25 minute read
Body & Mind
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A CLEAN START
Sarah Hitch, The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms and The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre
There’s no better time to set new goals for yourself than at the beginning of the year. So, if you’ve been struggling with your skin for some time, or just want to revamp your skincare routine, 2023 is your year to put your best face forward!
A new year marks the start of a fresh approach to many things in our minds. Whether it be renewed vigour to continue with a commitment abandoned or a focus of the mind on a new area requiring support. Keeping skin healthy, glowing, and looking the best it can be, requires a rounded approach to achieving your skin goals.
Not drinking enough water can have serious impacts on your overall health and skin. When you’re dehydrated, your organs pull water from your blood and your blood pulls water from your skin cells. This reaction can cause your skin to appear dry and your eyes to look darker and sunken, and over time, it can even speed up the ageing process. When skin is not properly hydrated, it’s less elastic and more susceptible
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to fine lines and wrinkles which is obviously something we don’t want! Whether you’re into pilates, boxing, swimming, or just a good old-fashioned run, exercise is critical as part of a healthy skincare routine. Exercising not only increases blood flow, which nourishes skin cells, but it also oxygenates skin cells – keeping them healthy and happy. Increased blood flow also helps carry away waste products, including free radicals, from working cells. You can think of it as cleansing your skin from the inside. And as if that wasn’t reason enough to get active, exercise also benefits the skin by reducing stress and promoting better sleep. Adequate sleep leads to many skin benefits including fewer wrinkles and fine lines (because skin makes collagen while you sleep), less prominent dark circles and bags under the eyes and an overall brighter look. Plus, your skin care products work better at night because your skin isn’t defending itself against environmental factors while you sleep.
We’ve all been there... too tired to wash off our makeup after a long day. But a clean face at night time is critical to allow your skin to repair and rejuvenate. Cleansing oils or balms are the most effective approach to cleansing the face. Their water-activated rich oils gently remove stubborn makeup and impurities; plus, they won’t dry out your skin like other foaming face washes. Exfoliating is a quick and easy way to reveal smoother, brighter, more beautiful-looking skin by removing old, dead skin cells that can clog pores – causing acne and blackheads. Twice weekly exfoliation can work wonders for many skin types!
We’re more informed than ever on the longterm dangers of harmful, yet widely used cosmetic ingredients such as parabens, sulfates, DEA, TEA, phthalates, and petrochemicals. Remember, your gorgeous skin is your largest organ, so think twice before using just any old skin care product on it. Moisturising is one of the most important and underrated ways that you can take care of your skin. Not only does moisturising help prevent inflamed, dry skin that can lead to wrinkles, it also adds a protective barrier to the skin, giving you a brighter, more supple glow. Apply it day and night for a dose of nourishing hydration.
Sometimes it can take weeks for skin care products to start making noticeable changes, so stick with it and the benefits will soon be felt and seen.
thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk margaretbalfour.co.uk
AFFORDABLE SELF-CARE
Lucy Lewis, Dorset Mind Ambassador and Assistant Psychologist
Self-care is vital for physical and mental wellness. When people think of self-care, they often visualise stereotypical images of bubble baths, face packs, and relaxing chimes. While for some people, this can be a relaxing and effective aspect of self-care, there is more to it than simply pampering oneself. Self-care is a broad term that encompasses any action that we take to look after our mental or physical health.
Self-care activities and habits are often disregarded, despite their importance and significant impact on wellbeing. While self-care is unlikely to cure a severe mental illness by itself, engaging in self-care can help to reduce uncomfortable symptoms to make them more manageable, and also prevent mental health conditions from occurring or worsening. It can also empower people to maintain their wellness when done regularly.
Self-care activities don’t need to be expensive – there are plenty you can do for free. They might include personal care, enjoyable activities, relaxation, healthy routines, exercise, mindfulness, or anything else that benefits your health and wellbeing.
Here are some of our favourite affordable or free selfcare activities - and how they benefit your wellbeing…
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Relaxation While this includes any activity you find relaxing (i.e. knitting, pampering, bird-watching, etc), relaxation also refers to techniques that can physically relax your body and reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. These techniques work mostly by slowing your breathing, heart rate, racing thoughts, and by relaxing your muscles. It helps communicate to your body that it is safe - and doesn’t need to be on high alert. This can effectively reduce or prevent the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress.
YouTube has a wealth of free videos that can teach you about relaxation techniques and how to use them. The best videos tend to come from reputable accounts, such as those posted by a healthcare service or university. Search these terms to get started: deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided visualisations.
Make time for you Make time to schedule in enjoyable activities for yourself, as you would if you were looking after children. As we grow older and gain more responsibilities, fun can sometimes be completely forgotten!
When treating depression, a technique called ‘behavioural activation’ is often used. The participant would be encouraged to fit activities into their day that trigger positive emotions and begin to balance out the negative ones. Find the things that give you a mood boost - and consciously make time for them. There are many free and affordable mood-boosters, but what will work for you depends on your interests and personality.
Here are some ideas for you to get started: go for a walk in a green space or forest, watch silly videos of cats or babies, enjoy arts and crafts (even if you are not skilled but just for the fun of doing it), have a movie night at home with cosy blankets and friends, watch comedy shows online, call a loved one, follow an online yoga tutorial, look at the clouds while listening to music, start a gratitude journal, or light your favourite candle.
You do not need activities that completely transform your mood or those that might take a lot of time – try instances of small mood-boosters scattered throughout your day.
Look after your body Mental and physical health are linked. If you eat well, move your body often, and sleep enough, you are likely to have better mental health than if you don’t. Additionally, taking the time to look after our physical health and hygiene sends an implicit message to ourselves that we are worthy of care and being looked after.
We would make the effort if we were looking after someone else - but often we do not do this for ourselves. For those who enjoy pampering, it can be beneficial to take the extra time for this to further emphasise that you deserve good care.
If you would like to learn more about mental health, please visit dorsetmind.uk. If you feel that you need further support with your mental health, please contact your GP, or, in a crisis, call 999 or The Samaritans on 116 123.
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A CHANGE OF FOCUS
Emma Rhys Thomas, Pilates Instructor, Art of Confidence
AlexSava/iStock
Firstly, some thoughts regarding the success or failure of the New Year’s resolution: Perhaps best avoided are terms such as ‘I must not’, ‘don’t’, ‘won’t’, ‘should not’, ‘will not’, and so on. These are all very negative, they already sound like punishment and none of us like to go without! A more positive narrative might be ‘I will do/seek ‘more’ of’, - although often doing more of the same only attracts more of the same and therefore change is small or insignificant. However, finding ‘new ways’ is motivational and easily measurable, and as New Year’s resolutions, you have all year to perfect them. New Year’s resolutions drive positive lifestyle changes.
In a recent conversation with my son, he recounted someone telling him, ‘That won’t work, that’s not how it’s done.’ I suggested to him that whilst that may be the current thinking, he might regard his way of doing ‘the thing’ as equally valid, indeed, his way might be the new way of doing it.
I propose a new way, a ground shift, a change of perspective if you like, regarding how we think about posture and maintaining a healthy body and mind.
And here it is; think about the use of our amazing fluid dynamic bodies in our daily routines and learn how to make this effective. This will have a profound impact on both physical and mental well-being. Attending to posture creates efficiencies in our biomechanical system, has positive effects on other biological functioning and builds self-confidence.
Feeling better is led by the way we move. The body is our principal component. Space is the universe in which we move. Effort is our intent.
The body: Our principal component When thinking of ‘active bodies’ it is limiting to only think about being ‘fit’. We should seek an efficient, functional body in all day-to-day activities. The body is not only defined by muscle strength – it is more than a discrete bunch of muscle groups. The body is a complex organism of biological systems, muscles, organs, connective tissue and bodily fluids. It is even more than that. Every single one is unique, full of life, expression, energy and feeling. It has shape and form. From the moment we are born it wants to move. The brain relies on our moving bodies for information, received through the senses (and there are more than five!) in order to tell us whether we are in good shape and how we feel. For example, the vestibular and proprioceptive senses tell us about balance, spatial orientation and body awareness. The brain feeds back our response; should we take action (fight or flight)? Should our emotional response be positive or negative?
Even in apparent stillness, as in some mindful practices or even the downtime in front of a screen, movement can be created between opposing points; for example, from head to toe, or fingertip to fingertip, increasing tension and counter-tension of all the combined things that the body is. Expanding the body’s framework allows space for movement within. This is the important change of perspective – expanding the shape and form of the body and creating deep internal spatial movement feeds positively into the nervous system.
Space: The universe in which we move In order to create our own movement universe, it is important to expand the width, extend the length and explore the depth of the body to feel the sense of the three-dimensional space around it. Like the chalk line in a crime scene investigation, or Leonardo di Vinci’s Vitruvian man, the body’s shape has an outline. All the edges of this outline are connected via the body, the body is the space. This perspective of the use of the whole body in space can make ordinary everyday tasks; reaching, picking things up, sitting, standing walking, etc. easier, because outer and inner spaces become truly integrated. Learning to use this space allows more freedom of movement at the same time as engaging and energising multiple biological systems.
Effort: Our intent How hard we try – the amount of energy we commit to moving – can be brought into conscious thought. Bringing such conscious awareness to the body and how it moves in the space it occupies, is knowing the mind’s intent – a form of mindfulness. The efficiency of effort requires balance so that no one biological system is overwhelmed by another. Put simply, there is no need to crack the nut with a sledge hammer – it would be a mistake to consciously act out every movement of every day, leaving no room for autonomy. However, most of us could make a higher demand of our physical selves in small activities. This change of perspective in ‘being’ is not an on/off button either in the gym/fitness class as opposed to out of the gym/fitness class. Drawing attention to ourselves in this way has the potential to reap such benefits as feeling less tired, reducing stress, toning the body and improving posture.
Finally, the attitude of the head has an influence on everything; how the body moves (we tend to be led by where we are looking and hence head position) and how we feel (our mind’s attitude dictates our emotions).
Returning to thoughts of my sons…when they were younger and actively engaged in high-level sports training, a common cry was ‘heads up!’. It usually preceded an incoming projectile at high velocity and served as a warning to open your eyes! Whilst not quite the same, and with less fear of serious injury, opening our eyes to new ways, changing our focus and seeing what’s possible will have profound effects. From me to you: Move and feel better, ‘heads up!’ and a happy New Year.
NEW YEAR... NEW SPORTS CENTRE!
Tess Kelly, Deputy Manager, Sherborne Sports Centre
Atime for new beginnings – new hobbies – new challenges. January brings an exciting chance to look forward to what the year might have in store for us and here at Sherborne Sports Centre we have BIG plans for 2023!
This is the year our new Sports Centre will reach completion and we can’t wait to share it with you. After years of planning and anticipation (as well as a global pandemic to add another curve ball), this mammoth project is now on the home straight. As our wonderful members will know, the first and second phases included the building of a sparkling new 5-court Sports Hall and an impressive and suitably challenging climbing wall with a standalone bouldering room. Our swimming pool was refurbished and our fantastic new facilities are already being put to good use; we have loved catching up with many returning faces and some new ones too!
Our instructors have been kept busy learning the ropes on the new equipment and it’s been amazing to watch our class numbers growing again, to have our swim learners back in the pool and to see a variety of sports creating a buzz in our enormous new hall! Our new offerings include cricket, futsal, hockey, group PT sessions and the increasingly popular pickleball! If you’re looking for a new hobby for 2023, pickleball is a paddle sport suitable for all ages and skill levels which combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong... and it’s a lot of fun so come on down and give it a try!
As with most projects, it’s not all been a smooth ride with two gym relocations, temporary changing rooms to navigate and a ‘breezy’ walk to the pool - if you’d had to do it, you’ll know! We are forever grateful to our members for their support and patience, adapting to every change with good humour.
As we move into the final phase and can begin to visualise our finished centre and how it will feel, our New Year’s resolution at Sherborne Sports Centre will be to take all of these experiences that have shaped us so far and to evolve and develop into the new version of us.
We are always at our strongest when we use the highs and lows of previous experiences that have defined us and build on them. For the Sports Centre this will be literal but I challenge you to do the same this January, focus on how you want to grow and evolve the best bits of you, rather than what you want to leave behind in the last year. Move forward into your next phase working towards the best version of you.
So, what’s to come for the third and final part of the project? Our goal is to provide the community with an outstanding sports facility in the heart of Sherborne with classes and activities that cater for everyone. The project is due for completion this summer and will boast a state-of-the-art gym, sports-specific training areas, four squash courts and a golf simulator as well as all that is already in action.
With all these exciting new opportunities and equipment, we hope to support you on your 2023 fitness journey and welcome you to come and have a chat with one of our instructors to discuss your wellbeing goals.
Whether you want to feel fitter, stronger, calmer or more empowered, why not try a new form of movement each week this January and notice how each makes you feel and what works best for you – be curious!
From all of us at Sherborne Sports Centre - we wish you a happy and healthy new year.
Bring your copy of the January Sherborne Times into the Sports Centre this month to receive 50% off an activity (terms and conditions apply).
Images: Josie Sturgess-Mills
JUMP START YOUR YEAR
Joanna Weinberg, Teals
When I was invited to write a series of pieces about local producers and suppliers to Teals, I was immediately excited. As a food and cookery writer, I needed no excuse to meet the inspiring farmers, bakers, cheesemakers, brewers and other artisan craftspeople that surround us here on the Somerset/Dorset border. They are the heroes of my work world and it was a rare opportunity to lift the lid on life as a food producer. For it is these craftspeople who have, for generations, underpinned the success of thriving market towns such as Sherborne, servicing rural communities across the country, adapting to the shifting social and cultural changes over the past generation, as the nature and very idea of work changes.
What I didn’t imagine, is that on this cold, damp, mid-December day, under a steel grey sky, I would be in a muddy field just off the A303, along with 20 or so other lycra-clad locals,
undertaking a boot camp PT (physical training) session. But this is where I find myself – huddled in several extra layers, in the field behind Teals that in the summer is home to a cricket pitch, and year-round generously services travelling dogs for a run around on a journey break. The rest of the class all seem cheerful to be there, as we are warmly encouraged by trainer Alice Cowen in a series of vigorous warm-up exercises: undertaking a combination of sprints, squats, crablike sidesteps and leg-swings. Kate, on the muddy mat next to me asks me if it’s my first session. ‘I’ve only been once before,’ she says, ‘but now I’ll come every week. It’s such a brilliant start to the day. Running around getting out of puff, outside in nature. It wakes you up – it changes your whole day.’
It’s a spirit that Alice definitely embodies. Tall and lithe with a warm, open face and encouraging demeanour, she is out in the field, getting her community into shape twice a week, every week (term-time), whatever the weather. ‘We’ve never been rained off,’ she says, smiling. ‘In fact, we’ve only been properly drenched a couple of times. Last year around Christmas time, it was completely frozen underfoot and everyone still turned up.’ The exercises are a combination of cardio, body weight and light weight-bearing resistance, arranged in sets to minimise boredom and maximise effectiveness. They are approachable without being too daunting and there’s a range of ages, body types and experience in the class. It’s a whole body work-out and the 45 minutes pass quickly. By the end of it, I feel like I have squeezed, stretched and tested every muscle in my body. I feel great for it.
Alice trained as a Personal Trainer after uni, starting work in a gym in London, before further training in Pilates and massage. She soon took on her own private clients, first across London in homes, gardens, gyms and parks, before moving to Mallorca where she ran her own boot camp retreat business with her ex-partner for several years. Alice returned to the UK 8 years ago and is now based in North Perrott. ‘I tailor my workouts to meet the needs of whomever I’m working with,’ she says. ‘I have a broad client base, from sportspeople to musicians, actors, mums and more. They are a huge range of characters, body shapes and physical needs – I love the variety of it.’
‘January is a great time to undertake a new physical practice,’ says Alice. ‘It’s reset time. People tend to have a positive mindset and some extra Christmas calories to burn off. There’s also the goal of a summer body to work towards.’ It’s clear though that there are mental health benefits to the group too. There’s a great sense of camaraderie, both in the field and off it. Alice set up a WhatsApp group that anyone can opt in to and messages of support over injuries and other concerns or obstacles fly around freely.
Does she have any tips for sticking to January resolutions? ‘Make small achievable, weekly goals, rather than huge, long-term ones. If it’s weight loss, go for 1lb a week. If it’s giving up alcohol, commit to one week at a time. If you want to take up running, start with 15 minutes. People often fail when goals are too big. That’s when you give up.’
So next time you are heading to Teals on a Wednesday or Friday morning, take your lycra and have a go. You might become one of the friendly, brightly-clad fitness enthusiasts of various shapes and sizes jumping up and down in the field behind the store, too. I might just see you there.
teals.co.uk/fitness-with-alice
FITNESS GOALS 2023
Craig Hardaker BSc (Hons), Communifit
Image: Stuart Brill
Happy New Year from all of us at Communifit! We hope you had a lovely festive period and are looking forwards to a positive, healthy 2023.
So… we enter a new year and for many that means setting intensive new fitness goals, ones often set due to a feeling of over-indulgence – a feeling perhaps tinged with a sense of guilt.
January is always the busiest time of the year for any health and fitness professional as many people want to start the year ‘right’ regarding their health and fitness. This surge in wanting more exercise and living more healthily can however fade as the year progresses. One big reason for this is that we tend to expect too much too soon.
We can’t go from one extreme to another and expect significant immediate benefits. If we are patient and realistic, we are much more likely to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. For many, Christmas is about festive cheer, celebrations and spending quality time with family and friends. For lots of us this involves eating and drinking more than normal! We shouldn’t feel guilty about this, nor should we look to punish our bodies from early January onwards as a result.
Here are some achievable small goals for you to try In January, ones which will help you avoid what could be best described as the ‘February Fade’.
Fresh air Get outside for at least 20 minutes per day every day throughout January. Being outside is free, easy to achieve for most of us and is arguably one of the most beneficial things we can do for our overall health and wellbeing. Being outside could involve a short walk, an exercise class outside, or even just being in the garden relaxing, filling the lungs with fresh air.
Water intake Instead of ‘no alcohol in January’, why not just sensibly decrease your alcohol intake whilst increasing your water intake? An adult needs to drink on average two litres of water each day, which can be quite hard to do, but remaining fully hydrated is important for both our physical and mental wellbeing. Quite simply, remaining hydrated is an important new year goal in itself.
Quality time Escape from your mobile phone, computer, lists and tasks each day by ring-fencing some quality time for yourself. For example, pick up a book and read. For many, reading can reduce stress and help with relaxation, while escaping everyday life – it is believed to improve your concentration and memory, both worthwhile goals! Setting goals doesn’t always need to be related to physical exercise – there are many hobbies which can help you achieve ‘wellness’ so also consider the value of the interest that you would like to pursue.
Exercise If however you do want to exercise and improve your general fitness in a more formal way then be both patient and sensible when goal-setting. You don’t have to run a marathon or lose a large amount of weight in a short space of time – be realistic! Why not commit to one single exercise or class per week? This is a much more sustainable approach to exercise and with patience and perseverance is one which is more likely to yield results.
Whatever goals you set for 2023 please make sure they are realistic and that you enjoy working towards them. We look forward to helping you along the way and remember ‘those who believe are those who achieve!’. Be sensible, avoid the February fade and all the best for a healthy new year.
BREATHING SPACE
Juliet Thornton, Oxygen Wellbeing
Image: Wellness Tree Group
These days there seems to be a constant barrage of ‘ new’ therapies, each claiming to improve your life and make you healthier. But many of these treatments can be invasive, have unwanted side effects or come with a hefty price tag.
What if there was a drug-free solution that could ease the aches and pains associated with ageing, lessen the lines and wrinkles of life, and improve your clarity of thought?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a noninvasive therapy that offers an efficient way to increase oxygen in your body, allowing it to repair, enhance, protect and renew both physical and cognitive functioning – and it is as simple as breathing.
Inhaling oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure enhances the distribution of oxygen through the blood capillaries, plasma, tissues, organs and the brain. It can stimulate the natural recovery process and immunity, enhance performance and reduce inflammation and pain from many physical issues including injury or recovery from surgery. HBOT helps reduce swelling, fights infection and helps build new blood vessels, ultimately producing new healthy tissues. By promoting fast repair of damaged skin cells it can also diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
HBOT is fit for almost anyone, with benefits including the ability to boost vitality, heighten concentration and memory; reduce fatigue and improve energy levels, stamina and endurance; improve cell rejuvenation and help with anti-ageing strategies; remove the sensation of brain fog and jet lag; eliminate toxins and debris; reactivate skin cells and improve blood circulation.
Countless studies verify the miraculous claims resulting from courses of this therapy, which are now covered by many medical insurers in the USA to treat conditions including brain injury, stroke recovery, Lyme’s disease and Long Covid.
The therapy, increasingly popular among celebrities and top professional athletes, was once only available to Multiple Sclerosis patients through specialist clinics but is now becoming more widely available. Using portable, ‘Mild’ HBOT chambers, the therapy is now available to anyone. You can access this therapy in a clinic or there is often the option of ‘home rentals’ which are a cost-effective way to achieve optimal results in the comfort of your own home.
Costs are often comparable to a course with a physiotherapist or regular visits to the chiropractor. Enjoying optimal health is the best return on your investment.
