TabsMagic

Yoga for Kids is taking off in the UK, with the rising obesity levels linked to inactivity in children, this is surely a good thing?

Britain is also experiencing an increased interest in yoga for children. One such programme is called Yoga Bugs. Founder and director Fenella Lindsell recently turned down a £200,000 funding offer from the Dragons on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den. She works with children up to age 13 and has 40,000 of them taking her classes via the franchises she is licensing.

She says the way to keep the little ones interested is by asking them questions at the same time as they are doing the class…..that way she can keep their attention……..and a bit of education at the same time!

Fenella adds, “Yoga is truly holistic. Children get physical, emotional and mental benefits from it. Sporty ones can improve their performance. Not-so-sporty children can find a flexibility they didn’t know they had,” adding that “We also teach the techniques to teachers, who use them in short bursts throughout the day in order to calm children down, or energise them.”

Sosend them off and await the return of a calm and relaxed vibe!!

Worldwide it has become apparent that some communities live longer than others……….why?

The people on the Japanese island of Okinawa are one of the worlds longest lived. They eat a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables but additionally they have a culture in which people only eat until they are 80% full.

In Ikaria, a Greek island is the largest per capita population of over 90 year olds any where in the world. The local people on Ikaria drink a thick mountain herbal tea several times a day. The drink contains a mixture of herbs such as purple sage, spleenwort, rosemary and wild mint. They also eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and olive oil and practically no processed foods.

In these islands generally if you want to get somewhere, you have to walk due to no such thing as public transport….
The Seventh Day Adventists, a California a community in Loma Linda are expected to outlive their fellow citizens by 5 to 10 years. Because they are vegetarian and do not smoke or drink, this is believed to be the reason. Additionally the fact they the community experience less stress may also be contribute.

In Pakistan the people living in the Hunza Valley have a very high chance of living past 90. Their diet too is rich in fruit, grain and vegetables. However they also eat a lot of plums, peaches, apricots and cherries in higher amounts than usual. Also, they tend to eat much of their food raw.

In the southern part of Ecuador in the Vilcambamba region, a higher percentage of people are reaching into their 100’s and that too in a great state of health. This may be due to them drinking a lot of natural mineral water that is exceptionally pure.

So it seems that the less ”developed” the community, the longer the lifespan……………?

Hmmmm………

Taxpayers have to fund all manner of community services, so to me it stands to reason that the basic level of council gym membership should be free.

Now there are obvious problems and factors that would need to be overcome, funding being a major one, space another not to mention the extra resources and safety aspects.

But there are also considerable benefits for the community as a whole.

Taking the growing obesity problem and related health issues as a starter;

Research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as “overweight” and “obesity,” the risks for the following conditions also increases:

• Coronary heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Stroke
• Liver and Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

So even on the obesity level alone we could be saving money and time spent in the Doctors Surgery.

Not to mention other benefits such as decreased depression rates, giving young people a safe way to occupy their time, and the educational benefits that a gym environment allows for……..

I would suggest a scheme that allowed very basic gym entry and access to the fundamental cardiovascular and weight machines to be included in the ‘free’ membership, then entry to more specialist equipment, free weights, fitness classes and the extras could start at whatever the basic membership fee that is already in place be.

This way, those of us that can afford to and are happy to pay our gym membership still can receive what we already do, but there may be scope for those that cannot afford membership but actually would like to use the gym to do so.

Overcrowding may be argued as an issue, but unfortunately i doubt it would be!!

If overcrowding did occur however, then i would suggest that those on the free membership are allowed only a 45 min time in the gym, or some other form of time constraint, or only allowed 2 – 3 visits per week……

I feel that with respect to the health issues that the country face that free gym membership is the natural progression.

Its winter, its cold, dark, very wet and lots of you tell me you are feeling a bit blue and miserable,

So just take a moment and answer me a question……..

What is your favorite quote?

It might just remind you why!

The reason for this stems on some thinking that I was playing my mind to last night when sleep eluded me, as a personal trainer there are many phrases that I use in order to motivate people……

”No pain , no gain”………

”You have to put it in to get it out”

”You are what you eat”

”Just do it”

They all work on the exercise and nutrition front…….

There are millions of quotes that people live their daily lives by- I must say i like the funny ones best through!! There is a lot to be said for things that can make you smile!

But they can also but used in a damaging way…the recent reports that Supermodel Kate Moss quoted a well known anorexia enthusiasts organisations motto ”nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” has left her critics in a frenzy. The effect that a role model saying something such as this can be devastating to young females hell bent of staying thin………….

I generally see through that sayings and quotes are used to make people feel good, and help us remember what is important in life.

What are your favorite quotes?

I recieved a question recently regarding a lady who had been suffering sleeping problems, she had tried the obvious relaxation methods and they were not helping , she was wondering if sleeping pills were the way to go…….

RIGHT- ahem…….
((clears throat and rolls up sleeves in a business like fashion…))

I have suffered bouts of chronic insomnia ever since my late teens. When in a chronic period 3 hours sleep a night to me would seem like bliss- I have done over 22 days without a single seconds sleep before- i was good for nothing!!

 I have had nights in labs with wires glued to my head measuring brain activity (at least they discovered i have one- much to my fathers shock!) done drug testing for new sleeping products (figured if i was not sleeping i may as well do something useful with myself)
Generally it is a living hell!!
Sounds to me like you have a mild case of stress related insomnia which most people experience at some point….
Valarian is very effective for most and safe and herbal….
Personally it didn’t even induce drowsiness but i would try it first as it may well do the trick without having to go to drugs……
But don’t worry about taking sleeping tablets either, you may only need a few nights worth to get you back into the routine of sleep……..
The best advice i can give is to accept it and stop worrying about not sleeping……..even try to enjoy it!!
If you have not fallen to sleep within 45 mins get up and do something else (watch some TV- read a book, get the ironing out the way!)
If you are lying there worrying or stressing about things you need to do, get up and write a list of how you will systematically deal with them the following day, this way you can consider them ‘dealt with’ and can stop going over them in your head…….

There are millions that will tell you that eating late makes sleeping a problem but personally I actually sleep better on a full stomach, and if a cup of camomile and a soak in the bath could help me I would not consider myself an insomniac…….

Try the basics first, make sure you are eating well and exercising enough as well as the hot bath and relaxation techniques, and if you are lucky they will relax you and you will sleep, if not then visit the dr for some tablets and do not feel bad about it- we all need a little shut eye, you will not be on them for long before the body clock kicks back in and does the rest for you……

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How do you feel?

Just take 60 seconds. Sit  or stand, take a deep breath, and as you breathe out, think about how you FEEL. Not the  superficial short term feelings that your immediate surroundings are affording you, annoyance at your boss, stress of doing too much, or the itch at the back of your knee. How do you feel underneath all this?

This can mean both psychologically and mentally and the two are not necessarily independent either. For example, if you feel the long standing back pain that you have been having physically does it really surprise you that you have felt irritable and grumpy recently?

If you feel that familiar headache in your temples, is it any wonder that you might feel psychologically drained today?

If you feel lethargic and dull, is it on par with your current fitness level?

The point is that you can get to used to feeling a certain way that you begin to feel this as ‘normal’. You begin to ignore your body’s warning signals. Our bodies do not feel without reason, if you feel pain in an area there is always a reason for this.

Would you ignore someone else trying to tell you something? You can be just as rude by ignoring yourself!

So listen a while, then, in the same way you would advise a friend in pain, depressed, despondent or stressed,  take action to mend things.

As a personal trainer I recognize that it is often hard enough to listen to something you have too long been blocking out. It is even harder to chance your life, your attitude and your routine in order to address the problem. So I do it for you.

Massage may be all you need to rid your body of the tension spots that have been causing you headaches, back pain, knee pain or that stiff neck.

I provide the motivation needed to start or modify that exercise regime, or change those long ingrained eating habits…….

In practicing, massage, remedial massage, personal training and nutrition, I have the pleasure of seeing people change their lives for the better in many different ways, I see the ease of movement when the stiff muscles ease, the change in  mood when the long term nagging headache is dissolved. The increase in energy levels as the body gains fitness, and the boost in confidence that follows accordingly.

So, next time someone asks you how you are feeling, take a breath, feel, and ask yourself how could a little magic  help you feel better?

So, not all of us are exercise fanatics….

But a necessary evil that it is, what is it that drives you to get up and do it, obviously for many of my personal training clients I am that push- but the reason that people seek the aid of a personal trainer varies greatly…..

Reasons range from general fitness and weight loss to impending wedding, a bikini holiday, a special dress to get into, a looming marathon, wanting to keep up with the grandchildren,  doctors orders…………..

What is it that gets you off the sofa?

It always amazes me how when I stretch someone- be it after exercise or a massage, how they comment on just how nice it feels.

My response is always; ”yes- and you can do it anytime you want too, isn’t that something!”

It’s true, we love to stretch, so why don’t we?

I attended a Birth and Beyond evening run by LifeDesignslast Thursday as an exhibitor. It was not until I really got to talking to the expecting ladies that I really realised how unsure many of them were feeling about the effect that the pregnancy would have on them both physically and mentally. It also dawned on me just how much I can help in both aspects.

Physically, massage reduces chance of stretch marks, makes the muscles more flexible and able to stretch in labour, thus aiding the recovery process and limiting the muscle damage done. personal training helps limit the loss of muscle tone during the pregnancy and keep the overall health and fitness of the individual to again aid recovery afterwards. Nutritional advice works to optimise the diet during pregnancy to ensure the baby is being provided with the best possible chance of a healthy start, and lessen the problem of gaining ‘baby fat’ for the mother.

Mentally, massage relaxes the body and mind, exercise releases happy hormones and good nutrition helps you stay above stress. All three keep you bodies energy levels high and lower the chance of post natal depression.

Pregnancy must be pretty terrifying for the first time mother, so it must be good to know that there is help put there!!