Your exercise tip – Are you varying what you do?
The body thrives on challenges and exercise in a way that allows adaptation, growth and strengthening, with the ultimate aim being to keep healthy and disease resistant for as long as possible. But what if we just complete the same old things week in and week out?
To strengthen the mind, we use puzzles and games, reading and gaining knowledge and the interaction and conversation with others. The body is very much the same. Using multiple forms of exercise will allow it to learn new movements or enhance old ones, gain the ability to recruit muscles in a capacity to complete tasks or challenges, working efficiently as one unit. In our day to day life, this will give us the capacity to handle most activities, leading to a better quality of life.
Variety is the key. Without that our body will stagnate and become susceptible to all kinds of health issues.
Your health tip – Who are you buying your health from?
In the health and fitness industry today, we can use all ranges of professionals that advertise, talk, write or social mediatise, that they can solve our problems – no problems. The question to ask is ‘Who are your buying your health from?’
There are many examples of people selling supplements, shakes and nutrition packages to help you achieve your fitness goals, but who are they? If someone is selling you a nutrition package, a supplement deal or a shake plan, are they a qualified dietitian? If someone is setting you a fitness program, are they a qualified personal trainer or exercise physiologist? Are they registered with the relevant industry governing body?
There will always be someone to sell you something that will solve your problems. It is worth knowing who they are.
Exercise of the week
This week we are covering a basic leg muscle strengthening exercise called the squat hold. This is a simple way of strengthening the leg muscles, particularly if you have issues with your knees. The tips are:
- Start with your feet shoulder width apart and facing forwards.
- Try and keep they eyes up and the shoulders back, not dropping forwards.
- Breathe and try to relax through the entire time.
- Start with 30 seconds and build from there.
Your life tip
Sit and enjoy a five-minute solitude occasionally – it is always a great time out.
This week’s wise words
“Try something that you have not done three times. Once to get over the fear or nervousness, twice to try and master it and the third time to figure out if you like it or not.”
Unknown
Have a great week and keep healthy in 2016. David.