W for a quid

Walk the walk

My littlest sister, Hazel has completed an event with this name
It's a charity marathon, in London, performed over night
It's a walk but even a walk of 26.2 miles is hard work
It's 26.2 miles afterall!

Walking, although not necessarily of this distance
is a great exercise, one that many can do with little equpiment needed!

Walking provides a low impact cardio-vascular workout
Most of us can do this
(You don't need to run to get fitter)
Walking is a great start to your fitness journey


 Weights and measures

 Do you use the scales to monitor your weight-loss?
OK - so you're looking just at weight
But there can be other ways of looking at increased fitness
And fat loss

Key circumference measurements such as:
Bicep
Chest
Waist
Hip
Thigh and
Calf

You might not be losing weight but by working out and/or eating right you
may be tightening up these measurements.

Don't just worry about the scales.
Use the tape too.
And don't weigh or measure too often
Keep it to once a week
As daily fluctutations happen!


Wafer thin mint

If you're not sure what I'm referring to
Look for Mr Creosote on youtube...

But how many of us, when offered a small morsel
despite being full, eat it anyway...it's only a...afterall

Do you have to have dessert?
Do you need a starter?
Really?
Or do you just fancy it?

If you eat more slowly you may find that you are full earlier
than you previously thought. The stomach is a bit slow to tell
the brain this news you see.

Enjoy each mouthful, savour it and save yourself from feeling
bloated and full later. And, of course, putting on weight!
(Or exploding!)








 

V for Las Vegas

Variety
 
In order to challenge my clients I often vary their workouts
New exercises
New equipment
New combinations
New moves

But even one exercise can be changed itself
to make it easier or harder or more interesting

The 3 key variables to play with are

Range of movement - how far/the angles you move the weight or body part
Repetitions - the number of times you complete the movement
Weight used - the obvious one!

So, I can spend a whole session on one exercise alone
changing each variable to make it harder or easier
practising technique
perfecting the move
If that's what's needed of course!

But most people want variety
And PT's are good at coming up with ideas and exercises to challenge.

So, if you're bored with your workout go find your local PT
The can stir up the variables and make things interesting for you!
They will challenge your muscles and mind and help you improve.


Vastus Medialus Obliques

It's a real mouthful!
And it's a muscle in the top of the leg
Part of the quadriceps (front of leg)

But it's not really the point of the post
It's just a way to get a 'V'

This post is about knees
Or those of us who have been told not to run
due to knee pain

This muscle MAY be one of the reasons for some of us
You see mine are a bit weak
And that means that my kneecaps get pulled across
to the other side of my knee by the stronger muscles on the other side

But instead of giving up running, I just need to keep the muscles
balanced.

So, is there something that is stopping you from working out?
An imbalance somewhere in your body?
It may be fixable
Don't just give up
Or necessarily let your GP tell you to give up
Unless they are a sport expert
Get a second opinion of you want to be certain


Velocity

If I remember correctly
Velocity is speed in a given direction
(I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!)

So,
How fast are you progressing?
Are you happy with that speed?
What direction are you going?
Is that the direction you want?

As trainers we could be referred to as velocity controllers...
We can help with speed and direction

If you've stalled
Or you're stuck in a jam
You know who to call!




 

Voting

Did you do your 'democratic duty' yesterday?
I don't really need to know!

But when you talk about doing your duty
do you also realise your duty to your body?

If you ran your car like you run your body
would you expect to get it fixed for free?
Would you abuse it so much?
How long would you expect it to last?

How much more can you do to keep your 'engine'
and 'bodywork' in tip-top condition?

Think what you can do first before you run to the
NHS garage for a service!

Look after your own self first!




 

U for mism

U...
U?
U!

Struggling for 'U' based posts this week
(What will it be like at Z and X?!)

But an exhibition we saw at the weekend has helped, today at least...
It was called 'Undressed' and was a historical trip through the development and styles of men's but mostly women's underwear.

How on earth is that about health and fitness you say?
Well,

The wrong undies can damage your performances
From too tight items that cut in and chafe (ouch!)
To the too loose 'let it all hang out' clothing faux pas
Even the wrong colour can detract from what you're meant to be focussing on
(Did you see the mens' cycling team that chose white for their shorts or the womens' that had a pink shorts area? *shiggle* (That's a shudder and giggle together!)

Mostly though I'm thinking rubbing and chafing (especially when running).
So chose comfortable items close to the skin, train in them if you're planning a competition in them and look in the mirror to check it's not obscene before you set out!




Underprepared
Got an event coming up?
Are you ready?

I have despaired of people I've met at races who have not been prepared  for the distance that thay are completing. There are also the brides that contact PT's with only a few weeks (or one I heard of, a week!) before their weddings, wishing to lose weight for the 'Big Day'

These things are not surprises, they haven't happened all of a sudden.
The people concerned had time to prepare
But did not
Whilst their underppreparation may not have spoiled the day
better preparation may have improved it

Remember to be like a scout or guide
'Be Prepared'

And if you need our help - ask well in advance
We're good, but we can't work miracles


Underestimation
Many of us do this to ourselves
Underestimate our capabilites

Our trainers don't
If you really want to achieve more
Grow stronger
Run longer

A coach or trainer may be the thing to spur you on

Even us - I only get he best out of my sessions when working with someone who will push me and not let me wimp out!


Undernourished
On my run yesterday  I had an 'out of body experience'
I didn't quite feel that my legs were being told what to do by my brain!

It felt very odd but I forced myslef to keep going for a few more mins
I know exactly why I felt a bit weird
I hadn't eaten enough prior to my run

I was undernourished
I 'bonked' as the cyclists call it
I 'hit the wall' as runner call it
I just plain ran out of steam

So the moral of this story is - make usre you fuel properly
to get the best out of your training

T for two

Transverse Abs...
No, not a new band
The transverse abs or TVA
Are part of your abdominal muscles

A very deep, hidden part
But an area that should not be neglected
It will help to stop injury to your back when lifting
If you engage or use your abs well, especially the TVA

It's worth exercising this area and getting used to 'switching it on'
before other heavy or intense movements

Here's some ideas to help you work this area:

http://www.simplebackpain.com/bestabsexercises.html#axzz4B05FEp5L

S far as you go

It's S week!

Stamina first - to get through the week...we need it
Although less this week as it's only a 4 day one after the Bank Holiday!!!

Stamina - or Endurance 'is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. It is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise. The definition of 'long' varies according to the type of exertion – minutes for high intensity anaerobic exercise, hours or days for low intensity aerobic exercise. Training for endurance can have a negative impact on the ability to exert strength unless an individual also undertakes resistance training to counteract this effect.'

That's according to Wikipedia.

Stamina in fitness needs to be built up - we don't often have it from the start. If you take up running don't expect to t be able to run a marathon straight away. It takes months to get to that point - at least.

And as it says in that reference - endurance and strength don't always go together in training. Tomorrow we'll be looking at strength.

Today though - remember that stamina will need to be built up over time,
Don't rush it.
Take it easy
Take it slow
Build it up gradually.


Strength today!
Simply the ability to lift heavier and heavier weights
Like endurance we don't have it from day 1
We need to build up

If you're new to weight training make sure you check that they way you are lifting/using machinery is safe and effective  - work with your local trainer!

At the beginning of a strength building journey you may only need or be able to perform one set (a group of reps). The number of reps (repetitions or the number of times you make the lift/do the exercise) should be around 10-12 when you start out. Choose a weight that you will find tricky to lift for the last 1 or 2 reps.

Keep a note of which exercises you do, how much and how often and how many times you lift the weight or use the machine. Once you can perform 12 reps with relative ease, add a set or increase the weight. There are lots of ways to make your body work harder and grow even stronger!

I'm used to weight training and my current programme has 15-20 reps in each of my 4 sets. Week by week I can feel the strength gains and have been increasing my weights. I prefer free weights  to machine but it depends what your gym has and how comfortable/able you feel to use them that helps build your confidence with your strength.

R for Mo

REST

Like the hydration message,
I keep repeating this one

Rest is important
As important as your training
You need it to allow the muscles to repair
To grow
To respond to your training load

But  I do mean planned
or necessary
REST
Not just
LAZINESS

Plan it in or listen to your body
It's not rest if you don't train
It's being lazy!


RUNNING

I define myself as a runner
Not very fast
But a runner and a marathon runner at that

I started running as a cheap way to keep fit when I couldn't afford to join a gym. The habit stuck - although I now have expensive gadgets to help me too!

Running is natural but not always easy
Running is simple but not always fun
Running can be cheap

There are free/cheap groups and clubs and free events (Parkrun) all over the UK.

Looking for a cheap fitness hobby? RUN!


 

Q for the bus

My husband has 'chicken legs'
He cycles a lot
His quads - the upper front of the leg
Are, therefore, well developed

Other exercises that develop strong quads are:
Lunges
Squats
Step-ups

This (set of 4 - hence Quad) muscles extend the knee and help in walking running and jumping.




I'm teaching this week
Performance Management
The class were completing some questions earlier
There was a lot of sighing and calculator bashing

There was then a throwing up of hands
And a giving up!

They still had time to complete the question but one student had just given up.
There was still time
The question wasn't going anywhere
But he gave up

Does he remind you of you?
I hope not!

It's never to late to start
Or start again

Don't quit - EVER!




Hydration again?
Oh yeah!

It's THAT important
You can survive a week with no food but only a few days without water.

Feel hungry - try a glass of water before yur reach for food, it could be thirst.
Trouble sleeping - you could be underhydrated
Feeling tired - try water before coffee
Retaining 'food waste' - take in more water!

Eat, drink (water) and be merry!