As discussed in previous blogs there are many different components of fitness, with one of the most familiar and popular areas of interest being cardiovascular exercise. This blog aims to arm you with knowledge surrounding what cardiovascular exercise is, how much you should be doing, why we need cardiovascular work in our exercise programmes and give you some ideas you may not have thought of to help you get it done!
What does your average working day look like? Whilst this will be different for each of us, chances are it’s changed in the last year and may soon be due to change again. Whether where you work has changed, how you do things at work or simply your routine before and after work, it’s thrown many of us from our usual habits and schedules which can feel like low level chaos at times! This is certainly something I’ve struggled with whilst working from home and this blog aims to highlight some things I’ve found useful or know that others have done to help make their working day as healthy as possible. This can also apply if you’re still going out to work or when you go back, although some are more socially acceptable to do in a work setting than others (dance party anyone? I reckon my colleagues would be up for it to be fair!) Taking regular breaks can help to keep our physical and mental energy topped up so that we’re more focused and productive. Below are some ideas for mini-breaks to slot into your days to support the happiest, healthiest you possible even when you’re working hard!
Gone are the days when the weights area in the gym was reserved for experienced weight-lifters or people looking to ‘bulk up’ and gain masses of muscle and size. The past few years have seen a huge growth in interest in resistance and strength training for a wide variety of people. It really is true that whatever your ‘why’ for training, there will be benefits to be had in incorporating some resistance work. Read on to find out some common effects of resistance training (most of which are good!) 🙂
If you were a regular gym-goer or group exercise enthusiast before the events of the past year, chances are your training and physical activity levels have changed somewhat whilst facilities have been shut. Perhaps the shift to working from home has seen your daily activity levels drop or maybe it’s a long time since you had any kind of regular exercise routine but the last year has made you think more about the benefits of exercise for physical and mental health and you’re interested in getting started with something a bit more structured once gyms reopen. It may even be that the realisation that we may well be allowed out and about this summer after all has prompted you to make sure you feel and look your best. Whatever your situation, many of us are starting to think about the prospect of upping our training soon and having access to a greater variety of equipment and opportunities to exercise. Before you launch yourself into the gym or classes again, make sure you take note of my top tips below which will help you manage the transition with ease.
This week’s local walks are 2 of my favourite yet. Both from the Helmshore/Rossendale area, they offer great views as well as plenty to see along the way. These walks take up to an hour each although if you want to explore further afield, they offer great areas to do that in. You may also spend extra time taking in the wonderful views, taking photographs or splashing in streams and petting animals if you’re lucky. Of course, if you wish to make the walks shorter there are some options for that too.
Part 2 of this blog covers a route along The Lines – a long concrete path ideal for wheels of any kind or walking/jogging. It also details a circular route through Redisher Woods.
Part 1 of this blog covers details of Nuttall Park – an open, grassy space with a concrete path ideal for wheels of any kind or walking/jogging. It also details a route up Holcombe Hill to the famous Peel Tower.
Some of the most common questions that personal trainers and fitness professionals get asked include ‘What exercise is best?’ and ‘How often should I exercise?’ The answer to both of these questions are highly individual and depend on many factors including your individual goals for training, your current fitness levels and other lifestyle factors such as age and medical conditions. There are, however, a number of ‘components of fitness’ that we should be aiming to include in our training programmes and there are guidelines as to how often adults should be including activities that work on each component. With many of us building our own fitness schedules and routines at home for now, this blog aims to give you some guidelines and ideas for what to include and how often.
With gyms and sporting facilities still being closed, we’re all currently destined to take control of our own training. We may struggle with knowing what to do or find ourselves stuck in a routine of doing the same things over and over. This blog explores a few of the options for at-home/outdoor training at this time which may just help you to shake things up a little and challenge your body and mind in new ways.
Whenever we try to change something that we do in our everyday life – whether that’s starting something new, stopping something we no longer want to do or simply switching the way we do something, we often refer to and rely on ‘WILLPOWER’. As willpower requires effort and energy, however, as soon as we start to feel tired, stressed, busy and so on (which we inevitably do at some point) we automatically revert back to our old, ingrained patterns because they are easier and more comfortable.