Happy International women's day!

Today is International women's day where we celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness of bias and take action for equality.

To celebrate this day I have put together a top 10 of the most inspirational quotes I could find from top sports women, to help motivate women (and men) to be the best version of themselves and achieve their goals in life, whatever that maybe.

"Champions keep playing until they get it right." - Billie Jean King-Tennis champion.

"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does-that makes you a winner right there-Venus Williams-Tennis champion.

"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith, belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication.  Remember all things are possible for those who believe."-Gail Devers-2x Olympic track & field champion.

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit, the potential for greatness lives within each of us."-Wilma Rudolph-Olympic track & field champion.

"Don't let anyone tell you you're weak because you're a woman."- Mary Kom-Olympic bronze medallist in boxing.

"Never set limits, go after your dreams, don't be afraid to push the boundaries."-Paula Radcliffe-Marathon Champion.

"I was always out to prove myself, that became a habit-just to prove to the world that my medical condition has not let my life slip away from me."-Deepa Malik-First Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympic Games.

"A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall."-Serena Williams-Tennis champion.

"I go to bed every night thinking about all the ways that I can succeed."-Ronda Rousey-MMA fighter and WWE wrestler.

"Age is no barrier, it's a limitation you put on your mind-Jackie Joyner Kersee-Olympic track & field champion.

"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does-that makes you a winner right there."-Venus Williams-Tennis champion.

"Never set limits, go after your dreams, don't be afraid to push the boundaries."-Paula Radcliffe-Marathon champion.

Happy International women's day everyone.

#BalanceforBetter

It's not your fault if you're fat-blame your genes!

Why do some people struggle with their weight, while others seem to be able to eat anything and stay thin?  Researchers at Cambridge University have recently tried to answer this question.  In the largest study of its kind they discovered that indeed thin people can be at an advantage at a genetic level compared to their overweight and obese counterparts.  

More than sixty per cent of adults in the UK are either overweight or obese and this is causing an ever increasing strain on our health and leading to record amounts of people with type 2 diabetes and other medical conditions such as heart disease and stroke.  This in turn is costing the NHS billions of pounds a year to treat these people and medicate their conditions.

Although we indeed can be a product of our own environment and in the last 25 years or so, the availability and the disgusting amount of different food choices which are high in sugar and fat has grown enormously out of all proportion it seems that some people can still maintain a healthy weight while others struggle.

There have been hundreds of genes found that can increase the chances of a person being overweight and in some cases faulty genes can cause severe obesity from a young age.

The researchers compared DNA from 14,000 people of which 1,622 were thin, 1,985 were severely obese and 10,433 were a healthy weight.  They also asked participants to answer questions regarding their general health and lifestyle. 

The study found several common genetic variants already identified as playing a role in obesity as well as discovering new genetic regions involved in severe obesity and some involved in healthy thinness.  Importantly those who were thin carried fewer genes that were found to increase a person's chances of becoming over weight.

Although this is really interesting stuff and maybe in the future scientists could use this information to come up with a plan to help combat obesity by targeting these so called 'fat genes' in some way, I am worried that this could be used as an excuse by some to take the responsibility of weight management away from them.  

I believe that we are all prone to weight gain living in this modern environment of fast foods and high fat and sugary meals and treats but unfortunately some do find it harder to control their weight than others.  However I believe we all have a role to play and can take responsibility for our weight management regardless of our genes. 

What do you think? 

Stay The Course and Reap The Benefits

Happy New Year to you all .  Christmas is now a distant memory and now the break is over a lot of people are already struggling to keep up with their new year resolutions.

If you are one of these people, don't worry as here are my top 5 tips to help you stay the course and reap all those important health benefits:-

1.) You only fail if you give up- You missed a gym session because you had to work late or you had that slice of cake that you feel you shouldn't have eaten.  So what!  Don't worry it's not the end of the world, dust yourself down, refocus and get back to it.

2.) Don't be too hard on yourself- Success or failure are just a gradual build up of many choices that we have made over a period of time.  It's up to you what choices you make.  As long as most of your choices are steering you towards your goals rather then away, then don't be too hard on yourself if you miss the odd gym session or have a slice of that cake from time to time.  Remember moderation is the key.




3.) Choose something you like doing- This may seem obvious but every January loads of people join the local gym and pay their joining fee, sort out their Direct Debit payments, attend a few times and then stop going because they hated it.  It's almost impossible to keep doing an exercise routine, sport or activity that you hate over a sustained period of time.  In order to stick to an exercise or activity long term you need to enjoy it. Choose carefully and then you have a greater chance of success.

4.) Get a training buddy- It's so much harder skipping a gym session, having that chocolate bar or cigarette if you know that someone is in it with you and you don't want to let them down.

5.) Tell others of your goals- Hold yourself to account.  Tell your friends and family of your intended goals, mention it on social media.  In this way it's far harder to give up if people know.

I hope you have found these tips helpful to ensure you stick to your goals this year and increase  your fitness and health.