The Great Outdoors

At last summer seems to be here (for the moment any way). While the sun's out why not take your training outside. Who wants to be working out in a gym when you could be doing it outside. Studies have shown that the body and mind respondes well outside where you can reconnect with nature. Also you can get some sunlight that will provide a natural source of vitamin D for maintaining strong bones and teeth and can help with improving mood. Combining your exercising in the great outdoors will enhance the experience and lift your mood. Try taking a jog around the local park or bike it around the woods. Use the local park benches and playground equipment for a resistance workout such as chin ups, tricep dips and push ups. Try out a local outdoor class such as boot camp or Tai Chi- the only limit is your imagination. If you choose to train outside don't forget to wear sun protection and carry water. Come on get out of the house and start exercising outside before it starts raining again).

Resistance Training may help smokers quit.

According to researchers at The Miriam Hospital Centres for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, in Rhode Island in the U.S. smokers who completed a 12 week resistance-training programme were twice as likely to successfully quit the habit compared with those who did not. The study involved 25 male and female smokers between the ages of 18-65 who smoked at least 5 per day for the past year or longer. All received a 15-20 minute smoking cessation counselling session as well as nicotine patches before being placed in two separate groups. The resistance-training group performed two 60 minute training sessions per week for 12 weeks, while the other group watched a brief health and wellness film twice a week. After the 12 weeks not only had 16% of the resistance-training group had quit smoking but they had also decreased their body fat and weight. In the other group only 8% managed to quit and their body fat and weight had increased. So if you want to quit smoking and get fitter ensure you include some resistance-training in your routine to increase the odds of quitting for good and shredding the fat.

New Year, New You!

Happy New Year everyone. At this time of year many will be thinking of burning off those excess calories that they've consumed over the festive period and starting or continuing with a healthier lifestyle.

However by the end of January most people will have gone back to their old ways and given up on that new healthy lifestyle. The main reason why so many people fail in this objective is that they try to change everthing all at once and this becomes too much for them. Below are a few tips to help you achieve a new, healthier you;-

1) Set goals-these should be S.M.A.R.T- specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time framed. e.g- I will aim to lose 8 lbs in 6 weeks, rather than I will lose weight.

2) Set no more than 3 goals-this will allow you to focus and avoid being overwealmed.

3) If joining a gym ensure you get a personal fitness programme written for you by a fitness instructor.

4)Join a fitness class or have a few PT sessions to give you motivation.

5) Don't give up- if you fall off the wagon, get up, dust yourself down and get back on.

If you follow these tips you will stand a better chance of having a healthier and happy 2012-all the best.

Christmas is coming are you getting fat?

It's that time of year that can be taxing on your waistline as well as your pocket! During this four week period people gain on average 2KG of extra weight! But fear not below are a few helpful suggestions that you can do you avoid a hangover (belly) this Christmas.

1. Keep the truely indulgent days to a minimum, such as Christmas and Boxing days and New Year's Eve.

2. Don't set yourself up for failure by trying to lose weight at this time. Try to maintain your present weight and start/continue a healthy eating routine in the new year.

3. At parties do plenty of talking and dancing to avoid stuffing yourself too much and stand away from the food table to avoid picking.

4. On the big day you could find yourself consuming twice as many calories than on a normal day. The average Christmas dinner packs a wopping 956 calories, so listen to your body and avoid trying to finish all that's on your plate if your belly is signalling that its full.

5. After that big dinner go for a walk to ease digestion and burn off some calories.

So if you're sensible you can still enjoy this wonderful time of year but avoiding those extra unwanted pounds.

British Women dubbed 'fattest in Europe.'

Figures released recently revealed that a quarter (23.9%) of British women were obese. British men weren't far behind with 21.1% classed as overweight.

The high levels of obesity in the UK are in stark contrast to some countries like Romania, where only 8% were classed as obese.

Overall, Brits should be consuming 5 million less calories per day than at present.

And earlier this year the strain of our ever increasing waist lines is now effecting the NHS with the number of hospital admissions for obesity rising by more than 30%, putting extra pressure on the health service as it tries to cope with the 10,571 new admissions.

So are we as a nation going to sit there and except our fate or get off the sofa and do something about changing the way we live?

After all it's a free country but wouldn't it be good if the people of the UK got fitter by consuming less and exercising a bit more.

With some thought and planning this country could be celebrating by having the fittest women in Europe in a few years time.

Improve your Health-Go Mediterranean!

In studies, Scientists have found that when obese people were given a low-calorie diet made up of Mediterranean-style foods, such as fish, chicken, pasta, potatoes and fresh fruit and vegetables, they were more likely to stick to it and lose weight from their stomach, compared to those who followed a traditional low-calorie diet.

Researchers from the U.S. have found that those who follow a Med-style diet have a smaller decline in brain functioning as they grow older compared to those who follow a more western diet, which can contain higher levels of saturated fats. It's believed that it maybe the unsaturated fats and antitoxidants in fruit, veg and wholegrain foods which helped to maintain brain function.

You can even wash it done with a glass of red wine, which can help in reducing blood pressure and maintaining a healthy body. However always ensure that you drink within the recommended health guildelines as the benefits will be diminished and drinking more on a regular basis will be unhealthy.

So raise a glass and tuck into some fresh fish and pasta for a healthier and stronger body.

Drink choc milk to aid recovery

In two recent studies, Dr Ivy at the University of Texas found that low fat milkshake worked better as a post-workout recovery drink compared to typical sports drinks and calorie free drinks.

Both studies consisted of 32 healthy amateur male and female cyclists. In the studies he found that those who consumed the chocolate drink had more power and rode faster compared with those who drank another drink.

The other study revealed that the low-fat chocolate milk drinkers built more muscle and burnt off more fat during training, resulting in them gaining 3-pound in lean muscle after 4.5 weeks of training compared with participants who consumed a sport drink.

Dr Ivy admits that the reasons why the low-fat Chocolate drink is more successful is unclear at present until more research has been done.

"But there's something in the naturally-occuring protein and carbohydrate mix that offers significant benefits," he concludes.

Dr Ivy notes that the drink needs to be consumed within 30 mins after a work-out to get maximum benefits.