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!!

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.

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?

Eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression, research suggests.

What is more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression, the University College London team found.

So data is proving that what you eat really can effect who you are, how you feel and your attitude to life in general…..

Seems it may be worth having a look at your diet when you are feeling low? But how easy is it to be motivated to change when you are feeling down? Most people are aware that when thry feel low the best thing to do would be to get up and out- do some exercise and eat good food, but it is just the will and ability to do it that is lacking….

This is where consulting a professional to make you change is the key.

How is your diet effecting your mentality?

I have many clients who admit that they have put up with pain for a long time, mainly because they were uncomfortable with asking for help.

This happens in all the fields in which I specialise, people who know that they have a dietary issue but carry on regardless, letting the effects worsen and letting their physical and mental health suffer as a result. People suffering back, shoulder, neck or any other muscular pain who are continuing in their daily lives without seeking pain elimination. Not only do they suffer physically for this, but mentally too. Pain can be very tiring and draining and can make sufferers irritable, short tempered and hard to be around. Others who can see themselves getting progressively out of shape but lack the motivation to change their lifestyle, again the obvious physical affects, but also the mental depression and resulting lack of energy effects the social life.

Its usually as simple to solve as asking for help………..so ask!

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!!