Healthy Forever Fitness Motivation

  Give Yourself an Energy Boost Making healthy changes in your life is not a huge overhaul or a daunting task involving lots of research. Taking small steps and making alterations that fit into your everyday life will bring success. We all want that quick fix, but 'quick fixes' won't 'fix'  life-long bad habits.  Spring is such a great time to feel refreshed and renewed. Lighter evenings are on their way, sunny days and mild weather will follow. We will naturally feel more energised as we head towards summer, so what better time is there than now, to start taking good health seriously and to make those improvements. Planning a Healthy Lifestyle   - Just by changing a few simple things in your day to day life, could make a big impact on your health and well being. Adding half an hours brisk walk to your day, five times a week and add weight bearing activities twice a week will improve both your  cardio and bone health . Look at your eating habits and make a plan ...

The Yoga Lifestyle and a Short History Yoga originated in ancient history over 5000 years ago. It can be traced back to Northern India as a philosophical and spiritual practice, to promote spiritual growth and understanding. The word yoga was first illustrated in ancient sacred text called the Rigvida, an Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. The word 'yoga' itself is procured from the Sanskrit text meaning 'to join' or 'to unite'. As mentioned in the Sanskrit text, the practice of yoga leads to the union of individual spirit to that of the universal spirit. Yoga has developed over the years and recently ventured into the Western world. It has evolved into something less spiritual and more as a fitness fashion. Yoga is a non-religious tradition although it was originally linked to Hinduism and Buddhism. Yoga is very much a spiritualism practice and helps to combat modern day health concerns, such as stress, depression and trauma related issues.  There are m...

  Can Colours Heal Mental and Physical Health Issues? Using colours to lift our mood is not a new science. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians were the first to discover the therapeutic healing of colour.  Hippocrates described how sunlight could be used to treat health disorders and the Greeks called this sun therapy or Heliotherapy. In ancient Egypt they believed that shining the rays of light through coloured crystals could infiltrate the body and effectively heal both physical and mental ailments. Although holistic healing is becoming more and more popular in the western world , it is not widely accepted in the medical profession with some experts considering this type of therapy as some kind of "humbuggery" Choosing the Right Colour We have all felt the effects of colour at some point in our lives. Some colours lift our mood whilst others can feel oppressive. Each person feels different emotions when it comes to choosing a colour. If you think about the seasons and how this...

  Exercise and Consistency Finding your way to a regular exercise routine doesn't sound difficult. But the truth is, we are human and we get bored with regular, unremarkable regimes. At the start of any journey there is excitement and unpredictability, so we delve into anything new with gusto and enthusiasm. Our expectations are high and the results are never quite what we wanted.  Understanding that exercise and fitness levels do come to those who persevere. I have had many clients, students and friends that have reaped the benefits from exercise, yet still the motivation and enthusiasm does not remain constant and in some cases, sadly it leaves all together. Unfortunately with this, regret follows and I so often hear the words "I felt so much better when I was exercising, I don't know why I stopped" . I can pretty much guarantee that most of you who are reading this will be nodding your head in agreement. We have all done this and find we need to summon up the energ...

  The Self-Healing Qualities of Reading a Book I love a good book whether it's fact or fiction. I just really enjoy a good read and in this digital age it's nice to have some time away from the screen. I spend a lot of time choosing a book. I like it to look and feel nice and I think this is all part of the reading experience.  There are so many books, websites, podcasts and online information on well-being and self-healing. It's very difficult to know where to start. So I have put together a list (in no particular order) of my favourite books on this subject. It is not just the content but also the look and feel of the book itself. The Little Book of Hygge - by Meik Wiking Firstly, this is one of the most beautiful looking books I have ever purchased. The colours are calming, the design is so delightfully put together and the whole feel of the book is exquisite.  Hygge is a Danish way of life that encompasses the art of creating cosiness and taking great pleasure from th...

  Slow Living In this world of chaos slow living is making a comeback. Slow living is a movement where people are deciding to live a more balanced life. Slow living is about bringing self-care and kindness to yourself and to others back into your daily routine. By slowing things down there is a calm and purpose to life, moments to cherish the world around you and for the people that you share it with. It gives you the time to value all the things in life that you have. Slow living is a stepping stone towards happiness and contentment. It is also a pathway to good health. As we slow down the pace it calms our breathing and reduces tension and stress. Our connections to friends and family grow as we have the time to build healthier relationships and tension-free social gatherings. Make your life simpler and more efficient by doing things at the right speed instead of turning every moment into some sort of race against time. Being busy is not the be-all and end-all of life. Start to p...

  The Benefits of Stretching There are so many benefits to stretching so if you can add this to your daily 'to do' list, a morning stretch will set you up for the day. An early rise '10 minute' stretch routine can add many positives to each day and the more you put into this practice, the more you will notice the improvements of your daily movement Neglecting to stretch your body can make a big impact on your flexibility and balance. As if these components aren't challenging enough as you get older. After a full nights sleep, a good stretch will aid mobility, flexibility, and general movement. It will also help to increase your levels of concentration throughout your day. Stretching not only activates your muscles but also improves your posture at the same time. This being another element of ageing we need to focus on and improve. Stretching also increases blood flow delivering much needed nutrients to your muscles and causing happier, healthier blood vessels and ve...