Race for Life is perfect opportunity for women to get fit and raise money for brilliant cause
UNLESS you happen to be living in a cocoon or a country with a media blackout then you will definitely have heard about the Race for Life initiative.
Correct movement helps prevent pain
I’m currently working with a patient who has been suffering with chronic pain in the right hip for three years. She has tried everything to stop the pain. Well, almost everything.
Spring into action for special prize
Spring is here, the days are getting longer and thoughts of summer are in the air. It’s about this time of year when many of us working in the fitness industry see a big influx of clients wanting to get ready for summer. Regular and sustainable sessions are the best way to do it, gradually increasing when appropriate. Going from nothing to seven sessions a week really is inadvisable. But going from two to three or similar is manageable and won’t cause you a lot of problems.
Take up challenge and quit smoking
In just four weeks’ time – on March 12 – it is No Smoking Day. This year it’s supported by the British Heart Foundation. We all know the dangers and risks of smoking, so I won’t go into that, but everyone has their own reason for wanting to give up. It might be as part of a healthy lifestyle change – more activity, better diet, etc. For some, it’s about the effect their smoking has on those around them. A friend of mine gave up as she had two young children and didn’t want them to start – it’s hard to discourage your children from doing something they see you doing. Then there are the financial savings. If you smoke five cigarettes a day, after a year you could have saved nearly £550. If you smoke 20 a day, that could be more than £2,000. Whatever your reason, thinking about your motivation and keeping a reminder in key places can be really helpful when the going gets tough. Giving up smoking is tough, so the thing you need to do is get all the help you can. Enlist the help of family and friends in your quest to give up. Tell them you want to give up; you may find others also want to give up and you then have the support network. Use the NHS quit-smoking service. They offer everything from advice to free patches and support groups to help you in your quest. Just ask at your local surgery and they’ll point you in the right direction. Alternatively, get on the No Smoking Day website – www.nosmokingday.org.uk – where you’ll find lots of hints, tips and places to go for help. The health benefits of quitting kick in almost immediately. After as little as 20 minutes your heart rate and blood pressure will return to normal. After two to 12 weeks exercise becomes easier and breathing improves – and you all know how I feel about exercise and being active! Once exercise becomes easier, you can lead that more active lifestyle and get all the benefits that brings with it. Good luck if you’re taking on the challenge of giving up. Just remember, like any other challenge, take one day at a time. If you have a bad day, it’s just a bad day and start again. Next month I have a special challenge for you all, so make sure you check it out.
Keeping fit has to start somewhere
By now, many of the well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions will have fallen by the wayside, the exercise plans will be forgotten and the gym membership will roll over until it expires and we go through the same process next year. Many of my friends who are gym regulars hate this time of year; they complain the gym and the classes are full of people who they will never see again after February 1.
Don’t wait until the New Year to get fit
It’s less than three weeks until Christmas and the annual day where most of us eat as if we’ll never eat again and then lay on the sofa watching Toy Story for the umpteenth time whilst the kids run the batteries down in their new toys! Then as the kids slope off to bed we dig into the leftovers and start discussing next Christmas!
Put your back into easing pain strain
Each year, nearly five million working days are lost as a result of back pain.
Getting active? Planning is key
Summer 2012 was an astonishing summer of sport – Euro 2012, Bradley Wiggins winning Le Tour, Wimbledon and the spectacle of the Olympics and Paralympics. 2013 had a lot to live up to but it has done well – Andy Murray winning Wimbledon, Chris Froome winning the Tour de France and The Ashes already retained.
