It is something I hear all too often, “I’ve left it too late”, “there is no point starting now” or “it isn’t good idea to start at my age I may hurt myself”, the list could go on. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s never too late to begin or restart exercising and whatever your age exercise is fantastic benefit to the body and mind. The NHS guidelines suggests that everyone should be doing at least 150 minutes of moderate activity every week. The easiest way to achieve this is do something every day for at least 10 minutes. If you do 30 minutes five days a week you will be able to meet the guidelines. This is the minimum amount so don’t stop if you feel you can do more! To achieve the moderate activity threshold, you will need to do activities that raise your heart rate. Examples of activities that you can do include brisk walking, water aerobics, riding a bike or mowing the lawns. In addition to these activities it is also recommended that you “work your muscles” by doing activities such as weight training, carrying heavy loads and gardening, for example digging, would put your muscles under load. A simple change that everyone can make is to try and sit less. Many people spend large periods of the day sitting, for some it is up to 10 hours every day. Whether it be watching the TV, at the computer, driving, reading or listening to music most of the time people are sat whilst doing them. If these are common activities for you and you are aware that you spend long periods of time not moving the key is to try to get up and walk about regularly. Ideally every 15 minutes or so but try not to go longer than 60 minutes without getting up. Some of the activities that you sit to do may be able to be done whilst standing or even walking around, such as making a phone call. One of my focus’ when I train people is lifting weights and being able to lift themselves. This is something that can seem incredibly daunting to some people. Not only that but there is a common misconception that it isn’t beneficial to start lifting weights. But as the joints and muscles start to ache this is exactly the time to make sure you use them and keep or make them stronger. Muscles support your skeleton and joints, if they deteriorate and weaken the chances are your posture and general mobility will reduce. Weight lifting is proven to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and preserve bone density. As well as reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, arthritis and type 2 diabetes. Not only this but it can also improve sleep and reduce depression. All of which I think we would all like to improve or reduce the chances of them happening or worsening. It’s never too late to start doing more and trying something new like lifting weights so why not give it a go. If you are unsure or want to make sure it is suitable for you to get started it is recommended that you discuss it with your doctor and you may also want some guidance from a fitness professional to get you started and moving in the right direction. The benefits are numerous, make a start and get ready to feel better on the inside and out don’t let age be a reason to stop you. 1. Get up and move throughout the day 2. Do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week 3. Work your muscles by doing weight bearing activities 4. Be prepared to try something new Thanks for reading, until the next time...
Vicki x
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The festive season is full of parties, food and alcohol and although it is the time to be merry it may be worth taking a few measures to ensure our waistbands don’t expand to the size of Santa Claus! No one wants those post-Christmas blues because they have put on a few extra pounds so try these neat tricks to stay on top. By making a few good choices when you have a tipple or have a meal you can maintain a reasonable calorific income. 1. Alcohol: Spirits with a mixer or prosecco rather than wine and beer. Drink lots of water during this time. 2. Nibbles and Starters: go for the nuts and fruits when snacking. Look for the protein and salads for starters and try and avoid the bread. 3. Main Course: The trimmings are the bit that can tip the scales in terms of calories. So focus on the protein of the meal, for most the chirstmas turkey and then have lots of vegetables (especially the carrots, sprouts and swede). There is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy every part of your Christmas dinner just keep a check on how much you are having, portion control goes a long way on keeping the calories in check. 4. Desert: you can either go for the healthy option, such as fruit, give it a miss, share with a friend or plan the meals at which you intend to have whatever desert you want. 5. Keep moving, it’s easy to go from one place to another always sitting down, from the car journey to the relatives house, why not meet in a park or at a local nature reserve so everyone gets some fresh air and exercise. Christmas party games are another great way to keep active. 6. Short workouts. Don’t let a lack of time be your reason for not working out over the festive season. If you can’t make your usual 1 hour sessions try and complete a 20 minute high intensity workout. 7. Get walking. You’ve finished your Christmas dinner and you want to sit in front of the tv, get up, out on your gloves, hat and scarf and go for a walk, that sit down afterwards will feel even more deserved after stretching your legs. 8. Stop eating when you are full. It’s so easy to over indulge and have ginormous plates of food at this time of year but you should still stop when you feel full. 9. Don’t skip meals. Even though you may know that you will be having a more extravagant meal than usual don’t send your body into starvation mode because you know you are going to eat later on in the day. Also try to eat slowly so your body realises when it is full. 10. Drink a glass of water. Before a meal and when drinking alcohol a great way to reduce the amount that you are eating and reducing dehydration is to have a glass of water. 11. Portion control. Try to not overeat. Often you can make good choices but eat much more than usual and that alone can stack on the pounds. Quality not quantity. 12. Go for a run or a cycle ride. Hopefully this will help you enjoy your Christmas parties and Christmas dinner a little bit more this year safe in the knowledge that you are more likely to feel good going into the New Year. As always, please get in touch if you need any help formulating a plan of action... Vicki :) I’m sure that many of you will have heard the term “core” before. Some of you may know what it is, some may know how you use yours and others have no idea at all. I’m going to take a look at why it is important that we all know what it is and how we work it.
What is our “core”? When we talk about our “core” we are referring to the muscles in our torso, generally people think of their stomach muscles and lower back. Specifically, the major muscles included are the pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae (sacrospinalis) especially the longissimus thoracis, and the diaphragm. Minor core muscles include the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, and trapezius. In summary the core involves many muscles some are superficial and can be seen on the surface and others are muscles that lie deep within our torso, it is important to be aware of this when looking to strengthen and engage your core. It isn’t just about bracing your “6-pack”. When do we use our core? - Daily tasks: from housework to gardening, every time you bend, lift, twist or carry something your core will be involved. - Sports: from walking to running, racquet sports to cycling, swimming to golf, you will be using your core to do so. If your core is weak you may find it difficult to do certain movements or improve technique. You may experience pain whilst performing these activities such as lower back pain, if you find this it is worthwhile checking how strong you core is and if you are engaging your core correctly whilst performing that activity. - Posture: in order to stand tall with good posture you need to ensure you engage your core muscles and that they are strong and working correctly and effectively. If you find that you have bad posture it may be because you have weak core muscles. How to engage it In simple terms, you should take a big breath and then you want to try and imagine that you are pulling your tummy button towards your spine at the same time as ‘drawing up’ from the pelvic floor. If you are unsure about how it feels to engage the pelvic floor imagine you want to stop yourself from going to the toilet. Think of the action as ‘hollowing’ out your tummy area rather than just bracing your abs. Some find it quite challenging to get the hang of but once you’ve got it, it is invaluable for all movements whether it be day to day or exercise. There are a number of tests that can be carried out to assess core function. If you would like to find out how well your core functions, get in touch. Exercises to strengthen your core Here are some exercises that you could try at home (seek professional advice if you have any medical issues or are unsure how to carry them out) Plank Lie face down on the floor with feet together and forearms on the ground. Draw abs in and tighten glutes. Lift entire body off the ground until it forms a straight line from head to toe, resting on forearms and toes. Hold. Slowly return body to the ground, keeping chin tucked and back flat. If your lower back starts to ache, or you are dropping or raising your hips out of position either make it easier by dropping down to your knees or rest before trying again. Time how long you can hold it for and try and improve each time you do it. Bicycle kicks Lie on back with legs extended and hands folded across chest. Pull right knee in toward chest while twisting left shoulder toward right knee. Return to starting position and repeat with other knee and shoulder. Bird Dog Balance on hands and knees. Lift right leg and left arm, extending right leg to the rear and reaching forward with left arm. Hold. Repeat with opposite arm and leg. Hopefully that gives you a little more understanding of your core and how important it is. Any questions please get in touch. Vicki :) When people want to get in shape it can often be a challenge to get started. It can be even more difficult to make working out a routine habit. There are many ways to try and make a change but I am going to focus on one potential solution. Getting yourself a training partner.
Boredom, loneliness and lack of knowledge are some of the reasons that stop people doing regular exercise sessions. As I have said before consistency is key and if these factors affect you then chances are you won’t stick with your routine for long (if you even have one!). In an ideal world a training partner would be working towards the same sort of goals but there is no reason they cannot have different goals to yourself. Couples can often have different goals but still make a good team. You can complete similar or different workouts but having someone on a journey of their own whilst you are on yours will make it seem far less daunting. So talk to people around you and see if someone else is ready to commit to getting the results that they want. This may be your partner, friend or work colleague, if you already go to the gym you may find someone there looking for the same as you. Advantages of having a training partner
Tips for success
So now you know the benefits it’s time to find a partner. Come up with a plan and execute it together and see the results. Happy training! Vicki x People so often look to make changes to their lifestyles. It's easy to get out of the habit of exercise and healthy eating routines become out of sync from the norm. This time of year is a great opportunity to take a look at your current routines and see what changes you can make to see an improvement in your health and fitness over the following months. Consistency One of the most important things in order to improve your health and fitness is to be consistent. It can be tempting to try something for a few days and then go on to try something new. But the key for success to be consistent with each thing that you do. So you may introduce something to your routine and a few days later add something else but it is vital that you maintain the first thing that you started too. To see if something is working will usually take a reasonable period of time, it is rarely the case that you will see changes overnight but stick with it and the changes can be massive. That is the general principle and I will now give you some examples of the sorts of changes that you can make.
These are just a few ways in which you can make changes to your lifestyle, you may want to just make one change or several changes to each aspect for a healthy lifestyle, whatever you choose to do remember to be consistent, stick with it and ask for help if you need it. Thanks for reading! Vicki x Water is great for your health. From drinking it to swimming in it. It should be part of our daily lives. The health benefits are for all ages, young, old and everyone in between. Health benefits of swimming Low impact: less impact through the joints, allowing for greater intensity without the wear and tear on the joints. It is particularly helpful if you are recovering from injury or suffer from arthritis. Good for your cardiovascular system: swimming with your face under water allows your body to adapt to using oxygen more efficiently. The results can include lower resting heart rates, lower blood pressure and improved performance in other sports such as running. Improves endurance: the more efficiently your body can use oxygen and the stronger your body gets the more performance your body with have when participating in endurance sports such as running. Improves flexibility: the swimming strokes can get you moving in ways that you wouldn’t normally do in day to day life. This can make it tough to start with but will soon help improve your flexibility and get you moving more freely. Reduces the risk of illness: taking up swimming can reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Everyone can do it: as long as you are actually able to swim no one is restricted. Whether you are recovering from an injury, a triathlete, a pregnant or new mum swimming is a great workout. Stress release: as with all exercise the lift of mood that can come from completing a workout can be hugely beneficial. Boosting your mood and reducing your stress levels. An exercise for life: swimming is one of the few skills you learn for life (and why it is so important that everyone takes the time to learn) not only could it save your life one day it can open up many experiences in life. Ever wanted to swim with dolphins or go snorkelling or jet skiing? Being able to swim will allow you to try such an experience should the opportunity arise. It’s never too late to learn As someone who has taught people to swim I know how important it is. It is a life skill and something that you can pass on to your children. Ideally, you would learn to swim as a child and over all childhood hobbies I believe swimming should be prioritised as it could genuinely save your life one day. If you have reached adulthood and think it is too late I highly recommend you getting some lessons, you will be surprised how quickly you can pick up technique and be a competent swimmer before you know it. Not only would that allow you to work out by swimming it also helps when you are trying to keep up with your children Don’t fancy doing lengths at the pool Another way to get fitter in the water is aqua aerobics. You could do a class or even do some moves by yourself. Simply trying to walk in water is a challenge, give it a try next time you head to the pool. The resistance of the water really does create an environment for a great workout. Opening water swimming can be done all over the country, so if you are looking for a challenge or don’t want to be stuck in the pool go online and find your nearest location. Water safety Don’t forget that the water can be dangerous and should always be treated with respect, something to be aware of and perhaps go through with your children and grandchildren is the WATER SAFETY code. S pot the dangers, check for hazards before you enter any water and when out and about do not get too close to the edge of banks. A dvice should be followed. This includes reading signs that are situated around water, swimming only in safe zones, ideally with a lifeguard present and wearing safety equipment when appropriate. F riends, you should never swim alone and someone else should be aware of where you are swimming, if something should go wrong someone needs to be able to know where to look. E mergency. It is important to know what to do in an emergency situation, call 999 or 112, shout loudly to attract attention and make sure you never enter the water to save someone. As always, any questions please comment or get in touch. Vicki x You may be considering getting help to achieve your health and fitness goals, and looking into getting yourself a personal trainer. Many people may see the price of personal training sessions and think they are expensive. This is understandable but there are many advantages to getting yourself a good personal trainer. By taking a look at the reasons why people may need a personal trainer and what a P.T. can do may make the price tag seem better value for money than you first thought.
Why would you want or need a personal trainer and what can they do for you? 1. You are not seeing results from your current training. A trainer can look at your current exercise and dietary habits and help you make changes in order to achieve your goals effectively. 2. You don’t know what to do or where to start. They can help you determine goals, hold you accountable and motivate you. A personal trainer can give the knowledge needed to carry out complete and effective routines to achieve your goals. This knowledge is something you can potentially use for the rest of your training life and habits that will stay with you. 3. You find your current workouts boring. They can give you fresh ideas or reignite your interest in healthy living and training effectively to achieve the body that you want. 4. You want/like to be challenged. Motivation is extremely important. For example within a session if you have a trainer pushing you to do that extra rep and spotting you in a safe manner if you are lifting weights, the chances are you will get pushed harder than if you had trained by yourself. This in turn should also help give you greater strength and more confidence in your own abilities. 5. You want to learn and have the ability to work out on your own but lack the knowledge to do so. Once you get given this foundation of knowledge it gives you the freedom to be confident that you know how to start. 6. You need accountability and motivation to stay on track. You are much less likely to skip a workout if you have an appointment with a trainer, this can help you get into the routine of training making it easier to carry on if you stop having regular P.T. 7. You have a specific illness, injury or condition that needs to be addressed in some way. Training can be focused depending on the needs of the client. An injury or area of weakness can be focused on and improved. 8. You are training for a sport or event. Training can be designed to focus upon performance goals to achieve in a particular sport or event. 9. You want supervision and support while you train. Having someone able to observe and step in when needed whilst you train is useful as this is safe way to learn and check technique. Even with mirrors there can be certain techniques that can be difficult to pick up on by yourself, a good P.T. will constantly be checking and adjusting your position when necessary. 10. You want to be able to work out at home but need guidance in order to do it safely and effectively. A trainer can design and show you how to execute home workouts. Once again, gaining the knowledge to carry out workouts effectively. Having a personal trainer can mean different things to each individual. Where one person may be looking for a long term training mentor, others may just need a few sessions to keep them motivated and on track with their health and fitness goals. Knowledge is the key component to training and achieving results. There are many training packages available, personally I try and tailor them to an individuals needs. By offering different session lengths, the option of training with a friend so you can share the cost and being flexible helps make it more affordable for all. You can book a FREE consultation to discuss your requirements further. Vicki :) Many people who come to me want to look and feel better. Some have never done structured exercise before and others may have joined a gym at some point. Many also come under the umbrella of a yo-yo dieter. For some a quick fix is all they want, being able to get into the outfit for a special occasion. Most people ultimately want to achieve something that is going to last long term. A lifestyle to last a lifetime.
In order to look and feel good it is necessary to have a healthy lifestyle and for many this means making lifestyle changes. Two main areas to consider are diet and exercise. You need to have a good, balanced diet and exercise regularly and consistently. Healthy habits include drinking at least 2 litres of water every day, drinking little alcohol and removing processed food, in particular sugar, from your diet as much as possible. People are time poor. We now live in a fast food nation. Takeaways, fast food we can pick up on the go in petrol stations and corner shops, microwave meals to name just a few. The fact that people are time poor means turning to these options are becoming more common. People are trying to juggle all of their commitments, work and family, this is challenging and that is often why a healthy lifestyle can slip. But lack of time should not be used as an excuse! Planning and organisation is key, fail to plan, plan to fail. It is possible to achieve a healthier lifestyle if you apply some of these methods to your weekly routine. Planning and preparation Make a plan of what you are going to eat for the week ahead. This means you can write a shopping list and ensure that you have everything that you are going to need. It also allows for you to be prepared for potential mid-week shops knowing exactly what it is you need and when. Restocking on the items you need without the temptation of those you do not. It is also a good idea to plan preparation times, when you are able to cook and more importantly when you need to prepare in advance. If you are fortunate to be able to cook each meal fresh that’s great but chances are this is either rarely the case or at the very least will occur. The easiest way of having balanced and nutritious meals throughout the day is meal preparation. Cooking in bulk is a great time saver. Something that you can eat within a couple of days can be boxed up and put in the fridge ready to take when you need it. For some even preparing a couple of day’s food is not enough. You can also freeze meals that you have bulk prepared and then get them out of the freezer the night or morning before you want to eat them. If you are out all day preparation is especially important. Boxing up your meals (essentially a packed lunch) can ensure you don’t miss a meal. The problem if you don’t is you may end up grabbing fast food that you’d rather not eat or reaching the point of hunger and overeating because of that. If you go long periods of time without eating your blood sugar level, energy level and metabolism will drop and these are things that you want to try and avoid. Exercise The same amount of planning should go into your exercise routines. Decide when you are going to work out during the week ahead. What you are going to do for each workout and what your goals for the week ahead should all be considered. Being methodical and organised should keep you on track and potentially increase your enjoyment as you will be achieving goals each week. A feeling of satisfaction at the end of the week is a great motivator for wanting to keep going next week. Focusing on improvements and positive steps will lead you to a healthier lifestyle. Prepare, be organised and make it a lifestyle. Vicki :) With most people in sedentary jobs the amount of daily exercise that people are taking is in decline. A huge negative to our health. A simple and effective form of exercise is walking. A brisk walk can give you the benefits of going for a jog without the high impact on our joints.
Walking can be a great calorie burner. Increasing the intensity of walking to a brisk power walk you can burn the same number of calories as going for a jog, which can help you lose weight and improve your overall fitness. You can increase the amount of walking that you do within your normal working day.
Government guidelines recommend doing at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. This can be done in one session or split into 2 15 minute sessions. A good goal to set yourself is 10,000 steps every day. I would recommend that you get yourself a pedometer. “You can get many different types of pedometers, from an app that you can download on your phone to a dedicated piece of equipment such as a Fitbit. You may find that they are not 100% accurate but it will give you a good indication as to how active you are each day. See how many steps you do currently. Once you know that you can try and improve how many you take each week. As you can measure this it makes it easy to increase your steps, at first trying to reach the daily goal of 10,000 steps. Then try to improve the amount and intensity of the steps, such as going up stairs, climbing up hills or increasing your speed.” As well as trying to increase the amount of walking you do each day try and do 1-2 longer walks each week. Newbury and the surrounding areas is great for walking, we have country walks and urban paths to follow. If you are going on an untarmacked route then you may want to invest in some walking shoes. Uneven ground can put a greater strain through your foot and ankle, increasing the risk of injury, investing in some well supported walking boots is highly recommended before you start. 5 places to take a walk in Newbury and Thatcham
Take steps with a friend Another way of making walking more fun and challenging is to find a friend to do it with. Arrange to go for walks together, this will make you more likely to do it, especially when the weather isn’t sunny. You may want to set yourselves a step challenge. Try to beat each other with how many steps you do each day. A little competition between friends can really help motivate you to do more every day. So there you have it, an easy and effective way to improve your health that you can do every day. Dig out those walking shoes, get yourself a pedometer and get walking! Vicki :) Make time to reach for your toes!
Stretching is hugely beneficial to people of all ages, once again something that everyone would benefit from doing. You don’t necessarily need any equipment you just need to make the time to do it. You could do a simple stretching routine or perhaps give Pilates or yoga a try depending on your interests and experience. Many people may only start to do it when something starts to hurt but prevention is better than cure and who wouldn’t like to feel a little more flexible. Benefits of stretching There are four different types of stretching: ballistic, dynamic, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, and static stretching. I could bore you with the detail but let’s keep it simple. Everyone could incorporate some stretching into their daily routine here are some of the benefits that you may get should you start stretching regularly. Stretching can: 1. Improve flexibility 2. Reduce muscle soreness 3. Improve stamina and muscular strength 4. Improve alignment, posture, appearance and self-image 5. Allow good muscular and joint mobility. Ideally you want to stretch your entire body. Be methodical and treat it like any other workout, make a note of your routine and perhaps make notes on the ease of a stretch or how far you can go. If you stretch in a random fashion chances are you will forget what you have done and more importantly you may end up missing an area entirely. Planning also allows for you to focus on a particular area if there is a weakness or something that you want to improve. Pilates This discipline has very much entered the mainstream over the past few years. When done correctly it offers many fitness benefits. With the correct form, mental focus and connection between the body and mind you can see fantastic results. It is something that can be done at home or in a class environment. Form is key so make sure you get someone to show you the moves before you get started. If you’ve never tried it before you may think that it seems like an easy workout that may not challenge you but that is certainly not the case, however fit you may be, you can be pushed to your limits in this controlled environment. Core engagement is a fundamental value of this discipline and something that can transfer into daily life and other types of training or sports. If you are looking for all round fitness then it is definitely something that you should try. Yoga Yoga is another mainstream discipline that can improve your flexibility. As well as flexibility many people use it to aid stress relief as well as to improve their health and physical fitness. It includes practicing postures, breathing exercises and meditation. With a focus on body, mind and spirit it is a form of exercise that many people feel huge benefit from. Again it is advisable to get guidance before starting yoga as in order to experience the full benefit and enjoyment of it, it is important to know what you are doing. 5 stretches for you to try at home: 1. Standing hamstring stretch: bend over, try to reach the floor with your hands and hold. 2. Quadriceps stretch: hold one foot in your hand bringing it up behind you, bring your knees together and hold. 3. Chest/back stretch: bend your arms to 90 degree angles (one up pointing up and one pointing down) then push back as though you are standing against a wall, hold and then swap over. 4. Shoulder stretch: bring one arm across the body and hold it in position with your other arm, hold and then change over. 5. Full body stretch: reach up to the ceiling as much as you can, stretching from the floor right up to the ceiling, you should be able to feel the stretch through your whole body and hold. These stretches are static so try and hold each position for at least 20-30 seconds before releasing. You may want to start with a few simple stretches or perhaps you like the idea of giving pilates or yoga a try. Any or all are highly recommended to try. You can start to improve your flexibility, posture and strength today, it won’t take long for you to feel the benefits and touch your toes again! Any questions get in touch! Vicki :) |
AuthorVicki is a Personal Trainer, and Online Coach with the aim of helping others achieve their health and fitness goals via training and habit building for a healthier lifestyle, for life. Archives
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