Keep warm this winter....Exercise!

Hello there!
I hope your all doing great and keeping warm. I think it's fair to say that winter is almost upon us along with long dark nights and wet and windy weather. Now I personally don't mind the autumn season, the low sunlight, and the beautiful array of colours in the trees. All those things I enjoy, however what comes next I do have issue with.... Winter! However, do not despair; I'm here to tell you you are doing the right thing!

Yes, exercise is proven to help keep you warm during the winter months and that's not only whilst you're exercising.By participating in regular exercise, you help keep your body's metabolism high. This intern helps to keep you body temperature up and keep you warm! This time of year is the most difficult to keep yourself motivated with anything, yet alone exercise. All we want to do is finish work( if you're not retired)go home and nest in front of the TV and fire, maybe even 'Treat' ourselves to some biscuits! Now that's all good, there is nothing wrong with that, however if you have a goal to keep you fitness levels up and to maintain the benefits you have gained throughout the summer months, it's important to keep your exercise regular.

You don't have to 'go hard'. Some simple gentle exercise which involves raising your heart rate, moving the body against resistance or gravity will help keep your own fire burning well, your metabolism. So keep up the good work if you're an exerciser, if you're not, then you now know one way how to help keep you heating bill lower this coming winter!

Best of Health

Mike

P.s I'd love to here your thoughts and share this with your friends.

Thanks.

Strength without weights

Hey, How you doing Mike here. Hope you're fit and well. For many People weight training, in the traditional sense, is a form of exercise that can be seen as 'just for big guys' or it will 'make me too big'. There are many myths and lots of misinformation regarding strength training. As an exercise coach i could talk all week about the benefits of weight lifting and strength training, but that's for another day. Strength training does not always have to be about weights and moving heavy loads.


Pilates has been around for many years now with millions of people benefiting from this form of exercise. Created by Joseph Pilates in the early part if the 20th century and originally called 'controlology'(which I think is a cool name), the technique was designed to strengthen the body and mind. Developing a harmonious relationship between the body and mind would allow the body the move effectively and economical and promote optimum movement ability.

Good posture, Good core strength and enhanced muscle tone are all associated with practicing Pilates. The Pilates exercises are either performed on a mat know as 'Mat Based' or on the reformer. There are over 30 varieties of moves and techniques that can be taught all offering the benefits as mentioned before. Pilates is for anyone, no weights are involved which often encourages a predominantly female following, but both males and females will get the same enjoyment and pluses. It's a super way the develop you strength without worrying about how much you're lifting or lifting too much weight. As with all forms of exercise, the technique you apply is key to getting the right results. Pliates classes are usually held in small numbers, 8-12 in class which allows the Pilates instructor/coach to come round in the class and make sure you are performing the right technique. Try to avoid classes with large numbers(20+) as this will limit the coaches ability to offer focus on your technique in the class. Most people enjoy the class or group form of exercise ( http://www.outfit-uk.com/) as it offers a great sense of team spirit and a friendly non intimidating environment. So if your looking to get Strong and lean but dont want go down the road of weight training just yet, Pliates is a fantastic way to improve you strength. Optimum Health pts has a number of Pilates classes and now offer 1-2-1 Pilates coaching. For more information just drop me an email or call 0113 2612050.

Let me know what you think of the blog

Best of Health

Mike.