Healthy Forever Fitness Motivation

Working Onboard a Yacht I was so pleased to be offered the position of Guest "Fitness and Wellness" Instructor on a brand new yacht sailing from Malaga to Miami on her Inaugural cruise. I was very fortunate to have previously worked with the Cruise Director onboard whose recommendation to the Enrichment team secured my place on the yacht.  This adventure is very new to me and the fact that my embarkation port is outside of the UK meant I had to be organised and plan a lot of travelling to get there. I have been so used to a short journey from my home to the port with no worries of planning a travel itinerary. I also had to research for any additional documents I may need to travel. This ever changing world of rules and regulations need to be scrutinised to ensure you are covered to enter and exit the countries you are visiting. When I travel for work, I now have to ensure that my cruise itineraries are stamped by the clearance officer as proof of travel. I also ha...

Movement and Relaxation When we move our body our energy starts to flow. Movement improves circulation, activates our happy hormones, we become more functional, we lubricate our joints, we help our mental clarity and we just feel better.  When we relax our heart rate slows down, we feel calmer, we reduce our stress levels, relieve tension and lower our blood pressure. We need both movement and relaxation each and every day to bring a balance into our life. Movement Click here - Movement is Medicine Movement is medicine and keeping mobile and active will help to prevent illness and disease. This does not involve gym memberships or high intensity workouts but a commitment to moving your body daily and staying active . This can be a simple plan such as stretching your body every hour inviting flexibility and mobility into your muscles or committing to 30 minutes of yoga or a stretch sequence every morning. Perhaps you enjoy group exercise sessions or maybe you prefer water activities ...

 Making the Best of our Later Years "There are no positives to ageing"......this is something I hear so many times? I understand this statement with every year of growing older. I seem unable to do some of the things I could do so easily when I was younger. This is the ageing process and it is the acceptance of this that will help us embrace our age. My mum would often say to me that 'an old woman' looked back at her each time she looked into the mirror. My mother was probably the same age as I am today when she said this to me. Yes, of course, I found this amusing as my mum was an old woman? Yet here I am looking in the mirror and understanding my mothers thoughts ......... that old woman is now looking back at me. As a woman, the signs of ageing show in our faces. The odd wrinkle here and there. The skin on our body is not as smooth and firm as it was a few years ago and sadly we can be overlooked by a younger woman just a few steps behind us. All these signs can f...

  Good Posture, Well-being and Balance I was stopped the other day, whilst walking along the coastal path, by a gentleman (in his late 60's). He felt seemingly awkward when asking me if I did some sort of exercise to keep such a great posture. This was a very flattering comment as my posture is something I have worked on for many years. I was a national swimmer from a very young age and this helped enormously through my adolescence (the slouching years) as I am tall in stature. I was also a runner and gym-goer. Good posture means you align your body correctly with a straight spine and centering your weight directly over your feet. For exercise purposes this aids perfect form enhancing workouts and preventing injury. Good posture is not just for sports people. It is also important for balance which is a 'must' as we age . Posture can be improved with various exercises and activities that you can add into your daily life, from balance training to yoga poses. These balance tec...

Life is Good at Sea Just 3 weeks ago I was disembarking this very ship and now I am here again living this wonderful life, seeing the world and enjoying the luxuries of this beautiful vessel. I will, as always, be visiting some amazing destinations too. My last working cruise  sailed to the Western Mediterranean and Italy and it was magical for me. I escorted some incredible excursions in all of the ports and had so much fun with the passengers. This cruise has a similar itinerary as we are sailing to enjoy the highlights of Italy and the Mediterranean . There are some new ports that I have not visited before so I am really excited and feeling energised for new sights and experiences. Sometimes I am allocated a Passenger cabin with a balcony, depending on whether the ship is full. For this cruise I have an Entertainers cabin at the forward of the ship. I actually love these cabins as they have the most amazing picture window and the view is quite breathtaking. I have a full view o...