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ULTRA-FIT MAGAZINE
YOUR OWN OWN PERSONAL PERSONAL TRAINER YOUR TRAINER FREE RUNNING Guide to urban cool Vol.18 No.9 £3.99
YOUR OWN PERSONAL TRAINER
HOW TO: Achieve your goals Get a fitter body Use music to run faster
VOLUME EIGHTEEN NUMBER NINE
WOMEN’S FITNESS
www.ultra-fitmagazine.com
Best ways to reduce fat And reveal what lies beneath VITAMINS AND MINERALS What to eat to ensure you get enough
BACK ON THE PISTE Essential ski workout p32
STRETCHING Complete upper body routine
KNOW YOUR NUMBERS Give yourself a health check
TRIED AND TESTED: Compression Tights Super Shoe Technology www.ultra-fitmagazine.com ISSN 0957-0624 0 9
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Body+Sole HEALTH FITNESS NEW RESEARCH KIT EVENTS PEOPLE SPORT
FIT + PRO Joe with close friend and counter-punch creator Kevin Davies
EQUIPMENT KEEPING YOU MOTIVATED
JOE CALZAGHE HELPS LAUNCH COUNTER-PUNCH As Joe Calzaghe prepared for his final championship fight he revealed details of a secret training aid…a punch bag with a difference. Counter- Punch, made in Wales, is a hi-tech punch bag that records, measures and monitors the number of hits delivered by boxers - as well as the power of each punch. And just for the record Joe regularly scores more than 1600 hits in a three minute period on Counter-Punch – that’s a staggering nine contacts a second. The Counter-Punch programme has five power levels and the data is stored onto a personal swipe card to enable users to plan, monitor, read, retrieve and analyse their data. The information is available on screen and can also be printed out in graph form to analyse each training session. The sensors in Counter-Punch are connected to a computer where specially developed software records, monitors and analyses the speed of punches, the number of punches delivered in a given time, the power behind those punches, as well as the date of each session. www.counter-punch.com
FIT + PRO THUMP BOXING HITS THE UK After the success of its multi level Boxing and Kickboxing accreditation courses in Australia and New Zealand THUMP BOXING is about to launch its exciting programs and courses in the UK. THUMP BOXING is Australia’s largest Boxing for Fitness program and is taught by over 6000 trainers in hundreds of gyms across the nation. For more information visit www.trainingsystems.com.au
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WaterRower have come up with some cool ideas to help you stay motivated. For example, WaterRower performance monitors have been designed with PC interface capability allowing you to plug in and give your motivation a boost with several easy to obtain software products like Netathlon, Ultracoach and Row H20. And if that’s not enough WaterRower also bring you their own unique Online community, We-Row.com. We like this a lot because it enables you to race people around the world so you can put your Aussie mate from Sydney in his place from the comfort of your home. And you can also share your experiences in the WaterRower member forum. It’s all internet based and does not require the download of any we-row.com software. www.we-row.com
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Body+Sole CARBON FOOTPRINTS FITNESS WALES MAKES GOING GREEN CHILD’S PLAY Fitness Wales managed to radically cut its carbon footprint, by launching its first E-learning package for Personal Trainers. That helped to cut paper-use in Fitness Wales offices, heating and lighting for classrooms and will save an estimated 30 tonnes in future carbon emissions now that students no longer need to travel from every corner of Wales and beyond, for the Business Skills module.
Welsh Assembly Government Minister John Griffiths and Mary Sheppard, Director Fitness Wales, help school children plant trees at Millbank Primary School, Cardiff
EQUIPMENT SUUNTO’S FITNESS SOLUTION We like this group fitness monitor software from Suunto which can record and display up to 72 individual heart rates in up to 8 programmable colour-coded training zones either in group exercise classes or for individual exercisers on the cardio floor of your club. The software can be installed on multiple computers in a club setting and can be used with normal computers running MS Windows XP or Vista. Then, waiting in your email inbox, you’ll find a personalised report of your workout! You have to be wearing a Suunto heart rate belt of course and be within a 100 metre range within the designated area. But there’s nothing more motivating than seeing your live heart rate up on the big screen! Also, at the end of each group class an instructor report is automatically generated which summarises the total effort of each participant and compares it to the average effort of the whole class. Great feedback for individuals and instructors who can then use it to modify the plan for the next class.www.suunto.com
Fitness Wales Director, Mary Sheppard, said with the number of personal trainers in Wales growing rapidly, Fitness Wales felt a moral obligation to convert to E-Learning. “We have estimated that, over a period of five years we can save the equivalent of five Olympic-sized swimming pools of CO2. However E-learning still has a minimal environmental cost, so we came up with the idea of planting trees.” E-Learning is ideal as a green alternative for fitness instructors who are studying to become personal trainers, allowing them the freedom to log in at any time. There is often a mid-afternoon lull in the fitness/leisure industry which could be used for study. Students can spread their learning over days, weeks or months to suit their lifestyle and, when they complete the course successfully, will receive a Business Skills qualification recognised by the Sector Skills Council and giving REPs CPD points. For further details contact: Mary Sheppard, Fitness Wales 029 2057 5155 Email: mary@fitnesswales.co.uk
CARBON FOOTPRINTS PLANET FIRST Fitness First’s new club at 55 Baker Street has also been designed to be energy efficient and as environmentally friendly as possible. There is energy-saving lighting throughout the club and a heat-recovery system that can re-use the heat generated from the showers. The swimming pool is treated with ultra-violet light to reduce the amount of chlorine used and the club has been built using only sustainable timber. We say well done and not a deerstalker in sight. But how about harnessing all that power generated by the members as they go for the burn on the bikes, rowers, treadmills and X-trainers? Elementary, Watson. For more information about the club and its facilities log on to www.fitnessfirst.co.uk
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STRESS BUSTERS
A Toolbox to improve your relationships By Alyssa Abbey
In the book ‘Angela’s Ashes,’ Frank McCourt tackles some disturbing truths about relationships, lack of communication, and the longing for love and harmony with those closest to you. It’s a heart-wrenching, autobiographical story of growing up dirt poor in Ireland with an alcoholic father who is forever drinking his wages and leaving Frank’s mother Angela in tears and desperation. Eventually Frank’s father travels to England for work, but the family never sees a penny. It’s truly a wonder how Frank survived at all, between near starvation, a critical, bickering family and large helpings of Catholic guilt. Reading the book will put your own troubles into perspective, but it’s certainly true that when your relationships are strained, it’s extremely stressful and takes a large part of your energy. If you want happiness and harmony, you need to be good at managing the inevitable conflicts that will arise in life. The good news is that there are some simple tools that you can begin to use right away to bust relationship stress out of your life. Here are five essential tools for turning conflict into synergy.
Two ears and one mouth We all think that if we could only get our point across, others would see the errors of their ways. Haven’t you heard two people arguing saying ‘Listen to me!’ ‘No, you listen to me!’? Well, here’s the easiest ever tool for calming conflict: Listen. You do the listening. Do your very best to understand her world, and why she’s upset. What is he really after? What does he value? Because by the
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way, people get angry when their values are violated. Think about it: If I value punctuality, and you’re late, then I’m probably going to be angry or frustrated. If you can truly understand where the other person is coming from, then you’ll stand a far greater chance of crafting a solution that makes you both happy. Listening isn’t just important during conflict – you need to give those you love your undivided attention pretty regularly, otherwise the relationship will
‘Be the change you want to see.’ Mahatma Ghandi diminish. The more time you spend with someone, the more you will understand what motivates them and makes them happy. Who do you need to listen to more? Who do you need to spend more regular time with so that the relationship can stay strong? Now, to contradict what I just said: If there is conflict, make sure you keep talking. As McCourt puts it, ‘The most terrible punishment you can ever give anyone is to stop speaking to them.’ The silent treatment is an example of ‘passive aggression’ that is unhelpful, and well, immature. An agreed ‘cooling off’ period is fine, but staying silent isn’t working toward any solution at all and it’s deeply damaging to a relationship.
Smash it! One of the striking themes of Angela’s Ashes is the dysfunctional patterns that Frank’s family never break out of. His mother and father have the same argument about money over and over, but there is
never any progress toward tackling the situation differently. When it is clear that Frank’s father is never coming back, Angela ends up with another useless man. You could argue all day that Angela had no choice, but she did have choices. My guess is that she stays in her rut because she is too afraid to step outside of her comfort zone, even though it’s a pretty awful place. We could be critical of Angela, but don’t we have the same issue somewhere in our lives? Think about a relationship that is currently strained – is there a repeating pattern of behaviour and negative emotions? Are you just going to keep repeating the pattern, expecting a different result? Be radical! Be creative! What would it take to snap the two of you out of that habitual behaviour? If you want a good relationship, you have to take that first step. Be the mature one. Have the difficult conversation – from a place of love, not fear. This means no sarcasm or a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude. If you’re setting out to break an ingrained pattern, you’ll also have to be persistent. Don’t give up after the first silence, or brush off. Stick to your plan, stay calm, determined, and keep coming from a place of love (or at least ‘like’). This is especially tough if you fear rejection, but remember, the other person is feeling just as vulnerable as you are. This applies equally to colleagues and close personal relationships.
An eye for an eye? In relationships, if you’re keeping a black book of the other person’s wrong-doings, you may as well say goodbye now. Love, friendships and good business relationships MUST be based on the assumption of the best intentions, and forgiveness of wrongdoing. If you can’t assume the best intentions of someone,
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STRESS BUSTERS then go back to the previous tool, and have that difficult conversation. Unless you clear the air and can truly believe that someone is on your team, you won’t be able to move forward. Always assuming the best intentions, and seeking clarification when you’re feeling uncomfortable will minimise misunderstanding, pain and anger. Developing this relationship habit requires a high level of trust, maturity, and practice. But it will pay big dividends in reduced stress. If you find it hard to forgive, then consider the effect that holding on to pain and anger is having on you. Maybe you need a long walk on a beach and a firm decision to let go of the past so that a relationship can rebuild. You might decide to let go of the past, but not carry on the relationship. That’s a personal decision. But if you are going to stick with it, be there all the way. Don’t keep opening old wounds. On the other hand, you must learn and live by this critical life lesson: We teach people how to treat us. Whether you realise it or not, whether you like it or not, the way people treat you is what you’ve taught them is acceptable. Angela certainly taught her husband it was OK to squander the household income because she kept taking him back. In every relationship, you’re responsible for ensuring you communicate it (in a mature, loving way, obviously) when someone treats you poorly. It’s OK to have high expectations of others’ behaviour. You just have to remember that we’re all human, and we will mess up occasionally.
What next? Listening, communicating, forgiving and breaking patterns will all come to naught if you don’t have a way forward that works. Sometimes it can seem like pushing things too far if, when the air is cleared, you move on to the conversation about how to make this better. That’s tricky, and what if you don’t find a solution? But you will find solutions if you are both committed to doing so. Ultimately, the solution might be: We just can’t work together on this, or we can’t live together if our goals or values are diametrically opposed. But this is rare. The vast majority of the time two parties can creatively find ways to work or live together that makes everyone happy. If both parties agree up front to keep working on a solution until this goal is reached, then there’s every chance it will be.
Praise, praise, praise, and never criticise The two of you are on the same team, right? But do you act like it? Think about what kind of player you’d be on a football team. Everyone on the team
has strengths and weaknesses. To get the most from your team mates, you praise their strengths enthusiastically and encourage any weak spots to build their confidence. You don’t keep reminding the star defender what a crappy striker he is. So put this into practice in your relationship, and never forget it. Tell your partner every day how much you appreciate that ride home from work, the cup of tea in the morning. Praise your colleagues for their help on projects, – even if you think they don’t do enough! The more you praise something, the more people will do it. The more they feel criticised, the less inclined they will be to change. This is absolutely true, and if you don’t believe it, just try it. Always acknowledge the small things, because in a relationship, the little things are the big things. Always find a way to praise what you do like instead of criticizing what you don’t like. Make it your habit and it will work like magic to take the stress out of your relationships. Poor Frank lived with heaps of criticism growing up, but luckily for us, saw a way out of his oppressive life and took it, sailing away to America age 19. The amazing thing is that although he taught creative writing for 27 years, he didn’t publish ‘Angela’s Ashes’ until after his retirement. Just for the record, it has sold over four million copies and won the Pultizer Prize for biography.
NEXT ISSUE: Alyssa Abbey will be exploring whether children’s lives are more stressful today – and how we can handle the stress of parenthood better.
Alyssa is a physiologist, author, coach and broadcaster who’s been helping people to manage their energy for nearly 20 years. A former triathlete and with an MSc in Sports Science, she understands the challenges of maintaining a training schedule alongside other responsibilities. Her work as a BUPA Stress Management Consultant takes her into many high-pressure corporate environments, but she works with all walks of life in her private Vitality practice, Live with Energy. Check out her new book, ‘Stop Making Excuses and Start Living with Energy.’ www.livewithenergy.com
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WOMEN’S FITNESS
What lies
beneath By Caroline Sandry
Many women mistakenly believe that performing crunches & sit ups will be enough for them to have sleek & defined abs – but thousands of repetitions later they see no real difference! Caroline Sandry explains how spot reducing does not generally work, and how to balance your workout to reveal what lies beneath! As a trainer,
people often ask me for some quick advice, and I often hear the same question – “I really need to work on my stomach – it’s so fat. I need to do lots of sit-ups - right?” Well – actually that is wrong. A fat or flabby stomach is just that – excess fat which is covering any abdominal definition that you may have, and a three pronged attack is what is needed to reveal what lies beneath!
Back to basics The abdominal area is often the first area to pack on the pounds, and this becomes very obvious when your stomach hangs attractively over your jeans when you sit down! Abdominal fat is a different problem from a ‘pot-belly’ which can be due to poor posture and weak abdominal musculature (see issue 18/7 if you need to tackle that!) and needs a structured programme of CV and resistance work. In order to lose fat and see any abdominal definition, you need to adjust your energy balance - your energy in (Calories consumed) should be less than your energy out (Calories expended). Your energy in can be controlled through the food and drink you consume, and your energy out can be increased with
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physical activity, boosting your metabolic rate and EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption) – see box. If your goal is to see some abdominal definition, remember to be realistic. Women are generally not supposed to have a visible six pack! In order to see that kind of definition, you would be looking at a body fat percentage of around 12% - 15 % and healthy body fat for women is between 20 – 32 %. Very low fat levels can interfere with your menstrual cycle and fertility.
EPOC After an exercise session your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories) remains temporarily elevated and can increase your resting metabolism by as much as 20%. The intensity of your exercise has a profound effect on the scale of EPOC with higher intensity exercise producing a greater and more prolonged EPOC response.
The training plan As mentioned, the best course of action is a three pronged approach. It is beyond the scope of this article to suggest a plan to
Fat around the trunk, known as android obesity places an individual at a higher risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease and premature death compared to individuals with a pear shape or gynoid obesity where fat is deposited on the hip area. suit everybody, so I am writing this for a healthy, reasonably fit, injury free woman. You should adapt this if you are a complete beginner by adding in a three month preconditioning period lifting lighter weights and training at a moderate intensity. 1 Healthy eating I always try to steer my clients away from a ‘diet’ and instead recommend eating for good health – that is a healthy, balanced diet with a wide range of brightly coloured vegetables and fruit, complex carbohydrates (wholemeal, grainy versions of bread, rice and so on) and good quality, lean proteins. Sugar, alcohol and ‘white’ products are a firm no-no. It is important to eat enough to give you the energy that you will need to exercise, and to keep your metabolism running. Many women make the mistake of Calorie-counting, sometimes to the extreme – and then wondering why they feel tired, lethargic and unwilling to exercise. Too few Calories can lead to a lowered metabolism as your body tries to conserve energy and this in turn can lead to weight gain if you resume normal eating. So – regular, healthy meals and snacks are on order! 2 High intensity CV work to boost epoc – You need to be training aerobically at least three times per week and one of these sessions should be high intensity. High intensity training should be progressed gradually and should be interspersed with
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WOMEN’S FITNESS lower intensity endurance work. This type of ‘interval training’ should be challenging, but should not cause post work-out exhaustion.
SAMPLE AEROBIC INTERVAL RUN Warm up.......3 - 5 mins fast walk Easy jog........5 mins 60% max heart rate (mhr) Fast jog ........3 mins 70% mhr Easy jog........2 min recovery pace Fast run ........1 – 2- mins 80 – 85% mhr Easy jog........2 mins recovery pace Fast run ........1 – 2 mins 80 – 85% mhr Easy jog........2 mins recovery pace Fast run ........1 – 2 mins 80-85% mhr Easy jog........5 mins cool down As your fitness and stamina improves, add more intervals, or increase the time of the interval, or decrease recovery time. Fitter individuals may work at 85 – 90% mhr. Interval training will not only maximise Calorie burn, but can help you develop speed, aerobic and anaerobic power and improve your lactic threshold. 3 Resistance training to build muscle and boost metabolism – Many women avoid weight lifting, fearing it will make them bulky or manly but all the evidence shows that lifting heavy weights (heavy enough to reach exhaustion by the last rep) helps women slim down and shape up. Lean muscle tissue is more metabolically active than other tissue: meaning that it burns more Calories at rest. An extra 10lbs of muscle tissue can increase resting metabolism by as much as 350 – 500 Calories per day. It is actually very challenging for a female to bulk up due to lower levels of testosterone than men. Women who train specifically for that pumped look will be following an incredibly strict regime of lifting very heavy weights with a special diet and nutritional supplements. SAMPLE RESISTANCE PROGRAMME 8 – 10 exercises for all major muscle groups including back, chest, arms, legs and abs. 1 – 3 sets 8 – 12 repetitions of each exercise to temporary fatigue 2 – 3 days per week with at least 48 hours recovery between workouts.
Change the exercises frequently to avoid injury. Temporary fatigue means that you could not perform another repetition without losing quality.
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FEATURE
Achieving your goals?
It’s all in the mind 26
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FEATURE If you have ever seen an elite athlete up close - whether it be on the football field, the athletics track or the courts of Wimbledon, the first thing you probably notice is their toned physique, their speed and astonishing grace – far beyond the realms of us normal mortals. However, there are deeper factors that play just as significant a part in sporting success at the highest level – mental strength and the way the brain responds to the demands and stress of the Olympic100 metre final or the crucial penalty shootout. As a cognitive hypnotherapist, I deal in the realities our brains create in response to a range of situations. In simple terms, I work out why one person runs away from a dog that someone else is happily stroking, or why someone speaks confidently in one context but feels a complete fool in others. It is only by uncovering the pattern behind the behaviour that it is possible to help effect real change. Many highly skilled sportspeople are let down by their mental processes. Take Chelsea’s John Terry, an experienced and talented footballer who missed a crucial penalty in the European Cup Final. It
This puts you into a state best described as a trance. Not one that will make you dance like a chicken, but which may cause you to sky the ball over the cross bar, or forget your name in an interview. Anyone who’s ever felt ‘hijacked’ at such moments will know what I’m describing, a loss of feeling in control – truly, strong emotions make us stupid. It’s this fight or flight response that causes someone to run from a friendly dog, shake in front of an interview panel, or fluff a shot at match point, all because our brain looks at the present situation and calculates the likely consequence. As you stand ready to make your serve, do you foresee an ace, or the laughter of your friends as you hit yourself on the head? As you stand to make a sales pitch do you foresee an enthusiastic reception, or a mass of shaking heads?
The time and the place Context is highly significant: you may be cool as a cucumber serving for the championship at Wimbledon, but a nervous wreck at the prospect of speaking at the press conference afterwards. This is because the meaning of the present situation you’re in (whether it’s good or
If the calculation your brain makes is negative, it releases chemicals into your body that were originally intended to protect you from sabre-toothed tigers seems inconceivable that someone earning what he does for being able to kick a ball should miss a target in a position that most 12 years olds could score from. So, what went wrong? I suggest it was his mind, not his eyes or his feet that let him down. In fact, this is something we’ve seen many times before, with the likes of Tim Henman, Jana Novotna (unkindly dubbed the lady from Chokeoslovakia), Greg Norman - and any England football player called to take a penalty. So what turns a superb athlete into a choker and what can be done about it?
Cognitive hypnotherapist Trevor Silvester examines the way in which mind power can work for and against our most talented sportspeople
Every action has a consequence In any situation, your brain (in simplistic terms your unconscious thought) is working out the likely consequences of the actions you are about to take. It then selects the one most likely to bring you the result it believes is most beneficial to you. If the calculation your brain makes is negative, it releases chemicals into your body that were originally intended to protect you from sabre-toothed tigers. They increase your heart rate, your respiration, stop digestion and, if strong enough, shut down those parts of your brain responsible for logical, considered thinking.
bad), and its anticipated outcome is determined by calculations the brain makes based on your past. So if the brain creates a version of reality that causes people to underperform, what can you do about it? Most people try to wrest control back from the brain and ‘deliberately’ serve, or kick, or run. In other words we try to consciously perform an action that is so practised it’s almost completely unconscious - and make a hash of it. In actual fact, we need to leave our unconscious to perform the actions we’ve practised.
Anchoring
1
Has a record ever come on the radio that reminded you of a past event and left you feeling a particular emotion? These are called anchors and work on the stimulus-response mechanism first identified by Pavlov. Basically the principle is that if, at the moment you’re experiencing a strong emotion, a stimulus is paired with it (a song playing, a group of people watching you, a dog running at you), then the two become wired together in your neurology and one will trigger the other off in you. Those examples were negative, but they can also be used beneficially by pairing a stimulus or trigger with an emotion relevant
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G Nu oo trit d ion
THE ATHLETE’S KITCHEN
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THE ATHLETE’S KITCHEN
Is it your
Missing Link? “Nutrition is my missing link. I have my training sorted, but my eating needs help.” Time and again, my clients express this concern when they fail to get desired results from their workouts. These busy people, who range from casual exercisers to competitive athletes, are eating at the wrong times, choosing the wrong balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat, drinking too little fluids, and consuming adequate iron. The question arises: How much better could these athletes perform? The answer is: Lots better! Sports Nutritionist Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD highlights some common missing food links, and provides solutions that can help you to avoid these pitfalls.
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CLUB CLASS
In-Spa 46
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CLUB CLASS Doing the same workouts, going to the same gym or battling with our supposed British summer can sometimes really challenge your motivation. Also, work and family can join in the conspiracy preventing you from reaching your health, fitness and training goals. Taking a holiday with an emphasis on training can be an ideal solution, a real boost to your motivation and can inspire you to reach that next level. Many “training camps” are sports specific with numerous running, riding and triathlon camps to choose from. While many of these can be excellent, with great training and experts on tap, more often than not the accommodation tends to be on the Spartan side and the food
We check out a health and fitness retreat in the Sierra Moreno mountains outside Seville, an area frequented by the likes of Bryan Ferry and Kate Moss - Nik Cook drew the short straw.....
more functional fuel rather than haute cuisine. London based In-spa resolved to remedy this and have combined seven worldwide luxury locations with top health and fitness professionals and healthy eating. By taking over an entire venue and parachuting in their own team including personal trainers, massage therapists, yoga teacher, nutritionist, chef and hostess they are able to offer a totally holistic experience that’ll appeal to anyone who wants to give their health and fitness a real boost. If you’re a more serious fitness enthusiast they also offer a number of “Intense” weeks with more fitness options to choose from. If you think it’s a fluffy towels and pampering week, think again as, although you’ll be staying in luxurious surroundings, you’ll definitely be sweating and training hard too.
The Retreat Flying into Seville airport I’d amused myself on the plane playing “spot the fitness freaks” and, while I had likely looking suspects wielding tennis racquets marked out, nobody seemed to scream fitness
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SHOE TEST
Evolve
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SHOE TEST
or die By Andy Barber
Fashion can be fickle It seems that some styles are in, then they’re out then they’re in again, then… You know how it goes. With running shoes life is very different. Someone spends years and many US dollars (as that’s how they measure these things) developing a shoe or technology, then it appears at the top end of their range to be used by a few people. Then you will see it filtering down into other shoes in that brands range. As this is going on the other brands will be looking on with interest. If the idea is good the other brands realise ‘That’s a good idea, we’d better take that on board’, and soon after that you see similar principles being used in other people’s shoes. A technology will stay around a while, then someone will improve on it and everyone moves on again. What was once a high tech ‘technology’ then won’t be seen anywhere but in a brands retro fashion range. So we thought it would be worth looking at some key technologies out there at the moment to see how they affect what is happening at the top end of ranges now. As you can be sure these, and similar technologies will be soon be seen much more widely.
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REVIEW
Do you know
your
numbers?
You probably know when your car needs a service, and how many miles it will run on its reserve tank. You probably spend a fair bit of money on the servicing and upkeep of your car too……. but do you know when you are running on reserve, or how many miles to the gallon you do? Do you spend any money on the service and upkeep of you? For the vast majority of us, the answer is no…… Caroline Sandry recently visited Wellness International at Adidas headquarters in Manchester, where President and Founder Dr. Dorian Dugmore PhD. Cardiovascular medicine explained his passion for wellbeing and his drive to educate people about stress and the importance of knowing your numbers…. 60
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REVIEW levels, exercise and general lifestyle. I had to abstain from caffeine and alcohol for 48 hours, and fast for 12 hours before the tests. This process in itself is telling – I missed caffeine and realised how much I rely on it, and I also started to become very conscious of my food and nutrient intake: but I decided to eat honestly and normally so that my results would be a true indicator of my current health status. I was actually quite nervous before the tests (and starving!) and my heart definitely started thumping as I was strapped up to the monitor – I really wanted a good result. The ECG showed I had a slight ‘blip’ in my heart (a right branch bundle) but Doctor Dugmore assured me that many athletes have this and it is not a problem. (I liked the reference to an athlete – but I think he was being kind!)
Nez my wellbeing consultant gets me prepared
MAX TEST
I am ashamed to say, that as a fitness professional, and one who is passionate about fitness and the wonders of our amazing physical bodies, I was as guilty as the rest and did not know my numbers. I knew my blood pressure was ‘ok’ – after all, the doctor read it recently but what exactly was it? My cholesterol? No idea. Blood sugars? Clueless. Vo2max? Well, fortunately for me I was lucky enough to partake in the ‘Project Life Programme’ at Wellness International and found out my numbers. See how I got on in the table to the right! The Wellness Experience The Wellness Centre is based at Adidas in Stockport, and is a very modern, high tech yet approachable and calm place to be. The staff are all very friendly and the service is superb. Before visiting the centre, I was to keep a food diary for three days, and fill out forms about my stress
The VO2max test was personally important to me - throughout my studies over the years we refer to VO2 max and heart rates, and I have always wanted to know what mine was, and also if I had the guts to determine it as you have to push yourself to your limit to find your limit! The test is performed on the treadmill, with a period of walking, and increases in gradient and speed every three minutes. I reached 18 minutes and was delighted to get a true vo2max reading where my levels reached a plateau and in spite of an increased work load my oxygen uptake remained the same indicating I had reached my vo2 max, and meaning the test came to an end before I dropped off the back of the treadmill! My measurement put me in the ‘excellent’ category for my age, but Dr Dugmore agreed with me that I could still be fitter. After all the tests and a cool down, you are left to shower and eat some lunch before sitting with your health consultant and going over the results and discussing your Personal Lifestyle Plan.
‘An ounce of prevention = a ton of rehabilitation’ Dr. Dugmore who is an internationally acknowledged expert on heart health and who has taken people from having a heart transplant to running a marathon has taken all his experience and knowledge and used it to try and prevent heart disease rather than treat it. As he says ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of rehab’. His brainchild – Wellness International has gone from a dream, to winning World and European Best Practice for corporate wellness and I can see why. When asked about the effect of stress on individuals Dr Dugmore explained it like this “Stress and heart disease are directly related. Adrenaline tightens up vessels and tubes, there is an increased load on the left ventricle (chamber of the heart), cholesterol can be
Coronary risk factors Resting blood pressure Total cholesterol HDL cholesterol LDL cholesterol TC/HDL cholesterol Triglycerides Glucose VO2 MAX Body mass index Body fat BHF Risk %
desirable range <140/90 <5.0mmol/l >1.0mmol/l <3.0mmol/l <5.0 <2.0mmol/l 3.33-5.28mmol/l >37ml.kg.min 20–24.9 21-27% <20%
my results 120/85 4.68 1.71 2.65 2.7 0.68 4.83 40.2 20.2 19.3 2
Diet rating Lung function Flexibility
low fat high fibre normal 36cm +
moderate fat moderate fibre normal 46
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PEAK FITNESS
Running By Dr. Jason R. Karp, Ph.D.
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PEAK FITNESS
When I was in high school, my electronics teacher had a silly, fortune cookie-type saying to remind his students of how to handle electrical wires: “One hand in pockey, no get shockey.” Like touching wires with both hands, there’s a wrong way to do almost everything. For example, going down a park slide head first, throwing a paper airplane at your high school teacher, and not buying your twin brother a birthday present, claiming you forgot his birthday would all be considered by most as errors in judgment. (Okay, so I don’t always make the best decisions.) Although there are many paths to success when it comes to running, there are also wrong ways to train and race. As a coach, I see the wrong ways much too often. Although training and racing errors won’t have as severe a consequence as electrocuting yourself, errors in your training and racing will prevent you from meeting your potential. In honor of my electronics teacher, here are some common running errors with advice to help you correct them.
the very least, you’ll add unnecessary fatigue to your legs without extra benefit. For example, say you want to improve your aerobic power (VO2max), and you plan to run mile repeats at the speed at VO2max. If running each mile in 6:00 elicits VO2max, running each repeat in 5:45 will certainly also elicit VO2max. But why run each mile in 5:45 when you can run it in 6:00 and still get the same benefit? Running faster is not always better. On the other hand, if you run your workouts too slow, you may not obtain the desired benefit at all. For example, research has shown that cardiovascular benefits are minimal when running below about 60 percent of your maximum heart rate. As a coach, I’ve noticed that the most difficult type of workout to run at the correct pace is the lactate threshold (tempo) run. Many runners, especially those who are inexperienced with this workout, have a difficult time holding back the pace and finding their fastest sustainable aerobic pace.
Wrong: Doing Workouts Too Fast or Too Slow
Right: To Meet Your Physiological Needs, Run Workouts at the Correct Speeds
One of the biggest errors runners make is running workouts at incorrect speeds. Run your workouts too fast, and you may not meet the purpose of the workout. At
To determine the correct pace, you must know the purpose of each workout. Running at the correct pace will more specifically target the physiological
variable you’re trying to train, such as VO2max or lactate threshold. Since the goal of training is to obtain the greatest benefit while incurring the least amount of stress, you want to run as slow as you can while still obtaining the desired result. To know what pace to run for different workouts, see Pacing Guidelines.
Wrong: Running the First Mile of a Race Too Fast I used to coach a talented runner who ran the first part of every race too fast, only to slow down dramatically during the latter segments and end up disappointed with the result. He thought he was better than his workouts and he let his competitive spirit and pre-race adrenaline obscure his knowledge of his true fitness level. It was frustrating to watch him start off so well and get slower with each successive lap of the track. The faster you run the first part of a race, the more your muscles rely on anaerobic metabolism to produce energy. With the greater reliance on anaerobic metabolism and muscular work comes an increase in muscle and blood acidosis and the accumulation of metabolic byproducts that cause fatigue. Whether the race is a mile or a marathon, you can’t put running time in the bank. You will end up losing more time in the end than what you gained by being “ahead of schedule”
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FREE RUNNING
leap of
faith Freerunning is an amazing sport, requiring fitness, skill and nerve, but despite the highoctane sequences in films such as Casino Royale, it’s something that anyone can do and learn. Ultra-FIT sent it’s own jumper, John Shepherd along to find out more Freerunning is all about making the impossible possible, equipped with just a pair of trainers the city can become a balletic playground full of beautiful movements that seemingly disconnect the free runner from gravity. I met up with Ez one of the leading lights in the free running world and the main guy behind Urban Freeflow. 76
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The sport originated in France (hence its other name ‘Parkour’) – more on this later. Its exact start is a little uncertain, however it seems to have evolved from a the work of a French naval officer and latter physical educationalist, Georges Herbert. Herbert developed an approach to PE that combined athletic skill, selflessness and courage in the early
part of the 20th century. Many decades later French soldiers were inspired by Herbert’s work and used it to good measure in their obstacle training. There is actually a distinction between Freerunning and Parkour. The former originated when a film about the sport called ‘Jump London’ was broadcast on Channel 4 in 2003. The amazing footage featuring Sebastien Foucan (see box out) inspired many and introduced the spread and development of the sport to the English-speaking world. Getting technical just for a bit, Free running is totally free in its style, it’s got more flair in a way than Parkour, with practitioners adding twist and turns, for example to their moves which are not necessary for the clearance of an obstacle. Parkour on the other hand is all about efficiency, about getting over an object, or around it as smoothly as possible with minimum effort.
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FREE RUNNING explained Ez. The Channel 4 film previously mentioned had a great deal to do with this, however, there was also a similar documentary called ‘Jump Britain’ that was filmed with Urban Free Flow’s involvement and was aired in 2005 again on Channel 4. “Off the back of that, there was a tidal wave of interest and there were kids doing it (freerunning) everywhere,” explained Ez. He also explained that as an additional consequence Urban Freeflow was contacted by numerous organisations. Schools in particular were keen to safely harness the exuberance of kids literally ‘jumping all over the place’ and keep them active. In response Ez and Urban Freeflow established an academy and a schools involvement programme.
Making the first leap In terms of prior suitable sporting background Ez told me that gymnastics would be ideal, but despite the tumbling, body awareness, strength and power that comes with this discipline, he further explained that anyone can really do it. “People step up with a break dancing background, martial arts, you can add anything really to it (freerunning) really.” Most free runners are young men but Urban Freeflow is working on getting more women involved and there are even people in their fifties who are doing the sport.
Take it low and slow
I met with Ez and Urban Freeflow athletes on London’s South Bank. Ez was initially an amateur boxer who got involved in the sport after a stint with martial arts. He’s been at the helm of Urban Freeflow since setting it up five years a go. The operation centres around its website, which acts as a resource for all things free running. Ez explained that the organisation runs training courses for all ages groups, has worked with the police and the military and organised the first world Freerunning championships (at the Camden Round House, London, last September Ed). On the latter Ez commented, “We had sponsors such as Barclaycard and Adidas, the venue was packed and it was filmed exclusively for Sky sports. So it was really good for us.” Despite its French origins, this country is the hub of the free running world, “All the commercial interest has been in the UK and it has just exploded really,”
Callie, one of Urban Freeflow’s athletes took me through a few moves. We started with some of the basic techniques, such as the ‘precision jump’. This – the former martial arts instructor from France – explained would be used to jump from one railing to another or even one building to another. At this point I was relieved when he said we would start off on the floor with lines. I was shown how to do single leg and double leg precision jumps, to take off from the right spot and land the jumps in the most effective way to avoid injury and again on the right ‘spot’. With my long jump background the leaping was not a problem, I had more trouble with the landings. These are made for numerous jumps on the balls of the feet, without the ankles contacting the ground. I’m used to a more heel to toe landing when performing jumping (plyometric ) drills. Callie explained that the free running technique allowed for greater control. If you are leaping from one wall to another and have to land on a width not much wider than your outstretched hand then you need to be able to stop dead and the balls of the feet technique will enable you to do this. Next up Sticky another full time free runner showed me how to do a basic wall vault. Rather like gymnastics, it’s about using your arms as well as your legs to produce the power. I was a little
If you are leaping from one wall to another and have to land on a width not much wider than your outstretched hand then you need to be able to stop dead
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FIT PAST 50
Psyche Yourself Young... There has never been a better time to grow old. By 2031 25 % of people in the UK will be over 65 and millions is being invested to ensure that getting older is a positive experience. The UK research Council spends £80 million a year to try and ensure lifelong health for us all and the government are collaborating with research councils and charities and investing a further £20 million in making a positive difference to the lives of older adults through research. Their findings are to be watched out for, but while we wait, we grow older… so Sue Griffin decides to investigate the most reliable source of information for answers on how to age successfully and asks those that are doing it very well. She talks to a company director and a grandmother only to come up with another question…. Is your attitude ageing you? 86
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FIT PAST 50 physically active and have maintained a constant weight all their lives. However the strongest distinguishing factors are their mental traits. If you are asking“ who wants to live to be a 100 anyway? The answer – someone who is 99 years old.
The Theories The belief that mind affects body is not new. Life stage theories of human development looks at three types of ageing. Biological ageing is the way the body functions over time and the physical
Psychological ageing examines an individuals perceptions and their ability to adapt to life changes as they get older changes that occur. Social ageing is concerned with how a society, a community and the environment affect how we age, Psychological ageing examines an individuals perceptions and their ability to adapt to life changes as they get older. In cognitive psychology (a theory of thinking processes that govern our reactions and behaviour) it is assumed that a persons individuals emotional and behavioural reactions to life events are greatly influenced by ones own interpretations and linked to personal basic core beliefs that are not necessarily accurate. Therefore adaptation to life changes as we get older is very personal and depends on individual character. core belief of John Iszatt age 40 and company director of his own bottling company Silvertrack says “ The mind is very powerful and must be in tune with the body “. John decided at age 20 that he wasn’t going to be old and unfit. John relies on imagination and visualisation before lifting weights or before setting off on a cycle race.“ I imagine the weight as light as a feather before lifting or go over the pedal stroke in my mind before a race”. The detail and having a theoretical knowledge of his sport is important to John who is constantly reviewing his health and sport goals and finding new challenges. He described himself as ‘Mr Average’ when it comes to his natural ability, John displays a common psychological characteristic shared by people who age well in his determination
A The term ‘successful ageing’ was coined by researchers in the early sixties and refers to the ideals of adding years to life and getting satisfaction from life into our 80’s and beyond. Other experts have added that retained independence, both financial and functional, social status, and a sense of meaning and purpose contribute to a fulfilling and satisfying experience during old age. Not rocket science if you think about it but what gives some people an advantage? Research of twins suggests that 30% of longevity is inherited or genetically passed on which leaves the remaining 70% up to
us! Science, medicine and genetics only create the potential for a long life. It’s lifestyle, how we care for our body through diet and exercise, and cultivating positive thought responses during difficult times that is the most crucial determinant for successful ageing, Dr Brickey, author of Defy Aging (ageing spelt without the e in the US) says it is our beliefs, attitudes, coping skills and lifestyles that are the critical determinants of who will live long lives. Brickey looks to centenarians for inspiration on how you get to live to be age 100+ and found, besides having inherited good genes, that they are
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GET OUT THERE
outdoor swimming Swimming doesn’t have to be just about monotonous lengths, blue tiles and smelling of chlorine as Nik Cook finds out when he takes a swim on the wild side. Swimming for me has always been a bit of an all or nothing affair. As a youngster I was at the pool 5-6 times per week, usually at some ungodly hour in the morning and always had a subtle green tinge to my hair. Like so many “swim kids” as I reached fourteen or so I discovered other distractions and sports that allowed you to be outside and train in the afternoons. Through university, save the odd recreational splash, I never donned my Speedos in anger and, although flat sharing with a keen swimmer, was not at all tempted to come out of “retirement”. However, then I discovered triathlon and suddenly, although a definite third in my affections, pool time was again part of my schedule. Having always been a sprint swimmer my technique wasn’t really suited to swims of up to 4km in length so, with diligent application, I signed up for a Total Immersion swim course and basically re-learnt to swim. Endless 94
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lengths of drills undid all my bad habits and hard wired in an efficient and economical stroke. I was never going to be the quickest swimmer in the world but I could now front crawl ad nauseum. After a couple of seasons of racing I’d ticked most of my triathlon boxes, including Ironman distance, and my motivation for going to the pool began to rapidly dwindle. Lane rage (no matter how good you are, the “fast lane” isn’t for breast-stroke), unsociable hours for lane swimming and blue tile boredom drove me towards biking and running and, best of all, there’s even a multi-sport event in the shape of duathlon that caters for non-swimming triathletes. However, regardless of whether I’m in a swimming or non-swimming phase of my life I’ve always loved swimming in open water. Whether in the sea battling against waves and body surfing or a refreshing dip in a mountain lake on a tough hike the nature and purpose of swimming changes.
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GET OUT THERE throughout the country. Kate has written a successful book, “Wild Swim” as a guide to best open water swimming Britain has to offer and the society’s members are constantly finding new swim spots and mapping them on their website. Kate invited me to join her for one of her favourite swims along a scenic stretch of the Thames below Dorchester-on-Thames.
wet anyway. As we changed into our wetsuits in a lay-by just outside of the picture postcard Oxfordshire village we attracted some rather curious glances from passing locals. Once ready we clambered over a stile and began walking across the fields towards the river. As we walked I asked Kate about the legal and safety implications of outdoor swimming. She told
Finally reaching the banks of the river, although flowing high, brown and strong, we both decided that we felt confident to swim it
Rather than a tedious slog in the pursuit of fitness or performance, constrained by drills and session targets, swimming outdoors is an exhilarating pleasure in its own right where the simple act of just being in the water is reason enough. The Outdoor Swimming Society was founded in 2006 by Kate Rew. Her and a friend decided to escape London one weekend but, having battled traffic on the M6, they arrived in the Lake District tired and frustrated. With only a little daylight left they decided to take a swim in a nearby lake and, having taken the plunge, found their stress and tension being washed away. Swimming into the setting sun they both felt completely liberated and re-charged and wondered why on earth more people didn’t do this. Kate decided at that moment that the word had to be spread and the OSS was born. Since that day the society has grown to over 3000 members and regularly organises swims
Unfortunately, the week before had seen some of the heaviest rain on record and days before our swim stories of flooding dominated the news. I contacted Kate to see if we were still on and a friend of hers local to the river confirmed that although it was running strong and very high it would still be safe to swim. I must admit to being slightly dubious about his judgement though when he also suggested that it was fine to swim without a wetsuit saying in an e-mail:
“It’s still a comfortable temperature for non-wetsuit swimming though normal quick chill when you get in but feels nice after a minute or two.” Once Kate had reassured me that she’d definitely be wearing a wetsuit I was happy to be going ahead although we agreed to have a final check of the river on the morning of our swim. The morning of our swim dawned dull and drizzly but, the air temperature was warm, and I guess we were going to get
me that from a legal point of view any stretch of water that is navigable (has boats on it) is legal to swim in and the only issue that can arise is actual access to the water. With regards to safety it’s an area that the society is very aware of, but aside from some commonsense advice such as not swimming alone and not drinking alcohol, it prefers to encourage personal responsibility and an awareness of ones own ability. Finally reaching the banks of the river, although flowing high, brown and strong, we both decided that we felt confident to swim it. There was no potentially dangerous floating debris and the river was safely contained within its banks. Kate was happy with her own ability to cope with the conditions and I felt confident too. It was obvious we were both actually quite excited as we knew we’d be in for an exciting swim and wouldn’t actually have to exert too much effort to propel ourselves along. The plan was to walk along the river for about a kilometer to a lock just below the village and then to “swim” with the current to a
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