Sands Personal Training

My fitness push is already under threat for at least 2 reasons. It is suddenly SO hot here, AND as a consequence of the fact that most Spaniards (women anyway) aren’t that interested in going to the gym in July, most of the classes seems to have stopped for the month.

I’m not giving up but am definitely going to have to get up earlier and get my fitness stuff done before the sun hits full strength. Evenings are an option, but it depends how hot I have been during the day as to whether I can take any more. I’ve also always believed that if it is important to you to get something done, it’s a good idea to make sure you get it done first.

SO today having had phone calls to make first thing my fitness training will probably take a back seat, as I am already too hot just sitting at my desk, but as I am aching a little from yesterday, this is not too bad.

Interesting class at the gym this am as our usual instructor was mysteriously absent. I think most people find it a little off-putting when they pitch up expecting a particular workout and end up having to do something slightly different. It was still a tonificacion class, but each instructor’s interpretation of toning is unique. I wasn’t hugely impressed when she asked us to put out steps, as I have never liked choreographed classes and step happens to be one of my pet hates! However at this gym they mainly use the step to add a little more resistance and the moves tend to stay pretty basic. Today however a few more complicated steps did appear, not a lot but just enough to wind me up!

My advice if you dislike step as much as I do is to stay focused on what you are trying to achieve and not worry if you can’t do the complicated stuff. I stick with the most basic steps and don’t take on board the progressions. Whilst the class spins and twirls I stay at the start of the routine and wait for them to come back and re-join me. Ok so lots of people still love step, but I have been to too many classes where over half the attendees spend most of the time virtually standing still and frowning because they can’t work out what they are supposed to be doing next.

The whole point of any exercise class is to keep moving, SO never be afraid to do your own thing a little, as long as you feel you are getting something out of it. Amusingly this am after we had done most of the class, the instructor actually advised the women who were struggling with the steps to do what I had been doing all along … keeping it basic!

A good friend of mine in the UK, who was into alternative therapies and therefore slightly more in tune with the spiritual side of things, always used to say that in life it is very important to listen to your body. Sometimes I know that with exercise my body IS actually just feeling lazy, but at all times when you REALLY don’t feel like that workout it is important to listen, and at all times being realistic helps.

Last night was San Juan in Spain, the big mid summer festival, when everyone sets up BBQs and bonfires on the beach, and at 12am they all rush into the water. Consequently I was never going to get to my pilates class this am (if there even was one), as I was up til after 3am.

On days like this it is good to relax or to just scale down what you were intending to do. A walk is much better than nothing at all. I also have to remember this when it is too windy here to run; whilst it is tempting to do nothing, a speed walk along the beach against the wind is definitely a good alternative. For me my walk today was not so fast or against wind but was along the beach, was several miles and the last bit was uphill, and I got it done early at 2am!

I guess we are lucky here in Spain, having such great weather most of the year, as from a fitness point of view it gives us so many more options. We can run in sunshine, ride a bike, play ball on the beach, swim in the sea and pools etc.

I read an article recently that suggested the big boom in gym membership was over and people were starting to turn to other more fun sporty types of exercise. I like classes and sometimes working out in the gym, but would find it hard now to do it every day and I do like running outside and going out on my bike for a change. I have one girl friend here who used to play women’s rugby in the UK. She couldn’t get into the gym at all, being used to staying fit via competitive sport, and finally found tennis as her answer. My husband is also starting to do the same, trying to find tennis partners, and aiming to get a 5 a side football team going for the autumn.

So there are lots of ways to keep fit. Gyms aren’t for everyone. The important thing is to do something.

Sunday always feels to me a day for relaxing and chilling out, and on the basis that it is always good to have at least one day a week off from even the most rigorous exercise programme, I usually make Sunday mine. Today however as I didn’t get around to doing my stomach exercises yesterday, I will be catching up and some stretching is a good thing on any day.

Of course the one day off a week tip, only applies for people who like to train most days. 3 work-outs spaced evenly throughout the week usually works well for most people, with a little walking or other activity as well, AND remember to KEEP STRETCHING!

This morning I decided it was time I got back into my running shoes. Yesterday I managed to make the excuse to myself that any time after 8.30am was too hot in Spain in July, but today I managed to be more motivated, and headed out around 10am, fueled by a banana and with a coffee and breakfast to look forward to when I got back.

It is hot here now but as I am still building up and only aiming to do 20-25 mins, it was fine. There was even a gentle breeze and running in heat is definitely better than my memories of running on snow in the UK. Now that IS motivated!

One thing I have always done with my runs is divide them in my mind into sections, so that I achieve mini goals on route. This is particularly good on longer runs as if the whole seems a little unsurmountable I can focus on each section at a time. I used to do one 45 min run in Florida, over 20 mins of which was one long section of road. This I divided up using markers like golf cart paths and picket fences. Worth a try? … it works for me!

Having commented in a previous post about the pilates classes at my gym here in Spain being more ´dynamic´than the slightly more ‘pure’ ones in the UK, I have to say the same of the tonificacion classes as well.

I haven’t been to a gym regularly in the UK for several years now but I remember doing a 20 min aerobics session, followed by some usually stationery arm weights and then mat work. Here we seem to do everything on the move. Nothing is high impact, but the aerobics element stays up as arm and leg toning is mainly done on the move, often involving a step for extra effort.

It’s hard work but fun, and the other benefit of being here is the view of the mountains and sunshine from the window of the exercise studio!

As part of getting fitter, I’m obviously more focused on what I eat, and generally what I’m doing day to day. I’m not particularly trying to lose weight, and my diet is generally pretty good, but when I’m exercising less, I do find that a few more less healthy foods appear more in my diet; I eat more bread, drink more tea and coffee, and get more tempted by biscuits etc.

SO this week, I am starting to be more careful again without actually at this stage going for a real detox. This is again part of my gradual move towards being fitter and healthier again. Of course this is all relative, and overall I am very health conscious, with my 5+ portions of fruit and veg a day, but how you feel happy has a lot to do with how you are used to being.

I’m also trying to make my life as a whole slightly more active. As well as specific fitness regimes, it is important to look at your overall lifestyle. I am aiming to walk much more, to buy groceries etc. Modern lifestyles are far to dependent on driving around in cars, and wherever possible it’s good to walk, including up the stairs!

Yesterday, I got myself back to the gym for the first time in a couple of weeks. Following my theory of building up slowly, I had decided to do a little bit of everything. This is also more motivating at the start of a fitness plan as each bit doesn’t last too long!

I started off on the bike for 20 mins, using a programme to break up the time. Unless I’m really tired, I find that once I have set a programme going on any aerobics machine, I always tend to finish, whereas if I go for manual it seems to be easier to quit.

I then headed for the studio as a class had just finished and did some gentle arm free weights, some pilates stomach, stretches and a few lunges, before finishing off with 10 mins on the cross-trainer to cool everything down. Felt good after, and this am I can feel that I have worked out, but nothing is hurting.

Overall a good start.

I love the fact that fitness trends are similar the world over. I got really into pilates about 10 years ago in the UK and have incorporated it into some of my personal training sessions. I try and use the techniques whenever I am doing particularly stomach work at home, but it is always fun to join in with a class and enjoy the camaraderie of working hard together.

I was therefore really pleased that my new gym here in Spain runs pilates classes 2 mornings a week. Having trained the ‘body control pilates’ way, these Spanish classes are not to me ‘pure’ pilates, and there is less time spent ensuring everyone is using the right technique, but I actually prefer them as they are more ‘dynamic’ than those I was used to; we seem to get through a lot more exercises and overall work harder. However technique is vital with pilates so if anyone is new to it, unless their class is ‘body control’ or similar and there is lots of individual attention, I suggest a few personal sessions at the beginning to ensure you are getting the real benefit.

I would recommend pilates to anyone as a great compliment to aerobic exercise. It’s focus is on strengthening the core muscles and ensuring with each exercise that you are using the right muscle. I also feel better after the stretching involved, which as a natural fidget is something I’m not always great at doing myself, hence the benefit of occasional classes.

It seems an age since I last posted on this blog! Life has been busy with other work and other interests, and I seem to have been doing very little personal training and actually not so much fitness training myself. This has happened at various stages of my life, but at these times I try to maintain at least a base level of fitness to build on when I have more time and focus again.

Now I’m looking to up my level of fitness over the summer, with a combination of running, pilates and some gym work. However I am going to be realistic about timescales and patient, an approach that I try and pass on to all my clients. Boot camp approaches may get quick results for the young, but for those of us who are a little older and wiser, being realistic about the amount of punishment our bodies can take is a good start to any training plan. I’m going for a slow build-up of all activities.

At the moment my run is a very civilised 20 minutes along the beach and only twice a week. I’m going to increase the number of runs first before the distance and get used to running before breakfast as, with the summer heat building, this is now the best time for me to get out. Today is not a great start in that respect as I woke up to to very windy weather , but I will try for this evening instead and I will be definitely be doing some pilates stretching and stomach exercises later.

Iron Out the Kinks

Really good advice and suggestions

The Best Exercise You’re Not Doing

Give it a try - I challenge you!!!

Dieting does not work, researchers report

Well worth a read!!!

Top 10 Detox Foods

IF you must detox - remember though, the body is designed to get rid of toxins pretty efficiently!

When Foods Make You Feel Bad

No foods are taboo, even fried chicken. It’s how much you eat that affects your mood.

The top foods for fighting cholesterol

According to the American Heart Association: ‘You can reduce cholesterol in your blood by eating healthful foods, losing weight if you need to and exercising.’ What follows is a listing of the most potent foods to add to your diet if you want to fight high cholesterol and drive your levels down using your diet as a primary tool.
Included on this list are shiitake mushrooms, walnuts, and dark green leafy vegetables. Obviously, cholesterol levels involve a lot more than what you put in your mouth; but this list is a good start on getting them down to healthy levels. — Wendy Boswell

Fortune Lost On Exercise

Fitness fanatics have caused £125m worth of breakages around the home in the past five years, according to a study.

Research by Halifax Home Insurance identified a quarter of a million British ‘wrecksercisers’ - people who damage property and possessions while working out at home.

Their mishaps included dropping dumbbells on a brand new Xbox digital entertainment console and destroying carpets by allowing oil to leak from a rowing machine.

One pilates enthusiast slipped and fell through a glass coffee table - resulting in a trip to A&E and the price of a new table, according to the report.

The lounge is the most popular room for a work out, with half of all fitness fanatics risking damage to settee”

Just how said is it that we have got to this?

Fat Surgery On NHS For Obese Children: “Overweight children could be offered weight loss surgery to help them slim down, it has been proposed.”

(Via Sky News.)

Got to exercise and eat a balanced healthy diet!

Dieters do calories, not exercise: “People are giving up burning calories for just consuming fewer of them, research suggests.”

(Via BBC News.)

Wow, looks like I have a lot of running to do already!!

18 minutes of exercise required to burn off one cookie: “Oh, those holiday pitfalls: a martini and a handful of Chex mix at the office party, Grandma’s fruitcake, the plate of gingerbread cookies from your neighbor.”

(Via digg / Health.)

Easier said than done, but some good advice.

10 Steps to Becoming Stress Free: “Bertha snapped at Ted because he did not wash out his coffee mug. Bob yelled at Lisa for not putting paper in the copy machine. Darcy left a nasty note in the ladies room explaining to all the women the proper way to replace toilet paper after finishing a roll. Sound familiar? Ten steps to becoming stress free”

(Via digg / Health.)

Not as “perfect” as one would imagine, and I tempted to say “only in America!”

The Perfect Human

DEAN KARNAZES WAS SLOBBERING DRUNK. IT WAS HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY, and he’d started with beer and moved on to tequila shots at a bar near his home in San Francisco. Now, after midnight, an attractive young woman - not his wife - was hitting on him. This was not the life he’d imagined for himself. He was a corporate hack desperately running the rat race. The company had just bought him a new Lexus. He wanted to vomit. Karnazes resisted the urge and, instead, sli”

(Via .)

Possibly a little late for most of us, but some sensible all year round advice anyway.

12 ideas to keep off holiday pounds

Three French pastries … two turtle cheesecakes … and a partridge in a pear sauce.

The Twelve Days of Christmas bring holiday foods meant to be enjoyed, but no one wants a weight problem when the merriment ends.

Food psychologist Brian Wansink has spent many of his own days researching how these problems occur. His new book, ‘Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,’ explores the unconscious cues that make us feast as we do, and how we can keep them from manipulating us.

Nearly all of his suggestions are based on published results of scientific studies he has conducted as director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab.

So this is probably a little OTT but I have to say I pretty much agree with it all. I am huge fan of being fit, but I have very little time for gyms as I think they are basically a waste of money.

Spend your money on a personal trainer and some targeted classes, but stay well clear of those monthly membership payments!!

10 Things Your Fitness Club Won’t Tell You:

Not that I would advocate drinking in excess at all BUT if you do just happen to have one or two to many these seems like a good tip.

What’s The Ideal Hangover Cure?: “Toast and honey is the ideal New Year’s Day hangover cure, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry. Honey, or alternatively golden syrup, provides the body with the essential sodium, potassium and fructose it needs after a night out, experts said.”

(Via Sky News.)

As lists go, this is a pretty good one. In fact I would say that it is excellent advice. Naturally you need to sustain a good level of exercise at the same time though.

New Year’s weight loss hacks: “

The results from our New Year’s resolution poll are in: almost one third of you are looking to lose weight and get more fit in ‘07.

Since it’s January 2nd and we’re all sadly munching on our carrot sticks after a week of holiday gluttony, today’s a good time to run down some of the best weight loss tricks we’ve gathered here at Lifehacker. Step into my office - and bring your carrot sticks - for a few tips on how to make your New Year’s pound-shedding a bit easier.

While I’ve been up and down the scale myself, I’m no doctor, and you should consult with one before taking anyone’s health and nutrition advice. That said, here are some small changes that could make a big difference on your waistline:

Trick yourself into moving a bit more than you did before. Walk instead of drive. If you drive, park on the far side of the lot. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Go to the water cooler upstairs instead of on your floor. You a gamer? Treat yourself to some Dance Dance Revolution, or plan to get yourself a Wii and work up a sweat while you’re gaming.

Help yourself eat small portions. When you get that humungous portion at the restaurant, before you take a bite, cut it in half and put one aside to doggie bag. If you’re cooking at home, put away the leftovers before you sit down to eat to avoid picking out of the pans after you’re done. Drink lots of water to fill yourself up. Portion out things like chips and candy into small grabbable one-portion baggies as soon as you get home from the grocery store. Use smaller plates, or a kid’s plate.

Hide the temptations. You don’t have to ban cookies and sweets from your kitchen entirely, just put them out of sight, like on the top shelf of the tallest cabinet.

Keep healthy stuff readily available. Put fruit on display in the kitchen. Keep a few energy bars or low-fat crackers in your desk drawer at work to avoid visiting the vending machine.

Eat before you get so hungry you’ll make bad choices. If you forget to eat breakfast, by the time lunchtime rolls around you’re starving, light-headed, cranky, and ready to chow down on the fastest, most convenient thing - like fast food. Keep healthy munchies around so you’re never so hungry you’ll make bad choices. Along the same lines, don’t go to the grocery store hungry.

Enlist friends and family members’ help and support. Trying to lose weight is nothing to be ashamed of, and you’re more likely to make good choices if you’re with people who know you’re looking to improve your diet and exercise. Tell your family, friends and coworkers so that they don’t pressure you into getting a margarita when you order a seltzer with lime. A partner to exercise with or compare progress with helps too.

Write it down. The golden rule of lifehackers works for New Year’s resolvers, too: write down your progress. Keep a food diary. Log your progress automatically in an Excel spreadsheet. Keep yourself accountable. No time to haul around a food diary? Snap cameraphone pics of every single thing you put into your mouth in a day, and tally it all up at night.

Don’t ban your favorite foods for life. Let’s be honest: food is life. Don’t deprive yourself of your favorite chocolate-covered pretzels forever and ever. What’s a life without chocolate, anyway? Moderation is key. Give yourself a day of treats once a week, or every 5 pounds you lose. Remember, if you have to earn it, it tastes even better when you do.

Surround yourself with motivating images. Cheesy as it is, I love watching The Biggest Loser, because it’s so inspiring. A triathlete friend of mine buys a stack of fitness magazines and covers her wall with photos of hot, ripped bodies cut out of them when she’s in training. Hell, I went to go see Rocky Balboa this weekend and it had me wanting to run a few miles. Make fitness and healthy eating a way of life, and surround yourself with media that reinforces your efforts.

If you’re looking for some light - and free - diet reading, be sure to check out The Hacker’s Diet e-book. Also, our recent Ask the readers: Best weight loss secrets? post has a comments thread filled with reader tips. I’m off to refill my water bottle. How are the New Year’s weight loss resolutions going? Let us know in the comments. —’Gina’Trapani

“

(Via Lifehacker.)

I like a smoothie. I am not a big fan of any type of fruit, so I find a smoothie a good way to force a couple of portions down each day.

Free Smoothie Recipes: ”

I totally buy into this. Not only am I anti Gyms, but I really pro a more natural way of getting fitter.

Telegraph | Health | Gym’ll fix it? Get out of here

Interesting article. How many of the 14 are in your regular diet? I can honestly say 10-12 depending on if Pumpkin Seeds count, and if chicken is a good substitute for Turkey. Blueberries and Soy don’t make my list at all though.

‘Superfoods’ Everyone Needs: ”