture. Place your hands under the small of your back, and press your spine towards the floor, squashing your hands. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax then repeat five times. Lie with knees bent, hands under the small of your back. Slowly lift one knee towards your chest. Keep your back flat and hands squashed at all times. Bring the second leg up to join the first and then slowly lower one leg at a time. NB: Keep back flat when lowering your legs down to the floor. Lie on your stomach and rest on bent elbows, forearms and palms touching the floor to support your shoulders. Press your hips into the floor. Relax. Bottom should tilt the pelvis. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax repeat five times.

Sitting posture
Always sit on the edge of a chair (rather than right back in it), legs uncrossed, feet flat. Tilt your hips forward and ensure your shoulders are back and down.

Be body aware
Catch yourself when you are stooping or your shoulders and back are slumped. Stand and adjust your posture.

P.R.E. Scale (Perceived Rate of Exertion)

The perceived level of exertion (PRE) scale is a great way to measure how hard you are physically exerting yourself.

So, unless you have a history of heart disease, you don't need to take your pulse during physical activity to find out if you're in your aerobic training range.

Just picture a scale of 6-20 and judge how hard you feel you're working.  If you're somewhere around it, you're more than likely in the right range.

By Katie Stewart & Darienne Sutton.  This article first appeared in Australian Good Taste magazine in January 1999.