Healthy Forever Fitness Motivation

Our Overall Health How do we feel about our health now the restrictions are over and normality has returned? We look at  both our physical and mental health. Have we learnt anything from the last couple of years?  2020 and into 2021.....A time of uncertainty and restrictions !!  A pandemic ...A time we shall all remember for many different reasons. The year that shocked the world and somehow totally changed every country from the  'daily norm'  into something completely different. The whole world went into  'Lockdown'   and putting aside the awful impact of frightening death toll figures and the nations' health crisis......we have gained some incredibly  positive benefits  from this year of uncertainty.  From the very beginning we panicked as the  'unknown'  continued to spread and we were faced with many dilemmas, unpleasant emotions and unanswered questions.  'What if we run out of fresh foods at the Supermarkets'? .... 'What if the gym doesn&

  Patella Fracture and Proximal Tibia Fracture I never do anything by halves ...... This fracture impressed both the Surgeon and Sports Therapist to whom I will be eternally grateful. I don't think I have ever felt so much pain as the day when these bones fractured simultaneously. I remember this moment as though it was yesterday ....... but it was in fact nearly 10 years ago, back in 2013. My Injury and How it Happened I was working onboard cruise ships at the time and we had just returned from a cruise and docked in port. We were always on a tight schedule on 'turnaround' days. Once the last passengers had disembarked, the crew had a limited amount of time to visit the nearest town and stock up on toiletries and personal buys.  I went into the town and filled my rucksack with shopping as we were due to sail to the Caribbean for 30 days. Just before I returned to the ship, I popped into my bank to withdraw a bank statement from the ATM machine. I was too busy reading

Women and Ageing I am so pleased to see older women accomplishing celebrated feats within the fitness industry. This is not because I am myself in the category of the 'older woman' , but because I am an advocate of exercise for health and the prevention of age related diseases.  Ageing is not easy. I am grateful for each year I am here, but as I get older, I do realise that I need to add more strength training to help me maintain a good level of mobility and independence.  The amazing thing about strength training is that you can start at any age.  With consistency you will reap better health, an increase in bone strength, a decrease in body fat and improvements in your balance and coordination. Again, a great help to us as we age by reducing our chances of a fall and fractures.  We are all living longer and the over 50's age group, born in the mid 1960's and onward, are part of a growth area of the population. By 2030, it is estimated the number of people over the age

Achieving a Flat Stomach "What is the best exercise for a flat stomach ?" The most frequently asked question on Google search engine or to me as a Personal Trainer. There is no 'hard and fast rule' to this question with no guarantee of a '6 pack' (if this is your main goal).  Spot fat loss (targeting a certain area) is not possible. Don't let anyone convince you that it is by using either exercise or diet?  Unfortunately, our own body decides where it will store its fat. However there are healthy routes that you can take which will improve your waistline and give you a stronger and more stable core......this in turn, will flatten your stomach .  Storing excess fat around our middle (visceral fat) is in fact extremely unhealthy and can cause life threatening illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes and some cancers.  So, if you feel you want a toned tummy for summer, then you will be doing yourself a big favour in more ways than one. Not

  Chris's Journey So Far Starting Weight: 105 kilos     Weight now: 89 kilos    Goal Weight: 70 kilos Chris started his weight loss journey back in October 2020 when he was at his heaviest weight. His approach to his weight loss journey has always been 'slowly but consistently' as he feels this will keep him on the 'straight and narrow'. I asked Chris how he felt at his heaviest weight.  " I have never really been a health conscious person to be honest, however, after spending almost 10 years at sea, I realised my weight was gaining which was not good. Over time, I felt lethargic, things were becoming too much trouble, often just the simple things. I felt more tired generally and my ‘get up and go’ certainly had ‘got up and gone’ so to speak. . " He has done so well with his eating plan. His decision to change the way he lives his life, was pretty much at the beginning of the second lockdown. He has managed to stay on track for over 6 months, with a '