Creating Energy instead of Fatigue

Hi folks,

Here’s another concept that I find interesting from the Loughborough convention that I talked about last week….. Creating energy instead of fatigue.

Lots of people want to feel better so they aim to boost their health. However being healthy includes exercise, which often involves fatiguing our muscles, but then we feel knackered right? which from one angle sounds a bit backwards.

So rather than using lots of energy pushing our bodies to the limits to feel knackered, how about using a little energy to create more energy so that we feel great? Yoga, Tia Chi, plus various forms of stretching & meditation are all designed to have this affect. That’s why they are very successful for people with medical conditions as well as people who struggle with stress. If your goal is to improve your vitality & energy levels then these type of exercises may be for you, further improved by good quality sleep, a balanced nutrition, & making time for yourself.

Those of you who do enjoy regular higher intensity exercise are probably saying “but I do feel awesome after my workout” which is great because that means you’re getting the endorphin high from it, but you’ll also be familiar with the aches that follow a hard workout too. These are your muscles hurting & rebuilding after stressing them out.

Basically, if you want to change the shape / composition of your body, cardio fitness, & strength then the higher intensity exercise is best. But if you’re happy with all this & just want to feel great while promoting your internal health, then go for the energy-creating’ forms of exercise. When considering workforce health, then the type of industry & job roles become important in deciding which form of exercise to implement.

Have a think about what’s important to you & what type / combination of exercise will suit this.

Thanks,

James

Whats your Style?

   

Hi Folks,

I recently got back from THE health & fitness Industry’s annual convention held at Loughborough University. My aim is to listen to the latest material presented by the world’s top speakers, & then apply it to the workforce health in a realistic way. This year featured a lot of biomechanical sessions, teaching us how to look after our backs by developing a healthy pelvis. Hang on – isn’t this something I blogged on lastyear? (…smug face)

Many exercises to do this involved wacky tri-planar movements which were quite amusing to do but all these were simply exaggerations of what our body does (or should do) when walking.

So next you’re walking on a treadmill or walking down the corridor at work, I’d like you to think about 2 things:

1. Notice the walking ‘style’ of others around / passing you.
2. Be conscious of your own walking style.

By ‘style’ I mean are the feet or knees facing outwards? How far are they / you leaning forwards? Are the strides equal length? Are the shoulders rigid or swaying? What position is the head in? ……make a 5 sec assessment quick!

If biomechanically healthy then it should look even or balanced, that they move easily & all body parts are involved. If this is happening then look at their belly button (or where is would be if uncovered), it should be the point at which every thing else pivots around. This is the most important assessment.

Think of how a model walks on the catwalk, well besides crossing the feet over this is how we all should walk. But fella’s before you get too worried, let’s tone it down slightly. If everyone just lifts the ribcage up off the pelvis, eyes forward (not down at your iphone) & allows the arms to sway opposite to your stride then you’ve got it. It’s what we do naturally so let’s learn to stop inhibiting it. A sexy walk looks attractive for a reason!

More lessons from Loughborough coming soon,

James.

Are you built to exercise?

Hi folks,

We’ve all heard people say “I’m just not made to exercise” or “its easy for them, they’re suited to exercise” but is there actually any truth in it? You might have heard about people whose genetics make them either high or low responders to exercise. Basically this another way, this is the difference in results if two people were given the exact same exercise & nutrition plan to follow.

Aerobic exercise: According to some studies, there can be a 3 to 10-fold difference between low & high responders over a 15-20 week period.  This difference could be in the form of recovery speed, aerobic endurance, or calorie burning efficiency. On top of this, some people may be more suited to long endurance exercise & some to short sprints. Unfortunately there is no visible way of telling who is a high responder & who is a low responder, you have to undergo scientific testing.

Strength: Variations in response to weights training are well known. The potential to gain muscle size largely depends on the ratio of slow-twitch & fast-twitch muscle fiber’s the person has (i/e. a naturally taller / leaner person will find it harder to build muscle mass doing the same weights routine as someone naturally stockier). So this is a response that we can predict, just look at our body type.

Overall the messages to take away from this are:

·        Choose an exercise that you enjoy (even if you aren’t very good at it). If you enjoy it you will stick to it, which means you will get some results.

·        If you’re body type makes it harder to meet your desired goals, don’t be put-off you can still make a significant improvement!

·        If you want to excel in a sport or the gym then choose the type of exercise that suits your body / genetics, it will give you an advantage.

·        Eat well (especially lots of vegetables & lean meat)

·        Recover well & get your 7-8hrs of sleep per night

Hope this helps any body who is disheartened by exercise or gives you direction if you want to really progress.

Thanks

James 

Check out our 3min Video

Hi folks,

Keeping it short this week as I know you're all out panic buying Easter eggs, - I was! I've recently been working with SMart Wind, a leading consortium in the wind energy industry. We had it filmed so let the video do all the talking - take quick look:

http://www.occupational-fitness.com/smartwind


If you like it & would like me to deliver elements of this to your workforce then contact me!

thanks & have a great bank holiday weekend,

James