Why You Should Drink Water
/We all love these long sunny hot days but please don't forget the importance of keeping hydrated, especially before during and after your workouts!
Our FREE blog gives advice, tips & recipes on how to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
What is the best diet & exercise for your body type? (Part One)
/Struggling to lose excess weight or wondering just why you can't gain any muscle? To take your physique to the next level it may be helpful to know your body type (somatotype) and how knowing what type it is could influence a successful outcome. By eating the right foods and exercising in the way that is best for your particular body type success may be closer than you think. Below you can see the three distinct body types consisting of Ectomorphs, Mesomorphs and Endomorphs.
In this blog (Part 1) we will help you identify which body type you are. Most people may find they have a mix of types, however, there is usually characteristics of one type that resonates most with each person and this would be classed as your dominant body type.
Source:Rodale Wellness
ECTOMORPH
- Long, lean and willowy with a small frame
- Small shoulders, chest and buttocks
- Low body fat percentage
- Hard to gain muscle mass
- Low muscular strength levels - finds resistance training a challenge, prefers low slow cardio
- Hard to gain weight
MESOMORPH
- Gains muscle easily
- Naturally muscular and strong
- Naturally lean
- Broad Shoulders
- Gains fat easier than Ectomorphs
ENDOMORPH
- Harder to lose body fat and to keep it off
- High body fat percentage (may be overweight)
- Body shape more rounder, softer or curvier, or pear shaped
- Gains fat very easily
- Larger shoulders
- Sensitive to processed and refined carbohydrates
Part 2 of our follow on blog will detail the appropriate training and nutrition that will help you get the most success for each body type. Be sure not to miss the next blog by subscribing FREE. (On the right hand side of this page)
How to make your dream body a reality
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Many people use this time of year to make New Years resolutions and dream about changing their bodies for the better. Is this one of your resolutions this new year?
Picturing in your mind what you would like to acheive is fantastic but here are a few ways that can help you actually get there.
How committed are you to change?
Your dream body will not be made overnight so understanding that you will need to commit to make exercise a part of your daily life and improving your diet so you consistently eat well are key to success. This is ultimately what we must strive for.
What do you need to focus on to get there?
Choosing an exercise programme designed for your individual body and personal goals in conjunction with a healthy diet will definitely improve your fitness, body shape and confidence not to mention enhance your mood and stamina. This is where a personal trainer can be invaluable and help you take away the guess work of what to do and when and motivate you to achieve your best.
If you’re truly serious about your fitness goals make a commitment to yourself to do what it takes to make that happen. Keeping a diary of your exercise, increasing your daily vegetable intake and water consumption can have a big impact.
Remind yourself why you want to make the change
Do you want to be able to keep up with your small children in the park without getting out of breath, wear that size 10 bikini, be confident to stand up and present your work to a room full of people, sleep better?
These are all achievable with the help of regular exercise and a healthy diet. Get excited about your goals and the final results, but make no mistake, if you don’t consistently exercise and support your training with a healthy diet, those results will never exist outside of your imagination and you’ll never find out how amazing it feels to have achieved them.
Always remind yourself of your goals and just go for it!
Do you know the benefits of drinking water?
/Click on the video to watch a short video highlighting many of the benefits of drinking water. Drink up everyone!
Brought to you by Red Hot Personal Training, Sussex.
Want a strong core?
/What is your core?
When you hear the words core training what comes to mind? Endless crunches that seem to produce no results?
A great number of people believe that your core muscles consist of only your abdominal muscles which is just not true. Muscles of the core region include the abdominals and the hip and spinal musculature. In fact when you strength train your core you aim to target all the muscle groups that stabalise the spine and pelvis.
Side plank
A strong core can help you with your functional fitness (those crucial ab and back muscles you call upon every time you turn, bend and lift) and also from an aesthetic perspective (sculpting and tightening that mid section!).
Suffer from lower back pain?
In some instances, weak or poorly controlled core muscles can be associated with lower back pain. Correctly strength training the core muscles will result in them being stronger and more correctly balanced with less uneven strain being placed on the spine.
Core Workouts
A great core workout may incorporate planks and side plank exercises to encourage a neutral spine position with a natural curve in the back. Other excellent core exercises include the glute bridge that can help stabilise the pelvis.
Using a swiss ball to perform core exercises on can be a great tool to really target those inner hard to reach core muscles whilst also adding an element of fun to the routine. Progression can then be made onto a push up lateral row that engages all the core musculature at once resulting in a thorough core workout.
Kitchen Workout Part 2
/Lets work out those arms! No excuses, as all you need are two equal sized tins from the cupboard. Watch the video clip below for a quick demonstration and give it a try. (Remember to warm up first by jogging on the spot or performing star jumps for a minute just to get the body ready).
Missed last weeks blog ? Check out our 'Kitchen workout part 1 ' using just bodyweight exercises and don't forget to keep an eye out for part 3 next week. You can also subscribe to our FREE weekly health and fitness blog so you never miss a future blog. x
Is this the missing ingredient to improving your wellbeing?
/Research suggests that losing even 30 minutes of sleep per night may promote weight gain, and adversely affect blood sugar levels, creating long-term consequences for your weight metabolism.
A better nights sleep will help your body to build up the energy to keep you supercharged the following day with a notable reduction in any anxiety, depression levels and help us feel more alert the next day. Good quality shut-eye also helps with that all important muscle repair too.
Try these top tips below for a better nights sleep tonight (One food may surprise you!!)
1. Avoid these before bed as they contain the stimulating amino acid Tyramine that will keep you awake. Processed/smoked meat, Milk chocolate, and Aged cheeses such as parmesan.
2. Eat/drink these foods before bedtime which contain tryptophan magnesium or serotonin that will relax the body and mind. Turkey, Cherries, Chamomile or Lemon Balm tea, Dark chocolate (yes, we did say chocolate but it must be the dark variety!)
3. Avoid blue light from mobile phones, tablets etc too close to bedtime as this stimulates the brain with artificial light and interferes with sleep inducing melatonin. (Please see blog below dated June 19th for more info on this).