Exercise

Have you tried to get fit in the past? Tried many different types of exercise and never found anything you’ve enjoyed enough to continue for the long term? Then this article is for you. It’s no secret that to get fit you need to exercise. However, many people head off to the gym with good intentions, but after a few weeks or months the enthusiasm wanes, and they eventually stop going. Often this is because they are forcing themselves to go, slogging through unenjoyable runs on the treadmill, hating every minute!  The secret to maintaining an exercise habit is to find a form of exercise that you enjoy. Read on for some ideas on how to find a form of exercise that you enjoy.

Couch to 5k

Running isn’t for everyone, in fact, for many people running isn’t ideal at all. However, running is one of the most popular forms of exercise around the globe; it is easy to do and accessible to most people as the only requirements is a pair of trainers. The biggest mistake most people

All over the world there have been a number of restrictions put in place due to COVID-19 which have impacted our regular day to day lives massively. As a result of this, our mental health has been greatly impacted by these rules and regulations. But to help us keep ourselves balanced we have seen a large uptake in people exercising and getting creative, so within this blog post we are going to look at the various ways in which you can improve your physical and mental health during a lockdown.

Find Activities Which Engage Your Brain

While in a lockdown you might find yourselves spending a lot more time at home by yourself. And more often than not we find that alone time can be precious but can also be hindering to your mental health if you have too much of it and feel isolated. During these times you may find that you find yourself binge

In the UK, and most western countries, there is a high incidence of obesity. A report published in 2019 highlighted that 28.7% of adults in the UK were obese and a further 35.6% were in the overweight category; this means that less than 36% of the adult population in the United Kingdom is of an acceptable weight for their height. This statistic makes it clear why the diet and exercise industry is big business. However, if people were successful at weight loss these statistics wouldn’t be so shocking.

When embarking on a weight loss regime many people opt to do one or both of the following:

1. Improve their diet and decrease calorie intake
2. Begin/increase exercise

Many people lose varying amounts of weight; however, the vast majority of people quickly put it back on, and often more, quite quickly after stopping their new regime. So, what could we do differently to make weight loss sustainable? Are diet and exercise equal? What are the benefits

We all know that swimming is a great form of exercise, but why? It has long been reported, by governments and health experts around the globe, that we should exercise more. In the United Kingdom, adults are advised to aim for 150 minutes of a moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high intensity exercise per week. Swimming takes more forms and can be a sedate gentle exercise or high intensity depending on the stroke and how hard you work. However, the benefit of swimming goes beyond fulfilling the exercise guidelines; regular sessions in the pool will have a positive impact on both physical and mental health.

Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Swimming

Whether you feel physical weak, unfit, exhausted or run-down or mentally unable to gather the motivation to go out and exercise; taking that first difficult step to get out there really is worth it. Exercise, of any form, is known to help alleviate many physical and mental health complaints

Modern life is often high-pressured; and more so than for previous generations. Today with an idea of ‘perfect’ being incessantly portrayed on social media young adults and working families come under a lot of pressure to conform. Pressure to achieve goals and progress your career, while being a devoted partner and gushing parent with high-achieving kids is taking its toll on modern families. Add to that the pressure to look good, exercise regularly and eat healthily many men and women feel as though they are failing at so called ‘adulting’! However, could exercise and healthy eating actually make it easier to succeed in other areas or your life, and improve your work-life balance?

Life of a Working Parent in 2020

Here in the UK and around the globe we are all facing huge changes to our daily lives due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Since March many countries have been in lockdown with residents allowed outside for only certain activities. In the UK outdoor exercise has been on the allowed list throughout. Initially everyone was permitted to go out for exercise once per day for an hour, while following strict social distancing guidelines. Since May 2020 the guidance has been altered to allow unlimited exercise, but social distancing rules remain.

Exercise is more important now than ever. With many peoples usually active lifestyle at a standstill and gym facilities, both indoor and outdoor, closed it is easy to become more sedentary. Add to this boredom eating, and the negative mental health effects of such a drastic lifestyle change, exercise could be a helpful focus for many people.  So, we thought we would take a look at the different types of exercise available, the social distancing

Since 2018 a completely new workout called ‘Animal Flow’ has been steadily growing in popularity. Animal Flow is like no workout that you have seen before, and it is tough. Watching the pros perform an Animal Flow routine is mesmerising and relaxing; but take their place and it is one hardcore workout that will certainly get your whole body moving in new and different ways, stretching like never before and working every muscle. And, what is even better is that there is no costly equipment required.  

What is Animal Flow?

Often described as a mix between yoga, gymnastics and breakdancing it is already clear that Animal Flow is unique. The movements in an Animal Flow routine use bodyweight to help you strengthen your muscles and burn calories, we have looked at the benefit of bodyweight training in

There is so much to consider when choosing new workout clothing from what clothing is suitable for the type of exercise you are doing, to fit, style and colour, but have you considered how sustainable your workout clothing is? Many new businesses are popping up offering environmentally friendly exercise gear, many with different focuses in their sustainability efforts. From ethical labour, through recycled, organic and sustainable materials, to minimising carbon footprint and recycled water used during production. We take a look at some of the different environment friendly policies being implemented and the brands to look for depending on what is most important to you.

Exercise Gear Made from Sustainable Materials

For many years we have seen companies such as Nike and Adidas producing sports clothing from recycled plastic bottles. But, in 2020 there are many more types of recycled materials being used by different brands in the manufacturer of workout clothing.

It is April 2020, most of the world is in lockdown. Gyms are closed and some countries are even stopping residents leaving their homes to take daily exercise. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people are turning to old-school exercise videos to maintain their fitness and workout within the confines of their own homes. Over recent years there has been a slow and steady reintroduction of retro fitness into trendy City gyms, however this has quickly snowballed into a major phenomenon for the masses.

Retro Fitness Gyms

From New York to London, inner city gyms are always looking to introduce new trends to keep fitness fanatics interested. In London Gymbox’s Gymnasium has been a huge hit. The Gymbox classes are inspired by retro PE lessons. Many of us shudder at the thought of school

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, also referred to as NEAT, is not a new health and fitness fad, or a drastic lifestyle upheaval, it is the answer to a long-term, achievable healthy lifestyle. We have been told for many years to move more and to eat less. Essentially that is the concept of NEAT, but it isn’t a quick fix diet, and it doesn’t require you sweating it out at the gym at 6am every day. It does, however, require small lifestyle changes over the long term for gradual weight loss and health benefits.

What is NEAT?

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis is the calories you burn throughout everyday activities. But what does that mean? A calorie is the unit of energy that your body uses to function, and the use of calories can be split into three components:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate: This is the number of calories that your body uses to survive. These calories power the brain, heart, liver, muscles and other organs that are required to continue working