Personal Training for Women New Malden| Strength Training | Fitness Tips
Postnatal exercise: Adaptations to your core strengthening programme
When we start talking about postnatal exercise for your core there is one big don't -"DON'T DO CRUNCHES'' The still-healing, Postnatal Core doesn't, in general, respond too well to PRESSURE. Traditional crunches make pressure. Pressure builds against a...
Do fat cells stop you from losing weight?
It's been said that overweight people have more fat cells than lean people, and this could be what prevents them from losing weight? I did a bit of research on the subject and this is what I came up with Have you ever wondered what fat is? When a person "gets fat" - ...
Exercise during Pregnancy: Facts and Fiction
Exercise during pregnancy is controversial. For much of recent history, pregnant women have been treated as if they had an illness and were subjected to a state of confinement. Throughout history, mothers-to-be have been told to cut back on exercise and take it easy,...
Sleep and Melatonin
You may have heard of melatonin - some people even take it in capsule form for sleep. But do you know that the body produces melatonin itself when you sleep well? Here is some information about melatonin and how to optimise its production Melatonin is a natural...
Are you getting enough Sleep?
What do you consider to be a good or a bad night's sleep? Do you feel that you are getting enough sleep generally? If not, then what can you do about it? Did you know that the average night's sleep has diminished from 9 hours, 20 years ago, to a mere 7 hours now? This...
How Much Sugar is Too Much?
HOW MUCH SUGAR IS TOO MUCH? As a health and fitness professional, I often find myself asking clients to look at the amount of sugar in the foods they are eating, as many may contain ’too much’ sugar. This inspired me to write about ‘how much sugar is too much' and...
Early Morning Fasted Workouts for Fat Loss
I was recently asked by a client what she should eat before a 6 am CrossFit class I asked her if she had thought about doing it fasted? So are there benefits to exercising first thing in the morning, and more so...
Body Fat Distribution and Hormones
Where you store body fat and how much you store there isn’t just by chance. It is controlled by certain mechanisms; primarily hormones. Hormones are your body's chemical messengers. They are signals for glands and tissues to do their work and they work in a system and...
Exercise and Fat Loss: what is the best way to burn fat?
Everybody thinks that exercise and fat loss are inextricably interlinked. However, it is fully possible to shed unwanted body fat without exercise. I need to be careful not to do myself out of a job here !! I'm here to train you how to exercise, and fat loss...
Exercise for Women of Perimenopause Age
Many of us are familiar with the concepts and challenges related to the Menopause, but what’s happening during the Perimenopause? In short, perimenopause age for most women starts around aged 35 – 40, and starts by most women noticing that ‘things are changing’ in...
Running After Childbirth
Too Keen ? Many women are incredibly eager to return to running after childbirth. After a natural and uncomplicated birth some believe that they are ready to run at a few weeks post partum. Returning to running after pregnancy is dependent on the individual, but there...
How Soon Can I start Postnatal Exercise?
After pregnancy, most women want to get back to their pre-pregnancy shape and weight as soon as possible, and may feel under a lot of pressure to do so. If you exercised regularly before you had your baby , you may be itching to get back into a postnatal exercise...
Checking for Diastasis Recti
YOU MAY HAVE DIASTASIS RECTI IF.. Your abdominal muscles seem to only get worse when you do crunches, sit ups or planks… Your belly button mysteriously became an outie when it was always an innie… You get lower back ache You pee yourself every time you sneeze, cough,...
Leafy Greens are Good for the Brain
Many people are concerned about Alzheimer’s dementia and are looking for strategies to avoid this degenerative process. It is reported that fish and coconut oil prevent brain decline .......but are these really active and worth eating on a regular basis? Or will the...
What is diastasis recti and how can you heal from it?
As my client base is all female a significant part of my work is with mums with DIASTASIS RECTI. This is the technical term for that gap that can appear down the mid line of the abdominal wall after having babies. It can be scary to be 'diagnosed' with this condition...
Cold Temperatures Stimulate Brown Fat Production
Cold Temperatures Help Brown Fat (The Good Fat) Grow; which Stimulates Metabolic Balance and Lowers Blood Sugar Levels A study known as the ICEMAN study, found that having more brown fat helps to burn off excess calories and control sugar levels. It sounds crazy, but...
Is there a link between Caffeine and Belly Fat?
Today I want to talk about caffeine and belly fat. You may think that if you drink more caffeine you will have a faster metabolism and therefore be slimmer, but please take a look at this.... I was looking for quotes about coffee and liked this one by Lewis Black as...
Why do you need Functional Fitness?
We went skiing in Austria over Easter. It was lots of fun. The first time for the boys, and I haven't been for 18 years. Skiing made me think about the importance of strength, coordination and being able to move well, both for sport and for everyday life. Skiing is...
Why do you Exercise?
Why do you exercise and go to the gym? I often ask my clients this, because knowing the reasons why they want to exercise helps me to plan what types of exercises they should be doing . The answers I generally hear, include these ones: To lose weight/fat/tone up To...
Detox Spicy Dhal Recipe -courtesy of my Mum
This spicy Dhal recipe is one of my mum's favourites. So what better way for me to illustrate my post on the health benefits of spices, than by sharing this gorgeous dhal with you. DETOX SPICY DHAL RECIPE Ingredients 50 g red lentils 1 onion (finely chopped) 1 inch of...
Hearty Shepherds Pie Recipe
Following my post yesterday about indoor circuit training ideas, when the weather is too cold, wet or both to venture out, here is a lovely recipe that fits nicely with one of those days too. This Shepherds Pie will warm you from the inside out! Hearty Shepherds Pie...
Indoor Circuit Training Ideas: Stair Lunges
Some of my clients don't want to exercise outside so much at this time of year (I can't think why?). So just for them, here are some indoor circuit training ideas that you can do without any apparatus at home. All you need is a flight of stairs. It may be officially...
Thyroid problems after pregnancy
You've just had a baby. You're tired, exhausted - of course you are. But is that all it is or are you showing symptoms of thyroid problems? Having a baby is incredibly tiring. There is precious little chance to sleep, plus all the new demands on you that caring for a...
What is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)?
A conversation with a client today has prompted me to write on the subject of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, also known as DOMS. She commented (not complained) that despite a good shoulders workout on Monday she had not had any DOMS in the post workout period.I...
What is the Safest Form of Exercise in Pregnancy?
There seems to be conflicting advice out there as to how much it is safe to exercise in pregnancy. It’s no wonder many mums to be are confused and may err on the side of caution. Let’s take a look at this area in more detail. Congratulations – you’re expecting a...
The Best Way to treat Hormonal Imbalance Naturally
Hormones play an influential role in a woman’s health. Women may experience an array of negative health effects triggered by hormonal imbalance, particularly in the peri-menopause and menopausal years. Symptoms of hormonal imbalance affecting women aged 40+ are...
What is diastasis recti and how can you treat it?
Diastasis Recti (also known as abdominal separation) is commonly defined as a gap between the two sides of the Rectus Abdominis muscle. It is very common in pregnancy, but can also occur in men and in women who have never been pregnant. If you want to know whether...
Weight Loss Case study: Dawn
Dawn came to me looking for a HIIT exercise programme and some weight loss advice.... About 8 weeks ago my mobile phone rang - ‘number unavailable’. To be honest I rarely answer my phone when I see this, as it's normally someone trying to sell me something irrelevant....
Cracking Christmas with Superfoods
How is your run up to Christmas? Most of us think more about food at Christmas than at any other time! I don't want to waste your time with those healthy eating at Christmas tips, but thought I'd talk about the benefits of superfoods and why these are a great...
Why should you hire a Personal Trainer in 2019?
The number one reason why most people have a personal trainer? Motivation And that includes me… Exercising for many people amounts to being an uncomfortable, boring, uninteresting experience. Hence the key is to find a way to make exercise enjoyable/satisfying to the...