Exercise and Stress Relief

Few of us can say that our weekly routine doesn’t involve some form of stress.

Maybe you do a high pressure job or run a busy household, or perhaps you simply have to deal with the everyday stresses of life....like all the rubbish drivers on the road when you’re simply trying to get somewhere on time!

Ongoing research has proved that one of the most vital tools in the fight against stress is exercise.

The reasons behind this are both mental and physical.

Mental

· Exercise can help you deal with the frustration and pent up anger that stress can cause

· Exercise actually promotes a more positive mood as it produces positive biomechanical changes in both the body and brain

· Exercise can decrease the stress hormone cortisol

· When you exercise your body releases endorphins. These are powerful chemicals in the brain that have both pain relieving and mood enhancing effects on the body

· When you exercise you may find that you sleep better as a result of these endorphins

· Exercise provides a distraction from stress

· Certain forms of physical exercise such as boxing or even weight training are great ways to vent pent up frustrations!

Physical

· Stress can cause high blood pressure and, exercise helps lower this.

· Evidence suggests physically that fit people have less extreme physiological responses when under pressure than unfit people. The result of this is that fit people are more able to handle the long- term effects of stress, and less likely to suffer ill health or burnout.

· Exercise actually improves blood flow to your brain, which in turn transports extra sugars and oxygen to the brain that may be needed when you are thinking intensely.

· There is of the course the feel good factor of exercise. A fitter, firmer body radiates health and feels much more able to cope with everyday stress.

Certain forms of exercise can be a great way to socialise and chill out with friends.

So what are you waiting for? Is your brain feeling frazzled and your head ready to explode? Grab your training gear and head to the gym!

Of course exercise is only a tool in stress relief, if you feel overwhelmed by the pressures you face, it is advisable to seek professional help.

Regards,

Caz

www.nuyuu.com

Setting Goals- Unlock Your Inner Self

Three years ago a very persistent martial arts instructor at the gym I was using persuaded me to give kickboxing a go.

Although a self-confessed gym addict this was something totally out of my comfort zone. I had spent the last few years doing heavy weightlifting and road biking so I was slow and somewhat unsupple. I did have the advantage however of being very strong and very fit!

The first few months were a steady battle...I mean for some of us it really does not come naturally to stand on one foot kicking, or to spin backwards to hit someone.

I dedicated more time to stretching and became really, rather bendy and kept practising and practising setting myself small goals along the way such as getting my hamstrings more flexible which would help me kick higher and reduce my risk of injury. My determination to improve paid off and after a few months I gained my first belt.

I currently train with a really friendly club and have progressed through several belts and last year I started competing in light continuous competitions.

If I had been told when I first started to kickbox that I would end up in a boxing ring partaking in fights I would have laughed. It is very nerve wracking, but I am so proud to have achieved this. It hasn’t been easy, but the great thing is each new challenge drives me to keep going to the next level.

Every time I think I can’t be bothered to train I think of my next competition or my next grading and soon enough I get my lazy butt down the gym and before I know it I’ve had a fantastic workout.

Ahh good for you, you may be thinking, we knew it, the lady behind the blogs is crazy! However, this little story has a point.

Setting yourself a personal goal is incredibly motivating. I don’t expect everyone to like exercise or if you do like it you may not enjoy every session. We all need a little motivator and my suggestion is to find something that you would like to achieve that would make you feel good.

Never underestimate your goals, it doesn’t matter how big or small they are, it’s all about personal achievement. You may choose to do a 5km walk or a 3km run, or maybe you’re the marathon type. You may want to lose that half a stone, lower your blood pressure, or run across the park after your tearaway toddler. Many of my clients sign up for events which support a charity close to their heart, which is a double whammy, getting fit for a good cause!

The point is if you have a goal it will motivate your workouts. Even on a lazy day that little voice in your head (we all have them, it’s not just me!) will be nagging you to go to the gym, and when you do you will feel so much better for it!

Thanks,

Caz

www.nuyuu.com

CARBOHYDRATES – THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE DOWNRIGHT UGLY!

Here is a more in depth article which I hope will help you understand more about carbs. In the future I plan to talk more about low carb diets, carbs and exercise, and other such subjects.

What are carbohydrates?

· A carbohydrate is a chemical compound made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which join together to form molecules.

· Simple carbs are comprised of single molecules or two sugar molecules joined together

· Complex carbs consist of many sugar molecules that are all connected

· There are three types of carbohydrates: sugars (simple), starches, and dietary fibre (both complex)

What are the main functions of Carbohydrates?

· Carbohydrates provide energy:

· Carbohydrate is arguably the most important source of energy for athletes or indeed for anybody carrying out regular exercise. Carbs provide the energy that fuels muscle contractions.

· Carbohydrates fuel the brain and the central nervous system.

· They play an important role in the digestive system...think fibre....it carries all the waste products out of your body!

How do we utilise Carbs?

· Once consumed, carbs get broken down into a simpler form of sugar that gets absorbed into the body and utilised, or stored as energy.

· Any glucose not needed right away gets stored in the muscles and the liver in the form of glycogen.

· When the body needs energy the glycogen reserves will be utilised

I’m going to give a quick explanation of the different types of carbs which you need to know as it will help you to understand why you need to eat certain foods more than others. Stay with me, I will try to make it short and sweet!

The two main types of carbs are simple and complex

Simple Carbohydrates

· You may have heard these referred to as simple sugars

· They occur naturally in foods such as fruit

· They get reformed to produce products high in sugar and often high in fat (oh yeah and horribly tasty!), through manmade processes.

· They only consist of one or two sugar molecules meaning they can easily be broken down & used for energy pretty soon after you scoff them down...sounds too good to be true? Ah, I’m already so predictable, it’s never as good as it seems:

· Because they are broken down so quickly they shoot into your blood stream and give an instant energy boost...the body will react by hitting all that sugar with a hit of insulin, which will cause a steep drop in blood sugar levels, right down below where they were when you first snuffled that sugar down, and you end up feeling more tired and crave more sugar...and then you’re stuck in a vicious, sugar-driven cycle!

· Note: this is only in the case of sucrose or sugar. Sucrose is found in cakes, pastries, soft drinks and sweets. It is also sneakily added to many other processed foods, check labels if in doubt.

· Sucrose is the bad guy, contributing to weight gain as these sugary products are high in calories, tooth decay and even more severe problems long term such as diabetes.

· Most simple carbs have little nutritional value

· Just to confuse things, fructose (fruit) and lactose (milk) are simple carbs but these are good guys. They contain other substances in them that prevent the glucose being released quite so quickly into the bloodstream.

· We do not need large amounts of sugar or energy in one go and only a certain amount can be converted into glycogen and stored for later use. The surplus gets converted into fat.

Complex carbohydrates

· Are the starchy carbohydrates

· They are found in foods such grains, cereals, potatoes, brown rice, wholemeal bread, pasta, legumes and certain fruits and veggies.

· Their complex chemical structure means they are not broken down or digested as quickly or easily as simple carbs.

· This slow release prevents the rises and dips in blood sugar levels associated with the simple carbs keeping energy levels more constant

· They contain plenty of vitamins and fibre

Carbohydrates can also be refined or unrefined: · Refined carbs have undergone a chemical process to remove the bran and wheat germ from the grain eg white bread. · Refined carbohydrates tend to have a preferable taste and texture, but once refined they have essentially had most of the goodness and natural fibre removed. · Unrefined carbs contain more fibre, vitamins & minerals eg wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals. These are the ones you should be eating!

So, there you have it, a compact(ish) guide to carbs. Remember: Ideally try and consume mostly complex carbs, try to stick to the unrefined choices and of course make sure you get your five a day! Eat more of these: Bran, wholegrain cereals, wheat germ, wholemeal bread, brown rice, potatoes, pasta, barley, oats, pulses, beans and peas. Restrict these: Sweets, sugary breakfast cereals, cakes, pastries, syrup, sugar, fizzy drinks, biscuits, chocolate. And of course remember, it’s all about balance, outweigh the bad with the good and you’re well on your way to a healthier diet. Thanks, www.nuyuu.com

Stretching- Tips, Benefits And Methods

STRETCHINGEdit Posts

How many of you can honestly say you have a good stretch as part of every workout? And by stretching I do not mean a cursory bend at the hips to see if you can touch your toes. Let me explain a little bit about stretching and maybe then you will see why it is crucial part of your workout.

I don’t normally like to do the negatives to begin, but there are a couple of things I have to say NEVER do with stretching, and if you take nothing else from this article, please read and digest the following points:

NEVER BOUNCE A STRETCH - Bouncing stretches should stay right back in the 70s with your lycra and headbands. This is a dangerous, out of date technique and is a quick and easy way to bounce straight into a muscle tear.

NEVER STRETCH A COLD MUSCLE – think of your little muscles as a plasticine like substance, when they are cold they are inflexible and easy to snap, warm ‘em up and hey presto....they stretch without the snapping bit....get it?

Benefits:

· Stretching will help relieve muscle tightness and stiffness.

· It increases localized blood flow to the muscles being stretched, thus improving circulation.

· Evidence suggests it will relieve muscle soreness after intense physical activity and help to reduce the severity of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) i.e. the aches and pains you may feel for a couple of days after a hard workout.

· Helps prevent injury as tight muscles can easily get strained or torn

· It can help postural imbalances – for example if you have tight hamstrings these can pull the pelvis out of its normal position, creating lower back problems!

· Stretching can be very relaxing and is a good way to relieve stress

Stretching exercises can easily be integrated into a cool down following a training session, when the body is warm.

The stretching I am going to focus on is the one that is universally beneficial for gym users, known as static stretching. There are several other types of stretching which tend to be more sports specific and I will explain more about these in future articles.

Method:

Yeah, yeah so you think who the hell needs to be told how to stretch? Well, judging from some of the sights I have seen over the years in the stretch area of most gyms, around 90% of gym users could do with a quick idiot proof stretch guide. A quality stretch needs to be done correctly, technique counts for everything.

A stretch is found in the relevant muscle and held for a set length of time. Each stretch is held for a MINIMUM of 30 seconds.....not the standard “count to 5ish seconds and move on” technique which most people seem to think adequate. Stretches can be held up to two minutes for developmental stretching.

Stretching should be pain free, it may feel slightly uncomfortable sometimes if you have very tight muscles, but if you experience pain stop!

Oh and don’t forget to breathe freely throughout each stretch.....yep I really am reminding you to breathe, trust me lots of people really do forget.

I would recommend that if you follow a programme in the gym you allow 10 minutes at the end of every workout for a good, quality stretch. Few people allow themselves time to do this which is why it gets neglected. Long term the benefits of stretching definitely outweigh the risks of not doing so.

Thanks,

www.nuyuu.com

Examples Of Basic Stretching Techniques

HERE ARE A FEW BASIC STRETCHES TO GET YOU GOING......

STRETCH TEACHING POINTS

QUADRICEP STRETCH
• Stand on one leg and pull the other foot up towards your butt
• Keep your knees together and push your hips forwards to increase the stretch. This stretch should be felt down the front of the bent leg.

STANDING HAMSTRING STRETCH
• Take one heel out in front of the other, you can take it up on a step as shown, or keep it at floor level
• Bend the back knee and rest your weight on the bent knee
• Tilt the hips forwards as if sticking your butt in the air, and feel the stretch up the back of the straight leg.

LYING HAMSTRING STRETCH (An alternative to the standing stretch)

• Lying on your back with both legs bent, take one leg up straight supporting the leg by clasping behind your thigh
• Gradually pull the straight leg towards you, feeling the stretch down the back of the leg.

CALF STRETCH (This is very effective if done on a step as shown)
• Drop one leg behind the other so only the toes of this leg are resting on the step then let your lower leg straighten to feel the stretch down the lower part of this leg (leave the other foot on the step which will help you balance)
• Hands can remain on hips for support or be taken in front of the body as shown, to stretch out the upper back at the same time. (be warned, this does require a certain amount of balance!!)

ADDUCTOR (INNER THIGH) STRETCH
• Take a step out to the side of the body keeping one leg under your torso
• Bend the knee of the leg underneath your torso to stretch the muscles of the inner thigh of the opposite leg.
• Your outstretched leg should have a straight knee, and you should feel the stretch on the inner thigh

UPPER BACK STRETCH
• Clasp hands together and round out the shoulders as you push the arms out in front of the body
• A pleasant stretch should be felt across the upper part your back.

CHEST STRETCH
• Stand upright with back straight
• Take your hands behind your back to rest on your butt then slowly squeeze your elbows towards each other until you feel a stretch across your chest.

TRICEP STRETCH
• Place your hand on your upper back with the elbow bent towards the ceiling
• Use your other hand to pull the elbow towards your head.

Thanks,

www.nuyuu.com