If you've been following the Facebook page you'll know that this week (Friday and Saturday) I was competing in the OCR European championships. I was incredibly proud to have made the cut for this prestigious event and being placed in the 45yr-49yr bracket to represent the Netherlands.
There seems to be a common misconception regarding age and working out. Your age needn’t set limits on your health and fitness goals. Past forty so beyond help? Think again.
This Sunday I took part in the original obstacle course with a team from The Dutch Mud Men group. The event, called Tough Guy, was held near Wolverhampton and tough is an understatement!
As you know I am a personal trainer. Any of my clients will tell you that working with a personal trainer can be a great way to get you where you want to go. This blog explains what I do and why it can benefit you in 2017.
It's easy to let your fitness / training slide during the run up to Christmas. This year why not take part in our charity challenge to keep you going and to raise some money for a very worthwhile cause?
Summer is fast moving into autumn and for many this is the time we re-embrace our weight loss goals. You may have been out and about a lot more over the summer, on holiday, enjoying time out with your families and during times like these, the pounds tend to creep back on. If you want to get back on track and hit your target this is the way.
It doesn’t matter whether you haven’t worked out since 1991 or whether you are a regular, how your fitness journey starts will be with a healthy dose of motivation. Some of us are fabulous at self-motivating ourselves, we can catapult out of bed in the morning and sprint for the gym. Others need more help to get going and keep going.
This is an endurance event quite unlike any other. As a local, being born and raised in the area I first took part in the event twenty-two years ago and until this year I hadn’t done it again. This year is a particularly special event however as it marks the 100th Four Day Marches (Nijmegen marches). The history is well documented on the website however for locals it takes on a whole new meaning.
A real diary-like inside view of what competing in a pro-endurance event such as this Rat Race one can really be like!
The chances are you’ll have already heard the saying that “life begins at forty” or that middle age begins around the same time. What you might not have heard is that from around forty-four years your risk factor for coronary heart disease starts to increase. If you are already in training and working hard you’d like to think that you’re covered and protected however it depends on what training you are actually taking part in, and at what level.
Working out is brilliant in that it helps you get closer to your health and fitness goals and also helps you achieve the look or shape that you are aiming for. What about how exercise affects your mind though?
The summer is a popular time for outdoor sporting events however there are seasonal quirks that you must be aware of to ensure that your summer sporting is as safe as it is fun. It is important to dress for the weather and also be aware of how your body reacts to summer heat. For example, some might choose to wear a lightweight full-sleeved top to protect them from the sun.
Many of my clients enjoying getting out and enjoying the fresh air, experiencing fabulous scenery and of course boosting their fitness by taking part in hikes. One of the questions I am frequently asked regarding hikes is “how do I stay hydrated”. This is a good question and these points should help you work out the best way to ensure that you adequately and safely hydrated throughout the hike.
Clearly I am a big fan of keeping active! I enjoy a wide range of activities including running, cycling and the odd obstacle course race amongst other things. I believe that being active is important for the whole family which is why I was delighted when my daughters inherited my love of sports and athletics. Both take part in local events; enjoy getting out and about and my eldest runs for Watford Athletic Club.
Grounding and earthing might sound like something out of your high school electronics class however what we're looking at here is a natural way to boost your health while going barefoot. Bear with me! There is scientific backing behind the phenomenon that is known as grounding or earthing, which in basic terms is connecting with the ground while barefoot to boost your negative electron levels.
There are two kinds of stress, "good" stress and not so good stress. A certain amount of stress, physically certainly is necessary in training and some would say that mental stress has its place in modern day life in that it "keeps you sharp" or motivates you. These are of course lower and manageable levels of stress, not the levels of stress which can cause or contribute to illnesses and even, studies suggest, a shortening of your life span.
It would certainly seem that giving / donating blood could be beneficial to your health as well as to the health of others. This isn't the reason the majority of people who visit their blood bank or similar donate, with the usual motivation being to give a little back and to do their bit. That said it does seem that as well as your blood donation helping as many as three people in need it can also benefit your own health.
We are what we eat (apparently) as well as ourgenetics define our success in training to meet health and fitness goals according to some "experts". In that case why do we bother? We bother because we have more control over your life that these findings would suggest, something that is backed up by the study of epigenetics. Those knowledgeable about genetics and all things cell-related will tell you that epigenetics is the study of (in basic terms) how environmental factors can alter genes (effectively activating them and switching them off) and more.
It isn't often that a personal trainer tells you to do less. We aren't monsters however we all know that when it comes to achieving your goals and dreams that it is hard work that is going to get you there the quickest. That hasn't changed however when it comes to burning fat less does tend to be more. That doesn't mean that you can give up on breaking a sweat altogether I'm afraid however research tells us that the most effective routines for burning fat are those which include high intensity workouts for shorter periods of time.
