Yesterday New Dimensions Fitness Studio celebrated it’s 2nd Birthday! I’m delighted that we continue to be passionate about health and fitness as a community and offer support and encouragement to each other daily.
As the self belief in our members grows, so does their confidence and I’m delighted we have another addition to our Tough Mudder team. Margaret has been with us for a year – the longest she has stuck to fitness – her positive mental attitude has pushed her into setting a personal achievement she will achieve next month.
After months of debating whether to enter Tough Mudder, Margaret finally made the decision to go ahead last Friday. We discussed her fears and barriers after which we discovered the worst outcome would be quitting, – I was quick to remind her that’s never happened in session so pretty sure it wouldn’t happen at the event.
Mentally and physically we have a strong team this year, I can’t wait for the newbies to receive their orange headbands and the others to earn legionnaire status… Bring on the mud!
Tough Mudder 2016
It’s creeping up us and the thousands that have signed up to take part this year. The organisers have introduced Tough Mudder half which is 6 miles instead of 12 and a great taster for people wanting the challenges without the larger distance.
If you’re signed up this year and want some practical training tips then below are my top 5 tips for getting the best results for your event:
- Functional Movements – Exercises like squats, lunges, push ups and get ups. These movements strengthen your muscles, ligaments and joints.
- Running Intervals – obstacle events are stop start so running for a mile or 2 maximum then completing an obstacle. You will need some strength endurance but frequent short distances are fine for this training.
- Core Training – You will be relying on your core for crawling, balancing and jumping so don’t neglect planks and stability ball work.
- Grip Strength – For carrying objects, climbing walls and going for the monkey bars.
- Bodyweight Exercises – Press ups, bear crawls and single leg and arm work like deadlifts and rowing.
Try to include the above 2-3 times per week. You can group them together, for example, running intervals and functional movements for one workout, then grip strength and bodyweight exercises for another. Try to add core exercises into each workout.
If you would like to prepare and train for an obstacle event, our semi-private sessions cover all the points above. Contact me for a Free taster session.
Depression Awareness Week
This campaign is running from 18h-24th April and the focus is to help to get rid of mental health stigma, get people talking about depression and to fundraise for he charity.
What is depression?
There are times when we all feel sad, hopeless or fed up; it’s part of life. Depression is different. With depression these feelings don’t just go away. They can last for months, becoming so intense that carrying on with everyday life can become impossible.
Depression can be hard to spot. There are many different symptoms, some emotional and some physical. These are some of the most common, so if you’ve experienced four or more for most of the day, nearly every day for over two weeks, it might be time to talk to someone and visit your GP for help.
- Tiredness and loss of energy
- Persistent sadness
- Loss of confidence and self-esteem
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- Avoiding others and becoming isolated and lonely
- Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting
- Undue feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
- Sleeping problems – difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking much earlier than usual
- Finding it hard to function at work/college/school
- Change in appetite
- Loss of sex drive and/ or sexual problems
- Physical aches and pains
- Thinking about suicide and death
- Self-harm
It’s easy to blame ourselves, but depression can affect anyone. You might feel guilty or frustrated that you can’t find the motivation to keep up with things, and it can be especially hard to spot the symptoms if you’ve been feeling the same way for a long time. Many people find they also experience anxiety alongside their symptoms, so nausea, breathlessness and headaches are all signs that it might be time to get help.
Depression is common, and in its mildest form most people can lead a healthy and active life with the right treatment and support. On the more severe end, depression can be devastating and even life-threatening, so don’t go through it alone. Spotting the signs and getting help early can be vital, so talk to someone about it and visit your GP for help.
The depression alliance has lots of helpful advise and a fundraising pack for anyone wanting to hold an event at their home or work to help raise money.
And Finally…
Thought Of The Week
