Health Related Fitness Tips

Mineral foods for women (December 31^st)
A deficiency in mineral rich foods such as magnesium can lead to a lowered quality of sleep due to the alteration of electrical activity in the brain. Health studies in Britain have shown that 75% of women are not getting enough magnesium in their diet. Magnesium can be found in foods such as Brazil nuts, cashew nuts and almonds also tofu, jacket potatoes, prawns, spinach, sardines and oatcakes. Magnesium can also help stabilise monthly mood swings and other pre menstrual symptoms in women. Magnesium is a mineral and an average body contains 25g of it in the bones mainly as well as heart muscles and liver. It is important for the health of your bones and also helps regulate blood pressure.

Back pain (December 30^th)
A major cause of back pain in modern society is obesity with poor posture, weak stomach muscles and the lack of activity and excess weight can lead to the spine to be misaligned. Back pain can seriously impact on your life and reduce your quality of life, with interrupted sleep and restricted activity. Always lift carefully by bending your knees when you lift and if the object is too heavy get some assistance. Avoid the build up of muscle tension if you have a sedentary job and move around every half an hour and go for a walk outdoors at lunchtime to stimulate vitamin D production. Eating a wholesome diet that includes fish oils and carrots that contain high levels of calcium can help in with healthy joints and bone health.

Winter defence (December 29^th)
During the winter it is quite a challenge to build up a physical defence against colds and flu viruses and this can be achieved by exercising regularly despite the weather conditions and extra care has to be given to consuming food that contains plenty of vitamins. Vitamins come in 2 forms fat soluble & water soluble and by eating a varied amount of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis will ensure that you put up a good winter defence. Fat soluble vitamins include vitamin A, D and E and water soluble vitamins dissolve in water but cannot be stored so has to be consumed daily, vitamins such as vitamin B and C which can be found in wholemeal bread, green vegetables and citrus fruits.

Green travel (December 28^th)
If you are looking for a green form of travel and want to save money with the increasing price of petrol then cycling is for you. Not only will you improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone, reduce your body fat and raise your mood levels whilst reducing anxiety. By cycling to and from your work place you can maintain fitness, arrive at work more alert, help reduce congestion and reduce your levels of stress especially if you have a desk based sedentary job. It is important to remain safe whilst trying to reduce your carbon footprint so reflective gear so that you are very visible to car users, always wear a helmet whether off road or on and having a technical check up on your cycle regularly to ensure your brakes and lights are in good working order. Within Britain at present there are a number of salary sacrifice cycle schemes that enables employees to purchase cycles over a set period of time through there wages with a high discount, this is to encourage more cycling in an attempt to reduce congestion and get the nation fitter through cycling.

The sales (December 27^th)
If you are considering going out in the post Christmas shopping sales why not invest in your health, start looking for an important piece of health training equipment, a pair of reliable, supportive and well cushioned running shoes. No matter what type of exercise and training you regular do it is important to have training shoes that are individually fitted 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 trainer shoes. So get out there and choose the right pair of running shoes for you, we'd like to think you'll buy a pair of Brooks running shoes because we genuinely care about the needs of runners at all levels of the running community.

Fitness (December 26^th)
New research from the FIA (the UK's leading fitness trade body) has concluded that a New Year's Resolution to join a gym as part of a health related fitness commitment will last well beyond the following year. A recent survey of over 200,000 inactive people who were invited to exercise, showed there was just short of 45% that made a commitment to sustain their healthy lifestyle beyond the standard 6 week trial period. Separate research found that almost 85% of new gym users retained their membership for at least 6 months with over 65% for over 12 months. So if you are thinking of buying a loved one or a friend a Christmas or New Year present why not buy them a 2 month gym membership to get them started into a healthy lifestyle.

Christmas Day (December 25^th)
Try and exercise a little... but hey it's Christmas Day you can afford one day off, most people go for walk after a heavy Christmas dinner it is up to you. Some top athletes train on Christmas day just to prove they are dedicated to their training, which of course is a mental factor as part of their winter preparation.

Booze (December 24^th)
A recent survey carried out in the UK found that 3.8 million adults in England exercised to burn off the affects of alcohol and the survey also showed that 19% of adults that exercised regularly and drink alcohol admit to taking exercise or doing sport in order to 'make up' for having drunk a lot of alcohol in the previous few days. 1 in 5 adults English adults are drinking more than double the amount of alcohol units recommended by the NHS Nation Health Service. Whilst exercise is good for your health status it cannot make up for the damaging affects of regular excessive drinking of alcohol. There are currently 500 gyms in England promoting this serious health message and encouraging people to fill out drink diaries as part of a month long campaign.

Stop stress (December 23^rd)
In a modern lifestyle how do we reduce stress? Most often time has to be put aside to ensure that we don't get overstressed to the point of dysfunction, we need stress to exist and live and there are two types of stress, 'eustress' which is a positive stress that enables us to achieve more than we may normally believe we are capable. The other type of stress is 'distress' and can occur when there are considerable changes in our life that we may perceive as too difficult to cope with. Exercise is the most natural stress reliever due to the release of bio-chemicals in the brain that can reduce anxiety and increase your general mood, exercising in daylight can also lead to an increase in vitamin D and serotonin levels that creates a natural optimism. Taking some time for yourself during each day to do something that relaxes you can help redress the stress balance.

Hill running (December 22^nd)
If you are running regularly as part of your health related fitness program then get outdoors as much as possible, rather than staying in the gym on a running machine; there is no better way than getting fit than running over varied terrain. Don't be timid and avoid the hills they are there to be run and you should see them as challenges to you heart, lungs and muscles as they will find out your weaknesses mentally and physically. If you go out on a run try to see the hills as the part of the run where you push yourself and take your recovery on the downhill and on the flat sections of the run. This will be a kind of 'hill fartlek' (Swedish for speedplay) and don't be ashamed to walk and have a rest at the top of the hill and enjoy the scenery. You can also do hill intervals where you find a hill of a set distance, run up it and jog or walk down then repeat this a number of times, always make sure you are well warmed up before doing hill repetitions.

Essential foods (December 21^st)
Recent research has found that by consuming tomatoes regularly you can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 70% as they contain Lycopene that can reduce the blood clotting effect. Some foods contain essential health promoting minerals and vitamins such as oysters, whole grains, peas, lentils, nuts, crab, soya beans and dark chocolate which all contain copper. Copper is a non allergenic substance that is beneficial for healthy vision. Health experts believe that eating half an onion daily can reduce your risk of heart disease by a third as well as lessening your chance catching the common cold. Onions can also improve your skin health due to the high levels of sulphur and are also of benefit to digestive functioning. By combining the various types of plant based proteins you can ensure that you get sufficient protein requirement for the maintenance of muscle, mental alertness and everyday health.

Train steady (December 20^th)
If you do running training on a regular basis and want to maintain a high level of performance and fitness you may need to take a step back in your intensity and speed at times to avoid over use injuries and a loss of form. Always warm up before you train, start exercising very gradually at a low intensity to begin with so that your body can increase in temperature and start working more efficiently. Always make sure you have the correct sports shoes that will cushion and support you and reduce the impact of your body weight landing on the ground especially when running at full speed. At the end of each session you should always cool down by reducing your intensity and make sure you don't become cold, so that you can gently stretch your working muscles whilst they are still warm and always keep well hydrated as soon after exercise as possible to sustain good health and also recover as quickly as possible.

Systematic training (December 19^th)
Training to reach a physical and sporting peak can often only be achieved by systematic training that is programmed over a long period of time and requires periods of training that starts with a base conditioning phase. Often Olympic athletes plan 4 years in advance to reach their final goal and this has to be systematically planned with sufficient recovery phases to enable the physiological adaptation process to take place. This is where the body adapts to the extra systematic physical stress and then moves on to a higher level of fitness. A basic level of training for a person wanting to improve and prepare for a sporting event relies on fitness, general health and a structured long term schedule of training that can bring you to a physical peak at the right time.

Endurance running (December 18^th)
If you are in training for an endurance running event at some point in the future it is crucial to actually cover close to the distance a number of times during the event build up. Completing runs of over 90 minutes of duration will help ensure that your body is prepared to run after the muscle glycogen levels have depleted and then has to use free fatty acids as an energy source. In the Marathon this is called 'hitting the wall' and is the point in the race where the performance level drops dramatically. Training at faster and shorter distances can also help with the efficiency of your body to perform endurance activity and running set distances for longer than 20 minutes at 85% intensity of your maximum will greatly improve your aerobic abilities.

Fresh fruit & vegetables (December 17^th)
When you exercise rigorously waste products are produced in your body called 'free radicals' that can damage proteins, cells and DNA and by consuming fresh fruit and vegetables you can reduce the damaging effect on your body. Fresh fruit and vegetables such as carrots, peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits which contain antioxidant rich foods as well as Vitamin C which is essential for maintaining natural immunity, skin health and can assist in the artery walls staying elastic and durable. Orange juice can boost (H.D.L.) High Density Lipoprotein within the body, which is the positive cholesterol and also can provide a short term energy release from fructose which is a natural fruit sugar that overrides the insulin response.

Run injury free (December 16^th)
A sure way of sustaining your fitness levels through running is to remain injury free as much as possible. It is important to regularly change your running shoes before they become worn down and leave you susceptible to possible injury. By taking time to research the type of running shoes that have sufficient support and cushioning especially if you run on hard surfaces you can avoid the frustration of being injured and inactive. Pain is an indicator of over use or incorrect bio mechanics of your foot placement, knees, tendons, hips and lower back soreness may suggest that it is time to get a new pair of trainers. Most good running shoe retailers will be able to advice you on the best type of running shoe for your individual running action. Running on soft and varied surfaces will also reduce the risk of injury and it is important to warm up and start slowly at the beginning of all runs.

Winter drinking (December 15^th)
During the winter months it is still essential that you remain hydrated throughout the day especially if you are in physical training on a regular basis. By drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day you can maintain health related fitness levels and if you train hard then it is important to drink more to sustain exercise intensity levels and also to help with the concentration for everyday life. If you lose 2% of your body weight in sweat you can lose a fifth of your physical ability to perform endurance exercise and put your heart under unnecessary stress. So by drinking before, during and after exercise you can ensure that your body is well hydrated throughout the day and also at night too because by being properly hydrated at bedtime can actually lead to a higher quality of sleep.

Winter energy fuel (December 14^th)
If you are intending to maintain an endurance based training program over a long period of time it is essential that you consume the right amount and right type of energy fuel that will assist in speeding up recovery time. The right energy fuel will enable you to train for longer durations of time so that your body can adapt to demands you put on it. Complex carbohydrates are ideal endurance fuel and have a slower longer lasting energy release and also contain essential vitamins and minerals important for the release of energy within your body. Whole-meal pasta, bread and rice are ideal for serious endurance athletes as they contain vitamin B which is also a catalyst for an effective energy release. Endurance exercise is dependent on proper hydration so ensuring that you drink enough during, before and immediately following exhaustive exercise will help maintain your winter energy levels.

Target setting (December 13^th)
The first stage of health related fitness target setting is to actually set what target you want to actually achieve and of course this has to initially be a realistic target, so once the target is set at some point in the future you need to retrace your steps as to how you will achieve your goal. The first step is action to overcome the inertia (reluctance to change), so it needs one big push a step into something different from the lethargy that may have been part of your lifestyle. This means getting outside of your regular comfort zone and requires a level of will power to create a positive habit and this usually takes about 21 days (3 weeks). After that it involves a day to day discipline to maintain the initial push, even international athletes have to self motivate themselves to train everyday, so don't wait for the motivation to start create it yourself.

Reduce your salt intake (December 12^th)
If you eat a lot of processed and packaged foods as part of your daily diet it is very difficult to avoid salt. Sodium that is present in salt increases the risk of high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease it is therefore preferable to season your food with natural herbs and spices rather than using salt. It is important to read the food labels if you are trying to reduce your salt consumption. Most people are aware that too much salt can be detrimental to your health and it is best to keep your consumption to 6g of salt or less per day. Also keeping well hydrated throughout the day with plenty of water, 6 to 8 glasses a day can reduce the effect of salt in the body.

Sea side food (December 11^th)
Traditional seaside food in Britain 'Fish and Chips', might at first be perceived as unhealthy however chips are carbohydrates, excellent for endurance fuel and fish is a fantastic source of vitamin D and EFAs essential fatty acids. By eating fish as part of your regular diet you can not only improve your bone health, reduce your heart disease risk and can also help you offset depression. Studies carried out in North America showed that participants that had a Mediterranean diet reduced their risk of heart disease and therefore prolonged their life duration. Eating fish and being active can reduce levels of depression so consuming EFAs essential fatty acids found in oily fish, avocados and nuts can greatly enhance your health status.

Group calisthenics (December 10^th)
Training as part of a group is an excellent way to work the whole of your body, to challenge your heart and lungs and to sustain your motivation. A coach will set up a number of set exercise stages within a sports hall or outdoor area where you do a different exercise for a certain amount of time (30-60 seconds) such as press ups, fast shadow boxing, sit ups, star jumping, skipping or running on the spot. Once you perform the exercise then you move on to the next stage whilst taking a short recovery, usually a coach or fitness instructor organizes a group training session like this by timing reps to determine the recovery and work duration. This type of training is very good because everyone can individually improve their fitness over time whilst training as part of a mixed ability group.

Lightly cook vegetables (December 9^th)
When cooking your vegetables always try to cook them as lightly as possible to maximize the nutrient value. The nutrients found within fresh vegetables can be lost if you microwave the food, 95% of antioxidants found in broccoli can be lost by this method of cooking. If you over boil vegetables there can be a reduction of flavanoid levels, so it is important to only cook vegetables for a short amount of time so that they remain slightly crispy and so the nutritional value can be maintained by keeping the outer skin, especially in potatoes and apples. The fibre content found in vegetables assists in intestinal functions.

Cycle fit (December 8^th)
Cycling is a fantastic form of health related fitness exercise as it can tone and strengthen muscles in the legs, lower back and buttocks. Regular endurance cycling over varying terrain and for longer than an hour a day can greatly assist with the reduction of your body fat without the punishing jarring of jogging especially as you get older and the big thigh muscles in the upper legs work hard to pump large amounts of oxygenated blood to the lower chambers of the heart so challenging the heart muscle to work harder to push the blood up and around the body. Cycling also enables the joints in the legs to move freely and can help offset the effects of arthritis and joint related problems.

Health sleep (December 7^th)
If you want to maintain your health status over time it is important to have right amount of sleep regularly. Recent North American research on sleep carried out in the USA showed that by only sleeping 4 hours a night for a week destabilizes the hormone levels in your body as well as restricting the body's ability to absorb carbohydrates. This further causes a reduction in energy levels and an increase in calorie consumption so can over time lead to an increase in body fat and the risk of heart disease. Deprivation of sleep can age you, hinder your ability to concentrate and reduce your capacity to perform endurance based exercise. So by ensuring that you sleep between 7 to 8 hours sleep every night you will feel younger and will give you more energy as well as maintaining your mental well being.

Double up (December 6^th)
When you need to increase your training loads so that your body will adapt more effectively, try and train twice a day until you are able to deal with the extra exercise. Some research has suggested that an effective way of reducing body fat percentage is by exercising twice a day as you can boost your metabolic rate throughout the day therefore enabling you to burn more calories even when at rest. Exercise in the morning can also elevate your energy levels and make you more alert throughout the day. Increasing the intensity of your individual exercise sessions will not only reduce your body fat but also improve your ability to perform higher levels of exercise and therefore further reduce your body fat percentage.

None active illness (December 5^th)
A lack of exercise is classed as a heart disease risk factor and some health experts believe that not exercising is as harmful as smoking 10 cigarettes a day. A lack of exercise can lead to hypokinetic diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and osteoporosis. Cardiovascular disease affects more than 2.5 million people per year in Britain and is one of the major causes of death from factors such as a lack of activity, obesity, smoking and stress. You are at risk of heart disease if you are 11lbs/5kg in excess of your ideal weight, so get active daily and try to eat less processed foods.

Healthy life habits (December 4^th)
One of the good things about regular exercise is that once you have got over the initial stage of doing something different the exercise becomes habitual physically as well as from a time management perspective. Changing what you do for a more positive conclusion may not always be easy but to change successfully you need to think what change is needed and plan what it will involve. Having a long term and short term aim can help you motivate yourself when you are tired and this is why exercise becoming positive habit can help you sustain your health status over time. Remaining positive about your long term aim even if at times it may seem you are not making progress success can sometimes be measured by the fact that you are actually sticking with the program.

Step out (December 3^rd)
A very popular form of health related training is the use of a pedometer to measure the number of actual steps you take each day. This encourages you to walk and move more than you may normally and recording the amount of steps can help motivate you to maintaining step targets daily that can greatly make a difference to your ongoing health status. The recommended target is 10,000 steps a day that will hopefully encourage you to do more or different types of exercise and eat more healthily. Try to gradually increase the amount you walk each day or walk faster to burn off more calories. Walking is an excellent form of exercise for all ages and not only tones and strengthens muscles but also increases your bone density and can improve your mental wellness too.

Daily calorie consumption (December 2^nd)
An average man needs to consume approximately 2,500 calories daily and the average woman should consume 2,000 calories to maintain the same weight. Eating too many processed foods that contain empty calories, simple sugars and fats can often overload your body and can lead to an increase in body fat and possible obesity. By burning off more calories from rigorous daily exercise and avoiding high sugary drinks you can offset the calorie balance towards a more favourable health status. By eating high fibre and natural based foods such as fish, vegetables, fruit and meats your body will take longer to absorb the foods and help maintain the proper functioning of your body's digestive system.

Farlek running (December 1^st)
Fartlek is an abbreviation of a Swedish word meaning 'speed play' and fartlek running is freestyle of running training that enables the runner to experience different speeds and intensity during a training session. Fartlek running can often simulate race conditions where a varied pace is often expected especially in a very competitive setting. By changing your running speed levels you can challenge your cardiovascular, muscles and bones to achieve a higher level of all round fitness for all sports. Often athletes are encouraged to do farlek training over different challenging terrain to make the most of the natural elements such as sand and grass surfaces and hills, which is also of course ideal preparation for cross-country running at this time of year, it is however important that you wear running/training shoes that have sufficient under soul grip for safety purposes.