Train your Brain!

My approach to exercise is that it should not only be a physical workout, it should embrace the soul and mind as well. I endeavour to base my training on the ethos that.... “Mind and body exist in union and cannot be separated. One should avoid either exercising mind or body without the other and so preserve an equal and healthy balance between the two.” Plato. But how exactly do you do this?

Well the first step would be in keeping your programme varied, challenging and fun. Do not go to gym day in and day out and do the same thing. Have you seen those people who get on to the bicycle, set it at the same resistance and same time and sit pedalling at the same speed, some even reading the newspaper while they do this or staring into space for 20 minutes. Well at least they are doing something which is better than those who are sitting at home on the couch but if you are going to invest time and energy into something why not gain the most benefit from it? So, what could you do. Lets stay on the bike shall we, how about changing the resistance for starters. Crank it up for 3 minutes and then drop it for 1 minute recovery, repeat this three times. Do some breakaway sprints, maintain your speed for 20 seconds and then sprint for 40 seconds, repeat a few times, you can also change the resistance, increasing it with each set, do this standing and sitting. How about hops at 10 and 5 second intervals, again changing the resistance. Challenge yourself with a high resistance seated climb for 3 minutes, recover for 1 minute and repeat but with a standing climb.Gee that already sounds a whole lot more interesting and of course you would have had to engage your mind and stay focused instead of drifting off. Trust me the time will fly by much quicker if you shake your workout up a bit.

Compound exercises are another great way to keep your brain stimulated. Instead of just sitting on a bench doing a concentration curl and only primarily working on your bicep. Why not do a concentration curl from a squat position, thereby incorporating, quads, hammies, glutes, calves and core. How about a bicep curl in a push up position for an incredible challenge or a hammer curl while stepping up onto a bench. A shoulder press with a one legged bench stand up.....the list goes on. Then to further keep your mind active and involved, change the weight and adjust your reps accordingly.

 
Incorporate balance into your workout. This is the best way by far for a complete body workout especially core and most especially your brain. Balancing takes huge concentration and skill. Try the tree pose or stalk pose and progress it to doing it with your eyes shut. Do a hammer curl on a bosu with a squat and then turn the bosu upside down and do the same exercise. If you have ever tried this you will know how difficult it is and WOW what a challenging workout, it will definitely keep you wide awake. You will be using all sorts of stabilisers that you never even knew existed. There are so many balance exercises that you could try that would keep your programme interesting, there is no reason to ever get board. Funny thing about balancing and you will discover this when you try it, if your mind is calm and relaxed, you will be able to balance, if your mind is busy and stressed, you will struggle!

Proprioception is basically knowing where our body parts or limbs are without looking. Sounds simple doesn't it? Try closing your eyes, standing on one leg and passing a ball over the top of your head, hand to hand. Ok, so not so easy anymore. Better still you have just incorporated not only proprioception, but a compound exercise, balance, coordination and flexibility all in one move. This surely is not boring and as you can imagine you have to concentrate. Try a tripod tricep kickback or a reverse lunge with a shoulder press and row!

All of this is functional training and will help you cope better with daily activities. Believe it or not you will also find that your cognitive function will improve, you will have longer attention span, better short term memory and improved verbal skills! All of that from simply using your brain when you train....what a bargain and what a NO BRAINER!!!!!

Get busy moving...get busy thinking!

Your body is a MACHINE....Use it!

Your body is the best piece of 'equipment' that you can use in your pursuit of fitness and strength. No fancy equipment required and you can 'workout' anywhere. In your bedroom, lounge, garden, on the beach or in the park. I think own body weight exercises can be loads of fun and by increasing reps you will get a good cardio workout as a bonus. You may think that these exercises are easy and sure some of them are but have you tried to do a headstand or handstand? Not so easy are they and yet all you are doing is lifting your own body weight. You can use your body as your very own barbell. A push up is a good example of a brilliant own body weight exercise. Do you know that you are lifting about 65% of your body weight when doing a push up?  Incredible!

Own body weight exercises also require more flexibility than using, for example free weights! A lot of the exercises require balance and therefore will be challenging your core. No matter what age you are, old or young, own body weight exercises are safe and easy to execute.You can be any level of fitness as you can regress or progress most of the exercises.

Do you have a park close by to where you live? Go for a brisk walk to the park, that's your warm up. Do some dynamic stretches and then how about -
Tricep dips on the merry go round
Incline push up on the bench
Chin ups on the jungle jim
Calf raises on the jungle jim
Lunge from one side of the park to the other
Burpees
Bridge variations
Leg raises
Russian Twist
Most abdominal exercises.
Stretches and walk home to cool down.

Besides the benefits of the actual exercises, how about the added benefits of having trained out doors -
The sun exposure will increase your Vitamin D levels.
There is more sensory perception as you feel the wind on your skin and the sun on your back.
The greenery will raise your serotonin levels.
The fresh air has more oxygen.
Train with a friend for increased oxytocin levels.
Oh but do not forget the sun block.

Do you still need convincing that some form of exercise is accessible to absolutely every single person. All that is needed is you and your body and a bit of enthusiasm! So go for it, give it a try!

Wine...Beer and Exercise!

You have to agree with me that there is nothing nicer than going for a long bike ride or run with a bunch of your mates and ending it off with a cool beer or glass of Chenin Blanc. Its social and fun and in your own mind you have done your exercise for the day, so why not?

Pale ale contains Silicon which is linked to bone health and increased bone density. Always a good thing to prevent fractures especially if you come off your bike on the single track at speed. Beer helps raise levels of 'HDL' or good cholesterol which stops your arteries from getting clogged. Your risk of developing kidney stones is reduced by drinking beer. Beer contains Vitamin B12 and folic acid and raises your levels of Vitamin B6.

Wine on the other hand especially red contains tannins which can protect against heart disease. This also includes cutting the risk of stroke, heart attack and type 2 diabetes. Good news is that research has also shown that wine can slow brain decline.

But what effect does alcohol have on you immediately following exercise? Post strenuous exercise you need to refuel with high quality protein and carbohydrates in order to recover and repair exhausted muscles. Strangely enough the best drink to have after exercise would be a large glass of low fat chocolate milk, it replaces lost protein, carbohydrates, calcium, potassium and magnesium and is of course yummy. Despite the health benefits of alcohol, post exercise that lovely tall cold one will stall recovery. Alcohol is very high in calories and your body will prioritise metabolising the alcohol over burning fats and carbs which can result in weight gain. Alcohol also increases levels of cortisol which can further encourage fat storage especially around the mid section. Alcohol makes you want to go to the toilet a lot more often and this will result in water loss it also inhibits the absorption of nutrients in our stomachs.

So it is probably not a good idea to have that drink after all. BUT and do not quote me here....You have gone for a cycle or run with your mates on a beautiful sunny day, you are having a lot of fun, chatting and relaxing from the stresses of the week, so why ever not? Have that drink, BUT and sorry there is a but once again, do not make it a habit and remember everything in moderation! Exercise should be fun and enjoyable so breaking the rules every now and again is not a bad thing. CHEERS!!!!!

Motivation to Move...And Keep Moving!

Have you ever wondered how some people train every day and it seems like second nature, part of their routine and even something they look forward to? And there you are still deciding whether you have time, hmm perhaps I will start tomorrow or gee what should I wear to train today (procrastination)? So how exactly do you motivate yourself to get up and to coin a phrase (thank you Nike) “Just do it”? Sure you read all the motivational jargon about how your body is a temple and you should respect it…take care of it…love yourself and rhubarb rhubarb the list goes on! But none of it actually impacts enough on you for you to make the move.

Well I am afraid to tell you that there is no easy or quick solution that I can give you! As mentioned in a previous blog, I could write a book on the health benefits of exercise. I could also go on to tell you that physically, mentally and emotionally you will feel better than you can ever imagine you could feel. How about the added bonus of the fact that you will also look good? That you will be able to manage your stress better and daily tasks that require perhaps a bit of strength or endurance will become easy. OOpps, before I set off on a tangent with more and more reasons why you should be exercising, let me stop right now.

If you are debating on whether to embark on an exercise programme and have never trained before, you may have some very real fears and concerns. What is all the equipment for and how do I use it? Will I know what to do? Will everybody notice me and realise that I don’t know what I am doing? Let me put your mind at ease. First of all, most people, granted not all, are at a health studio or gym to train and they are not interested in the people around them, they will not be watching you, they will be focusing on their own workout. Okay, some of them may be watching themselves in the mirrors, but they are not watching you. There is an exception, if you have chosen to go to gym wearing something completely inappropriate that exposes your cleavage when you bend down or is far too tight and you look like the Michelin man, well then you have asked for it. As far as not knowing what to do…well that’s when someone like me comes in. It’s a good idea to start off with a Personal Trainer. A trainer who is SMART and will design a programme that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Time framed! A trainer who is understanding and has empathy and will gently but firmly coax and encourage you! Most importantly choose a trainer who you feel comfortable with and then take the plunge!

Do you make the excuse of, “But I don’t have time”? There are 168 hours in a week, surely you can find 3 hours a week to exercise? This is all the time that you need to start off with. That hour or two that you spend watching TV every day, cut it down to one. Get up a bit earlier in the morning or get home a little later in the evening and use that time to exercise. You could pack in a power workout in 40 minutes during your lunch time.

Are you a regular exerciser who has fallen into a rut and is finding it difficult to motivate yourself? Why don’t you have a few sessions with a Personal Trainer? One who can set new challenges for you, show you different exercises to do and get those endorphins flowing once again. It won’t take long before you ask yourself why ever wanted to stop training. It would be a good idea to have a few sessions with a trainer every few months to keep you motivated.

Perhaps you are very self-conscious and do feel uncomfortable in a typical gym environment, well that’s why there are trainers like me who can train you in the comfort of your own home or in my own private studio.

Going back to what I said right at the beginning about how to some people it is second nature and part of their routine. It will take time, at least three months for you to feel this way about your own exercise regimen. Until you reach that point it will take huge self-discipline and even once you reach it, you will still need occasional boosts to keep you going. I am not going to tell you that it will be one of the most empowering and worthwhile journeys that you ever decide to embark on, because I would like you to experience that for yourself. And I promise you that you will reap the rewards which are prodigious!

Here are a few practical tips to help you along the way;

-          Schedule a day and time and stick to it.

-          Pack your gym bag the night before.

-          Have upbeat soundtracks on an iPod to listen to while you train.

-          Choose an environment that you are comfortable in to train. This could be a gym or outdoors.

-          Find a gym buddy to work out with.

-          Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.

-          Choose a form of exercise that resonates with you, this could be cardio, weights, yoga, zumba, dance or swimming.

-          Remember how you feel at the end of each session which is hopefully tired but content.

-          Set goals or challenges.

-          Log your progress.

-          SMILE and have FUN.

Remember to stick to it long enough for it to become second nature and a habit. And finally give it a go….you have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

GOOD LUCK!