Motivate Me...

 

What to do when you want to exercise, but life gets in the way…

We all know that exercise is good for us. We get motivated by inspirational people on social media, and we look forward to getting “fit”. We know it is going to be great! But then another week passes by and we still have not started….sound familiar?

You are not alone. It is something that I think is even more difficult since lockdown, when we have been used to our own company and staying at home, maybe still feeing a bit nervous about being in a crowd etc.  But motivation to exercise is well researched – and mainly because, as humans, we need to have a “drive” to do something.

Our “Drive Desire” kicks in when we have something to push us – for example a holiday, a wedding, a breakup, a competition, a charity event, a health scare,  or even a full-length mirror….whatever the kick is, it switches on a light in our brain that gives us the extra impetus to get up and get going. So, how can we do this when there are none of those drivers there for us?

1.       The examples above are all “goals” – which are often motivational for humans, so plan a goal of your own. It has to have an “end date” and a “goal” – e.g., in August I will walk 50,000 steps a week. You can sign up online for these types of goals and even get a medal! Or make your own prize. E.g.  I can have **** as a reward for doing this.

2.       Much like “Dry January” – signing up, making it public etc, makes you accountable.  And science shows us that we are more likely to stick at something if we do not want to let another person down. So, joining with a friend, or doing a charity event, is more likely to make you stick to your exercise – this sounds a bit eye-rollingly boring, but it has been proven time and time again.

3.       Fun is essential – so don’t try to do something you hate, or find a huge challenge. Start with the things you like doing – and if you are so fed up you can’t even think of anything you like doing….then start doing all of the things  you hate, so go for a run, go to class, and discover what brings you “joy” – by the process of elimination.

4.       Time is often cited as a reason to put things off. What I discovered with doing the Café online was that even 20 minutes was a great way to start the day. Setting aside an hour can sometimes be a challenge, so find some little 15 minutes and just do something – lift weights, sit ups, press-ups, stretch, Pilates etc. Don’t even worry about being in sports kit. Grab the time  - it all adds up.

5.       Finally, find the joy in being happy in your own skin. Try not to use exercise as a way to beat yourself up about your “failings” but more as a way to love yourself. Exercise brings us so many health benefits – both the physical, and mental, and once you start to do things, the change in your anxiety towards more relaxed state is the best motivator going xx

Join me in the Happy Café Hapus for tips and advice. I will be running an online course from 13^th Sept with regular classes, information sheets and educational talks. Get in touch if you want to be on the mailing list xx

Vitamin D - The sunshine effect on your health and well-being x

 

Who’s enjoyed the past few days of sunlight ?! Me for sure. I get really down in the dumps with weather that does not create light and shadows.  I think that summer is often a time where we feel happier and more optimistic about life – often a great initiator to start a fitness programme, summer days and summer nights help us to improve our overall health.  We have a natural suppressing of appetite and a tend to eat more fruit and veg which can often result in us losing the weight we gained over the dark winter months. I’ve already mentioned that sunlight, especially in the morning, can control feelings of hunger, and to be honest, a 10-minute stroll outside just makes you feel good.

And, whilst we must take care to how we expose ourselves to sunlight, from time of day, length of time in the sun and the application of sun cream as well as covering up etc, we should not discount the huge benefits that sunshine brings to the body via Vitamin D. Vitamin D is key to bone density – and remember, that this is a significant factor if you are also going through the menopause –  by keeps calcium within its normal range to maintain cellular function and mineralise the skeleton to keep it strong.  Vit D deficiency has also been linked to increased chances of cancer, cardiovascular disease, MS, arthritis and Type 1 Diabetes. So sensible sun exposure, along with a diet that has fish, eggs, a small amount in meat and wild mushrooms, plus taking a supplement if these are not part of your current diet.

As someone who suffered from chronic pain, I craved sunlight, and it seems that Vit D also plays its part here too – in a study in 2017, by Helde-Franklin they found that people with low levels of Vitamin D had increased pain and a resulting increase in pain-relieving medicine to help.  A simple 10 minutes in the sun can help reduce pain and increase feelings of well-being.

And a walk on the sunny side of the street has been shown to improve neurotransmitter health and reduce depression, so, get outside, enjoy the sunlight xx

 

Does walking help you lose weight?

 

Intra-abdominal fat – weight loss

If you have been thinking about how to lose some of the hard belly fat that seems difficult to shift, then listen up to some of the latest research that will make you feel confident that you are following the science and not the money makers. 

Before we start, I wanted to say well done for reading this. From personal experience and as a long time Personal Trainer, I know that embarking on change can be a bit daunting – you might not think you are “up to it” or that you don’t have the “willpower” to stick to it, or that being someone who can make these changes is quite you. Don’t worry.  Changing habits is part of this. The first step is finding out the information. So have a read, have a think, and then maybe look to making some small changes to begin with.

In a randomised control trial between 1997 – 2001, nearly 200 women (aged 50 – 75) took part in a programme (Irwin et al 2003) to see the effect of exercise on weight loss – in particular, “belly fat” or the intra-abdominal visceral fat that we talked about yesterday. The group was split into an exercise group, a moderate exercise group and a stretching group. Each had measurements taken for hip and waist (and I think that this is worth recording for you if you are thinking of doing this programme), and measurements for both intra-abdominal (deep in the trunk) and subcutaneous (under the skin) fat.

Walking was the most popular choice of exercise for the groups that could decide on what to do. Each day they were encouraged to do a minimum of 30 minutes of activity and to record down what they did and for how long – and again, I encourage you to set up a daily diary and note down your activity every, along with your heart rate at exercise if you have a smart watch.  What is interesting from the conclusion is this  - greater fat loss was shown in the group that exercises for a longer duration – so length of “time on your feet” matters, which is great if you think you are too unfit to be able to take on board more challenging exercise.

Start, I suggest, with a 10-minute early morning walk. Then add in 5 minutes brisk walk during your lunch hour, followed by a longer walk in the evening. Either think about ways you can tag this onto something you are already doing – such as coming home from work – could you walk it? It might take you 40 minutes, but your car journey might take you 10, then you faff about for a while trying to find motivation. So, pop your trainers in your work bag, or start to catch the bus or train in and walk some or all of the way home. Time it on a day that you don’t have commitments, look at the forecast and add in a substitute plan if things go awry. Do you take your children to rugby or football? Then take your trainers and walk the pitch as they play. Find short periods of time when you are busy, and plan a longer walk on the weekend. Find a friend to go with you is a piece of advice I have said so much that I am bored of listening to it, but to be honest, if you do make an arrangement to meet up for your stroll and chat, then you are more likely to do it – fact.

There is only limited space to be able to give you tips, but keep tuning in or message me if you are interested in joining the Happy Café Hapus workouts which starts again in June x

 

 

Fat on the inside

“Middle aged spread” is something that many people complain about. In a study by a group of scientists in the US, Toth and his team found that menopausal women had a greater amounts of intra-abdominal fat compared to premenopausal women – they did this by using CT and MRI scans to see what was happening on the “inside” as opposed to the fat that we can “pinch”.

Intrabdominal fat is the fat that is distributed around your internal organs, usually held in the “omentum” – and can push your stomach out so that you look “fatter” even if weigh the same as you always did. It also accumulates on other organs, such as your intestines, liver, kidney etc. Poke your belly  - the soft squidgy fat on the top is the “subcutaneous fat” – one which lies beneath the skin, but the intra-abdominal fat forms a harder layer within the trunk.

But surely fat is fat? Yes, to a certain extent, and to lose the “belly fat” – whether it is on the deep inside or under skin remains the same . But, there is more at risk when we have a higher level of intra-abdominal fat. Visceral fat can produce a protein called “cytokines” which can be responsible for gut inflammation, and is a risk factor for heart disease - a bigger waistline can double your chances of heart disease according to recent studies, and is linked to increased chances of having breast or colon cancer, dementia and even asthma.

Losing body fat is often seen as something to do when you “go on holiday” or as some kind of “punishment” if you are told by your GP to lose weight. But, if you think about avoiding hospital, taking medication, and have a positive image for a happier and healthier way of being, one that makes you feel energetic and keeps you from aging too quickly, then changes to your current lifestyle can feel like a treat.

The volume of evidence for exercise means that you have no reason not to do some kind of aerobic activity for around 30 minutes every day and include some weight training, whether that be at the gym or at home. So how do you start?  Follow me for more information on diet and exercise that will be heading your way this week x

 

Making Changes

 

Make a change

I don’t know about you, but coming out of lockdown is a bit like coming out of hibernation. I was walking the dogs along the cliff this morning, it was a beautiful (if cold, with occasional hailstones) morning, and it got me thinking about how life has changed so much over the past year, and how we as humans, across the world have changed in the aftermath (for Wales at least) of Covid.

The anxiety that I felt this time last year still lingers and I am not 100% comfortable with stepping out of the comfort zone that I have built. Whenever we want to make a change to our lives, it does take more than courage to implement new ways of being and doing. As a fitness instructor, changing your client’s habit is one of the most challenging aspects – going to the gym and writing a programme is the easy part!  So why is it that even when we want to change, we find ourselves somehow entangled in the web of life that we have created…yet we want to get out of.

First, lifestyle change is  a whole world on its own, but there is a wealth of information out there on the basic steps that we can do to support ourselves in making the tiny, but long lasting, changes to improve our lives. One of the most common ones that we used to teach at Level 3 Personal Training was done in the early 80s by Prochaska and DiClemente, and is still considered to be an important pivotal theory on creating change.

The basis is this, that if you are reading this article because you are interested in health and fitness and want to find out more, then you are already in the first steps of change, where gathering information will help you move forward. If you are reading this and you are also trying to implement some of the fitness suggestions then you are in an active stage.  Maintaining that active stage is the key, because we can quite easily drop back down to the “thinking about it” stage, without getting back into the active….I’m just thinking about all those people who are looking forward to going back to the gym, but haven’t yet done the booking.  Staying active for over 6 months then leads to a more stable and ingrained behaviour. Yes, six months or more…..it’s  a long time, so don’t worry if you dip in and out of the stages, this is considered to be normal human behaviour.  There are, of course, many other motivational ways to encourage activity (but not enough space on the page to discuss today!) but my tip would be to start with the reading and learning, and then may do some trying.

This is my plan as I try to reintroduce myself back into the community of life, starting with a weekend away from home….first trip in a very long time.  Be brave, take the step, make the change, live the life you love, love the life you live x

Calm Down!!

Deep Breaths

Calm down! Take a deep breath….who has ever said this to you when you are feeling anxious or stressed out? It is an instinctive response in humans. The research into deep breathing shows us that  the action of the muscle to draw in air has a direct impact on the heart, causing it to speed up momentarily, and then slow down as we breathe out. This allows the heart to recover from our agitated state and normalise heart rhythm.  It helps to lower our blood pressure and functionally resets the autonomic nervous system.

Adrenaline also causes a raise in heart rate when we are in a state of “stress”, and whilst this can be productive in certain cases, it is an uncomfortable feeling when the racing heartbeat happens whilst sitting down at the desk. By using the deep breathing technique, we are able to control the effect of this hormone (as well as cortisol) on our system – it is simply a matter of five deep breaths in the first instance.

Sighing for me is one of my red flags that I am getting a bit anxious or stressed. By applying the controlled inhalation and exhalation of the breath, I am able to stop the shallow breathing and help my body return to a calmer and more focussed state. During lockdown, I sighed a LOT…..and since then I have tried to include some relaxation and deep breathing exercises into my Pilates practice.

You don’t need to spend a great deal of time on this to gain the benefits, although, the research will show that more concentrated segments of time dedicated to this not only improves your short term reaction to stress but can provide a longer term solution and resilience. Focus initially on the movement of air in and out of your body, and then see if you are able to consciously slow this down – in particular on the out breath.  Find somewhere comfortable to do this, ideally outside if possible.

Take time to calm down – you will see the world with new vigour and energy, your mood lifts, your concentration improves and life feels much better x 

Food for Mental Health and Wellbeing

 

Food for Mental Health and Wellbeing

 

Our diet plays an important part of helping not only our physical health, but also our mental health and wellbeing.  Following the Happy Café Hapus talk, many of you requested more information regarding food and what to include in your diet. 

 There are many studies that point out the link of food choices that are associated with a reduced risk in depression among adults.  Further evidence lies in the link between food, mood and brain health that look at how what we eat can help our neurotransmitters and support mental wellbeing. A healthy pattern between eating fresh fruit and vegetables can be positively associated with happiness and inversely with depression.  With this in mind, we need to be thinking about including food that looks to reduce inflammation in the body (often associated with depression) and include food that is anti-inflammatory and will help our health – both mental and physical.

Many of these items are available to buy in our local shops. It is all too easy sometimes to drift away and relies on easy to pick up items or grab a sandwich at lunch – often with that *** awful Meal Deal that encourages people to eat more sugar and salt….rant over! Doing this occasionally, is ok, and you know we are all sometimes in a pickle (excuse the pun) and need to pick up something quickly – but doing this on more than 3 times a week or not including any fruit or fresh veg in your meals at least once a day will have an impact - in the short term with sugar spikes and in the longer term with your overall health and wellbeing.  So, here is a short list of food items and suggestions with ways to benefit your health.

Amazing Food for YOU
Food for positive health and energy	Food that support great brain health	Foods that support your immune system
Low glycaemic index, fibre, protein and complex carbs	Neurotransmitter stimulating food and amino acids	Anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, antioxidant
Sweet Potatoes Lentils Brown Rice Chickpeas Quinoa Oats Eggs Fish Red Meat (local and organic) Green leafy veg – spinach, broccoli, kale, Banana Avocado Nuts *not salted Seeds Beans	Berries (esp. blueberries) Lemons Spinach Aubergine Buckwheat Turkey Eggs Omega 3 (oily fish) Walnuts Almonds Crab Fermented food like Kimchi Food that include Vit C (fresh fruit and veg), B Vitamins, iron Pumpkin seeds	Garlic Red Peppers Citrus Fruit Carrots Berries Beetroot Green Tea Pomegranate Turmeric Ginger Yogurt Olive Oil Dark Chocolate (over 70%) Chicken Mushrooms Kefir

 

 

Foods considered to be “inflammatory” Linked to depression Food to reduce in your daily diet
Avoid	More information
Sugar	Always look on packets for anything with “ose” in the ingredients, like fructose, sucrose etc. Causes cytokine  - good for fighting off virus, etc, but often “bad” as linked to increased inflammation
Saturated Fats	Avoid food that are high in saturated fat – e.g. that pizza with extra cheese
Trans Fats	We talked about this in the food session where we look at how certain fats have a chemical process linked to them and can cause a systemic inflammation – e.g. processed or fried food, margarine, doughnuts, Hydrogenated oil etc
Omega 6	Not to be confused with Omega 3. Whilst a small amount is actually good for us, an excessive amount can trigger and inflammatory response – so peanuts, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, sunflower oil etc
Refined Carbohydrates	So, any kind of flour that is super white – processed foods, white processed bread, or instant mash, oven chips, crisps etc
MSG	Monosodium glutamate – usually found in preserved foods, such as bacon, sausages, deli meat, prepared soups or high salt foods
Gluten	No, you don’t have to do a gluten free diet, but reducing your gluten will help reduce inflammation – read labels, but gluten is a protein in wheat.
Excessive Alcohol	Alcohol can sometimes cause an inflammation response that is often called a “leaky gut” – where bacterial toxins can move from your intestines to the rest of the body and potentially cause organ damage

 

It is often daunting when thinking about making changes to your diet. Diet and what we eat are often linked to our upbringing, comfort, routine, time of year – especially with Christmas coming etc.  Our gut has got used to certain foods and sometimes you will get a reaction if you make big changes.  I would like to suggest that you think about changing one thing in your daily diet. Think about making a swap or think about including some of these items onto your shopping list and start to incorporate them into your daily or weekly diet. It is good also to have positive images of food, or why certain food is good for us, pinned to the fridge or door to the kitchen! And maybe keep the high fat, high sugar food in a separate drawer with a warning label. Out of sight and out of mind is a proven way to help reduce cravings….

Then think about food not being a “treat” for a bad day, or low mood. Get to the café – start a conversation, go for a walk, remember why you want to feel better, have a bath, read a book. ANYTHING to take your mind off it. Don’t watch adverts with their “tempting delights”….  Have a Naughty Day, but not every day.  Have a REALLY HEALTHY day one day.  It will take time to change. It is different eating food in other people’s houses, so think about being kind to yourself and making slow, but progressive changes to health. Xx

 

Love

Rachel x