As I sit here meticulously folding and individually tying the Xmas lights to go back in their box for another year, I KNOW that I will be grateful, come December, that I took that extra time to put things away with some sort of order and rationale. (no tangled lights or broken baubles here!)

It has got me thinking about working today for the ‘Future YOU‘. What steps can you take TODAY which will benefit you later on, and which you will ultimately look back on and say ‘I’m really glad I did that when I did’?

As I find in my Life Coaching interactions, the self-examination that this concept encourages can often help a Client to recognise their ambitions and alter their lifestyle (even by sometimes very small amounts) to allow them to follow a more direct and efficient path to their goal.

Of course, knowing now what you will need to do for the future ‘you’ sometimes isn’t clear, but there are some key actions which can be planned into your schedule that will yield benefits along the path of your life.

It might be useful to make a list of the things that you think that a “future you” will be grateful for.  There’s a terrific article by Christina Ellis, Successful Author, Life Coach and Musician which offers up to 30 suggestions on what things your future self will thank you for.

Suggestions that come to mind

A YEAR from now, will you be starting another year WISHING you had take up a new habit/dropped an old one earlier? Take that leap – sign up for that course, start exercising just ONE extra day per week on top of what you do, drop the alcohol or sugar for 5 out of 7 days…..all things the FUTURE YOU will be saying ‘Thank you‘ for.

Just like being obsessive over putting the Xmas decs back with military precision; yes it took more time, and yes my patience and enthusiasm were waning and it would have been easier not to bother and just chuck ’em in the storage box…but NOW, after doing it LAST YEAR, I am SO GRATEFUL to my PAST SELF for taking the time. The same applies for health and self care: Take the time, think of the future YOU who can benefit from good decisions you make NOW (or ultimately suffer for you taking the alternative ‘easy’ road).

On a more general note – who do you want your future self to be? Do you want to be in the same position or better? Do you want to be happier/healthier/fitter/more adventurous/more assertive/more sociable?

Of course, our needs change along the way, and sometimes decisions we make now are no longer valid down the line….but you can only do your best with the information you have in front of you…work with that!

To note:

A common theme in both Life Coaching and Personal Training is the overwhelming feeling that can come with trying to set goals. The bigger the goals or the further away they are, the more unattainable or intimidating or unrealisic they feel. This can ultimately lead to a feeling of failure, and lack of confidence…and fear of trying at all! So, whilst we’re talking about ‘FUTURE SELVES’, this can be TOMORROW. Or NEXT WEEK! Break your goals down into smaller, more achievable little ‘wins’. For example – ‘I want to drop a clothing size and improve my fitness in 2023‘ can be ‘I will go to the gym 3x this week and walk every lunch time‘. Over the year…these little ‘wins’ will add up to you ultimate end goal. (And your FUTURE SELF will thank you for taking the steps).

I guess that I am just trying to say:

Every day is a new chance to make better decisions which will enhance your life experience and ultimately your happiness. Be those health and fitness decisions, romantic, financial or social.

If you ever feel you can’t ‘see the woods for the trees’ and need a little help directing your goal-setting, give me a shout!

Let’s grab 2023 by the dumbbells!!

How Your PT Can Deliver Better Outcomes With Your Help

The essence of delivering a personal training session is ensuring the relevance of the exercises and activities to each individual Client’s needs. Most personal trainers can to some extent perform a reasonably accurate visual assessment of a prospective Client’s physical capabilities and limitations , but information from the Client can ‘fine tune’ the PT’s evaluation and lead to a more efficient use of time.

At the introductory stage of a Client/PT relationship the PT will usually ask a series of questions designed to elicit information on the general health of the Client; any medical conditions or existing or ‘old’ injuries or strains; flexibility or lack of it etc. All responses would be computed to provide the PT with a picture of the capabilities or limitations of the Client so that the resulting exercise programme will be appropriate for them and not over-stretch them or cause any injury. 

This ‘Q & A’ stage of the relationship is invaluable and initiated by the PT. However, the best long-term results are experienced if an exchange of information between the PT and Client is ongoing during and between PT sessions.

Feedback is essential for the personal trainer to be able to tailor the plan for the optimum benefit of the Client. If you can be clear about what you want to achieve from your personal training sessions (you could make a list); being honest about your fitness and how much time and effort you want to invest can only help.

Although it’s important to “fuel” your body with food to ensure that your energy levels are up to the challenge, it’s probably not a good idea to have a heavy meal just before a training session. Try to restrict it to a ‘light bite’ of slow-releasing energy.  On the other hand, make sure you have plenty of drinking water available.

A key part of organising a personal training programme is (obviously) planning ahead, so if you can, make sure you have your diary/phone with you so you can at least pencil in the next few PT dates. This is also good for discipline because you then have it in your mind (and your diary!) to commit to the schedule of sessions.

Finally, don’t be afraid to do your own warm up in advance of starting the session with your PT. Once you know the routine a gentle “pre-warmup warmup” could set you up nicely for a productive session and further educe the risk of injury (particularly during these colder months!).

See you soon 😉

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Personal Trainer is the extraordinary number of opportunities available to learn new techniques and disciplines to enhance and improve the benefits I can offer to my clients. And stepping outside our comfort zone tends (as they say) to “come with the territory”.

Last weekend, while most “reasonable” people were relaxing or pursuing hobbies or letting their hair down after their working week, the team at Nevaeh (along with a couple of hundred other like-minded souls) were hanging upside down, spinning around and pushing our strength and stamina to a whole, new level!

The Manchester Aerial and Acrobatics Convention runs over three days during which the best teachers in the UK in aerial, pole, yoga, dance, and acrobatics hold classes and demonstrations for beginners through to advanced practitioners.

It’s where we can learn a new discipline and/or master an existing one. Classes include  silks, aerial hoop, trapeze, rope, straps, pole, hula, handstands, gymnastics, yoga, partner acrobatics and more.

I had been looking forward to it as a way of refreshing my techniques and updating my knowledge. Needless to say it was very educational, terrific fun …. and exhausting. And we all came away revitalised, relieved and raring to pass on what we had learned!

I already teach some clients in 1-1s in Pole and Hoop, and I like to integrate some of the strength and conditioning in to regular gym training sessions. But if you’re new to this and are thinking of giving it a try, why not get in touch? And if you know of any friends who you think might like to come along and “step outside their comfort zone”, let me know.!

For Longevity Lift Some Weights?

I don’t know if you’ve picked up on the recent story about a new study in which 100,000 people were observed over 10 years or so and which discovered that those whose exercise consisted only of strength training once or twice per week (i.e. no other exercise) were 9% less likely to die from any cause except cancer.

In addition, the study suggested that anyone who did one or two days of strength training every week interspersed with aerobic exercise could look expect a 41% lower death risk than people who did no exercise.

So the strong message from this research is that combining aerobic exercise and weightlifting offers the best chance of a longer life!

Note: The study was conducted on a demographic with an average age of 71 years.

Let’s face it, any exercise is better for your health than no exercise. Laying the foundations earlier on lin life will help with supporting the skeleton as we age and joint and bones deteriorate and thin. Strength training weight lifting is important as way of developing better muscle mass, healthier muscle and stave-off loss in bone density.

As a PT I will always advocate aerobic exercise and strength training in appropriate combinations for my clients.

Incidentally the NHS recommends adults aged 65 and over to participate in activities that will help to improve strength, balance and flexibility for two days each week, in addition to two and a half hours of moderate intensity activity each week. Functional fitness (reaching, sitting to standing, pulling and pushing) is vital for maintaining enjoyment or everyday essential activities with less pain, loss of range of motion and increased stamina.

Acknowledgements

Time magazine: Weight Lifting May Help You Live Longer, Study Says | Time

British Journal of Sports Medicine:https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2022/08/08/bjsports-2021-105315

Habit-Forming for Health

When it comes to working out or fitness training all of us need that initial ‘impetus’ of motivation. And that in itself takes commitment (and energy!).

But, while motivation is what makes people start a fitness programme, what makes them continue is when it becomes a habit. Definition of a habit: something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it.

The key words here are “often” and “regularly” because how many of us find it disappointingly difficult to make our exercise often and regular? Whether it’s on a daily basis or once per week, There are so many other pressures that conspire to help us even start the habit, let alone indulge in it long enough to break it!

And this is a big issue with habits. It can be a challenge to stick to them in the early days, but persistence pays off and before you know it, you’re almost automatically (if not exactly effortlessly) “tuned-in” to your exercise schedule . Once upon a time we were all children who’s parents or carers worked hard for to get us into habits like brushing our teeth, going to sleep at a decent hour, having 3 meals a day….

As an adult it is down to YOU (with my support) to get into a NEW habit of taking care of your health and fitness 😉   

So it may pay to reflect on what Charles Duhigg writes in his book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, “If you believe you can change – if you make it a habit – the change becomes real.”

Acknowledgements:

Definition from The Cambridge Dictionary

www.elitedaily.com/

How Hard Should You Push Yourself During A Workout?

Anyone who remembers the mantras “No Pain, No Gain” and “Feel the Burn” may be aware that these came to us courtesy of the film star Jane Fonda, one of the pioneers of video fitness videos back in the early ‘80s (….leotards. Am I right?).

I think it has misled a lot of people into believing that, unless you exercise to the point of extreme physical pain and exhaustion, then it’s not doing you any good. This is far from true and in fact, in many cases, if an exercise is causing you pain, then either you’re are doing it incorrectly or it’s the wrong exercise for you!

“No pain, no gain” really refers to stepping outside your comfort zone when exercising and this is most easily characterised by identifying the moment when an exercise becomes uncomfortable or verging on painful.

There is no doubt that your body may ache in places you never knew existed, but this should be short-lived and not last for several weeks, and not get worse. If it does, then reduce the intensity of your workouts until the soreness subsides, and seek guidance from a Physiotherapist or Osteopath.

It is true that many people exercise to “feel the burn” and this is usually brought on in high-intensity (or anaerobic) exercise such as cycling; HIIT work; rowing; sprinting etc. where the object is to train in short bursts to the extreme where the muscles are starved of oxygen. The resulting chemical reactions lead to a “burning” sensation due to the increase of hydrogen ions stimulated by lactate flooding the bloodstream.

Do You Need to Feel “The Burn” as evidence that you are working hard enough?

I certainly have some clients who prefer the high-intensity work, perhaps they have their own strength training under control and need the push to train their CV system more. But a substantial number of my clients find ‘the burn’ from lower intensity strength training, compound exercises and working within 8-12 reps with resistance to achieve muscle soreness without ‘maxing out’ or ‘reaching failure’.

The key to how hard you need to work at exercise is having a clear idea of your reasons for exercising and the objectives you want to achieve. ALWAYS push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Mentally you will ‘give up’ long before your body is truly ready, because we do fear discomfort. However – you are capable of so much more than you believe (and I aim to bring this out!!).

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adults get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week. But still people overestimate the amount of exercise they do. Apparently around 36% of people are prone to this.

And this is where a Personal Trainer can keep you on the straight and narrow. They can help you find programme which will help you accomplish your goal, keep you motivated and keep you working safely to minimise risk of injury, whilst maximising the results.

But, as to whether you are working hard enough to make the plan work – well largely that’s up to you.

A PT can use all their skills to plan, drive and motivate you…but it’s all down to the individual’s determination, perseverance and sheer ambition as to the success of the programme.

That’s why a key determinant of whether you are pushing yourself enough is how you feel during and after exercise – do you leave the gym thinking ‘well, that was nice. I could have done more…but meh’??

If you can be honest with yourself week on week then this is one way to know if you are working hard enough in each successive session – Do you turn up late? Do your muscles feel tired at the 10th rep or are you just having a lovely relaxing time? Be honest with yourself and you’re well on the way to achieving your goals. .

Common Issues Affecting How Hard You Can Exercise

Other elements in your daily life also conflict with your desire to get the best out of your exercising. For example, if you’ve had a stressful day/week then it’s likely that the effort you put into exercising that day will be less compared to times when your stress levels are low. By recognising your mood and being more intune with yourself, you can adjust your expectations accordingly and modify your workout (or let me know and we can work it out!).

Try as hard as you can to get sufficient sleep. I cannot emphasise how important a good night’s sleep is to allow you to invest real energy into your exercising in the day. Be a ‘grown-up’ about your sleep regime – bed after midnight is for the teenagers!

Of course – the best way to know that you are working your hardest and getting the most out of your time is to train with a PT. (But I would say that, wouldn’t I!)

Acknowledgements

www.adityabirlacapital.com

www.livestrong.com

www.whoop.com

www.inews.co.uk

www.gearhungry.com

“The proportion of people who are physically inactive increases sharply with age, particularly after the age of 55”. (The State of Ageing 2022 online report)

I wonder how many of these people just think that they are ‘too old’ to start exercising, because many times I have heard age used an excuse to avoid physical activity.

On occasions I have been asked by people of retirement age (or older) if they are too old to exercise, frequently by sons and daughters already training with me, who are enquiring on behalf of their parents. The main concerns include;

1            coming to exercise late in life could be dangerous

2            they might find it hard to do the exercises properly and get embarassed or feel self-conscious

3            they might hinder other clients

4            it’s probably too little too late to do them any good

5            they might be too ‘hard work’ for me..!

Let me dispel all of these worries.

First, it doesn’t matter how old or infirm you are. As long as you have “clearance” from your doctor that there are no underlying health issues which might be exacerbated by exercise, you can start the ball rolling.

It’s also a good idea to seek professional advice (such as from a Personal Trainer) on appropriate exercises for you when taking into account your strength, flexibility, mobility and co-ordination. This allows the right exercise plan to be created for your needs and capabilities. Approached in this way then any risk is kept to an absolute minimum.

Second, a carefully and sympathetically-planned exercise routine can be devised for any level of mobility, strength or ability. Any good PT will be able to create a “menu of moves” that takes into consideration their client’s needs and capabilities and deliver it personally to ensure there are no risks of injury in performing the exercises. A professional PT can always devise exercises for someone with limited mobility or who is lacking confidence.

Third, if exercising in a group without 1-1 instruction you can feel like you are ‘holding others up’ if you are at a different fitness level to others. Guess what? EVERYONE IS AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL TO EVEYRONE ELSE! A good instructor will recognise this in a class and adapt routines where possible to accommodate. However – one of the key benefits of engaging a personal trainer is that expert advice is provided, you can receive the tools and guidance to feel more confident in group exercise (or solo!) and a good PT will never make you feel like a failure!

Fourth, there is a host of reasons why exercising at any age yields tangible benefits.

So, for our “first time” slightly more mature clientele or latent exercisers what does correctly-rescribed exercise offer them?

• It helps keep the heart and lungs healthy. It’s what maintains controlled blood pressure and the older we get, the more we need to ensure we keep this well-managed.
• Stronger joints. Believe it or not, even though bone surfaces can be worn down as we age (linked with loss of muscle mass that also comes with ageing) the right type of exercise – guided by your PT – can help retain your muscle and tendon health for longer which can prolong protection for your joints and possibly increase bone density in many cases.
• Balance & Stability. Deterioration of muscle mass can also have an impact on your stability, causing you to find it harder to maintain your balance. Again, exercise can assist in preserving muscle mass which can have a beneficial impact on your ability to maintain your balance which reduces the risk of falls.
• Mental Well-Being. This is a proven benefit which pertains for exercisers of any age. Exercise can actually help relieve stress.
• Regular exercise can improve your confidence and self-esteem.
• As you exercise you will start to get a feeling of achievement.
• Exercising regularly can lower the chances of developing conditions such as coronary heart disease, strokes, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and arthritis. At the very least it can help you manage these conditions if you have developed them.

And finally, professional instructors should never show irritation with clients – we’re here to LIFT YOU UP not PUT YOU DOWN!

Remember

It is good to be active and keep moving rather than lead a sedentary life.

Exercise keeps you mobile and flexible. And lack of mobility need not be a hindrance if you have professionally-designed exercise programmes.

Footnote

Currently I have 8 clients of 60 and over and I devise personal exercise plans for all of them. I am working with one client who has had a total knee replacement on both legs – living proof that limited mobility is no obstacle to properly-planned exercise.

Acknowledgements and further reading

https://ageing-better.org.uk/health-state-ageing-2022

The Benefits of Exercise For Older Adults in Later Life – Exercise.co.uk

Staying active in later life | Independent Age

International Kissing Day – Will You Take Part?

“A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.” (The lovely and sensual film legend, Ingrid Bergman)

And who would disagree?

It seems that enough people have been sufficiently taken with the notion of puckering up and delivering or receiving anything from a peck to a smackeroo that “International Kissing Day” was conceived.

And this year it falls on 6^th July.  

Now it is not my intention to debate the pros and cons of “osculation” (as Elisha Coles, in his English Dictionary of 1676, termed the act of one-to-one “lip-synching”) but I would urge anyone who is contemplating participating in this global celebration of the kiss – innocent or otherwise – to take care to ensure that the “kisser” and “kissee” are suitably prepared to avoid the perils of the rejuvenated COVID variants 😉

It would be a shame to spread the virus (or anything else) by enthusiastic smooching….!

NB look out for the next blog on “You’re Never Too Old For Exercise”. Coming soon.

Are You a Morning or Evening Exerciser? And Does it Matter?

I couldn’t tell you if my brain is at its optimum logical state at 05.30am as I make my way to my Bootcamp Tring session on Wednesdays, but I know that early starts do spark some ‘random’ thoughts…

It is while I was in that frame of mind recently that an issue which has intrigued me for some time sprung to mind:

“Do women train better in the morning and men in the evening – or vice versa?”

To be perfectly honest this particular question didn’t just float into my consciousness unannounced but was prompted by an online article from the BBC which I scanned briefly.

Apparently, a study undertaken in the USA has indicated that men and women may actually benefit differently according to the time of day at which they exercise. Although exercise is good for all of us whenever we do it, the best result for a man may be achieved at a different time in the day to that for a woman.

The findings showed that morning exercise for women resulted in more body fat being burned. Alternatively, exercising in the evening was more beneficial fat burning-wise for men.

Quite reasonably, the researchers suggest that differences in hormones, biological clocks and sleep-wake cycles between the sexes may also play a part in the outcomes.

The 12-week programme saw improvements in the participants’ overall health and performance irrespective of the times at which they exercised, but there was sufficient data elicited to allow a conclusion that women who are aiming to reduce body fat around their middle and seeking to reduce their blood pressure should try to exercise in the morning.

On the other hand, women trying to develop stronger muscles in their upper body and improve their overall mood and food intake should exercise in the evening.

However, as far as the men were concerned, the time of day for their exercise was not so crucial. They could improve their strength either in the morning or the evening without any significant difference in result. But, if the men were looking to improve heart and metabolic health as well as emotional wellbeing, then evening exercise yielded the most beneficial results.

Needless to say, the authors of the study say more research is needed to find out why the timing of the exercises created such a difference in results between men and women.

Can we draw any meaningful conclusion from this?

Maybe the most obvious deduction is what we already know: whatever the time of day you exercise, it is the best time for you. Certainly for me – as long as I get it done, I feel great!

Acknowledgements:

BBC article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61636805

Frontiers in Physiology original article:Frontiers | Morning Exercise Reduces Abdominal Fat and Blood Pressure in Women; Evening Exercise Increases Muscular Performance in Women and Lowers Blood Pressure in Men | Physiology (frontiersin.org)

“The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.”
― W.C. Fields

Recently we had ‘World Sleep Day on March 18 and l’ve just missed National Stop Snoring Week (18 – 22 April).  

As you might expect of someone who spends most of their day engaged in some form of physical training or activity, I generally get a good night’s sleep, but experts reckon that around 20.6 million in the UK suffer from insomnia and sleep deprivation.  That’s about 1 in 3 of the UK population.

And while we’re into statistics, Apparently 6 hours 20 minutes of sleep is what the average adult in the UK achieves at night. While 8 hours per night is the recommendation.

But lack of proper sleep for many adults is not surprising considering the pressures of life in the 21^st century where your employer is more and more likely to have access to a lot of your time even when you are outside the office; when families are in constant contact night and day and social media means we are perpetually “open for business” whatever the hour of the day.

According to Amy Gallagher, Senior Sleep Physiologist at the BUPA Cromwell Hospital, a good night’s rest is the best preparation for getting up and being really “fired up” to tackle what the day will bring. On the other hand, if you have had a poor night sleep, it’s a recipe for feeling jaded and lacking in energy.

She agrees that achieving a good night’s sleep is as important as taking regular exercise and a healthy diet to maintain your wellbeing – both physical and mental.

So How Does a Good Night’s Sleep Help?

Here are just a few of the known benefits:

1            Risk of stress is reduced

2            Maintains a healthy heart

3            Can help keep your weight down – when tired, we crave more sugary carbs.

4            Keeps your immune system strong

5            Stops your mind wandering during the day and helps with concentration

6            Your brain organizes information while you are sleeping

7            If you sleep well you are less irritable and this can help with relationships

So What Can You Do to Encourage a Good Night’s Sleep?

12 Top Tips for Restful Sleep

1.      Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends

2.      Keep your bedroom cool and dark

3.      Switch off your phone, laptop or TV before bed

4.      Go outdoors when you wake up. Being in daylight helps your body adjust from ‘sleep mode’ to ‘awake mode’

5.      Exercise no later than 2-3 hours before bed. Intense exercise just before bed can raise stress hormones, making it harder to get to sleep

6.      Cut down on coffee, tea and smoking. Too much caffeine – also found in chocolate and coca cola – and nicotine (in tobacco) can disturb your sleep

7.      Say no to a nightcap. Alcohol can make you feel sleepy but it disrupts restful sleep as the effects wear off

8.      Make a conscious effort to relax and wind down for an hour or two before bed

9.      Avoid an afternoon nap. Sleeping after 3pm can make it harder to fall asleep at night

10.     Try an earlier evening meal. Eating a large meal late at night can interfere with digestion and make you feel too warm

11.     Put your thoughts to bed. Writing a ‘to-do’ list for the next day can help you feel calmer and more on top of things

12.     If you can’t sleep, get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy, rather than tossing and turning

There is a massive amount of information and help available about the benefits of sleep and tips on how to improve your chances of “piling up the Zssss” and I have listed some sources below.

Why not click on the links and check them out? But whatever you do, don’t lose any sleep over it!

Acknowledgements

www.bhf.org.uk

www.bupa.co.uk

www.sleepsociety.org.uk

http://www.thesleepcharity.org.uk

www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/sleep/