83f12244

But you do have a home...

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:45:45 GMT

Time for some exercise: you don't have the time!!

But you do have a home...

What on earth does that have to do with training?

Walking around Westminster, sometimes there is just one tent up on the street, sometimes there are more. Sometimes, we'd rather not look. In fact most of the time...

We don't know - should we give money, should we not? Homelessness is a problem in Modern Britain: If nothing changes, in 2023, 300,000 households could face the worst forms of homelessness.*

Again, what has that got to do with training? For me (and now you) hopefully quite a lot.

My gym is on top of a resource centre serving the homeless community. I pay a monthly fee for the space, which goes to supporting the charity. During my many years of being a PT, and working in the fitness industry so much lip service about how we need to make fitness accessible and that there is no mental health without physical health etc. etc. but nothing is actually done to solve this problem.

At the beginning of the year, I started a fitness intervention for some of the most vulnerable people - those experiencing homelessness. The classes are simple, yet challenging and have been the most attended class the charity has ever had. From my point of view, over the past 10 weeks, I can say they have been some of the hardest-working individuals I have ever trained. There are some enormous health issues that we have to work with. Clothing problems and every reason not to train. But the chance to be in a group environment, move and sweat (as I am sure many of you have felt) is a uniting and brilliant feeling. I don't need to tell you all the science of why it makes us feel good. We already know. But I sometimes find myself not wanting to train, finding it boring, and treating it like I chore. I've found that little reminders of how much of a privilege of going to the gym/training/playing sport is, it gives me back that sense of joy and desire to train. So next time you are dreading your workout. Have a little think of how lucky you are not to just go to the gym, but to have a home to go back to!

The sessions mentioned above are now being opened up to the residents and those that work in the area. If you want to get involved and join in click here and book on: Every Friday 1:30pm. Victoria. (Bear Fitness Gym).

https://bear-fitness-ltd.uk1.cliniko.com/bookings?business_id=706247415669200118&practitioner_id=706247410275324999&appointment_type_id=792487911806211363

*From the @crisis website: By the end of 2021, 227,000 households across Britain were experiencing core homelessness. (Source: Heriot Watt University research). If nothing changes, in 2023, 300,000 households could face the worst forms of homelessness. (Source: The Homelessness Monitor Great Britain, 2022)

Plantar Fasciitis PF

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 13:45:07 GMT

Plantar Fasciitis (PF) is something I learnt about at university – not in a lecture, but on the rugby pitch.

This nasty character snuck up on me, and before I knew it not only could I not partake in all the various sports I had come to know and love, but I also couldn't carry out normal tasks required for everyday life – including walking to lectures and going out. Naturally I was straight onto Google, and nursed my injury by rolling iced bottles and golf balls under my foot, stretching – basically anything and everything that might help. The time it took for this particular injury to disappear was just too long for my liking, but it seemed to disappear quite as quickly and unexpectedly as it came on!

From the moment it went away to the moment the pain struck again, I can honestly say I didn’t give it a second thought (apart from when I occasionally caught sight of my rather extensive collection of gel heel-cushions). I then entered London Marathon and threw myself into running and training. It was now that the beast of PF reared its ugly head once more – but this time it brought a friend: Achilles Tendonitis. Joy. I spent hundreds of pounds on physiotherapy, rolled everything on the sole of my foot I could think of, and prayed to the gods of sport for mercy – but perhaps I had offended them at some point, as I was blessed with no respite from the pain. Long story short: I taped myself up to the max and ran the marathon – in some discomfort. But hey ho, we are all a bit more reckless when we are young.

Up until recently this unforgettable (or so it seemed at the time!) escapade had again become a distant memory. But I woke one morning last week to a horribly familiar pain on the base on my foot. This time, though, I went about things a bit differently: I decided I would use my own brain. Crazy, I hear you say! So as well as heeding previous medical advice I went on the offensive against PF. And thankfully I can safely say that I won. I rehabbed my socks off. It was such a revelation and I am actually really rather impressed with myself.

Now, enough gloating – I want to let you all know how I heeled (cheeky pun – misspelling intended, don’t worry!) myself:

Weighted Heel Drops (10kg) x 10 reps each leg – Using both feet to push you on to your toes but only one foot when lowering yourself. These are worth their weight in gold, better than any stretching and/or strengthening exercise I’ve done for PF.
Foam Roller every single bit of your lower limbs needs to be rolled, paying particular attention to the lateral/outside part of the legs.
Taping (Click for Video) I used a standard PF taping technique as well as a couple of bracing pieces for the Achilles .
Hip raise working for 45 seconds on each leg, with no rest in-between.
Jane Fonda Leg Raises x 20 reps each leg.

And there you have it! I did this twice a day for 5 days and was hopping and skipping with no problems by the end of it.

The most CRUCIAL thing to remember: don't run when you have PF – burying your head in the sand will only make it worse!

Yay or Nay to Curved Treadmills

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 19:58:53 GMT

It’s raining all week, for some of you, that may mean time for an indoor run.

But have you ever wondered what the difference is between a curved treadmill, and a flat 'normal treadmill'? Well, luckily I've just the answer for you.

Firstly, what is a curved treadmill, and how does it work?

A curved treadmill is a non-motorized, self-powered treadmill that has a concave shape (hence the name!). This U-shape style is designed to be more ergonomic and is promoted to help reduce joint stress while feeling more natural, compared to a standard flat non-motorized treadmill. The design of the treadmill promotes/enables the point of contact from the foot to the treadmill to be ahead of the centre of mass. This makes the experience of running on a curved treadmill significantly different from that of running on a non-motorized treadmill or running on the ground.

The belt of the treadmill is made up of slats, rather than a continuous piece, as you speed up your running pace, the belt will start moving faster in return. So, how fast you want to run is entirely up to you at any given moment while using a curved treadmill by adjusting your speed and stride.

However, you’ll quickly find that it’s easy to get moving FAST on it, which is why it’s not ideal for everyone.

Benefits of the Curved Treadmill:

Engages More Muscles

Curved treadmills tend to engage more muscle groups due to the propelling technique that’s required to move the belt forward.

They’re particularly good at engaging the posterior chain muscles, that is the glutes, hamstrings, and calves.

Increases Calorie Burn

A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport shows that runners work about 30 per cent harder on the curved, non-motorized running surface of a curved treadmill, which also leads to more calories being burned.

If you ignore that they are usually running for a much shorter time than on a regular treadmill, which then means they have burned fewer calories overall.

Useful for Sprint Intervals

These are meant to be used for sprint intervals and can be useful when doing tempo runs or training where you need to adjust your pace.

Improves Your Running Gait

Runners tend to stand up straighter and take shorter steps for better form while running on a curved treadmill.

Studies back this by showing that it results in significant changes to your gait characteristics, that is your step length, stride length, and stride angle.

More Eco-Friendly

Since they are self-propelling and non-motorized, no electricity is needed! There are no power cords with these due to their completely manual nature.

So you can set these up anywhere without having to worry about a power outlet. It’ll help to save up on your energy bill and also be eco-friendly in the process.

Minus the fact that they still need to be manufactured and delivered…

Other Claimed Benefits

Other benefits are routinely mentioned when talking about curved treadmills:

Potential for less joint impact – although it’s meant to be easier on the joints, I’ve been unable to find any data or studies to back this.
No routine maintenance is required – but let’s be honest, how many of you do anything to your regular treadmill anyway?
They’re sometimes considered safer than regular treadmills – I think this is debatable as there’s a learning curve (no pun intended) to controlling your speed. You can’t just hit a stop button, you have to physically stop your body.
Claims to last longer than a traditional treadmill

Drawbacks of Using a Curved Treadmill

With that being said, there are certain cons to using (and buying) a curved treadmill that you need to know:

❌More Expensive

They tend to be a lot more expensive than traditional treadmills. Though it would seem with fewer parts they should be less expensive than a motorized treadmill, you’ll find many are 2 to 4 times the cost. It’s like a bikini, why does so little cost extra?

In this case, it’s largely because they are still new and not mainstream.

Thus this cost hasn’t yet been driven down.

❌Difficult to Control Your Pace

While some might argue that you can control your pace better on a curved treadmill, the reality is different. It’s hard to learn to control your pacing and as I mentioned above, there is a learning curve to them. (Excuse the pun)

You will also have to change your pace goals due to the higher effort – which leads me to my next point.

❌Not Meant for Distance Runners

While curved treadmills are great for sprint intervals, they’re not meant for distance runners. They’re not designed with marathoners in mind when it comes to long runs. Distance running is about your mind, as well as your body. You can’t just get into the zone and run with these. They require you to stay alert and aware while using them.

They’re not a treadmill I would advise the average runner to use for distances above 1.5/2 miles. It’s designed for those doing classes or interval-style workouts, faster or elite runners.

❌ Potential Injury Risk

With the change in running gait from the curved treadmill increased stress is placed on the posterior chain. This can lead to a higher number of injuries to the calves/hammys. Particularly if you don't do a lot of strength/interval training. From my anecdotal experience users of a curved treadmill run in a style where the feet are striking the ground more narrowly (looking like they are running on a tightrope). When these runners then move back into outdoor running where they need to change direction etc. it can lead to more ankle rolls/knee injuries.

So, what is the verdict:

A fantastic tool for intervals. Cannot fault it there. A great bit of kit to utilise on top of your normal run training. But if you are trying to build an endurance base. Stick to the great outdoors.

See you out there people ��‍♀️

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 18:23:47 GMT

Why your ‘weight loss journey’ is more like a weight loss traffic jam

You go to workout classes, work hard in the gym and even make time to nip out for a run on a weekly basis — but you still see no change on the scales, or in how you look , or how your clothes feel. One of the reasons for this is because exercise alone is an inefficient way of losing weight and changing how your body looks.

According to an exercise list from Harvard Medical School, a general 30-minute strength training session burns an average of 90 calories (180 calories per hour) for a 125-pound person and 133 calories (266 calories per hour) for a 185-pound person, while a 30 minute run at 10kmph will burn an average of 240 calories for a 125-pound person and 255 calories for a 185-pound person. As you can see a 125-pound person will burn far fewer calories than a 185-pound person, so remember a workout for one person is not the same 'calorie burn' as it is for another.

Keep these numbers in mind, as it is quite common among gym-goers to overestimate the number of calories burnt in a session. This is where goals of weight loss and changes in body composition start to fall flat. Remember if you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight, it doesn’t matter how much time you spend on the treadmill or how many squats you complete.

Now onto behaviours you might recognise: on your break from the office you decide to nip to Pret and pick up a coffee - flat white (80kcal) or skinny (54kcal) - and a bar from the range they have (Love Bar: 470kcal: Choc Bar: 380kcal: Popcorn Bar: 173kcal: Fudge Bar: 100kcal). On this trip, you will consume a minimum of 154kcal to a maximum of 550kcals on your ‘quick snack’. Looking back at the number of calories we burn during the average 30-minute workout you start to see that you’d consume more than the upper limit without really noticing it and begin an uphill struggle to balance out the figures.

However, I am not here to talk all things calories. There are a number of studies that highlight how important exercise is. A recent study compared sedentary individuals to those who were physically active. Those participants who were active significantly reduced ‘all-cause mortality rates over their sedentary counterparts’ and the study even highlighted the sports that were classed as the healthiest (cycling, aerobics, swimming, racquet sports) and for cardiovascular disease (aerobic sports, swimming, racquet sports). One point to note is that the majority of participants maintained their BMI — showing that as much as exercise has all kinds of health benefits, body composition does not seem to be one of them when calories in and calories out are maintained and equal. Ultimately weight loss will not occur without a calorie deficit, exercise alone isn’t enough.

Interoception

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:25:04 GMT

The body is not separate from the mind. We all know this.

Think about that sick feeling you get in your stomach before a big meeting or event, or your heart beating faster when you see that guy, gal, or piece of cake you like the look of. Emotional events begin with non-conscious somatic markers (sounds fancy, right?). We know this, but being in tune with this internal conversation is not as easy as you think. So much so that there is a technical term for this skill- interoception. You can think of this as the ability to perceive, but internally.

Interoception includes all the signals from your internal organs, including your cardiovascular system, your gut, your bladder and your kidneys. There is constant communication between your internal organs, the brain and viscera.

Let's give it a go: if you have a device that reads your heart rate, begin a one min test counting your pulse (without touching yourself (no not that.. ;) just close your eyes and see if you can count the beats) does it matches the reading from your device? Typically people miss at least 15 beats.

People diagnosed with mental illness show poorer interoceptive awareness. This is described as “depersonalisation” and dissociation. Interoception helps us to form our most basic sense of self.

There is not a shortage of information discussing the benefits of exercise. But interoception can help us to understand why certain exercise protocols make us feel good. For one thing, regular workouts change the nature of the signals that your brain receives. But if you are deconditioned from a lack of exercise you are more likely to experience symptoms you might associate with anxiety. However, as you get fitter you become more adept at dealing with strain & become more emotionally resilient.

So after training, you feel that you can cope and may feel more in control of your life. Interoceptive feedback from your muscles can tell you something unconsciously about what you can achieve in the world. So go out there and get it!

Imagine

sarah.ryder4@gmail.com (Sarah Ryder) — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 23:50:23 GMT

Do you day dream about the gym? If so, you may be using it to your advantage.

By doing motor imagery training - you may actually be able to improve your strength progress over time.

Study: ‘Ain’t just Imagination! Effects of Motor Imagery Training on Strength and Power Performance of Athletes during Detraining.

If you want to read the study in full give it a search on Pubmed.

But here is a little summary :

The aim of the study is to understand if Motor Imagery can improve your strength. Firstly, what is Motor imagery? Motor imagery essentially involves imagining yourself performing a physical task, with as much intensity, clarity, and detail as you can muster. You may have heard a sports coach refer to motor imagery practice as “visualization.” Motor imagery training is most often used in concert with physical practice to improve technical skills (e.g. shooting free throws, mastering a golf swing, learning a new gymnastics trick, etc.), and it’s gotten a lot of research attention for its potential applications for stroke rehab, but for us.. it has been shown to improve strength.

That is the result of this current study....

The athletes who imagined they were performing their sets and reps became stronger. Showing, as always, how powerful the mind can be. Seems pretty obvious but how often do we try and harness the mind.

So to quote some guy.. If you think… therefore you are? .. Or something like that.? Right? #Cogitoergosum

83f12244

But you do have a home...

Time for some exercise: you don't have the time!!

Plantar Fasciitis PF

Yay or Nay to Curved Treadmills

Why your ‘weight loss journey’ is more like a weight loss traffic jam

﻿

Interoception

The body is not separate from the mind. We all know this. ﻿

Imagine

The body is not separate from the mind. We all know this.