Instant Feelgood

Wake Up and Change Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:16:00 +0000

I've come out of town for a few days to get a break from the hustle and bustle of London and down here by the ocean things look very different.

Today I saw surfers out before breakfast, at lunchtime and then through the afternoon until it got dark. I suspected that many of them might be 'new locals' who relocated here from cities around the UK to benefit from a different routine so I checked with a few of them as they came out of the water. Sure enough there was a graphic designer, a financial adviser and a journalist who had all quit the rat race and set themselves up with a schedule where they work around the tides and no longer feel the stresses and strains of city life.

It got me thinking. It may not be practical for you to completely move your life to a new location, but what can you do today, tomorrow and for the rest of this week and this month that will help you feel that things are a bit more balanced? The people I saw today, all work hard, but balance this hard work with surfing, cycling, walking, running, swimming or just looking at the sea when the mood takes them. They wake up knowing they changed their life for the better.

So what's your equivalent of hitting the surf? And when can you do it next?

Photograph by G a r r y (Flickr)

Don't Panic!

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:21:00 +0000

Last week I came across 3 people who all claimed they suffer from panic attacks. The episodes they described, while cause for concern for each of the individuals, didn't actually sound like full on panic attacks and it got me thinking that everyone needs to be quite careful about how they label some of the things that happen to them each day.

If you begin to think of any slight feelings of anxiety as panic attacks, there's a danger that you won't be able to keep daily challenges that we all face in perspective. So what are panic attacks?

Panic attacks are an extreme version of the natural physiological response - the stress response or 'fight or flight' response. This response is designed to protect us. In times of danger our bodies immediately equip us to either run from a situation or fight our way out of it. The response is sudden and you'll know it's happening if you feel a bit sick, your heart starts to beat faster and you feel a bit sweaty or clammy.

This is normal and a certain level of stress does not do us harm, in fact it helps us to stretch ourselves, challenge ourselves and grow. The response only becomes a problem if the symptoms persist for too long or occur too frequently. If this happens then you may be unable to calm down as each stressful situation aggravates your body and your mind.

At this point it's time to read the blog entry on reducing stress levels

Even at this point though you may not be experiencing panic attacks. A full panic attack is more serious and could make you feel as though you're having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown so be wary of mistaking stressful situations for panic attacks.

If you're concerned that you are in danger of experiencing panic attacks, here's what to do.

Keep a pen and paper with you at all times and note down situations that make you anxious. This includes thoughts of forthcoming situations that make you feel edgy, and a review of anything that happened today or this week that made you feel panicked. Build up a picture of how you respond to stress. Do you see stressful situations as a challenge or as something to run away from? Isolate the triggers that cause you to feel stressed or panic. Write down how you cope with these.

Analyse how you currently manage stressful situations. Do you resort to caffeine or comfort food? Do you find a quiet place to work through things in your head? Do you use exercise or activity to dissipate feelings of anxiety? Can you think of other ways to deal with stressful situations?

Reframe how you think about stress. Stress appears to have become the bad guy but in the right proportions and managed correctly it can help you grow and develop. Work out what level of stress is right in your life and begin to embrace this as a friend. Tell yourself, 'This situation could be called stressful but I chose this path and these feelings are part of my progress through life'. This will help you to recognise more clearly when you are experiencing an unacceptable level of stress and you can then take the appropriate action to reclaim balance.

As you come to understand your personality and how you deal with events that stretch you, you'll be able to create strategies for coping with stress at the right level for you. If you're concerned that your pattern of stress and anxiety is beyond what you are able to cope with, this is the time to seek advice from a medical expert.

Three Top Tips to Reduce Stress

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:59:00 +0000

November 4th sees Stress Awareness Day in the UK. We all know what it's like when you feel stressed - heart rate increases, you might feel a bit sick - but how about when your body is under stress but you don't even know it. This is when stress can be dangerous. So what are the best ways to reduce stress in all areas of your life?

1. Get your blood pressure checked. High Blood Pressure is known as the silent killer because hypertension and coronary heart disease can go unnoticed until something drastic happens. Monitoring your blood pressure regularly will guarantee that you're never entering a zone of risk. Visit the doctor to get checked or invest in your own home monitoring kit. 120 over 80 is 'normal' and if you find that your numbers are high there are plenty of changes you can make to your diet and your exercise routine that will fix the situation quickly.

2. Take regular time outs during the day. A sequence of stressful events during a day can mount up and leave you feeling frazzled by bedtime. Stress isn't always bad and sometimes we need it to really get us motivated but just make sure you balance stressful events with time to nourish your mind and body and refocus. Change your scene, get some fresh air, eat a healthy snack or do something fun.

3. Get organised. Stress creeps in when we feel out of control. Look at everything you need to do each day and prioritise carefully. Tackle the big projects first and tick off your daily successes. Keep track of the way you organise yourself every day that brings you the best results and leaves you feeling stress free. Then aim to run each day in the same way.

Photograph by BrittneyBush (Flickr)

Stop throwing your money in the bin

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:25:00 +0000

As the recession continues, we're all pretty much resigned to watching what we spend and not over indulging in any particular area so we can save the pennies.

But did you know that you are spending a lot of money on food that goes straight from the supermarket trolley, into your fridge and then into the bin a week later without ever passing your lips. You may as well throw the cash straight into the rubbish.

In the UK, we throw away around one third of the food we buy. Yes 33% of what we spend is wasted...read on for some shocking stats and what you can do to start saving today.

Here are some highlights from the new report on Food Waste by Wrap.

• In the UK, we throw away nearly half the salad we buy

• seven million slices of bread

• We also cook and prepare too much, resulting in an additional 1.6 million tonnes of food waste a year.

• 330,000 chicken portions (worth £70 million a year)

• 4.4 million whole apples; (worth £300 million a year)

• 1.3 million yoghurts and yoghurt drinks

• Every year, 20,000 tonnes, or £66 million worth, of breakfast cereals are thrown away by people too much in a rush to finish them.

Not a good list to see and we're probably all guilty of some of the above statements. So what can you do.

1. Think French - they still shop daily on the whole rather than go to the supermarket weekly to have enough food for the week. This way, you shop when you need stuff rather than have a full fridge.
2. If that's not practical for you, try buying a couple of good cookbooks aimed at quick healthy meals that make it so easy for you to use the food you have in and gain more confidence to cook more meals from scratch and use up all your ingredients.
3. Plan your menu for the week and take it to the supermarket. This way, you can guarantee you'll be using what you buy. Stop buying extras just because you fancy them or more gherkins because you think you may be running out. They're not essentials.
4. Don't overcook. Buy smaller portions of meat and count out your potatoes and measure your pasta and rice before cooking.
5. Use your freezer. Not for convenience food but for left overs and clearly date every container and use it within 2 weeks for the best tasting food.

These all sound like very basic lessons but maybe we all have to go back to the beginning to get it right because what these stats show is that we're overbuying, overcooking and throwing valuable cash away everyday.

To see the full article.

The 5 Worst Carbs to Eat

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:32:00 +0000

Following on from the post last week about the 5 Best carbs to Eat, here are the 5 worst offenders when it comes to carbs in your diary and if you can cut them right down or out completely, you'll feel much better and lose weight more efficiently. Having any of the foods in the list a couple of times is fine, but just be aware that they wont fill you and are high in calories.

1. Corn Flakes
Marketed as a great star to your day but this cereal will have you hungry by 9.30am and that's when the snacking will begin to compensate. Avoid if you can.

2. Croissants
These should always be a treat and not a daily breakfast choice because they have virtually nothing going for them - they're fattening, wont fill you and are way too moreish.

3. Cheesy Puffs
As far as snacks go, these are like fattening air. Usually loaded with preservatives and colourings, if you want something like this, try nuts or plain popcorn instead.

4. Instant Mashed Potatoes
No, no, no. If you are going to have mashed potato, make it yourself and add no butter. This is plane food not real food.

5. Sugary sodas
May surprise you that these are carbs but they are full of artificial sweeteners and make you hungry straight afterwards. Why not have a cold sparkling water with fresh lemon or crushed strawberries / raspberries etc. instead?

Photograph by izaeus|argazk (flickr)

The 5 Best Carbs to Eat

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:17:00 +0000

When it comes to trying to lose weight, the finger is usually pointed at carbs and as a result, they are the first thing most people remove from their diet.

However, sometimes, we're being a bit hasty. There are good carbs and the problem with cutting out carbs all together is that we often don't feel full after a meal which leads to lots of snacking and we are losing out on some essential nutrients and fibre. So what should you keep in your diet that's good for you and will help satisfy those hunger pangs?

1. Wholewheat Pasta
Perfect for favourites like spaghetti bolognese, pasta and sauce and even wholewheat noodles which are more widely available now. Once cooked, you'll barely notice the difference.

2. Multigrain and seeded wholemeal bread
If you're watching your weight, you should be avoiding white bread anyway but keep an eye that your bread doesn't have sugar added and aim to get some nuts or granary at the very least into each slice.

3. All Bran
Start your day off the perfect way and stay full till 11am at least when you should have a couple of pieces of fruit. This is a great way to start losing weight.

4. Porridge / Oatmeal
Brilliant for cold mornings and even when the weather gets better - great for your heart, your waistline and quite addictive once you get into the habit. Make with fat free milk and sprinkle to top with berries, nuts, fruit.

5. Chickpeas
Great for adding to casseroles or making soups with once blended. Very filling and flexible.

Photograph by rachelandrew (flickr)

The Truth About Celebrity Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:09:00 +0000

Staying in shape when you’re rich and famous must be the easiest thing in the world. What with your own personal trainer, a yoga instructor on call, your own dietitian, nutritionist and chef, how could you possibly go wrong?

Most people look at celebrities in magazines or on television and assume that keeping a killer figure must be simple. After all, what else do they have to do with their time? And for many years, celebrities themselves perpetuated this idea by claiming to be blessed with good genes and saying that they’re lucky that they don’t have to work out much or watch what they eat to preserve their great physique.

Well things are a bit different now.

When Gwyneth Paltrow appeared on Oprah last year, she shared with the world video footage of her fitness workouts. The most amazing thing about this was just how hard she trained: 6 days a week and for 2 hours at a time. Her incentive was to get her post baby body back into shape for the red carpet. But she didn’t once say that it was easy, she didn’t say her slender shape was a result of fate or genetics and she didn’t claim to be able to eat whatever she wants without any weight gain. She said it was tough going but well worth it for the results she achieved.

The idea that celebrities do nothing but party and still look fabulous is now well out of date. The truth of the matter is that they spend as much time keeping their bodies trim and toned as we spend flicking through magazines marvelling at how fabulous they look. Take Madonna for example. Can you imagine anyone who isn’t a professional athlete training as much as she does? Probably not. She works out hard 6 days a week and eats the strictest of diets and never, ever lets up. This is the realty of an age defying body and is the new face of celebrity fitness.

Celebrities who work to get their bodies fit and healthy don’t just lounge in front of the TV, eat take-outs and hope for the best. They don’t drink alcohol most evenings and they don’t overeat. They take their body image very seriously indeed because looking better than good is how they make their money.

So isn’t it time to stop envying the results celebrities achieve with their workouts and start being inspired by their dedication and single mindedness? We should stop poring over images of them looking lean and toned only to feel resentful that we’re not as lucky as they are to be famous and fit – we should see their great bodies as the fantastic end goal we too could have if we were willing to put in the same amount of work or, in many cases, just a fraction of the effort they put in.

Not every celebrity is as strict as Gwyneth and Madonna. There are some who have great fitness levels that are more achievable and just as aspirational. Take Evangeline Lily or Anna Friel as examples. They are regularly photographed out running. Jennifer Aniston works out everyday to maintain the bikini body of a 25 year old despite being 40. And look at any of the contestants from Dancing with the Stars who rightly boast about their fabulous new figures gained from tough, daily 8 hour dance sessions. Working hard for your body is very much a badge of honour these days and great results are well and truly earned.

Celebrities who still yo-yo diet are out of favour because we all know how it will end. The new era of celebrity sees their body as their tool of the trade and shortcuts and fad diets simply won’t do. Sad to admit but everytime you see Oprah lose weight from a different faddy diet, in the back of your mind you wonder how long it will be till it all piles back on. We’re always suspicious of sudden weight loss and not very respectful of it but it’s time to focus on the positive role models who show us what hard work in the gym can achieve.

There’s no denying that there are great advantages to having a personal trainer on call but the single factor that gets results is free and you wont find it in a private gym or on a Balinese Yoga retreat.

It’s in your head and it’s readily available.

A good dose of determination is what it takes for anyone to have their dream figure. Celebrities have this motivation in bucket loads because they know they will be photographed wherever they go and they know women and men the world over will be scrutinising the images in search of saddle bags and cellulite. The key to making this principle work for you is setting your own goals and focusing completely on what you will achieve if you put the effort in. Model the celebrity approach and think about all your forthcoming social engagements and situations where you may be photographed or you’ll be ‘on display’. Imagine how great you’ll feel if you’re in the best shape of your life whenever you meet friends, colleagues or someone takes a family snap.

Focus on the exciting aspects of looking stunning and feeling confident and you’ll find it much easier to follow in celebrity footsteps and embrace regular fitness and make it a fundamental part of your life.

Does an underactive thyroid really make you gain weight?

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:28:00 +0000

For many years, someone complaining about being overweight because of ‘a thyroid problem’ was usually greeted with the roll of eyes by others who presumed they were making excuses for their over indulgences when eating and laziness when it comes to exercise.

Thankfully, doctors and the public have become a little more sympathetic and aware of the impact on weight that having an under active thyroid can have.

An under active thyroid, otherwise known as Hypothyroidism, is something that you could have without knowing about it, especially during the early stages. Its symptoms include chronic exhaustion, weight gain, dry, flaky skin, hair breakage and hair loss, brittle nails, foggy brain, poor concentration, infertility and depression. Not a pleasant state of affairs.

Many people don’t know much about the thyroid but its role in helping our bodies to function properly is major.

The thyroid is a gland which sits in front of your larynx in your throat and is responsible for regulating your body’s metabolism and controlling how quickly reactions in your body take place. So, small as it is, the thyroid is responsible for how efficiently your body burns fat and for how much you weigh.

When your thyroid stops functioning efficiently, your metabolism slows down, the weight gain begins and the other symptoms of hypothyroidism start to reveal themselves. It’s estimated that 20 million Americans and 4 million Britons suffer from a thyroid disorder and there are many more who don’t know yet that they have the disorder.

A visit to your doctor for the blood tests to read the levels of your thyroid hormones is how this is done. Unlike the US, in the UK, patients receiving medication for hypothyroidism receive free prescriptions.

Medication will usually recover the thyroid function to ‘normal’ after a few months but for many women this doesn’t automatically signal the return to their slimmer shape as they would hope. In many cases, the weight gain will continue. This is because the damage to the way your metabolism functions can be far reaching and so a low calorie diet will not necessarily get the same results as it would have done in the past.

So what can you do if you have an under active thyroid to get your weight back to normal?

The fastest way to boost your metabolism is to exercise. Dieting alone is unlikely to shed pounds but in combination with a regular exercise regime, the weight will start to come off. The effects of exercise and a low calorie diet may take longer to have an impact than they would on someone with a normal thyroid function and metabolism, but over time, the effects will definitely be noticeable.

The key is to develop a routine and stick to it. By incorporating a lot more vigorous activity into your life, your body will begin to respond to your new diet and fitness regime.

Reducing stress is also key to encouraging more efficient thyroid function so, despite the frustrations of weight gain you can’t seem to control, it’s important to stay calm and focused on your fitness routine knowing that the results will come, even though they may not arrive as fast as you would like.

For more information on thyroid weight gain solutions, visit www.ThryoidWeight.com

For more articles like this, visit the Women's Fitness site.

Does smoking help you stay slim?

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:23:00 +0000

Whenever you see models puffing away on their Marlboro Lights or even school girls sneaking a cigarette, the excuse more often than not is that it helps them lose weight either by suppressing their appetite or speeding up their metabolism.

But does smoking really increase your metabolic rate and enables you to control our weight more easily?

Some studies have shown that smoking does indeed increase our basal metabolic rate – the rate at which calories are burned by the body each day as it takes care of essential functions such as the rhythm of the heart, breathing, digestion, thoughts and movement.

Around 60-75% of our daily calorie expenditure can be accounted for by basic bodily functions and experts believe that one way smoking raises metabolic rate is by stimulating the nervous system to produce catecholamines – hormones which cause the heart to beat faster, thus making the body burn more calories. Nicotine also produces more thermogenesis, the process by which the body produces heat. This too, causes the body to use up more calories.

Some research suggests that the increase in metabolic rate during smoking could equate to smokers burning up to 200 extra calories a day more than non-smokers.

Examining all the evidence together it would seem that each cigarette smoked will contribute to a temporary increase in the metabolic rate and that the more you smoke, the higher a proportion of the time you will be experiencing this faster running metabolism. But does this actually help you control your weight more easily?

Many believe that smoking suppresses the appetite and that smokers eat less than non-smokers. In fact, most studies comparing the calorie intake of smokers and non-smokers show that smokers actually eat as much or more than non-smokers. The reason they are sometimes able to manage their weight more easily is not that they eat less but rather that they burn off more of the calories consumed due to their metabolism running faster when they smoke.

The increase in metabolism while smoking may also explain why some people gain weight when they quit. It is true that many ex-smokers reach for more food than they are used to just to fill the gaps created by not using cigarettes, but even those who maintain a steady amount of food will run the risk of increasing in weight due to the fact that their metabolism is now running at normal speed for most of the time now rather than being artificially boosted by smoking.

So, rather than smokers being their ‘normal’ weight when they smoke and then gaining weight when they stop, it may be more accurate to say that smokers may be artificially slim while they are smokers and then they return to what is a more natural weight when their metabolism is allowed to regulate itself without interference from nicotine. Longer term studies comparing people who smoke for a period and then give up with people who never smoke show little difference in weight gain at the conclusion of the studies though those who smoke experience periods of being thinner.

Having said all that, smoking does not rank highly as a weight management strategy. Exercise and healthy eating will guarantee you positive results in this area by speeding up your metabolism but without any of the potentially fatal and critical negatives such as lung cancer, emphysema, leg amputation, heart disease, clots in the lung, stroke, infertility......the list goes one. And of course, shortened life span.

*Thanks to ash (action on smoking and health) for research. Visit ASH for more information.

Find more articles like this at the Women's Fitness site.

Photograph by bizzyb0t (flickr)

6 Ways to make exercise easier

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:46:00 +0000

We all know how good exercise can make us feel and look and yet sometimes, motivating yourself to go to the gym or go for a run can be impossibly hard.

So here are 6 tips that will make working out easier. No more excuses.

1. Do focus on how good you'll feel by the end of the workout. Don't focus on the effort your workout will require.

2. Work quickly, work hard...then relax.

3. Know yourself. Have a variety of options including tough workouts which progress when you're feeling energetic, and easier workouts for maintaining fitness when you have less energy.

4. If you don't feel like exercising, don't just do nothing. Try something new like walk into a class at the gym that's about to start and go for it or walk for 30 mins at a good pace or go swimming. Just do something.

5. Get competitive. Set targets for yourself and focus on trying to beat them. Stick your progress chart on the fridge door and take pride in what you've achieved week to week.

6. Have company and make exercise fun with friends rather than a solo slog all the time. Games in the park, jogging buddy, walking with friends.

To read more fitness tips like this, visit the Women's Fitness website.

Can a fat person be as fit as a thin person?

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:04:00 +0000

We've all come across someone in the past whom we made fast judgements about when we saw them. Perhaps someone overweight at school or at your local gym who just happens to be much better at swimming or spinning than everyone else. It doesn't tally with our belief that fit equals thin. But can a fat person be as fit as a thin person all depends on what we mean by fitness.

There are sports and events where extra bulk is a positive advantage and so anyone who is overweight will be ‘fitter’ for that activity than their slimmer counterparts Sumo, Worlds Strongest Man....). These sports are relatively rare however and even those who partake in them would admit that while experts in their own fields they probably don’t shape up that well when measured by more generally accepted indicators of what it is to be ‘fit’.

Fitness for most people means fitness for life and long-term health. How we look, how our bodies perform and how we feel as we go about our regular routines. To get optimum results in these areas, many people will embark on one type of exercise routine or other. Often as we go about these routines, putting ourselves at a better advantage for the rigours of life, we may choose to add in some new challenges along the way in the form of fitness events, charity runs, bike rides, swimathons and so on.

If we were looking at general fitness and fitness for endurance events such as these, would a fat person perform as effectively as a thin person?

Sure, they would. There’s no good reason why they shouldn’t, provided they have trained specifically for the event and are properly prepared. Judging someone’s fitness by his or her size is ridiculous and even implies that all thin people are fit which is clearly not the case.

I can remember taking part in a sponsored bike ride at school where the father of one of my friend’s was leading a group of 15-year olds on a 45-mile ride. He looked completely out of shape but his appearance hid a fit pair of legs and an experienced set of lungs and he left us all trailing on the bike route and then cycled home again as we all collapsed into the train. I’ve also run many a Sunday morning race where I’ve seen, and been overtaken by, runners who look like they’re carrying too much excess baggage but are clearly very fit.

The bottom line is that it’s not how much weight you’re carrying; it’s how you’ve conditioned your body for specific events that matters.

If you want to read more articles like this, visit the Women's Fitness site.

Photograph by hellochris (flickr)

How to Choose the best home workout DVD

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:42:00 +0000

Look at your library of DVDs? How many fitness DVD's have you got that you only watched once and never did again? Chances are that you have at least 2. Choosing the wrong DVD (i.e. one that won't motivate you to use it every week) is easy to do. This guide is designed to save you all the hassle and expense of doing that again. Some things to think about before you buy your next DVD....

• Be honest about your fitness level. Are you a beginner, intermediate level or advanced? Pick the right DVD for your level. If it’s too advanced, you’ll probably only use it once and if it’s too easy, it’s a wasted purchase.

• Don’t buy a DVD just because you like the celebrity featured. Check they are being guided by a professional, experienced and qualified trainer. You need to make sure that the DVD is safe and not just gimmicky. There are many DVDs on the market by Fitness professionals who know the most effective and safest ways to exercise and these are the best ones to look for.

• Does the DVD programme offer a good warm up, varied workout and cool down? The best DVDs will offer various levels of intensity so that you can stretch yourself and improve your fitness over time.

• DVDs can be quite expensive so try renting one out initially from an online rental service or library before you commit to buying it. This way you can try it out a couple of times to see if you rate it.

• Read a few reviews of the DVD you like before buying it – not just on the DVD cover, but in magazines and on the internet. The reviews on the cover will always be glowing. Make sure you get the low down from real people like you who have tried and tested the product.

Too busy at work to make it to the gym much?

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:06:00 +0000

If your workout time is limited through the week, the first thing you can do is make sure that the little time you do have in the gym is used wisely. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

1. Your cardio vascular workouts should be punchy, spending no more than 10 minutes on each machine and working really hard on each one.

2. Using the treadmill or the rowing machine can help you to work harder than the step machine or the bike as they force you to use your whole body rather than just the bottom half.

3. Strength training should be focused on exercise that use many muscles at once, such as upper back pull-down, seated rows bench or chest press, shoulder press, squats and lunges. Working different muscle groups by alternating exercises also helps improve your fitness and burn more calories, as you have less time to recover during your workout.

4. Try and fit as much activity into your daily and office work routine as possible. Practice good posture at all times to look after your spine, relieve shoulder pain and ensure that your body is in its proper position so that you can target all all the bits you want to focus on in the gym. Make every journey a fitness burst by singing your arms, squeezing your bum when walking and increasing the speed with which you walk everywhere. Every stride is a calorie burning opportunity.

5. Finally, watch your food quality and portion sizes. Eat for energy and performance, rather than because you are bored or are simply eating out of habit. Cut out all unhealthy snacks during the day and replace with fresh fruit and nuts and glasses of water.

Why not bring health and fitness to your office? Staying healthy during the working day not only benefits your waist line but the company bottom line as it helps to improve productivity. Find out more about wellness schemes at www.the-tonic.com.
Mention this blog for a free consultation and find out how they can help your company out.

To get more fitness tips like this, visit the Women's Fitness site.

Photograph by richardmasoner (flickr)

Best Exercise Classes for Fat Loss

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Following yesterday's post about the Best Activities for Fat Burning, here's a guide to the Top 3 Exercise Classes for Fat Loss. These classes are all great for getting your heart pumping and your body working hard to banish the extra pounds you may have gained over the holiday period and get you fit fast.

1. Spinning

This is such an effective class because there is not one moment of inactivity. You’re pedalling the whole time so there’s consistent, steady fat burning followed by bursts of high activity to really get the heart, lungs and metabolism going. This repeated interval style training will work you much harder than if you were to simply sit on a stationery bicycle and pedal away at a steady rhythm for the same period of time.
Calories burned per class: 350 – 700

2. Circuit Training

Like spinning there is very little rest during a circuit training class. Once you’re warm you’re either working on a station or moving quickly between stations so the level of intensity remains high throughout the class, as does the effectiveness of the calorie burning. Each class has a variety of exercise combining cardio stations such as jumping jacks or rowing or cycling with strength stations like press ups, dips or squats which means that you burn plenty of calories during the class and also build muscle which helps to keep your metabolic rate high and calories burning following the class as well as during it.
Calories burned per class: 300 - 500

3. Boxing Fitness

There aren’t many overweight boxers around and you’ll know why if you attend one of these classes. The combination of cardio exercise and strength moves along with the sheer adrenalin rush of getting the gloves on and punching the bag or the pads always results in a great fat burning workout. There’s something about boxing training that appeals to everyone. It may be because you’re legitimately allowed to be aggressive or that you can finally channel the stresses and strains of the day. Or it might just be that because you have to concentrate you forget all your other concerns but I’ve yet to see anyone leave one of these classes who didn’t look like they’d pushed themselves and had great fun doing it.
Calories burned per class: 400 – 600

If you'd like to see more fitness tips like this, why not visit the Women's Fitness site.

Best Non-Gym Activities For Fat Burning

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:31:00 +0000

Did you gain weight over the Christmas and New Years holiday?

Or are you just looking to make an early start on getting your body 'summer ready' and sticking to your 2009 weight loss resolutions?

Look no further as this guide will list the Top 3 activities that will help you to lose the fat FAST without having to go to the gym.

1. Running, sprinting or hill running

Running outdoors is one of the best ways to burn calories. It’s tough and it challenges your whole body. This is why so many people avoid it but if you stick with it, it can even become enjoyable, particularly when you experience fast results. If you’re new to running outside, begin with running short distances, maybe even just a few steps and then recover with some walking. Gradually increase the distance you run and decrease the time for recovery. Before long you’ll be running for a few minutes without stopping and you’ll feel great for this.

From this point you can progressively increase your overall running time and then, if you really want to blast the body fat, add in some fast running or some running up hills. Two or three bursts of sprinting or hill running, once or twice a week will bring you really quick results with shifting the holiday pounds.
Calories burned per 30 minutes: 150 - 400

2. Skipping / Jumping Rope

If you haven’t skipped in a while you’ll be surprised at how tiring it can be. It seemed easy when you were young but things are a bit different now. Once you’ve remembered the technique you just need to skip in short bursts, starting with 20 skips and working up to 100 at a time with a short rest between each round of skipping and you’ll really feel the effects. Once you’ve mastered the art, try seeing how many skips you can do in one minute. A few attempts at this challenge will really burn some calories.
Calories burned per 30 minutes: 250 - 350

3. Circuit Training
This doesn't always have to be in a class environment at your gym. You can design your own mini-circuit at home, put some lively music on and then move swiftly from exercise to exercise and you’ll have a quality fat burning workout without having to leave the house. An additional tip here is to leave some fitness kit in plain sight when you finish – maybe a mat in the corner of your bedroom or some light weights near a mirror. When you see the kit, you’ll be reminded of exercise and will squeeze in a few reps as you go about your routine which will all add up to quite a lot of extra exercise over the course of the week.
Calories burned per 30 minutes: 150 - 250

Don't miss the Top 3 Exercise Classes for fat loss in tomorrows post.

For more fitness tips like this, check out the Women's Fitness site.

Feel too tired in the evening to work out? Try this

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:35:00 +0000

There is only one secret to making evening work exercise work that I have ever come across and it's very simple...

The secret is to make sure you don't stop moving at any time between leaving the office and the first activity in your workout.

No matter how tired you are, if you focus on getting started you'll be fine.

Quick tips to bear in mind:

1. Select in advance which evenings you're going to exercise. If you leave it to 'see how you feel', you wont be fully prepared mentally to do it and likely to skip it.

2. Decide which days are exercise days. This will ensure that you keep your appointments with yourself, get your exercise done and then can go out socializing on the other nights without the guilt of feeling that you should be in the gym.

3. If you don't trust yourself to stick to your chosen exercise days, get a friend involved and you'll motivate eachother to follow through on your good intentions. Surprisingly, we're less inclined to let other people down than let ourselves down.

For more tips like this, check out the Women's Fitness site.

Best Abs exercise if you have lower back pain

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:48:00 +0000

A surprisingly common problem for many people and one I get asked about often - what tummy exercise can I do when I have such a sore back. Well the good news is that you can still work on toning your tummy without causing any further pain to your back. Here's how.

This is actually very straightforward because the same exercise which tones your tummy will also help you to alleviate your lower back problem.

1. Avoid traditional crunches with your legs flat on the ground and a big movement with the top half of your body.

2. Include some strength training and stretching for your back to ensure that your approach to training your mid-section is balanced. Try using a stability ball for back support and strengthening your core.

3. Begin with gentle stretches for your back and then try a few back raise with a very small range of movement.

4. Try exercises such as The Plank for your stomach, where you are resting your body on your forearms and creating a flat line from your shoulders to your knees which are in contact with the ground. Start this exercise with your hips slightly higher than the line of your body and then lower them if your back will allow. Remember to keep your stomach tight throughout this movement. Try for 2 x 30 seconds initially and increase from there.

To read more articles like this, visit the Women's Fitness site.

Which gym machines help you burn calories faster?

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:11:00 +0000

Is it true that machines that work the upper and lower body burn more calories than those that only work the lower body?

Do you know which machines in the gym are worth spending time on and which are a waste of your time if you're after fast results? Read on to find out how you can make the most of your time in the gym.

Popular opinion suggests that if you pick machines that work your whole body, such as the rower, treadmill or the cross trainer, you're bound to burn more calories than you would by selecting ones which only work your lower limbs such as the stepper and the stationary bike. It does seem to make sense - however, the simple answer is that if you want to burn the maximum amount of calories and get the fastest fitness results you're capable of, try choosing the machines that makes you work the hardest regardless of whether it works the upper or lower body.

So the machine for you is most likely the one you avoid because it's just too hard - try it out next time you go to the gym.

Try out a new challenge. When you first try something new in the gym, you need to concentrate, keep your balance and get used to the motion and this can initially be more challenging than just sticking to the same old machines you always head for.

One example of this is the Nautilus Treadclimber, which requires an unfamiliar movement and at first, can leave even the most avid gym-goer puffed out. Once you are familiar with it, the workout will feel easier and now is the right time to increase the levels and give you an even more intense workout.

Remember, however, you don't need to use any machines to burn lots of calories. You just need to do an activity for a minimum of 20 minutes that will get your heart pumping. Try cardio sessions of running, skipping, hill walking, dancing or swimming. Keep your routine varied and remember to push yourself.

To read more articles like this, visit the Women's Fitness site.

Photograph by maHidoodi (flickr)

Why some people can never lose the weight

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:20:00 +0000

Losing weight is straight forward. You eat a good diet and you work out regularly ensuring you are burning more calories than you care consuming and voila...weight loss will follow.

However, if I had a gold coin for every time someone has told me that they are different and they are the exception to the rule and that no matter how much they work out and eat salads, they are still fat - I'd be very wealthy. I've just been reading an article based on some new research that may just prove those people right. Maybe there are some people out there who have the fat gene and there's nothing hours in the gym can do about it.

Steven Blair, a professor of exercise science has discovered that genes and hormonal balance can have a huge impact on your weight and size. Here's a selection of his findings:

1. Some people have more fat cells
Some people could have as many as twice as many than then next person which would help to explain why they may struggle so much where other find it easy to shed extra weight. Fat cells never go, they can reduce in size but they are always there - waiting to be filled up.

2. The Fat Gene is real
Fatso - that's what the fat gene is called and those with the genes are 60% more likely to be obese than those without. This may explain why some people do so many sports and physical activities and eat and balanced diet and still have a lot of extra body weight.

3. Your mother's pregnancy sealed your fate
If your mum ate very unhealthily during her pregnancy, according to these findings, a sugary and fatty diet can cause havoc to you before you're even born if the womb has higher levels of glucose and free fatty acids floating around than it needs.

There's plenty more nuggets of research in this report which are worth a look but I'm a little skeptical. I'm willing to accept that you don't have to be thin to be fit - slightly overweight people can be fit to but just unable to shift that last 10 pounds. But I'm not convinced yet that fat can be blamed wholly on genes. Maybe this report will convince you?

To discover more on the 13 things you never knew about your weight, read the full article here.

Photograph by insecurity (flickr)

How to Sleep like a Baby

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:29:00 +0000

Getting a good night's sleep can seem to get more difficult to do the older you get. This makes sense especially as your responsibilities and worries increase as you get older - the more you have to mull over at night when trying to sleep.

However, it is possible to learn how to sleep well again and get the most out of each nights shut eye. It is possible to wake feeling refreshed and ready to face each day with energy - yes it is. And here's how....we copy what we did as babies.

When we were babies, sleeping was second only to eating in the important things to do each day. So it was taken seriously. By using some of the same tactics our parents used to get us to sleep, we can get that same quality of sleep again.

1. Routine, routine, routine
Most babies have a strict bedtime (whether they adhere to it or not) and we need to do the same. I'm not suggesting 7pm but pick a time that is before 11.30pm at least and try to make sure you get to bed at that time every night of the week. This new routine will help your body get used to the pattern and adjust accordingly and the aim is to always have the lights out and eyes shut by midnight if you want to feel refreshed in the morning.

2. Bathtime before bed
Some people shower in the morning before work whilst others prefer to bathe the night before. I'd suggest bath time before bed, again just as babies do. The warm water will be soothing and relaxing in a bath will help you fast track through your unwinding so you don't do any of it in bed. This may be difficult to fit in round your other routines at home but try it out and you'll feel the benefits immediately. It's worth the effort.

3. Cover Lightly
Staying warm and cozy in bed is what we dream of but as with babies, you shouldn't wrap up too warmly with heavy blankets and duvets. The key is layers that together keep you warm but are also light in weight. You may have experienced waking up in the middle of the night before when you get too hot and sweaty and we're trying to ensure that you stay asleep through the night uninterrupted.

4. Nothing too wild
By this I mean, start winding down in the evening hours before bedtime and don't do strenuous housework or workout half an hour before bed. Try reading or watching a little TV - not a horror movie or anything too disturbing. That would be the equivalent of reading a baby horror stories for a bedtime treat. Relax and wind down and remember, nothing too wild.

5. Drink nothing an hour before bed
Sure, babies get their hot milk but they wear nappies / diapers! We don't so no hot drinks just before bed as this can sometimes force you to head to the toilet in the middle of the night with a full bladder. And we all know there's nothing worse than waking from a lovely slumber to do that.

Photograph by paul goyette (flickr)

4 Tips to Having A Healthy Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:29:00 +0000

Following on from the post yesterday about how to prepare yourself for Thanksgiving and make sure you don't gain tons of weight from pure overindulging, here are some quick tips to try out during the day that won't get in the way of having fun and spending time with the family.

They'll also help you feel good and avoid the holiday bloat.

Rule 1 - I know you don't want to set your alarm on your day off but try to get up early and do a little exercise. Even if it's just running on the spot for 10 minutes and a few press ups and crunches on the floor. try to do something and spend at least 20 mins doing it. Trust me - this will make you feel energized and buzzing for the day ahead.

Rule 2 - Pace yourself. Today is not a competition to see how much you can eat and drink. the moment you feel full, put your fork down and clear your plate away if you need to. Don't just ignore your tummy - listen to it. Turkey is actually a great low fat meat to eat and the vegetables are good for you so eat a decent portion but try to lay off pastries and breads if you can and don't have a carb fest.

Rule 3 - Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated and make you feel full so you'll eat less. Keep a large bottle on the dining table and drink a large glass before the meal. it really will make you feel less hungry and chances are that you'll eat what you need, now what your eyes devour.

Rule 4 - play some fun games with the family after the meal - don't just fall asleep in front of the TV. Maybe even wrap up warm and get everyone to go one a short walk with you. You'll all feel great afterwards.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Photograph by numstead

How to Avoid Holiday / Thanksgiving Weight Gain

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:14:00 +0000

This Part 1 of your 3 Day Guide to enjoying the Thanksgiving without gaining lots of excess weight, ruining your diet and regretting it later. Here is your guide for THE DAY BEFORE. As my dad always tells me, fail to prepare and prepare to fail. What an annoying expression that is??! Ready

Rule 1 - Eat normally. Don't get any ideas into your head about skipping meals so you can leave plenty of room to stuff yourself tomorrow. Today is a normal day and if you're traveling home, plan where and when and most importantly, what you are going to eat on your journey. If you leave it till the last minute, you may have no choice other than junk food to see you through so plan ahead.

Rule 2 - Drink plenty of water today. Chances are that during the Thanksgiving meal, water will get forgotten and be replaced with sodas, juices and alcohol so hydrate yourself now.

Rule 3 - If you can exercise today, do. This will really set you up for an energetic weekend and help you get one step ahead of the game. Some suggestions that you can do at home / in the garden - in the gym that will make the most out of a 30 minute workout:

Do This
Jump rope for 10 mins - try to have as few breaks as you can
Run for 10 mins - either on treadmill or outside and try to do a couple of 1 minute sprints to get your fat burn going.
2 x 15 squats
2 x 15 lunges
2 x 15 press ups
The Plank - do this for 60 seconds
2 x 15 scissor kicks
2 x reverse crunches
Jump rope for 5 mins
Cool down

More exercises you can do indoors here.

Photograph by ~Sage~

The dangers of bottled water left in your car

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:29:00 +0000

Urban myth or wise warning? I received an email from my friend Amanda warning of the dangers of using plastic containers and plastic wrap in microwaves which can be highly toxic and lead to cancer. Also, there were warnings about drinking from plastic bottles of water left in the car over night. Now these 'Erumours' have been around for a while and are fairly difficult to get to the bottom of but my question is this - should we just ignore them just because we can't prove them?

I'm not a fan of the microwave anyway and probably use it once a year to reheat something but for a lot of people, it's a really convenient machine that saves them time. Should they be ditching their plastic containers which are said to release harmful dioxins into their food and switch to glass Pyrex dishes?

I do however always have a bottle of lukewarm water in the car that I drink from before I replace it with another one. Since reading the email, I have to say I've stopped doing it. I'm not a likely candidate for breast cancer anyway but I'm not convinced that plastics when heated don't react with the water.

So is this all nonsense and scare mongering or is there a grain of truth in it? That's for each of you to decide but here's some more info before you make your mind up.

Photograph by Muffet (flickr)

Get slimmer, toned thighs

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:11:00 +0000

Whether you're trying to squeeze into your skinny jeans or just don't like the wobble on your thighs, these two exercises are great for toning that area and helping you get shapely legs. All you need to do is some cardio to get you sweating for at least 15 mins and then follow the instructions on how to do the narrow to wide squats and the backwards lunge with kick.

You ready?

Narrow to wide squat jumps

Stand upright with your feet hip width apart
Sit back into a regular squat position making sure that your knees do not travel further forwards than your toes
Now swing your arms to jump out of the squat position

Move your feet apart in the air and land with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and with your toes turned out

Keep your tummy tight as this will help you balance

Sit back into a wide squat position making sure that your knees stay in line with your hips and ankles

Swing your arms to jump out of this position

Move your feet together in the air and land with them hip width apart

Repeat for 20 jumps; 10 squats in each position

Backwards Lunge with Leg Kick

Stand upright with your feet hip width apart, shoulders relaxed and arms by your sides

Take a big step backwards and move into the lunge position

At the bottom of the movement you should have right angles at both knees with your body upright

Spring the back leg out of this position as you stand upright, swing it forwards and straighten it in front of you

Return this leg to the starting position

Repeat the sequence on the other side

Continue until you have completed 10 lunges and kicks on each leg

Make sure your body is upright throughout the movement - no leaning backwards and forwards...

More thigh blasting workouts to complete your workout.

Why sodas are so bad for you - and oranges are your friend

noreply@blogger.com (About) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:39:00 +0000

Have you heard about the NuVal System? It's a nutritional quality index created at the Yale University Prevention Research Centre that gives all foods and drinks a score and the higher the score, the more nutritious the food is. Simple.

Some of the foodstuffs will surprise you by not being as high up the list as you'd expect but it's a great list to have on your fridge door to make sure you're having as many of the 100/100 foods - broccoli and blueberries, and none of the 2/100 foods - like all full-fat sodas and saltine crackers which seem to come with every bowl of soup in the US! How have you done so far today - check out the list and make a promise to yourself to aim for as many 100/100 as you can each day. Its like dieting without dieting.

Broccoli 100

Blueberries 100

Okra 100

Orange 100

Green Beans 100

Pineapple 99

Radish 99

Summer squash 98

Apple 96

Green cabbage 96

Tomato 96

Clementine 94

Watermelon 94

Mango 93

Red onions 93

Non-fat milk 91

Fresh figs 91

Grapes 91

Banana 91

Avocado 89

Oatmeal 88

Atlantic salmon fillet 87

Blackberries 83

Cod fillet 82

Raw almonds 82

Iceberg lettuce 82

Raw pecans 82

Rocket 82

Brown rice 82

Snapper 82

Milk (1% fat) 81

Oysters 81

Prawn 75

Couscous 72

Clams 71

Raw pistachios 70

Unbuttered, unsalted popcorn 69

Canned tuna in oil, drained 67

Monkfish fillet 64

Vegetarian split-pea soup mix 63

Instant oatmeal 61

Canned pineapple in juice 60

White rice 57

Sodium-free sparkling water 56

Milk (2% fat) 55

Canned kidney beans 53

Milk (whole) 52

Scallops 51

Pasta 50

Canned peas 49

Prunes 45

Vanilla yoghurt 43

Orange juice 39

Skinless chicken breasts 39

Canned peaches in light Syrup 37

Lobster 36

Flank steak (beef) 34

Dried apples 34

Tomato juice 32

Condensed split-pea soup

with ham 32

Minced sirloin 30

Chicken drumstick 30

Enriched white bread 29

Whole chicken with skin 28

Leg of lamb 28

Ham (whole) 27

Raisins 26

Hamburger (75% lean) 25

Apple chips 24

Coconut 24

Green olives 24

Pork baby back ribs 24

Bagel 23

Condensed tomato soup 23

Peanut butter 23

Sherbet 23

Reduced-fat sour cream 22

Condensed cream of

broccoli soup 21

Salted, dry-roasted peanuts 21

Instant chocolate pudding 20

Fried egg 18

Swiss cheese 17

Diet fizzy drinks 15

Non-streaky bacon 13

Pretzel sticks 11

Dark chocolate 10

White bread 9

Salami 7

Hot dog 5

Cheese puffs 4

Milk chocolate 3

Apple pie 2

Crackers 2

Fizzy drinks 1

Popsicle 1

To see the whole list, please visit the site and print out the list.

Photograph by .:barbarina:. (flickr)