Today's health tip

Taking part in sport or just getting physically active will help you burn off excess calories and maintain your body weight. It will also help reduce your risk of many diseases, such as heart disease.

But remember to check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme, particularly if you haven't exercised for some time.


What to eat Eating a healthy balanced diet will provide you with all the nutrients you need to take part in your favourite sport or activity. This means eating a wide variety of foods, see Nutrition essentials for how to get the balance right.

If you take part in a sport regularly, perhaps you're a member of a club or team, or a regular at your local gym, then the best way to get the most out of your sport is to:


be the right weight for your height

drink plenty of fluids

eat enough carbohydrate to keep you going during exercise

eat plenty of wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables and moderate amountsof milk, yoghurt and cheese, lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and pulses

eat enough food for your level of activity. If you eat too little then you won't be able to keep up your exercise levels

Timing of meals around workouts is just as important as what you eat if you want to keep your energy levels up. For the first two hours after exercise, muscles can refuel their glycogen stores twice as fast as normal so it's important to eat carbohydrate-containing foods as soon as possible after a workout or exercise session.

Are you using sport to help you Get Moving to Health. Let us know which foods work for you - tell us in the comment box below