video

Wolf Run and Tough Mudder in one weekend…

by

Our big weekend is over!   Me and Linda have been working up to this for a long time now and it was great fun! On Saturday we drove down to Leamington Spa to do the Wolf Run (www.thewolfrun.com) 10k extreme race.  Running and swimming through lakes, through a shed load of mud, over obstacles, big … Read more

Bootcamp time again in Skipton!

by
Bootcamp training

Bootcamp training

The days are getting longer, the weather is not as cold and it seems more people are willing to join me in some outdoor training!  This can mean only one thing…It’s Bootcamp time again in Skipton! What is a bootcamp?  Originally its the rough and tough training you get in basic training in the military.  These days it generally means any kind of training that involves minimal equipment and usually outdoors.  And as a few of us have signed up for some outdoor challenges this year (Trailtrekker, Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, Commando Challenge) it is perfect to get us in top form. But why train outside when I work in a lovely, climate controlled gym??

Read more

62 mile non-stop hike over the Yorkshire moors – The Oxfam Trailtrekker!

by
Oxfam Trailtrekker

Oxfam Trailtrekker

We all have to try something different and challenging, or life gets very dull!  So on the weekend of 26-27 May this year, the Craven Council Centrefolds (that’s me, Bruce, Graham and David) are doing the Oxfam Trailtrekker (click here for details)!  This is a 62 mile hike over the Yorkshire moors…taking about 27 hours of non-stop hiking! And we need you to click here (http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/CravenCouncilCentrefolds) and help us raise £1,400!

Read more

44 half marathons down, only 6 to go!

by

My friend Mark has nearly finished his challenge of doing 50 half marathons in 60 days on the Concept 2 indoor rower.  That adds up to over 600 miles!  He is doing it to raise money for a local 9 year old girl who fell from a climbing  frame, and is now paralysed for life. Well, yesterday, he completed his 44th row, so he only has 6 more to do.  His final one is due a week tomorrow (Tuesday 30th). If you havent watched them already, please watch the following 2 videos so you know what he is doing and why.  Then please follow this link (click here) and donate any money you can to a very wonderful cause…

Read more

What makes a fit and capable body?

by

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.

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:

Read more

Superfoods! Discover what foods will kill you dead, and save your life!

by

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:

Read more

U.S. study finds obese people more motivated to shed pounds if they’re paid

by
Swag

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.

Read more

Wheelchair Back Flip

by

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:

Read more

Movement Analysis – See how you move and how it can be improved.

by

I see my job as helping people move more, and move better (hence the tagline to my website – “Movement & Variety”).  I’ve been lucky and since I started Karate when I was 7, I have been coached to move well (well = efficiently, safely and with coordination). And because of this, I notice just how many people move badly (badly = inefficient, unsafe and uncoordinated…click here).  These people come in all shapes and sizes, from your average Joe through to your exercise junkie. 

Read more