Posted on

Wednesday, 6th June 2012

The ultra-long weekend brings its own problems in terms of your health this week, and making sure you still manage to get a productive week in. Please do not waste another week in your development, because this week could easily turn into next week, the week after and maybe into a month before you know it!

Cut off that potential right on the downside right now, and turn your health into something that’s going forward, not fading back into obscurity!

Its Wednesday already and hopefully, this doesn’t mean the start of your exercise week. If it does and you rest every single bank holiday and maybe weekend, then you had better be in the mood for a big workout today at some stage!

It cannot be overstated how important regular exercise is in terms of feeling good, getting rid of persistent and niggling aches and pains, creating fresh energy for your body, making your immune system far more resilient to future illnesses and challenges to your health of all kinds.

This is why I write this thing most days, because of the need to stress to individuals that you need to become active not just because you want to look better, but more like because most people would kill just to FEEL better.

I write this to help people lay their foundation for health for the future, and all the massive benefits that come with all of this! This has to be and needs to become a priority right now for you, or you will suffer in silence for the rest of your life and sometimes in pain often due to ill health, which can be avoidable in many cases.

Most of us have the odd moan now and again they have to exercise when they may not feel like it, but you will be moaning far louder when the ill effects of not exercising/eating badly come through over the longer term.

Its early june and your chance to turn this thing all around, lets do it and make it happen right now!!!

Twitt
Posted on

Thursday, May 31st

You either move forward or you fall back, and this is true in everything you do. Standing still is not often possible, and certainly not desirable for most people.

In exercise terms, there has never been a more true statement.

When you start an exercise programme, its natural that you will progress over the short term, but what happens after all of those initial improvements end?

You have to keep moving forward, keep strengthening your mindset and focus on what is to come, rather than keep looking back to what has been and gone.

If you focus all the time on going through all the same exercises, at the same performance level, for the same amount of time, then this is the perfect recipe for mediocrity in your training, and of course overall results.

If you are on the right programme to start with, then you should be looking forward to new challenges that require you to improve your skills, agility, strength, endurance, this is the way it should be.

If you are on the right programme, you should be guided gently and cautiously to these new levels, and your self-confidence will grow and grow all the time.

One of the biggest reasons to be excited about your training is that all the new exercises you will be able to do, will bring the most important factor of all to you-big time results!

If when you start training, your capacity is going to be naturally quite low. If you are on the right programme, that capacity will naturally go up quickly and can easily continue if you keep showing up for workouts, you keep shopping well for good food and cut down on the rubbish, you don’t drink more than once week in terms of alcohol.

A lot of people don’t believe that they can constantly improve their health and fitness. This shows they haven’t been on the right programme, and this has caused them usually to give up in their quest to look and feel their best.

I’m here to tell you there IS another way, all you need to do is take action and make it work for you, and having a commitment to being more active is your first most important step!

Twitt
Posted on

Monday, 28th May

Everyone wants to get faster and stronger, and this is a common question when dealing with athletes of all sports, and juniors who really want to become professionals in any sport, or even the person who plays sunday morning football, who just wants to improve their game and take it to another level or two.

The techniques used to make this happen can be powerful, but before this takes place, the fundamentals must be in place to allow it all to happen.

For example, if an individual is carrying a couple of stone too much, then training JUST for speed is too limiting an approach, and can encourage injury.

If you are doing a speed and agility session, where explosive moves are often called upon, then if that person is quite a bit overweight, then the tensions on the hamstrings and groins can be overwhelming. The individual has to realise that when you carry too much weight, then your body mechanics don’t run as smoothly when you are carrying little or no extra weight, and its vital to build up gradually, rather than dive into a programme that puts too much strain on the body.

So before we touch on what it requires to become faster and more agile, you have to go back to the beginning.

Adjusting one’s diet so you can lose body fat at a steady rate is the first step.

Then making sure your exercise programme is sound, and you already familiar with the basics is another great starting point.

So if you are eating well and exercising properly, then over time you should achieve decent results and you should at some time be at your optimum weight, or at least fairly close to it. This would be the ideal time to step up your training onto the speed and agility stuff.

This will make sure you progress quickly still and avoid injury along your path of self-improvement to becoming a better athlete.

Twitt
Posted on

Friday, 25th May

Apologies i havent been able to post every day the last couple of weeks, but my schedule has been crazier than ever, so even the limited time i usually get to post has gone out the window so to speak!

Anyway, just like i try to encourage you to make your exercise sessions count, i’m going to try and make my posts count too!

We have a 26 degrees day today, and although the temperature may make it hot and sweaty to train, its still important not to miss exercise just because its very warm, and some simple precautions would go a long way in making the whole process a lot more comfortable for you.

Number one is not to exercise in the middle of the day when temperatures are at their hottest. This is the time of day when it really is difficult to exercise, and totally takes you out of your comfort zone. Try early mornings and evenings as much better time slots.

Number two is to drink water throughout the day, and avoid dehydration. Sipping water at regular intervals will keep your body’s core temperature constant and keep you feeling comfortable, and be able to put in a decent workout performance.

Talking about dehydration, this can be a very serious state to get in, chances are if you’re still thirsty, then you are already in a state of dehydration and should look to immediately up your fluid intake. Severe dehydration can be seen in individuals who have white around their lips, this can lead to hospital treatment so beware.

Another key measure is to exercise within yourself and dont push it too far, in fact working slightly short of your normal performance will be a good idea, and being cautious will always lead to sound exercise habits in more extreme heat!

Bottom line is be sensible, and you can still get some good workouts in!!

Twitt
Posted on

Tuesday, 22nd May

The warm weather is back, or should make that it has actually STARTED after one of the worst April’s and May i can remember.

Please don’t use the excuse of “its too warm now”, please DO NOT use that because you should see this weather and light nights as an INVITATION TO GET FIT AND HEALTHY!!

Compare this with mid-november to mid-march and you are right in the best time of year now to really make a difference to your mind and body. Theres every opportunity now to get your body in great shape by simply enjoying the environment around us.

If you cant get out there on the bike in this sunshine, then you ought to question your commitment to yourself. Besides all of this commitment talk, its actually ENJOYABLE, thats definitely the best way to think about it rather than seeing it as some kind of chore!! Riding a bike in this weather with all the beautiful scenery is one of the best things you can experience full stop.

Get off the roads too when you walk too if possible, and avoid all the pollution. Get up mountains and enjoy the fresh air, and the air that most people don’t get to take in. Its good for you full stop, and the often steep gradients will lift your fitness levels to brand new levels.

There are plenty of people swimming, but i happen to know a few more people now who swim outside, enjoying the different challenges that this brings. Enjoying the more natural route is always a winner for your health and is so demanding that it will often trump your inside swimming sessions! Both are good though it must be said and depends on the individual.

Personally, as you can tell, i love being outside at this time of year, as well as inside sessions. Mix them both up and reap some pretty serious rewards!!!

Twitt