I am all for people getting up and doing more but rest is just as important if you are already training to ensure you do not burn out. Over training doesn’t necessarily mean too much training but too little rest and recovery, when we work a muscle the muscle fibres tear, with adequate rest and recovery those muscle fibres can repair themselves and grow stronger, if your body doesn’t have the opportunity to repair itself all your hard work during exercise can backfire and you are at more risk of damaging the muscles. Whether you are strength training to build muscle or training for a marathon, training for 6 hours a day, as some celebrities would allow you to believe they do, is actually counterproductive. Inadequate rest and recovery can result in both physical and psychological symptoms, take a look at the warning signs and see if you could be putting yourself at risk.

• Tired, drained, lack of energy
• Muscle soreness
• Pain or soreness in joints
• Insomnia
• Increased number of colds, sore throats etc.
• Decrease in training intensity
• Moodiness or irritability
• Depression
• Lack of appetite
• Increase in injuries

If you think you are jeopardising your workouts and want to ensure your activities are safe and effective start by taking a few days rest, stay fully hydrated, refuel after your workouts and look to include regular sports massages into your training regime.

So we’ve all had our blood pressure checked at some point right? We’ve all heard numbers over numbers, but have you ever stopped and asked what those numbers represent? You might be aware that we should look to maintain blood pressure at 120/80 but have you ever questioned what exactly that means? Probably not, but don’t worry I’m here yet again with the science to help you understand those figures and what it all means in the bigger picture of health and wellbeing.

The top number in your blood pressure reading, the higher of the two, is known as the SYSTOLIC blood pressure. As your heart beats, it pushes blood through your arteries to the rest of your body; this force creates pressure on the arteries known as systolic blood pressure.

The bottom number, the lower of the two, is known as the DIASTOLIC. This indicates the pressure of the blood in your arteries between heart beats, when the heart relaxes between contractions.

There is a third figure given during your blood pressure reading and that is your pulse rate, it is the number of times your heart beats in a minute. Heart rate and blood pressure are not the same, heart rate is measured in beats per min (BPM) and blood pressure in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) so checking your pulse is not a way of monitoring your blood pressure, you should always check in with your doctor for your blood pressure reading.

Normal blood pressure is considered 120/80 mm Hg or less and hypertension (high blood pressure) is diagnosed at higher than 140/90 mm Hg, between these two readings would be considered prehypertension, this should be taken as a warning sign to make lifestyle changes in order to bring your blood pressure back down in to the normal range.

If you know you are due for a blood pressure checkup pop along to the doctor and be confident you know what the numbers mean now, if you know you have hypertension jump on over to the food and nutrition blog for my top foods to low blood pressure.

I’m sure you are probably sick of hearing me say it, but I’m going to repeat myself yet again and stress that exercise doesn’t have to be about hammering it out on the treadmill for hours on end! Aside from getting a little boring at times this can actually be restricting the amount of calories that you burn. That’s right, lifting weights may offer you more bang for your buck in the calorie burning stakes!

Here comes the science! It’s actually got to do with the time away from the exercise; post resistance training metabolism actually lasts much longer than that of cardiovascular training. The more lean muscle you have the more energy is required to maintain it, so the more calories you burn outside of exercise.

But don’t worry it doesn’t mean you have to suddenly turn into the incredible hulk! Resistance training simply means training your muscles using an opposing force; that could be dumb bells, resistance bands, body bars, kettle bells and medicine balls to name a few and the theory works whether your goal is toning or building muscle.  Check out the list of benefits you can expect by simply incorporating resistance training into your current routine.

Improved body shape: Visibly firmer, leaner, toned muscle

Increased strength and power: Whether you are training for a sport or just to make everyday day tasks easier (functional fitness)

Improved posture: increased strength, flexibility and muscle balance improve your posture

Better bone health: weight bearing activity can maintain bone density and help delay the onset of osteoporosis

Increased metabolic rate: more muscle = more calories burned

I’m not saying that cardio doesn’t burn calories, of course it does along with its many other health benefits that we’ve already looked at, what we should look to do is find a happy medium of both, look to find a routine that you enjoy, keeps you motivated and allows you to maintain your specific goals.

Who ever said skipping is for girls? I’m sure Mohammed Ali would have something to say on that matter! Seriously, skipping is an inexpensive simple exercise that can be performed anywhere and brings astonishing fitness benefits. Read on to see what you can expect from adding skipping to your current fitness regime and find yourself skipping to a new tune.

• Weight loss

Skipping can burn between 300 and 400 calories in 30 minutes, couple that with a healthy balanced diet and you can expect healthy weight loss that is sustainable.

•  Increased cardiovascular fitness

Improving your cardiovascular fitness strengthens your heart which let’s face it is the most important muscle in your body. Promoting cardio vascular activity will not only allow you greater ability to perform everyday tasks but will have a direct impact on your endurance and strength during your workouts.

• Improved coordination

Skipping improves the coordination between our hands and feet which can assist with completing daily tasks as well as contribute to overall fitness, strength and injury prevention.

•  Full body workout

Skipping obviously uses the muscles in your legs but it is also great for the muscles in your arms, shoulders and abdominals. What else do you need to hear!

•  Improved bone density

As skipping is a weight bearing exercise it can help boost your bone density and delay the onset of osteoporosis.

What are you waiting for!  Grab a rope, find a space and give it a go, that’s all you need!

Gone are the days that you need to join a gym to get fit and burn fat, that’s right we all have the equipment needed to increase strength and see cardiovascular gains at home and I’m not talking about the all singing, dancing miracle abs chairs that promise to melt away body fat in just 10 minutes a day! These do not work by the way so turn off the shopping channel and put away your wallet, you don’t need to spend a penny to in order to achieve your weight loss or fitness goals, use your bodyweight.

That’s right bodyweight exercises are a simple, yet seriously under rated option to include in your workouts whatever your fitness level, check out the list of benefits on your overall physical wellbeing and try out some of the examples in your next session.

Efficient workouts: Bodyweight exercises allow for greater fitness gains in a shorter space of time than that of machines at the gym that work only one certain muscle at a time. They also allow you to combine your cardio and strength training in one quick workout that will keep your heart pumping while still promoting muscle development. 

Try 50 jumping jacks followed by 20 press ups.

Fast fat burning: With a good body weight circuit you are utilizing your entire body, constantly working every muscle elevates your fat burning.

Try 50 jumping jacks followed by 20 press ups, add 25 squats and hold the plank for 1 minute.

Safety: Body weight exercises can have a reduced risk of injury compared to that of some gym routines, the movement of lifting weights can be quite awkward and when coupled with heavy weights can result in some painful injuries.

Try 10 burpees followed but 1 minute wall sit.

Natural results:Body weight exercises provide natural results, men become stronger and bigger while women end up with a more natural toned look that still allows them to be fit, strong and healthy.

Try 20 alternate lunges followed by 20 tricep dips.

Increased flexibility: Completing body weight exercises through the full range of motion, allowing joints to move freely can improve posture and flexibility.

As always, remember to stretch out all the muscles used at the end of your workout.

If you’ve ever peered through the window of a spin studio and thought to yourself there is no way on earth you are stepping inside you are not alone, I think this is a common thought amongst those that have never tried group cycling and I very often hear people say they need to get fit before they start to spin. Well hopefully we can change that thought process, yes indoor cycling is one of the most intense interval sessions available but as I always say to newcomers the beauty is you are in control and you can tailor your workout to your ability.

Another point I like to make is that for beginners to group exercise indoor cycling is always a great place to start for those of us that are a little less co-ordinated, if you are the only person going left when everyone else is going right in an aerobics class it’s going to be pretty obvious.  When you are riding you are in your own little bubble, you have your own bike and your own space around you, there is no way you can be the only person going in the wrong direction and everyone around you is in their bubble paying no attention to you.

So what can you expect when you give it a go?   

• Well firstly there is the great music and a motivating instructor; a great combination for a fun packed workout!
• The difference in a long steep climb to flat out sprints pushes your cardio vascular system to its limits, allowing you to see greater cardiovascular endurance benefits than cycling at a steady pace for a longer period of time in the gym.
• Rapid calorie burning resulting in body fat loss, without the impact on the joints from exercises such as running.
• The increase and decrease in resistance along with standing or sitting on the bike often results in increased muscle tone particularly around the stomach, hips and thighs.

What are you waiting for, try a class today and spin yourself slim!

I hear on a daily basis “I’m in the gym for 2 hours a day and I’m not losing any weight”, if this is how you feel, read on before you throw in the towel.

While even paced sessions on the treadmill, cross-trainer or equipment of your choice are keeping your heart healthy and great for boosting your mood, it might not be the wisest way to use your time when you are looking to shed those unwanted pounds.

The human body is an intelligent machine efficiently burning energy, it is also a master adapter and once it gets used to a routine it becomes more efficient so no longer has to work as hard at burning off that energy, resulting in you burning fewer calories and potentially leveling off your speed and endurance gains. When this happens you need to take yourself outside of your comfort zone in order to jump start your metabolism, burn fat, build lean muscle and improve your endurance.

Include Intervals.

High intensity exercise with periods of recovery keeps you feeling energized; keeping the body moving circulates more oxygen increasing mental alertness, burning more calories and attacking fat accumulation.

Try it, after your warm up, increase your speed to all-out effort (you should feel like a 9 on a scale of 1-10!) for 30 seconds to one minute depending on when you fatigue, then recover at a slower pace for 1 to 2 minutes, repeat this cycle up to 10 times to get the benefits of a 60 minute workout in 30 minutes.

Give it a go and let us know how you feel!

We are constantly told that exercise is “good” for us, but have you ever stopped and asked yourself why? Aside from the obvious physical benefits what else are we gaining from our daily activities?

1. Weight management

When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories, but don’t be fooled into thinking you have to slog away for hours in the gym to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can’t do an actual workout, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to get more active throughout the day; take the stairs instead of the elevator (we’ve all heard it a thousand times but it does work!), get off the tube one stop early and walk the rest of the way or simply make more of a workout of your household chores like cleaning or gardening.

2. Combat health conditions and diseases

Regular exercise can help prevent or manage various health conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and type 2 diabetes; talk about motivation to get moving more!

3. Improve mood

Everyone has a day or time when they can feel stressed, angry, sad, lonely, bored, anxious or tired and at this time we look for something to lift our spirits and honestly how many of us have reached for food, cigarettes or alcohol as comfort. But did you know that physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. So next time you feel the bad mood rising take yourself along to a kickboxing class and punch it out rather than reaching for the cookies!

4. Boost energy

Research shows exercise has a direct impact on energy levels, I know when you are feeling tired the last thing on your mind is joining in a fun packed Zumba class, but  it really will make you feel more alive. The surge of blood around the body transports oxygen to the brain to make you feel mentally alert, while better conditioned muscles require less effort to perform physical tasks and in time as the body becomes stronger so too does the immune system reducing the risk of illness.

5. Better sleep

Aerobic exercise can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep helping you wake up feeling restored. As we now know physical activity can help fight anxiety and depression which can sometimes be the underlying cause of sleep problems, so being too tired to exercise is no longer an excuse for by passing the gym on the way home!

6. Exercise can be fun                                                                                                          

Exercise gives you the chance to meet new people or spend time with family and friends, so work out what activities you enjoy and encourage others to join you to see the amazing benefits and make it a lifestyle change.

Get fit and lose weight are the most commonly broken New Year’s resolutions, but it doesn’t have to be that way this year.  Follow these simple steps to making a change towards a healthier, fitter you for 2013!

• Plan ahead. Planning is an essential part of any long-term strategy or change.
• Plan your shopping. Make a list of what you actually need from the supermarket and stick to the list. Don’t go shopping hungry as this will tempt you to buy things that look to nice to be left on the shelf!
• Plan your meals. Sit down on a Sunday and plan your food for the week ahead, look at what you will eat and ensure that you have all the groceries in the house ready.
• Plan your workouts.   Plan your activities and workouts for the week and put them into your diary. Look for potential barriers there may be beforehand and plan how to fit them around your activities rather than let them take place.
• Set realistic goals. Goal setting is an essential drive and an important factor in motivation. Be realistic in your abilities and what you are looking to achieve.
• Set SMART goals. Ensure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound.
• Be flexible. Set a time frame for your goals but be flexible. Speak to an expert who knows realistically how long things take.
• Stay focused. Don’t set too many tasks so that you can stay focused. Achieve one goal with 100% effort and success before you plan and move onto the next.
• Reward yourself. Once you have achieved your goal reward yourself; if you have your eyes on a new pair of shoes use that as your motivation to succeed!

Top tips to boost your immune system this winter.

We all know that this time of year brings coughs, colds and sneezing. So let’s not wait for it to sneak up on us resulting in a mad dash to the supermarket for the Night Nurse! We can start now, prevention is better than cure after all, to boost our immunity for winter health and wellbeing.

1.   Increase fruit and vegetables!

A diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, especially anti-oxidants, vitamin C and D is a great start to building a strong immune system. Look to include more broccoli, bell peppers and papaya where you can and look to increase the amount of raw fruits and vegetables you eat.

2.   Use fresh herbs!

Fresh herbs can be used as protection against infection and are very versatile so there are many ways to include more in your diet. Garlic has antibacterial and antioxidant properties to fight free radicals in the body and parsley is a good source of vitamin C, so try including them in homemade sauces, salad dressings or soups.

3.   Avoid processed foods!

Sugars, salts and additives found in processed food and drinks will not help flush out the toxins from the body. Swap soft drinks for water and homemade juices or smoothies and processed wheat products for fibre loaded whole grains such as oats or buck wheat.

4.   Get sweet!

Honey in its raw form has antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Try using a high factor Manuka honey to ward off the winter cold, it’s also great to heal wounds on the skin too.

5.   Stay hydrated!

Water is the most important nutrient in the human body and is a major component in every cell; it acts as a body purifier removing toxins and waste from the body.  Try hot water and lemon for soothing relief and hydration when the coughing and sneezing starts.