What is the difference between a vitamin and a mineral?
Vitamins are complex compounds that are made by living things – like fruit and vegetables. They’re quite delicate so they get broken down with cooking or exposure to the air. There are two types of vitamin:
Fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K). These can be stored in your body, but you should make sure you’re including them regularly in your diet.
Water-soluble vitamins (all other vitamins such as B6, B12, C and folic acid). You can’t store these in your body, so you need a steady supply from your diet.
Minerals like calcium, potassium and iron are much simpler compounds but they cannot be broken down as easily. They’re found in soil and water, and are absorbed into our bodies through the food we eat.
Vitamins and their importance:
Vitamin A
Widely known for its importance to good vision, vitamin A also supports the immune system and is necessary for a healthy pregnancy.
Vitamin A can come from both plant and animal sources. Plant sources include leafy green vegetables and orange and yellow fruits/vegetables. Animal sources include liver, salmon, and whole milk. Vitamin A is also added to fortified cereals, is a part of most multivitamins, and is available as a stand-alone supplement.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is important for nerve function and development. A deficiency can cause symptoms such as numbness, weakness, difficulty walking, yellowed skin, and memory loss. The elderly, vegetarians, vegans, and people who have undergone weight loss surgery are at risk of developing a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is necessary for growth and repair of tissues in all parts of the body. You may have also seen ads touting the benefits of vitamin C during cold and flu season, but these claims continue to be the source of great debate. Research shows that vitamin C supplements do not reduce the risk of getting the common cold for most people, however, regular vitamin C supplement intake may help to shorten cold duration and reduce symptom severity. Using vitamin C supplements after cold symptoms begin does not appear to be helpful.
Foods high in vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, green peppers, spinach, and tomatoes.
Vitamin D
Research conducted over the past decade suggests that vitamin D, besides building strong bones, may play an important role in preventing and treating a number of serious long-term health problems such as, osteoporosis, heart disease, some cancers, and multiple sclerosis.
Vitamin D is both a nutrient in food and a hormone our bodies make through sun exposure. It is important for bone health because one of its main functions is helping the body absorb calcium. Few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D - the best dietary sources are fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel and fortified dairy products.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is used for cell communication, to strengthen the immune system, and to form red blood cells. You can get the recommended daily amount of vitamin E by eating a variety of foods, such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, green vegetables, and enriched cereals.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a group name for a number of compounds that help the body make proteins necessary for blood clotting. Vitamin K can be found in leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli or cabbage), fish, liver, meats, and eggs.
Minerals and their importance:
Here are some of the main minerals that your body needs, their key roles and what foods they are found in.
Calcium is important to keep your bones and teeth strong. It also helps in keeping your muscles and nerves working well, and is involved in blood clotting. Good sources include dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, certain fish, cereals and pulses.
Phosphorus combines with calcium to help give bones their strength. It’s also an important part of cell membranes. Milk and dairy products, cereals, meat, fish, nuts, fruit and vegetables are all good sources of phosphorus.
Magnesium is an important part of bones and teeth, and also is needed for your muscles and nerves to work well. Green vegetables, pulses, wholegrain cereals and meat are all good sources.
Sodium and chloride are normally consumed together in the diet as salt. Sodium chloride helps to regulate fluid balance in your body, keeping your blood pressure stable and your cells working properly. It also helps to control your muscle and nerve cells but most of us get too much salt. Examples of foods high in salt include bacon, ham, cheese, soy sauce, bread, cereals and ready meals so consume these in moderation
Potassium is another mineral that helps to regulate fluid balance in your body, and keeps nerve and muscle cells functioning properly. Good sources include fruit (especially bananas and apricots) and vegetables (especially potatoes).
Iron (in the form of haemoglobin) helps to transport oxygen around your body in your blood. Good sources include meat, fish, eggs, bread, cereals, green leafy vegetables, nuts and dried fruits.
Zinc is important in the immune system, as well as for digestion and healing. Good sources include meat (particularly lamb and beef), crabs and shellfish, leafy and root vegetables and wholegrains.
Fluoride is important for your bones and teeth. It occurs naturally in drinking water and extra fluoride is added to the water in some areas of the UK. Other sources of fluoride include tea and spinach.
How can I get enough vitamins and minerals?
You should be able to get most of the vitamins and minerals you need by eating a healthy, balanced diet. For each day, this includes :
· At least five portions of fruit and vegetables
· Wholegrain starchy foods
· Dairy foods
· Meat, fish or alternatives such as beans and pulses
Different foods have different combinations of vitamins and minerals, so variety is key. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you’ll need to pay extra attention to getting certain vitamins and minerals that usually come from animal sources. These include vitamin B12, calcium and iron.
Functional fitness matters
Functional fitness means training your body to perform everyday activities more easily and safely. Instead of just focusing on aesthetics or lifting heavy weights, functional fitness helps you move better in real life — like bending, lifting, reaching, or even just walking up stairs.
Why functional fitness is important for longevity and overall health?
Functional fitness keeps you independent for longer strengthening muscles and improving balance, coordination, and mobility in ways your body actually uses for every day tasks. This means you are less likely to injure yourself doing normal daily activities.
Functional exercises increase core strength and correct movement patterns which can also help reduce and prevent common problem areas, such as pain in the neck, shoulder and back due to lifestyles. Many functional workouts also include full-body movements that get your heart pumping, so you still get a workout and increase your overall fitness levels.
The sled push is a functional movement with weight lifting benefits. It mimics real-life movement patterns, requires full-body coordination, core engagement, and lower body power.
Tip: Stay low and drive through your legs! Push with your legs and not your arms.
Side step-up trains lateral (side-to-side) stability, many injuries happen in sideways movements.
Tip: keep you whole foot on the box and push through your heel (not your toes). Avoid pushing off with your bottom leg, the leg on the step should take the load. Control the descent down. it stand out
Single arm cable pull helps correct strength imbalances between sides and mimics real life pull actions.
Tip: Engage your core and pull with your back, not just your arm, controlling the movement on the way down and up.
Does functional fitness benefit men and women differently?
While functional exercise benefits everyone, some unique advantages show up differently in men and women due to differences in physiology, hormones, and lifestyle needs.
Women:
Pelvic floor and core support: Functional movements that engage the core (e.g. planks and bridges) help strengthen the pelvic floor, which is especially important during and after pregnancy, and as women age.
Bone density support: Women are at higher risk of osteoporosis, especially post-menopause. Weight-bearing functional movements (like lunges and push-ups) help maintain and improve bone density.
Hormonal balance & stress reduction: Functional training (especially when combined with mobility work or breath-based movement) supports hormone regulation, reduces cortisol, and helps manage PMS, perimenopause, or menopause symptoms.
Body alignment & joint Health: Women often have different joint alignment (e.g., wider hips affecting knees). Functional exercises strengthen stabilising muscles to support healthy joint movement and prevent injury.
Men:
Improved mobility & flexibility: Men are often tighter in areas like hips, hamstrings, and shoulders. Functional movements help increase range of motion, which reduces stiffness and lowers injury risk, especially with age.
Balanced muscle development: Men often focus on lifting heavy or targeting large muscles. Functional training promotes balanced, full-body strength, helping to avoid muscle imbalances and joint strain.
Core activation & injury prevention: Men may unintentionally over-rely on upper body strength. Functional core-focused moves (like rotational lifts or anti-rotation planks) strengthen stabilisers that protect the lower back and improve posture.
Supports lean muscle maintenance with age: As testosterone levels decline with age, men can lose muscle mass. Functional strength training helps preserve lean muscle and support metabolic health.
debunking nutrition Myths
Calories in, calories out’ is all that matters when it comes to weight loss
Creating a calorie deficit by burning more energy than you are taking in is a massively important factor when it comes to weight loss, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Relying solely on calorie intake doesn’t account for the large number of variables that may prevent someone from losing weight, even when on a very low calorie diet. For example, hormonal imbalances, health conditions like hypothyroidism, metabolic adaptations, the use of certain medications, and genetics are just some of the factors that may make weight loss harder for some people, even when they’re on a strict diet.
This concept also fails to emphasize the importance of sustainability and diet quality for weight loss. Those following the “calories in, calories out” method typically concentrate solely on the calorie value of foods, not their nutrient value. This can lead to choosing low calorie, nutrient-poor foods like rice cakes and egg whites over higher calorie, nutrient-dense foods like avocados and whole eggs, which isn’t the best for overall health.
High fat foods are unhealthy
Though this incorrect theory is slowly being put to rest, many people still fear high fat foods and follow low fat diets in the hope that cutting their fat intake will benefit their overall health. Dietary fat is essential for optimal health. Low fat diets have been linked to a greater risk of health issues, including metabolic syndrome and may lead to an increase in insulin resistance which is known for being a risk factor for heart disease.
Diets that are higher in fat have been proven just as effective or even more so than low fat diets when it comes to encouraging weight loss. Of course, extremes in either direction, whether it be a very low fat or very high fat diet may harm your health, especially when your diet quality is poor.
Eating often will boost your metabolism
It’s easy to trace this myth back to its origin. Digestion does raise your metabolism a little, so many people believe that eating less food more often keeps your metabolism elevated. However, the size of the meal matters too, by having fewer but larger meals means fewer but larger spikes in metabolism. Studies suggest that having smaller meals more often makes it harder to feel full, potentially leading to increased food intake. The evidence shows that, given an equal amount of daily calories, the number of meals makes no difference in fat loss.
Carbs will make you fat
Just as fat has been blamed for promoting weight gain and heart disease, carbs have been shunned by many people over fears that consuming this macronutrient will cause obesity, diabetes, and other adverse health effects. In reality, eating a moderate amount of nutritious carbs that are high in fibre, vitamins, and minerals like starchy root vegetables, ancient grains, and legumes will likely benefit your health and not harm it. Carb-rich foods like cakes, cookies, sweetened beverages, and white bread should be restricted, as these foods can increase weight gain and disease risk when eaten in excess. Food quality is the main predictor of disease risk.
What we can take from this?
The nutrition world is rife with misinformation, leading to public confusion, mistrust of health professionals, and poor dietary choices. This, coupled with the fact that nutrition science is constantly changing makes it no wonder that most people have a warped view of what constitutes a healthy diet. Although these nutrition myths are likely here to stay, educating yourself by separating fact from fiction when it comes to nutrition can help you feel more empowered to develop a nutritious and sustainable dietary pattern that works for your individual needs.
how exercise can improve your mental health
Forming a positive relationship between exercise and mental health is one of many helpful techniques to improve your overall mood and outlook on life. Exercise is often seriously underappreciated in its ability to make us feel better not just physically but mentally.
Why is exercise good for your mental health?
You already know that exercise is good for your body. But did you know it can also boost your mood, improve your sleep, and help you deal with depression, anxiety, stress, and more? Here are some of the reasons why exercise is good for your mental health:
1. Brain training - Exercising not only encourages the brain to release helpful, positive chemicals, but it can also increase the size of our hippocampus, the part of our brain responsible for our memory.
2. Outlet for frustrations - We all get angry and frustrated on occasion, and finding a healthy outlet for those feelings is important to ensure they don’t affect your health or personal relationships. By releasing serotonin, endorphins and other feel-good chemicals, exercise helps the frustration to subside.
3. Achievements in exercise - Exercise is a great way to set goals and pushing to achieve those goals gives us feelings of accomplishment and self-worth, which in turn makes us feel happier about our lives in general.
4. Natural energy source - While starting an exercise routine can feel exhausting and energy depleting. The more you exercise aerobically, the more mitochondria the body will produce in order to provide you with the appropriate amount of energy needed.
The most prominent benefit that physical exercise offers for our mental health is the release of feel-good brain chemicals like endorphins. Endorphins relieve pain and stress in the mind and give us a feeling of enjoyment during a physical activity. You might have heard about “the runner’s high” which essentially describes when exercise releases endorphins into your body.
Endorphins are one of the many neurotransmitters in our brain that determine how we think and feel about certain situations. When these are activated during exercise, they trigger the release of helpful chemicals throughout the body which not only help us get through the activity at hand, but improve our general mood. These chemicals include:
· Dopamine
· Norepinephrine
· Serotonin
· Adrenalin
This release of chemicals along with several other benefits of exercise offers is why it is such a useful course of treatment for a variety of mental health issues. Even a 30-45 minute walk either all at once or broken into 10-minute chunks has been shown to be beneficial for your mindset and mental health so you don’t have to do a hardcore HIIT workout to reap the benefits.
Why should I cut down on drinking?
The more you drink, the greater the risk to your health. It’s really that simple, An increasing number of people, particularly middle-aged drinkers are drinking in ways that are putting them at risk of serious and potentially life-limiting conditions such as heart disease, liver disease and some types of cancer.
As well as creating healthy habits by adjusting your current drinking routine with small and gradual measures, you can also attempt dry January or various alcohol free challenges which will encourage you to either with friends or on your own, knock alcohol on the head for a month and feel the benefits. Some people do it to just tick a box on their New Years resolutions list, some do it for complete sobriety and others just try it to feel the health benefits and give their body a break.
Benefits of reducing your alcohol intake
· Lower blood sugar
· Lower blood pressure
· Fewer alcohol-related symptoms, like headaches, heartburn, indigestion and stomach upsets
· Less fatty build up around the liver
· Improving existing conditions like depression, high blood pressure or skin conditions like rosacea
· Better quality sleep
· More energy
· Improved weight loss
· Better absorption of nutrients like vitamins B1 and B12, folic acid and zinc
Effects of alcohol on sporting performance
Alcohol can alter your sports performance because of how it affects the body during exercise. It does this in several ways:
Dehydration leads to reduced exercise performance as alcohol dehydrates you. This is because it is a diuretic, which means it makes your kidneys produce more urine, therefore drinking too much alcohol can lead to dehydration. Exercising soon after drinking alcohol can make dehydration worse because you also sweat during exercise. You need to be well hydrated when you exercise to maintain the flow of blood through your body, which is essential for carrying oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, thus maximising performance.
Alcohol can interfere with the way your body makes energy. Alcohol is broken down in the liver and when you are breaking down alcohol all other functions of the liver are secondary. Another function of the liver involves glucose production, we need glucose for energy and if your liver is not producing enough glucose, your body will become tired as it works to expel the alcohol, making it even more of a struggle to keep up the pace.
Alcohol slows down the nerves that pass messages around the body, causing a relaxed feeling. This effect can take time to wear off and this can result in your reactions, coordination, accuracy and balance being slower than usual during exercise and competition.
Effects on other health metrics
Weight gain: Alcohol is high in calories (seven calories per gram), almost as many as pure fat. If you exercise to help manage your weight you could be taking in unnecessary ‘empty’ calories through alcohol and preventing weight loss. In addition to this after a few drinks you may be tempted to eat high calorie foods which will further hamper your efforts and progress.
Poor muscle growth: Growth hormones which we need for muscle growth are released during deep sleep. Therefore disrupted sleep from alcohol can lead to slow muscle gain.
Altered heart rate: Drinking can increase the potential for unusual heart rhythms. This is a risk which significantly increases during exercise up to two days after heavy alcohol consumption, varying between individuals. The physical activity itself increases your heart rate and with a lot of alcohol in your system your heart is put under further stress.
Slow healing after injury: Alcohol causes the blood vessels to the skin, arms and legs to open up which results in an increased blood supply making an injury bleed and swell even more, slowing down the recovery process.
How to encourage a better nights sleep
A good nights sleep doesn’t necessarily mean a lot of sleep but more of the right kind of sleep - think quality over quantity.
Sleep impacts how we use language, sustain attention, understand what we are reading, and summarise what we are hearing. Some of us have real trouble sleeping or simply don't understand the importance of its role in protecting your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.
Where do I start?
Firstly, we need to figure out what is effecting our sleep before we can effectively seek out a solution. There are lots of ways of adapting your bed time routine to suit your specific needs, but then most importantly sticking to that routine. An adult male or female is recommended by health experts to have 7-9 hours sleep a night. Once you have a nightly goal based on the hours of sleep that you need, it’s time to start planning for how to make that a reality. This is done by making sleep our priority, rather than letting work or social activities interfere. As easy as it is to say in the moment that it won’t hurt to cut into those sleeping hours, we know that it will have a massive impact on us the following day and the ability to work or socialise.
A routine is the starting point from setting a bedtime as well as removing possible distractions and creating the best possible sleeping environment (reduce light exposure, declutter the sleep space and get rid of electronic devices).
Some of the advice may differ for those who are suffering with existing health conditions, chronic insomnia or mental health struggles. If you fall under any of those categories, please do contact a health professional before implementing these changes to your sleep routine.
How practicing being more mindful can help improve the quality of our sleep
Rest is vital to our wellbeing, but we're losing touch with the simple brilliance of just being. We're surrounded by pressures from work, family, study and social media. Even in our downtime, we're losing the ability to truly switch off and relax.
'Yoga Nidra', which is seen as the state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, is one of many ways of using mindfulness to help the body relax. The brilliant thing about Yoga Nidra is that you can participate at any level, with no previous experience in any meditation practices and immerse yourself as you are guided by your instructor to the exact state of rest you are searching for.
There are indeed many more mindfulness practices for you to explore, but do please make sure to look into your day to day life and find which practice works best for you. Mindfulness is a quality somewhat overlooked and simply by becoming a little more connected to your mind and body you will be conditioned to rest when it's called upon.
Why do we take supplements?
90% of people don't get the recommended amount of important nutrients from food alone. Most of us fail to meet dietary recommendations due to strict dieting, poor appetite, or changing nutritional needs. Food quality can also be compromised by production methods, lengthy storage and long distance transportation, especially of so called ‘fresh’ fruits and vegetables. This leaves fewer vital nutrients in an array of our food supplies. Supplementation is intended to bridge the nutritional gap, so that we maintain the proper balance of nutrients from food and supplementation. This will enhances the nutrient density of our diet and make sure we are obtaining the right amount of nutrients tailored to dietary needs.
They are generally used as a preventative health measure, to help alleviate medical symptoms, or even as an anti-ageing measure. The most common supplements that can be added to your diet include vitamins, minerals, herbs, plant material, amino acids, probiotics, fibre and fatty acids. Whilst many supplements are harmless, some can be dangerous if taken in excess, or some can contra-indicate with medical conditions or medication so advice should always be sought from a GP or health practitioner before embarking on a supplementation plan.
Who can benefit from supplementation?
Adding supplements to the diet can offer helpful support for certain groups whose dietary needs of specific circumstances may cause deficiency in one or more nutrients.
For example:
Young and growing children may benefit from extra calcium and essential fat
Pregnant women are advised to take folic acid to prevent birth defects in the developing child
People with anxiety could supplement with Vitamins B, C and zinc. These feed the adrenal glands which can get overworked in stressful times.
Smokers deplete large quantities of Vitamin C (approximately 250mg per cigarette)
Vegetarians and vegans may struggle to access enough B12, calcium, iron, zinc and iodine through their diet
Serious athletes may benefit from additional antioxidants and protein/amino acids to prevent against damage and facilitate repair and muscle re-growth
Elderly people are commonly recommended antioxidants (such as lutein) for eye health. This group are also now advised to consider gingko for mental agility and memory, glucosamine and chondroitin for bone and cartilage repair, and Ginseng to help combat ageing.
During the cold and flu season Vitamin C can be helpful for everyone. It can’t prevent you catching these germs but is now thought to significantly reduce the duration and severity of infection, particularly when taken alongside zinc and Echinacea.
Since it's difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone, and many people don't get sufficient sun exposure—especially in winter or in northern latitudes—supplementation can be an effective way to prevent deficiency. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in bone health by aiding calcium absorption, supports immune function, and may help reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases like osteoporosis, depression, and some autoimmune conditions.
Tips for taking supplements
Never use supplements as a food substitute, as you should do as their name suggests - supplement and enhance an already healthy diet.
Always follow the directions for usage on the label, or as given by your qualified health practitioner. Check that supplements are suitable and are in safe dosages before giving to children.
Never take anything that claims to ‘cure’ or ‘prevent’.
Cheap supplements are usually a false economy; if they have fillers and poor quality ingredients they can have negative effects. Look for reputable suppliers, by shopping at dedicated health or specialist supplement stores.
Most importantly, seek advice from a GP, Nutritional Therapist or other qualified health practitioner first, especially if you have a medical condition or are on medication of any kind.
Is protein powder a supplement and will it make me look like a bodybuilder?
A lot of supplements are sold to consumers in the form of protein powder. It’s the building block for muscles and can help build and repair muscles. The amino acids are the same as found in chicken, beef and pork. Creatine is higher in supplements and adds bulk. Taking too much of this can have side effects and cause severe problems, such as heart and kidney problems, diarrhea, dehydration and cramps. Which makes it even more important to identify why you need the supplement and how much you need to take.
There is a common misconception that having protein shakes will make you super muscular and look like a bodybuilder, which isn't the case as they aren't steroids. But just like other supplements they are there to help and support an already healthy and balanced diet. Protein powder is there to repair our muscles when consistently exercising so that they can, through hard work grow bigger and help us recover quicker.
There are many pros and cons to taking supplements but the long and short of it is that we should try our hardest to eat a better quality of produce and a balanced diet, with a healthy active lifestyle. We should now know that by taking supplements to help aid various ailments and achieve specific fitness goals, that this cannot be done without looking after our body first. The aim is to supplement an already healthy lifestyle and diet. If doing this you will benefit far more in absorbing the nutrients needed.
10 ways to boost your physical health
From simple and enjoyable ways to stay active to tips that can help you kick bad habits and form good new ones, here’s what to consider to help make sure you’re in top form.
Get Outdoors
There’s nothing better than getting some fresh air. Sunlight gives your body essential vitamin D that will help to keep your bones healthy and your mood boosted. Getting out and about is also a great way to reset your energy levels, so take a walk at lunchtime or when you start to feel run down, to help keep yourself motivated.
Sleep Well
The best thing you can do for your body is to rest it. Sleeping allows your body to repair and restore itself and the brain to recharge. It’s recommended for an adult to get eight hours of sleep a night, but it’s not always that easy, especially with all the distractions of modern technology. Put your phone away an hour before you go to sleep, and don’t be tempted by watching one more episode. The blue-light technology will keep you awake far longer than you want to be awake for.
Regular Exercise
There’s no escaping the fact that exercise is a vital part of keeping your body in tip-top condition. Having a good workout plan will make sure that you look after every part of your body, from your lungs and heart, to your muscles and bones. Not only does exercise keep your body healthy, it’s also a great way to keep a routine in your day to day life. Whether you do once a week or every day, a strong regime will keep your brain healthy too.
Staying Hydrated
Water is a necessity to us and our bodies as it fuels most bodily functions. Dehydration can be a real issue, it can make you feel unfocused, faint and can cause headaches. Not drinking enough water can also give you low mood, lead to grumpiness and make you feel extremely tired. Water makes up 60% of our bodies, so it’s clear to see why it’s so important to drink enough. Doctors recommended we all aim to drink around six to eight glasses of water a day, so carry a bottle in your bag for when you’re at work or out exercising.
Maintain A Healthy Diet
Eating right is so important to your overall physical health. Getting five portions of fruit and veg is crucial to keeping a healthy diet, so think about adding in some greens to your meals or waking yourself up with a fruit smoothie. Starchy carbohydrates should make up a third of what you eat and you should look to add carbs that are high in fibre to your meals, including brown pasta, brown rice, lentils, potatoes and sourdough bread. Having a good diet will help fight illness, fatigue and keep your body properly regulated.
Take Some Time For Self-Care
It is perfectly normal to sometimes need a break. Overdoing it can put your body through unnecessary stress which can cause illness or health issues. Schedule in some you-time once a week to relax and de-stress. Take a walk, have a warm bath or just enjoy a good book to clear your mind and reset your week. Your mental wellbeing is just as important to your physical health as exercise.
Take A Break From Screens
It’s tough to not be constantly surrounded by phones, computers and TV screens in modern life. Staring at screens for prolonged periods of the day can have an effect on your eyesight and can make you feel tired and unable to concentrate. Although it’s impossible to avoid if you work at a computer, be sure to take plenty of breaks where possible, and try to take a break from technology for an hour or so, especially before bed.
Taking Care Of Your Body Post-Workout
It’s just as important to look after your body following a workout, as it is to warm up before starting a workout. Take care to look after the parts of the body you’ve used during your sports or exercise, by stretching out and relaxing your muscles – this will help prevent both DOMS and injury. If you have picked up an injury, make sure you use the correct treatment, whether that be cold therapies, resting or light movement and rehabilitation.
Reduce Sugar And Salt Intake
There’s no need to completely get rid of your favourite snacks but cutting down on sugary drinks or salty foods can help to maintain overall health. Consuming a high level of salt or sugar can make you feel sluggish and tired throughout the day, contributing to higher blood pressure. Instead of adding salt to your meals, why not use spices to give your meals a bit of flavour and look to replace sugar with substitutes.
Wash Your Hands Regularly
You may think that you’re doing your best to ward of viruses and diseases, but there are often things beyond your control exposing you to possible illnesses. From public spaces, such as bathrooms and transport, to computer keyboards and mobile phones, germs can get everywhere. That’s why washing your hands regularly throughout the day can help fight off infections, especially before you eat.
10 Benefits from trying Pilates
Looking for a low-impact workout that strengthens your body, improves flexibility, and can be done right in your living room? Pilates might be just what you need. It is becoming more and more popular focusing on controlled movements, core stability, and mindful breathing and is ideal for all fitness levels. In this article, we’ll explore 10 key benefits of Pilates you can enjoy without ever leaving home.
1. Improves Posture
A key focus in Pilates is maintaining good alignment and balance through all the exercises. This creates a strong back, glutes, and abs which work together to form a perfect posture.
A good posture offers you a safe and steady base to move through life. It sets you up for greater ease in daily movements, as well as supporting your body as it ages. From helping to reduce back and neck pain, to easing tension in the body and preventing injury, a good posture is something that will aid you in the long run.
2. Increased Flexibility
Pilates works toward a safe increase in length and stretch of the muscles and the range of motion within the joints.
Just as Pilates aims to build a level of muscular strength that will enhance and complement your everyday life and activities, so do does it aim to create a body that can stretch and bend to meet the flow of daily life. It creates both practical strength and flexibility.
3. Promotes Weightloss
If you practice Pilates regularly, it will change your body. Known for creating long, strong muscles and a leaner look, Pilates improves your muscle tone, balances musculature, supports beautiful posture, and enables you to move with ease. All of these things will make you look and feel very fit.
4. Increased Energy
Pilates is a practice that increases your energy, rather than depletes your energy. The movements are slower and require mindful exertion. Pilates gets the breath and circulation moving, stimulates the spine and muscles, and floods the body with endorphins – the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Pilates is the perfect pick-me-up for when you want a workout without it feeling overly strenuous and taxing.
5. Body and Mind connection
Joseph Pilates was adamant that Pilates was about the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Every single Pilates exercise is done with total attention; the body and mind unite to bring forth the most benefit possible from each exercise.
Slow focused movements, attention on the breath, the calm and tranquil surroundings and the concentration of the mind on the present moment is a powerful way to increase awareness. This clearing out of the mind does wonders for our stress levels and overall mood levels. Pilates inspires this awareness to move beyond the practice and into daily life.
6. Adaptable to Fitness Level
Whether you are a senior just starting to exercise, an elite athlete, or somewhere in between, the foundations of Pilates movement apply to you. Building from core strength, focusing on proper alignment, and a body/mind integrative approach make Pilates accessible to all.
With a wide variety of exercises and modifications, the session can be tailored completely to the individual.
7. Whole Body Fitness
Pilates is virtually unmatched in relation to total body toning and conditioning, as well as increasing flexibility and range of motion for the joints. The movements may be gentle but also challenging and focuses on body placement and increasing awareness of your body’s entire resource system.
If you practice Pilates regularly, it will change your body- it is well known and loved for creating long, strong muscles, improving muscle tone, balancing musculature and improving posture. These combined benefits leave you looking and feeling like a brand new person.
8. Developing Core Strength
The core muscles of the body are the deep muscles of the back, abdomen, and pelvic floor. These are the muscles we rely on to support a strong, supple back, good posture, and efficient movement patterns. When the core is strong, the body is supported. Having a strong, engaged and effective core means a strong, relaxed and well functioning body.
9. Increased Strength
When doing Pilates, you are not looking to build muscles for show. You are intending to build toned muscles that work perfectly within the context of your body as a whole, and your individual functional fitness needs as you move through life.
One way Pilates creates long, strong muscles is by taking advantage of a type of muscle contraction called an eccentric contraction.
10. Many ways to learn
Due to increased popularity, there are so many ways of taking up Pilates, whether that be in a studio, online through the form of video content or 1 to 1 with a personal trainer (qualified in Pilates). This means that it is more accessible now than ever.
five benefits of a balanced diet
A well-balanced diet provides important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to keep the body and mind strong and healthy. It can help ward off numerous diseases and health complications, as well as help maintain a healthy body weight, provide energy, allow better sleep, and improve brain function. A diet with balance provides the body with the proper proportions of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and liquids. It is important to not eliminate any essential macronutrient, such as fats or carbohydrates, but be conscious of portion control.
1. Control bodyweight
Eating a healthy variety of nutrient-dense foods leaves less room for those calorie-dense foods that typically lead to weight gain. These would be foods such as processed foods and fatty or sugary snacks that provide little nutritional value. The body has little use for these foods and will tend to store rather than use them for energy. Eating carbohydrates like whole grains, oats, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and quinoa that have a low glycemic index will allow the body to stay fuller over longer. These complex carbohydrates break down and release into the blood stream over an extended period preventing triggers in the brain to crave simple sugary snacks. Along with lean proteins (chicken, most seafood, eggs, lean cuts of pork, etc.), the metabolism can stay elevated longer limiting the feeling of hunger after a short time frame.
2. Fight off disease
When eating a balanced diet, essential nutrients will produce and help maintain key germ-fighting cells in the immune system and greatly improve vascular function. The immune system relies heavily on blood flow, so better vascular function will help provide disease fighting cells to areas of need quickly. Deficiencies in certain nutrients can impair immune system function, such as vitamin A, B-vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, Zinc, and Iron. A diet filled with fruits and vegetables also increases the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and materials that help prevent bacteria and infections from attaching themselves to cells in the body.
3. Increased energy
The food we eat has a tremendous impact on the energy we have throughout the day. Nutrient-dense foods will digest and therefore be released into the system over a longer period. On the other hand, easily digestible food (sugary/simple carbohydrates) will digest much quicker, causing the body to feel hungry again in a much shorter time frame. This can cause spikes in the release of energy into the bloodstream, immediately followed by lows. Ideally, the goal is to maintain energy levels through the day without these extreme highs and lows. Eating well keeps our energy on a relatively level base from morning until night.
4. Better quality Sleep
There are few things our bodies need more than sleep. It allows our muscles to recover and replenish from the day’s activities and workouts. Sleep will rejuvenate the brain and its ability to function at a high level for the next day. Without it we feel sluggish, energy levels remain low, focus and concentration levels are affected, and cravings for less beneficial food are triggered. Poor eating habits often cause stomach and digestive issues due to the toxins that may be released into the blood system. Raised acidity can also put a strain on the digestive system, making it very difficult to get a good night’s sleep.
5. Increased brain function
What could possibly be more important than our brains? We have an opportunity to keep it healthy and functioning at a high level based on our eating habits. Omega 3 fatty acids provide a number of important benefits, such as improved memory and the ability to learn. They also help fight against debilitating mental disorders, for example, depression, dementia, and schizophrenia. Foods such as salmon, walnuts, avocado, and kiwi contain these important fatty acids. Omega3s can provide long term benefits to support synaptic plasticity which is how our memory and learning are developed and possibly improved.
And…drink more water!
Water is a substance, that makes up a majority of your body weight and is involved in many important functions, including flushing out waste from your body, regulating body temperature, and helping your brain function.
what is a balanced diet?
It's a way of ensuring you eat all the required nutrients for your body to function properly. A balanced diet will not be the same for everyone. We're all different and often, individuals will require different amounts and types of nutrients. What your body needs will depend on age, gender, lifestyle, health and the rate at which your body works.
Eating a balanced diet is key in maintaining good health and keeping your body in optimum condition. A balanced diet doesn't cut out food groups; it consists of a wide variety of foods to support your body and keep you energised, motivated and healthy.
It may sound simple, but with so much information available, messages about 'healthy eating' can become unclear. Facts become fads and knowing what's good for you can be misunderstood. Here, we'll provide some general information on the foods our body needs.
Carbohydrates
This food group includes potatoes and grains such as wheat, barley and rice.
Starchy carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy, therefore it should make up roughly one-third of your diet. Consequently, it’s important to understand the different types of starchy carbohydrates and which are the healthier options.
Research has shown that eating wholegrains (rather than refined grains) reduces the risk of stroke, type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Opt for wholegrain where possible to maintain digestive health and give you more fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Fruit & Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are high in fibre and packed full of vitamins and minerals.
Different colours indicate different nutrients too, which each play a part in keeping our bodies healthy. This is why it’s important to eat the rainbow and embrace a variety every day.
It’s not only fresh that can make up your five-a-day: frozen, tinned, dried fruit and vegetables all count. In fact, frozen retains more vitamins and minerals, because it is picked and iced at peak ripeness, when it’s at its most nutritious and flavourful.
Dairy
Dairy is a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Probably the most well-known of these is calcium, which is needed for healthy teeth and strong bones. When choosing your dairy sources try and go for low-fat or fat-free options but be aware that fat-free flavoured yogurts often contain added sugar to boost flavour.
If you’re allergic or intolerant to dairy, there are alternatives that you can use such as soy, nut, oat or rice milks. Also, if you are choosing plant-based drinks, look for those that are unsweetened and fortified with the vitamins and minerals usually found in animal milks, e.g. calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine. You should aim for 3 servings of dairy per day.
Protein
Protein provides us with key amino acids, which are the building blocks of the body. Our bodies are continually building and renewing cells, and we need amino acids to be able to do this.
In the UK we usually get enough protein, but we do need to be mindful that we’re not having too much. Because only about one-eighth of your balanced diet should be made up of protein.
Different types of protein provide us with the variety of vitamins and minerals that we need to stay healthy and strong therefore, it's very important to vary your protein sources. As well as eating meat and fish, we should include vegetarian sources each week; eggs, beans and pulses, tofu, nuts and seeds are all great alternatives. When you do choose meat, buy lean cuts where you can, and limit your intake of processed meat.
You should be eating 2-3 servings of protein per day, which can come from a range of different foods. This may vary for different people depending on your specific requirements and activity level.
Fats
There are two types of fat that can be found in food, saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fat can help lower cholesterol and provide essential fatty acid, omega-3. Found in oily fish, such as mackerel, tuna and salmon, avocado, nuts and olive oil, unsaturated fat can also help the body absorb vital vitamins, such as vitamin A, D and E.
Saturated fat can be found in cakes, biscuits, crisps, hard cheese and pastry. Eating an excess of saturated fat can lead to health problems, it can raise cholesterol in the blood which, in turn, increases the risk of developing heart disease.
A balanced meal of roast salmon with green lentils, leeks and tenderstem broccoli
should i eat before or after i workout?
There’s plenty of evidence showing how important nutrition is for exercise, from enhancing performance to aiding recovery but it’s often confusing to know whether it’s best to eat before or after you exercise.
To answer this, you should first consider what you’re training for, as your goal could influence whether you'll benefit more from eating before or after.
Secondly, you need to consider the level that you’re training at. As an elite athlete’s needs are completely different from a beginner and probably influences how much energy from food is needed and even the quantity of meals.
And lastly, you need to think about what works for you. Some people thrive when training in a fasted state, while for others, it’s the complete opposite.
So let's workout what method is best for you.
Make sure to consider your goals and workout style
When it comes to the eating/not eating debate, workout type matters. You might make it through an hour of pilates without stomach growls interrupting your flow but you’re unlikely to make it through a 10-mile run without some kind of nutritional boost.
Longer duration endurance sports have seen evidence of improvement after a high-carb meal 3 to 4 hours before. For shorter duration workouts, the science is still mixed. Most research shows little difference in performance between fasted and fed exercise in workouts lasting less than an hour. Your best bet? If you know you’ll be putting in the time for a longer workout or really want to go all out, make sure you have enough energy with a small meal a few hours before.
Eating Before Exercise
When we exercise, our bodies need energy. This energy is supplied by fuel, either stored in our bodies (as carbohydrate in our liver and muscles, or from fat stores), or from the food we eat. If the exercise is demanding or if we exercise for a long time, we use more stored carbohydrate (known as glycogen). Studies show that carbohydrates in our diet are important in topping up our glycogen stores between bouts of exercise and when eaten before exercise sessions.
If your energy is somewhat low, or you’re doing a longer or more demanding session, consuming carbohydrate-rich foods – such as pasta, rice, cereals or fruit – around three to four hours before exercise can help provide the energy you need to keep moving.
Eating After Exercise
On the flip side, however, recent research has demonstrated that training in a fasted state, for example, first thing in the morning, before breakfast can lead to positive adaptations linked with efficient fuel use and fat burning. This doesn’t necessarily mean greater weight loss, but it could optimise fuel efficiency, which may be important for those training for a marathon to help delay fatigue. Fasted training could also have other health benefits such as improved blood sugar and hormone regulation.
But if we think about the point of training, it’s all down to how we recover and adapt from it. This is where nutrition has a significant role to play. Of course, we are aware of the important role protein plays in repairing muscles and speeding up recovery time.
But early research has shown the benefits of eating carbohydrates after exercise to restore muscle glycogen will affect our ability to train many times a week, by helping muscles recover faster, it’s also shown to affect how well we perform.
Pre workout: if you do not want to train fasted a bowl of high-protein , natural yogurt with fruit and low sugar granola is an excellent pre-workout snack. The combination of easily digestible carbohydrates from the fruit and granola will provide quick sustained energy whilst the Greek yogurt is rich in protein supporting muscle repair and recovery during exercise.
Post workout: if you are looking for a post workout snack before your next balanced meal try roasting some chickpeas. With a 1:3 protein-to-carb ratio these beans are great for releasing slow energy maintaining blood sugar levels post exercise whilst containing plant-protein for muscle repair. Plus they are packed with nutrients.
Understanding intermittent Fasting
What is Intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a dietary method that involves specific cycles of eating and fasting. Just like the common day, but with a larger focus on the time period you set for the day/week, leaving the choice of food to your own judgement. Fasting is just the process of voluntarily going without consuming any food, which we do whilst sleeping but extending that period has been known, through scientific research to have some major health benefits if done correctly.
Intermittent fasting may help you reach ketosis quicker than the keto diet alone. That is because your body, when fasting, maintains its energy balance by shifting its fuel source from carbs to fats, which is the exact premise of the Keto Diet.
There are multiple variations of the technique but the most popular methods are as follows:
The 16/8 method (Leangains protocol), involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours, such as 1–9 p.m. Then you fast for 16 hours in between.
Eat-Stop-Eat involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week
The 5:2 diet where you consume only 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week, but eat normally the other 5 days.
By reducing your calorie intake throughout the day, this will help promote weight loss as long as you don't try to make up for the lost calories in your eating window. This is important to note as the fasting method isn't a diet in the sense of giving you specific food groups to eat, this is all down to your positive mental attitude and whether you can commit to the fast with a specific style
What are the benefits?
Weight loss - it opens the opportunity to drop stubborn pounds without making drastic changes to your core diet or taking on an excessive exercise regime. During the fasting period, your blood level of insulin drops significantly, and the body enters a high-fat burn mode. Don’t fear for your body eating away at muscle mass, the Human Growth Hormone is kick-started during a fasting period which facilitates muscle gain.
Insulin resistance - intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance, lowering blood sugar by 3–6% and fasting insulin levels by 20–31%, which should protect against type 2 diabetes.
Inflammation - Recent research has shown the effect Intermittent fasting has on our general health in regard to its healing properties. allowing us to recover quicker and help aid various ailments from diabetes to multiple sclerosis.
Heart health - Research has shown that in a short period of implementing the fast, we will decrease blood pressure, cholesterol drops and triglycerides, a harmful type of fat in the blood will also decrease.
Brain health - the reduced inflammation in the body helps reduce the damaged cells in the brain, stimulating brain function and facilitating communication to the brain.
Immune System - When fasting our body lowers white blood cell counts, which in turn triggers the immune system to replenish its white blood cell stores. White blood cells are a key component of your body's immune system. As soon as you start eating, your stem cells kick back in to high gear to replenish the cells that were recycled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink anything whilst fasting? Yes. You can have water, tea, coffee or any non-caloric beverages. Do not add sugar to your hot drinks and if you must add milk, then do, but keep it minimal. Drinking something like coffee is important as you can use it to suppress hunger.
Is it unhealthy to skip breakfast? No. The reason why people tell you breakfast is the most important meal of the day is to encourage those of us with unhealthy eating habits to eat something nutritious. It doesn't matter when you break your fast, as long as you consume food that will improve your overall health and wellness.
Can I work out whilst fasting? Yes. There is no reason to why you shouldn't be exercising. The only differences that may occur will be a slight decrease in energy but it's important to take the type of training into consideration. You wouldn't be able to do a marathon, but a HIIT or weight training session will be fine.
Will fasting cause muscle loss? All weight loss methods can result in losing muscle mass. That is why your approach to your diet and training is so important, like lifting weights and consuming a high protein diet. These things will keep on top of the muscle mass built.
good and bad fats
The word 'fat' is laced with many negative connotations, but the body needs various healthy fats to function properly. Fats are necessary for constructing cell membranes, insulate nerves and ensure many vitamins, including A, D, E and K, work the way they should. There are numerous types of fats, some are good for us and others not.
Types Of Fats
Saturated Fats:
Animal produce is the primary source of saturated fat, with high levels in red meat and full fat dairy and medium levels in poultry and eggs. Saturated fats are necessary for our body but only in small amounts and with a preference on the leaner and lower fat content options.
There is a lot of debate amongst the medical community, suggesting that saturated fat isn't directly linked to heart disease. And that some saturated fats may be better for you than others. This is why we must consider what our replacement is for saturated fat if we look to reduce our intake. Replacing with polyunsaturated fats will lower our risk of heart disease, where as if we replace with high calorie carbohydrates it will do the opposite.
List of Saturated Fats: Red Meat, Poultry, Whole Milk Dairy Products, Butter, Eggs, Palm & Coconut Oils
Unsaturated Fats:
Unsaturated Fats are considered the preferred fat to consume to achieve a heart healthy diet. There are two types of unsaturated fats we should consider: Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated.
Monounsaturated Fats are in avocado, nuts, and vegetable oils, such as canola, olive, and peanut oils. Eating foods that are high in monounsaturated fats may help lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats may also keep "good" HDL cholesterol levels high.
Polyunsaturated Fats are a fat mainly found in vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, sesame, soybean, and corn oils. Polyunsaturated fat is also the main fat found in seafood. Eating polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat may lower LDL cholesterol. The two types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
List of Unsaturated Fats: Nuts, Seeds, Avocado, Various Oils, Fish.
Trans Fats:
Short for “trans fatty acids,” and appears in foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These are the worst fats for you.
Like saturated fat, trans fat can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and suppress HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Doctors have also linked trans fats to an increased risk of inflammation in the body. This inflammation can cause harmful health effects that may include heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
List of Trans Fats: Margarines, Cake, Doughnuts, Pastries, Ice Cream, Bread & Various Fast Food.
Tips for adding more healthy fats to your diet
Limit your intake of saturated fat. By replacing some of the red meat you eat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish, and switching from whole milk dairy to lower fat versions. But don’t make the mistake of replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates and sugary foods.
Eat omega-3 fats every day. Include a variety of fish sources as well as plant sources such as walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.
Cook with olive oil. Use olive oil for stovetop cooking rather than butter, stick margarine, or lard. For baking, try canola oil.
Create your own salad dressing. Skip the bottled, creamy salad dressing and make your own with heart-healthy oils, like olive oil, walnut oil or avocado oil. Mix two parts oil with one part vinegar, add your favourite herbs and enjoy!
Combine seeds with meals. Stir ground flaxseed into your cereal, smoothies, yogurt & pancake batter. Flax seeds are a great source of heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds can all be incorporated in various meals with added nutritional benefits.
Add avocado to things. Avocados are a delicious fruit, which has become very popular in recent years, is chock-full of monounsaturated fats. Avocados can be added to many recipes without too much prep time, as a spread on your sandwich or sliced on your scrambled eggs, salad, or entrée.
Nuts are the perfect snack. Nuts are high in both types of unsaturated fats (mono and poly). Nuts are also high in other healthy ingredients, such as fibre vitamins, minerals, and protein. A handful of nuts can make a satisfying snack, or they can be added to a salad. But due to the high calorie content should be consumed in measured quantities.
Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, avocado, salmon fillet, ground flaxseeds, walnuts
What Are BCAAs and Should I Be Using Them?
We all know there’s no cheating when it comes to getting stronger or faster, as that comes from training and hard work. But that doesn’t stop us from looking for an edge and wondering if special supplements could help improve our performance.
That’s where BCAAs, or branched-chain amino acids, come in. You’ve probably heard about these at the gym, or maybe in your run club, or maybe you’ve even heard of pro athletes using them. But what are they, exactly? Should you be taking them?
What Are BCAAs?
First, a quick refresher on amino acids: They are the building blocks of protein, which helps your body build muscle, repair muscle damage, and regulate immune function, among other things. While there are 21 amino acids in total, nine are essential. They're essential because your body can’t produce them, but you need them to live. BCAAs are three specific essential amino acids that inhibit muscle protein breakdown and aid in glycogen storage: leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Because BCAAs are essential, you have to get them from your diet. “Any complete protein will contain all amino acids, and therefore BCAAs.
Examples of complete proteins include animal-sourced products such as:
· Eggs
· Meat
· Poultry
· Fish
· Dairy
You can also find BCAAs in other plant-based protein sources such as:
· Peanuts
· Chickpeas
· Lentils
· Quinoa
· Whole grains
Benefits of BCAAs
If consume BCAAs easily through your diet, why take supplements? People take BCAA supplements for a number of reasons, including reducing muscle soreness, increasing power output, increased time to exhaustion, decreased lactate production, and weight loss.
What makes BCAAs unique is that they can be oxidised in the muscles for fuel. They work to prevent muscle breakdown during exercise, and are beneficial after exercise by stimulating muscle building and promoting recovery. So when your glycogen stores run low, your body turns to BCAAs for fuel.
These three amino acids make up approximately one-third of muscle protein, while other amino acids are metabolised in the liver, BCAAs bypass the liver and head directly to muscles located away from the core, which could aid in energy production. Research has even linked BCAA consumption to increased resistance to fatigue, reduced muscle damage, and increased muscle mass.
With those kind of benefits, it’s no wonder supplements sound appealing. But the reality is, most people get enough BCAAs from the food they already eat. People who aren’t eating enough protein or carbs may benefit, but it’s much more effective to make diet corrections than try to supplement your way to peak performance.
How to keep on track with your health and fitness goals
Do you find it hard to stay on track with your health and fitness goals? The reasons for this are varied, but some common factors include: setting unrealistic goals, lack of motivation, plan, structure, or support/accountability. General life (work, family, etc.) can also get in the way too.
However, with proper planning, realistic goal-setting, and support, people can increase their chances of sticking to their fitness goals throughout the year. Here we set out seven ways that can help you to keep ‘going’.
Treat every day as a recalibration
Ask yourself what can you improve on. Picking a sensible aspirational body shape or fitness goal which you want to work towards and having a motivational picture/reminder on display.
Create a routine
Schedule your workouts in advance. Using a workout programme is not only a useful guide from exercise to exercise but also a means to jot down your notes on performance, in order to track progression.
Monitor progress
By tracking progress you can clearly see how far you have come and how close you are to achieving your goal. This can help keep you motivated and focused. It also helps identify patterns, or potential areas for improvement in your overall fitness journey
Focus on the benefits
Remember the reasons you started your fitness journey and celebrate the small wins. Focusing on the weekly/ monthly improvements will help you build momentum. Viewing setbacks as opportunities for learning will help you feel empowered (even if things aren’t going as planned).
Embrace variety
Incorporate different types of exercise into your routine to prevent boredom and maintain excitement.
Reflect, adjust and be kind to yourself
If you have strayed from your goal, take a moment to reflect on why, identify any barriers or challenges, making necessary adjustments to your approach. Remember to be kind to yourself as everyone experiences setbacks.
Speak to a somebody
Seeking out advice from someone who is qualified in the field will give you the confidence that you are taking steps forwards rather than backwards. Connecting with a friend or family member can also help keep you on track and provide encouragement.
The IMPORTANCE OF YOUR DAILY STEP COUNT
When it comes to being fit and healthy, we’re often reminded to aim to walk 10,000 steps per day. This can be a frustrating target to achieve, especially when we’re busy with work and other commitments. Most of us know by now that 10,000 steps is recommended everywhere as a target to achieve and yet where did this number actually come from?
Why 10,000 steps specifically?
For many, 10,000 is a reasonable target because it's ambitious but attainable. However, depending on your lifestyle, 10,000 may seem like quite a mountain to climb. If you struggle to reach even 5,000, set a lower goal to start with and then work your way up that mountain of a challenge.
The number 10,000 established itself in the 1960s when a Japanese company started selling pedometers called manpo-kei, which literally translates to "10,000-step meter." Later, studies confirmed that people who take 10,000 steps have lower blood pressure, more stable glucose levels and better moods. The number quickly caught on.
What are the benefits?
There are plenty of benefits of walking more. The Heart Foundation says walking can:
· Boost your energy
· Help aid relaxation and clear your mind
· Provide a sense of achievement and satisfaction
· Improve confidence and mood
· Help manage your weight
· Promote healthier blood cholesterol and blood pressure
· Build stronger bones and muscles
· Reduce your risk of heart attack
How to make a start?
Most importantly, you do not have to complete all 10,000 steps in one go. That is definitely not the purpose of the challenge. The best way to both initially approach and implement it into your working day, is to break it up throughout the day in ways such as:
· Take the stairs or a longer route to your destination.
· Take a moving break or post meal walk.
· Introduce walking meetings with colleagues or Pacing the office during a business call
· Drink lots of water (as many trips to the bathroom the better).
There are plenty of ways to keep a track of your daily steps, whether it be an application on your mobile phone or a fitness tracker (smart watch or monitor). Even if you start off by committing to it a couple of days a week, it's a great start in the right direction.
Common misconceptions in the world of fitness
Whether you want to tone up, slim down, or boost your mood, you’ve likely taken a stab at tweaking your fitness routine. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of fitness advice out there that won’t help you meet your goals and could actually do more harm than good. Here we bust the most common fitness misconceptions.
Static Stretching Before A Workout Is A Good Warm Up
Static stretches used as a warm up has been drilled into us since primary school. But it’s actually a counter-intuitive move. Static stretching can actually tire out a muscle rather than warming it up and will lead to a small drop in performance rather than an improvement.
Most people stretch before a workout so that they can avoid injury or reduce post exercise stiffness, but static stretching beforehand will have no positive effect on either of these. It may even increase the chance of injury. Instead of static stretching you might want to consider dynamic stretching, some light cardio, or adding some practice sets to your routine.
Not feeling sore means you didn’t get a good workout
Muscle soreness comes from micro tears in muscle, mostly from new exercise or stimulus. You will usually feel a lot of muscle soreness when starting a new programme or exercise regime as your body is pushed beyond what it is used to. These micro tears are necessary for your muscles to grow but require adequate rest and nutrition for your body to repair and re-build your muscle fibres.
The stronger you get and the more your body adjusts to the new stimulus, the less soreness you will experience so that’s not to say you didn’t get a good workout. You shouldn’t be feeling sore after every workout and you certainly shouldn’t feel pain. There’s a fine line between challenging yourself and hurting yourself so make sure to find that right balance.
Cardio is the number one way to lose weight
If your goal is weight loss it’s important to remember that you will likely not only be burning fat but losing muscle mass too. By including weight training into your routine alongside cardiovascular activities you can help to offset the rate of muscle mass loss. Your muscle mass can influence your metabolic rate, which influences how many calories you naturally burn at rest. Therefore, although cardio does appear superior over weight training in regard to initial calories burnt, weight training has been shown to increase the calories burnt after an initial exercise period. Furthermore, weight training also provides lots of other health benefits that you may not get from cardiovascular exercise, such as improving strength and bone density.
You must train body parts separately
Exclusively doing single body-part training is for those who are only interested in looking good and are not interested in functionality or performance. Isolation and single-joint exercises don’t maximize functional strength and may not even be the best strategy for building muscle in the long run. Even if your goal is hypertrophy alone, training muscle groups two to three times per week could be more beneficial than one exhaustive day per body part. If you want muscle that looks great and works for you, include multi-joint, compound moves like squats, deadlifts, lunges, pull-ups, presses and carries in your routine.
Weight training makes women big and bulky
Weight training can make you bulk up if you have the XY chromosome and it’s your distinct intention to build huge muscles. Even then, it’s no easy feat to gain muscle. It takes time and effort, a carefully compiled scientific training program and finely tuned nutritional strategies.
Sit ups and planks will get rid of your belly
There's no such thing as spot reducing or burning fat off a particular body part. It’s physiologically impossible. When you lose body fat, it comes off the body in a predetermined genetic pattern similar to how you gain the fat, except in a reverse order. When your body is in fat-burning mode, fat comes from all over the place - your arms, calves, thighs, abdominals, face, forearms, etc. Spot toning, on the other hand, does work, and resistance exercises will strengthen the targeted muscles.
The best method for reducing overall body fat is the age-old tried and tested combination of cardiovascular training, resistance training and limiting your calorie intake. Results come from doing these three things with persistence and consistency.
What we can take from this
The fitness industry is becoming more and more popular due to how accessible it's been made. Now we can access workouts through social media, fitness applications and youtube videos, meaning that there is more and more information out there regarding diet and fitness. Not all of the information unfortunately is accurate and these myths have always and will likely always be circulating throughout the industry. The best we can do is to read various contrasting articles to widen our knowledge or consult with professionals, in order to meet the targets you've set for yourself successfully.
The negative effects poor posture can have
Having bad posture is usually something that develops over time, and if not corrected, it can lead to some serious negative side effects.
Over time, poor posture can alter the shape of a person’s spine. When this happens, the spine, which is built to naturally absorb shock and maintain proper balance, is completely compromised and will not function as it should. There are plenty of negative effects that occur as a result of poor posture.
Poor Digestion
If you work a desk job you know how easy it is to let your neck and shoulders slouch over your chest and abdomen. Nonetheless, it is essential that you try your best to keep your back straight. Sitting in a slouched position compresses your abdominal organs, including your digestive tract. Over time, this can really affect your metabolism and ability to process food correctly.
Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Slouching puts the same pressure that it puts on your stomach, which squeezes both your heart and lungs. Poor posture impairs circulation, which makes it harder for your heart to do its important work. Researchers even showed that the posture people use when they spend time on a smartphone reduces respiratory function. Altogether, this means that bad posture reduces the oxygen that gets to your tissues.
Back Pain
One of the most common effects of bad posture is chronic back pain, usually because of disc degeneration, or simply from the excess pressure being suffered by the spine. Disc degeneration occurs when the disks between the vertebrae thin out and lose their cushioning. But can also lead to aches and pains throughout the back, so you should keep log of when and where they occur.
Nerve Constriction
As the spine and other bones alter their position due to the long-term effects of poor posture, the skeletal system begins to come into contact with surrounding nerves and “pinch” them. These pinched nerves can cause neck and back pain, but they can also cause pain in what seems to be unrelated areas of the body.
Poor Circulation
Our body was made to move fluids and gases and when you sit all day with poor posture, you’re preventing your body from getting the necessary circulation it needs. Prolonged sitting, especially with your legs crossed, can cut off the flow, increase pressure and even cause varicose veins.
Self awareness is the best tool to check-in and assess whether we are slouching, hunching over a computer or simply just not standing up straight. It's something that can be fixed promptly with awareness, using mobility exercises and increasing strength and flexibility. But some effects can be far more serious and will need to be addressed and not ignored. There unfortunately are those of us who as a result have spinal deformities or varied injuries in our back that may of even started to effect other parts of our anatomy. For those specific people, we can only urge you to see a health professional, in order to workout what the best method of rehabilitation is.
A few exercises you can do to help maintain a healthy spine day-to-day are: cat cow movements, cobra pose, seated twist and bridge pose - be sure to read our other article on tips and form for these exercises.
Importance of staying hydrated & Dangers of dehydration
Your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly. For example, your body uses water to maintain its temperature, remove waste, and lubricate your joints. This is why water is essential for overall good health.
Signs that you're becoming dehydrated
The first symptoms of dehydration include thirst, darker urine, and decreased urine production. Urine colour is one of the best indicators of a person’s hydration level, clear urine means you are well hydrated and darker urine means you are dehydrated. However, it is important to note that, particularly in older adults, dehydration can occur without thirst. This is why it is important to drink more water when ill, or during hotter weather.
As the condition progresses to moderate dehydration, symptoms include dry mouth, lethargy, weakness in muscles, headache, dizziness. More severe levels of dehydration include not urinating or having very dark yellow coloured urine, very dry skin, feeling dizzy, rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, sunken eyes, sleepiness, lack of energy, confusion or irritability and fainting
Treatment For Dehydration
Dehydration must be treated by replenishing the fluid level in the body. This can be done by consuming clear fluids such as water, clear broths, frozen water or ice pops, or sports drinks (such as Lucozade) but some people may require intravenous fluids in order to rehydrate. People who are dehydrated should avoid drinks containing caffeine such as coffee, tea, and sodas.
Prevention is the most important treatment for dehydration. Consuming plenty of fluids and foods that have high water content (such as fruits and vegetables) should be enough for most people to prevent dehydration. Be cautious about doing activities during extreme heat or the hottest part of the day, and anyone who is exercising should make replenishing fluids a priority.
How much water should I drink per day?
Each individual’s needs are unique to them and depend on their health, age, size and weight, activity levels, the type of job they do and the climate they live in. Drinking little and often is the best way to stay hydrated.
In the UK health experts advise to aim for 6-8 glasses of water and other liquids each day to replace normal water loss which is around 1.2 to 1.5 litres.
Water, lower fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count. But water is preferred as the other alternatives tend to produce urine quicker, meaning that you will start entering a stage of dehydration if your water intake isn't sufficient.
If you are exercising or generally active you should make sure to increase the amount to account for the water leaving your body through sweat.