Whatever your ambitions for the year ahead, working out and eating well will always be sound strategies. But which is more effective? Here is a look at the benefits of each on your immune system.
Your immune system can be compromised by a range of factors, from age and obesity to smoking. But it can also be strengthened.
The effect of exercise on immunity is dependent on dosage. There is a theory that intense training – for a marathon, say, or CrossFit – temporarily suppresses the immune system, leading to an ‘open-window’ of heightened infection risk in the hours afterwards. However, recent research suggests that this only applies to pro athletes with six-hours-a-day schedules.
Research shows that a bout of moderate-effort exercise can help the immune system to sweep up pathogens. If your training is more professional, further studies show that increasing your intake of carbs and polyphenol-rich berries and veg can help to offset any damage.
Following a Mediterranean diet – rich in healthy fats and plant-based foods – will boost the microbiome diversity in your gut, while prebiotic foods promote the growth of healthy bacteria.
As any
parent will know, a consistent exercise routine is one of the first things to
go after you have children. With shifting priorities, less time to yourself,
reduced sleep and less energy, it is entirely normal for new parents to find
themselves exercising less.
While it
is common for your usual exercise routine to slow down or even come to an
abrupt halt, it can still be possible for parents to incorporate some form of
exercise into their week. Regular exercise is essential to the well-being of
everyone, parents included. It has been proven to have a positive impact on
depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. It relieves stress,
improves memory, results in better sleep, and boosts overall mood.
How can I do more exercise as a parent? While finding the time and motivation to exercise as a parent is tricky, there are a few ways you can include more in your daily routine. The important thing to realise is that your definition of what makes up exercise has to shift after you have children. Change your perspective, and exercise and activity aren’t as hard to achieve as you might think.
1. Be active throughout the day One of the most efficient ways to fit exercise into your day is to make it a part of your usual daily activities. For example, instead of taking an hour to go to the gym, you can be active in a number of different ways such as walking to the shops instead of hopping on the bus.
2. Exercise more efficiently One of the skills you pick up very quickly as a parent is time management and making the most of every free second you have. You need to exercise more efficiently with the time you do have – an effective workout doesn’t need to eat up a large chunk of your time, it can be done in 20 minutes. For example a HIIT routine is high in intensity and speedy.
3. Invest in home gym equipment If you are working out at home, it might be worth investing in a few items to help you out. Equipment doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive – a workout mat, resistance band, skipping rope and a set of dumbbells are just a few things that could help you do the job.
4. Make exercise a family affair One of the most effective ways of squeezing in exercise is to involve your children. Not only will you get more exercise, but your children will too. A few ways to exercise together are to walk/cycle/run around your local park (an idea might be that you run while you kids cycle so you move at a similar pace), play ball games together such as football, or go swimming.
Ease heartburn
Turmeric helps your gallbladder produce bile to break food down faster, so it doesn’t hang around in your digestive system long enough to cause uncomfortable heartburn. Dissolve some in hot water after a meal, then drink.
Beat constipation
Linseeds – also called flaxseeds – are full of fibre, minerals and vitamins, and soothe the lining of the intestines – all of which makes them great for constipation. Soak a teaspoon in water overnight and drink the next morning to get your digestive system moving.
Living in a big city such as London, it’s easy to forget the importance of our local communities.
As a Personal Trainer, as with many business owners, my livelihood very much depends on the people in my local community. Therefore, it’s always a great opportunity for me to be able to meet them.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the parents in the area, at the Busy Rascals group in Willesden Green.
Busy Rascals is a fantastic project set up for parents and their babies/children to be able to meet, socialise and participate in various activities including music, dance and parent workshops (www.busyrascals.wordpress.com).
By being able to speak to the people in my neighbourhood, I am able to better tailor my services to their needs.
I started offering home workouts as part of my service just over 5 years ago, and since then the majority of my clients have been, and still are, mums.
Working out at home has given them the opportunity to undertake a regular exercise programme without having to be apart from their children, or having to pay additional childcare costs whilst attending a gym.
Good posture is probably the world’s simplest beauty secret. It makes you instantly look taller and slimmer. Just think of the elegance that ballet dancers embody.
Your movements become easier and more graceful and your clothes hang better. You take in more oxygen, improving your skin and creating a wealth of new energy.
The perfect poise will help you look and feel more alive. Postural alignment is a vital part of any professional exercise programme and is targeted through specific exercises which help strengthen weak muscles and stretch tight areas.
In the short-term, you can make improvements to minor deviations by following these simple steps:
Standing Tall
Look in a full-length mirror, from the front and the sides.
Firstly, observe and get to know your natural stance. Check if you have slipped into bad habits. Is your pelvis sticking out to far, causing your back to arch? Are you knock-kneed? Is one hip higher than the other? Are your shoulders rounded?
Correct any deviations so that when standing correctly your feet should be slightly apart, with toes pointing forward. Imagine pulling your body upwards, starting at your neck and pulling up through your chest to your waist and hips. Feel the gap between your shoulders and ears lengthening, and each vertebra spreading out from its neighbours.
Now focus on engaging your abdominal muscles. Pull your navel back towards your spine, whilst continuing to breath normally and tucking your bottom in.
Correct your posture every time you think of it. Soon your body will retrain and good posture will become automatic.
Are the sound of wedding bells getting ever closer? If so, let me first of all congratulate you and your partner on the start of a wonderful journey together.
If you have just got engaged and you are worried about your current weight or body shape, don’t despair…
It’s never too early (or late) to start getting into shape, so my advice is to target any problem areas straight away. No matter what shape or size we are, there will always be certain parts that we want to tone up, flatten out and pull in!
It’s all too easy to get carried away, but be realistic about your goals. Unless you’re heavily overweight, don’t aim to lose more than two dress sizes. The last thing you want to do is set yourself up to fail and feel bad when you should be celebrating.
Forget crash dieting, as this will leave you weak, stressed-out and irritable. Instead, plan ahead and follow a healthy eating plan. This will help you lose any extra weight, with the bonus of getting better skin, hair and nails.
The best way to get into shape is through fat-burning aerobic exercise. Strengthening your muscles will build shapelier curves and increase your body’s ability to burn fat. This type of exercise, along with a healthy diet will give you great results, ensuring you look your best on your big day.
For information on the Wedding Packages I offer please click here.
Remember it’s your special day and you deserve to look and feel your best.
