3 Ways To Power Through Your Day

Beat the 3pm slump with our easy tips

1. Go herbal

Fading at work? Ditch your double espresso for a cup of white tea with a slice of lemon. Packed with antioxidants, detoxing properties and minimal caffeine, you’ll enjoy a refreshing drink minus the energy crash from your long black.

2. Eat green

Iron will help keep fatigue at bay. Boost your intake by adding a handful of spinach leaves to your lunch and try an easy-to-absorb iron supplement like Vitabiotics Feroglobin Plus Liquid to make sure you’re getting your fill.

3. Snack right

Staying healthy doesn’t mean you have to starve! Eat smaller meals every two to three hours to keep your metabolism active and your energy levels on an even keel. Healthy snacks like raw nuts or oatcakes with avocado and houmous will keep hunger and tiredness at bay.

Source:womensfitness.co.uk/health/1279/3-ways-to-power-through-your-day

Beat Stress!

Relax and switch off from the daily pressures of everyday life with our top anxiety relieving tips

1 Stretch it out

Regular downward dogs are one of the best ways to reduce stress. Yoga helps you learn how to relax in the real world and is great for training you to calm the mind and remove yourself from life’s stresses. The poses, combined with deep breathing techniques, help you reach a state of tranquillity and require concentration of the mind and body, leaving little room to worry.

2 Pack a punch

Have things ever got so stressful that you’ve wanted to hit something? We’ve all been there. And while none of us would actually start smashing things up just because we’re angry, there is a safe alternative when it comes to pounding out stress: boxing. Look up your local studio or try out a boxercise class at the gym. It’s a fantastic workout, too!

3 Push your body!

Bootcamps are becoming more and more popular these days and, while signing up is a fantastic way to keep fit, it’s also an effective way to help beat stress. You’ll be so exhausted afterwards you won’t have the energy to worry, plus all those feel-good endorphins will help to lift your mood and put any problems into perspective.

4 Share it

Many of us bottle up our problems, but this is no good for anxiety levels – and it can often make things seem much worse than they are. Ever heard of the saying ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’? It’s very simple but very good advice. Talking about whatever is bothering you can alleviate your concerns and help to resolve them.

5 Step by step

Concentrating on a complex task or move can help you forget your worries. So kick those concerns to the kerb with a dance workout. The moves will require your full attention, plus they’ll boost your heart rate.

6 Get your zzzs

It may be at the bottom of your priority list right now, but getting a good amount of sleep each night is crucial to your ability to cope with stress. The less sleep you get, the more pressure there is on your ability to focus, which will only aggravate you. 

7 Breathe deep

Taking time out to do some breathing exercises can be an extremely effective way to reduce stress. Every day, try to find a quiet spot just for you and focus on full, cleansing, deep breaths from the abdomen.

8 Write it down

Sometimes it helps to write thoughts down. Lots of psychologists recommend this as it helps us to recognise our emotions and find what is actually bothering us. Take a moment each day to write in a free-form style, noting how you are feeling and why. 

9 Bin it!

Another interesting technique is to write down everything that is stressing you out, then throw the piece of paper away! Researchers have found that people who literally threw away their concerns had lower stress levels and worried less.

10 Get in the zone

Meditation is not only a great way to relax, but it also prompts mindfulness. This can help you recognise unhelpful patterns of thought and activate positive mental states, such as kindness, compassion and patience.

Source:womensfitness.co.uk/health/1290/beat-stress

Tips For Getting Some Exercise Into Your Life

Work, friends, family. How does anyone find time to exercise? You know you should, but getting motivated can be a problem. However, it's important to find some way to incorporate activity into your busy lifestyle. 

Benefits of Exercise

Researchers have found that moderate daily exercise may reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and other chronic diseases. If you are seeking general health improvement, just 30 minutes a day should do the trick. And this thirty minutes can be broken down into 10 minute segments throughout the day.

Moderate Exercise

Even exercising just three times per week (if you can't do it daily) can have benefits (mental and physical). The key is that the exercise is "moderate". Moderate exercise consists of any activity that causes an increase in breathing, forcing you to take deeper breaths. You should be able to carry on a light conversation, but should not be breathless. 

Strength Training

If you are looking for strength training, you should work each major muscle two to three times per week. Perform at least one set with 8-12 repetitions. Before exercising, stretch each muscle group (those that will be used in the activity) for 8-12 seconds. This will help to increase flexibility. You should feel some slight discomfort (not pain) while stretching. 

Set Your Goal 

To help get you started, decide on a goal and make a workout plan designed to meet this goal. Once you decide upon a plan, remember to keep a log. This keeps you motivated and "on track".

Keeping Motivated 

Becoming and staying fit is a lifelong process, so don't become discouraged. Small steps, each day is the key. Also, keep these tips in mind:

• Exercise with a friend.
• Mix your regular training with more traditional activities.
• Keep fitness magazines, books and articles on hand when you have free time.
• Keep a tight fitting pair of jeans (or any other article of clothing) around. This encourages you to exercise. It also allows you to monitor changes in your weight or body.
• Plan for bad weather. Have an alternative to your usual outdoor activity.
• Work out at different times of the day, and then write down how you feel before and after each work out. Discover the best time of day to work out.
• Combine housework with more strenuous activity. For example, shuffle, squat, jog or dance while cleaning up.
• Make exercise a priority.
• Park in the furthest corner of the car park instead of the closest you can find.
• Take the stairs rather than the lift.
• Have a walk after lunch or dinner.

Source:weightlossresources.co.uk/logout/news_features/extips.htm

Easy Exercise Ideas

Inadequate physical activity can lead to serious health problems. Start now - make exercise part of your daily routine. At any age, increasing your daily activity can make a difference.

Our bodies are designed to be active and all activity / exercise will develop and firm the muscles of the body. Exercise doesn't have to be a chore. Read on to find ways you can become more active, lose that fat and have some fun…

Walking

Make a determined effort to walk throughout the day. Get off the bus or train a stop or two before your destination and walk the rest of the way; park your car in the furthest space in the car park; walk up and down stairs (no lifts); walk the children to school; walk to the local corner shop for your newspaper or milk, etc.

15 min moderate walking will burn 52 extra kcal* 

Housework Can Do the Trick!

Turn those tiresome chores into healthy positive ones! Turn on the music and clean the windows, hoover, dust, wash up, iron and burn off those calories. 

15 min hoovering / dusting will burn 38 extra kcal*

Get Out In the Garden

Mowing the lawn, weeding and digging all count. 

15 min weeding will burn 52 extra kcal*

Clean Your Car

Time you ran your car through the wash? Why not wash it by hand? It's cheaper, better for the environment and a great form of exercise. Put your back into it and you'll get a better result!
15 min moderate car washing will burn 43 extra kcal*

Play Actively With the Kids / Get Some Friends Together

How about heading for the park for some football, rounders, catch the ball... or dusting off the bike for a leisurely ride? Exercise at a pace where you can still talk.
15 min recreational cycling will burn 45 extra kcal*

Try A Sport

Dip into our try a sport section for more information on a variety of exercise - walking,cycling, swimming, skipping, yoga ... and more.

The important thing is to become active so that your heart is pumping blood at a slightly increased rate and you are burning calories in empowering your muscles! Go for it...

*Based on a 40 year old female of 5’5" tall who weighs 12st 7lb and is moderately sedentary. Extra calories are those you burn on top of the calories you use for basic day-to-day living. Inputting your exercise into your exercise diary will calculate the number of calories you will burn based on your weight.

Source:weightlossresources.co.uk/logout/sport/easy_exercise.htm