​​Spring into Healthy Eating

With the change in season, it’s the perfect time to refresh your eating habits.
Here are some quick tips to boost your nutrition this month:

Seasonal Veggies: Add spring veggies like asparagus, peas, and spinach to your meals. They're packed with nutrients and perfect for lighter spring dishes.

Hydration: As the temperatures rise, it’s essential to stay hydrated. Try infusing your water with fruits like lemon, cucumber, or berries to add a touch of flavour.

Meal Prep: Use weekends to prep meals for the week ahead to save time and ensure healthy choices during busy days.

Get out for a walk: Just 15 minutes a day can help with cortisol reduction & stress release!

If you want to know more then get in touch about the 'back on track' group where we delve into all of these points and re-set your eating habits with GREAT results!

FOOD LABELS - No Added Sugar Versus Unsweetened..?

In the 'Back on Track' group we have been talking about complex versus simple carbs.
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You can’t avoid sugar! BUT it’s good for your diet & your health generally, to regulate your blood sugars and try to avoid sugar spikes throughout the day.

Carbs of Which Saturates …. on Food labels will show you the amount of ‘sugars’ contained in that product as opposed to complex carbs.

This shows you the amount of sugar per 100g or per portion. It doesn’t break down the sugar into ‘free sugars’ i.e table sugar (sucrose) as opposed to those naturally present in things like fruit or milk but is useful to be able to compare two similar products.

No added Sugar
Means no additional table sugar has been added to the product to make it sweeter. It doesn’t mean that natural sugar aren’t contained in the product and more importantly it doesn’t mean that artificial sweeteners have not been added!

Unsweetened
Means no table sugar or artificial sweeteners have been used but not that natural sugars aren’t present.

Regulating blood sugars can help regulate blood sugar spikes & cortisol (stress hormone) spikes throughout the day.  Look at food labels carefully and be aware of sweeteners.

Ask me about the next 'Back on Track' Group we are getting great results, well done ladies!

Why do my Hip Flexors hurt doing the Hundred?

This is common, many say they feel the Hundred (or Table Top position)  in their Hip Flexors!  This is common particularly when you are new to Pilates or you just overuse your hip flexors (psoas major amongst others) during abs work.   There are things that you can do to alleviate this.

I must add having strong hip flexors is not a bad thing.  They help support your back, pelvis and move your legs! but.. we would rather not have them ‘take over’ when aiming to strengthen the deep stabilising muscles of the core.
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✳️Take your time to build up and find that deep connect to your core muscles (transverse, pelvic floor amongst others)  so that the hip flexors don’t take over.
✳️Have the Legs aligned properly i.e knee to centre of the hip joint.  Don’t allow them to move back in towards the belly.   Try this you will feel the difference straight away.
✳️Build up gradually moving the legs back to the floor when your start to feel your hip flexors taking over.
Pilates is all about keeping that mind/body connection, losing focus can lead to the body taking its own path of least resistance so using muscles that are already strong.​

Muscle mass decreases with age! The decline in muscle mass and strength can vary but on average:
1. Women can lose approximately 3-8% of their muscle mass per decade after the age of 30. This rate of loss can accelerate after the age of 60.
2. Muscle strength generally declines at a faster rate than muscle mass, with a reduction of 1-3% per year starting around the age of 50.
3. Contributing factors: The rate of muscle mass decline can be influenced by factors such as physical activity levels, diet, hormonal changes, and overall health. Regular strength training and physical activity can help slow this decline significantly.
Strength training is a must especially in later life! 🏋️💪🤸

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that does not include sleeping, eating, or exercise; and ranges from simple things like standing and fidgeting to moving about.
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Research has shown that you can burn more calories applying NEAT to your daily life than other other formal activity, just by moving around!
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​TRY THESE PRACTICAL STEPS FOR NEAT:
​➡️Stand more. Start by attempting to stand or move about for 5 to 10-minute increments while you complete various daily activities.
➡️Pace the sidelines at your kids' footy, netball practice etc
➡️Carry your groceries instead of pushing a trolly
➡️Walk briskly whenever you can. Walking is an excellent strategy for weight loss!
➡️Pace or walk while talking on the phone.
​➡️Find ways to integrate standing and moving activities – a little here and there.
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🎄Egg Nog Party Season!
It can be tempting to over-indulge during the Christmas period, with endless Christmas parties and treats everywhere it can be hard to resist the temptations that are associated with the festive season.  Research has shown that weight gained over the Christmas period is rarely lost throughout the year meaning a steady increase of weight gain year upon year 🤨🤨

Just a couple of tips for you:
Eat a proper meal before the party so you are not tempted to graze on the buffet.
Party Food & buffets tend to be loaded with calories and who can stop at just a small handful of peanuts? 🤷
If it’s a buffet go for the lean meat & pile up on the salad.
Stay Hydrated 🚰 have a full glass of water before you drink and each time you have a drink, there's only so much you can hold in!
Opt for non-sugary cocktails, try going to a vodka and soda water with a slice of lemon for a low-calorie tipple 🍸
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Hate to be a kill joy 🥹 xx

Sitting at a desk all day, day in day out will invariably lead to some form of body imbalance leading to bad posture. 
 Here’s a few simple stretches and exercises that you can do:

• Rotate the ankles, or transfer the weight from your toes to heels to wake up the feet.
• Place your hands on the back of the chair or try to clasp your hands together behind the chair to open and stretch the chest.
• Bum clenches – YES I did say that! (take a look around your first to check no-one is looking) Squeeze the bum cheeks and then release.
• Drop the head one way whilst dropping the opposite shoulder down to stretch the neck.
  
• Stand up if you can whilst on the phone to open up and stretch the hips.

Remember both feet on the floor, not crossed legged. Sit tall, cushion behind the lower back if necessary. Don’t jut your chin forwards. Please, please don’t hold the phone under your ear whilst trying to do other things, get a headset or use speaker, make sure keyboards, chairs are at the right height.  If you are lucky enough to have this facility use the person responsible for work station assessments.

🙋‍♀️Strength Training for Women 💪
Strength training simply means any exercise that builds strength.  It includes resistance training, body weight exercises or lifting weights.  

• Pilates
• Yoga
• Bodyweight exercises (squats, plank, press up)
•  Lifting Weights (dumbbells, kettlebells or barbells)🏋️‍♀️
•  Resistance bands
•  Machines (those you’d find in a gym)

🤷‍♀️Why Strength train?

• Increased Muscle Mass.  Enhances metabolism in turn helps with weight management
• Bone Heath.  Crucial for maintaining bone density & reducing the risk of osteoporosis, especially important for Menopausal women
• Hormonal Balance.   Exercise generally helps manage symptoms of menopause.
• Functional Strength - aids with everyday tasks & can help reduce injuries.
• Mental Health.   Helps reduce the symptoms of depression & anxiety.   ⦿Give a sense of empowerment. 

Will I bulk up?
It is harder for women to bulk because of:
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Hormonal differences - Men naturally have more testosterone, a key hormone for muscle growth.  Women have higher levels of oestrogen which influences fat distribution and muscle tone differently.

Muscle fibres - Women, typically, have more type I muscle fibres.  These are more endurance based and less prone to hypertrophy (muscle mass) compared to men that have more type II muscles fibres.  
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In the UK, it’s recommended that you do strengthening exercises that work your main muscle groups (legs, back, core and arms) at least twice a week. This is as well your regular cardio exercises, such as dancing or brisk walking. They key is to remain consistent and aim to continue strength training regularly.