Too hot to exercise?

As most people know, I teach a couple of diet and exercise classes at the Holiday Inn in Leicester City centre on a Monday evening. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far and I think we could all be forgiven for wondering whether exercise was a good idea. We opted out of doing normal aerobics but instead decided to do chair exercises and toning. We all got a good workout and our muscles

When confidence is key

Last evening I was asked to speak at a Model Show held in Loughborough Town Hall in Leicestershire. It was organised by the local modelling school – the Pat Keeling Model Agency – and the event was being held in aid of the charity STEPS Conductive Education Centre in Leicestershire, of which I am Patron. The event was supported by Next, John Lewis, Adams and George.The theatre was full and 130

Being Thankful.

This week has been the first ever Step it up for Steps Week for STEPS Conductive Education Centre in Shepshed, Leicestershire. The aim was to raise the profile of the amazing work, and shout about the benefits derived by the children, who have motor disorders such as Down syndrome or cerebral palsy, who attend STEPS for conductive education therapy.Yesterday was our big Open Day at the STEPS

Losing weight is a choice.

The weight we are is a direct result of choices we have made: how much and what we eat, how active we are and whether or not we take regular exercise.If we are going to lose weight we need to eat less than our body needs for a while so that the body uses some of its excesses (body fat) to make up the shortfall of calories that it needs to carry out its everyday functions. If we step up our

Why I love the sunshine!

Today looks as though it is going to be a sunny day. That’s good for all of us because it lifts our spirits and makes us want to go outside, cycle to work, walk the children to school instead of driving them, do some jobs in the garden, wash the paintwork down – anything that enables us to be in the warmth of the sun yet putting our time to good use. Great! We can get a bit fitter without

Getting The Balance Right

We spend a third of our time asleep, a third of our time at work and the remaining third to enjoy leisure pursuits as well as looking after our homes, families and ourselves. The trouble is that the only bit that is flexible is our own time as if we don’t keep the hours at work we get fired, and if we don’t sleep we get exhausted and can’t function. The consequence of this is that, if we’re not

Step it up for Steps week

STEPS Conductive Education Centre in Leicestershire helps children aged from birth to five years who are born with celebral palsy, Down syndrome or other motor dysfunctions. It is a fantastic facility, offered free to families of these very special children. The conductive education, based on the principles created by the Peto Institute in Hungary, enables the children to progress physically and

Are the BBC really axing Arlene Phillips from Strictly Come Dancing?

When I heard on the radio this morning that the BBC are considering dropping Arlene Phillips in favour of Alesha Dixon, I was shocked! Now, I know this news doesn’t compare with the significance of the elections in Iran or the global financial crisis BUT it is important to millions of viewers of one of the most popular and positive entertainment programmes shown on television.When Strictly Come

Why is exercise is so good for us?

Every year I run two Rosemary Conley Weeks – one at Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and one in Lech, Austria. They are both quite different but both are extremely rewarding as with each week, the guests are able to completely relax and enjoy beautiful surroundings and at the same time learn a great deal about diet and fitness. They are able to eat healthy low fat food that is prepared for them and

Are Ready Meals Good For Us?

Yesterday I was invited to visit Saladworks – a company within the Samworth Brothers Group of companies here in Leicestershire. Samworth Brothers is a family company that have grown and developed over the last hundred years or so years to become the largest employer in Leicestershire with a workforce of some 5000 staff locally with a further 2000 employed in Cornwall. They have several factories

How Fitness Can Be Fun!

Last Saturday our staff organised a charity bike ride around Rutland Water to raise funds for a charity that we support called Steps Conductive Education Centre Leicestershire. Over the next few months they are planning to cycle the equivalent distance to the perimeter of the British Isles – some 2,775 Miles. Overall , they hope to raise around £10,000 for Steps. Click here to view the

The Inspiration of a Successful Slimmer

Yesterday we had one of our photoshoots for my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness. Four delightful women, with ages ranging from 23 to 49, travelled to our offices in Quorn in Leicestershire for a very exciting day. Their weight losses varied from two stone to six-and-a-half stone and every one of them was an inspiration and brings to life the reason I do the job that I do.As I sit behind

Diet trail

At the moment I am trialling a new diet for a book I am currently writing which will be published in the new year. As with previous diet trials that I have undertaken, I asked BBC Radio Leicester if they would allow me to ask for volunteers, plus we contacted local GP surgeries to see if doctors wanted to put their overweight patients on my new plan, and lots have.I spend most of my life meeting

Extreme calorie burning!

Five years ago my husband, Mike, walked to the North Pole to raise funds for an African charity. He was part of a 15-or-so strong team of mostly men but also a few women. For the weeks and months prior to the unaided trek, (ie no dogs, no transport) Mike spent many an hour walking around our field with a massive lorry tyre, attached to ropes, harnessed to his waist which he dragged behind him in

Losing weight is harder as we get older

Every Monday evening I teach a couple of classes at the Holiday Inn in Leicester. I have been teaching my classes there since 1986 and around 15 or so of my members have been coming to me since then and some of those women are now well into their seventies.What I find so rewarding is that this special band of folk are fit and able, and their bodies are serving them well plus they have good

Why I love Marks & Spencer

I have always respected Marks & Spencer as a brand that represents quality and service. The staff are always pleasant and there is a no-quibble returns policy which makes shopping for clothes significantly easier. (I hate trying things on in shops and much prefer to do it in the peace and quiet of home when I can try on various shoes and jewellery to see if they look right and suitable for me as

Why there is nothing better than working for yourself

We started Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs in 1993 and the decision to run the company as a franchise was considered the best option for everyone. We wanted our classes to be run by professionals who wanted a career in diet and fitness, not just a part-time job, who would be committed to their members and promote our ‘healthy eating combined with exercise’ message. We considered that if a

Making the effort on holiday!

We have been in Portugal for the last couple of weeks. The first week was holiday and the second was work-based as we have had our annual Think Tank. Our fellow directors fly out to join us for an enjoyable time together when we can mull over, discuss in detail and think outside the box for the future of the business, and decide where we are going to place our priorities over the next twelve

When the going gets tough!

When we embark on a weight loss and fitness campaign we have big ambitions of achieving significant results quickly. In fact, the first three days of a diet are the easiest because there is a novelty element and the excitement of having a goal. We know where we are aiming and we know it will all be worth the effort in the end. After day three it gets tougher and we start missing certain foods, we

Rosemary's daily activity challenge is a HIT!

You may or may not be aware that for the last six weeks or so I have been Twittering. Over that time I have gathered a variety of new friends who have been following my daily life with encouragement, interest and inspiration and it has been fun. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just click on this to read my tweets on twitter.com/rosemaryYesterday was the first day of June and I thought

The key to success

I was sad to hear that Susan Boyle had been admitted to a private clinic in London as she is suffering from stress and exhaustion. And I’m not a bit surprised. How anybody could cope with the expectation, pressure and extraordinary events resulting from Britain’s Got Talent over the last week is beyond me but for someone who normally lives alone with just her cat for company, it is a miracle she