Osteoporosis or brittle bone diseasesonal training is more common than you would think in the U.K. The lifetime risk for osteoporosis in the UK almost half for women and 1 in 5 for men. This disease is not, however, an inevitable part of ageing. There are many ways in which you can prevent yourself becoming one of the estimated 3 million sufferers in the UK. What is it? The bones in our skeleton are made up of water, protein and mineral salts, the latter of which constitutes roughly half the structure.Bone strength is the result of a combination of the hardness of these minerals combines with the tensile properties of collagen (derived from the protein).

Too little of one (e.g. collagen) and the bone will be thin like an egg shell and prone to shattering. Too little of the other (e.g. mineral salts) and the bone will be bendy like a piece of rubber. Bone is alive and constantly changing throughout life. Old, worn out bone is broken down by cells called osteoclasts and replaced by bone building cells called osteoblasts, in a process of renewal called bone turnover. In childhood, osteoblasts work faster enabling the skeleton to increase in density and strength. During this period of rapid bone growth, it takes the skeleton just two years to completely renew itself. In adults the process takes seven to ten years.

Bones stop growing in length between the ages of 16 and 18, but bone density continues to increase slowly until a person is in their mid 20s. At this point the balance between bone demolition and bone construction stays stable. After the age of 35, bone loss increases very gradually as part of the natural ageing process. This bone loss becomes more rapid in women for several years following the menopause and can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of broken bones, especially in later life. Along with this natural ageing there are other factors that increase the onset of osteoporosis-poor diet can lead to a calcium deficiency, lack of exercise will not encourage bone regeneration, smoking, particularly in women causes a drop in oestrogen which will contribute to brittle bones, family history can be a factor, low body fat, alchohol and overtraining are also risks.

So how can you prevent it-logically, don’t subject yourself to the rick increases outlined above! So don’t smoke (see my other comments about this and Allen Carr’s Easyway), eat a balanced wholefood diet, have enough calcium, don’t drink (too much) and be sure to enjoy some form of weight bearing exercise.

Calcium-Calcium is needed for the heart, muscles and nerves to function properly and for blood to clot. Inadequate calcium is thought to contribute to the development of osteoporosis. National nutrition surveys have shown that many women and young girls consume less than half the amount of calcium recommended to grow and maintain healthy bones. According to Govt. recommendations, adults under age 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium daily, and adults age 50 and over need 1,200 mg of calcium daily. 

Vitamin D-Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium. Without enough vitamin D, you will be unable to absorb calcium from the foods you eat, and your body will have to take calcium from your bones. Vitamin D comes from two sources: through the skin following direct exposure to sunlight and from the diet.  According to  recommendations, adults under age 50 need 400-800 IU of vitamin D₃ daily, and adults age 50 and over need 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D₃ daily. Vitamin D₃is the form of vitamin D that best supports bone health. It is also called cholecalciferol. Vitamin D can also be obtained from fortified milk, egg yolks, saltwater fish, liver and supplements.

Weight Bearing Exercise-one of the biggest factors that influence if you will develop osteoporosis is how much weight bearing exercise you get while your bones are forming, so during childhgood and adolesence. During this time weight bearing exercise will put lots of strength into your “bone bank” which will mean that you will suffer less from degeneration later on. So if you have children don’t molly coddle them too much, rather than protect them you could actually be doing harm. Let them build things, run around and climb trees!

Resistance training-this is also very important. Your body responds and adapts to stresses places upon it, so weight training will encourage less bone loss as you get older. All sessions with a diets don’t work personal trainer include this weight bearing exercise and resistance training. All muscle groups are covered and we do this in a functional, challenging and interesting way!

This month I am creating an award for our outstanding trainer Annie Sealy. Annie continues to keep her clients happy through thick and thin, and I am continually getting wonderful emails about how nice and supportive she is. One client said that she had to do the extra set of squats just because she felt Annie was too nice to say no! Always smiling she knows just the right mix of carrot and stick to keep you all motivated.

Annie is our personal trainer for the Maidenhead, Windsor, Bracknell, Sunninghill and Sunningdale areas.

The inspirational Olympics have been largely responsible for my less than regular blog writing over the last couple of weeks, I do apologise. I thought the rugby world cup of 2003 where we beat the Aussies in Australia was the greatest sporting event I had ever witnessed, but then along came Beijing. It has been the most awe inspiring 2 weeks, and I have been moved to tears on several occasions-the magnificent rowers coming back from behind to win gold (men’s cox-less fours), the South African swimmer Natalie du Troit not only qualifing but coming 16th with only one leg in the 10,000m swim, Christine Ohuruogu timing her race to perfection and (almost) silencing her critics to name a few. The amount of effort and sacfifice put in by these and all the other athletes should inspire us all to get out there and do some exercise-you don’t have to be a world class anything, just give it a go-go for a trot, get your kids a bike, get YOURSELF a bike!

As for some members of the UK press, suggesting that London can’t possibly folow up the games in China, that Scotland should compete on it’s own, that Christine Ohuruogu should have been baned from the games, that some of the sports that we have been successful in are elitist etc etc-SHAME ON YOU. What matters is how tremendously well we have done NOW, and how we can win as Great Britain doing things togther for once. Perhaps for a new spectator sport in 2012 we could have a moaning contest-if entered, sections of our media would surely be in for the gold. 

 I am very fit and fairly sporty (I am after all a personal trainer, it’s important we walk the walk) and although possibly over the hill at 37 I am now racking my brain to come up with an event that I might have a chance in for 2012. Not sure I can even think about matching the huge efforts put in by our athletes day in day out but it’s a nice thought anyway. I swear if I was 15 I would be doing it though…

So on to the roll of honour, firstly those who had to walk off the plane yesterday with nothing to show for all their hard work who had to suffer the fate of the “nearly there” and came 4th-you have made a tremendous effort, well done and we hope your hearts and bodies and minds will recover from this heartbreak asap so you can get back into training and go for it again!

The medalists-we salute you all. Thank you for inspiring us all so much and working so hard for so long. It has been an honour to witness your achievements over the past 2 weeks, you have been an inspiration to us all. Britain is very, very proud, and we all can’t wait until 2012! 

Bronze Medalists-

JOANNE JACKSON Swimming, Womens’ 400m freestyle. TINA COOK-Equestrian, Women’s individual eventing. WILLIAM FOX-PITT/SHARON HUNT/DAISY DICK/MARY KING/TINA COOK-Equestrian, Team eventing. ELISE LAVERICK/ANNA BEBINGTON-Rowing, Women’s double sculls. MATTHEW WELLS/STEPHEN ROWBOTHAM-Rowing, Men’s double sculls. CHRIS NEWTON-Cycling, Men’s points race. STEVEN BURKE- Cycling, Men’s individual pursuit. LOUIS SMITH-Gymnastics, Men’s pommel horse. DAVID FLORENCE
Age 26, born Aberdeen
Canoeing, Men’s slalom

THE SILVERS-

 EMMA POOLEY
Age 25, born London
Road cycling, Women’s time trial

ROSS EDGAR
Age 25, born Newmarket
Cycling, Men’s keirin

KATHERINE GRAINGER/ANNIE VERNON/DEBBIE FLOOD/FRANCES HOUGHTON
Rowing, Women’s quadruple sculls.

Today a personal note on the first hand benefits of being fit and healthy. Believe it or not, in a previous life some 5 years ago I was a rock singer/professional musician in a band with a minor record deal, small but mental fan base, and several adoring female fans! I was very sporty from a young age, and carried this on even when I was in the music industry with windsurfing, squash, ocean/wave kayaking and surfing-my band was based in Barbados (I was born and brought up there). However, any healthy lifestyle ended there. I drank to excess at least 2 nights a week, including a smorgasbord of lethal shots, jack Daniels as a shooter being a favourite. I also smoked-a LOT. My first waking thought was “cigarette” and to this end I would have my first one in the shower before breakfast, sheltering it lovingly from the water. My life was also filled with stress. Pressure from management, band mates, peers, the music industry and myself meant I was constantly worried and anxious-this of course makes a smoker want to smoke more, which I did. As a consequence I was constantly ill: if a cold was going around I would get it immeditely and have it for ages. I suffered from bronchitis more than once, was constantly coughing, and was about half a stone underweight. I also suffered from lots of anxiety, mood swings, the odd bit of paranoia and general depression.

Having moved back to the UK and got the hump with music and all related things, I re-qualified as a personal trainer. I stopped smoking (thank you for saving my life, Mr Allen Carr) and got back into sport and eating really well. I also really got into weight training, and go to the gym 3 times per week, on top of squash and now kite surfing.

This lifestyle change has resulted in the following-I am a much much happier, calmer positive person. I NEVER get sick, even when surrounded by personal trainer clients and their sick children. I have not had a proper cold for 2 years. When I do get a cold, I just feel very slightly off colour for a day and then am right as rain. Mentally I feel much more even and calm-even road raging BMW’s don’t get me going (often). Rather than worry about the future I now approach it with a positive and “come what may” attitude. Physically I am in the shape of my life, feeling strong, functionally fit and am playing much better squash and badminton. Overall it’s been the most rewarding change. And I’m not fanatical, I still have bad things and the odd week off exercise here and there-it’s just about moderation.

So even if you are not in the market for a personal trainer in London or the Thames Valley or anywhere, just a few small steps to take care of yourself will make you feel much much better about you and the world around you. Go for a walk, jog for a bit, join a club, get a kayak, try swimming, book a badminton court, whatever, It will enrich your life more that you can believe.

Thanks for reading

Adam Atkinson    

Very often overlooked, even by those who are already exercising, there are lots and lots of benefits to stretching and flexibility. Our teacher at Premier Training always used to nag us by saying “the basis of all mobility is flexibility-no flexibility means no proper movement”. If you see and older person shuffling along the street this shuffling is most likely due to shortened hamstrings that are stopping the leg going forward all the way properly. In all our sessions with a personal trainer we always do some dynamic stretching during the warm-up and then at the end of your session you get a full 10 minutes of static stretching where your trainer stretches you just like you see with the celebrities-this not only makes you feel like a bit of a star, but provides more effective stretching than you would be able to do on your own, and will identify any tight areas that need extra work. Muscles run across all our major joints. working the bones like the chains on a drawbridge. If these muscles become tight there can be severe implications such as increased risk of injury, poor posture, back problems,reduced range of movement, headaches and general aches and pains. As the body and the muscles are a kinetic chain, a tight calf muscle can cause a tight hamstring, which will tilt the pelvis and give you a bad back! So, a pain in the foot can be a pain in the neck!!

Inversely, the benefits of stretching are huge, here are some of them:

• Increased range of motion
• Reduced muscle tension and increased physical and mental relaxation
• Reduced risk of joint and muscle sprains/minor and major injuries
• Reduced risk of back problems
• Decreased muscle soreness after exercise
• Improved co-ordination through greater ease of movement and smoother muscle actions
• Improved circulation and air exchange, especially in the muscles
• Improved posture

Even personal training clients of our who should know better are dilligent with thier homework and exercise well but then can’t be bothered to stretch!! Although best done after exercise when the muscles are warm and have greater elasticity, you can stretch anytime and anywhere-so get on with it! Have a look at our stretches in the knowledge section of this web site.

There are lots of benefits to resistance training, today I’ll have a brief look at why it is just as essential a part of any exercise regime as cardiovascular work (and flexibility!). Lots of people think that the most important part of getting fit (especially if there’s some weight loss needed) is cardio work, running/cycling/swimming type activities, but as any personal trainer worth his/her salt will tell you resistance (or strength/weight training as it is often called) is really really important. If asked to choose between only being able to do resistance or cardio it would be a very difficult one indeed.

So why is it soooo good for us?

From a weight loss  point of view, resistance training is like putting a bigger engine in a car-it will use more petrol. So in your case more lean muscle=more food needed. The higher your muscle mass is, the more energy these muscles use all day every day, even at rest. If you sat a skinny person on the sofa next to a beefy person with more muscle, for a whole day, the beefy person would need more fuel (or food) to stay alive than the skinny one. His muscles (like the ticking over engine in a car) are always on standby, ready to pounce (using fuel), being repaired and maintained (using fuel) growing new fibres (using fuel). This increased energy usage is scientifically known as an increase in your metabolic rate. The beauty of having more lean muscle is that it makes you burn more calories all the time, not just when you are exercising- i.e. even when you are at rest/sleeping/watching football or America’s Next Top Model etc. So while CV training is making you fit and burning lots of calories (even for a bit after you’ve finished-afterburn), and you are eating a healthy calorie controlled diet (much easier with a Diets Don’t Work personal trainer), your new lean muscle mass is ticking over nicely to burn even more calories. In short:

CV+resistance+increased muscle mass = a thinner much more toned you!

Please note, ladies, don’t be scared off by all this talk of increased lean muscle mass, it dosen’t mean you will end up looking like the Terminator. Your lack of testosterone means that to look like a Russian weight lifter we would have to train with very very heavy weights to failure for quite some time and feed you a diet of fillet steak and eggs. What we are talking about here is that hot and sexy toned firm look. (if you listen to your personal trainer and eat well.

On top of making you use more calories, weight training will also stop you getting fat as you get older-Our muscle mass peaks in our early 20’s then starts the long slow decline as we age with between 300-500 grams per year being lost for the rest of our lives. This slow stealth like muscle meltdown largely goes unnoticed as body fat can accumulate padding the area where muscle tissue is being lost, but as we’ve seen in the previous bit a decrease in muscle mass = a decrease in your metabolic rate. So even if you carry on being good and eating the same things you will STILL put on a pound of fat a year as you go from 30 to 40!!.The name of this villain is Sarcopenia and can have a devastating effect on the last 10-20 years of a person’s life taking away their health, mobility and independence.
It will become a familiar name in the coming years as our inactive and sedentary lives become more common.

It will ALSO:

Make you sick much less: The necessary fuel source used by many cells of the immune system is the amino acid glutamine and the muscles are the primary site where this is stored. The more muscle you have the more plentiful the glutamine supply, the better the immune system works. Muscle is also where the body stores protein. Protein is essential to produce new antibodies and white blood cells to fight off infections or find and destroy cancer cells. The body uses protein at a much faster rate when fighting sickness and muscle tissue is where a reserve of extra protein is kept to draw on when needed.

A proper exercise program that includes at least 60% strength training exercise and the rest vigorous cardio exercise that raises the heart rate also serves to speed the circulation of antibodies and killer cells through the body and can raise white blood cell counts by anywhere from 50 – 300 percent after an exercise session.

As many people get sick when they are stressed or depressed exercise helps reduce stress hormones and releases good hormones. Along with providing an outlet for the nervous energy produced by stress, exercise will increase the robustness of the immune system itself and lessen susceptibility to disease.                     So forget the notion that muscles are just for looks, they are essential for the healthy functioning of the immune system and the ability to withstand disease. This will reduce your risk of being the victim of some dreadful life threatening disease and might well save your life. The only way to keep those precious muscles strong and healthy throughout your life is with strength training exercise.

increase the stability and strength of your joints by making your connective tissue and muscles stronger

increase your bone density and delay/stop the onset of osteoporosis

increase functional strength (so hauling shopping/children/heavy bags of designer shoes will be easier)

improve posture-keep those rounded shoulders back, especially with a programme made specially for you

Improve co-ordination (so you will bump into things less)

increase range of movement at the joints.

So go for it! You don’t have to bust a gut to get more muscle tone, a simple resistance programme 2-3 times a week for 20 minutes will set you on the right track. Simple exercises are also often the best, push ups, squats and the plank to name a few. Have a look on our knowledge page to see more. 

Having looked at the benefits of exercise in general today we’ll have a look at the specific benefits of cardio (heart) -vascular (lungs) exercise. Aerobic fitness is defined as the body’s ability to take in, transport and utilise oxygen-for those of you (like me!) enthused by the Olympics when the commentator says “she’s going anaerobic” this means going beyond the point at which oxygen demand outstrips supply-going into oxygen overdraft if you like. This bit really hurts.It’s also thankfully the next step on fron aerobic, which we are discussing here. 

Aerobics and cardio exercise (running, swimming, cycling type activity) is all about looking after your heart and lungs, as well as improving your energy levels and stamina. Your heart is working all day every day circulating blood and nutrients to your body. By the time you reach the age of 60 your heart will have beat an incredible 2.2 billion times! But don’t worry, your heart is a very very specialised muscle, designed just for the job. Also, like all other muscles, it responds and adapts to stimuli placed upon it-so give it challenging exercise and it will get stronger and healthier.

AFTER BURN – use calories long after you workout. Your heart and lungs have a big influence on your metabolic rate-how much energy you use during the day. After a good quality workout your metabolism remains high for up to 16 hours afterwards as your body replenishes its oxygen and fuel stores. During this time you are operating predominantly on the oxygen energy system. What fuel does this energy system use? Glycogen and FAT. This means that after a good CV session you will continue burning lots of fat for a good while afterwards.

Improve mental awareness-Many studies have linked alertness and productivity with levels of physical fitness. One study by a leading American university showed that a 22% increase in fitness resulted in a 70% increase in decision making skill and mental alertness.

Ultimate Stress Management-We are surrounded daily by negative stress. Even short bouts of exercise produce endorphins-naturally occurring hormones- which enhance feelings of positivity and well being. These endorphins are more powerful any man made drug in the control of stress and depression. They are also totally legal! If you feel particularly clear headed , energetic and positive, it’s very likely that you have been training hard and are swimming in endorphins.

Reduce the risk of Heart Attack and Stroke-Stay aerobically fit and you are 6 times less likely to die prematurely from clogged arteries heart attack and stroke.

Burn High Levels of Fat-While resistance training makes your muscles more effective at using fat and toned muscles will push up your metabolism, during moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise you use up to 10 times as much fat than when at rest. Combine the two for permanent weight loss and toning.

Myth-exercising slowly burns more fat-Like a super advanced hybrid car we have 3 methods of developing energy we know that the highest percentage of fat is used by the oxygen system (more on this later), which operates up to 60% of maximum effort. So to an extent this statement is true-exercising slowly will burn a higher percentage of fat, which is fine if you have 5 hours a day to jog slowly. However, a higher intensity workout will always burn more fat-not only do you have to add afterburn, but a higher number of calories from fat will be used. Mathmetically, although you will burn a higher percentage of fat at a lower intensity of exercise, when exercising at higher rates it is a lower percentage but of a much higher total! So you will burn more overall claories and also more calories from fat when gunning it a bit-don’t kill yourself, but you need to be breathless and sweaty before you start to get the full benefits.

So, it’s worth thinking about what you gain from regular exercise and making even a partial improvement to your fitness.

There are lots of positive reasons for getting fitter, including meeting new people, discovering new interests and generally feeling better, but if you need to be scared into doing more exercise, consider the following:

• On current trends a third of men will be obese by 2010, according to a 2006 department of health report. Between 2003 and 2006, obesity in adults rose by nearly 40 per cent
• The picture is just as worrying for youngsters – by 2010, it’s predicted 22 per cent of girls and 19 per cent of boys between the ages of two and 15 will be obese, with girls under 11 at particular risk
• Obesity is responsible for 9,000 premature deaths a year in this country, and is a major contributory factor to heart disease
• Coronary heart disease (CHD) is still the leading cause of death in the UK, accounting for about a fifth of all deaths, according to the Office for National Statistics
• About a third of deaths caused by CHD are among people aged under 75

Statistics show activity levels decline steadily with age, and by their mid-50s few people take regular exercise. But regular activity is especially important as you age because it has beneficial effects on conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and helps you maintain mobility and mental well-being and, consequently, your independence. There’s no reason you should give up the sport you love just because you’re getting older. There are plenty of exceptions to the statistical trend of decreased activity as we get older – at clubs up and down the country, for example, there are runners in their 50s, 60s and beyond whose fitness puts people 20 or 30 years their junior to shame. And even if you weren’t especially active or sporty at a younger age, it’s never too late to start. Male or female, single or with a partner, there’s lots you can do, and enjoy. ,Some of the health benefits you’ll get are the same as younger people, but there are things that are of particular benefit as you get older:

• More energy – exercise makes you feel more energetic, while sitting around not doing much makes you feel sluggish and unable to do anything
• Improved sleep – your body and mind feel as though they’ve done something and are ready for rest at night
• Stable weight – regular exercise helps to keep you at a healthy weight
• Improved circulation and lower blood pressure
• Delayed ageing – keeping active strengthens your muscles, joints and bones as well as helping with mobility and balance, important as it helps to prevent falls, which are the leading cause of injury and death for the over-75s

 On top of the health benefits, exercise can be an excellent way to meet new people, whether it’s at a gym, a rambling or running club, or just people you meet while walking the dog.

The history of personal training  began earlier than you would think. Pictures on tombs indicate that weightlifting may have been practiced in 2500B.C. By the sixth century B.C., strength training was predominant in Greece. More currently, professional strongmen appeared as entertainers in traveling shows in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the United States and Europe.

During the 1920’s, Jack LaLanne began to develop fitness programs and fitness equipments which served as the groundwork of modern fitness movement, at that time his idea was considered weird but history confirm that he is a cutting edge health and fitness practitioner for his time.

Dr. Thomas DeLorme during 1940s brought some respectability to weight training by showing the health benefits of weight training to likely patients. In 1960s the modern fitness movement began with Dr. Kenneth J Cooper when he introduced the term AEROBICS, and the fitness and health craze had it main stream start. Cooper’s philosophy focused on disease prevention and stressed the importance of having epidemiological data to support the benefits of regular exercise. Dr. Cooper is recognized as the founder of modern fitness movement.

The idea of personalized programming, as we defined today is well over 100 years old. However the terms like fitness professional, personal trainers, personal fitness trainers was not associated with the early days of our industry.

The rapid expansion and development in the industry are truly astonishing. Personal training has a growth rate of 25 percent per year (Reed 1999) and today personal trainers are recognised and respected professionals every where in the world. This is amazing news for the new trainers comming into the industry.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the biggest killer in the UK, so take care of your heart. TV and the media lead us to believe that having a heart attack is deadly but medical advances mean that having heart disease is no longer a death sentence and there are lots of things that you can do to reduce your risk. In CHD, the arteries that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients become narrowed by atherosclerosis. This restricts the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart, particularly during exertion when there are more demands on the heart muscle.

The main symptom is angina, caused by insufficient oxygen reaching the heart muscle because of reduced blood flow. Angina is a feeling of heaviness, tightness or pain in the middle of your chest that may extend to, or just affect, your arms (especially the left), neck, jaw, face, back or abdomen. It’s most often experienced during exertion – if you run for a bus, for example, or climb stairs. It may occur in cold weather, after a heavy meal, or when you’re feeling stressed. It can subside once you stop what you’re doing and rest, or take medication.

Unfortunately, for many people the first indication that something’s wrong is a heart attack. This happens when the blood supply to a part of the heart muscle is completely interrupted or stops, usually when a blood clot forms in a diseased coronary artery that’s already become narrowed by atherosclerosis. The pain of a heart attack is often severe, and is frequently described as a central, crushing type of pain – like a tight band around the chest. Unlike angina, the pain doesn’t subside when you rest. Sometimes it can be mild, and is mistaken for indigestion. Some people have a heart attack without experiencing pain. Other heart attack symptoms include sweating, light-headedness, nausea or breathlessness which, again, aren’t alleviated by rest. If you suspect you, or someone else, is having a heart attack, seek medical help immediately by calling 999. Modern treatments can restore the blood supply to the heart muscle. The sooner treatment is given, the less permanent damage there will be.

The most common cause of a heart attack is atherosclerosis. This is a build up of fatty materials within the walls of the arteries throughout the body, most importantly in the arteries to the tissues of the heart – the coronary arteries. During this process, the inner lining of the arteries becomes furred with a thick, porridge-like sludge (atheroma), consisting of fatty deposits of cholesterol, cell waste and other substances. These form raised patches on the artery wall – known as ‘plaques’ – that narrow the arteries, reducing the space through which blood can flow. At the same time, the blood becomes more prone to clotting. A heart attack occurs when one of the coronary arteries blocks completely. When the supply of oxygen and nutrients is completely blocked, the heart muscle and tissue supplied by that artery dies.

Reducing risk

Becoming more active and improving your diet can make a tremendous difference to your heart. Taking more exercise helps reduce blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels and boosts metabolism – all of which can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. Being active is absolutely essential for a healthy heart – for the simple reason that your heart is a muscle. Even if you haven’t been active for some time, your heart can become stronger, so that it is able to pump more efficiently giving you more stamina and greater energy.

Becoming more active will also improve the ability of your body’s tissues to extract oxygen from your blood, help you maintain healthy levels of blood fats and speed your metabolism.

Three types of exercise are needed in order to become fitter and healthier. These are aerobic, resistance training and flexibility. All three are vital for all-round fitness. Particularly important to prevent coronary heart disease is aerobic or cardiovascular exercise. This is any kind of activity that increases your breathing rate and gets you breathing more deeply.  With one of our personal trainers these activities include: walking, running, step aerobics, boxercise,shuttle runs, body pump and circuit training. These are designed to increase the strength of your heart muscle by improving your body’s ability to extract oxygen from the blood and transport it to the rest of the body. Aerobic exercise also enhances your body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently and to burn (or metabolise) fats and carbohydrates for energy. So you will also get thinner!!

Strength exercise (or resistance training) helps to make your muscles stronger, strengthens your bones and protects your joints from the risk of injury (because muscles protect the joints). This type of exercise may involve the use of free weights and body weight exercises. With home personal training we are not tied in to restrictive gym machines and so can focus on functional resistance training with core muscle activation.    Exercises such as press-ups, lunges and squats, and some of the exercises involved in yoga which use your body weight, are all good for resistance. Resistance training does not increase heart strength on it’s own, but as part of a circuit or body pump style workout it can increase the fitness of your heart like aerobic exercise-this is called Peripheral Heart Action training (PHA). It also helps regulate appetite, strengthens the immune system and increases your metabolic rate, vital if you want to lose weight and eat reasonably well.

 Stretching helps relax and lengthen your muscles, encourages improved blood flow, and helps keep you supple so you can move more easily. Experts say it’s good to stretch for 5-10 minutes every day. There are a number of simple stretches which you’ll find in virtually any book about exercise or can be taught by your personal trainer.