Healthy Forever Fitness Motivation

Movements we need to think about as we age - Functional Movements 'Functional' is often used in the world of fitness these days - the 'buzz' word of the moment. The actual meaning of the word functional, 'designed to be practical and useful, rather than attractive' . This being the ideal description for our ageing bodies......from young and attractive to moving on in years......So yes, we really need our bodies to be practical and useful.  The term 'functional training' is just that....... 'fine tune' certain moves, so that our bodies will become 'practical and useful' long into our latter years. Functional training is a must as we get older, as it is designed to train and develop our muscles to make it easier and safer to perform everyday activities such as reaching the top shelf, getting out of the bath or chair with ease and the ability to carry our weekly shop without issues. Movements we need to think about as we age - What i

Stretching for Stress Relief and Relaxation When you are experiencing stressful situations or faced with constant pressure on a daily basis, the likelihood of muscle tension, headaches and emotional stress will be present, inhibiting you from total relaxation and sleep. Engaging in a regular stretch routine releases tension in tight muscles, increases flexibility and calms the mind. Stretching  acts as a powerful stress reliever and I cannot be a bigger advocate of a regular stretch routine for a stress free and healthier life. Stress and tension are not just mental and emotional issues....they can become physical triggers too. For example headaches, stomach upsets and back pain. Chronic tension can be the reason for long term health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type II diabetes as well as mental issues including depression, anger, anxiety and insomnia. Stretching regularly can release the chronic tension causing many of these health problems. Str

Exercising with Resistance Bands Resistance bands are very versatile and an easy to use ' go to ' piece of fitness equipment.  They come in all shapes, colours, and sizes. They are very portable and provide a wide variety of strength exercises, targeting all your muscle groups. The other benefits of these bands are that you can take them anywhere, whether you want to take them with you on holiday, to work or even to the park if you prefer to do your workouts in the fresh air.  Resistance bands are very simple to use. They are not as confusing as some of the equipment in today's "hi tech" gyms that can feel very intimidating to those who are novice exercisers. It's hard to believe that these bands have any power when you place them next to a dumbbell or kettlebell, but the power they have will surprise you. Resistance bands are similar to free weights (dumbbells, kettlebells) in that they provide external resistance so you have to engage your muscles to oppo

When and Why Should we Stretch Stretching keeps our muscles flexible and healthy . Stretching our muscles after exercise whether it's walking, fitness classes or jogging will help to maintain a good range of movement within our joints. Without any stretching our muscles become tight and shorten, they become weaker and will not be able to extend in any way. This will in turn put you at risk of joint pain, instability, strains and muscle damage. Why Should we Stretch - The Effects of a Regular Stretching Programme As with anything worth maintaining or improving, it will take time and consistency. Lower limb muscles such as calve or hamstring muscles (back of the thigh) may take some time to lengthen and regain flexibility.  Years of not stretching these muscles will not recoup flexibility after a couple of weeks, however stretching regularly will make a huge difference to regaining some sort of flexibility. For example, if you have a sedentary job where you are seated for most

Why Should we be Thinking about Balance Training One of the most overlooked and possibly the most important component of fitness is balance . When we talk about fitness and exercise, we automatically conjure up thoughts of treadmills, dumbbells, the latest trend of fitness classes or celebrity "keep fit" DVD's. Does anyone actually put aside time in their busy fitness regime to concentrate on the art of balance? No they don't.....at a push perhaps 5 minutes on the Bosu ball but that's it! The Importance of Balance Good balance is required for just about everything we do such as walking, standing still, getting out of a chair and bending over just to pick something up from the floor. Balance skills may not come naturally to some and this skill needs to be worked at with consistency. Balance training strengthens the muscles that keep us upright and stable. This includes our legs and core muscles and working on these will improve stability and prevent falls