The Myth
“If you only occasionally have 10 or 15 mins spare to exercise, what is the point?”
The Reality
Working at a higher intensity for short periods, will use more energy and burn more fuel; getting you fitter and slimmer in less time.
It takes about 21 days of repetitive behaviour to form a new pattern in your brain and once this has been formed, it becomes an automatic behavioural pattern. As you adopt and develop new healthy habits, they will slowly replace the old bad habits. Maintaining these healthy lifelong habits, that have stood the test of time and been practiced by centenarians around the world, will invigorate and rejuvenate you.
Eat five small meals a day
It is much better to have five small meals throughout the day, rather than three large meals. When you eat smaller portions, you give your body a steady stream of fuel and nutrients, providing it with a drip-feed of energy throughout the whole day. In addition, eating in this way is less demanding on your digestive system, as you are not overloading your body with more than it needs, which reduces the stress on your heart.
Use the stairs whenever you can
The importance of taking regular exercise and the resulting health benefits, are well documented and cannot be over-emphasised. Regular exercise can aid physiological well-being, strengthen your immune system, maintain joint flexibility and increase your energy level, which are just a few of the benefits.
During your day, when you can, choose the more physically demanding option. Try walking or cycling instead of driving or taking the stairs instead of the lift, which will start you on the road to better health and fitness. The best way to achieve better health and fitness, in a safe and structured way, is with a specifically designed training programme from a Personal Trainer. Statistically, you have a 95% chance of realising your health and fitness goals, if you have a Personal Trainer.
Laugh all the way
Laughter has been proven to boost your immune system, especially the production of the natural cells that help protect the body from illness and disease. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, which are compounds that give a sense of well-being in the brain. There is no doubt that happy, joyful people live healthier and longer lives.
Drink more water
Water is essential for a healthy, functioning body. Centenarians around the world cite their native water as the source of their good health and longevity, which scientists endorse. They all have in common a pure water source, which is located far from any city and free from chemicals and toxins. Try not to drink water from plastic bottles/containers, as the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can permeate the water and can have a negative effect on your health. Water from the tap and even from water filters is dead, acidic and is so resisted by the body, that is digests it rather than absorbing it. The best water to drink is living water, which is alive, alkaline and loved by the body so much, that it is immediately absorbed and the body is quickly hydrated with life. Wouldn’t you rather drink life than death?
May your life be long, strong, healthy and happy!
Recently I was told by one of my new clients, that when she cancelled her membership to the gym, she was told that from a total membership of about 5000, only around 1500 members actually use the gym. So, more than a third of the revenue earned by the gym, is coming from people that don’t even use it!
The cost of gym membership varies, but most range from £30-£50 per month, depending on your chosen package. If we divide the difference and say on average people are paying £40 per month for their gym membership, that’s £140,000 per month that the gym is taking from people that never use their facillity…..£140,000!! This is obscene!
Do you pay for a gym membership and never go? Are they taking your money by standing order, so you don’t see how much money you’re throwing away every month? If so, you are one of the many that are contributing to the £140,000 per month that the gym is making from non-attendees. You wouldn’t pay for any other service and not use it, would you?
So, if you have no intention of returning to the gym, cancel your membership.
However, if you do want to exercise, have a fitness goal that you want to achieve or want to lose weight, but don’t have the self-discipline and will-power to do it yourself, spend your money wisely on a Personal Trainer. A Personal Trainer will help you reach your desired goal, by specifically designing a training programme for you, to suit your needs and deliver the results that you want. Whereas the gym, just wants your money.
You may think that you can’t afford a Personal Trainer, but you can, because if you can afford to give money to the gym every month for nothing, you can afford to pay for a Personal Trainer, who will help you achieve your goal and you’ll spend less money in the long term. They will keep you motivated and interested with fun and varied exercises, which will maintain your commitment to reach your desired goal.
So, if your thinking ‘I can’t reach my goal’ or ‘it never works for me’, you can and it will, with a Personal Trainer…..search for one now!
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- Large knob of butter
- 1 large onion – chopped
- 4 chicken breasts – chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic – crushed
- 1 red chilli – thinly sliced
- 2 red peppers – chopped
- 200g mushrooms – sliced
- 200g tin of olives – pitted
- 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- Handful of fresh thyme
- Sea salt and black pepper to season
To serve: Wholewheat pasta or homemade chips cooked in lard, goose or duck fat (see recipes)
Method
- Heat the butter in a large pan, then add onion and fry until soft.
- Add the chicken and fry until cooked through.
- Once the chicken is cooked, add all the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 15 minutes .
Myth
If you exercise for longer, you will achieve better results.
Fact
It is not the duration of your workout that determines the results you achieve, it is the intensity. You will feel and see more improvement in a shorter period, by increasing the intensity level of your workout, rather than extending the length your training session.
1. Look-up
Keep your head up at all times, by squating in-front of a mirror. This is very important, because your spine acts like a zip and if you don’t look-up during the whole repitition of the exercise, your spine will un-zip and you will seriously damage your back. So, to maintain a neutral spine and keep your spine zipped-up, look at your reflection in the mirror throughout the squat.
2. Feet Forward
Keep your feet flat on the floor, pointing in the 12 o’clock position and keep your knees in-line with yoiur toes. This will give you a strong platform and good posture, which will allow you to squat heavier weights and ultimately become stronger.
3. Don’t squat too far
On the downward motion of the exercise, don’t go too low, because you will put too much strain on your lower back and your knees. To safeguard against injury, ensure that your upper body and your lower legs form 2 parallel lines, at the lowest point of the squat.
4. Drive-up
Drive-up with your legs and not your lower back, as this will only result in injury, especially if you are squating a heavy weight. Push the whole of your feet into the floor to generate the power to complete the upward motion of the exercise, which will help you maintain good technique and perform a good quality squat.
There are three types of cholesterol:-
High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) – Your body’s protector!
Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL)
Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL)
We are persistently bombarded by the media with television adverts and magazine articles, that tell us our cholesterol should be low….this simple isn’t true! Not all cholesterol is bad for you. The VLDL and LDL are the bad types of cholesterol and the HDL is the good type. The VLDL and LDL are produced from trans fats, which go to work on the inside of your arteries, making them narrower and increasing your blood pressure. The HDL works in the opposite way, by galvanising your arteries and protecting your body against the VLDL and LDL, preventing them from penetrating your arteries and reducing the risk of hypertension.
To increase your HDL, you should be eating more good saturated fat. Follow this link for more information: http://www.fitnessmatrix.co.uk/2009/04/good-saturated-fat-the-past-is-the-future/
Prior to taking part in exercise, your muscles are at a low temperature and relatively tight. Static stretching before taking part in exercise increases the risk of injury, because when your muscles are cold, they react like Blu-Tack. When Blu-Tack is cold it snaps and when it is warm it is flexible and pliable, which is the same for your muscles. To avoid muscle injury, it is important to perform dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching involves gentle movement, which stimulates the muscles by increasing your blood circulation, making your muscles more flexible and pliable. An excellent example of dynamic stretching as a ‘squat to overhead reach’, which uses every muscle in your body and comprises of squating, with your arms dangling by your side, followed by standing-up on to your tip-toes while reaching for the sky with your hands. You should complete 20 repetitions to ensure a complete warm-up and stretch.
It is alright to perform static stretching after exercising, as your muscles will be warmed-up and ready to be stretched. This will help your muscle fibres return to their pre-exercise length, promote recovery and avoid DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).
This is so good for you! It’s great to have for breakfast and an excellent way to start the day. You can also drink it thoughout the day, as a quick snack for sustained energy. [...]