Motivational fitness tips, from a Chelsea Pensioner
14th January 2019
January is a time for resolutions, new gym memberships and diets. As we find ourselves at the start of National Obesity Week, we share some top tips from Chelsea Pensioner, Paul Whittick, to help sustain your fitness regime.

“Start slow and work up gradually”
“Staying fit prepares you for old age” Paul says, “It’s easy if you do it regularly, but you need to start gently and take it slowly. Twenty minutes a day is plenty to begin with. Work up to everything you do. You need discipline but just doing it will benefit everyone.”
There are simple ways you can improve your fitness, wherever you are, says Paul, “If I can’t make it to the gym I exercise in my berth. I take the stairs, not the lift, and I walk rather than taking the bus.”
Avoiding junk food is important too. Paul chooses fish, vegetables and fruit “for sweetness without the sugar” and drinks plenty of water.
But Paul believes there’s more to staying healthy than diet and exercise: “A sense of humour is great medicine and so is being social.” He notices the difference companionship makes to newly-arrived Chelsea Pensioners, who may have been living isolated lives for years: “When they arrive they’re very quiet, but after six months, you see the real person come out. We look after each other here.”