Successfully Simple

Hi folks,

Like some other trainers, I often get myself on a deep thought track about new, better exercises for me to help my clients with, & this afternoon I hit the jackpot! No, they’re not intense, no you don’t need to be a gym-buff / bunny to do them, & no you don’t need complex equipment, - in fact you don’t need any!

These exercises I’ve designed will make your body functionally healthy, keeping your body moving the way it should & for as long as possible. Now not many ‘hardcore exercisers’ will achieve that, why? - Because they are overlooking it.

Sometimes when you follow the theory through, understand the biomechanics, & use your experience, you end up coming full circle. In other words, the simplest exercises are often the best, but for complex reasons.

So no matter what stage of exercise you’re at, it’s vital to involve these exercises at some level. I actually designed these when writing a Workforce Workshop on lower back pain for use on a corporate scale, so these exercises are valuable & perfectly suited to your workplace.

Contact me or ask me when we next meet & I might just give you a taster!!!

James

Feeling the pressure?

Hi folks,

How many of us have had our blood pressure (BP) measured before? – probably all of us. How many of us where told what the figures mean? – probably not many of us, that’s even if we were told at all.

As you’ll be aware high BP can cause, or be result of serious health issues that will affect you life at home & at work, so let’s get to grips with it!

What does high BP look like? possible constant red skin pigmentation around the face, or someone who always looks stressed, & often someone who is obese.

What is high BP? Our arteries need to be elastic so that they can widen when the heart pumps large volumes of blood through. If they firm-up or contain blockages, then the blood is being pushed though a smaller space = high BP. A raised heart rate also raises BP. A measurement consists of two values, systolic which is the pressure in the arteries when the pulse travels through, & your diastolic which is the pressure of blood between pulses. Generally speaking a healthy BP is below 130 / 80mmHg.

What can we do to bring high BP down? (Around 30% of us don’t realise we have it)

1.      30min moderate exercise per day

2.      Eat a healthy nutrition (high fruit & veg, low in salt, sugar, & saturated fat)

3.      Reduce alcohol intake

4.      Quit smoking

5.      Relaxation (breathing exercises / making time for yourself)

If you suspect you may have high BP or haven’t had it checked in the last 6 months then please consult your doctor, but don’t panic as it is relatively easy to bring down using a combination of the points above.

James

Good things come to those who…

Hi folks,

While there are times be patient & wait, yesterday I was chatting to a client encouraging them to take opportunities. If you think about it, our lives are full of opportunities but how many of them do we take?

Taking Opportunities:      e.g. Changing your next step / direction such as starting to eat healthily at your next meal rather than waiting until next Monday, or implementing a new work health programme rather than just following the usual procedures etc.

But what if we never seem to get any opportunities?

Making opportunities:      e.g. Even though its out of your comfort zone, arrange that meeting or go across to speak to that person who you may not know but could help you take a huge step forwards in your health or workplace protocols.

I have learnt that people who go places are good at being pro-active, not by waiting in case lady luck happens to come along, but by making opportunities. Think about all the things that you want to change about your life (floating in the back of your head), within every day lies an opportunity to do something about them! It's easier not to do anything, so for me the question I have to constantly ask myself is “Is there a good reason to not do this NOW?”

Hope you find this useful,

James

Top 5 shopping tips

Hi folks,

For me, Friday is my weekly food shopping day & for all of us this is when we can make a massive commitment to a healthy lifestyle. A healthy & varied shopping trolley = a balanced diet. Here are my top 5 fruit & veg tips for your next food shop:

1. Buy enough fruit & veg for 5-9 portions (handfuls) per day.

2. Don’t worry if it’s misshapen, e.g. the knobbly carrots that never get picked are just as good for you as the 5* ones!

3. Buy enough fresh veg to last into the first 3 days of your week. After this point use frozen veg as it will have retained more of its nutrients.

4. Buy fruit & veg spanning a wide range of colours, this it healthier than just greens alone.

5. Store your fruit & veg at the front of the shelf / drawer as this will prompt you to use it more & it hides ‘naughty’ foods until we actually want them.   

A great time to assess the balance of your shopping list is when it’s travelling down that belt towards the till or when packing. That’s the time to have a sneaky look at everyone else’s shopping then smugly strole out of there knowing you’ve make a great start to a healthy week.  

Have a great weekend