Making the most of Cardio Training

Cardio Training that is  'Long and Steady' is pretty 'Dull and Tedious' - you will not stick to it over a period of time, this is why people fall off the 'Fitness Trail' and find exercise is 'Not for for me'.

If you are in a Gym you can use the readily available machines more productively and see the time fly by.
If you are outdoors you can alter your routes in different ways to make it more fun.
If you are at home/away with no equipment then Bodyweight cicuits are one of the Greatest ways to increase your fitness and muscle tone.

RUNNING
Running for 30-40mins will raise your heartrate to an optimum level that will have you burning energy for hours after your session.  It is a great fat metaboliser that will tone not only your legs but your arms and core.  Interval training is far more productive at improving your stamina than sticking to a steady pace.  Try to vary speed and level of incline each minute to break up the journey.
Try a 2-1 ratio of speed intervals  ( 45sec sprint - 90sec jog)
The stronger your body becomes, alter the rest period go for a ( 30-30/ 60-60 or even a 60-30 for advanced trainers)
Outdoors try sprint/jog using lamposts/tree markers.  Again you can sprint 1 jog 1, sprint 2 jog 1, sprint 3 jog 2 or even mix them up.  Hill efforts are fantastic for improving stamina and strength, run up as hard as you can, jog/walk down, repeat as many as you can.

Aim to reduce your jog/walk breaks and increase your speed or incline for ultimate fitness.

SWIMMING
Swimming is a low impact aerobic activity that is especially great for rehabilitation as it is gentle on your joints.  Whichever stroke you choose ensure your technique is correct,  that is smooth and comfortable.  Swimming lane after lane can be quite tedious so break it up using different strokes
Crawl is more challenging than Breaststoke, Backstroke gives you more chance to recover with your breathing.
Try alternating one lane of each stroke for variety.
Try 2 crawl- 1 Breastroke, 3-1, 4-2 or viseversa if you are a beginner to crawl.
Cahllenge yourself, see how many lanes you can acheive in 5/10min blocks of any given stroke then aim to improve on it next time. 
Time how fasts you can swim 10 lanes, then do gentle swim for 4 lanes and go again.

CYCLING
Whether in a gym or outdoors, cycling is a fantstic cardio option.  It is easy to coast along on a bike, so alternate terrain using speed, intervals, and  hills. 
Outdoors you can cover so much ground in a short time.  set yourself a challenge of 'How many villages/ boroughs can you cycle through',  GPS on the net is great for selecting different routes and for monitoring miles covered. Choose hilly routes for a challenging day or flat routes for more speed training.  It's a great activity for family fun too.
Spinning classes are a fantastic introduction to cycling whereby classes are structured with different terrains that simulate  steady flat roads, short burst speed intervals to tough hill climbs by adding greater resistance to make the ride more challenging.  Even the stationary bikes in the gym can be programmed for interval training in many different ways.
Try a easy/hard brick session whereby you choose a poweroutput level of say 120 RPM (revolutions per minute - number of circles made with the pedal) maintain the set rpm whilst changing the level of intensity 30sec-30sec, 60 - 30, 60 - 60. 
Pyramid hills are great, adding a level every minute until you peak and cannot pedal anylonger at a higher level, then drop a level every minute.

Time will just fly by

ROWING
Rowing machines offer a real fat-blasting whle body workout at it challenges both the upper and lower body with every stroke, though care needs to be taken with regards to correct posture to safeguard your back.  Again you can challenge yourself with distance targets and how fast you can get there, trying to better your time

BODYWEIGHT CIRCUITS
Your own gym equipment is with you all day everyday, you don't need any equipment at all to still have a great cardio workout.  The great advantage about doing bodyweight exercises is that not only can you really improve your stamina but also acheive great muscle tone too and do it ANYWHERE!!
Try the circuit below for starters:-

Squats
Push-ups
Alternate Reverse Lunges
Tricep Dips
Alternate Side Lunges
Abdominal Climbers

Perform 10 reps of each , no rest between each set and continue until you have completed 10 mins, I guarantee you will be out of breath and sweating like a trooper!
Another variation - do a pyramid so 5 of each, 2nd set -10 reps, 3rd set - 15 reps, 4th - 10, 5th - 5



Make sure you do a warm -up of at least 6 mins before completing any of the above and be sure to stretch afterwards
Get fit and have fun - variety is the key!

Good Nutrition isn't Rocket Science

Who would imagine that something we need everyday could be so confusing.  Come January we will all be bombarded with the' New Best Ever Diet'  the new latest 'Superfood', you 'should' eat this, you 'shouldn't' eat that. 
The reason these diets are so popular is that people are looking for a quick way to take off excess weight, they want to lose fat as quickly as they put it on or quicker.  The bottom line is that the most FAT you can quickly lose is 1% of your bodymass each week, this is on average 2lbs a week.  Anymore than this  and you are not burning FAT, you are losing water weight ( dehydration) and forcing your body to burn muscle for energy to function instead.  So yes you will still be losing weight but not FAT weight!!

It becomes such a battle to understand what we should and shouldn't eat for optimal health and weightloss.  The key is as much as we hate to admit it, Slow and Steady wins the race.  It becomes not a 'FAD Diet'  but a ' New Way of Eating', habits changing and new ones forming.


Lets Get Back To Basics

View your body like it's a machine, give it the right fuel and it will run smoothly ( would you put unleaded fuel in a deisel engine? do this and it will shut down) your body is the same, it can only function for so long with poor foods before you will begin to experience problems/ailments/ deficiencies.
Give it the right fuel and you will feel happier, be more alert,  have energy to exercise, proteins to repair muscles, vitamins to fight off colds, antioxidents to help your body for the future and much much more.

Calories in V's Calories out
It's simple - Eat more calories than you burn off during the day and you will store this as fat -   Energy reserve.    
                  Eat less than you burn off during the day and you will burn off your energy reserve - Bodyfat.

If you are bigger or smaller than you would like to be, then your energy balance is off line.  Look at this first before you begin to blame your metabolism or thyroid. 
You also need to take into consideration just exactly how active you are.  Common sense tells you that if you have quite a sendentary lifestyle you cannot eat the same quantity of food as a person who is walking around all day long and expect the same results.

Three Simple Rules
1- Go as natural as possible
2 - Get plenty of Variety (5-9 portions Fruit and Veg, 2-3 of Protein, 6-10 Carbohydrate = a good Balanced Diet)
3 - Drink enough water ( 6-8 glasses Everyday)

Some foods we should all eat for optimal nutrition and balance:-

Almonds - Rich source of Vit E, powerful antioxident to prevent cancer, high in 'Good Fat' and Protein
Apple - Fibre, 85% water and packed with Vit C
Avocado - High in calorie but higher in potassium than bananas and have at least 20 essential nutrients
Blueberries - Gram for gram they have more antioxidents than any other fruit
Celery - Dieters dream as it burns more calories to digest than is in the food itself
Cottage Cheese - Low fat Protein and Vit B2, vital for muscle growth and repair
Eggs - Great Protein, rich in Iron and contain all the essential amino acids for muscle repair
Grapefruit - Vit C and thought to slow down digestion thus feeling fuller for longer
Kidney Beans - Virtually fat free, high protein and low GI to help prevent snacking
Liver - love it or hate it, it is full of Iron, Zinc, Protein, Vitamins and Minerals
Milk -  Most accessible source of Calcium and Protein for healthy strong bones
Oats - Low GI carbohydrate providing slow release fuel for energy
Papaya - Rich sourse of Vit C and E and Betacarotene.  Help support the immune system and fluid balance
Pineapple - Bursting with Vit B's which help to release energy from foods
Quinoa - Complex Carbohydrate and a complete protein with 9 essential amino acids for tissue repair
Salmon - Great source of Omega 3 and Vit A
Seeds - great for snacks, Pumpkin in particular are full of Zinc and omega 3
Spinach - Iron, Calcium and Folic Acid to help cells grow and divide and maintain healthy Blood Pressure
Tofu - Great for vegetarians for a good quality protein and calcium made from Soya beans
Tuna - An easy accessible fish protein giving aboutb 30grm protein per tin.
Watercress - Contains more calcium than milk and more Vit C than oranges.  also rich in Vit K to build bones and is practically 'Calorie free'

This list is not exhaustive, but something to get your teeth into and on your way to a healthier you!

Total Body Exercises

The busy lives we live today, 'Time' is always of the essence.The key to performing the most efficient workout in terms of hitting multiple muscle groups in the shortest time is by doing 'Total Body Exercises'.

Here are some Total Body Exercise you should try. It is not an exhaustive list by any means, there's a whole library of many more.  You should at least implement a couple of these at the start of any workout to ensure your whole body is warm and prepared for any work that follows.

Medball or Dumbell Swing
Squat to Bicep curl to Shoulder Press
Step ups with Shoulder Press
Lunge and Bicep Curls
Lunge and Tricep Extention
Dumbell/Barbell touch and Press
One Arm Snatch
Static lunge Canoe
Rainbow Lunges

Try and enjoy!

Strength Comes From Within

A lot more than you realise goes into looking good. It's not just about sweating it out during an exercise class or going for a long run, it's not even about pumping out repetitions with weights or other resistance training equipment.  More importantly it's about how you fuel your body ALONGSIDE your physical activities through what and how you 'think' and what and how you 'eat'

TRUE STRENGTH COMES FROM WITHIN!!

1. Think Positively 'I CAN and I WILL'
2. Set a long term goal with a DEADLINE and write it down for you and all to see.
3. Break it down to smaller achievable milestones to work towards, small steps add up to the larger mountain.
4. Social support - ( HUGELY IMPORTANT and often undervalued) don't set out to do it ALONE, get people to support you or even do it with you.
5. Focus on getting a variety of foods each day, eat vegetables in a variety of colours
6. Protein, essential for muscle repair and development.  make sure your breakfast, lunch and dinner contains protein rich foods.
7. Eat regularly (4-6 small meals a day) to aviod binge eating out of hunger
8. Plan, Plan, Plan, what you are going to do for the day and when. What exactly you are going to eat and when.  I plan each day right down to when I am going to even clean my oven ( this thursday at 1pm)
9. Think when is my 'weak' time is it mid morning/ late at night - make yourself busy,  phone  a friend (social support) anything to pass the time so that you soon forget about reaching for something you know you will regret.
10.Wake up with a smile on your face each morning, if you smile from within it shows on the outside!  Yesturday you achieved - be proud of that. Today is a new day, a new challenge ahead and yes I'm going to step forwards again.  IF you did lapse yesturday then BAH you can't change that it's happened it's behind you, today you will do better, get back in the game!

Be active, Eat well, Be strong inside and out!

Top 10 Tips for Eating Out and not Pigging Out

It's the time of year when IF NOT CAREFUL all good intentions can fall by the wayside with Seasonal Festivities soon on the approach.
Here are 10 top tips to keep you on track and still enjoy yourself:-

1. Choose Sandwiches, Salads, Chicken, and Fish dishes over Burgers, Pies, and Fried foods.

2. Choose foods with minimal or no creamy sauces, these tend to be very high in fat and calories.  Try asking for a sauce on the side if you really must have the flavour, this way you can just have a little.

3. Don't drench your Salads in dressings.  If you must eat with a dressing choose a squeeze of Lemon or a splash of Balsamic Vinegar.  Most dressings are very high in calories you don't think about.

4.  You do not have to eat EVERYTHING on your plate, recognise a serving size and stick to it, it really doesn't matter if you leave food. In fact make it a challenge to make sure you leave something.

5. Make sure you are fully hydrated before you go out, this will curb your appetite and prevent you from over indulging. Drink water rather than sugary soft drinks.

6. NEVER skip meals during the day thinking ' I can eat a guilt free supper if I save my calories for the evening' - you will crave higher calorie, high fat foods to satisfy your 'starvation'.

7.Eat your Vegetables and meat/fish first to fill yourself with nutrient rich foods leaving less room for the foods with less nutrients.

8. Try to skip on the  crisp/breadstick nibbles before the meal arrives - these calories all add up.

9. STOP eating BEFORE you feel full.  Once you feel satisfied this should be enough.  If you have the option of a 'goodiebag' take the remaining food home for another mealtime.

10. If you are going to a buffet type meal, choose the smaller plate.  You will guarantee to eat less as your eyes will see a 'full' plate.

Cardiovascular Fitness

This is the ability of your heart, lungs and circulation systems to bring oxygen to your muscles for your body to work more efficiently.

The faster your body can do this, the lower your blood pressure and resting heartrate will become, thus essential for overall health and wellbeing.

Many people feel that exercise will be too hard for them, however you don't need to exercise at high intensity - only 55-65% of maximum heartrate.

Guidelines for improving your CV fitness levels

FREQUENCY - 3 times a week
INTENSITY - 55-90% maximum Heartrate
TIME - 20 - 60 minutes a day  ( doesn't have to be in a single session)

The heartrate training zones on machines like Treadmill, Cross Trainer, Stationary bike etc.  are just a guide, everybody will adapt and function differently at different levels due to their physical make-up and current fitness level.
 A more realistic method to check how you are improving is to use a heartrate monitor watch. Here you can see your actual heartrate change and pump as you exercise and how it decreases when you rest. You can track how efficient your body becomes by seeing how long it takes for you to recover and what your resting heartrate reduces to over time.

Basically we just need to get moving, doing an activity that uses multiple muscle groups in different ways will get the body functioning more efficiently. Doing something that you ENJOY is of paramount importance because it will 'keep' you moving.

Getting More Exercise into your Day

Some studies suggest that it would appear that some people seem to be able to eat more food yet put on less weight than others, or is it that these people are generally more active during the day than we realise.
When you tap your foot or walk up and down whilst on the telephone, swing your leg whilst in a meeting,  you are burning energy without even realizing.  These could be the reason behind a persons weight control and it is effortless.
Appetite is another key for sure.  Some don't eat until they are hungry, some eat just to satisfy their hunger and stop before feeling 'full', there is also the debate about the so called 'fat gene' that some have more of than another.
Until this debate has final scientific answers, the best and only way to combat 'your' weight control and they way you look is through 'natural nutrition' and exercise.  What I mean by 'natural' is:-

If it grows on a tree or comes out of the ground, if it swims or walks then eat it in its most natural form.  If it comes in a processed package - leave it on the shelf.

What I mean by exercise is ' Just get moving'

Increasing your 'general' activities
-Assess journeys in the car you make that are less than 1 mile/ 2kilometers, how often do you drive them? How often could you walk them instead?
-Whenever you go out, set off a little earlier and walk the longer route
- Take the stairs instead of the lift
- Walk up/down the elevator
- Cycle to work if you can
- Dogs are great, they 'force' you to go for walks
- Take items upstairs one at a time ( great Legs and Bottom training going up and down stairs)
- Don't just sit indoors each night and watch TV, join a group/club where you get out and meet people.

'Behold the Turtle, he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out' ( James Bryant Conant)

Motivational Poem

There are times during our waking day that we may  feel a little deflated or demotivated, we may wonder why or how we can carry on and reach the goals we have set for ourselves.

 It wouldn't be a challenge if it wasn't tough, and it's how we channel our thoughts and actions that makes that challenge worthwhile and acheivable.

I was sent a poem from a dear friend which I would like to share with you, wherever or whatever it is you are striving for, it helps me keep my goals in the forefront of my mind.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all up hill,
When your feeling low and the goal seems high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must but DONT you Quit,
Life is queer with twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When you might have won if you'd stuck it out,
DONT give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you MUST NOT QUIT. 

Stay Strong and focussed my friends - have a good week!

Try Something 'New' Challenge

I did this earlier this year and it has transformed my fridge and Store cupboards aswell as how great it makes you feel for eating a wider variety of nutritious foods.
 I did six months, I am asking you to stick at it for at least three months for starters and then try and continue to six ( it does get quite challenging yet addictive and fun!)

My challenge to you is:-
You have to buy and try something NEW to eat EACH week.

Just one item of 'HEALTHY' food that you have never eaten before.

There is a wealth of many and varied Fruit, Vegetables, Fish,  Nuts, Beans, Dairy, Grains...
(cakes, chocolates, sweets, processed prepared foods are NOT allowed in this challenge!!)

 Introduce just one new food each week and by the end of the 6 months you will have added 24 new foods not only into your diet but also your families diet too, thus encouraging everyone in your household to experiment and explore new nutritious foods.
Some foods you will love, some you may never buy again, but if you don't give it a try you will never know.  It is so easy to become complacent and continue to consume the same meals week in week out when there is so much more delicious and nutritious foods available to us now.
Nutrition is just the same as exercise in that if you have the same routine and don't make changes your body doesn't change.
Lets push the boundaries and progress forwards for a healthier happier you both Inside and Out.

  My two new favourites are Sugar Snap Peas eaten raw and  Almond Butter.
Let me know yours, have fun!!

Skipping

Who needs a GYM membership, there is so much more you can do at home that costs next to nothing.
Skipping - Just 15mins of skipping with a rope can burn 285 calories.  Its a great cardio vascular exercise  great for speed and agility but also fantastic for the  Legs, Bottom, Core and Shoulders.  A progression to burn that little bit more and add more tone is High Knee skipping with handweight Circles, simulating skipping with  weights resistance.

How do you start your day

We all know that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, though more important is hydration and many start the day with a diuretic drink i.e, Tea or Coffee which serves to only dehydrate you all the more .  After the initial boost it gives an energy lull will follow leaving you craving for more quickfix sugar/caffeine loaded snacks and drinks.
Tip:- Hydrate and increase your metabolism first by drinking Boiled Water with a slice of fresh Lemon and Ginger before you reach for any caffeine and get your body starting on the right foot.