EH Fitness Magazine - Issue 6 by GladstoneMedia

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Issue 06 May 2017

CROSSED BODY SYNDROME

WHY SITTING DOWN IS CAUSING US PROBLEMS

CONQUER GRAVITY

PILATES WITH A DIFFERENCE

WIN

WEEKEND ADULT PASSES TO THE FOXLAKE OUTDOOR FESTIVAL SEE PAGES 28-29

WORKOUT MOTIVATION

GET BACK ON TRACK TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

PARK RUN

HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR PB

DAVID DUNN FITNESS TRAIL A FITTING TRIBUTE TO A LOCAL HERO

The dedicated health & fitness magazine for Edinburgh & the Lothians

BODYBUILDING & FITNESS

WE BUILD STRONG BODIES! Whether your goal is to gain size, lose fat or improve your health, Spartan Gym has all the equipment for an honest workout. Cardio Equipment Hammer Strength Machines Free Weights Supplement Shop 109 Unit 1 Restalrig Road, Edinburgh, EH6 7NY – Tel: 0131 561 1310 33 Unit 1 Mayfield Industrial Estate, Mayfield, EH22 4AD – Tel: 0131 663 9898

Welcome Publisher Mark Eaton ehfitness@gladstonemedia.co.uk

Admin/Subscriptions Diane Reid admin@gladstonemedia.co.uk

Design Mad Creative www.mad-creative.co.uk

Disclaimer: The health and fitness information presented in this publication is intended as an educational and informative resource and is not intended as a substitute for any professional advice you may have received. Consult a doctor, healthcare professional, qualified personal trainer, dietitian or nutritionist before undertaking any of the exercises, fitness or nutrition programmes described in this magazine, particularly if you are pregnant, or are elderly or have chronic or recurring medical conditions. Discontinue any exercise that causes you pain or severe discomfort and consult a medical expert.

Welcome to Issue 6 of EH Fitness – the dedicated health, fitness and well-being magazine exclusively for the people of Edinburgh and the Lothians. It’s now been one whole year since EH Fitness magazine launched and in that time we’ve distributed over 30,000 printed copies of the magazine throughout the area, providing our readers with health, lifestyle, nutrition and fitness advice and tips with the aim of motivating them to maintain or improve their fitness levels. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved so far and we’d like to thank each and every one of you that has supported us, either by reading, subscribing or contributing towards it. This latest issue is packed full of great articles for you to read: we look at how you can get your fitness goals back on track in our Motivation article, Page 14; there’s a touching story about how cycling has helped one man battle depression, Page 10; with the increased popularity in parkrun events, we provide some tips on how you can achieve your PB, Page 30; there’s news about the wonderful Foxlake Outdoor Festival including the chance to win a pair of weekend passes, Page 26... and so much more for you to enjoy. As Publisher, I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine and would love to receive your feedback, comments and suggestions on how we can continue to improve EH Fitness to ensure it truly reflects the wants and needs of you, the reader. Email me using the contact details shown to the left and feel free to connect with us on social media and sign up for the FREE subscription to the online version, see Page 38 for details.

EH Fitness magazine is published by:

All contents copyright Gladstone Media Ltd. All rights reserved. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies, howsoever caused. No liability can be accepted for illustrations, photographs, artwork or advertising materials while in transmission or with the publisher or their agents.

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Contents

6 NEWS

New App with all the best UK run, swim and cycle events; Save money with Edinburgh Leisure’s Discount Card; Summer workout bootcamp in Edinburgh…..and more

12 CYCLING FOR DEPRESSION

How one man’s passion for cycling helped him battle depression

14 DAVID DUNN FITNESS TRAIL A fitting tribute to Bonnyrigg’s local hero

16 MOTIVATION

If you haven’t stuck to the goals you set in January, we can help you re-focus and get back on track

23 CROSSED BODY SYNDROME

We look at the problems caused by sitting for long periods of the day

28 FOXLAKE OUTDOOR FESTIVAL

This year’s event set to be bigger and better with new Adrenaline Arena

29 READER COMPETITION

WIN a pair of weekend passes to the Foxlake Outdoor Festival

32 PARKRUN

Tips on how to achieve your parkrun PB

PT DEVELOPMENT SERIES 1PM - JUNE 2ND (PTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and coaches only) BUILDING THE ULTIMATE DIET 6PM - JUNE 2ND (everyone welcome) LOCATION DIAMOND GYM EDINBURGH 14 Stewartfield, Newhaven, Edinburgh, EH6 5RQ

Visit www.eventbrite.co.uk for tickets

NEWS

UK’s first App dedicated to weekend challenges The most popular sports in the UK are running, swimming and cycling with 8m people getting involved every week and 1.3m regularly competing in events1. Racedate is the first app in the UK dedicated to helping people find weekend challenges – it’s faster than Google and lists more events than any other website, all in a pocket friendly format. Created by a mountain biker frustrated with scouring several different websites for the best events and seeing an opportunity to bring them all together under one roof, Racedate was developed to ensure that wherever you are in the UK, either working or on holiday, there are no excuses for not getting involved in your sport and with a team of curators making sure the app is always filled with the best events in the UK, you can always be sure to find something close by. Available in the App Store now, go and download it today or, for more information, visit Racedate’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/racedateuk/

1. Sport England APS10 (adjusted for United Kingdom) https://www.sportengland.org/research/who-plays-sport/national-picture/

Dare2Bootcamp Summer Workout For anyone starting to think it’s time to get that holiday body ready, here’s some news you’ll be interested in. Dale Roy of DARE Fitness – a qualified Personal Trainer, Advanced Hatton Academy Boxing Coach and Metafit© Instructor – is running a summer workout bootcamp…..45 minutes of fun, high intensity body changing sessions. Every level of fitness is welcome and everyone will work completely at their own pace. There are 4 sessions per week (Sunday 11.00am; Monday 6.30pm; Thursday 7.30pm; Saturday 9.30am) and training takes place at Harrison Park in Edinburgh. Each session costs £4.00 but there’s also an offer of a discounted package of 10 sessions for £30.00. For further information, head to DARE Fitness on their Facebook page where you can message Dale directly, or visit their website: www.darefitness.co.uk

NEWS

Looking for Les Mills GRIT Instructors Edinburgh Leisure are looking for LES MILLS GRIT coaches. LES MILLS GRIT takes cutting edge HIIT and combines it with powerful music and inspirational coaches who will be down on the floor with participants, motivating them to go harder to get fit, fast. Edinburgh Leisure will be running GRIT programmes at clubs across the city and are looking for inspirational coaches to lead these high energy classes so if you have a Level 2 Exercise To Music or Level 2 Gym instructor qualification, and if you think you’ve got what it takes, they want to hear from you! For more information, contact Ally Flannigan directly on allyflannigan@edinburghleisure. co.uk and to find out more about LES MILLS GRIT, visit: https://www.lesmills.com/uk/workouts/

Body Transformation Challenge As reported in Issue 5, EH Fitness magazine Publisher – Mark Eaton – was taking part in a 12-week body transformation challenge set by Spartan Gym, one of the premier bodybuilding and fitness gyms in Edinburgh and Midlothian. Unfortunately, before being able to complete the full 12-week challenge, Mark suffered an injury while playing football which rendered him unfit for any further gym sessions for a period of time. While hugely disappointing for everyone, the good news is that Mark has now made a full recovery and is not only back playing football, he’s also working towards making a return to the gym. Just prior to picking up his footballing injury, Mark was making very steady progress under the expert guidance of Spartan Gym’s resident bodybuilding champion, John Wynne, and the combination of a protein packed eating plan and regular strength sessions at Spartan’s facilities in Edinburgh and Mayfield, Midlothian, meant Mark was comfortably on the path to being leaner and stronger than ever before.

lean muscle in the 10 weeks of attending the gym every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. His waistline dropped 2” down to 33” and he added almost 1” of muscle to his biceps. Asking Mark what he enjoyed most about his time working with John, he said that the motivation, guidance and knowledge that he provided enabled him to push himself harder than he would have ever dreamt of doing had he been working out alone. And the worst? The killer slow reps John used to throw in at the end to completely fatigue the muscle. Or the hack squats! If you’d like to undertake your own body transformation challenge, or just want to get fitter or stronger than ever before, it really is worth speaking with the professionals at Spartan Gym. Visit their Facebook page SpartanGymEdinburgh pop in to their Leith or Mayfield gyms or call them on 0131 561 1310 / 0131 663 9898. Remember to mention EH Fitness magazine !

Speaking about Mark’s progress, John commented: “The most noticeable difference with Mark was his strength. Since he started his training with us, we steadily built that up and had reached a point where we were working with weights that he was unable to touch before and achieving decent reps.” The chest was one area in particular Mark wanted to improve and that certainly happened, packing on 2” of www.ehfitness.co.uk

BODYBUILDING & FITNESS

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NEWS

Save Yourself a Fair Whack with an Edinburgh Leisure Discount Card Whilst we all know that exercise is good for us, life is hectic. For those unable to commit to a monthly or annual gym membership, Edinburgh Leisure’s Discount Card might be the solution. For a one-off annual payment of £29.90 (less than 60p a week) is all you need to pay to save all year long. The Discount Card gives unlimited access to all of Edinburgh Leisure’s venues across the city, with savings of up to 25% across a huge range of activities including gym visits, swimming, fitness classes, golf, racquet sports and much more (*exceptions apply – see Edinburgh Leisure’s website for details). It also lets you book classes or courts eight days in advance, ensuring

you don’t miss out on your favourite session. With over 30+ venues offering 1 climbing centre, 15 gyms, 700+ fitness classes per week, 23 tennis courts, 6 golf courses, 10 swimming pools, Edinburgh Leisure is ‘the biggest club in town’. The Discount Card is available to buy online at Edinburgh Leisure’s website or from any one of Edinburgh Leisure’s venues. The discount lasts for 12 months and for those purchasing a card before 30 April, a free swim or gym visit is given as an incentive to get you started. Visit www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/ discountcardoffer for more information.

Terms and conditions apply

How Champions Achieve How Champions Achieve is an inspiring book for winning in sport, life and business that has been written by a former elite swimmer who is now a consultant in organisational change working with numerous executive management teams to help them transform their businesses. Tony Lewis is also the author of the ‘What Type of Athlete/Triathlete/Swimmer are you?’ series and ‘Swimming Technique Illustrated’ and has created the #sportsbehaviour system which helps athletes and teams improve their performance. Sport continues to give us examples of inspiration and excellence, but how do champions achieve success? They follow the Champions’ Logic of Success: they know all about themselves as an athlete and leader, what their gameplan is, how to execute their gameplan, what to move towards, and what to move away from. And when you’ve read this book – you will too. So read and enjoy. Re-live some of the momentous occasions in sport – learn and transfer these to your life.

The book has received some magnificent praise including: “A fresh and no nonsense approach to achieving, amazing!” David Taylor, The Naked Leader; “This has had a really positive impact on my squad.” Kevin Brooks, Head Coach Wycombe District Swimming Club; “Get ready to be inspired.” Tom Kean, Director of Thameside Financial Planning, co-founder of Selkie Swim Co. and the Henley Swim events. To find out more about this inspirational book, visit the publishers website (www.lewisparnell.com) where they are also making their #sportsbehaviour 15 page overview report (RRP £10) available FREE to EH Fitness magazine readers.

NEWS

FloatFit HIIT set to makes waves in Edinburgh An exciting new water-based fitness class is to set sail at Edinburgh Leisure’s Ainslie Park which has been chosen as the first place to offer the new FloatFit HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in the city. FloatFit is a revolutionary, low impact, cross-training, 30 minute workout on water, using the only floating exercise mat, the AquaBase. FloatFit offers a full body workout with the movement created by the water requiring both the core and concentration to work together to stay on top of the body length floating exercise mat, the AquaBase. Marie Kneeshaw, Aquatics Development Officer at Edinburgh Leisure explained: “Edinburgh Leisure is the first place in the city to offer this new water based exercise class that is taking the world by storm. It offers a full body workout. Intricate stabilisation muscles that prevent dislocation and add strength to joints really have to work overtime and it’s these muscle fibres that often go unworked in your average workout. At the end of the workout, you won’t know if your core is sore from laughing or the workout.” Classes are priced at £4.40 for non-members or £3.30 with an Edinburgh Leisure discount card and anyone

taking part must be confident in deep water and happy to submerge if they fall off the AquaBase. It’s also recommended that participants wear shorts or cropped lycra leggings, commonly worn for exercise training, a good sports bra (for women), and a training sports top such as a rashie t-shirt, made of spandex and nylon or polyester. Cotton t-shirts are fine but they tend to hold the water and may impede movement and men may like to wear swim shorts rather than trunks. Speedo has developed some specially designed kit, the H2O Active Range, in association with AquaPhysical, if people are keen to splash out.

Want to get trim before the summer – try before you buy Up until the 15th May, Edinburgh Leisure is offering non-members the opportunity to try out their facilities with a free 7 Day Pass which they can pick up online via the Edinburgh Leisure website or in participating venues. The pass will allow seven days consecutive free access to gyms, swimming pools (including their saunas and Turkish baths) and classes, subject to class space. With 30+ venues including 10 swimming pools, 15 gyms and 700+ fitness classes per week, Edinburgh Leisure is the ‘biggest club in town’ providing the widest range of fitness classes, state of the art facilities and community based programmes across the capital, creating opportunities for everyone to get active, stay active and achieve more. www.ehfitness.co.uk

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NEWS

Operation Close Pass launched in Edinburgh Plain clothed police are taking to Edinburgh’s streets to highlight the space cyclists need for everyone to use our roads safely. Operation Close Pass will see drivers who pass an unmarked police cyclist too closely pulled over and given advice using a specially designed mat which shows how much space a person on a bicycle needs when overtaking them. PC Dominic Doyle from the Divisional Road Policing Unit is leading the initiative locally and said that the close passing of cyclists is a concern, with the sense of close passing vehicles often cited as a significant disincentive to cycle. “A lot of drivers see a person on a bicycle riding on the road on in a cycle lane and don’t consider that passing them closely puts all road users in danger. It could constitute careless or even dangerous driving and you would fail your driving test for that. “Those drivers that we stop during this operation will be shown how closely they passed the unmarked officer by standing on our specially designed mat. You should allow at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car when passing a person on a bicycle, giving consideration to the maximum speed limit and time and distance available to you.” The initiative is being piloted in Edinburgh, having been originally developed by West Midlands Police, with the intention of rolling it out across Scotland. Three-hundred-and-ninety-eight cyclists have been injured in collisions in the capital over the past two years, 62 seriously, and one has died. The operation is running alongside Cycling Scotland’s Give Everyone Cycle Space campaign. Keith Irving, Cycling Scotland chief executive, said: “Operation Close Pass is a welcome new initiative by Police Scotland to improve road safety. Education and enforcement are essential to making safer roads for everyone, whether we are cycling, driving or walking. This initiative is one of the many we need to take to tackle the increase in serious injuries amongst people cycling. We aim to see the scheme rolled out nationwide so everyone will benefit, complementing the Give Everyone Cycle Space road safety awareness campaign which reminds people to drive and overtake safely around people riding bikes.”

Chief Superintendent Andy Edmonston, Head of Road Policing for Police Scotland, has welcomed Operation Close Pass. “We are constantly working to make Scotland’s roads safer for everyone, and I am very pleased to see this innovative approach being piloted in Edinburgh where a large number of people cycle to commute and for pleasure. “I would encourage all road users to take responsibility for their own safety whilst respecting that of others, and any road traffic offences that are seen by officers during the operation will be dealt with appropriately. I would urge cyclists to make themselves as visible as possible to other road users through positioning and clear signals, reflectors and lights after dark and lightcoloured clothing, and to ride safely according to the law.”

EXTREME WORKOUTS JEWEL MINERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLUB 56 DUDDINGSTON PARK SOUTH EDINBURGH EH15 3LJ FOR MORE INFORMATION TEL: 07790 370865 facebook.com/Dereksgym

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FEATURE

Depression Cycle With the stresses and strains of everyday life, it’s natural to feel low or down in the dumps from time to time. Depression is a more extreme form of this and can last for months or even years. Around 1 in 10 of us will suffer from depression at some point in our lives. I know. I’m one of these people. I’ve suffered from depression for over 20 years. There are many reasons why people become depressed. For me, it is linked to when my mum died when I was 10, but it didn’t really take effect for another 6 or 7 years. I’d locked myself away in my head, afraid of telling people how I felt. Afraid that I would upset them. Thinking I was protecting others, I

was damaging myself. I was already a keen cyclist and I used this to escape. Skiving off school wasn’t a chore. As a member of my local cycling club, all my friends were much older. People my age seemed so immature. This was in the mid 90’s where no one understood cycling. I was that freak who shaved his legs and wore lycra! An easy target for bullies. I dreamed of racing the Tour De France but as I reached my late teens this was never going to happen. I just wasn’t good enough. I fell out of love with cycling. My world for the second time had ended.

By this point I’d started drinking and partying. Nothing out of the ordinary but, after time, it became a problem. Low self-esteem, lack of motivation, feeling lethargic and hopeless. At times like this there’s a lot of thinking and analysing going on. Thoughts of ‘I’m a failure’, ‘nothing is going to change’. This leads to physical symptoms of feeling heavy and achy. Getting out of bed becomes the hardest task. Counting down the hours until bedtime. It’s a vicious cycle that spins round and around. Constantly dragging you down. It’s a cycle that has to be broken. Thankfully life doesn’t have to continue like this. For anyone that has depression like symptoms, the first thing to do is see your doctor. They are best placed to advise on beating depression. One key therapy is exercise. No surprises there. The benefits of exercise are well documented. But do you know how hard it is to lift your head off the pillow when you’re at your worst? It’s the hardest thing in the world…no really!! Getting active needs a strategy and planning. Cycling…my eternal love and passion, is back to save me. Here is what I found works for me and will help anyone. Depression or no depression.

FEATURE • Plan your physical activity a week at a time. Take into account family, work, weather, etc. • Check the weather the night before and set your kit out accordingly (or find an alternative exercise if the weather is bad) • Exercise first thing in the morning. The commute to work is perfect • If you still feel like crap after 15 mins then OK. Turn around and head home • Mindfulness meditations. Focus on pedalling technique, breathing, am I in the correct gear? • Wash your kit as soon as you get home while you feel good • Tell someone about your depression and how they can support you • Eat something healthy once you’ve finished exercising • Ride with friends or family at least once a week It’s not easy to break the cycle and it does take time. The key is to be easy on yourself and persist in making small changes. Believe me, it’s worth it. Just ask my family. About the Author Richard Lord was a Scottish Cycling Development Coach, where he won the Sainsbury's UK School Games as Team Manager for Scotland South in 2011. He has a degree in Sports Science and is a British Cycling Level 3 Road and Time Trial coach. He now owns www.equipecyclecoaching.com where he enjoys supporting sportive and road racers to achieve their goals.

Confidence Building workshop series These fun sessions are ideal for beginner to intermediate cyclists. By the end of these sessions you'll have the knowledge and confidence to ride in a group on the open road. We'll cover: Gear Selection Braking and cornering Balance and coordination Group riding on the open road

Block 1 Wednesday 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th May Block 2 Wednesday 31st May, 7th, 14th, 21st June Venue Broughton High School East Fettes Ave Edinburgh EH4 1EG

Time 7-8:30pm Cost £100 per block

EQUIPE CYCLE COACHING TRAIN SMARTER BE STRONGER RIDE FASTER WWW.EQUIPECYCLECOACHING.COM

07539 677 118 www.ehfitness.co.uk

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FEATURE

The

David Dunn Fitness Trail, Bonnyrigg

On Sunday 5th March, the David Dunn Fitness Trail – a fitting tribute to the late David Dunn who was tragically killed in Bonnyrigg town centre on 19th October 1994 while, acting with others, stopping an armed robbery from the local branch of the Bank of Scotland – was opened in King George V Public Park in his native town of Bonnyrigg. Recognising that fitness trails are a fun way to get out and exercise in the fresh air, reduce stress levels and improve mental health, many of these fitness trails now exist throughout the UK. Oxford City Council spent over £316,000 three years ago developing trails at various parks across the city, Poole in Dorset has several and London has many but some of those labelled ‘trails’ are actually outdoor gyms of the kind installed in Edinburgh’s Hailes Quarry Park 5 years ago. Edinburgh does have a Fitness Trail in Inverleith Park, which is of wooden frame construction, and Glasgow has one along the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal between Pinkston Basin and Applecross Street which was opened in 2014 by Scottish Canals but the David Dunn Fitness Trail in Bonnyrigg offers the most up to date equipment designed to meet the needs of all abilities, from the complete beginner to advanced users. The David Dunn Fitness Trail offers three alternative routes, each displayed in an easy to understand colour-coded format on the display sign at the

Darius Namdaran, Chair of Bonnyrigg and Lasswade Community Council (left); David Dunn Jnr. (right)

beginning of the Trail, with the shortest route measuring 625metres and following a hard surface flat path all the way, while the others – one at 800metres and the longest extending to just over 1,000metres – include some grassy hill running. All three routes make use of three separate exercise stations set a distance apart and each station features two pieces of equipment set in Nottsward artificial grass surfacing. Supplied by Fresh Air Fitness of Frimley, Surrey who are suppliers of the largest range of outdoor gym equipment in the UK and have installed over 1,500 outdoor gyms across the country, the equipment was chosen after local consultation on the basis of cost, variety and their benefits in terms of the key fitness criteria of Strength, Balance & Co-ordination, Flexibility and Cardiovascular (i.e. Heart and Lung efficiency).

Gary Locke, Cowdenbeath FC Manager (left); Peter Wright, Radio Scotland (middle); Professor Chris Oliver, Honorary Professor of Physical Activity for Health at the University of Edinburgh (right)

FEATURE

Fitness trails are a fun way to get out and exercise in the fresh air, reduce stress levels and improve mental health The three stations, their respective pieces of equipment and the health benefits they offer, are: Station 1: • T'ai Chi Spinners (Flexibility, Balance & Coordination) • Arm & Pedal Bike (Heart & Lung efficiency) Station 2: • Double Rower (Strength, Heart & Lung efficiency, Balance & Co-ordination) • Air Walker (Flexibility, Heart & Lung efficiency, Balance & Co-ordination) Station 3: • Leg Lift & Chin-Up Station (Strength) • Cross-Country Skier (Heart & Lung efficiency, Balance & Co-ordination) For those keen to monitor how their fitness progresses, the David Dunn Fitness Trail is pioneering the use of Trail Cards. Along the lines of golf scorecards, the Trail Cards list the stations and equipment with space for the user to note the time spent on each piece of equipment, or repetitions done, and overall time taken to cover the trail on each occasion he or she completes a training session.

Midlothian Leisure Centres, has been made possible through generous sponsorship by Tunnock’s Biscuits who were drawn to the idea of supporting this community project that recognises the heroics of David Dunn and encourages people to enjoy exercise. Looking at the long term prospects for the Trail, one of the possibilities is for it to be the home base for an obstacle racing team – the “David Dunn Trail Team” – who would take part in obstacle racing events such as those by Men’s Health, Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, etc. however that might require the addition to the Trail of two or three more obstacle type stations such as a horizontal ladder, parallel bars, balance beams, etc. when finance allows. From a community point of view, there’s possibilities for an annual Bonnyrigg inter-pub challenge, team races between local sports clubs such as Bonnyrigg Rose v Lasswade Rugby, use by Midlothian Active Choices and Ageing Well, personal trainer groups and sessions, individual fundraisers taking the course on for a particular cause or charity as well as people using it on a day to day basis to get fitter and keep fit at their own pace whenever they’ve got the time.

The printing of 1,000 of these Trail Cards, which are available from a number of local outlets and

The David Dunn Fitness Trail offers the most up to date equipment designed to meet the needs of all abilities Photo credits: Alias Photography / Bonnyrigg and Lasswade Community Council.

Sharyn McKenzie, Grand-daughter of David Dunn (seated, facing)

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FEATURE

MOTIVATION Yes it’s that time of year again, everyone has been there; you started the year with the best of intentions, you were eating healthier, you joined a gym, hit it hard, even thought about hiring a personal trainer to help you get that body you’ve always wanted. But then January ended and so did the motivation. Suddenly February, March and April have all passed in a blur, blighted by a return to bad habits, and now you’re thinking about that summer beach holiday which is just around the corner and wishing you hadn’t let yourself fall off the bandwagon.

Sound familiar? Well, if that’s the position you find yourself in now, don’t despair as it’s not all doom and gloom and with a few easy steps you can quickly and easily get back on the training and healthy eating plan. This article isn’t about bamboozling you with facts and industry figures – let’s face it; a brow beating is the last thing you need right now – but in order to understand why you gave up, we must first look at why you started, what your motivation was. On the next page are some examples that may sound familiar:

FEATURE

“A goal without a plan is just a wish”

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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FEATURE Why?

Reason for failing

Why?

How to kick start it

To lose weight

Want to live a healthier life and look and feel better

Too many easier food choices

It’s cheaper and more convenient to buy other foods; found it difficult to change my eating plan

Change one thing at a time on a weekly basis, i.e. swap cereal for porridge or natural yoghurt with fruit and honey; swap white rice for brown rice with your main meal

Taking part in an endurance event

For charity; on your bucket list of things to do

Unrealistic short term goals; under-estimated the commitment required to train for the event

Placed too much emphasis on one specific point of training, i.e. achieving the total mileage too quickly; didn’t factor the time for training into your weekly schedule

Re-plan more realistic goals / timeline and aim to complete smaller events to measure your progress

To get fitter

Time to make time for yourself; to look and feel better

Making things other than your training a priority

Because sometimes doing other things is an easier option than pushing yourself to train; because you haven’t shared your goals with those around you so they don’t understand that you need the time for yourself

Pencil your training programme into your diary or iCalendar and try to commit to the same time and day each week (once it becomes routine you’re more likely to stick with it); share your programme with those around you so they know you’re busy

Your friend joined a gym

Sounded like a good idea

You didn’t have a clear goal

You only joined because your friend wanted a gym buddy

Speak with the trainers at the gym, set a goal and start your own plan based on what you’d like to achieve

SWOT ANALYSIS

Reason for committing to a fitness programme

A SWOT analysis is a very simple but useful tool for analysing your own personal strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats that you face. To do your own SWOT analysis, grab a piece of A4 paper and write your goal in large letters across the top then split the remainder of the page into quarters with each quarter titled:

STRENGTHS This area should cover all the best attributes of you, why you want to achieve your goal, your positive character traits, family and friends commitment to help and motivate you, and so on

OPPORTUNITIES List times or days when you might be able to squeeze in an extra session, any trial passes you have for a new class or sport you could try over and above your planned routine

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Once you have the framework laid out, complete each quadrant as follows:

THREATS WEAKNESSES Here you should list all the This is where total honesty things that could cause you is required and you should to fall off the bandwagon list all the character traits again, i.e. family or work that are, or could be, holding you back (i.e. disorganised, commitments, social outings, poor food choices, lack of uncomfortable exercising in front of others, tendency to knowledge and/or experience in health and fitness, not take the easy option) seeing the results you hoped for

FEATURE The examples shown in our table are only a small sample of why you may have given up and everyone has their own personal reasons for not sticking with what they set out to achieve but, if you can be honest with yourself about why it happened, it will be easier for you to re-assess, re-focus and fully commit to achieving your goal.

you may have failed to stick to your program before is to do a personal SWOT analysis. The purpose of completing this is to help you focus on your strengths, work on minimising your weaknesses, minimise threats, and take the best possible advantage of opportunities available to you.

Another way to get a better understanding of why

Below, we look at some of the ways you can get back on track Set up a plan Working back from the target date you have for achieving your goal, set out a detailed plan in 4-week blocks with small targets set for the end of each block. By doing so, it helps focus your mind on achieving small regular targets that, cumulatively, will help you reach that bigger end goal. Build on those small successes Take that successful feeling you have at the end of each 4-week block and build on it. Perhaps the goal you have for the next 4-week block seems too easy now? Could you maybe add an extra 5 minutes to each workout? Could you do an extra 1-mile in your weekly run? It doesn’t matter how small that extra step is, it’s extra! And with each step you’ll feel even more successful.

After a couple of months, those small extra steps and achieving those 4-week block targets will add up to a lot of progress and a lot of success. Go public We’re not saying you should take out an advert in the local newspaper but share your goal with friends, family and colleagues or create a blog. None of us want to look bad in front of others, or appear to fail, so we’re more likely to stick with achieving our goal if we have an audience of interested parties who are regularly enquiring how it’s all going. These same people will also provide much needed motivation for those times when you simply don’t feel in the mood.

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Don’t stay in your comfort zone From time to time it’s worth getting out of your comfort zone and trying something completely different. It doesn’t matter what it is – cross county running or self-defence classes, yoga or HIIT training – just go and give it a try. Trying something new stimulates change and growth; it helps you push your boundaries and encourages you to see what you’re really made of. Do it for charity There’s nothing more satisfying than raising money for a worthy cause so pick one big event to participate in, or a series of smaller charity events, set up a JustGiving page and let all your friends and family know. The support and encouragement you receive from them, and your chosen charity,

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FEATURE coupled with the thought that completing your challenge will help make a difference, gives incredible motivation to train. Sign up for a family event By agreeing to take part in a family event – something you can all train for together – each of you will push each other to train and keep on track with your training.

running partner who gives you more motivation than your dog. All breeds of dog, large or small, love to run so get out with man’s best friend and do just that. You can even sign up for CaniX events – timed races with dogs and their owners. See www.CaniX.co.uk for details.

Don’t deprive yourself Losing weight is not about removing foods groups altogether or eating as little as possible. However, many of us have turned to these methods at some point or another when trying to drop the pounds. Truth is though, there’s no need and, in fact, depriving yourself this way or trying to completely change your eating habits in the space of a week will only lead to failure. You can eat the foods you love and still lose weight…..you just have to plan a little better. Using an app such as ‘MyFitnessPal’ helps you figure out how many calories you need a day to lose weight and lets you track your intake. Once you’re doing this, you’ll be able to make room for that extra slice of pizza or birthday cake. Exercise with a friend It’s very easy to pull out of your workout if it’s just yourself you have to answer to. Having a friend, work colleague or family member to workout with is a great way to boost motivation, hold each other accountable and stick to your workout routine. It also adds a social aspect, which brings a little more fun back into working out.

Exercise with your four-legged friend You will never find another

You don’t have to go to the gym For some people, going to the gym provides structure that helps them focus and gives them a sense of accomplishment when they’re done. For others, it’s a chore….one they wind up avoiding as often as they can. If that’s how you feel, find an alternative…..it might be a different gym that offers outdoor training or boxing classes, it could be a group dance class with friends, it might even be as simple as having a week off from your regular gym

and substituting those workouts with a game of hide and seek with the kids or walking/cycling to work that week. As long as it keeps you active and happy and on track for your goal, do it! Don’t let a setback stop you You’ve got your goal set, you’ve scheduled your exercise time in your diary but, somehow, you still didn’t manage to workout today, or this week, as planned. It happens – sickness, overtime at work, domestic responsibilities; all these things can and will impact on your exercise program at some point but you can’t let this be the start of a slippery slope. Accept that it’s a small setback but focus on your goal, focus on what you’ve achieved so far, and work hard to get back into your routine as soon as possible. If possible, compensate for the missed sessions by going for a brisk walk at lunchtime or squeezing in an extra session wherever you can. Hire a professional Despite setting goals, some people next extra motivation to keep them on track and to push them when they’re ready and a personal trainer is ideal for that. Having a regular one-on-one scheduled with your PT not only makes you accountable to someone other than yourself, they can help correct any workout mistakes you’re making. When selecting a PT, make sure you check out their qualifications and client reviews, etc.; ensure they have the right qualities that match your personality and goals and don’t be rushed into committing…..take your time and choose wisely; after all, this is an investment in you and your future health and fitness.

FEATURE

Ultimately, motivation will come and go throughout the many steps you take on the road to achieving your goal but if you stick with the tips we’ve given here to help keep you on track, you will get there. At times it will seem hard and you’ll wonder what the point is…….the best advice I can give for times like these is this: Take a step back and re-assess…… • Why you started in the first place • What your end goal is • If you’re committed enough • Do you need help You have to do this honestly and don’t be embarrassed or disappointed with yourself if, at this minute in time, you genuinely can’t fully commit to the plan you set or you’ve hit a plateau. Part of this re-assessment might be that you re-focus or

adjust your end goal or end date or that you seek the expert help of a personal trainer. The important thing is that you don’t stop. Keep taking those small steps towards your goal, whatever your end goal may be. Remember – all those small steps combined add up to a lot of change and a better you! Brian Fernie MMACSCC is a leading combat sports strength and conditioning coach, international presenter and author working with athletes from all levels and sports and owner of T.O.D Coaching Gym and dojo, T.O.D Combat and T.O.D Physical Training Institute. T.O.D Coaching is based in Livingston, West Lothian, and is an award winning team voted Best Personal Training and Fitness in Scotland 2016 in the A1 business excellence awards.

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“Upper crossed body syndrome is common in office based workers but also prevalent in certain sports such as cycling and rowing”

Upper and Lower Crossed Body Syndrome Us humans aren’t meant to be sitting for 8 hours a day, 5 days per week. Our bodies are designed to be upright…walking, running and keeping active and, as our guest writer - Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist, Micheala Strain - explains, locking your body in a sitting position encourages bad posture by weakening certain muscles while lengthening others, causing a number of problems. Upper Crossed Body Syndrome Upper crossed body syndrome is becoming increasingly more common, especially in office based workers. Many of us are aware that sitting at our desks for long periods of time can have a detrimental effect on our bodies and we often try to compensate for this by participating in a sport or some kind of physical activity. However, depending on which sport you chose to participate in, you could actually be adding to the problem. Upper crossed body syndrome is often observed in people who suffer from rounded shoulders. This is commonly seen in office based workers hunched over their keyboards with their chin pushed forward. This picture (right) demonstrates where the name upper crossed body syndrome is derived from; it is a combination of tight and weak opposing muscles. Pain is often felt in the upper back and neck area

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FEATURE along with the feeling of not being able to hold your posture well. Having a tight upper trapezius results in the shoulders being elevated and closer to your ears. Tight pectorals cause your shoulders to be pulled forward and result in the hunched over position. Having weak cervical flexors and rhomboids means the body is not capable of holding itself in place, therefore it is necessary to including strengthening work as well as loosening of the pectoral, upper trapezius and levator scap muscles. Upper crossed body syndrome can also be more prevalent in certain sports such as cycling and

rowing. The mechanical demands on the body during these sports naturally encourages tightness and weakness in the muscles associated with upper crossed body syndrome, therefore it is important to maintain your body well and understand this injury is not only found in the sedentary population. There are many methods to treat upper crossed body syndrome but all methods have the same end goal; to loosen and relax the tight muscles and to strengthen the weak muscles. Methods can include strengthening exercises, stretches, massage therapy, dry needling and a home care plan. There must be a combination of techniques used to overcome these muscle imbalances.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lower crossed body syndrome can present itself in many ways including joint pain, lower back pain and postural dysfunctionsâ&#x20AC;? Lower Crossed Body Syndrome Lower crossed body syndrome is another painful condition that can develop due to poor posture. It is more common in people who are seated for long periods of time in their profession such as desk based workers, long distance lorry drivers, taxi drivers and musicians. Lower crossed body syndrome can present itself in many ways including joint pain, lower back pain and postural dysfunctions. Many people with lower crossed body syndrome show to have an increased lordotic curve in their lower spine, this if often caused by muscle imbalances which cause your pelvis to tilt forward and adds tension to your lumbar spine. Similarly to upper crossed body syndrome, a combination of treatment methods is needed to effectively treat lower crossed body syndrome. Combining stretching, muscle specific exercises, massage and dry needling will provide optimum results.

FEATURE Pec Stretch 1. Start off by standing with your legs together, holding a bar or stick. 2. Take a slightly wider than shoulder width grip1 on the pole and hold it in front of you with your palms facing down. 3. Carefully lift the pole up and behind your head. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and do it 3 times. Repeat once or twice daily.

Tip: most people find relief from upper crossed body syndrome after loosening off their pectorals as their shoulders will sit back in their natural position; massage is the best way to do this however the pec stretch detailed here is also a great exercise to useâ&#x20AC;Ś. give it a go and see if it helps you! Below are some exercises that you can try at home to help alleviate some of the painful symptoms of lower crossed body syndrome. Start off by activating your glutes with some glute bridges. Laying on your back, heels tucked in as close to your glutes as possible, lift your buttocks and lower back off the ground. Repeat this 10-12 times to begin with and do 3 sets. You can gradually increase the reps and sets until you begin to feel fatigued.

Remain aware of your lower body alignment. Keep your stomach muscles tucked in and your lower back muscles contracted to avoid arching your lower back. 1 Placement of your hands on the bar or stick will vary depending on your individual flexibility. You can determine the best position for yourself by trying a closer or wider grip.

Another way to help overcome the painful symptoms of upper and lower crossed body syndrome is to ensure your work place is set up to provide optimum support. We spend the majority of our waking hours at work therefore it is just as important that we take care of our bodies during working hours as it is during our leisure time. Here is a quick work place assessment you can do if you are office based to ensure you are using your work space to aid your posture: 1. Ensure your fingers can rest on the middle row of your keypad. Your wrists should be supported and elbows should be at 90degrees with shoulders in a relaxed position. Following all of these guidelines will help to ensure your desk is at the correct height. 2. Take regular breaks to stretch your legs or opt for an adjustable height desk. You can then go between a standing and sitting desk.

Stretch off your hip flexors by going into a deep lunge. If you feel less confident and off balance then you can place the knee of the behind leg on the ground. Sink your hips forward until you feel the stretch in at your hip flexors. Hold this stretch for 30-45 seconds and repeat 3 times.

3. Your chair should have a decent lumbar support with the ability to add additional lumbar supports if required. 4. The height and depth of your chair should be able to be adjusted. The angle of the hip and knees should be at 90 degrees with your feet placed flat on the floor. Shorter people may require a footrest. 5. Ensure there is a 3-finger width gap between the back of your knee and the edge of the seat. This is to prevent pressure placed on the back of the knee. 6. The height of your screen should be adjusted tooâ&#x20AC;Ś. the top edge of the screen should be at eye level. This should allow your eyes to look down without your head tilting. 7. Do not lean wrists on the keyboard or mouse pad when using them. Wrist supports can be purchased to help reduce the risk of RSI.

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Professional Bike Fit Article: Jonny Kermode EH Fitness Designer In November 2016 I decided to say ‘yes’ to an offer of a place on the Cycle Camp Melcior Mauri with Miguel Indurain. A 3 day trip which would involve approximately 5 hours in the saddle each day. After booking my place I thought about it in more detail, and began to fear not only for my lack of fitness, but also the fact that I never feel 100% comfortable on my bike. I’ve taken part in two Sportives in my short three year road cycling career, Etape Caledonia and Tour of the Borders. I also try to commute to work two days a week and get out every other weekend for a couple of hours at least, so to say I’m a ‘roadie’ would be an overstatement. Nevertheless I have made a conscious effort to improve my fitness in readiness for the trip.

One aspect of cycling, however, I feel is out of my control, and that’s the fit of my bike. After about an hour in the saddle I suffer with lower back pain that usually forces me to get off the bike and stretch it out for 5 or 10 minutes before continuing the rest of the ride in moderate pain. And if anything was going to spoil my first cycling abroad experience, it was going to be my back. So, after seeing an advert in EH Fitness for Dougie Shaw’s Edinburgh Bike Fitting, I decided to get booked in. Dougie started Edinburgh Bike Fitting in August 2014 and is dedicated to offering professional bike fitting services. With the use of cutting edge bike fitting tools such as Racermate Spinscan, Gebiomized GPBike pressure mapping technology and Retül’s Vantage system, and the experience of hundreds of bike fits. On arrival, I was greeted by Dougie, a very nice bloke with

more qualifications that you can shake a stick at. While I went to get changed into my cycling gear, he set my bike up on the turbo trainer. First task was to spin up for a few minutes while he eyeballed my position and movements on the bike so he could then make some minor alterations to the saddle and bars. I then jumped back on and already felt more comfortable.

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Next was the cleat setup on my shoes followed by some motion capture magic which involved having sticky dots applied to a few of my joints with a wire connecting them which feeds back to the analysis software to give kinematic data information such as hip angles, knee lateral travel and shoulder angles. He also fitted a pressure map to my saddle; this shows pressure distribution on the saddle and can be measured static as well as dynamic, i.e. while cycling. Using a colour scale the pressure distribution in the different saddle areas is displayed graphically.

The data fed back that I had quite a lot of lateral knee travel; ideally there’d be very little, but I was showing around 50mm of travel. After looking at the data, Dougie set back to making more

adjustments to my bike, lowering the saddle, tilting it forward slightly and flipping the headset through 180 degrees to lower the bars and take them further away. This allowed my back to naturally extend forward, thus easing the pressure on it and also lighten the feel in my hands. Immediately I felt further improvement and felt more involved with my bike and in control. He was explaining every step of the setup to me, what he was doing and why. It was quite fascinating to realise that all the little adjustments, however small, can all contribute to a more comfortable ride and not only help to reduce fatigue but increase power too.

The next stage was to look at my body alignment, natural stance and flexibility, this was done off the bike using a physiotherapy bed. Dougie performed flexibility movement tests with my legs and reported that there was a tightness in my left IT band and glutes. To help with this he gave me a series of exercises to perform with a foam roller before every ride to loosen the tension beforehand. It was also apparent that some arch supporting insoles was going to give me extra comfort and help avoid injury too. For this he prescribed Super Feet Carbon insoles. The last stage of the process Dougie describes as ‘pure www.ehfitness.co.uk

wizardry’. This involves using a handheld digitizer to store the new setup and positions. The digitizer takes measurements for fixed points, contours, and curves, providing a complete digital map of the bike that is far more accurate than traditional tape measures. Even difficult components such as saddles and grips are measured for exact angles and relative positioning. Putting all these elements together I stepped back on the bike for a final spin up. The difference from how I started the bike fit was unreal. I feel more planted and part of my bike rather than the passenger I was before. I will report back after my Cycle Camp in March for more long term results, but for now, I’m looking forward to being pain free and able to ride comfortably for longer. Reporting back It’s now May and I’m happy to report that the bike fitting did the absolute business. I had no back pain at all over the 3 days, 170 miles travelled and 12000 ft climbed. edinburghbikefitting.com

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FOXLAKE OUTDOOR FESTIVAL RETURNS BIGGER & BETTER IN 2017 WITH NEW ADRENALINE ARENA After the huge success of last year’s event, the Foxlake Outdoor Festival, Dunbar, returns bigger and better this year not only with an exciting lineup of music and comedy performances for all the family but with the completely new ADRENALINE ARENA. For the very first time, organisers look forward to welcoming an array of adrenaline activities including a huge Free Fall Stunt Bag with a total drop height of 8m, a 7m high climbing wall, amazing displays of free running with Access Parkour and The Clan Scotland Cycle Stunt Team performing stunt shows throughout the weekend. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to jump out of a plane or fall from a building, the Free Fall Stunt Bag is the activity for you. Thrill-seekers can climb the tower and jump from an 8m height to feel the adrenaline rush of free-falling through the air. The Free Fall Stunt Bag is super safe experience and is suitable for everyone! On both days of the Festival, the Adrenaline Arena welcomes you to join them at 12.00, 2pm and 4pm where there will be 15 minute Parkour displays followed by a 30-minute workshop with crowd participation. Whilst at 1.00pm, 3pm & 5pm there will be a 45-minute BMX Stunt show with amazing tricks and stunts which will have you on the edge of your seat. Access Parkour (www.accessparkour.com) are a team of experts from Edinburgh whose displays will stun and wow the crowds. They are also a coaching organisation with a range of classes in Edinburgh so their workshops are focused on non-competitive, enjoyable, physical

activity and will be perfect for all ages and all levels of abilities. If BMX cycling is more to your tastes then Clan Scotland Cycle Stunt Team (www.clanstuntshow.com) are perfect for you. With 8 years of experience, their shows are filled with riders pulling off huge jumps, flips and other tricks. The show is a massive spectacle that will provide plenty of thrills! In addition to all of this new adrenaline-fuelled excitement, organisers also look forward to welcoming a selection of Britain’s finest comedians for guaranteed laughs throughout the weekend and are delighted to announce the following headliners onto the Comedy Stage; Des Clarke, Tom Stade & Darren Connell. Additional acts include Charlie McIntosh from Scotsquad, Janey Godley, Gary Little, Joe Heenan, Jamie Dalgleish – former Scottish comedian of the year, Rossco Mclelland – current Scottish comedian of the year, Jojo Sutherland – Award winning Scottish standup, Carina MacLeod – Stand-Up Comic and Gaelic TV presenter / actress, David Kay and Zara Janjua, an experienced broadcast reporter presenter. Returning again this year, with something for everyone, is the Decades Music Stage, featuring everyone’s favourite tribute bands and celebrating the last 60 years of music. There will be a talented line-up of East Lothian’s finest local musicians including Tribute acts by Abba A Rival, Take This, Durananduran, Jersey Notes (4 Seasons), Little Fix, Status No, Eltan John, George Michaels, Glasgow Blues Brothers, Simply Rod (Stewart)

WIN A PAIR OF WEEKEND ADULT PASSES EH Fitness has teamed up with Foxlake to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of weekend adult passes worth £60. TO ENTER: For a chance to win, visit www.ehfitness.co.uk by 9am on Friday 12th May where you can enter your email address and register for the competition. The winners will then be selected at random and notified by email.

and Beatles Revisited. All supported by local talent through ELJam (East Lothian Youth Music Forum). Following the massive success of this event in 2016, when the first ever Foxlake Outdoor Festival sold out weeks in advance, Foxlake Adventures in partnership with East Lothian Council decided to extend the festival to a full weekend across the 20th and 21st May 2017, offering families and individuals the opportunity to get outdoors and begin their own adventure in East Lothian. There will be tickets available for each day, weekend tickets and once again children’s tickets will be absolutely free. Tickets will start at £17 for an adult day entry and £30 for a weekend ticket. These hugely popular elements of last year’s event will return alongside the Industry Wake Parks who will once again run an Industry Pro Wakeboard Tour Event. Bringing some of the most talented wake boarders from around the world to compete, this is a further growth of Scotland’s biggest wakeboard event. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy and watch the thrills of professional wakeboarding. Alongside the wakeboarding, music and comedy, to keep the children entertained we will be bringing back our popular Kids’ Zone with the inflatable village filled with every bouncy castle imaginable, they can also take on the challenge of the climbing wall and even get their faces painted. The Foxlake Outdoor Festival weekend is all about getting the family active outdoors, so you will have the chance to try out some of East Lothian’s outdoor adventures for yourself. Try out the Foxfall Course, the

UK’s only rope course constructed over water, or get on your wet suit and give wakeboarding a try, or if you prefer to stay dry, hop on and master a segway! Douglas Proudfoot, East Lothian Council’s Head of Service (Development) said: “Foxlake Adventures is Scotland’s first cable wakeboarding park along with the UK’s only ropes course constructed over water. Foxlake is located in the heart of East Lothian 25 miles east of Edinburgh, nestled in beautiful woodland on the edge of the John Muir Way. The festival is not only committed to enjoying and celebrating our fabulous landscape but we also want to protect it. So, there will be a shuttle bus service from Dunbar Train Station throughout the weekend, giving the opportunity for all of our visitors to use the excellent rail links from Edinburgh and the North of England and leave the car at home. We guarantee an exhilarating day for all the family - thrills for adults and children alike!” For more information about this exhilarating weekend, including a list of all the events, ticket prices and booking details, visit their website: www.foxlakefestival.co.uk or connect with them on social media: Facebook - @foxlakeadventures Twitter - @foxlakescotland

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Conquer Gravity – how one studio has taken Pilates to a different level

In recent years, Pilates has enjoyed a growth in popularity which is partly driven by people who seek a tailored approach to their training programmes. One Pilates programme with a difference is Conquer Gravity, a fitness class run by Sabrina Severo of the Physical Health Personal Training studio in Portobello. Tommy Alexander finds out more on behalf of EH Fitness. Growing reputation Conquer Gravity has grown in reputation since its launch in May 2015 – a second class has just been added to accommodate the equal measure of men and women attending the class on a weekly basis. The programme is a blend of Pilates and calisthenics, which is a form of exercise using the weight of your body to build strength. Add some suspension straps to the mix and you have all the tools you need to give you that rock hard core. You might see suspension, or TRX straps (as they’re most commonly known), in your local gym….they generally hang from large purpose-built frames designed to leverage the user’s bodyweight through a range of challenging exercises. Suspension straps are like having a personal trainer.

This equipment puts your body in the correct position and gives you more control as you move, letting you connect with your core and back muscles quickly and together. You’re basically using your whole bodyweight as the tool to exercise, without the need to use weights or bars to build strength. This class is ideal for people who want to complement their own fitness programmes or simply want to receive the benefit of developing core strength. Exercise without the injury As a former teacher of the high impact workout, Insanity, Sabrina wanted to develop a class that had similar benefits but without the sore knees and aching backs people were suffering from. Insanity gets its inspiration from calisthenics, but there’s a big demand on the body due to jumping at such high intensity. She knew that she could achieve a programme with the same fitness rewards but without the impact and the risk of injury. Increased body awareness Sabrina also believes that people are increasingly becoming aware of their bodies, and her class recognise that they’re getting the results they want

FEATURE to see. She says: “Within 3-4 weeks they feel different. They feel the workout for days after and then can’t wait for Monday to come again. The growth of this class is about the results, otherwise I wouldn’t see the same faces coming back to the class after nearly two years.” And it doesn’t stop there As well as the obvious fitness benefits, you’re bound to make a few new friends. The social aspect is very important, which is why the group get together once a month and go for a drink after class for a good oldfashioned chitchat. And there’s more... Sabrina feels it’s important to keep Pilates fresh and exciting and has introduced new ways to cater for different types of people. In her studio there’s also pre and post-natal programmes, mat Pilates, as well as monthly trigger point workshops.

Master learning Sabrina is eager to build on her expertise. Her passion and dedication to the discipline has meant that she has travelled far and wide, taking her across the pond to Miami to attend training and seminars. On top of this she has gained an even deeper understanding by training with the best, including the Seattle-based Pilates master, who is also the protégé of Joseph Pilates, the founder of Pilates. So if you have fitness goals to aim for, or simply want to develop that core for a healthier and fitter lifestyle, why not give Conquer Gravity a try? To find out more about Conquer Gravity and the range of Pilates classes available, visit: www.phpt.co.uk or email: sabrina@phpt.co.uk

People learn about their bodies and get shown how to release all the tension gathered in their lower back, glutes, neck and shoulders. The post-natal class is particularly popular. This is where mother and baby attend a specially designed programme of 6 weeks, with the focus on firming up and strengthening core muscles to help create a trimmer, sleeker figure. Some of the mums who complete this programme enjoy the natural progression of moving from postnatal to mat Pilates, then onto Conquer Gravity. You can sense that this is the reward for Sabrina. She says: “They’ve been on their personal journeys back to fitness, and they’re such an inspiration to others.”

Sabrina’s suggested exercise to try at home: Shoulder bridges For strength, the shoulder bridge is a safe stretch to do on your own. Lie on your back, with your feet flat on the floor. Slowly peel your spine off the floor and look up to the ceiling. This is a great exercise to get your shoulder blades connected and it opens your chest. People have a lot of tension in their collar bones. This stretch opens the chest and drops the shoulders into the spine, releasing this tension.

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Tips on getting your

ParkRun

Personal Best

With the growing popularity in parkrun events, Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen provides her top six tips on improving your parkrun 5km run time. 1. Most people train too fast. Consider using a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) for your weekday runs. I use a HRM with all of my PT clients to ensure they’re training at the correct pace to improve their performance. LSD (Long Slow Distance) training involves having your heart rate at a lower level, but for longer. Ideally try 30 minutes or more with your HR at 65% - 75% MHR (Maximum Heart Rate). This is the ‘aerobic’ zone where you utilise oxygen effectively. From a good aerobic base you can build your speed and find running easier. Go slower to go faster. It takes time (ideally 3 x weekly) but you will see the dividends within a couple of weeks... and may even shed some body fat.

2. Work on your leg strength. This will also help prevent running injuries that slow you down. Squats and lunges are the basic exercises. Try walking upstairs two at a time and invest in a wobble board to strengthen your ankles. 3. Practise the route. Once you’ve done it a few times, it gets easier, so run the route during the week. 4. Stretch! Especially your quads. If you are a desk jockey (i.e. sit at a desk for a living), you really need to be stretching your quads (quadriceps, front of the thigh between hip and knee) regularly. Yoga is awesome cross-training for runners.

5. Sort your breathing. If you feel short of breath when you run, try a POWERbreathe breathing trainer….resistance training for your intercostal (breathing) muscles. It’s training you can do from your sofa watching the TV. Check out their website at www.powerbreathe.co.uk for more information. And also, do your training runs at a slower pace (see 1 above).

“go slower to go faster”

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“running on an empty tummy will not make you faster”

6. Experiment with nutrition before parkrun. For a 5km you do not need to carb load, but it’s always a good idea to have breakfast on race day for energy. There’s a rumour that exercising on an empty tummy is best for burning calories however, it will not make you a faster runner. I like porridge, then a bike ride to the Park Run start line. I eat half a banana out of my pannier bag as I do some dynamic stretching and am ready to go! The other half of banana is for when I finish. Experiment with what works best for you. And enjoy! Tracy Griffen is a PT and owner of Griffen Fitness in Edinburgh

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RECIPE

RED PEPPER & SPINACH

FILO TART

This red pepper and spinach filo tart makes for a delicious, versatile, easy hot or cold vegetarian brunch or dinner option. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not to like about tasty oven baked veggies topped with Mediterranean herbs and cheese? YOU WILL NEED Low calorie cooking spray 6 sheets of filo pastry 1 large onion, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced

mins

1 tsp. mixed herbs 260g bag of washed baby spinach 1 tbsp. milk

mins

75g low fat grated cheddar cheese Salt and freshly ground pepper

mins

INSTRUCTIONS 1.

Pre-heat oven to 200C fan.

Lightly spray a baking sheet/tray with the cooking spray.

Lay the first sheet of filo pastry onto the baking sheet/ tray, spray it lightly with the cooking spray then place the second sheet on top, spray that lightly and repeat the process until all the sheets are done.

Brush the milk around the edge of the filo pastry sheets.

Distribute the spinach evenly over the top of the pastry then add the onion and red pepper slices.

Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with the cooking spray. Turn the heat on high then, when the oil starts to bubble, turn the heat down lower and gently sautĂŠ the onion and red pepper slices for 2 minutes before adding in the mixed herbs and continuing to cook until the onion and peppers are soft. Lay aside.

Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Season with salt and pepper.

10.

Cook in the centre of your oven for 10-12 minutes until the cheese has melted and lightly browned all over.

of doing this is by putting the spinach in a sieve and pressing the water out of it using the back of a spoon.

Microwave/cook the baby spinach as per the instructions on the bag then drain thoroughly. My preferred way

Visit http://neilshealthymeals.com/ for more tasty recipes like this

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RECIPE

BAKED COD WITH CAPER MASH This baked cod with caper mash is a really tasty and easy quick healthy meal. A delicious tomato basil sauce covers the fish which is then baked in the oven and served with a healthy low carb caper mash.

YOU WILL NEED 2 cod fillets 400g tin chopped tomatoes

30 mins

Basil leaves, generous handful torn Â˝ garlic clove, crushed Salt and freshly ground pepper

mins

Low calorie cooking spray 200g cauliflower florets 200g white potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks 2 tbsp. green capers from a jar, drained and chopped roughly

INSTRUCTIONS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Pre-heat oven to 180C Empty the tin of chopped tomatoes into a small saucepan, add the torn basil leaves and crushed garlic then simmer gently for 5-8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool a little and then blitz into a sauce in a food processor or using a stick blender. Return to the saucepan and season to taste. Spray the cod fillets a couple of times on each side with the low fat cooking spray and place in a shallow oven baking dish. Pour the tomato basil sauce over the fish. Cover the baking dish with tin foil, place in the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the fish is cooked.

7. 8. 9.

Whilst the fish is cooking, place the cauliflower florets and the white potatoes in a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 10-12 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, drain them, return them to the saucepan and mash them together with a potato masher. Add the chopped up green capers and mix all together. Taste the mash. Generally there is not a need to season because the salt from the capers should be enough however some pepper may be added to taste. Serve the cooked fish on a bed of caper mash with some of the tomato basil sauce spooned over. Peas are also a good accompaniment too.

Visit http://neilshealthymeals.com/ for more tasty recipes like this

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