Exercise and happiness

If you take a stroll through a local park, you’ll often see groups of people doing things like squats, sprints and press-ups in an outdoor bootcamp class. So what’s the benefit of joining in. First off is the feelgood factor. The oxygen boost you get from the fresh air gets the serotine flowing plus the natural environment puts extra demands on the body which means you work harder doing each exercise. Exercise is thought to really help with mental health, helping to treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressants. It can help relieve anxiety, tension and stress and boost physical and mental energy. It can also help you sleep and boost your confidence. You also challenge yourself. The body quickly recognises and adapts to any exercise you complete, so you must continually make it guess and challenge the body in different ways. Each session is different. You’ll get a total workout. You’ll be able to master exercises such as squats and lunges whilst using the correct form under guidance from the instructor. You’ll do sprints, high intensity interval training, resistance training and stretching. You can train outdoors all year round. Just make sure you dress for the weather! Bootcamps cater for all different levels of fitness, so don’t think you need to be superfit to join in. If you keep going, you’ll soon notice the difference in your fitness level. All in all, bootcamps are social, you’ll make new friends for sure, fun and hardwork. So why not put on your training gear, grab some water and head over to either Raphael Park, Romford on a Sunday at 9.00am or Lawns Park, Collier Row on a Tuesday at 6.30pm and join in the fun! We also offer kid’s bootcamps which are an ideal way to get the kids moving. These sessions are 30 minutes of fun, running, jumping and circuits and you’ll child will be exhausted by the end of it! Get in touch to find out more.

We all know that exercise is good for your body but it is one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Regular exercise can have a massive impact on depression and anxiety as well as helping to relieve stress, improving your memory, helping you sleep better and improving your overall mood. Physical exercise can help treat mild to moderate depressions as effectively as antidepressant medication studies have shown. Exercise helps for several reasons. It promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including reduced inflammation and neural growth. It also provides new brain activity which in turn can lead to feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins which is a chemical in your brain that energises your spirits and make you feel good. If you exercise, it can also serve as a distraction, taking you away from any negative thoughts. Exercise can also relieve anxiety. It relieves tension and stress and boosts physical and mental energy. If you focus on your body and how it feels when you exercise you will be able to stop the flow of worries going through your head. When you are stressed you might feel tense, have headaches, and feel tight across the chest. You may also suffer from insomnia, stomach ache or even an upset stomach. Worrying and the feeling of discomfort may well make you feel even more stressed and this will make a vicious cycle between mind and body. Exercise is a great and effective way to break this cycle. Physical activity helps to relieve the tension and relax the muscles in the body as well as releasing the endorphins in your brain. The mind and body are linked, so if you feel better in your body, then your mind will feel better too. Even short bursts of exercise can help regulate your sleeping pattern. Increasing your heart several times a week will also give you more energy. Start off slowly and gradually increase the length of your exercise pattern as you feel more energised each day. Those endorphins that make you feel better also help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp. Exercise stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent age-related decline. Finally exercise can help improve your self-esteem. Regular activity should be seen as an investment in your mind, body and soul. When it becomes a habit, it can boost your self-worth and help make you feel strong. You will also feel better in your appearance and make you have a sense of achievement. So pull on your exercise gear, grab your trainers and start your health and fitness journey now. Not only will help your body but also your mind.

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training – a workout that does what it says on the tin!! HIIT boosts your metabolism whilst burning tons of calories in a short period of time. HIIT is great if you are short of time. Studies how shown that just 15 minutes of high intensity interval training burns more calories than jogging on a treadmill for an hour. It also helps build your endurance. This will help when doing any kind of exercise. As HIIT uses a system of work hard then recover intervals, this teaches your body to efficiently use energy that comes from your body’s energy system. It also helps eliminate toxic waste from your muscles during the rest periods and helps you breathe effectively. The American College of Sports and Medicine have said that HIIT helps you consume more oxygen than when doing a non-interval workout. This is turn means the excess amount of oxygen consumed helps increase your rate of metabolism from about 90 minutes to 144 minutes after a HIIT session. Thus the increased metabolism helps burn more calories at a faster rate. You continue to burn calories and fat up to 24 hours after the HIIT workout, whereas with a steady pace workout you may not. This is due to the body’s repair cycle going into hyper drive. With HIIT you lose fat and not muscle. HIIT workouts combine weight training (your body weight) which allows those looking to lose weight to preserve their muscle gain while shedding weight. You can do HIIT training anywhere as no equipment is needed. All you need is a bit of space and the will to do it! Use exercises such as high knees, jumping jacks or burpees to get your heart racing. Although a good piece of equipment which doesn’t cost a lot or take up any room is a skipping rope. With interval training it’s easier to push yourself to the limit because of the rest interval that comes right after the hardwork. This in turn keeps the heart healthy and helps the blood flow around the body. You can change your HIIT workout each time, thus eliminating boredom and constantly challenging your body. So grab some water, clear some space and have a go at the following HIIT workout. 30 seconds work 10 seconds rest repeat 3 times High knees Burpees Skipping Mountain climbers Squat jumps Jumping jacks Lunges – each leg Russian twists

Exercise keeps your heart healthy Exercise is one of the best things to do to keep your heart healthy which in turn reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease or having a stroke. It can reduce your chance of cardiovascular disease by a third. Doing regular exercise can also help reduce your blood pressure and subsequently reduce the risk of having a stroke or heart failure. It also helps to improve the balance of cholesterol. You have two types of cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol and HDL "good" cholesterol. High levels of LDL and low levels of HDL increase your risk of heart disease. The good news is that exercise is linked to higher levels of HDL cholesterol. Contact Mandy at mandy@mandyedwards.com or 07775 745908 to find out how personal training can help keep you and your heart healthy.

The weekly recommendation for exercise for adults aged 19 to 64 is at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise or a mix both moderate and vigorous. In addition you should also add strength exercises on 2 or more days that work all major muscles in your body. A good rule is 1 minute of vigorous exercise is the equivalent of 2 minutes of moderate exercise and one way to do your 150 minutes per week is to do 30 minutes 5 days per week. So what counts as moderate aerobic exercise - brisk walking, water aerobics, riding a bike on the flat, doubles tennis, mowing the lawn or hiking. Moderate activity will raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster and feel warmer. You should be able to talk but not sing when you are doing moderate exercise. Vigorous aerobic exercise can be jogging or running, swimming fast, riding a bike fast or on hills, singles tennis, football, rugby, jumping rope, hockey, aerobics class, cross trainer, rowing or martial arts. Vigorous activity makes you breathe hard and fast. You shouldn't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. These activities count as strength exercises: lifting weights, working with resistance bands, using bodyweight to do exercises such as sit-ups, squats, lunges or push-ups, heavy gardening such as digging, yoga or pilates. Muscle strengthening exercises are counted in repetitions and sets. A repetition is 1 complete movement such as a squat. A set is a group of repetitions. When you first start out try to do at least 1 set of between 8 to 12 repetitions. As time goes on you will be able to do more sets and lift more weight. You can combine doing aerobic and strengthening exercises on the same day or do them separately on different days. Muscle strengthening exercises are not an aerobic activity, so you do need to do them in addition to your 150 minutes of aerobic activity. So if you need help getting in your 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise and 2 muscle strengthening sessions, contact Mandy on 07775 745908 or email mandy@mandyedwards.com to find out more about personal training and how our different sessions can help.

Facetime or Skype personal training sessions are ideal for people who are short on time. You don't have to travel to the gym so less time is needed for you do do some exercise. No equipment is necessary as there are tons of exercises that work the whole body that only use bodyweight. Clear instruction is given, along with a thorough demonstration of the exercises. Being able to see you means that we can ensure you technique is correct. We provide encouragement, motivation, advice and guidance to help you on your health and fitness journey. So whether you're are just starting out or just need that extra bit of encouragement, get in touch to book your first session. The cost is £15 per 45 minute session for one person or £20 for two people. Call 07775 745908 or email mandy@mandyedwards.com to book or find out more.

We offer a variety of personal training sessions: 1 hour face to face sessions in a private gym in Collier Row or Romford – these sessions primarily consist of a warm up, resistance training, HIIT session, cool down and stretching. These sessions are adapted to your level, your goals and objectives, your progress constantly monitored and your programme updated. 30 minute face to face session in a private gym in Collier Row or Romford – these 30 minute sessions are great for a HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout. HIIT improves your aerobic fitness, increases fat burning, tones your body and boosts your metabolism post-exercise which means you continue to burn calories throughout the day. 45 minute Facetime or Skye session – these sessions are great for people who do not have the time to travel to the gym. You don’t need any equipment as there are tons of exercises you can do just using your bodyweight. Costs: 1 hour face to face sessions cost £35. You can of course train with a partner and the cost for two people is £50 per session. 30 minutes face to face sessions cost £20. Again you can train with a partner and the cost for two people is £30 per session. 45 minutes Facetime or Skye sessions cost £15. For two people the cost is £20 per session. All you need for these sessions are a laptop or tablet and bags of enthusiasm! Way forward: Get in touch today to book your personal training sessions. Call me on 07775 745908 or email me on mandy@mandyedwards.com . If you believe in yourself, anything is possible!

What is high-intensity interval training (HIIT)? HIIT can be described as repeated bouts of short to moderate periods of exercise performed at maximum capacity followed by a short recovery period. Each bout of exercise can last between 10 seconds to 5 minutes which is then followed by a period of inactivity or low-intensity activity allowing the body to partially recover. With both the exercise effort and rest period the individual is able to perform at a higher intensity, stimulating and stressing the body to adapt. So why do HIIT? It is time effective. Due to the high level of intensity, the overall exercise time is often shorter that other types of fitness sessions. You can fit a good HIIT session in in half an hour, or even add a ten minute session in at the end of an hour PT session. It’s a lot more fun that cardio on a machine in the gym! It improves your aerobic fitness, increases fat burning, improves your body composition by reducing fat mass whilst simultaneously increasing lean mass and also boosts your metabolism post-exercise which means you will continue to burn calories throughout the day. Types of HIIT Tabata – 4 minutes of exercise broken down into 20 second bouts of high-intensity exercise and 10 seconds of rest. A number of 4 minute rounds can be performed. Intervals – very much the same as Tabata but the work to rest ratio could be 2:1, 1:2, 3:1 or even 4:2. A number of rounds can be performed. EMOM (every minute on the minute) – a certain amount of reps is performed on the minute, once you’ve completed the required reps, you rest for the remainder of the minute. A number of minutes can be performed. AMRAP (as many reps or rounds as possible) – this is performing as many reps or rounds in a given time. Rounds are made up of sets and sets are made up of reps. So you could do 10 squats and 10 burpees as many times as you can within five minutes. AQAP (as quick as possible) – workload is set, so you could row 1000m, 20 jump squats and 20 push-ups. That would be one round. The Way Forward If you fancy giving HIIT a go, get in touch and book a 30 minute PT session. You can train on your own, in a pair or even in a group of 3 to 5 people. Costs are £20 per person for an individual session, £30 for two people and £10 each for 3 to 5 people. This is a great way to get fit and healthy and its lots of fun! Call me 07775 745908 or email mandy@mandyedwards.com today.

So why book a personal trainer? Ok they can be expensive but you'll get more out of each session than you would training by yourself in the gym or at home. A personal trainer is there to help you reach your specific health and fitness goals effectively, efficiently and without injury. If you understand what a personal trainer can offer you, it will help you decide whether or not the expense is worthwhile. Motivation It's difficult to motivate yourself when you are working out alone. Regular personal training sessions can create accountability, which in turn motivates you to not let yourself down or your personal trainer. Hearing your trainer praise you for a job well done, consistency, progress or even proper technique can be a real boost when you feel like giving up. Goal achievement A personal trainer can help you set realistic and achievable goals. They will take into account where you are starting from and set you smaller realistic goals to get you to where you ultimately want to be. They will monitor your progress and help you achieve your goals. Personalised workouts Each person is different and has different goals. Personal trainers create specific workouts to help you achieve your goals. The personalised plan is tailored to your needs and takes into account your current physical condition and medical background. The plans are constantly monitored and updated as you go along. Correct technique Incorrect technique can cause injury, thus putting your health and fitness journey back. Your personal trainer will teach you the correct technique for each individual exercise. They will demonstrate the movement, guide you through it and correct any issues that you have. This in turn helps you to perform the correct technique when on your own. Accountability If you lack motivation, commitment or just the ability to get up and exercise, a personal trainer could be the help you need to kick start your personal health and fitness journey. It's easy to skip a session or fall off the wagon completely if there's no one to answer to. Working with a personal trainer makes it far more likely for you to show up and work out. Variety A personal trainer will mix things up and ensure that you don't get bored with your workouts. They will teach you a variety of exercise methods and if you want, no two sessions will be the same. You will be using machines, free weights, bands or just your bodyweight and there will be no end of combinations and exercises. You'll never feel stuck in the same old routine. Efficiency A personal trainer will make the most out of your workout time, which will increase the efficiency of your workouts. They'll know how to use every minute of your time and make sure you get a great workout at each session. The way forward We offer a free initial consultation where we get to know you, what you like, what you dislike, what your goals are and you get to know us and find out what we can offer you. We'd then write you a fitness programme which you would do with us along with a programme that you could do on your own in your own time. If you are pushed for time we offer half an hour sessions as well as hour long sessions. We'd monitor your progress, continually update the fitness programme, motivate and guide you to reach your goals. So if you need encouragement and motivation to hit your health and fitness goals, get in touch today. Call Mandy on 07775 745908 or email her on mandy@mandyedwards.com.