726f9a5e

Case Study: How taking the tortoise approach will help lose unwanted pounds and keep them off

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 17:15:45 GMT

Introduction:

8 months ago, I was contacted by a lady as follows:

“I'm looking to find a suitable trainer for my best friend and husba nd who live locally in Reigate and are both new to exercise in their 40s, needing to lose weight, change their lifestyle and kickstart their fitness journeys. They would like to train as a couple as they have the same goals (weight loss, injury prevention, both totally new to any kind of exercise, need to protect dodgy knees).

The lady turned out to be a very good friend of clients C and A who I subsequently contacted, and we went from there.

1. Goal Setting:

I then met with C and A over a coffee to confirm their goals. Which were both to get to a healthy weight, then maintain that, build strength, gain some gym confidence, increase their energy levels, and to get a fitness habit going.

Their most significant goal was the realisation that they needed improve their health so they could be around for their kids.

2. Assessment:

To get started, I asked some more questions on their fitness background, lifestyle and nutrition habits.

C use to do ballet as a child, and A has played rugby and football, and has had knee problems from two ACL injuries on the same leg, resulting in surgery.

I took some basic measurements using body composition scales to set a baseline.

I then completed a functional movement assessment in the gym, that use for all my new clients. Using Cook and Burtons Functional Movement Screen.

This captures seven key fundamental movement tests that require a balance of mobility and stability. This is to observe their ability to perform basic mobility and stability movements by placing clients in positions were weakness, imbalances, limitations can be determined.

3. Training Plan:

Fr om their assessment I designed their training program, phase 1 being to build a solid fitness foundation.

We started with one in person strength and conditioning training session per week, starting with mobility work, then exercises to strengthen the full body, including core specific exercises, plus conditioning work (Including interval training) to improve cardiovascular health and power. Finishing with static stretching to improve their flexibility.

The style of training was functional fitness that supports and mimics everyday life. It includes movements such as pushing, pulling, bending, squatting, twisting, reaching, lunging, and core.

From phase 1, I continued to progress their program from a mixture of body weight exercises and free weights e.g. dumbbells, kettlebells, to where we are today and now comfortably using barbells.

My training plans have a strong emphasis on progression, good form, and technique to ensure the client is safe and doesn’t encounter unnecessary soreness or worse injury.

4. Nutrition and lifestyle Plan:

I provided a self-learning healthy lifestyle course. Comprised of four phases as below. The emphasis on eating a balanced healthy diet, taking an overall pragmatic approach, and in addition ensuring other key factors e.g. including daily movement, sufficient sleep, and water consumption.

Phase 1: Calories and Tracking

Phase 2: Nutritional Balance

Phase 3: Good and bad Food?

Phase 4: Movement, Sleep & Water

I provided both C and A with daily calorie targets calculated based on their basal metabolic rate and average exercise activity, and finally a sensible calorie deficit. In addition, I also calculated a daily protein target.

They used the user-friendly App. Nutracheck to help track calories. The emphasis being to reward good behaviour.

In addition, C worked on her cardio fitness in spin classes and my run strong couch to 5k program. A worked on increasing his daily movement, patiently listening to me constantly talking about steps!

5. Implementation:

I modified the program at the beginning to minimise the impact and stress on A’s knee, so for the lower body less squatting and lunging movements and more focus on hinge movements.

My training sessions are based on 6-week cycles to ensure consistency and progress with the exercise. Then training sessions were updated based on their progress and my ongoing movement assessments during a session.

Client feedback from regular reviews to discuss goals and progress was built into each training cycle e.g. both asked to go a bit heavier with their weights, which is feedback I love to hear, as its not me pushing the client, there pushing themselves.

6. Monitoring and Progress Tracking:

I track the weekly training metrics such as sets, reps, weight, and time, to ensure gradual progression.

We measured weight every 2 weeks, informally, and not obsessively to track progress.

We discussed, defined, and tracked habits in our regular catch ups outside of the gym.

7. Challenges and Solutions:

Time challenges were what you would expect for a busy professional couple with two children to care for.

Personal Training is a partnership and collaboration between personal trainer and client, and flexibility on both sides ensured consistent training.

Life events presented a challenge, for example during the Christmas period exercise and calorie counting was slightly put on hold, resulting in a slight increase in weight. I was not concerned about this at all and was pleased that they both relaxed with their family and enjoyed Christmas. Straight after this they had the discipline to get back on track.

8. Results:

Results have been incredible!

Both C and A are getting stronger and fitter every week. They’re now very comfortably performing advanced exercises.

A’s strength has improved considerably, performing exercises with excellent form with barbells.

He’s considerably more flexible, and his cardiovascular ability has gone from very out of breath to easily performing a 1000m row in under 5 mins. Consequently, he has much more energy in and out of the gym.

C, like A has improved considerably in all areas of strength, flexibility, and cardio. She has fully embraced the exercise habit, as well as our sessions she attends spin and yoga classes, and is very confident in the gym. She also finds a notable difference in managing stress and sleeping much better than before she started.

I’ve left weight loss to last because this is the positive side effect of a healthy fitness program. But it’s been amazing, A has lost 20kg and C 9kg . The below graphs shows how they have lost weight slowly but consistently over time.

Taking this long-term approach means habits are fully formed, and are sustainable.

9. Client Feedback:

How do you feel now after training with me and what results have you achieved?

C: “I feel considerably stronger, my body feels toned, I have much more energy, not tired like I used to be, I feel good!

A:”I feel much stronger, I’m really pleased that I’ve lost so much weight, I have more energy and I’m not constantly tired, and eating less sugar has meant I don’t have energy slumps any more. C also added that A looks so different and is almost unrecognisable to when he started training!

What has been key to losing weight?

Both: Having a realistic and achievable calorie target. As opposed to a very low-calorie target that would be hard to stick to and result in less energy for both specific and incidental exercise.

C: As a busy professional and Mum a key challenge was stress triggering reactive unhealthy eating. C used mindfulness techniques to make swap comfort food for healthier choices or e.g. drink a glass of water instead.

A: A key factor for A was using calorie tracking positively to know when to stop if he was near to exceeding his calorie target. I emphasized positive so calorie tracking doesn’t become an obsession or a stick and a source of unhappiness.

What part of my PT service have really helped you?

Having a structured, progressive personal training program, that’s fun, plus accountability to ensure consistency.

The healthy lifestyle course has been great to create new healthy habits and as a reminder to implement existing nutrition knowledge.

Taking a slow approach to weight loss, that is achievable and hasn’t resulted in us being unhappy at the same time! The Nutracheck tracking App. has been really useful. Informal weight check ins have helped to stay on track.

Conclusion:

The progress both have made has been amazing, the challenge now is to maintain their positive lifestyle habits and fitness (strength and cardio) gains long term.

Sustainable long term weight loss is achievable by firstly sticking to an achievable calorie deficit in combination with a healthy but pragmatic diet, that doesn’t have to make you miserable!

In combination with daily movement, strength and conditioning training to increase muscle and strength, and cardio exercise both intervals and steady pace.

This shows that if you play the long game by making gradual lifestyle changes, achieving good health and fitness can be maintained for life. This is more effective, than trying to rush getting fit and losing weight quickly, which will often lead to boredom and giving up. Also a high likelihood that there might be a rebound effect such as weight gain.

As a personal trainer I provide the training expertise, structure, nutritional guidance, and added motivation to facilitate the change.

However, none of this makes any difference unless the client is fully committed, takes ownership, has a positive mindset, and is consistent every day like C and A. Also the general acceptance that making change isn't going to be easy.

lastly, as a life lesson is shows the importance of having good friends who care for you and look out for you!

References:

Burton, L., and G. Cook. 2015. Functional Movement Systems FMS level one manual.

Little, Matt 2021. The Way of the Tortoise: Why You Have to Take the Slow Lane to Get Ahead.

The infamous 2021 35th edition of the Marathon des Sables - a completers perspective

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 16:55:11 GMT

Introduction

It’s been almost a year since the infamous 35th edition of the MdS. So, I thought it would be timely, now the sand has settled, to give my perspective on the race challenges, my experience as a completer, what got me to the finish, why I loved every minute, and how for me it was life changing.

The notorious MDS 35th Edition!

Every edition of the MdS is special and has its own unique challenges, anyone that completes is amazing. It takes months of research, training, planning, organisation. You invest a lot financially to take part, so the cost barriers prevent a lot of people from taking part.

However, once you’re in, the Mds is a great leveller! It counts for nothing what you’ve paid, you can have the best kit, hire a coach, sit in a heat chamber for 6 months, have the most expensive watch, but no one can do it for you, and when shit happens, you’re on your own. On the 35th edition this was never more apparent!

October 2021 was unique in that due to COVID the event was scheduled and then subsequently cancelled three times before it eventually took place in October. Prior to this many dropped out rescheduling or requesting refunds. I trained four times in all for the event, so when I got to Morocco in October, I felt nothing but incredibly privileged to be there and there was no way I wasn’t completing.

Secondly, it was extremely hot, well it is in the Sahara desert, so you would expect that! However, the temperatures were up to 42 degrees, so it was hotter than normal. I was in fact incredibly pleased, I thought that means I can say I completed the hottest very edition of the MdS!

Finally, shit really did happen in 2021. A bug swept through the camp and hit everyone from competitors to the organisers, I only spoke to one person that didn’t experience the dreaded vomiting and diarrhoea.

My experience in the field

The first stage

My first experience of the bug was in the first stage, I saw someone vomiting remarkably close to the start, and then I started having that sicky feeling. I continued trying to convince myself it was just in my head. This was further exacerbated by the boiling drinking water and salt tablets combination. Eventually, I succumbed and was sick several times. I managed to get to the end not feeling great, but enough in the tank to get over the line. This was only the beginning and these factors contributed to a rapid drop out of competitors.

The second stage

The second stage was the notorious sand dunes focused stage which includes a long and brutal stretch of dunes lasting 13km. I absolutely loved this stage, I managed to complete sick free, and was feeling good.

However, the atmosphere in the camp was by now vastly different, a tragic death hit everyone hard, and the dropout rate was soaring, in my own tent alone a few didn’t finish and had dropped out.

The Third stage

Next was Stage 3 and I started with no problems. However, about 10k from the finish, the sickness returned. After a lot of vomiting, I got to the end. Unable to hold anything down and with the extreme heat, I was severely dehydrated. Keeping my after stage routine, I staggered to the famous Doc Trotters tent to clean up my feet, then send some emails to home, and noticing a very full medic tent.

My mouth was drying up every few seconds, and I was struggling to drink water. After trying to eat I was quickly sick, so at 6pm I got in my sleeping bag, frequently sipping water, and then once it got dark, drinking bigger gulps as the water cooled and I started to feel better. As I lay there, more people were dropping out, in my tent we were now down to just three. I certainly wasn’t the only one who wasn’t feeling good, all night you could hear people vomiting and quickly getting out of their tents for a hasty toilet break in the sand.

The Long Day

The next morning I managed to eat a little dried mango. Not really great preparation for the stage 4 long day consisting of 50+ miles of sand dunes and a mountain thrown in for fun! Still there was no way I was stopping, just wasn’t sure how I was going to do it! Getting to the first couple of water stations were very tough, the heat was intense being the hottest part of the day and I was running on fumes or to be more precise dried mango!.

Reaching the second checkpoint was something I will never forget. I lay in a tent, desperately sipping water, surrounded by people doing the same thing. It was like a war zone, not really what you expect for an ultra-run. We could all barely speak, everyone was resting and had been sick, however there was a shared togetherness and gallows humour. As well as lifting my mood, observing everyone gave me a real insight into resilience and how people react when things really are tough.

I managed to drink plenty of water, adding some Tailwind in as well, and things started to pick up, approaching the next stage I started to think of food for the first time, and then when I arrived, I managed to eat a tin of mackerel, which tasted like heaven. I knew then I was back, as the stage went on it got even better as we got to night, as the sun went down the water was for the first time cooler.

Finish!

I finished the long stage and then went on to complete the final 5th stage. I was very proud to finish, especially as out of the 672 who started, I was one of only 353 who finished. In my tent we started with eight and only two of us completed.

What got me to the finish

As I’ve already alluded to, I was only ever going to finish. There was no way I was coming home without completing, and I never stopped believing this.

I had also accepted it was going to be tough, it’s the MdS, it's hard, that's why I signed up, it was also going to be hot, it’s in the desert! I was going to be self-sufficient, and no one owed me anything. The organisers are brilliant, but they make no secret of that. They provide the water but you carry your own toilet paper, medical supplies, food, kit, sleep in a tent, and you get on with it.

In my tent from the two of us that completed. I knew I would complete, and I knew Ali my fellow completer would complete from the moment I met him. Behind his calm smiley persona, I could see a quiet determination and steely resilience.

My resilience comes from my background, growing up in a dysfunctional family on a tough council estate, meant that nothing was going to shock me or scare me. I knew when it got tough I could ‘dial up a demon’ or two as I like to call it. The voices from the past that said I couldn’t do it, powered me on when I was sick and staggering through sand dunes. Adversity either breaks you or it makes you strong!

Why I loved every minute

It was tough, but you have to get things in perspective, if you chose to do an event billed as the toughest foot race in the world you have to accept what comes with it. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to enter the MdS. If your lucky enough to be able to do the MdS remind yourself your one of the lucky few.

Life after the MdS?

A lot of people talk about how the MdS was life changing and it was certainly the case for me.

I was an experienced runner, triathlete, and had done a few ultras and ironman etc before the MdS. When I started, I was an executive working in London.

It transformed how I trained, combining running with strength training, and my diet. During the time from when I signed up to when I finished, I switched careers and qualified as a personal trainer and running coach. I now run my own fitness business.

Just like in the MdS I’m my own boss now!

If you need help with completing the MdS please contact me for my MdS completer coaching package

Why you should include loaded carry exercises in your strength program

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 14:55:04 GMT

Introduction

Have you ever seen people in the gym just walking around carrying weights such as kettlebells and dumbbells, and wondered what on earth they’re doing?

When I tell my clients we’re doing a carry they often give me a look that says you want me to do what?

It may look easy since your just walking, but carries are a complex exercise that, when you give it a try, are actually pretty challenging!

Sometimes, the simplest things in life can be the most effective.

An exercise like loaded carries, which is as uncomplicated as a move could possibly be, is a prime example of this. All you have to do is pick up a weight and walk, and your whole body can reap the benefits.

Ways to Carry Weight

There are several different carries:

1. Farmer’s carry : Two heavy kettlebells or dumbbells, one held in each hand.

2. Suitcase carry : One heavy kettlebell or dumbbell, held just on one side.

3. Racked carry : Two kettlebells or dumbbells, held in the clean position in each hand.

4. Waiter walk : One kettlebell or dumbbell held overhead.

5. Bottoms-up carry : Kettlebell held upside down. The bigger part of the bell is in the air.

6. Rack and suitcase : One kettlebell is held in the racked position while the other is in the suitcase position.

7. Rack and waiter : One kettlebell is in the racked position, while the other is in the waiter position.

5 reasons to add them to your workouts

1. Work capacity : do total-body work. If you want to work on building overall strength, adding farmer’s carries or any type of carry to your routine will be beneficial. It’s a total-body exercise that should not be left out. They are taxing and will help increase your heart rate.

2. Improve grip strength. Carrying weight is one of the best exercises to improve your grip strength. Farmer’s carry really works in the development of your grip and the strength of your forearm. If you want to step it up and really challenge your grip, try kettlebell bottoms-up carries.

3. Help with your posture. Doing carry exercises forces you stand upright. If you round your shoulders and have a forward head position during the carry, you will not be able to hold the weight. The carry forces you into good posture and helps build posterior strength (for example, the backside).

4 . Build a stronger core. No matter which type of carry you choose to do, your core is firing and working. If you choose to do a carry on one side like the suitcase carry or single-arm racked walk, you will really feel your oblique muscles working.

5. Shoulder health: Farmer’s carries help build shoulder stability. Gripping the weight turns on the rotator cuff and shuts off the deltoid, allowing the shoulder to get into the right position.

Conclusion

Carries are simple, efficient, they work your whole body, and are one of the most functional and effective exercises.

Four food categories you need to understand for a healthy 80/20 diet

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 13:57:09 GMT

What’s the 80/20 guide?

It means healthy meals 80% of the time and have more freedom with the other 20%.

It’s not a diet! Its just a guide for healthy eating, so if you can eat healthy food for 100% of the time that’s great!

However, for many people this isn’t always realistic in everyday life or particularly enjoyable.

But what’s the 80% and what’s the 20%?

The critical part of this plan is to determine broadly what foods make up good calories and what foods make up bad calories.

80% : Its water and fruit instead of soft drinks and biscuits. Freshly prepared dishes: soups, salads, sauces, rice and beans, pasta, steamed vegetables.

20% : Generally, its heavily processed, packaged convenience food products that don’t require culinary preparation: packaged snacks and soups, instant noodles, preprepared frozen dishes, sandwiches, cold cut meats and sausages, factory-made sauces, ready mixes for cakes.

Do we need to just avoid all processed foods?

Last year a report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Pan American Health Organization cited increased consumption of “ultra-processed products” as a main driver of obesity globally.

Do we, simply need to stop eating ultra-processed food? A growing body of scientific opinion now pinpoints diets high in heavily processed, packaged convenience food to ill health.

An international team of scientists reported in the British Medical Journal in 2016 that the sugar content in ultra-processed foods is an incredible five times higher than in the unprocessed, or minimally processed, equivalent.

Logically, it went on to suggest that decreasing consumption of ultra-processed foods could be an effective way of reducing excessive sugar intake.

Surely not all “processed food” is bad? And if so what is there left to eat!

Even those of us who don’t live on a diet of out-and-out “junk food” e.g., sweets, oily snacks, sugary drinks and ready meals, regularly consume staples such as bread, milk, cheese, bacon, pulses and grains.

How could we cope with our busy modern lives without these processed foods?

Take a pragmatic approach

Thankfully, we can use the ‘Nova classification’ a practical, more selective way to categorise food.

It defines the below four different types, explains why they are processed and highlights their respective capacities to harm our health.

The four food categories you need to understand:

1. Unprocessed or minimally processed

Definition “Unprocessed” means edible parts of plants or animals. “Minimally processed” means foods altered by methods such as drying, crushing, grinding, pasteurisation, refrigeration, freezing or non-alcoholic fermentation.

Purpose To extend the life of unprocessed foods

Examples Seeds, fruit and veg, meat, eggs, milk, fish, tea, cold-pressed oils

Application Make these the basis of your diet

2. Processed ingredients

Definition Substances obtained directly from group 1 foods or from nature by methods such as pressing, refining, grinding, milling and spray drying

Purpose To make group 1 foods varied and enjoyable in both home and restaurant kitchens

Examples Honey, vinegar, soy sauce

Application Use in small amounts for seasoning and cooking foods

3. Processed

Definition Relatively simple products made by adding sugar, oil, salt or other group 2 substances to group 1 foods

Purpose To increase the life of group 1 foods, or to modify or enhance their sensory qualities

Examples Canned vegetables, smoked/cured meat/fish, cheese, fruit in syrup

Applicatio n Limit their use. Consume them in small amounts as part of meals based on natural or minimally processed foods

4. Ultra-processed

Definition Multi-ingredient products, often with E number additives, made by industrial processes — high-temperature refining, extrusion — that have no domestic equivalents. These are often ready-to-eat or quick to prepare

Purpose To create highly profitable products that replace unprocessed or minimally processed foods through hyper-palatability, attractive packaging and aggressive marketing to children and adolescents

Examples Fruit drinks, hot dogs, confectionery, crisps, chicken nuggets, instant sauces

Application Avoid them as much as you can, they’re nutritionally unbalanced

Conclusion

To put this into practice, always go for natural or minimally processed foods and freshly made dishes and completely avoid ultra-processed products as much as you can.

Also, l imit and use in small amounts processed food products and ingredients.

Need some help and accountability with nutrition and weight management, that includes goal setting, an exercise program, an easy-to-use food diary, practical nutrition guidance? Then please contact me for a free consultation.

How to manage your weight and still have fun over Christmas

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 16:55:55 GMT

Introduction

As a personal trainer a lot of people tell me they are worried about weight gain at Christmas.

As my grandmother who was still working when she was 90, and was never remotely overweight told me, all things are Okay in moderation!

You can still enjoy Christmas, eat the things you enjoy and manage your weight by following the 20 rules below.

1. Don’t weigh yourself!

Well you never put on any weight if you don’t…joking aside don’t do it, why obsess about your weight and make yourself miserable? Enjoy Christmas just stick to a few basic rules!

2. Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate

If your partial to chocolate them the reality is that you won’t be able to avoid chocolate over the next few weeks. If you choose dark over milk your scales will thank you for it.

Nutritionists at the University of Copenhagen compared the effects of milk and dark chocolate on appetite and found that volunteers felt less hungry and more full after consuming the dark stuff. Even smelling dark chocolate was shown in one study to reduce levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger.

3. Pile on the Brussels!

Well, I’m in the love sprouts camp, so when I mentioned this one to my wife, she informed me I will be sleeping in another room if I do, not sure what meant!

Sprouts are low in calories and, being a cruciferous vegetable, have been linked to healthier arteries. A study of 133,468 men and women over 24 years reported that eating more foods that are high in fibre but with a lower glycaemic load (a measure of how the carbohydrates in food affects blood sugar) — including Brussels sprouts — was associated with greater weight loss compared with eating foods with a higher glycaemic index that were lower in fibre, such as carrots.

4. Keep up your daily steps

Daily exercise offsets some of the harmful physiological effects of festive bingeing. Adding 45 daily minutes of walking (4,500-5,000 steps) over the festive period could pay off. In a 2013 study in the Journal of Physiology, researchers at the University of Bath showed how just one week of overeating in non-exercisers led to changes in fat cells that suggested unhealthy metabolic changes.

However, another group, who over-ate by the same level yet walked on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day, had stable blood sugar levels and their fat cells showed fewer “undesirable” changes.

5. Make reduced-calorie mulled wine

Well I mostly have a glass of mulled wine because my wife likes it, and I actually almost enjoy it!

If your partial to a few glasses then consider making your own, as a regular serving of mulled wine made with added sugar can contain 210 calories. A reduced-calorie option can contains 99 calories per serving. Perhaps just don’t bore your friends and family to much with the recipe!

To make six servings place 750ml dry red wine, 1 orange (sliced into rounds), 8 whole cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks and 2 star anise in a large saucepan, and bring to a very gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and continue to gently simmer for another 15 minutes. This is packed with resveratrol and therefore antioxidants, a full-bodied wine is recommends to carry the spice flavour, a shiraz or cabernet merlot.

6. Eat turkey

T his one's nice and easy!

It has a lower fat content per serving than chicken and a relatively high amount of protein to help with muscle building, maintenance and repair. It may also boost your festive exercise output. Turkey breast contains one of the highest concentrations of an amino acid called beta-alanine, which has been shown to buffer against the lactic acid build-up during intense exercise that can cause muscles to fatigue.

Trials at the University of Chichester’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences reported that 150g of turkey meat, roughly the amount in a single turkey breast, increased muscle concentrations of beta-alanine by 40 per cent and led to a 13 per cent improvement in cycling performance in volunteers.

7. Avoid pigs in blankets?

What! Never! I live for these at Christmas!

One pig in blanket has 70 calories. In their Winter Weight Watch study, Birmingham and Loughborough universities warned that you would need to run for six minutes or walk for 12 minutes to burn that off.

At the same time we should all be eating less processed meat.

However, I will be following my 80/20 rule of healthy food 80% of the time and a bit of not so healthy for the remaining 20%.

Alternatively, the British Nutrition Foundation recommends substituting sausage-based stuffing for those with more nutritious chestnuts.

8. Go for a walk after dinner

Instead of slumping on to the sofa, take a brisk 30-minute walk straight after lunch or dinner.

As well as energising and clearing your head, according to researchers in Japan, reporting in the International Journal of General Medicine, it leads to more weight loss than waiting for an hour or longer after a meal has been consumed before heading outside.

In a trial, the study author lost nearly 3kg during one month of walking at a brisk pace just after eating a meal; a volunteer, who walked at a more leisurely stroll, lost 1.5kg in the same time.

9. Buy an extra bag of clementines

They are low in calories (about 35 in each fruit), packed with immune-enhancing vitamin C and fibre and, what’s more, good for the waistline.

A 2015 study that looked at the diet habits of 133,468 American adults over 24 years found that eating citrus fruits was linked to weight loss.

10. Snack on Brazil nuts

As long as you don’t choose the chocolate-coated variety, eating Brazil nuts in moderation could prove to be a blessing for your waistline.

Researchers at San Diego State University asked 22 healthy adults to consume 20g of Brazil nuts (five nuts) or 36g of pretzels — containing the same levels of calories and salt — in addition to their regular food.

Both snacks increased a sense of fullness, yet the greatest reduction in hunger pangs was experienced by the group eating nuts, potentially helping to prevent overeating. While the pretzels caused a blood sugar spike 40 minutes after consumption, the Brazil nuts did not have the same negative effect.

11. Eat Stilton (sparingly)

I like a bit of stilton at Christmas, although my kids now all your adults still look in disgust. If you eat it sparingly it has other health benefits.

It’s salty and not low-calorie (124 calories per 30g serving), but you can still eat Stilton and other aged cheeses (brie, mature cheddar and gruyère) sparingly because they are good for gut health. Being fermented, they contain microbes that boost the microbiome and, in turn, increase immunity and benefit all-round health — and a healthy microbiome is associated with a healthy weight.

12. Make your own cranberry sauce

If you have the time of course!

Fresh cranberries are low in calories (about 22 calories per 100g), so it’s worth including them in your festive meals (provided you don’t go mad with the sugar). A review of evidence in the Journal of Functional Foods reported that adding cranberries to the diet helps to reduce weight gain and deep belly fat.

Other researchers reported that cranberries boost cardiometabolic and gut health.

13. Eat Christmas pud but in moderation!

A small Christmas pud (weighing 450g) contains an amazing 1,280 calories!

However a serving size of 100g each contains 284 calories, just limit the brandy cream and butter you serve with it.

If you do give it a miss, remember no one puts money in Christmas pudding anymore!

14. Limit the cream liqueurs

The charity Drinkaware says that one 50ml glass of Irish cream liqueur contains 175 calories — about the same as a small mince pie. And it’s often automatically sold as a double measure in pubs and restaurants.

15. Got a sweet tooth? Eat a date

Dates contain natural sugars and are not particularly low in calories, a single Medjool date provides up to 65 calories, yet they provide fibre, which slows sugar absorption into the bloodstream and keeps you feeling full, as well as beneficial nutrients such as potassium, manganese and some B vitamins.

Researchers report that dates boost the microbiome, which also helps with healthy weight management. All of this makes them a far better option (in moderation) than the selection box if you seek a sweet treat.

16. Downsize your mince pies

The British Nutrition Foundation reports that a typical 67g mince pie has 253 calories — and that’s before you add cream. Switch to a mini minced pie (22g) and cut that to 87 calories per serving.

17. Don’t indulge in festive hot drinks

Resist the temptation to buy a takeaway festive hot drink. According to Action on Sugar, many are so sugar-laden that they contain as much as two or three white chocolate and strawberry muffins or the equivalent of eating 14 custard cream biscuits.

A grande-sized Starbucks iced gingerbread frappe contains 366 calories and 32.7g (8 tsp) of sugar, while Costa’s the Purple One latte has 353 calories and 35.9g (nearly 9 tsp) of sugar.

18. Crack the walnuts

A handful of walnuts a day stem appetite. Obese hospital patients were asked to drink a walnut smoothie containing 14 walnut halves or a placebo smoothie with identical calories for five consecutive days.

They then underwent MRI brain scans while looking at pictures of high-fat or low-fat food. In the walnut group there was higher activation of the insula, a part of the brain involved in appetite control. “Walnuts can alter the way our brains view food and impact our appetites,” wrote the study’s authors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

1 9. Aim for at least an hour of activity

Researchers at Drexel University’s Center for Weight, Eating and Lifestyle Science found that among dieters who didn’t exercise the risk of overeating was 12 per cent.

Among those who did an hour of daily activity, the risk of overeating (January 2020 in Health Psychology) more than halved to 5 per cent. For every extra ten minutes of activity there was a further 1 per cent drop in the risk of overindulging in the next few hours.

20. Limit the roast potatoes!

For me they are a necessity on any Christmas dinner. However go easy on the portions and maybe avoid following Nigella and cooking them in goose fat!

Three large roasties (100g) contain 161 calories, which would need 27 minutes of walking or 14 minutes of running to burn off. Remember 80/20!

Conclusion

Roast dinners, cheese, chocolate, pigs in blankets and mulled wine: you can have it all and enjoy Christmas!

Just keep all things in moderation and keep moving !

7 types of running training sessions

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:51:57 GMT

The below are types of running training sessions that can be included in your weekly training plan.

1. Easy Run

These runs are your usual natural effort runs, making up the majority of your training. Easy runs contribute massively to building your aerobic capacity.

Easy runs should not be too challenging and instead ran at a comfortable pace, allowing these to be run often. For more experienced runners these can also be used as a recovery run following your long run.

If training by heart rate, these would be run around 70-80% of your max, else known as zone 2.

2. Fartlek Run

The word ‘Fartlek’ is Swedish for ‘speed play.’

Fartlek training is basically interval training but with less structure and intensity. Fartlek training is all about having fun while running fast, alternating these fast reps with slow recovery jogs.

With a less structured approach, fartlek training usually consists of picking an object such as a lamppost, running fast until you reach it, and then running slow until your next object such as a blue car.

This process is repeated by alternating between slow and fast running and a variety of obstacles to reach.

Fartlek training combines zone 2 (70-80% max), zone 3 (81-93% max), and occasionally zone 4 (94-100% max) heart rate training.

3. Tempo Run

Tempo runs are run at what is commonly referred to as ‘a comfortably hard’ pace. This pace is slower than your 5k pace and faster than your marathon pace.

The tempo running workout builds up lactic acid within our muscles. Regular tempo runs will increase our lactic threshold allowing us to run faster without fatiguing as quickly.

If using a heart rate monitor, tempo runs should be run between 85-90% (zone 3) of your maximum heart rate.

4. Interval training workout

Interval runs combine fast uncomfortable hard effort runs with low-intensity jog recoveries. This allows us to simulate fast running resulting in increased tolerance to lactic acid, improved running economy among many physiological changes.

These physiological changes include an increased ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles alongside increased heart strength. These are essential to faster and more efficient running.

An example of an interval training session is as follows:

5-minute warmup & dynamic stretching
4×4 minutes at goal 5k pace
2-minute jog recovery between each interval
10-minute cool-down jog & static stretching

5. Hill repeats

Much like trail running, hill repeats are a great way to strengthen your muscles while building stamina. Hill repeats also allow our regular base runs to feel much more comfortable. Make sure not to run as far as your regular base runs as hill repeats are run at a much higher intensity. Doing too much, especially too soon will increase your risk of injury.

To run hill repeats:

5-minute warmup jog & dynamic stretching
Find a medium-long hill
Run up the hill fast
Jog down the hill slow
Repeat a minimum of 3-4 times
10-minute cool-down jog & static stretching

If you choose to include hill repeats as a running workout, ensure not to do these too frequently as these will increase your risk of injury.

6. Long Run

The long-run should be a staple in all runners training programmes. Commonly run on a Saturday or Sunday, the long run is responsible for a variety of physiological benefits.

These include an increased capacity to use fat as fuel, improved cardiovascular health, and the strengthening of the leg muscles. The long-run also develops mental toughness due to the long duration of running.

Increasing your long run too much will create an imbalance in your training while also increasing your risk of injury.

7. Strength Training

Run far enough and eventually your legs will scream at you to stop. While it's impossible to eliminate this inevitability, strength training can prepare your quads, core, and other muscles to withstand the beating.

Nothing will improve your running performance more than strength training as well as reducing the risk of injury. If your serious about running and you want to run for life, strength training is essential to any training plan!

Summary:

The types of run you include in your training plan is determined by your running goals e.g. a training plan to smash your personal best for a 5k park run will be very different to completing a marathon.

Also, the terrain you will be running on e.g. hill repeats would need to be included for a 10k trail run but not necessarily for a flat 10k road run.

It is essential that recovery is included in any plan, especially after your long run or intense sessions e.g. Intervals, tempo, hill repeats. Also so as not increase the risk of injury, that these intense sessions are not included frequently.

***If you would like to train for a running challenge or include strength training in your training, please contact me for a free consultation.***

5 simple ways to boost your energy!

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:21:11 GMT

Do you ever find yourself lacking in energy?

The following are 5 quick fixes for your body and mind.

1. Start or end your day with exercise!

Well its number one for me! Which should be no surprise as I’m a personal trainer!

Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, so does your energy level.

Even at the most basic level, walking up and down your stairs, first thing can provide a greater energy boost than a cup of coffee.

A study by scientists at the University of Georgia discovered that ten minutes of stair walking in the morning had a greater energising effect than 50mg of caffeine, the amount in a single shot of espresso, on a group of sleep-deprived adults.

Personally, I go for exercise first then coffee!

2. Don’t have a lie-in at weekends!

A lie-in can leave you feeling more tired, according to Neil Stanley, a sleep researcher and the author of How to Sleep Well. “You might think you are catching up on lost sleep by lying in at weekends, but it is much better for the body and brain to stick to your standard wake-up time,” he says.

By following a different sleep schedule, Stanley says you’ll be exposing yourself to light and dark at times when your body isn’t expecting it. “This forces a reset of your body-clock rhythms when it switches over to follow your ‘weekend’ lie-in schedule,” he says. “And the signals to wake up will be delayed when we revert to getting up early for work, resulting in that groggy feeling.”

If you’re a parent of young children, and you are longing for the day when you can have a lie in at the weekend, then I hope this makes you feel better!

3. Drink two or three cups of green tea a day

Green tea is packed with polyphenols, beneficial antioxidant plant compounds, and the most abundant of these, Epigallocatechin gallate, has been shown to have a powerful anti-fatigue effect.

“Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that has been shown to have a beneficial impact on mood and stress,” the nutrition expert Ian Marber says.

Since about 5 per cent of the dry weight of green tea is caffeine, a cup will also improve alertness and cognition.

Bearing in mind the caffeine content, just go easy and don’t do what my daughter use to do when studying for exams and drink multiple cups of green tea, and then struggle to sleep at night!

4. Cut back on sugary foods — they make you more tired

Don’t reach for a sugary snack to give you a boost!

Professor Elizabeth Maylor of the University of Warwick’s Department of Psychology used data collected from 31 published studies to look at the effects of sugar on fatigue and mood. She found that people who consumed sugar felt more tired and less alert than those who had less in their diet. “We hope that our findings will go a long way to dispel the myth of the ‘sugar rush’,” Maylor says.

Another study, in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, found that people who ate a lot of sugar and processed foods tended to sleep less deeply and were more restless at night, resulting in tiredness during the day.

5. Ditch the alcohol! or cut down..

Alcohol initially acts as a sedative, the body responding to a few drinks by secreting adenosine, a molecule that promotes sleepiness.

However, levels of adenosine drop sharply during the night, leading to interrupted sleep. According to the charity Drinkaware, drinking the equivalent of two large glasses of wine (six to seven units) can result in us spending less time than usual in the restorative rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep.

That’s why you feel tired and grumpy the day after drinking more than usual!

But what if alcohol is simply an occasional treat you enjoy? The official advice from Drinkware is “If you do choose to drink, it’s best to spread your drinks evenly throughout the week. If you wish to cut down the amount of alcohol you’re drinking, a good way to do this is to have several drink-free days per week.”

***If you would like to boost your energy levels by starting an exercise program and taking control of your diet, please contact me for a free consultation.***

9 quick completer tips for the Marathon Des Sables – Keep it simple!

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 17:41:26 GMT

Introduction

This is especially for the ‘mid pack runners & walkers’ who are due to take part in the Marathon Des Sables. From someone who not only finished in 2021 but loved every minute!

It’s not complete, more a starter for ten or in this case nine, however one of the most enjoyable aspects of the MdS challenge for me was the steep learning curve required to learn how to train, be prepared, get to the start line in the best possible shape and injury free. I got some fantastic advice & some that didn’t work for me but will for others. However, it’s your call & responsibility what you do in the end, no one else!

For me it was life changing, I transformed my diet, training, I learnt how to strength train for running, culminating in me switching from my corporate career to qualifying and becoming a personal trainer and running coach.

What I loved most about the MdS is it’s one of life’s great levellers. Once you’ve paid your money, you can hire the best coach, buy the most expensive kit, however when you get to the start line, you’re all the same, no one can do it for you. If you finish or don’t it’s all down to one person only, you!

1. Backpack

No surprise here, keep it light! A lot of runners with 11kg plus didn’t finish in 2021.

It’s about getting the right balance between being prepared and totally obsessed. So don’t stress but know everything that’s going in & make some hard choices in terms of what you really need and probably don’t need.

Also, despite a possible panic a few days before you go, you will get all your kit in!

2. Food

Cold worked for me, might not for you! My mantra is keep it as simple as possible, its only for a few days. Work out your calories, try but don’t expect to eat it all, and if you don’t, its Ok you’ll be all right.

3. Poles

Lots of strong opinions, none are right or wrong, you either like them or you don’t! Decide and then stick with it.

Mine is you don’t need them; I just don’t like them. Just unnecessary hassle. The MdS is hard, so just accept it.

Then again you see some of the runners skipping along with poles, they make it look so easy...But it’s not right…��

4. Training

If you look on Facebook, you read about runners doing high mileage with a heavy backpack months before the start of the race. Don't panic, thinking I'm not doing that, how can I fit that into my already busy schedule. Its not about doing loads of miles every week, it's about quality not quantity, building your miles gradually, so that you get to the starting line injury free and in excellent condition (both physically and mentally) to complete the race.

5. Strength Training

Running & hiking is of course essential, however nothing above that will boost you more in the MdS than Strength Training. It’s a must 2-3 days per week. When you’re climbing those sand dunes with a heavy pack it’s a deal breaker.

It won’t make you bullet proof, but it will reduce the risk of injury, and one of the biggest challenges is getting to the start line with no injuries.

Also, a strong squat position is essential when you need to poo, out in the sand is best, just make sure you take a bit of a walk!

If you don’t know how to strength train or need a program, find someone who does.

Start now & make strength training part of your training plan.

6. Heat training

If you have access to a heat chamber, great, but don’t go out of your way. Also, if you can go to a hot country before to climatise, then it’s going to help you.

However, you need to do something, but if not all the options are available or practical, it can be simple. I did and I had no problems in the heat, and I’m a pale English guy used to a cold climate.

When it comes to the heat, of course take it seriously, but it’s the Sahara Desert, hot is hot, accept it’s going to be hot & you will adapt.

7. Feet

I prepared my feet before, nothing special as follows. Once a week I used a pumice stone on my feet (heels & toes), then moisturise after. Three weeks before the race started, I moisturised my feet morning & evening with cheam moisturising cream. Then a week before the start I carefully cut my toe nails. My feet have never looked so good!

Then in the desert, look after your feet before (morning) & after each stage. I used Gurney Goo, which was fantastic, I didn’t tape my feet before, but if you have a weak area, it could make sense to.

I kept it simple (no surprise there…), and I finished with one blister ��

Don’t stress over what running shoes and socks, stick with the running shoes you know well and try some socks out.

Shoe size, another big topic, I went with +½ size, this was fine for me, many people just use their normal size.

8. Resilience

So, you can train all you want and be in the best shape of your life, but you must be 100% convinced every minute that you’re going to finish. No doubts, just you’re going to finish, no matter what!

What worked for me when the going got hard, I dialled up a few demons to keep me going, a voice from the past telling me I couldn’t do it. Find what works for you because they will be a time when your need it.

Fears are normal & remember everyone in the race has them, they’re all part of the experience.

Best advice I was given - just focus on each stage and each checkpoint, don’t waste energy worrying about stage 4 on the 1st day - focus on where you are, run the mile you’re in, be present.

9. Self-sufficient

Well, you really are! They’re not kidding. If you are expecting anything else you’re going to be very disappointed...So work on the basis you’re on your own & anything else is a bonus!

I went to the famous doc trotters after very stage, just to clean my feet, so nice! I'm easily pleased...The team are amazing, and they also teach & guide you how to treat & manage blisters. But it was a treat, I wasn’t expecting anything else��.

Summary:

There are many different aspects required to successfully complete the MdS, my top two tips from the above, would be 1. Strength Training – a must and a game changer 2. Resilience – after all, the mind runs the body.

****If you need help with anything, please message me. Including strength training or coaching, as I might have mentioned…I’m a personal trainer/running coach as well �� !***

How can you fit exercise into a busy schedule?

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 11:55:50 GMT

My background - Its not easy, but you can do it!

Before becoming a personal trainer, I worked in demanding corporate jobs in the City, involving commuting and international travel, and balanced this with family life and having three children. I always found time for my health and fitness, including taking on challenges, and I completed triathlons, Ironman, multiple endurance running events including ultras.

You don't have to take on a challenge, but my point is if I can balance corporate and family life and do an Ironman, then you can get to the gym and find time for cardio exercise as well.

My motto was always work on yourself first before you go to work for someone else. A lot of my colleagues didn’t, and would always say they didn’t have time, followed by a list of reasons why they couldn’t exercise. Consequently, they often also struggled with stress, relationship issues, and health problems.

Drill a bit deeper and these same people had time for other activities, but they weren’t prioritising their health and fitness. Its always easier to find time to do something easy, watch TV, look at your phone, stay in the office a bit longer when you probably don’t need to, go for a few drinks after work.

Introduction

Finding time for exercise can mean getting outside in the cold or getting yourself to the gym. Its not easy, but it will transform your life for the better. So what's stopping you and how can you incorporate exercise into your life and balance with work and other demands.

Ask yourself?

So, if you thinking how can I fit exercise into my life, why can’t I be consistent with my exercise, ask yourself first: What’s going to make you feel best? What’s going to make you a better parent/spouse? What’s going to make you more successful in your career and balance stress?

Then ask what’s stopping me? What are my blockers? Write them down and challenge these perceptions and be creative how you can mitigate them.

So how can you get started and make exercise part of your life?

1. Set Goals - ' Goals are your North star they help determine your direction'.

They are your starting point, and need to include all aspects of your life, family, work, as well as fitness and health.

Divide your Goals up into long term, mid-term (3-5 years), short terms: one year, and then by month. Set goals that are your T argets, ones you want to M aintain, make them challenging but achievable. Also distinguish ones that are D reams i.e., a goal that you want to achieve, however is not entirely something within your control. Put a time frame or date on the ones that are time dependent.

2. Have a plan - ' A goal without a plan is just a wish' .

To achieve your goals you need a plan, its no-good waking up without a plan to exercise, your just stay in bed. Your plan needs to span several months, and then be broken down each week and auctioned for each day. Sure, plans change, and you need to be ready to adapt if you want to hit your goals.

3. Get up Early - ' Discipline is doing what needs to be done when you don’t want to do it’.

Maybe you do this already? Or you exercise in the evenings, and it works, so you can ignore this!

Or you reading this saying I don’t do mornings? Sorry to dispel the myth, however I believe we can all do mornings, I don’t think there is any magic about why some people get up early and exercise and those that can’t. It’s just accepting that it’s not easy, forming a new habit, making a lifestyle change. You don’t have to sacrifice sleep, but you probably need to go to bed earlier!

The reality is its easy to go to bed late, and its harder to get up early, again it’s not easy - but it is possible – you can do it.

When my kids were young, I realised that going for a run after work, meant not supporting my wife, missing bath time and reading with my kids. So, I started going to bed earlier, setting my alarm earlier, and exercising before work and when my kids were up (well most of the time when they were very young!).

4. Schedule recovery/rest

Any exercise plan must have recovery and rest, so this needs to be part of any training plan. Recovery allows your body to adapt and avoid burn out. The harder your train the more you need to ensure you have time for recovery.

5. Get organised

If you are going to the gym early in the morning, get all your kit ready the night before, and the same if you’re going after work in the evening. If you’re going for a run in the morning, you want to get up and go before the negative part of your brain questions is this a good idea!

Coming back to your plan, organise the day/time when you’re going to exercise in advance. If it needs to change due to a work commitment e.g., business travel, ask your self can you exercise when your away.

I traveled all around the world in my corporate career, and I hardly ever missed a run, just take your trainers and kit. That run will clear your head for that presentation or tough meeting.

Summary:

Choosing the easy option doesn’t benefit you, taking the harder option does. If it’s easy it’s probably not going to be good for you! The harder option is harder at first, its uncomfortable, accept it's not easy, pursue, then before you know it, it will become a habit and part of your lifestyle.

If you prioritise your health and fitness, it will make you feel better, your have more energy and mental clarity, it will make you a better parent/spouse/colleague, help to manage stress, and ultimately your be more successful in your career.

If you need help to set health and fitness goals, create a training plan, improve your diet, and incorporate training into your schedule, please contact me for a free consultation.

Building and Maintaining Strong Hand, Wrist, and Forearms

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 15:08:19 GMT

Introduction

It is important to work your forearms during your exercise routines. The hands, wrists, and forearms are often not included in exercise routines, instead the focus is on biceps and triceps when it comes to arm strength.

Below, I will discuss the benefits, detail seven stretches and essential exercises that will allow you to build and maintain strong hands, wrists, and forearms.

What are the benefits?

The forearms and wrists allow us to perform the exercises that develop and maximize biceps, triceps, deltoid, chest, and back strength.

Therefore, we need to consider the strength of our hands, wrists, and forearms.

7 Exercises

The exercises are in two parts, the initial three stretching exercises will prepare you for the four more complex and more intense weight-bearing exercises to optimize muscular development and the strength of the forearm. Perform the first three exercises for 30 seconds over 2 sets.

For the weight bearing exercises use a 2kg, 5kg, or 10kg dumbbell.

Select a weight which you can effectively control and execute the exercises properly, building the weight progressively as you become familiar with the movement and build strength. Perform 3 Sets of 20 reps on each arm.

Flex and extend all fingers, while making a complete fist for 30 seconds.
Flex both wrists and hold in maximum flex with the elbow straight but not locked.
Extend your wrist with the elbow straight.
Seated dumbbell wrist hammer curls : In a seated position with your back straight, place your forearm on your thighs with your thumbs pointed upward. This will develop your brachioradialis muscle, which inserts at the distal aspect of the forearm at the wrist. Greater hypertrophy of this muscle will give more definition and balance of the forearm.
Seated dumbbell straight wrist curl: This is to develop your flexor muscles. In a seated position, with your forearms on your thighs and palms facing upward, hold a dumbbell in hand, flex your wrist upward. Keep the forearms well placed against your thighs for greater stability and isolation of the wrist and forearm musculature. Be careful to place the wrist three to four inches away from the knee to allow the full range of motion.
Seated dumbbell reverse wrist curl: This is to develop your extensor muscles. Perform in a seated position with your forearms on your thigh, palms facing downward, with the wrist three to four inches away from the knees. Grasp the dumbbell and extend the wrist fully. Be sure to not lift the elbows from the thighs when extending the wrists. Keep the palms down.
Finger curl: This will develop finger and hand strength. Sit and hold a dumbbell in your hand. Turn your hand with the palm upward with the back of your wrist on your thigh. Allow the weight to roll down your fingers, and now curl your fingers back holding the weight securely. Remember to keep the back of your wrist against your thigh throughout the execution of the exercise.

Why you need Cardio?

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 14:25:30 GMT

Introduction

Cardiovascular exercise or cardio is exercise that gets your heart rate up. Although it’s an integral part of any weight loss program, it’s also essential for your overall health.

So what’s your exercise focus? what are the actual benefits? what cardio options are there? and how much should you be doing? .

What’s your exercise focus?

I see a lot of people that focus on either cardio exercise or on muscle strength training, but not always both.

There’s no point being as strong as the Rock if you can’t run for a bus, now maybe the Rock doesn’t catch the bus much! But you I hope you get the point that for optimal health you don’t want to be muscle perfect, but you get out of breath as soon as you do something to get your heart pumping.

On the other hand, you might be a great runner, however you keep getting injured due to weak muscles, and your struggling to go any further or take on more challenging terrain.

Also running alone won’t mitigate muscle wastage as we age, see ' Its not just about the Cardio, why we also need Strength Training '.

Therefore both cardio and muscle strength training are essential for our health and should be part of your overall exercise routine, see 'How many times a week should you exercise?.'

What are the benefits?

The benefits of cardiovascular training are significant. Fundamentally, improving your fitness levels through cardiovascular activity can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of contracting serious conditions such as coronary heart disease.

It also helps you boost your work capacity – a foundation of general fitness on which your more specific fitness goals can be built. Whether you’re an aspiring bodybuilder, a casual football or rugby player, or just someone who trains for fun, being able to increasingly handle a greater workload can be of huge benefit.

An increased level of cardiovascular fitness can also improve your VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use in one minute of exercise, per kilo of bodyweight).

When your fitness levels improve, so does your VO2 max, meaning you can therefore exercise with a much greater intensity. Lifting heavier weights for more reps, prolonging a run, increasing stamina for sports – all these activities will benefit.

What options are they for cardio?

While the word “cardio” is often automatically be linked to sports like running, swimming and cycling, cardiovascular workouts can involve any type of training that gets your heart pumping faster than normal.

So while r unning, swimming and cycling are excellent forms of cardio, if you struggle with these or the cardio options in the your gym, other alternatives include walking and bodyweight exercises at speed. As long as you increase your heart rate you’re going to be improving your cardiovascular fitness.

Cardio workouts also don’t always have to take a lot of time. When you are short on time, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can

be an effective cardio session to do, because by going all-out for short intervals you raise your heart rate enough to burn plenty of calories and improve your fitness.

Another form of HIIT is Tabata . This is more intensive, each round lasts four minutes. It requires 20 seconds of all out intensity, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times. All out being 100 percent max effort for every exercise e.g. burpee, tuck jump, and mountain climber.

low-intensity steady-state ( LISS ) workouts are also worth adding to your routine. These involve training for longer periods with your heart rate raised but not pushing yourself to the maximum, a long run at a conversational pace is a good example of what’s involved. LISS training is ideal for building your cardiovascular fitness and many people also find it a great way to relax and improve their mental health as well.

Whether you run, cycle, walk outdoors, do HIIT, Tabata, LISS or something in between, cardio training should be a part of your weekly schedule, working towards at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity like walking or 75 minutes of vigorous activity like running.

How Much Cardio Should You Do?

Starting with the absolute minimum, the NHS recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week. If you step up the level of your exercise from moderate to vigorous – think running rather than walking – then it’s just 75 minutes.

So every minute of vigorous activity counts double towards your target of 150, if you’re doing a mix of the two.

Moderate aerobic activities include brisk walking or easy cycling. Vigorous activities include HIIT, Tabat, fast running or swimming or cycling, football and rugby.

You can safely build up as many minutes of moderate activity as you like, assuming you’re not carrying an injury of some kind, but you have to be a little more careful with how much vigorous activity you do.

HITT or Tabata session for example, will push your heart rate quite high, so you should only do this kind of session two or three times a week.

In fact, whatever cardio you do, don’t do too many really hard sessions: if you’re a keen runner, for example, only do two or three (during peak training only) tough runs a week, and rest or do easy runs on the other days.

Conclusion

For optimal health we need both cardio and strength training, cardio isn’t just for weight loss, its essential for your overall health, it allows you to both increase your work capacity for other sports, and for day to day life.

There are plenty of cardio options so chose one that works for you, build it into your exercise program, vary the intensity, and include rest days.

Want to start cardio training? need a program? expertise? and motivation? then contact me for a free consultation.

Nutrition and Weight Management – 5 tips for a healthy approach.

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:06:43 GMT

Introduction

When looking at our overall health and fitness its essential we take a holistic view, as well as exercise we need to consider nutrition.

As the old saying goes, “you can’t out-train a bad diet,” and what you put in your body will have a direct and measurable impact on the kind of results you can expect to achieve when training. No amount of training will compensate for a poor diet.

As well effecting how you look, a good diet will determine how you feel on a daily basis, in terms of increased energy levels and general well being.

This article will explain what nutrition and weight management is, the 80/20 guide, and five key components of what I think makes a healthy approach to nutrition and weight management.

What’s Nutrition and Weight management?

Nutrition and Weight management is quiet simply ensuring that what we eat has nutritional value and is appropriate to manage a healthy weight.

What is a healthy weight, can be measured in many ways, however fundamentally we all know when we are a healthy weight from how we feel. Our clothes fit better, we have more energy, we feel better in ourselves, higher self-esteem and confidence.

It’s not a short fix, it’s not obsessively weighing yourself, its getting to a weight that you are happy with and then maintaining that for life.

So how does that work in practice? the following are five ways:

1. The 80/20 guide – eating well doesn’t mean trying to be perfect!

Following a 100% perfect diet if there is such a thing, isn’t always realistic in everyday life or particularly enjoyable. Your diet doesn’t need to be 100% healthy to be healthy!

An 80/20 approach means you aim to eat nutritious foods 80 percent of the time and have a serving of your favourite treat with the other 20 percent.

For the 80 percent part of the plan, focus on home cooked meals, drinking lots of water and eating nutritious foods e.g., whole grains, fruits and vegetables and cutting out processed foods.

For your treats, or the 20 percent part, you can eat your favourite foods in moderation. This could be when you eat out, for example, a piece of chocolate cake, a glass of red wine or a beer.

It’s not an exact science and it doesn’t mean you should your 20 percent “less healthy” meal allowance as an excuse to binge eat. Or to eat pizza 20 percent of the time! it just means not obsessing about your food choices and including treats in your diet.

2.To Weigh or not to weight?

I’ve never owned a bathroom scales at home and never will. I very rarely weigh myself and if I do it’s because I have to e.g., to complete a form.

Weighing yourself isn't always a reliable method for monitoring your health, as weight fluctuates day to day, and the process can become obsessive. It’s much more productive to listen to your body instead.

Of course, If you feel you need to lose or gain weight then it’s useful to do so to give you a baseline and as means of measurement, however not as a daily occurrence.

3. The diets don’t work they just make you worse…

Discussing diets is a separate blog in its own right.

Essentially diets are a temporary measure, as soon as you stop the diet, the weight goes back on (and usually more than you have lost). Y our body responds to overly restrictive diets by slowing down your metabolism.

Therefore, there isn’t a quick fix, changes to your diet need to be gradual and as part of a long-term approach.

4. Food Planning – plan ahead

Meal planning is one of the best ways of ensuring you meet your overall health and fitness goals. Meal planning can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.

The week is a pretty hectic time. Between work, family, and other commitments you’d be hard pressed to find the time to properly plan your meals for even the following day.

Say you’ve had a difficult Monday in the office, have had to juggle other commitments once you get home, and then, just as you were considering heading to bed and falling into a blissful slumber, you remember that you’ve got to work out Tuesday’s meal plan. You’re not likely to put a lot of care and effort into it?

Avoid this mess by scheduling a time each week e.g., over the weekend, to put together your meal plan for the following week. Once you’ve practiced doing this for a few weeks, the whole process will become faster and more streamlined, as you’re able to recycle old, tested shopping lists and recipes rather than trying new things from scratch.

5. Tracking and forming good habits

If we start to log what we eat and drink, we can sometimes find room for improvement, it doesn’t have to be radical change, more evolution than revolution , just little changes, that form good long-term habits that will have a long lasting positive impact on our health.

For example, not drinking enough water can make us feel sluggish, if can see that our water intake is low, we can find ways to ensure we drink more water in the day.

If weight loss is required, we can also a use it to calculate a sensible calorie deficit (reducing calories consumed by lower food intake).

Conclusion

Adopting a healthy approach to nutrition & weight Management, means taking a pragmatic 80/20 approach to your diet, not obsessing with weighing yourself, taking a long-term view, ignoring quick fixes that don’t work, planning your food for the week, keeping a food diary and building in good habits that last.

Then please contact me for a free consultation zoom call.

How many times a week should you exercise?

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 16:04:36 GMT

Introduction

Whether you are thinking of starting a new exercise routine or you’ve already started, one of the biggest questions on many people’s minds is ‘How often should I work out each week?’.

Other considerations are how do you break this down over the week, what should the sessions comprise of and finally the importance of rest and sleep.

How many times? - Well it Depends!

There is no one-size-fits all answer to this question it all depends on firstly on your personal goals . You also need to consider your ability, any injuries, likes and dislikes, and how much time you have available.

The best exercise routine for you and how many days you work out, will look very different from someone else. For example, a training plan for someone learning to strength train will be very different to someone running a marathon.

Or is it very useful to determine based on social media which can present an idealist exercise lifestyle. The reality is we all have to juggle work, family, and everything else that life throws at us. Therefore how much you exercise needs to be tailored to you and no one else.

However, there are principles and guidelines that you can follow and apply to your training to ensure you have a balanced, effective, safe and fun workout regime.

How many days a week should you train?

If you are not a fitness enthusiast or an elite athlete, you probably want to spend as little time in the gym as possible to achieve your health and fitness goals.

Although you'll probably see physical (and mental) results from one day a week if you don't already train. Ultimately one day a week will only give you a low level of fitness.

Training four or five times a week is ideal, but if you find that this is unachievable due to time constraints, it’s best to aim for three, which will expose your body to a large enough training stimulus throughout the week, which enables the body to adapt, get stronger, leaner, and fitter.

If you’re just getting started and don’t exercise currently, that might be too big of a jump at first. Instead, you could start with two workouts a week, and then increase gradually if possible.

You should therefore aim to train at least three times a week if you want to achieve your health and fitness goals in a reasonable

amount of time and stay fit and healthy.

What should my sessions consist of and why?

A well-balanced exercise regime should include a mixture of strength training and cardio.

Strength training is essential to keep your body functional in the long term, It helps prevent the bone loss and muscle loss that comes with aging. It also strengthens your joints too.

As important as it is to strength train, cardio exercise (e.g. running, a bike ride, using a rowing machine) has its place in a balanced workout routine too. Cardio exercise keeps your circulatory system working optimally, helping you to recover faster and keeping your endurance up. It also increases your VO2 max, which helps your body utilize oxygen.

How can we break this up over a week?

If you can train:

Five days per week working on both strength and cardiovascular fitness, you could try three days of strength training, two days of cardio, and two days of active rest.
Four days a week, and your goal is to add muscle, cut a cardio day. If you want to improve endurance, skip a strength day. Or switch it each week.
Two to Three days a week, you could focus on doing two to three weights sessions a week with a cardio day included or to be included later if possible.

Remember, it's important to be realistic about your own schedule when you're asking yourself, how many times a week should I train? If five days is reasonable, great, however if two or three days makes more sense to you than five days, do that.

Why rest is important?

For both lifting weights and cardio exercise, If you don’t give your muscles time to recover, you’ll overload your joints and tendons which could become sore - or worse, you could give yourself an injury such as tendonitis.

Specifically, rest is essential for muscle growth. Exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. But during rest, cells called fibroblasts repair it. This helps the tissue heal and grow, resulting in stronger muscles.

What if you can’t include rest between training sessions?

By including both strength and cardio training you can break them up by doing a strength day, a cardio day, then a rest day before getting back to weight training.

It is OK to weight train on consecutive days if you’re training different body parts every time. However full body workouts are best for the general population who want to lose fat and improve their overall fitness.

Ideally, we should take a day’s rest between strength sessions if you regularly lift weights. You can train two days in a row but definitely try to avoid doing three days in a row unless you are an advanced lifter.

Importance of Sleep

Now I need to mention Sleep, as without sufficient sleep all of the above falls apart!

For everyone - and especially people who train on a regular basis - getting seven to eight hours’ sleep on average per night is essential.

After you train during the day, the body then grows stronger, burns fat and rebuilds damaged muscle tissue when you sleep.

So by getting sufficient sleep, you’ll be putting yourself at an advantage, your workouts will improve and your have plenty of energy to train.

Conclusion

In summary how many time you exercise needs to be based on your health and fitness goals, personal circumstances, a minimum of two to three sessions per week to an ideal of five, a mixture of both strength and cardio exercise, include rest days, and plenty of sleep!

Starting a new exercise routine can be overwhelming as can finding balance in an existing routine.

If you need help to define your goals and some expert guidance, please contact me for a free consultation.

5 ways to handle DOMS after a workout

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Thu, 20 May 2021 16:57:40 GMT

Introduction

If your taking your workout routine to a new level or starting to workout again after a long time, you may be starting to notice that with this new increase in activity comes something not so fun. Aching muscles. Sore body parts. Pain in places you never even felt before!

Any increased intensity to your workout and exercise routine is liable to cause Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) , which (although sometimes painful!) is nothing to be worried about as it is a natural reaction within your body.

The good news is that your body gets used to increased activity quickly, so DOMS should not become something that always happens and should lessen over time.

Having DOMS is a positive sign!

DOMS is an indication that you trained effectively by making a muscle repair itself into a stronger state than it was in before you trained.

Its that pain you feel 24-72 hours after a workout, which typically peaks around 48 hours post workout and is a result of micro trauma to your muscles, and the accumulation of waste products as a result of exercise. This is totally normal!

5 tips for dealing with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness after your workout

1. Stay hydrated

A lack of electrolytes contributes to muscle soreness so you need to make sure you are staying hydrated throughout your workout.

Your muscles are working harder and so they demand more oxygen and therefore need more blood pumping around – around 82% of your blood volume actually consists of water, so hydration is much more important and effective than simply quenching your thirst.

One easy way to keep your hydration levels up is to keep a water bottle with you while training, and after every set completed or every five minutes of cardio that you complete, such as on a treadmill, take a sip of water.

You also need to replace the amount of fluid lost during your workout once you have finished training. Drinking water following your workout to ward off dehydration that can make your muscle stiffness worse.

2. Get a Massage

Massage has been found to play a critical role in reducing inflammation in the body. It also stimulates the mitochondria, the tiny cells that convert glucose into energy, and which are essential for cell function and repair.

So not only does a light massage after exercise feel good, it can also help to reduce pain from DOMS and aid your muscle recovery by easing inflammation, improving blood flow and reducing muscle tightness and swelling.

If a massage isn't an option, you can also massage many of your own muscles, such as while showering – simply rub your calves, hamstrings, quads, biceps and so on to help ease DOMS.

3. Increase Circulation

One of the reasons that you experience muscle soreness is because your training has caused small muscle tears, which then repair to make them stronger. You can shorten the duration of DOMS caused by these small tears by increasing blood circulation.

Better blood circulation means more oxygen-rich and nutrient-rich blood will be going to the injured muscles, while increased blood flow also helps to wash away the chemical irritants responsible for pain.

One way to boost your circulation is through warmth. Try taking a warm (not hot as this can have the opposite effect!) bath.

Another circulation-improving trick is to try using form-fitting compression clothing, which can push blood through the veins, slowing fatigue and reducing swelling.

4. Sleep

Sleep is a really powerful tool for preventing DOMS and for muscle building, and is also key for a wellness lifestyle. Muscle-building chemicals such as Human Growth Hormone are naturally produced by your body in the deep stages of sleep.

Aim for a minimum of 7 hours sleep to really help your body to recover from exercising.

If you find it difficult to reach the state of deep sleep required for a good recovery, then try practicing deep and slow breathing, and also turn off any electronics an hour before going to bed.

Sleep is a truly regenerative process where your body is able to restore, rebuild and adapt. Developing a good sleep routine won’t only help with DOMS but will also help in gaining muscle and losing fat long term.

5. Active Recovery

Probably the last thing you feel like doing when you experience DOMS is moving your sore muscles.

However, active recovery where you perform gentle, restorative movements can be one of the most effective tools you can use to dramatically decrease the amount of muscle soreness you experience.

After all, sedentary lifestyles cause more hard than good – so get moving!

Light exercise that can help to stretch the sore muscles can also provide some pain relief by keeping your muscles moving. Even going for a gentle walk will help.

Active recovery can be painful to start, but after a few minutes, when the blood gets flowing and the muscles get warmed up, it will usually start to feel better.

Slow, gentle stretching of the area will also relieve that tight feeling and help to reduce the pain.

One essential way to avoid DOMS from happening is having a cool down phase after each workout. Finish your training sessions with a cardio session to warm down and bring your hear rate down, followed by some dynamic stretching.

Conclusion

Overdoing exercise can cause extreme soreness, burnout and even injury. Allow ample time for your muscles to fully recover before seriously training them again.

DOMS is a positive reaction and is an alert from the body to ease off the hard training until you feel comfortable again.

Ignoring that message from your body can cause more harm than good.

Regularly over-training yourself eventually leads to diminishing returns, plateau, and injury – so be sure to listen to your body and what it’s telling you.

The ultimate goal of any training program is to find the optimal balance between work and recovery. So while you stay focused and motivated on your fitness goals, make sure you keep your training safe and allow time to fully recover to really ensure you achieve the desired progress.

If you need a training plan and some expert guidance, contact me for a free consultation.

Runners Achilles Injuries and 5 things to do to Treat

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 16:06:05 GMT

Introduction

Ask any runner what injuries they dread the most and Achilles pain will be one of them. If you have had this problem, you know the feeling all too well, a mild ache in the back of the leg or above the heel during or after running. It starts as nagging pain, if you are really lucky it will go away, however the reality is it will happen each time you run and if not dealt with will stop you running.

So what is an Achilles injury, why are Achilles injuries a little different to some other running injuries, how do you know its an injury, and what are some of the things you need to do to get rid of it. I’ve included 5 steps, this is not a complete list, its not that easy. But from my experience these will help get you back on track running!

What is an Achilles injury?

This is a blog in its own right. However, in short the Achilles tendon is the large tendon connecting the two major calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus , to the back of the heel bone. Under too much stress, the tendon tightens and is forced to work too hard. This causes irritation or inflammation, also known as Achilles tendinitis .

Tendonitis the Achilles heel of runners...

There are 2 main types of tendonitis. Non-insertional Achilles tendonitis : small tears in the middle fibres of your tendon start to break it down causing pain and swelling. Insertional Achilles tendonitis : this damage occurs in the spot where your tendon meets your heel bone.

Why is Achilles pain different? – Muscles vs Tendons

Muscles:

Have a great blood supply, so aches and injuries left alone can fully heal in 6-12 weeks depending on the severity of the strain.
Heal by bridging the separation with scar tissue which does not have a contractile element and is not as stretchy as the muscle.
So it is massively important to introduce exercises and stretches to the muscle to optimise recovery.

Tendons:

Differ from muscles because they are mainly made up of collagen and elastin; this means they cannot contract themselves, but they are incredibly strong and stiff. They also have a much smaller blood supply, reducing their metabolism.
Due to the composition of tendons they react differently and unlike muscle injuries stretching doesn’t help recovery in the same way (see step 2 later)
With Achilles pain you don’t always feel the pain when your running, you might feel it initially but then it goes away. Its only later that you feel the pain. Often 24hrs later or in the morning when you wake up.

Do I have an injury problem or not?

We all get niggles and running will hurt a little at times. It’s just knowing when somethings just part of the course or if we have a real injury. The problem for runners is we are good at ignoring pain and we keep going. We also love running, we don’t want to stop something that makes us feel good.

The runners 5 stages of coping with injury!

All runners pretty much follow the below injury grieving cycle when we have an injury. The quicker we get to Acceptance the quicker we can deal with the injury and get back running.

1. Denial: its not really happening to me or Avoidance, bit of ice, I wear my compression socks, change my trainers, that will make it go away..
2. Anger: WHY ME! I warmed up did my stretches, it’s not fair!
3. Bargaining: If only, what if…maybe I need to do something to make this go away?
4. Depression: Emptiness, I’ll never run again…
5. Acceptance: Life’s not fair, these things happen, I need to deal with this, I can find a solution

5 Steps to get Running again

So you have got to acceptance? the following will help you get back on track:

1. Get a good physio

By all means do some research. But don’t base how you are going to handle your Achilles pain on watching YouTube videos. You need expertise to identify specifically what type of Achilles injury i.e. mid or insertion, which will determine the treatment and ultimately how quickly you recover.

2. Don’t Stretch or foam roll your calf!

Stretching or foam rolling your calves is great for the prevention for Achilles problems but it’s not the solution once an injury has occurred. Despite what some YouTube videos might say, you don't want to stretch an Achilles tendon injury! No matter what form of tendinopathy you may be experiencing, stretching should not be a part of your rehabilitation program.

Achilles tendinopathy injuries occur due to high levels of compressive load to the tendon against the calcaneus bone. As already mentioned, stretching your calf muscles will only serve to add more compression (and lead to more pain) on the already injured area.

3. Stop Running!

Over time, the injured tendon becomes weaker which makes it increasingly vulnerable. If the inflamed Achilles continues to be stressed i.e. you keep running and ignore the pain, it can tear or rupture. So if you have an Achilles injury stop running! and don’t start running again until you can do toe raises without pain. Your only make it worse or risk a painful rupture which will lead to even more time out from running!

While your healing, cycling, swimming, walking are all good activities to fill the void of not running and maintain a good level of fitness for when you return.

4. Strength Training

Strengthening the calf muscles using strength exercises which apply load to the calf muscle. Again be guided by your physio, the strength program must be tailored to your pain, past injuries and training history.

But don't stop once your back running, make strength training part of your training program, to reduce the risk of the problem returning.

5. Manage the Load

Achilles pain is due to one simple mechanism, overload. The pain you’re experiencing started because you placed too much load on your Achilles tendon and surpassed its current “load tolerance” level. This overload may have occurred for example due to increasing mileage too quickly, or simply over training.

However, you don’t want to completely rest a tendon, exercise is the best treatment for any type of tendon pain. You must strengthen the tendon as above and improve its ability tolerate load.

Load management is therefore most important factor in recovering from a tendon injury. This is a difficult balancing act and a reason why so many people develop chronic tendon injuries.

Conclusion

With the help and guidance of a good physio, if you stop running, manage the load, apply load to the calf muscle by strength training, your be back running pain free again. Your also be a lot wiser for it as well.

My lessons learnt from experiencing injury, is to focus on prevention. You can never eliminate the risk of injuries from running. There is no silver bullet, however one fundamental prevention for all injuries and specifically for Achilles injuries is to strengthen the muscles in your calves and feet.

The stronger the muscles, the less the loading force is on the tendon.

If you want to start incorporating Strength Training into your running training, you need a training plan and some expert guidance, contact me for a free consultation.

Reference

1. Kübler-Ross E. On Death and Dying (Routledge, 1969).

2. Cook JL, Purdam C. Is compressive load a factor in the development of tendinopathy? Br J Sports Med. 2011;1-6

3. Malliaras P, Cook J, Purdam C, Rio E. Patellar tendinopathy: clinical diagnosis, load management, and advice for challenging case presentations. J ORthop Sports Phys Ther. 2015;45(11):887-98

Its not just about the Cardio, why we also need Strength Training

MATTHEW.ALLEWAY@GMAIL.COM (MATTHEW ALLEWAY) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:30:34 GMT

Introduction

We often associate fitness with aerobic exercise, which can be in the form of running, walking, cycling, and swimming, or anything that gets your heart pumping and you breathing faster. There is no doubt this is an essential component of any exercise programme, and its recommended that we include 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week.

However new guidance issued by chief medical officers in both the US and the UK places an increased emphasis on the importance of building strength and balance for adults. Since 2011 UK exercise guidelines have stated that all adults should also include muscle strengthening activities two days a week. There has also been increasing media coverage on strength training, so why do we need to include strength training, what are the benefits, and how do we get them?

What is Strength Training and why do we need it?

Strength training is a system of physical conditioning in which muscles are exercised when you lift or pull against resistance and can take the form of body weight, free weights, machine resistance, and resistance bands. It should not just be considered the domain of bodybuilders and young men wanting to ‘get big or ripped’. Instead it’s already an essential element for athletes and increasingly for individuals who aren’t all trying to look like Arnie!.

Age related muscle loss happens to everyone. Around the age of 30, we start to lose up to 5 per cent of our muscle mass each decade, and this accelerates at 70. Our muscles stop using protein as efficiently and are less able to repair themselves. Bones also degrade as we age, losing mass and making us more prone to fractures. This is a major reason why older people lose their ability to carry out daily tasks and succumb to falls.

However, the good news is it is possible to slow both muscle wastage and maintain healthy bones from regular strength training. Strengthing muscles halts the decline, and by placing stress on the bones helps to inhibit the breaking down of bones and at the same time triggering bone growth, helping us to maintain and even build denser bones. Therefore, regular strength-based exercise will help delay the natural decline in muscle mass and bone density not just for people in their later years but throughout life.

What are the Benefits of Strength Training?

The benefits of strong muscles is nothing new, Socrates told his disciples that it was a disgrace to grow old without developing their physical strength to the highest limit. But it is only recently that we have come to appreciate just what having strong muscles can do for our health. So in addition to the benefits of fighting muscle wastage and keeping our bones strong throughout life, strength training can also:

1. Reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes : Muscle plays an important role in regulating the body’s glucose levels. With the help of insulin, it soaks up the glucose from the blood and stores it in the form of glycogen. Bigger muscles mean a bigger sink for glucose and higher number of cells that transport and clear glucose from the body, which all helps ward off type 2 diabetes, when blood glucose levels become too high.

2. Better survival rates of cancer : this link is probably because cancer decreases muscle mass so having bigger muscles to start with to keep the body going for longer.

3. Healthy weight maintenance : As well as aerobic exercise, a surprising benefit is that strength training also burns calories, even after exercise. As weight training increases your basal metabolic rate - the amount of energy your body consumes when at rest. First bigger muscles require more energy to fuel tissue maintenance, and secondly the tiny tears caused by lifting weight, require energy to remodel. All helping to decrease body fat.

4. Reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes : Lower body fat contributes to both lower cholesterol and blood pressure resulting in a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. So getting stronger protects you from heart attacks, and studies have proved by up to 70%.

5. I mproves sports performance , for example:

Running: it’s not just essential for ultra-running but will also help smash your park run PBs!

Cyclist’s: Strong quads to help tackle those killer hills!

6. Injury prevention: Keeping your muscles strong can help prevent a host of injuries. When you work to improve the strength of your muscles, you’re helping ensure that your body is prepared to work a bit harder for those unexpected times when you're placed in an awkward position. Whether you're out running or doing some heavy lifting around the house, stronger muscles will help to keep you injury-free.

7. Improved posture: Lifting weights strengthens your back, shoulder, and core muscles, which are all crucial to standing with proper posture and preventing lower back pain. Especially relevant as we can spend so much of our time each day seated.

8. Healthier brain : Strength training triggers the release of several brain chemicals that support the health of neurons helping them to communicate and grow.

9. You look good! Speaking as a man, haven’t we all looked admiringly at ourselves in the mirror at some point and flexed our muscles! and fished (in my case unsuccessfully!) for compliments from our wife.

10. Y ou feel good ! Most importantly for our wellbeing.

How do you get the benefits from Strength Training?

The American College of Sports Medicine has issued some simple advice: it says that adults should perform strength exercises on all major muscle groups – legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms – at least twice a week. That advice comes from evidence that your first workout of the week will give you the most benefit compared to nothing at all. Your second workout will give a bit more benefit, as will the third, but then the results will plateau.

If you want to start incorporating strength training into a fitness program, you need some guidance and motivation, contact me for a free consultation.

Reference

Why exercise is the best medicine (2020), New Scientist essential guide Human Health, New Scientist Ltd