Health Related Fitness Tips

Smoking cessation (November 30^th)
If you are a smoker and you have made the sensible decision to quit then there are a number of proven methods to help you cope with the challenging process. Nicotine patches and gum can help with the nicotine cravings and behavioural counselling can identify strategies to avoid situations when you had previously smoked. Avoiding the usual routine of where you normally buy your cigarettes is a good positive intervention for change. Your local health centre has lots of effective methods to help with the cessation process and increasing your activity levels can greatly enhance your chances of success.

Hangover (November 29^th)
Obviously the first thing to say is that excessive or binge drinking of alcohol can be extremely damaging to your short and long term health, however having said that we are subject to the social pressures of drinking alcohol on various occasions and you may suffer a hangover the next day. It is far better to try and avoid hangovers by hydrating well prior to a night out and if you do get a hangover you need to get your fluid levels high again. By drinking sugar based drinks to help raise your lowered blood levels and eating bananas to boost potassium levels. Also getting outdoors and exercising will help you to remove the toxins from your body and to burn off any excess calories consumed the night before.

Upper leg strength (November 28^th)
Cycling is an excellent form of exercise for building up the strength of the upper leg and resistance training with weights is also an excellent form of strength training for the large muscle groups of the leg. A good form of resistance exercise is squats that involves the bending of the legs whilst supporting a heavy weight on your shoulders with your heals firmly on the ground and dropping your backside towards the ground so that the weight is taken on the legs. The knees should not go beyond 90% as this will cause excessive and possible damage to the knees and you should keep your back straight. It is important to get proper instruction prior to performing this exercise and always try to work with a training partner in case the weight if it becomes too much.

Fish fit (November 27^th)
It seems to be a common fact that people who live along the Mediterranean shores of Europe live longer due to their diet of oily fish, whole grains and green leafy vegetables. Studies carried out by Harvard School of Medical Health in the USA have found that men who ate a Mediterranean diet were 50% less likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than others who ate a diet of processed foods and red meats. So eating oily fish is not only good for your arteries, joints and heart but it is also beneficial to your lung health too. Fish contains numerous mineral and vitamins as well as being a fat free protein option. White fish such as haddock, plaice, whiting, cod, lemon sole and sea bass contains a mineral selenium (which is an antioxidant important for the health of the heart) and also contains vitamin B12 which is vital for the production of healthy blood vessels.

Winter stress reduction (November 26^th)
An English health study found that 90% of the participants with low level depression increased their levels of self esteem and mood by walking 30 minutes in the countryside. Incidental exercise like walking to work or the shops or gardening can have a very positive affect especially if you are outside in the daylight, exposure to a minimum of 20 minutes a day of daylight can increase the vitamin D production within your body. Any type of formal or informal exercise will reduce the affects of stress and anxiety due to mood enhancing bio chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin that leave you feeling happier and with more energy. Exercising with other people collectively can not only help you sustain your motivation levels but can be more fun due to the social interaction.

Strength training (November 25^th)
The use of weights or resistance training machines as part of an overall body fitness program can have surprisingly positive results. A fitness study in the USA has shown that weight training can increase your metabolic rate by increasing muscle mass and also a trained muscle burns more calories than fat and the activity of lifting weights itself expends energy during and after the exercise and as a result can burn up to 15% more calories per day. Resistance weight training can increase the bone density, tone muscles and improve posture. It is important to get the correct technique from a trained instructor to avoid injury and to remain safe as an incorrect style can cause joint and muscle pain. Weight training with a regular training partner can not only motivate you but also help when lifting heavy weights and identifying good lifting technique.

Fruit (November 24^th)
During the winter it is important to eat plenty of fruit even though it may not be your immediate choice because of the essential fruit and minerals contained within natural fruit. The skin of pears and apples are excellent natural fibre to maintain intestinal health. Pears also contain pectin which can assist in eliminating cholesterol. Apples contain high levels of Leptin which assist in mobilizing fats cells and reduce fat storage under the skin. One pear contains 11% of your body's daily vitamin C intake. Vitamin C is essential for boosting the immune system, healthy skin and the health of artery walls. Apples contain D-glucarate which is believed to have anti cancer qualities, the fructose (fruit sugar) contained in apples is also good for a quick energy snack. Natural fruit or vegetable drinks are also an excellent way to absorb immune boosting nutrients.

Eat less (November 23^rd)
If you are on a weight controlled diet there is lots of commercial pressure to eat certain manufactured foods that will miraculously assist you in looking as thin as the airbrushed model in the advertisement. However even though the nutritional quality of your food is important it is also prudent to eat less in terms of the size of your portions of certain foods ie high portions of foods such as fresh salads and vegetables and lower portions of starchy and saturated fat based foods. You are less likely over eat at meal times if you have a smaller plate, watching the amount and what you eat is essential for maintaining a healthy body weight. Healthy fats found in nuts, oily fish, olives and avocados are excellent for health, vitality and energy. Drinking water with your meal will help fill you up sooner especially if there is a lot of fibre in the meal.

Boost your immunity (November 22^nd)
At this time of year there are a number of ways to boost your immunity to cold and flu viruses some dietary and some related to sensible activity options. You can increase your immunity by remaining regularly active throughout the winter without over training. Garlic, tomatoes, citrus fruit, green vegetables and onions are excellent food sources to help boost your immunity levels. Foods that contain zinc such as red meats, chicken, fortified cereals, crab, green vegetables and nuts can greatly support your body's ability to offset winter viruses. If you are regularly exercising it is important to have recovery days to enable your iron levels to be maintained as deficiency can cause fatigue and possible anaemia.

Keep warm (November 21^st)
If you suffer from arthritis or joint pain always try and keep your joints warm either by clothing or activity. Regular low-impact exercise in the form of walking on soft surfaces or cushioned supportive shoes on harder surfaces is beneficial to keep joints healthy. Regularly consume food or supplements that contain vitamins A, C and E as well as the mineral selenium. The supplement Glucosamine is often recommended and it is important to keep the joints warm to maintain blood flow around the joints. A varied balanced diet of oily fish, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as taking care to reduce animal fat intake will help maintain a lower body weight. 350,000 people within the UK suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and it is most common with people aged between the 30-50 age group and affects 3 times as many women as men. Remember keep warm and active.

Benefits of hiking (November 20^th)
There are plenty of health benefits from regularly walking long distances over varying terrain in all weathers not just fair weather conditions, so at this time of year it is important to wrap up in warm and rain proof clothing so that you can exercise as you would in the summer. Obviously though caution needs to be taken in extreme weather conditions, especially if the ground is icy and unsafe. Walking over varied terrain can challenge your cardiovascular system and increase your leg strength. Walking in daylight can stimulate the production of vitamin D which can again improve your bone health. Remember to always drink fluids regularly to hydrate don't wait until you are thirsty to start drinking and if you are hiking alone always tell someone beforehand your proposed route and when you expect to get back.

Immunity & health (November 19^th)
Remaining healthy and immune from illness during the winter months is often dependant on a varied diet of fresh vegetables and fruit. Tomatoes is a flowering fruit and may have a higher nutrition value in the summer than the winter however it can still have a substantial effect on maintaining your good health during the winter. Tomatoes contain an antioxidant called lycopene which is believed to have cancer preventing qualities and Australian research has shown that the consumption of tomatoes can help reduce the risk of blood clotting and other research suggests that heart disease risk can be reduced by as much as 70%.

Excessive fatigue (November 18^th)
There can be a number of causes of excessive fatigue or over tiredness which can greatly hinder the quality of your daily life and your overall ability to be generally active. A lack of good quality sleep can not only greatly reduce your energy levels, increase your calorie consumption but also negatively affect your mental wellbeing and mood. Over exercising can also manifest itself with chronic fatigue to the point where some athletes can become very ill and experience excessive fatigue, muscle pain and stiffness. Depression can be another causal factor of chronic fatigue and if the fatigue continues over a long period of time you should seek medical advice to find out the underlying cause.

Muscle mass (November 17^th)
If it is your intention to maintain or increase your muscle mass it is essential to eat sufficient protein in your diet in small amounts consistently during the day by eating protein at every mealtime. Eating plenty of complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole-meal bread, potatoes and whole-meal pasta will enable you to have enough consistent energy to exercise to a higher level of loading and intensity. Weight bearing and resistance training will challenge your muscles enough to ensure that you maintain muscle mass and performing maximum weight training exercises will increase muscle bulk as long as it is part of a gradually increasing fweight loading program. You must however plan in sufficient recovery to enable muscle growth and repair and eating a little and often throughout the day as well as keeping hydrated will enable you to sustain your muscle bulk and therefore help you offset an increase in body fat.

Winter health (November 16^th)
What can you do to ensure that you maintain good all round health in the winter? Firstly you have to vary your diet as much as possible and even though the temptation when it is cold outside is to eat more starchy and filling foods, it is important to have plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and salads. Eating fish throughout the winter will help with the maintaining your vitamin D levels which are essential for raising your mood levels as well as your joint and bone health, exercising outdoors in daylight can also stimulate vitamin D levels in the body too. Regularly consuming EFAs Essential Fatty Acids founding nuts, mackerel, sardines and avocados will also ensure a solid level of health and general immunity. Try and remain as active in the winter as you are in the summer regardless of the cold and wet weather.

Ski-ing fitness (November 15^th)
If you are planning to go on a ski-ing holiday this winter and you want to get fit before you go then there is a number areas of your conditioning fitness that you need to concentrate on. Your upper leg strength is essential so doing resistance training such as leg press exercises will ensure your thigh and buttock muscles are prepared for long periods of ski-ing on the slopes all day. Rowing is an excellent exercise to ensure that you also maintain the strength and flexibility of the upper leg as well as your local muscular endurance. Sit ups and exercises involving your core strength and flexibility will help with the constant hip and lower abdominal twisting whilst ski-ing. More specific training such as actually ski-ing either at a snow dome facility or a dry ski slope prior to going on holiday will help with the final preparations and of course regular endurance training such as cycling will assist preparing for the maintenance of energy levels especially ski-ing at high altitude ski resorts. Don't forget to pack your sun screen.

Recovery (November 14^th)
If you are committed to training regularly for a higher level of health related fitness or athletic performance you have to consider the need for the body to rest and recuperate. This is achieved by scheduling in active and absolute recovery days as part of the training program, with top class athletes needing 1 full day recovery per week and recreation exercisers having 2 to 3 days recovery spread out evenly during the week. Rest enables your body to repair and ready itself for the challenge of hard physical work. Signs of over training are irritability, excessive tiredness, inability to recover, inability to sleep properly and in some cases sore muscles. Active recovery can often be moderate or a low level or different type of training from your usual form of exercise.

Positive minerals (November 13^th)
The trace minerals found in various foods that we consume can improve our general health status especially during the winter months. Health studies carried out in the USA have shown very positive links with foods that contain minerals such as zinc, copper and selenium and a higher resistance to serious illnesses. Antioxidants found in fresh fruit and vegetables contain phytochemicals which also increase the resistance to life threatening diseases. British studies have shown that 75% of women are deficient in magnesium in their everyday diet and magnesium is essential for bone health, mental wellness and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium is found in foods such as tofu, almonds, jacket potatoes, prawns, spinach and sardines.

Health habits (November 12^th)
Learning to be habitually healthy over time involves the repetition of positive healthy habits in your everyday life, from an accumulation of healthy food and exercise choices. Endurance and stamina based exercise often becomes habitual for a number of reasons, one being the release of positive endorphins which is a biochemical release in the brain that can elevate your mood and reduce anxiety. Health studies carried out at Boston University reveal that there is a 30% reduction of heart disease by drinking tea on a regular basis. The research recommends that the consumption of four cups of tea during a day can have a positive physical affect on your health. It is believed that regular afternoon naps can reduce your blood pressure and the reduction of your regular salt intake can help avoid long term circulatory problems.

Risk reduction food (November 11^th)
By eating foods that contain little or no salt can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease or strokes, most processed foods contain higher levels of salt that can long term be harmful to your health. Foods that contain vitamin C such as berries, citrus fruits and green vegetables, are very good for your circulation and the elasticity of the blood vessels. Eating fish at least three portions a week with one being oily fish can help with a positive blood profile and exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes for five times a week will help with maintaining good general health, however if you are looking to reduce your fat levels you may need to exercise longer or harder to achieve that and in particular move away from packaged/processed foods.

Safe cycling (November 10^th)
Cycling is a fantastic form of exercise for all ages due to the fact that it is a reduced impact endurance-based exercise that caters for individuals at all levels of exercise intensity. It is however essential that all cyclists adhere to the standard safety recommendations being to remain healthy and safe, with one of the main cycle safety measures being to be clearly seen by motorists at all times day or night. Cycling lights fitted to your bike or yourself is important for ensuring maximum visibility for other road users and you should always wear a well fitting cycle helmet when you are cycling on road or off. Having your bike checked annually by a cycle mechanic or technician will ensure that your bike works as well as you want it to. Cycling is like any form of exercise you must always warm up first or cycle very slowly to begin with so that your body can adapt to the sudden change from being static.

Winter nutrition (November 9^th)
During the winter months it is important to put a strong emphasis on good nutrition to resist cold viruses and maintain good health. North American health related studies have shown positive links with consuming foods that contain trace minerals such as selenium, copper and zinc with a strong resistance to life threatening diseases. Antioxidants found in vegetables and fruit contain phytochemicals which can also protect against illness with the protective qualities of trace minerals were found to be effective for everyone. Zinc is believed to reduce the actual duration of the common cold as well alleviating upper respiratory congestion, in general good food means good health.

Spring marathon (November 8^th)
If you are considering participating in a spring marathon then you need to start preparing now, don't wait until your New Year resolutions. Try and find a training partner who is at a similar level of fitness as yourself and who has the same aims as you, this will enable you to be more consistent in your regular training. By having a training partner you can motivate each other to train when you don't feel like it especially during the winter months when the weather is not always favourable for running, however a famous running coach/trainer once said that there is no such thing as bad weather only soft/weak athletes! So take on the challenge and get consistently training even when it is raining, with suitable apparel (rain gear) on of course.

Improve fitness (November 7^th)
To improve your basic fitness level or physical sports performance you have to overtime gradually and systematically increase the physiological stress on your body, this is known as 'overload' and it enables your body adapt to a higher level of performance. In order for your body to adapt to the positive physical changes you have to schedule in balanced recovery phases, either active recovery or complete rest. A long term fitness and exercise program with evenly scheduled increments will ensure that you get fitter and by being patient you are less likely to get over use injuries and more likely to perform to your best ability at that time.

Fluid loss (November 6^th)
Throughout your every day life you lose fluid from your body in a number of different ways. When you exhale during exercise and also through the sweating process and the more you exercise the more you sweat, if you lose only 2% of your body weight in sweat as a result of intense exercise you can have a dramatic reduction of 20% in your ability to perform aerobic exercise. By keeping properly hydrated during the day before and after exercise you will maintain your blood fluid levels and so offset fatigue and take the strain off your circulatory system. By drinking electrolyte and carbohydrate sport drinks within 45 minutes of completing exercise you can greatly reduce your recovery time before you exercise again.

Orange Juice (November 5^th)
Recent health research states that something as simple as drinking a medium glass of fresh orange juice at every meal time (3 times a day) can greatly reduce your risk of a stroke and a heart attack. Orange juice contains high levels of vitamin C which is essential for maintaining natural immunity, skin health and also assists the artery walls to stay strong and elastic. Orange juice can also boost your HDL High Density Lipoprotein which is a positive cholesterol and can also provide a short term stable energy release due to the fruit sugar called fructose. Vitamin C found in orange juice is also present in bananas, cherries, berries, broccoli, avocados and most citrus fruits.

Training Shoes (November 4^th)
No matter what type of exercise and training you regular do it is important to have training shoes that are individually fit for purpose. If you are regularly running as part of an exercise fitness program, you could be risking injury if your running shoes are too worn out. It is important that you have plenty of support and cushioning from your running shoe, especially if you train on hard surfaces. Early indicators such as shin pain, knee and tendon soreness may suggest that it is time to get a new pair of training shoes. Exercising on soft and varied surfaces can also reduce the risk of injury and it is important to warm up and start training very slow to begin with. It is important to regularly change your training shoes before they stop supporting you so visit a specialist running equipment shop for advice on the correct training shoe for you.

Healthy joints (November 3^rd)
A common misplaced myth in health terms is that doing sport and exercise over a long period of years can wear down and damage your joints, where in actual fact the opposite is true. By regularly exercising you can protect the long term health of your joints which will also strengthen tendons and muscles that help keep joints in place. Joint health can often be compromised by a lack of use and damage can sometimes occur due to using the joint in an inappropriate way. Poor technique and style can lead to joint misuse and injury, incorrect seating and poor posture especially for long periods of time in the work place, can create pain and injury even something as basic as the incorrect height of a bicycle saddle can cause knee, lower back and joint problems.

Rejuvenate (November 2^nd)
If you have what you perceive to be a hectic lifestyle it is important to stop from time to time, either systematically on a short term basis or as part of a long term consideration. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' whether you lead a sedentary, mentally stressful life or you exercise regularly as part of an active lifestyle, you have to stop and recover in order to rejuvenate your vigour and energy (mental & physical). A health study in Japan showed that by taking a rest of 20 minutes during a long endurance run could actually benefit you more than if you tried to push through to an exhaustive conclusion. Planning recovery or holiday breaks as part of your everyday existence is not only nice but also absolutely necessary to your physical, emotional and mental wellness.

No quick fixes (November 1^st)
There are no quick fixes to ensuring that you maintain your health status, however there are times where you need to make drastic changes to kick start long term health habits. It is sometimes important to take control and refresh your health by reducing toxins and this can be done by reducing the foods that can generate toxins in your body. By reducing your consumption of fizzy drinks, coffee, alcohol and replacing them with water (aprox' 2 litres per day) or green herbal teas you can over a period of 14 days lower the toxin levels in your body. By also avoiding meat during this time and eating more bananas, kiwi fruit, oranges and berries along with vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, beetroot, tomatoes and peppers you can ensure your immediate energy levels are increased and hopefully move towards a more health stable lifestyle.