Ever felt confused about the plethora of conflicting advice peddled by fitness “professionals”. I have and I am one. The reason for so many conflicting opinions is quite simple; for many years the advice has been driven by the commercial requirements of the industry and not by pure scientific research. Consider Aerobics for example.  How many top sports performers have used an aerobics classes to reach high performance targets. I should suspect that the answer is almost none.  The sudden popularity of Aerobics classes was down to simple industry driven economics rather than any profound scientific pronouncement that this was the optimum way to enhance health and fitness. Consider the cost of filling a moderate size gym room with expensive specialist equipment that could probably only be used by ten people at a time versus buying 40 cheap exercise mats and filling it with a class. Economically it’s a no-brainer and this has been the driving force ever since. Look at all the derivatives of aerobics which are essentially the same thing; body combat, body pump, LBT etc.

The science behind the recommendation of 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise a couple of times per week is so tenuous that national governments cannot even agree on a universal  set of guidelines.

Let’s be clear here, I am not saying these classes have no value. An hour of body pump is far better than watching EastEnders on the sofa whilst gorging on pizza. Regular elevation of the heart rate and muscular activity is always beneficial. Also after a hard day at work many people prefer someone to take charge of their training and do the thinking for them. Group exercise can be motivating and enjoyable social experiences too. However these classes are often focused on group-orientated goals rather than individualised and after about four weeks the body adapts to the repetitive exercises and the benefits begin to diminish. The other problem is that, by definition, a class lasting for an hour is a medium intensity experience.

This last point is the most crucial. For many years a few leading Sports Scientists have been positing that short burst, high-intensity training (HIT) is more beneficial for fat-loss and general health than longer medium intensity sessions. Recently this hypothesis has received a considerable upsurge in attention. The most notable contemporary analysis was by BBC 2 with their Horizon episode entitled “The Truth about Exercise”. Dr Michael Mosley, using himself as the guinea pig, toured some of the UK’s leading Sports Science Institutes and discovered that his fat percentage and insulin sensitivity drop considerable by just participating in three twenty second bursts of high-intensity three times per week. A total of three minutes per week! This had a profoundly positive effect on his health. In his case the health benefits of years of hour-long medium intensity sessions  had been negligible.

Sound good to you? Well, here’s the rub. When they say high-intensity, they really mean high intensity. You should treat those twenty seconds of rowing, running or cycling as if someone has a gun to your head. If it helps, imagine being chased by the giant T-Rex from that great Jurassic Park scene. That is the sort of mental approach that you need. If it sounds painful, then you are right. It is! However, the up side is that you have probably finished your session before a lot of people have even finished getting changed for their hour of plodding.

It does not matter how you do your HIT session. Dr Mosely uses a portable bike, but running or rowing would be equally effective. If fact variation would be advantageous as it prevents your body from adapting too quickly.

I must clarify here that these conclusions relate to general health and wellbeing. If you are training for an Olympic Triathlon then you need to listen to your coach.

Also relevant is that your genetics will determine how you respond to exercise. Some people are non-responders, that is their body shape and general health are largely unaffected by exercise. It’s rather life having a life-long sick note for PE lessons at school. The practical implications are that if your exercise regime is not working then you need to try a different approach.

Somewhat unsurprisingly the programme also concluded that the biggest impediment to health was the chair. Sedentary people are far more at risk than people who are on their feet all day.

It goes without saying that you should ensure that you are sufficiently healthy before throwing yourself into a HIT programme of exercise. Check with your doctor first if you have any concerns.

To conclude, state-of-the-art scientific research regarding optimum levels of exercise has found that one size does not fit all and it’s far better to be a sprinter than a plodder.

Happy sprinting!

Don’t you hate it when you’re trying to be good but everywhere you look, every food shop, ice cream parlour you walk by seems to scream EAT ME.

We have a complex relationship with food, not only in what we eat but also how, why and when.

Why?

Why do some people crave food?  Boredom is a major factor, some people sitting at home with nothing to do will often turn to snacking because they’ve got nothing else to focus on which makes them more acutely aware of feelings of hunger or thirst.  To keep these cravings down the best solution is to keep yourself either physically or mentally active,  go for a walk or read a magazine, anything that will distract you noticing the feelings of hunger that, let’s face it, aren’t really there.

The other main reason people eat is more complex.  Simply some people use food to fill an emotional void in their lives.  Studies have shown that in some people food can stimulate the reward and/or pleasure centres of the brain.  Some foods are known to have aphrodisiac like qualities, such as chocolate.  These are often the foods that we crave because it stimulates the release of serotonin in the brain making us feel happy and content.  To help combat this problem try to find other ways of feeling satisfied and accomplished in your life, set yourself a new goal everyday no matter how small and achieve it, why not take a chance?

When?

Some people crave different foods at different times.  Often the worst cravings can come when we are genuinely hungry.  When the body is hungry our brain’s main concern is to refuel the body as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately the fastest way to do this is to eat foods that release energy quickly (we are all guilty of this), the problem is that fastest releasing energy is sugar, this is often why people who are hungry will grab a chocolate bar rather than make a meal, the combination of conveinience and the knowledge that it will hit you quickly makes it an easy choice.  To avoid this prepare small healthy smacks in advance that will help your body get its fuel in a healthy way, dried fruit and nuts and low fat yoghurts are good examples.

How?

How we eat our food is another factor in over eating, eating too fast will mean that the stomach expands rapidly, stretching, meaning that it will take more food to make you feel full later on, but also it takes your brain about 10 minutes to register that the stomach is full.  To help prevent this from happening why don’t you try and eat your food slowly so that your stomach has time to accommodate it properly so your brain can register that you’ve eaten.

Think before you eat, do you really need what you’re about to eat?  Make healthy food choices that will help you stay lean and healthy.  Remember a moment on the lips is a life time on the hips, is it really worth it?

TV Presenter, columnist and celebrity personal trainer Lisa Nash ,

to get in touch email lisanash@lnftness.com website www.lnfitness.com

Introduction

After working in the entertainment industry for many years I know how important it is for men and women to look and feel as good as they can. I’ve seen the consequence of not maintaining a healthy body and mind and the massive negative effects it can have on people. This understanding has spurred me into the world of personal training.  The old adage “you are what you eat” is so important, 75% of how you look is pure diet the rest is hard work.  With that in mind I’m going to share with you my dietary and exercise advice to unlock your full potential both physically and mentally to help you achieve your goals throughout your new long healthy life.

OK, here are my first key points.

• Be realistic about your goals, make them specific and achievable and give them a time frame. If you’re a size 18 don’t expect to be a size 10 in month safely and effectively because, as with all these crash diets, you’ll only put it all back on and then some.
• Get motivated and look forward to a new healthy energised you.
• Cut down bad habits like drinking, smoking and eating bad foods as these will all effect your over all goal and progress.
• Sleep deprivation causes fatigue, slows your metabolism and leads to a lack of motivation, so keep yourself well rested.  We all need our beauty sleep.
• Don’t starve yourself, you need energy to work.

If you have a sweet tooth, try and give yourself a structured plan to your treats.  Take your treat in the afternoon instead of in the evening so that you can burn it off during the day rather than having it sit in you all evening when you’re not working.

Believe in yourself.  There is no quick fix, health and fitness is a life style choice.

Depending on your goal, every mile stone remember to reward yourself for all the work you’ve done.  For every 2lbs you lose do something you enjoy, it doesn’t have to be food related.  Spa day, night out (without drinking) etc.

When losing weight cardio exercise is essential, ie jogging, running, swimming, cycling.  Especially while the weather is still ok to go outside.

Introduce weights, weather it be at the gym or at home to contour the body, define your muscles and achieve the body you and others desire.

You are what you eat

Eating a healthy balanced diet is essential.  It provides the ground work for all your activity during the day, both physically and mentally.  This means eating a wide variety of foods.  To avoid putting on any excess weight I would highly recommend looking at the total fat content of any food before purchasing it, ensuring that it is below 5g total fat per 100gs.

Keeping 5g fat is good and will ensure your body gets the essential fats that it needs to protect your nerves and keep your complexion smooth and bouncy, but it will also ensure that your saturated fats (the bad ones) are kept well below 5g, these are the fats that your body can’t process so get stored under the skin.

The only exception to this rule is oily fish like fresh tuna, mackerel and salmon, these are higher in fat but they are the essential fats that protect the body and reduce your cholesterol.  Just limit these foods to 1-2 servings per week.

This simple, easy to follow, rule will ensure you have a consistently low fat diet and will definitely aid in slimming.

Too tired to exercise?

We all live stressful lives.  Life is full of barriers, lack of time, injury, self confidence.

Sadly it’s a vicious cycle, you have no energy to exercise, but without exercise you’ll have no energy.  The key to breaking this cycle is making your exercise work for you.  Make the most of your day:

• If you can walk to work do so, if it’s a bit farther, cycle there you will feel better for the fresh air.
• If you’re on the underground or bus be polite and give up your seat, choose standing, it will improve your core stability and burn more calories.
• At the station walk up and down the escalators, don’t just stand there and wait.
• When you get to the office, take the stairs instead of the lift.
• During your break instead of playing solitaire or having a cigarette and coffee, take a brisk walk down the road to a fresh fruit juice stand and get your 5 a day.

To help keep your body energised drink plenty of water throughout the day, your body is 70% water, so you need to keep it that way.  The best way to do this is to drink at least 2 litres of water a day.  So start your day with a glass of water,  did you know can lose up to ½ a litre every night in sweat alone.

Be complex with your foods, eat lots of whole grain oats, whole meal bread, wheat pasta and brown rice.

Top Tips

Throw away all the food your children don’t eat.  Don’t be tempted to finish off their left overs, you’ve already had your dinner, you don’t need theirs too. Greedy pants!

Eating the correct balance of foods at the right times will leave you feeling fulfilled and energised, this will stop you from snacking.

Make time for some physical activity during the day, even if it is during your commute.

Don’t become obsessed but get in the habit of checking your food labels for fat content.

Remember to reward yourself but don’t over indulge or you’ll be back to where you started.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my first health and fitness page.  Please feel free to write in with any comments or questions.  I’ll be back next month with my 3 month plan to Christmas.

TV presenter and celebrity personal trainer, for free PT consultation or to book a session please email: lisa@lisa-nash.co.uk.
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Lisa Nash
www.lisa-nash.co.uk

Article by Taykin Mehmet

When it comes to dieting snacking is problem one of the biggest obstacles and trips most people up, but there are some simple steps you can take to help keep your diet on track or at the worst stop you from pilling the weight back on, read on to find out how.

It’s ok to treat yourself once in a while diets where you have to abstain from absolutely everything all the time are typically the hardest to follow, so I recommend one day per week where you don’t have to worry too much about what you eat, that’s not a license to go crazy but for example you can snack on a bar of chocolate of drink a small milkshake once in a while.

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•    Go prepared There is nothing worse than being stuck behind your desk trying to finish a report while your belly is rumbling away. Only to finish and run straight to nearest fast food restaurant or the nearest vending machine. The key here is to actually take your own lunch with you to work so if the worst happens you can eat at your desk. Also as a back incase of a day where you forget your lunch, leave some healthy snacks such as nuts that will keep well for a long time in your draw so that you always have something healthy at hand.
•    Are you really hungry or just bored? Are you stressed from weeding through emails or just staring out of the window on a friday afternoon wishing for the weekend. At times like these we tend to turn to sugary salty snacks in an effort to feel better. Take some time out, get up walk around have a tea or coffee. Then if you still feel hungry go ahead and have a snack.
•    Break the habit We snack usually out of habit rather than necessity,you need to break this habit and take conscious control. Don’t let your cravings control you, think about your health and fitness targets and how good it will feel to achieve them.

Good Luck!

For more information or to book Taykin as your personal trainer please contact:

Tel. 07815755963
Email. Taykinpt1@hotmail.com
Web. t-attackfitness.co.uk

Giving Fitness The Cold Shoulder?

Yep, it’s finally here..English Winter begins. It’s freezing and will only get colder.

It can be an easy to neglect your fitness when the weather gets nippy and you swap your workouts for tv and hot chocolate!

But don’t let all your summer hard work go out of the window!

The key to working out in the winter is of course what you wear and also what kind of workouts you do.

Here are my top tips on how to stay warm and keep motivated!

1.     Buy yourself some tight fitting, dry fit sports wear. This not only keeps you warm by compressing against your skin, it also keeps you dry by drawing the moisture of sweat off your skin. Keeping your temperature constant.  Longer leggings, long sleeve tops.

2.     Layer yourself up. Make sure you start your workout with a few layers on. As you get warm you can strip them off.  When your cooling down you can put the layers back on so you don’t get cold.

3.     If your running outside it always starts cold but you soon warm up. Make sure your head is warm with a cap or hat as this stops your ears getting cold which can lead to a headache in low temperatures.

4.     Get yourself some gloves. Cycling gloves are great for training as they are wind resistant but they also have grip on the palms if your doing any kind of push ups and hands to ground work.

5.     Give yourself a goal each week for hours of exercise. Stick to it no matter what. Make the time for working out, part of your weekly schedule.  Don’t forget the Christmas party scene is coming up, Christmas shopping, evenings will be taken up so keep the schedule going!

6.     Take a friend! Make sure you have some motivation with you and you can push each other to keep going.

7.     Don’t forget your diet will affect your mindset and your energy levels. Don’t start to eat loads of heavy carbs because its colder. Keep your meals the same. Keep your metabolism high by eating your X5 meals a day.

Top Tip!

Have a piece of fruit around an hour before you train for a great energy boost. Apples are great for this!

Exercise of the week:

Squat Jump.

This exercise is great for adding into any gym session and a great one to do at home.

This exercise works your glutes, Quads & Hamstrings. In other words – Bums & thighs!

Position: Start with feet hip width apart, arms folded at shoulder height. Lower your body by bending your knees to a 90 degree angle, pushing the bum back and keeping the chest lifted.

Action: From the lowered squat position, jump off the floor extending legs straight and land back into squat position with knees back at 90 degrees.

Key Points: keep chest lifted, make sure knees stay behind toes and feet stay at hip width apart.

Repetitions: X20 – included at least X3 times throughout a workout.

If you are training outside of a gym environment try this workout to keep you warm!

1.     5 minute running warm up.  Run at a pace that is comfortable to keep for 5 minutes.

On a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of exertion you should be running at around a 6.

2.     Stretch as normal, especially hamstrings (back of the thighs) and quadriceps (front of the thighs)

Work out which level you are at and time yourself how long it takes to get through your sets.

If you have any injuries especially to the knees, please do not do the squat thrusts or squat jumps stay with a static squat on those exercises. Squat Jumps, Squat Thrusts are not suitable for knee injuries.

Don’t forget to hydrate, always drink plenty of water before and after a workout!

Best of luck, let me know how you found the workout!

Remember, any fitness questions please feel free to email me.

Lauren@bodyfittrainingsolutions.com

Lauren x