Go Hard or Go Home!

I was covering a circuit class this week and was astounded by how many thought they could just turn up and put minimal effort into it and would still miraculously achieve their fitness goals somehow.

I come from a martial arts background and maybe I'm a bit unusual that I love to push myself to my limits and feel a sense of achievement when I have come out the other side fitter and stronger, both physically and mentally for it.

My attitude is what's the point of turning up if you don't work hard enough to gain the results that you've come there to achieve?  You might as well stay at home and save your money!

During the hour I did get them to work hard and a couple did appreciate the extra push I gave them, minus a couple of silly girls who found it too hard and sneaked out.

They do say people gravitate to those people that are similar to themselves and hold the same views and beliefs.  That's maybe why many of my regulars come from a martial art or army background or those not scared of putting themselves into the forge of fitness and becoming a better, stronger person for it and the gym bunnies who can do 5 classes in a row and not produce a drop of sweat (because they're only playing at it) tend not to like my classes.

Well give me 5 people who are willing to go hard in a class than 30 who are just there fooling themselves and should just go home.


  

Doggie Fitness

This week I've done something that I haven't done before which is to run a exercise class for both dog and their owner.

This came about when during my time as a fitness professional I've spoken to various dog owners who say they've walked their dogs for exercise but have still struggled with their weight.

After asking some open questions I normally find out that they just walk the dog and they're not pushing themselves enough to get the health benefits of exercising.

The health benefits for both human and dog are helping to prevent or reduce obesity, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, mental conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress and for humans, diabetes type 2 and certain cancers.  It also helps increase stamina, muscular strength, flexibility, bone density and motor skills such as agility and balance.

In order to do enough to get the full benefits you have to use moderate intensity which is feeling slightly out of breath, slightly uncomfortable and slightly perspiring and ensuring you keep active for a large part of the day rather than being sedentary and eating healthily.

I approached my good friend Tony Cruse, who is a dog trainer situated in Galleywood, Chelmsford and ran it by him and he thought it a good idea to use it as a one off at his regular Tuesday Club, where I'd be guest instructor.

Before we started I asked the group if they felt that when they took their dogs out that they were doing it at a moderate intensity and most of them thought that they were.

 During the class I was encouraging them to reach their moderate intensity levels and afterwards they could see the difference of what they had thought was 'moderate' intensity and what they had really been doing, which had been exercising at a much lower intensity and would therefore grant them at best little health gains and at worst no health gains at all! 

In the future they will adopt a slightly more vigorous approach where they will be performing at a higher rate and start to gain the health benefits of exercising.

Exercising with your dog can help increase the bond between owner and dog, communication,  reduce a dog's destructive behaviour, reduce boredom and increase feelings of wellbeing for both.

Dogs and owners alike enjoyed the morning class and I look forward to returning to do something similar again.

Thanks to Tony for letting me hi-jack his class for the morning and if anyone wants to contact him for dog training or buy his best selling book, 101 Doggie Dilemmas can contact him at:-

http://www.tc-dog-training.co.uk/

Another Great Article by James Clear

This is a great article by James Clear with an emphasis on what my blog was about last week, regarding how small things can build up to big things over a period of time .

I am a great fan of this guy and he publishes 2 blogs a week with great advice like this.  Why don't you sign up for them like I have and get some sound tips to help organise and improve your life for the better.

Enjoy- and tell me what you think.

http://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains?__s=xusjsdsuuf4sgmgsmqbb

Little Things Add Up To Big Things

During our busy lives we are often looking for the big payoff, dismissing things that seem of smaller value.  However it's these little things that can build up over time to make a huge difference.

 This way of thinking reminds me of the question 'would you take £5 million right away or be given 1p that would double in value every day for one month and at the end of this time you would keep the amount.' 

Most people would take the £5 million and run thinking the 1p a day doubling in value every day couldn't add up to very much.  However they would be greatly wrong because if they chose the 1p  doubling in value each day (day 2- 1 + 1 = 2p, day 3, 2 + 2 = 4p) at the end of the month you would have accumulated over £10 million!

So the small things that we consider of no real value, in this case 1p, over a relatively short time has become worth more than the £5 million that was originally offered.

We can use this concept in our daily lives and make our lives 'richer' for it.  Here are 5 examples of how seemingly small things can add up to big things to help you get fitter and healthier.

1.) Swap full fat milk for semi skimmed:- you would save 42 calories and 4.4g of fat per serving.   Over 1 year  swapping 1 serving per day would add up to saving you over 15,000 calories and 1.6kg of fat!  If you went from full fat to skimmed you would save over 24,000 calories and 2.7 kgs of fat! That's about as much fat that's in 270 mars bars!

2.) Swap regular crisps with low-fat- eating a bag a day over 1 year you would save yourself 24,966 calories and lose 3.2kg of fat if you made the swap.

3.) Swap 1 meal a day with a Herbalife nutritional shake:- over 1 year instead of having your chicken salad sandwich, full fat crisps and bottle of Coke and have a shake instead, you would save 205,495 calories (equivalent of 366 hours on the treadmill) and between 10-14lbs of fat loss!  You'd also save yourself the best part of £600!

4.) Swap 1 tablespoon  to 1 teaspoon of oil per person in a dish:- doing this and you'd save yourself 32,850 calories and lose 4.3kg fat (savings based on 1 serving per day over 1 year).

5.) Swap deep- fried chips with home made chunky chips with spray oil:- Do this with your 2 servings per week and you'd save 18,475 calories and lose over 2.3kg fat over 1 year.

For more information on Herbalife products, business opportunities or personal training please get in touch.

Enjoy a Healthy Barbecue

It's summer and now is the perfect time to fire up the barbecue, invite some friends and family round and have a catch up.

Cooking outside is a great experience when it's hot rather than being stuck in a stuffy kitchen.

Barbeques don't have to be unhealthy if you choose healthier options, so you can enjoy great healthy food and your waistline will thank you for it.

Here are my top 5 tips in keeping your barbecue healthy and guilt free:-

1.) Choose healthier protein:- Buy better quality burgers and sausages, which have a higher percentage of meat in them rather than the cheaper variety which is often bulked out with inferior ingredients such as breadcrumbs and rusk and will contain more saturated fats.  If possible treat yourself to some steak this is pure meat with nothing added to it and is a great source of iron and protein. 

2.) Eat more white meat:- chicken and fish are an excellent source of protein and contains less saturated fat than red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb.  However ensure that these are cooked all the way through to make sure all the bacteria has been killed and avoid any food poisoning.

3.) Have loads of salad:- Pile up your plate with fresh salad.  Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly. It also contains fibre and water which not only is low calories (fibre is a carbohydrate so does have some calories-water has none) but will help fill you up!  Doing this will help to stop you over eating on the meats.  However be careful not to over indulge with dressings, salad cream, coleslaw and potato salad which is high in saturated fats and are loaded with calories.

4.) Have a snack before going:- Have a snack or light meal before going, so you won't arrive starving hungry and run the risk of wolfing down the food and overeating.

5.) Be more active:- If you know you're going out and maybe consuming more calories than you normally would, than try having a work out beforehand, to burn a few extra calories.  Remember more calories in than out will cause weight gain and more calories expended than consumed will result in weight loss!

So as you can see you can have a healthy barbecue by just making a few adjustments here and there.  Enjoy some outdoor activities while you can and I'll see you next week.

If at First You Don't Succeed, Try Try Again

If something is of value and is worth doing than you have to invest your time and effort into it or you won't appreciate it at all.

Often you won't get it right first, second maybe even the third time but if you stick at it and have a goal in mind you will get there in the end.

If you give up because the journey to fitness seems too hard and it seems you're the only one whose trying to make an effect when everyone else is stuffing their faces with Big Macs and going to the pub and getting drunk every weekend than you will never discover your true potential.

A beautiful view from the mountain top can only happen if you make the effect to start that long, hard journey and start to walk up that mountain.  Nobody is going to do it for you.

We live in such an immediate society that we want results right now!  That's why the celebrity crash diets are so popular because they promise you the results you desire in a matter of weeks not years.

However the sad truth is that if it has taken you years to put on weight, do you really think that it's going to be quick to take it all back off?  Of course not, because you won't sell as many products if you say, 'you too can have a body like this in 5 years time!'

However think about it for a moment.  Everyone has a certain amount of years on this earth and it's down to you how you choose to spend it.  So if you could get to the perfect shape but it would take you 5 years to get there why don't you?  5 years doing it the right way and than you just have to maintain, compared with taking 5 years worth of short cuts and after 5 years being bigger and more unhappy than when you first started.

So why don't you make those first steps, if you relapse don't worry, it's all part of life, just dust yourself down and carry on and NEVER EVER give up.

 That mountain view is waiting and its down to you and you alone to decide to get to the top or not.

If you want me to help you to get to the top of that mountain than please get in touch.

60% more people Living with Diabetes

According to a new report by Diabetes UK there are 60% more people living with diabetes in the UK compared with 10 years ago, which is an increase of more than 1.2 million.

Diabetes is a condition that stops the body being able to control its blood sugar levels effectively and  leading in worst cases to blindness and amputation.

Diabetes UK are warning that this huge growth in numbers over the last decade reflects an urgent need for effective care for people already living with the disease as well as highlighting the importance of prevention.

The 1.2 million increase of new sufferers is the equivalent of the population of a small country such as Cyprus!

Diabetes already costs the NHS nearly £10 billion a year and 80% of this is spent on managing avoidable complications.

About 90% of cases are type 2 which is closely associated with obesity and poor lifestyle choices such as a bad diet and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

If your BMI is 30 or more and you already have diabetes in the family you are at a much higher risk developing the type 2 version compared with those who are a healthy weight and don't have a family history of diabetes.

 The best way to reduce the risk is to get a handle on your nutritional habits and start to get more active, more often.  Below are my top 5 tips to get you started:-

1.) Start off slowly:- If you're new to exercise start off slowly, try doing an activity that lasts about 30 minutes, 3 times a week, using moderate intensity levels (slightly out of breath and slightly uncomfortable and makes you perspire) and gradually build it up to 60 minutes 2-3 times per week.

2.) Be Active more often:- It's no good going to the gym or an exercise class 2 - 3 times per week but for the rest of the time you're chained to a desk at work and at home glued to the sofa, watching T.V. Try cycling or jogging to work, get off the bus/train a stop earlier and walk, go for a walk at lunch time,  wash the car or do some gardening at home to burn off some extra calories.

3.) Stay hydrated:- Our body is made up of 70% water and so it's important to stay hydrated. This will help keep your energy levels up as dehydration has been known to cause fatigue, kidney problems, migraines, constipation and even weight gain.  Aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, more if you're exercising or it's hot.  If you want to add flavour to your water why not try Herbalife's Lift Off which comes in orange or lemon and lime and has the added bonus of providing you with an energy boost without the excess sugar of other energy drinks or Herbalife's Thermojetics tea which even helps to boost energy and help burn calories and comes in 4 great flavours of peach, lemon, raspberry and original.

4.) Get your nutrition right:- To keep your blood sugar levels steady its important to eat regularly and the right types of food to keep your energy levels up and give you all the nutrition your body needs.  It's also important to choose foods that don't contain excess fats and sugar that can often be found in high energy foods such as  biscuits, cakes and chocolate.
 Try a Herbalife protein shake instead for breakfast or lunch, its a perfect and well balanced nutritional meal and will give you a steady flow of energy throughout the day and keep your blood sugar levels steady.

5.) Ensure you eat regularly:- You should aim to eat 3 main meals a day with 2-3 snacks in between.  Try  yogurt with berries, a Herbalife protein bar, a piece of fruit or a packet of Herbalife  roasted soya beans as a healthy snack to help speed up your basal metabolic rate, keep blood sugar levels topped up and avoid your body going  into a starvation mode and storing fat.

I hope this post has been helpful and if you're interested in any Herbalife products, want to try out a free sample or make some extra money working as a Herbalife distributer than
I 'd love to hear from you.