Cure those end-of-summer blues

Back to work and squeezed into the daily commute, those lazy days by the beach may feel as if they happened eons ago, but experts believe the first few weeks after a summer holiday are crucial to your health and fitness. Slipping back into bad old habits - eating the wrong food, getting stressed and depressed too easily - undoes all the benefits a great summer holiday would have left you with.

So we've created an indispensable guide to surviving the postholiday come-down, designed to keep you fit and happy well into the autumn...

Do your in-flight exercises at your desk

DVT is not just related to flying. Sit in one position for extended periods of time anywhere - in the office, on a train or in a car - and you risk deep vein thrombosis. Make sure you have a good stretch, shake your arms and legs and try to walk around at least once an hour if you have to spend long periods in a sedentary position.

Garlic with everything

Just half a clove of garlic a day can reduce blood pressure by as much as 12 per cent. The allium family - which includes garlic, onions, chives, leeks and shallots - contains a mix of chemicals with immunity-boosting, anticancer, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-blood-clotting, cholesterol lowering and digestive-enhancing properties. Add these flavourings to your cooking on a regular basis.

Wear body-conscious clothes

The bikinis, swimming trunks, shorts and skimpy T-shirts that we wear on holiday make us much more aware of our body shape. In fact, recent research showed that exercisers who wore fitted clothing were likely to work out up to 20 per cent harder and longer than their baggy clothed contemporaries. Personal trainer Paula Nicholls says: "I advise all my clients - even if they do it only at home - to wear fitted clothes most of the time. That way, they are forced to think about their shape and notice when they're starting to put on weight."

Go heavy on the tomatoes

It's tomatoes with everything in the Mediterranean - which may partly explain why their rates of heart disease are so much lower than ours in the UK. Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene - an antioxidant that has been shown to help prevent cancer - and cooking them for 30 minutes boosts their lycopene levels by 35 per cent. So load up on tomato-based soup, pasta sauces and ketchup.

Eat more salad

"Salads are a great way of helping you get your recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables," says nutrition scientist Brigid McKevith, of the British Nutrition Foundation. "Packed with fibre, which is vital for a healthy digestive system, aim to have a salad as or with at least one meal a day, using at least three different salad ingredients for a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Another good way of eating more salad is to add tomato, cucumber or lettuce to sandwiches."

Hold you tummy in

You did it on the beach - now keep up the good work at home. "Keeping your tummy muscles pulled in is essential for good posture and core stability," says personal trainer Nicholls. "It will help prevent back problems and even massage the internal organs, improving digestion." Holding your tummy in while breathing normally is harder than it sounds, however, so practise for 10-second bursts at first - extend the time gradually until it comes naturally.

Grill your food

Barbecued shrimp, fish, steaks, lobster and chicken are holiday favourites, so make a resolution to grill or griddle more food back home. "Grilling removes excess fat from foods and adds enough texture and flavour to help you avoid sugar and fat-packed sauces," says nutrition scientist Brigid McKevith. "Steaming or microwaving vegetables is also thought to be healthier than boiling, as both methods destroy fewer vitamins."

Carry water with you

You were never without a bottle of water on holiday, so now make sure you keep one with you at all times at home. "Our bodies' thirst cue is quite weak," says Brigid McKevith, nutrition scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation, "which can mean we spend a lot of the time mildly dehydrated. Dehydration leads to poor concentration, headaches and can affect the kidneys and bowel movements." Water also helps the body to glean essential nutrients from food, so carry a small bottle with you and try to get through at least two litres a day.

Linger over lunch

Sit down and eat slowly. A snatched sandwich at your desk or eating on the run can be bad for your health, according to recent French research which found that eating under stress could cause blood cholesterol levels to rise by as much as 200 per cent. Stress slows the rate at which fats are broken down, causing them to remain in the bloodstream longer.

Go barefoot

"After a hard day at work, walking barefoot around the house without the constriction of tight shoes or heels helps to keep feet supple and allows the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle to lengthen," says Nicholls. "It can also contribute to relaxation, as you'll feel much more grounded barefoot."

Go sightseeing

We may live in one of the great capitals of the world, but how much of it do you actually see? "Taking the same route to work, going to the same bar or restaurant - routine can be mind-numbing," says psychotherapist Alix Needham. "Sharpen up your mood and brain by being a tourist every so often. Go to a part of London or area you barely know, a new shopping centre or place to eat."