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Maximus Bootius Medius 🍑

Don’t you just love that moment in the movie ‘Gladiator’ when Russel Crowe announces his character’s name “Maximus Decimus Meridius”?! Such a powerful name, such a powerful scene!
Well it turns out your very own bootè has one of those strong Latin names and is a very powerful muscle too! Your backside houses the biggest muscle in the body, the Gluteus Maximus, along with the Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus. This area of the anatomy has in recent times become a fashionable asset, though some of the ways and means of attaining a larger bumper are somewhat macabre, with Frankenstein-esque implants and injections gaining popularity, unfortunately with dire consequences for some.

Outside of aesthetics however, the glute max has a very important role to play and should never be overlooked in anyone’s fitness regime.
A strong set of glute’s is part of the body’s ‘core’ and is essential for protecting the back and spinal column. Slack or weakened buttocks are often the culprit for painful back problems. So it is essential to make sure the G-max, med & min are honed to peachy perfection.

The science of Butt’ology is needed to learn how to safely and effectively tone your tush. Fortunately there is an abundance of exercise methods to chose from including high impact plyometrics to gentle Pilates, ballet barre and not forgetting good old LBT (legs, bums & tums) classes, with all those endless squats and lunges!
All of us should keep this area fit and firm and it’s a good idea to seek the advice of a personal trainer to show you proper technique or join a class with a qualified instructor, especially if you have any health concerns, such as knee or hip injuries.

So remember toning your bum cheeks is not just about looking cute in your skinny jeans. It is also, and primarily, about staying strong and functional.

How many different words did I use there to describe your money maker?!

– This article has been published in the April edition of Life Magazines – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

Inhale / exhale

Breathing – the essence of life!
In Pilates and many other forms of exercise it is important to master the technique known as lateral breathing. This is a pattern of breathing where you inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, synchronising the breath with the exertion of an exercise.
There are other benefits to this technique as well, but primarily in the case of Pilates it is related to the activation and engagement of the core muscles at the same time.

We get more air in and out through the mouth, so the breath is controlled more when brought through the nose, as typically we cannot expel all the air from one inhalation with the next exhalation, so a build up of carbon dioxide can occur, not only will this make you feel light headed but can also end up, in the moment, weakening the very muscles you are trying to strengthen – particularly the abdominals and of course in Pilates they are integral, so we need to keep them fresh and optimise their function for the tasks we are asking them to do.

It is of no great surprise to know that the way you breathe can have a significant effect on your health and wellbeing generally. Many of us are guilty of ‘shallow breathing’ where we only partially fill the lungs with breath, limiting the amount of oxygen we get into our system. This was something Joseph Pilates (The creator of the Pilates method – contrology) was very keen to educate us about once he’d developed his ‘Lateral breathing’ technique. All forms of conscious deep breathing is beneficial for health but it should be noted that the breathing technique used in Pilates, also referred to as thoracic breathing, is different to the deep breathing exercises used for relaxation and stress management, and also that of yoga.

So if you are practicing Pilates at home or in a class, it’s definitely worth learning the correct way to Inhale & Exhale!

– This Article has been published in the March edition of Life Magazine – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

Matters of the heart ❤️

Your heart is a muscle and like all other muscles in the body, it needs to be flexed to stay healthy and functional. We don’t often think of the heart in these terms, so it’s good to have a reminder now and again and since February is the month most associated with matters of the heart it seems an appropriate time. Amazingly each day your heart beats about 100,000 times and just like our limbs, facial features and other internal organs, it is unique in shape and size to us individually.

The size of the heart can change according to how you are using it. Just like your bicep, when you load the muscle repeatedly it gets bigger, and so the heart increases its capacity to house a greater volume of blood and then pump it around the body more efficiently to serve the body’s demands for oxygen and nutrients.

What’s the best way to maintain your heart health then? – Cardio – but not too much!
Yep, cardiovascular exercise in all its many forms, such as running, cycling, swimming, dancing, aerobics and everything in between, all help to keep our ticker in tip top condition. Cardiovascular exercise also increases blood vessels, giving the body more places for blood to flow and making the circulation more efficient.

One way to know how effectively your heart muscle is working is to measure your resting heart rate. Do this by finding your pulse on the wrist or neck and then count the beats whilst timing yourself for 1 minute. 60 or less = Good, 61 to 80 = Average, 81 to 100 = Highbut acceptable, 101 or more = Abnormally high and not good! So if you want to improve your RHR incorporate some regular cardiovascular exercise to your daily routine and measure again after 1 month and unlike most other tests, in this case if you have a lower score then you know you’re improving and your heart is getting fitter!

– This Article has been published in the February edition of Life Magazine – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

Procrastination Nation

Warning: This article contains positive quotations, motivational cliches and a lot of exclamation marks!

Happy New Year Life magazine readers!

So what are your New Years resolutions? Same as last year? To tone up, lose weight & get fitter?…thought so!

Well let’s not ponder a minute longer, we’re really gonna do it this year – starting right now!

New Year, New You, right? Unfortunately that new you isn’t suddenly going to appear overnight, we all know it’s going to take some work. Especially if you’ve let yourself go a bit lately, but you’ve got to start somewhere, so your most important and profound change right now is simply to quit the inertia, to stop the procrastination, end the excuses and get going. The only way to heal that paralysis of motivation is to DO SOMETHING – ANYTHING!

There’s no use waiting till the middle of January or even February to begin, 2018 started on the 1st of January, so you’ve already lost one day if you’re reading this on the 2nd!
Make every day count!

You’ve probably heard the wise words of Lao Tzu saying “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” well if you haven’t been counting your steps with your Fitbit for a while and not done much in the fitness department generally then it’s time to take that first step literally, and go outside for a walk. Let the fresh air blow the cobwebs of apathy away and if it’s cold out there that’s even better as your body has to works harder to keep warm, giving you more calorie burning potential!

While you’re out there set some fitness goals, think about what you’d like to do, what you want to achieve and when you get back home start putting pen to paper. It is proven that goals are more likely to be successful if you write them down in your own handwriting. Now you know what you’ve got to do, procrastinate no longer!

– This article has been published in the January edition of Life Magazines – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

Work, rest & play + exercise!

Getting the right balance between each aspect of the above title is a truly modern day problem.
I guess it depends on how you view structured exercise but many people I know wouldn’t list it in the ‘play’ category, so I’ve added ‘exercise’ as the plus one to the list as it’s an important part of our lives that shouldn’t be overlooked and my main focus here.

It’s so difficult to juggle all the many aspects of our lives but crucial that we do, because if one area is extremely out of whack it will impact the others sooner or later. One example of this is not getting enough sleep – I know I’ve talked about this before, so I’m only going to touch on it here to highlight the importance of rest since a consistent lack of sleep can have monumental health implications in the long run. Make quality sleep a priority!

Another major life imbalance is exercising too intensely or too often (yes, some people actually do this!) unless you’re an athlete or a fitness professional you don’t need to be exercising several hours every day, this could end up causing injury, or even depleting your immune system so that in the end you’re prevented from doing any exercise at all, let alone too much!

On the flip side it almost, but not quite, goes without saying that there are far too many people who literally do no structured exercise at all and even their daily living activities are limited, the long term health risks of this are too numerous to go into here but we all know we need to be exercising in some way. The current government recommendations for activity in adults suggests trying to be active every day & do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week, plus incorporating strength work on 2/3 days per week. So as part of a balanced lifestyle the bottom line is – get moving – pun intended!

– This Article has been published in the December edition of Life Magazine – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

StuuuuuuuuretCH !

Hands up who finishes their workout without stretching? Go on admit it – perhaps just putting your arm up in the air then was enough of a stretch hey! It’s certainly not uncommon to forgo this part of exercising but you won’t be maximising your gym routine or your health if you do.
There are many benefits to stretching, so much so, that lots of group exercise classes can be found that focus purely on stretching and then of course you have disciplines that have a very strong element of stretching involved such as Pilates.

Why is stretching so important then?
Well let’s start with what happens if you don’t stretch? Tightening of the muscles can occur in a relatively short amount of time and these tightened muscles will then start to pull on the joints they are attached to, causing pain, then injury and affecting normal function, which can drastically reduce mobility – Not good news!
An example of this issue would be clients suffering non specific back pain, which can be caused simply by having tight hamstrings.

The solution is simple, always stretch after your workout and add in stretch specific sessions to your schedule, especially if you are stuck in one position for several hours each day at work.

The benefits of stretching are numerous and include helping your muscles to recover faster from exercise, no one likes that day after, the day after soreness, which can be excruciating and often is the part that puts people off exercising all together. Stretching also helps prevent injury by enhancing your range of movement, keeping you flexible. Blood flow and circulation are improved, helping to reduce blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate. Stretching will also aid to improve performance, including agility, power, speed and muscular tone, minimising wear and tear on joints.

All of these factors contribute to enhance your overall health and wellbeing, proving the importance of stretching as an essential component of fitness that shouldn’t be ignored.

– This Article has been published in the November edition of Life Magazine – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

Fusion Confusion!

“Pilates! That’s like yoga isn’t it?!” I hear when I tell people what I do. I then try to find a quick overview to explain the difference between yoga and Pilates.
It might start something like, “Well they do have similarities but infact they are fundamentally quite different…”

Within the fitness industry there are a lot of ‘fusion’ training methods and one such example is ‘Yogalates’. Classes are a mixture of both Yoga and Pilates together.
Purists of either discipline may not approve but banding them together is certainly one reason why there may be a little confusion for people trying to differentiate the two.

Yoga has been around for 5,000 years and it’s origins are essentially a form of worship.
A deeply spiritual practice that is far more than just physical exercise. Each position or pose (asana) in yoga is actually an ‘offering’ to one of the many Hindu Gods. The word Yoga itself actually means ‘To Yoke’ – to connect to the Gods. Chanting and meditation are also an integral part of true yoga practice. All with the main purpose to reach spiritual enlightenment.
Western practice of yoga has diluted it down to be more well known as a relaxing form of stretching exercise.

Pilates on the other hand has no spiritual worship connotations, no chanting and no guided meditation techniques. If you receive these in a class it is likely to be a fusion class rather than classical Pilates. Pilates is about 70 years old and only in relatively recent times has it increased in popularity. The breathing techniques are also different, while yoga focuses on ‘Chi’ or ‘universal life force’, Pilates takes a more scientific approach in achieving ‘maximal oxygen intake to fuel the body’s systems’.

There are many more differences between Yoga and Pilates, therefore my advice would be to research both to see which you prefer.

The obvious similarities between the two however are working on a mat, having bare feet and lying down a lot!

– This Article has been published in the October edition of Life Magazine – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

Yo Yo is a No No !

Weight gain and the subsequent issue of trying to lose it is a real struggle.
Especially as we get older. Our metabolism slows down and the pounds get harder to shift. Poor diets and sedentary lifestyles are typical reasons for many adults dealing with being overweight. This is when people often turn to extreme diet plans or join fad weight loss groups in an attempt to beat the bulge but these supposed solutions can actually exacerbate the problem long term, not to mention all the other health issues that can occur.

Even from as early as 30 years old, our muscle mass and strength begins to reduce, this is called sarcopenia, sounds scary doesn’t it and in a way it is because if adequate exercise isn’t undertaken to counter it, the ratio between lean muscle tissue and fat alters and contributes to an ever decreasing metabolism. So obviously we need to exercise but what I’m focusing on here is our need for a healthy, wholefood, balanced diet and to resist the quick fix!

If ANY food group is reduced you will lose weight simply because you’ve reduced your calorie intake but you need to make sure you’re loosing subcutaneous and visceral fat, not – muscle tissue, bone density & water retention, which is often the case with extreme diets. This is where the problem starts. It looks impressive on the scales & you may drop a few dress sizes but as soon as you eat ‘normally’ again the weight flys back on, sadly with an extra helping on top! Why?
Because you’ve wasted away the muscle that keeps your metabolism revved up, that burns calories even while you sleep, take that away and you have less calorie burning potential, you’ve weakened your bones and set yourself up for a psychological reliance to the diet you thought ‘worked’ and so you go back to it and the cycle perpetuates. So please say no no to the yo yo!

– This Article has been published in the September edition of Life Magazine – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

Festival Fitness

Taking a holiday doesn’t mean your fitness has to fall by the wayside.
On the contrary mine often increases as I have more time to focus on my fitness and pour more energy into it. Similarly you could easily find ‘holiday fitness’ means not having the added distractions of work deadlines, domestic chores or the drudgery of routine as excuses for not getting to the gym, a new environment is exactly what can kick start a fresh take on exercise for you, like a holiday romance that hopefully lasts once you get home!

Imagine having lots of sleep with no alarm, let your body wake up when it’s naturally ready – surely one of the best luxuries of being on holiday?! Enjoy unhurried hearty breakfasts with plenty of delicious fruit after a ‘fasted’ run along the beach. Experience great scenery knowing the sand beneath your feet is creating extra resistance for toning your legs. Afternoons can be spent lazing around the pool perfecting your tan, then with a few dips to cool off, you could easily rack up a few steady lengths. It all counts.

Holidays are perfect for upping the anti on super calorie burning activities, out of the ordinary stuff like snorkelling, scuba diving and surfing and because the body isn’t used to doing them it causes the muscles to burn extra energy to complete the the new physical challenge. Bonus!
Simply spending the day walking around exploring streets & pathways in quaint towns or ancient cities, you’re bound to exceed your fitbit’s quota of 10,000 steps a day and if you’re off to a weekend festival, all that dancing the night away to your favourite bands are hidden fitness gems!

Of course the benefits of all this calorie burning business hinges somewhat on your calorie consumption, so if you keep a bit of a reign on the food and alcohol you could well come back a few pounds lighter than you went and certainly a bit fitter.

– This Article has been published in the July edition of Life Magazine – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk

Core Blimey!

Do you know what your core is? Did you know that it’s more than just your ‘Abs’?
Infact your core is everything bar your head, arms and legs!
It is the thick layered musculature of the torso consisting of the abdominals, obliques, transverse abdominis, multifidus, diaphragm, pelvic floor, and many other deeper muscles.
All this meaty muscle protects our internal organs and the precious spinal Column.
So if you’ve ever had, or currently got, a ‘bad back’ it’s time to strengthen that core!
You can spend a lot of money on chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists but at some point you may well find or be advised that it’s a lot cheaper and far more satisfying to create some ‘in house’ protection of your own.

Building the deep internal muscles in your torso, not only helps prevent back problems but makes you stronger overall, helps you move more efficiently and promotes longevity of your general wellbeing. So how do you do it? Well it’s not all about crunches that’s for sure, you need to get a good all round (literally) work out, that targets all those muscles mentioned earlier, working them in all three planes of motion.
One great way of doing this is known as Functional Training, a dynamic type of exercising that as the name suggests, helps you to be more functional in your every day life, making you less likely to bulge a disc while doing the vacuum cleaning – anybody?

As a Pilates teacher as well as a PT, I’m bound to promote Pilates as a great way to build your core, infact Pilates’ primary principle is about developing the ‘power house’ the centre of the body which, when strengthened is the foundation for all movement. Breathing techniques compliment the movements in Pilates making it a very precise and controlled form of exercise, perfect if you’re already suffering and great prevention insurance if you’re enjoying good back health.
So people, learn how to engage your core – its key!

– This Article has been published in the July edition of Life Magazine – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk