Tips and Advice for Fitness and Health
Welcome to the blog, where our tips and advice for health and fitness live. We try to make our blog posts both informative and interesting, but above all with easy to enact practical applications. We also try to make them useful for both experts and novices, as well as those over 50 – check our 50 plus fitness page for more on our specialist field and check here for the massive benefits of strength and fitness into middle and older age.There are lots of tips for weight loss, what sort of exercise is best for you and of course the best low calorie coctails, the perennial favourite.
The importance of balance and co-ordination
It's Important to include motor skills in your exercise - and not just obsess about weight loss or general fitness. For many, the main goals of exercise and nutrition are weight loss and fitness. Others may include strength as well. But it's rare that "improve...
Top 5 barbell exercises
The benefits of barbell training A barbell is one of the most popular tools for strength and fitness. Often overlooked or perceived as a "man only" tool it is especially good for women whose goals are toning and weight loss. It's a simple piece of equipment...
The best exercise for weight loss
The best exercise for weight loss All exercise is good for you, within reason. Unless you plan to do 10 marathons back to back (this will make your knees hurt) any activity you do that elevates your heart rate will bring lots of health benefits. Walking, for example,...
Low Calorie Cocktails
Low calorie Cocktails Alcohol can undo even the most determined weight loss efforts. It’s hard enough being careful with your eating. Exercising and getting enough sleep can also be a challenge. But if you drink then it gets much, much harder. You could have been on...
How to manage cravings
What causes food cravings We can divide cravings into two parts – the psychological and the physiological. The body and the mind. Though sometimes a craving can be both at once. Psychological or emotional cravings Psychological cravings usually happen through...
The 12 minute workout
12 minute workout - short and to the point In many of our personal training sessions, we use an app called interval timer. This neat tool can be programmed to do both simple and complex intervals - you could set it to simply signal 30-second intervals of work and...
Starvation mode – fact or fiction.
Starvation mode - as you know it, fiction Over 14 years of personal training we've heard the "I'm not losing weight because I'm in starvation mode" statement hundreds of times. The theory goes that once a person starts eating too little, natural survival instincts...
Does intermittent fasting work?
Is intermittent fasting any good for weight loss? Is it healthy? It's been around for a few years now, and has a large following; fans of intermittent fasting claim that it helps to regulate hormones, is beneficial for the gut and it aids weight loss. For some, it can...
The cardio guide
Cardio Vascular and Aerobics Aerobic fitness is defined as the body’s ability to take up, transport and utilize oxygen. Aerobics and cardio-vascular exercise (running, cycling and swimming type activities) are all about looking after your heart and lungs, as well as...
Warm up and cool down tips
Why warm up? When commencing a bout of exercise your body needs to make a number of adjustments. These include: Increasing your breathing and heart rate Increasing the energy releasing reactions in the muscles Promoting blood flow to the muscles to supply them with...
Human Energy Systems
Human energy systems - how we convert, store and use energy is intrinsically linked to weight loss and fitness. Understanding how your body works is vital if you want to improve its performance and shape. How we use and store fuel defines our body shape and efficiency...
Healthiest Indian takeaway (or eat in)
Healthiest Indian takeaway - indulge with fewer calories An Indian meal or takeaway can be the perfect indulgence for a Friday night after a hard week when you can't be bothered to cook. Those trying to lose weight will presume that takeaways or fast food of any kind...
Healthiest Chinese takeaway (or eat in!).
Smart indulgence with the healthiest Chinese takeaway We all have the takeaway or eating out feeling from time to time, usually on a Friday night after a hard-working week. Part of the relaxation and unwinding process on a Friday night is to switch off and have some...
Why sugar makes you fat – twice.
Sugar, Insulin and fat storage For a flat tummy, we need to eliminate, as much as possible, sugars and starch. Not fat. When we eat something with a high GI (glycaemic index) it is very rapidly digested by the small intestine and released into the bloodstream as blood...