Tag: fitnesstip

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Finding time to workout

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Finding time to workout 🏃🏼‍♀️

I understand being busy – and I understand how it can feel like you barely have time to eat and sleep let alone workout but we’re rarely actually as busy as we think we are and you can probably find time to workout – you just need to be a bit creative! You won’t regret it.

Here’s some ideas.

# 1 Something is better nothing

5-10 mins while you’re waiting for dinner to cook, or between chores etc is enough – so a few mins skipping, some squats, jump jacks, push ups? Or do a mini circuit as you get out of bed in the morning? Push ups, squats, lunges, sit ups – done!

# 2 Social media time

I bet you spend at least 20 mins on social media a day? And much of that is mindless scrolling. Replace that time with a short workout instead.

# 3 Work it in to your day

Just ramp up your daily activities – walk instead of driving, speed walk instead of ambling, dance while you clean the house, take the stairs instead of the lift, do a few squats while you’re on the phone, march up and down while you brush your teeth..

# 4 Use your break time

Studies have shown you’re most effective when you focus intensely for 25 mins and then take a 5 min break. So in that break take a walk around the halls or a quick one outside if you can. In your lunch break take a slightly longer walk if possible.

# 5 Analyse your time

If you really can’t use any of these tips then make a detailed, honest, log of your time for an average week. Is there anywhere you could be more efficient or something you could cut or do differently to enable you to make some time to get active? This is a great exercise anyway to make your life a happier, healthier and more balanced one.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: The Spot Reduction Myth

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: The Spot Reduction Myth 🔍

A common thing I hear from people is that they want to lose fat from one particular area, usually stomach, thighs, butt or arms. Often they’re trying to achieve this by focusing on that area; so if it’s belly fat – lots of ab exercises, thighs – squats, lunges, hip abductor machines etc, arms – loads of bicep and tricep work etc.

There’s just one problem: it’s impossible to target fat loss! Spot reduction (i.e. losing fat from specific areas) is a myth. You can’t magically lose fat from a specific body part just by doing exercises on that area. Our bodies can only lose fat from the entire body as a whole and where it comes off first is down to genetics and can’t be changed. Some people lose fat first from their thighs, others from their belly etc. No workout or exercise, or magic slimming drink can change this.

What does happen is that the muscles underneath get worked and get stronger, so when you do lose fat from that area you will look muscular/toned/ shapely etc. So ab exercises will target your abdominal muscles, but not the fat that sits above them. Studies in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning research” and “Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport” confirm this. They had participants doing ab exercises and found no effect on abdominal fat. Another study on professional tennis players looked at the impact on fat of the extra use of one arm and found no difference between the playing and non-playing arm.

So if you can’t spot reduce fat what do you do? You lose fat from your whole body! At some point the fat will also come off from the body part you wanted to lose fat from in the first place. Sadly you can’t influence when that happens. How do you lose body fat? By eating fewer calories or burning more calories (or a combo of the two) – all you need is a calorie deficit and you will lose fat. So you can stop those hundreds of sit-ups and focus on the food side of the equation instead!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Top weight-loss foods

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Top weight-loss foods 🥗

Sadly there’s no such thing as magic food that makes you lose fat or weight! Only one thing achieves this – a calorie deficit ie eating less than you burn. But there are still things you should be eating. They won’t cause fat loss, but will improve your chances of success.

#1 Protein

After total calories, protein is the next most important thing to help fat loss. Why? Because it helps you feel full which means you’re less likely to over eat. It also helps preserve and repair muscle, important when working out. It has the highest thermic effect (ie you burn more calories digesting it than other nutrients – though the difference is small). Aim for 1g protein per pound of target body weight and spread it across your meals – from any source. BUT don’t sacrifice total calories to hit your protein goal – if you go over your daily calories to get your total protein goal you won’t lose fat.

#2 Fibre

Fibre is also vital to help you feel full. It forms the bulk in food – high volume, low calories – so a large portion of veg (fibre)with your meal will make you feel fuller than the same amount of calories with little fibre. It also helps to stabilise blood sugar levels by slowing digestion meaning you’re less likely to get that blood sugar crash and desire to eat more. Aim for 10 – 17g fibre per pound of target weight a day, and spread it across your meals. High fibre foods include whole vegetables and fruits (not juice), beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds etc.

# 3 food you enjoy

Most important – eat foods you like!

Don’t force yourself to eat foods you hate  or are a pain to prepare – you won’t stick to it and it will only lead to failure. That doesn’t mean go and live off junk food, but if you hate broccoli don’t eat it, choose veg you prefer instead; really dislike brown rice? then eat white rice instead; not a porridge person? go for a different nutrient dense carb source. As long as your total calories are what you need each day it will make zero difference to your fat loss. But it will make a big difference to your enjoyment and likelihood of success!

Happy Tuesday! 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Getting back on track

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Getting back on track 🙌🏼

We all gain weight sometimes and at this time of year, with Summer approaching, it can really get you down and make weight loss seem overwhelming. Here are a few tips to get you back on track.

# Do something

Stop saying “I’ll start tomorrow” you never will! So start small and start today. If it’s exercise that’s slipped then just commit to 5 mins of something – whatever it is, once you do 5 mins, it’s easier to do 10, 15 maybe even 20 mins. Same goes for food –  start with something small – cutting out post dinner chocolate, only having 1 glass of wine, watching your portion size. Small steps quickly equal big leaps.

# Ditch the guilt

It’s natural to feel guilty, embarrassed , even ashamed if you’ve regained weight. But everyone gains sometimes – Beating yourself up over that chocolate bar won’t help, so instead focus your energy on how you’ll make sure your next meal is healthier. Strive for progress, not perfection.

# Plan to succeed

Meal planning is helpful to prevent you reaching for easy, not so good, options. It doesn’t need to be a highly detailed plan – just decide on main meals for the next few days/week and have a list of snack options. Write it out and put it somewhere visible (like the fridge)

# Friends

Tell your friends what you’re doing and ask for their support. You could even suggest doing a challenge together. Also get your family on side and ask them to hide their junk food or better yet not bring it in the house. Sometimes it just helps to have someone to vent to.

# Ask for help

Whether it’s from the dr, a nutritionist or a PT it can help to have someone to hold you accountable. A professional can help unpack why you may have gained the weight and what you can do to make a change that sticks. If you’re coming back from injury then speak to a physio to learn what exercises you may have to modify or avoid long term. I often work closely with clients’ physios to design safe and effective programs for them.

Weight gain happens and weight loss is hard work, so if you’re struggling don’t give up or feel defeated, we all feel like this and you’re not alone.

Happy Tuesday 🤗 xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Coffee-free boost

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Coffee-free boost ☕️

Coffee – the go to pick me up eh? how many cups are you drinking a day – 1,2,5, more? Does it matter? Isn’t caffeine good for you? Yes in small amounts. It stimulates adrenaline production, hence the energy boost, increases heart rate and blood sugar levels. But this is an acute stress response – not something you want to put your body through several times a day! If you want to reduce your caffeine intake here are some tips to give you a caffeine-free boost!

# Cold shower

Ensure your morning shower isn’t too warm – the colder the better. It gets your blood pumping, wakes you up and strengthens your immune system. It’s best to cycle the temperature – start warm and gradually lower the temperature, rinse your legs, arms, then rest of the body and repeat.

# Avoid big meals

Digesting big meals diverts blood to your digestive system, which means less oxygen to the brain and tiredness. If you’re prone to that post-lunch slump then try smaller high fibre, low sugar, meals spread across the day for a steady supply of energy without the overload.

# Start right

Without the morning coffee what should you drink? Try a big glass of water as soon as you get up and continue to drink all day. Try Ice and lemon or cucumber to give you an extra boost.

# Inhale essential oils

Dabbing lemon or peppermint essential oil on your clothing or having a sniff of the bottle will give you a boost! Ensure you’re buying good quality therapeutic essential oils and apply to clothing rather than to your skin.

# Work out first thing

Exercise gives your body a natural boost – producing endorphins and adrenaline (but at a lower, safer level). Try a few bodyweight exercises after you wake – squats, push ups, a few skips etc to give you a boost.

# Other tips include massaging your ears or, according to recent research, belting out your favourite song! Research also suggests that actively learning something new (e.g via podcast, reading etc) can combat the mid-afternoon slump. Finally try chewing gum to increase heart rate and oxygen to the brain, This and the mint flavour stimulates the autonomic nervous system increasing alertness.

Happy Tuesday 🤗 xx