While some people seem to find it easy to fit exercise into their life, others find it very hard to find the time.
There are lots of ways to look at this, but for today, let’s look at the idea of exercise featuring on a scale.
Think of doing zero exercise as a 0, and doing regular intense workouts aiming towards some sort of competitive event as a 10.
You don’t have to go in at a 10!
Doing ANY kind of movement is positive – and you probably never NEED to reach a 10 on this scale.
Before […]
I’ve added a bit of a “part two” to this won the Facebook group – if you’d like to read it, you can read it here. See the post from 26th September 2023.
Getting started with a structured exercise routine can be a different experience to, say, getting into the habit of going for a regular walk.
The routine is only one part; it often feels like there’s a lot to learn – associating the names of exercises with the how-to can feel like you’re learning a new language!
But the great news when you’re starting […]
Would you like to join in with my pre-workout mobility session? Join the Facebook group to find out how.
A recent study shows that as little as TWO MINUTES of vigorous exercise a day can reduce the incidence of cancer.
Of course, it also showed that the more exercise completed, the greater the reduction.
We’ve seen similar studies before demonstrating huge benefits to different types of exercises done in small amounts but with high intensity.
There are all sorts of considerations to take into account when designing a workout program BUT if your aim is to improve your […]
I listened to an interesting conversation a few weeks ago which made me think.
When you begin working on your health and fitness, it’s helpful to go into it with the right mindset.
For me, whatever your goal, the right mindset is an open one with the overall aim of figuring out how to make the changes you’re making last, and fit into your life for the long term.
This means experimenting and learning – because you’ll never get everything right, right from the get go. And things will never be perfect 100% of the time either!
An […]
We often feel that if we can’t turn up to our workout ready to give 100%, then we shouldn’t bother at all – and that if we’re not sweating or pushing ourselves, then we’re not achieving anything.
But this is just not true.
If you’re tired, in pain, or just simply not in the mood, 99.9% of the time, you’re still best to turn up to your workout and do what you can.
While sometimes it IS a good idea to take some rest, it’s more often true that doing a bit of […]
Knees are funny little things.
You could argue that they’re not very well designed; they’re fairly complicated, plus they have to take a lot of weight despite the lack of support they have compared to, say, your hips.
And so, knees are easily and frequently injured.
So, how can we make our knees less likely to get injured?
By making sure the joints above and below are working in the way they’re designed… That’s your hips and your feet / ankles!
If your hips are tight and the muscles around them are weak, then every time you […]
There are all sorts of reasons you might not fancy joining a gym, but, do you need to bite the bullet if you want to do resistance workouts? Do you need the equipment in the gym if you’re to make decent strength gains?
Well, with 16 years experience in designing home workout programs, I’m here to let you know that it is absolutely possible to improve your strength at home!
One of the biggest benefits of exercising at home is the convenience. Not only does the time you have to commit to your workout reduce because of not […]
Most of us would benefit from strength training, although one could argue that the importance becomes greater with age.
As we age, the amount of muscle we have on our bodies naturally reduces, and this means that our strength reduces too.
Of course, that means changes to your figure, but more importantly a reduction in muscle mass and strength also means decreased motor control and balance – which then means higher chances of falling.
I believe that with strength training, we can reduce your risk of injury in general by maintaining and improving your strength and coordination.
Then we can think […]
First up, if you haven’t already, please come and join my new Facebook Group – it’s full of practical advice and ideas to think about when working on your health and fitness.
There are so many benefits to using resistance training. If you keep generally active as much as you can, and have time to fit in one kind of structured workout, then resistance training has to be it – it has the most broad spectrum benefits… In fact, when we lay out the benefits of resistance work, it really shows how true this is.
Mental Health
This […]
I’m often talking about the importance of resistance training for fitness, health and weight loss, and that is absolutely the best place to focus your exercise efforts.
Resistance training should be your priority.
But there is some benefit to adding in aerobic exercise too.
Make sure you choose something you enjoy though – don’t look only at the calorie burn and instead also consider what you’ll be able to maintain long term.
If you love a nice long walk on the flat, that’s great. If you prefer to do something that feels a bit more like exercise […]
