Royal College of Physicians Report on Exercise

The Royal College of Physicians recently published a report that outlined several recommendations to ensure exercise and physical activity is a routine part of prevention and management of chronic conditions. The report called for a development of a medically driven national strategy to use exercise in the prevention and treatment of disease, the recommendation of training medical students in how exercise can be used as a preventive measure against diseases and the regulation of exercise therapists who treat patients. I see this as a big step forward which will benefit the patients as well as the fitness industry. Working as a exercise on referral instructor I am starting to see a lot more clients whose GP have sent them to me to help reduce their blood pressure or cholesterol levels naturally, rather than giving them pills to take. Doctors are slowly coming round to the thinking that in some cases, exercise can be a truely beneficial alternative to medicine, which can make a huge difference to the health and well-being of their patients and this report can only help to encourage more GPs to do the same.

Six ways to stay healthy this Christmas

Oh no it's Christmas! All those mince pies, Christmas cake, party food and booze, not a good time for our waistlines. However it doesn't have to be as bad as you may think. There are plenty of healthy things you can do over this period to counter balance the not so good. Below are six of the best ways to keep yourself healthier this year. 1) Fill up your fruit bowl:- Studies show that only 30% of U.K adults eat the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day. Clementines are in season now and are packed full with essential nutrients including vitamin C, that can boost your immune system and help reduce the chances of getting a cold. So fill up your bowl with these and other fruits in season such as , pears, apples and cranberries. 2)Eat some nuts:- Walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts and almonds are all a great source of calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth. The British Heart Foundation recommends we eat a handful a day and there's evidence that they can even reduce cholesterol. Just ensure they are the unsalted variety. 3) Get Dancing:- With the success of 'Strictly' there's never been a better time to go dancing. Ballroom, disco or salsa it doesn't matter what it is as long as you move that body. Depending on intensity and your weight you can burn over 400 calories dancing. If you're dancing you consume less booze and party food as well. Now the party season is here, why not take advantage and burn some extra calories on the dance floor. 4)Tuck into that Turkey:- Turkey is a great low fat source of protein, which helps build and repair muscle. Use leftovers to make a healthy and tasty dish like turkey stew or curry. 5)Eat your sprounts:- These little vegetables are a good source of vitamins A and C, folic acid and fibre. Also believed to protect the body against colon cancer. 6)Stay active:- During the slump between Christmas and New Year's Day, why don't you keep active and go for a walk, jog or a bike ride to burn off some of that Chrismas dinner, rather then sitting in front of the t.v. and going through yet another box of chocolates.

Fitness is more important than losing weight

Interesting medical research has revealed that being physically fit could have more an impact on health than managing your weight. A study of 15,000 men showed that maintaining or increasing fitness levels was associated with lower risks of dying, even if their body weight increased or remained static. Researchers also found that increased levels of activity, over a period of 6 years was associated with a 19% lower risk of heart and circulatory disease. Of course it's always healthier to stay within your ideal weight boundaries suggested by The Body Mass Index (BMI) and stay under 25. Cancer Research UK says that around 40% of cancers that occur in patients each year are due to a poor lifestyle such as lack of exercise, bad food choices and smoking. In other words these can be avoided if a more healthier lifestyle is followed. Further evidence suggests that exercise plays a major role in recovering from cancer. Figures from Macmillan Cancer Support indicate that those recovering from breast and prostate cancer can reduce their mortality risk by 30-40% if they perform 150 minutes of physical activity each week, compared to those doing fewer than 60 minutes each week. Macmillan claims that there needs to be a cultural shift so that people see physical activity as "an integral part of their lives, not just an optional add on."

UK children are missing out on outdoor play

A study conducted by Savlon and Play England found that children prefer to play outside rather then do indoor activities, such as playing computer games when given the choice. Playing at a beach or river scored the most with 88%, playing in the park 79%, riding a bike 77% and ball games 76%. The study which involved 2,000 respondents also found that 1 in 5 children have never played in fields and farmland and 1 in 6 have never played in woods or forests, this compares to nearly 60% of adults who played there every week when they were children. Also 60% of parents would prefer their children to play outside more but prevented them doing so due to safety concerns. Also due to safety fears 1 in 4 parents would prefer their children to play on the computer than climb a tree and 1 in 5 prefer computer games instead of playing in fields and farmland. With 1 in 3 children now either overweight or obese in this country it's ironic that keeping our children indoors thinking that we're keeping them safe maybe doing them more harm than good. Inactivity and high fat/sugar foods such as crisps, fizzy drinks and sweets are turning our children into a nation of fatties. If we carry on as we are 9 out of 10 children may grow up with dangerous amounts of fat in their bodies which will put them at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer later on in life. Surely a more healthy balance could be struck in order that children can fulfill their natural curiosity and love of adventure in playing outside and taking some controlled risks but within safe and secure boundaries that will suit parents.

Stay younger as you age-exercise regularly

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, America did a study on competitive runners, swimmers and cyclists aged between 40 and 81 to see if exercise can preserve lean muscle mass. All the subjects featured were fit, training 4 to 5 times per week and competing regularly. Researchers measured their muscle mass, leg strength and body composition, determining how much muscle tissue was composed of fat. Past studies have shown that as we age not only do we lose muscle mass but the muscle that remains contains fat which degrades the quality and reduces strength. However there was little evidence of this with the subjects involved with this study. Those at the higher end of the age group, the 70s and 80s had almost the same thigh muscle mass as those in their 40s with minor if any fat increase! They also remained strong. There was however a drop off in leg strength around age 60 in both men and women subjects. They weren't as strong as those in the 50s age group but the difference wasn't great and further decline was minimum. The 70 and 80 year olds were about as strong as the 60 age group. Dr Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon who oversaw the study said, "These results suggest strongly that people don't lose muscle mass and function as they grow older. The changes that we've assumed were due to aging and therefore were unstoppable seem actually to be caused by inactivity and that can be changed."

Sorry-there's no short cut to losing weight

Despite all the adverts out there in the media, you know the ones, 'eat as much as you like and take this pill twice per day and still lose weight!' Or 'I lost pounds on this new fad diet where all I eat is any foods which are green or blue or whatever....' there is no magic formula to get you to lose weight or get fitter. It's human nature to want to find a short cut and in this age where everything is instant we believe that science must have come up with something by now to avoid having to eat healthy and exercise on a regular basis. However the truth is there are no quick fire solutions. The fad diets will make you lose weight short term but due to their extreme nature can only be done for a short period of time and most of the weight you lose is muscle rather than fat anyway. As soon as you go back to eating normally again the chances are that you will put the weight back on and extra and you will resort to dieting again, hence the phase yo-yo dieting. Your metabolism (speed in which your body burns energy)would have lowered so the body will find it harder to burn calories daily and store as fat instead. The makers of fad diets and pill peddlers are making a fortune on the misplaced hopes and dreams of people looking for a quick fix. It sounds boring and very basic but the only long term and safest way to lose weight is to eat healthily most of the time, drink plenty of water and to exercise regularly (at least 2.5 hours a week minimum). So until there is a real magic pill that can burn fat without eating healthily and exercising the best way is still exercise regularly and eat healthy balanced meals.

Body Combat

Had an audition at Virgin Active in Romford last Wednesday for cover and I am pleased to announce that they liked me and I will now be placed on their cover list, with the likely hood of getting some permanent hours in the new year. Body Combat is a martial arts based fitness class which includes moves from different disciplines such as kickboxing, karate and MMA, set to music. I have my first cover session on Thursday 25th Oct at 9.30am. Why don't you come over and have a great workout with me.