Category: Pilates

Key Benefits of Forest Bathing

by Fitness Excel, posted in "life coach", enrichment, fitness instruction, fitness walking, flow, health, mental health, outdoors learning, Pilates, well-being

Forests are an incredible resource. They produce oxygen, purify our water and cleanse the air we breathe; the forest is a truly remarkable resource. In Japan two thirds of the country is forest, it is one of the greenest in the world with a rich diversity of tress and is sometimes referred to as the green archipelago.

Forest bathing known as (Shinrin-Yoku) was first created in Japan, 1982 and refers to the healing techniques which restore both the physical and psychological health of the human body, and when especially exposed to a forest environment which activates the senses smell, vision, touch, taste and hearing. 

Our modern lifestyle is busier than ever with increasing levels of stress which can lead to low mood and poor sleep.  Good quality sleep is essential for our health, well-being and for the functioning of our immune system and forest bathing may be a solution.  Li, (2018) research on participants sleep patterns after spending up to 2 hours walking in a forest environment shows an increase in sleep activity, in addition participants were significantly less anxious.

Further, Wen, et al (2019) studies on Asian adult populations and the health effects, used the forest for physical activity to include interventions such as walking, Pilates, yoga and sight-seeing. The data reveals a significant reduction in blood pressure.  The present research on emotional states such as depression, fatigue and tension anxiety also showed a decrease in negative emotions and an increase in positive emotions when walking in a forest environment.

It is recommended to incorporate more green exercise into our daily lives, even short bouts of outdoor exercise can have a big impact on our mood, feel less tired and tend to have a longer-lasting energy boost.  A brisk walk outdoors is easier than going to the gym or working out on a treadmill, it is both rewarding and more enjoyable.

References

Li, Q. (2018) Shinrin-Yohu; The art and science of forest-bathing, how trees can help you find health and happiness.

Wen, Y. Yan, D, Pan, Y, Gu, X & Liu, Y (2019) Medical empirical research on forest bathing (Shinrin-Yoku): A systematic Review

7 Coaching Tips for Exercise Adherence

by Fitness Excel, posted in "life coach", fitness walking, flow, health, mental health, outdoors learning, Performance, Pilates, Resilience, well-being

How do you motivate yourself for exercise? Below are some 7 quick tips to get started.

1.Make a regular schedule of you daily routine, work, social engagements, appointments, family or managing a home.  Identify where you spend your time.

2. keep a diary and write down exactly when and how you are going to exercise, whether it’s an early morning run or an exercise class, could you fit in a session between work or study and meeting friends in the evening. It is also useful to plan and book ahead your fitness routine that you are going to attend that week, most gyms and leisure centres now have online booking apps.  By scheduling exercise in advance you commit yourself to your exercise programme.

3.It is important to have variety in your exercise routine, for example, change your walking, running programmes by adding different routes, speeds, challenges, incorporate Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi or strength training into the programme.

4.Focus on doing rather than thinking, there are many times we can use excuses to skip an exercise session.  Excuses can range from ‘its too cold’, I’m ‘too busy’ or ‘too tired.  Recognise the inner dialogue which goes on and change this to a positive state. 

5.You can also use visualisation technique of recalling when you felt great after a previous exercise session, anchor and recapture those feelings and thoughts and use the visualisation to imagine yourself feeling energised and fit. 

6.Use a fitness App for tracking your progress, these can be useful for monitoring the amount of steps you walk or miles you run and act as a motivational tool.

7.Use goal setting to determine what you want to achieve, this will help, encourage and motivate you when times get tough. Create new goals regularly to ensure you are on track.

Prevention of knee injuries in female footballers

by Fitness Excel, posted in fitness instruction, health, Performance, Pilates

Football soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, there are around 265 million players with trends showing a rapid growth in the sport and in particular female players. One of the most common injuries is that of the knee with the anterior cruciate ligament being the most serious in terms of the onset of osteoarthritis and long-term absence from the sport.

Knee injuries in female footballers is higher compared to males with adolescent girls being at risk most.  Studies undertaken by Walden, et al (2012) suggest in their data that a programme consisting of a neuromuscular warm up significantly reduced ACL injuries, these exercises consisted of core stability and knee control activities. 

Performance in football is determined by many factors, physiological, psychological and biomechanical, although the emphasis has been on the main factors of health-related fitness such as cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, speed, muscular strength and endurance, Nikolaidis (2010) states a question on the contribution of core stability in injury prevention and health has also been raised.   Core stability may provide several benefits to the musculoskeletal system, ranging from low back health and preventing knee ligament injury by providing a foundation for greater force production by upper and lower extremities in sport performance.

Core stability is the ability to control the position and motion of the trunk over the pelvis to allow optimal output, transfer and control of force. Nikolaidis (2010) argues decreased core stability was reported to be associated with a higher risk of injuries in the knee or lower back.  This is supported by Myklebust & Steffen (2009) who claims prevention programmes should be implemented from the ages of 12-14, focusing on a warm up with good movement patterns, exercises which address and improve the lower extremity, core strength as well as awareness and neuromuscular control during static and dynamic movements.

References:

Myklebust, G & Steffen, K (2009) Prevention of ACL injuries: how, when and who. doi:org/10.1007/500167-009-0826-9

Nikolaidis, P (2010) Core stability of male and female football players. doi: 2478/v10101-010-0007-9

Walden, M, Atroshi, I, Magnusson, H, Wagner, P & Hagglund, M (2012) Prevention of acute knee injuries in adolescent female football players: BMJ 2012:344:e3042

Health Benefits of Walking & Pilates

by Fitness Excel, posted in bone health, camino, fitness walking, health, mental health, outdoors learning, Pilates, pilgrim walk, posture - the neck, strength training

Both walking and Pilates are low impact activities which reap many health benefits to include improve balance, co-ordination, deep muscular activation, posture and mindfulness.

Walking address the cardiorespiratory fitness and resistance training from Pilates addresses improved muscular strength, studies undertaken by Takeshima, et al (2013) have demonstrated that the combined programs, either undertaking both activities on the same day or alternate dayes, walking one day and strength training the following day has significant improvements in endurance, functional strength, agility, flexibility, serum lipids and blood pressure over a 12 week period.

In regard to coronary heart disease, Maestroni et al (2020) found that progressive resistance training provides an improvement in cardiorespiratory function comparable to aerobic training alone, when combined they offer more substantiated improvements in both fitness and strength as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure which may be significantly lowered by resistance training.

Those suffering from anxiety also benefit. In Australian studies on women in their 50’s and 60’s, Ripton (2015) state that women with depression who walked 200 miles a week had more energy and those with anxiety may benefit as cortisol, a hormone that provokes a stress response is lower in those who walk compared to those who are sedentary.

Both walking and Pilates can also be challenged by adding nordic poles for walking to increase the instensity of the walk which can burn more calories, poles also encourage you to stand tall, tighten the abdominals, act as an aid for balance, whilst resistance bands, tubing, circles can be incorporated into Pilates programs to increase strength and intensity.

References

Maestroni, L. Read, P. Bishop, C., Papadopoulos, K., Suchomel, T. J. Comfort, P. & Turner, A. (2020). The benefits of strength training on musculoskeletal system health: Practical applications for interdisciplinary care. Sports Medicine, 50(8), 1431-1450. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01309-5

Ripton, N. (2015) The surprising health benefits of walking

Takeshima, N, Islam MM, Rogers, ME, Rogers, N.L. Sengoku, N, Koizumi, D, Kitabayashi, Y, Imai, A, Naruse, A. (2013) Effects of nordic walking compared to conventional walking and band-based resistance exercise on fitness in older adults. J Sports Sci Med, Sep 1:12 (3): 422-30.

Psychology of Marathon Running

by Fitness Excel, posted in bone health, Endurance, fitness instruction, flow, health, Marathon Training, mental health, outdoors learning, Performance, Pilates, Resilience, running, strength training, Uncategorized

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Participants competing in long endurance events such as the Marathon has steadily risen over the years.  Data taken of both demographic and socio-economic groups from various studies has seen a rise in running becoming a popular sport.

The Marathon runner embarks on this challenge for many reasons and they must adapt their lifestyle and training far beyond the recreational exerciser to include high levels of demanding physiological and psychological adaptations to push beyond their current capabilities.  Furthermore, the rewards and positive benefits of this training will outweigh the negatives of marathon running.

The London Marathon is my third marathon, as a veteran runner I have improved with age, both on personal performance together with a faster post marathon recovery rate.  Training for a Marathon demands a consistent, disciplined, structured routine which will manifest into other areas of the runners life to include; personal goal achievement, better life management, psychological and emotional strategies for coping and better vitality and health.

London Marathon – Running Injuries

by Fitness Excel, posted in "life coach", bone health, Endurance, flow, health, Marathon Training, outdoors learning, Performance, Pilates, Resilience, running, strength training, Uncategorized, well-being

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Injuries are inevitable when participating in endurance events and can occur as a result of a breakdown in tissue and muscles being overloaded. With just over one week to go until London Marathon 2019, my plantar fasciitis has flared up again.  This condition can causes inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thin layer of tough tissue supporting the arch of the foot.  Rest and ice are the best form of treatment together with a performance based Pilates exercise programme for the core, such as side plank, integrating foot muscle strengthening and flexibility in the lower limbs.

Functional Strength Training

by Fitness Excel, posted in bone health, health, Pilates, strength training, Uncategorized, well-being

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Ageing is associated to physiological changes and declines in muscles and joints which could contribute to falls, frailty and disability, the term for this condition is known as ‘sarcopenia’.  Factors include a loss of muscle mass and strength.  Current research has shown that by engaging in regular strength training programmes 2-3 times per week, exercise can help combat muscle weakness, build muscle strength and improve bone density.