I’ve actually stopped procrastinating and actually signed up! Yep, Jane asked me if I wanted to give it a go, and before my brain engaged, I just said yes. So this summer, I will be running the Nettle Warrior race…wish me luck!
What makes a fit and capable body?
We should all strive to have a fit and capable body. I don’t care if you are:
- A young, up and coming athlete eager to perform at you maximum.
- An average Joe office worker wanting to get a bit fitter and lose some weight.
- Retired and wanting to maintain the quality of your life while you draw you pension.
Fit and capable body trapped inside.
A fit and capable body is hidden away inside all of us, and for health, performance and quality of life reasons, we all should try to help it get out. There are different components of a fit and capable body. Here are my favorite ones:
Women, never lift more than 10 kiograms. It is DANGEROUS!
It is official. A lady at work told me about a chiropractor who says that women should not squat with more than 10 kilograms, because it is dangerous for them. He did not say that a particular woman, with a particular injury, should not use more than 10 kilos…no, he said no women should do it…
How hypertension (high blood pressure) is diagnosed is to be changed.
Blood Pressure testing
It seems that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is to change it’s guidelines on how high blood pressure is to be diagnosed. I mention this because I get quite a few people being refered to exercise due to high blood pressure, and it is one of the things included in the physical/fitness assessments (click here for more info) I conduct on people.
Superfoods! Discover what foods will kill you dead, and save your life!
One of my favorite websites I keep going back to for reliable information, is a section on the NHS site they call “Behind the Headlines” (click here). Here they take a look at some of the major health stories in the papers, and give you the facts. Take a look at just a few of the ways the papers blow a health story out of all proportion, and you will understand why one of my favorite saying at the moment is:
Stretching before running ‘does not prevent injury’
Stretching before running does not necessarily prevent injury a US study of over 2,700 has suggested. Click below for the full story:
Recommended reading: Being a Woman in the gym: Diary of an Intern
If you are a woman and if you go to the gym, please take 5 minutes to read this: http://www.excelsiorgroup.co.uk/blog/being-woman-gym-diary-intern Almost every other day I talk to a woman in work who refuse to do anything that does not involve little pink dumbells in fear of “turning into a man”.
U.S. study finds obese people more motivated to shed pounds if they’re paid
Swag
I stumbled across this story (click here for the story). Basically, people were paid money if they managed to lose bodyweight. And they were more successful than another group of people who were not paid money. But, when they were measured again 9 months later, they had regained most of the weight.
Craven Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre Facebook page.
My friend Robin has just started a Facebook page for the fitness centre where I work. There will be timetables, offers and information posted up there, so please, take a look and link to it. Craven Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre Share and enjoy! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Craven-Swimming-Pool-and-Fitness-Centre/169284923107407
It is SO difficult to get hold of fruit and veg here!
I just remembered a chat I had with a friend the other day. We were discussing healthy eating, and he mentioned that it is so difficult to get hold of fruit and veg these days. Pardon?
Wheelchair Back Flip
Over the last year or so, I have worked with a few people who are, for various reasons, been confined to a wheelchair. Each person has their own specific training needs, but a common factor between them (and a lot of the general population also) is a need to strengthen their “core” body muscles (the girdle of muscles that stabilise and support the spine and body).
For any human being, sitting for prolonged periods of time can weaken these muscles. And with weaker stabilisers:
How to: Do the Bird Dog
Bird Dog – Good
Name: Bird Dog
Also known as: (if you know this by any other name, leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Bum.
Other muscles used: Belly, sides,
Top tips:
How to: Do The Glute Bridge
Glute Bridge
Name: Glute Bridge
Also known as: (if you know this by any other name, leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Gluteals (bum)
Other muscles used: Hamstrings
Top tips:
How to: Do the Hip Flexor Lunge Stretch
Hip Flexor Lunge Stretch – Good
Name: Hip Flexor Lunge Stretch
Also known as: (if you know this by any other name, leave a comment below).
Main muscles stretched: Hip flexors (top of the front thigh)
Other muscles used: Bum
Top tips:
How central heating is making you fat(?)
I read this story in the Daily Mail (click here for story). It suggests that the reason 2 thirds of the UK population is overweight or obese, is because of central heating. The thinking goes, if we are in a warm cosy environment (like a centrally heated room) our bodies don’t have to burn so many calories to keep us warm. Now that is a very good theory, and it sounds totally plausible to me. It is true, the colder your body, the more calories it burns to maintain your body temperature…BUT GET REAL!
RIP Jack LaLanne
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12272311 I only found out about this guy a couple of years ago, but he died on Sunday. Click on the videos below to get an idea of what he was like. Most of us can learn a lot from it…
Recipes: Creamy Veggie Korma
Creamy Veggie Korma – BBC Good Food
The following recipe for creamy veggie korma came from: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1089641/creamy-veggie-korma. Take a look there for loads of other recipes for home cooked food. Serves 4.
Ingredients.
Healthy recipes from a rubbish cook.
As I may have mentioned before, I am enthusiastic, but very un-talented in the kitchen. I come from the “chuck-it-in-the-pot-and-see-what-comes-out” school of cooking (while I do own a set of kitchen scales, I have never yet actually used them when cooking). And while this is fine with me, I know that it is not good … Read more
Recommended Reading: Food – a fact of life
www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
Food, a fact of life – www.foodafactoflife.org.uk I can’t remember how I stumbled on this webpage, but it is aimed at school teachers/parents trying to teach healthy nutrition to kids. Having said that, I know for a fact that most adults (myself included) can learn a lot from it. Just some of the things on the webpage include:
How to: Do the Front Squat
Front Squat – Good
Name: Front Squat
Also known as: (if you know this by any other name, leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Legs.
Other muscles used: Bum.
Top tips: