Let’s Get Physical

Water is the most important element to life. It is involved in some way in every bodily function and we could not survive without it. Water is essential for:

· Controlling the bodies temperature

· Aiding the digestion process

· Lubricating the joints and body tissues

· Transporting nutrients around the body

· Flushing out the bodies waste products

For these reasons alone water is important to the body, but it is particularly important during exercise. Hydration becomes more important the longer you train and the more intense it gets.

It’s been proven in athletes that the hydration is important for focus and optimal performance. A drop of body weight by at least two percent can have negative effects such as cramps and dizziness but could even be as severe as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Dehydration can easily occur. It can be a result of simply

· Not drinking enough water/fluid

· Heavy sweating

· Not drinking water/fluid during and after sport or exercise

· Physical activity in a hot environment

And the most common reason

· Only drinking water/fluid when thirsty

By this point you are usually already dehydrated!

As well as not drinking enough water, is also important that you do not drink too much. Drinking too much plain water can decrease the concentration of the nutrients in the blood, in particular sodium. Sodium is lost from body through sweating so drinking too much can affect the balance in the blood.

So would drinking sport drinks that help maintain this balance be better than drinking water?

The Eatwell Plate put together by the Government is a general model of how we all can eat healthily. It’s based on the 8 guidelines for eating healthily and it shows the types and relative proportions of the different food groups. The Eatwell Plate Model is applicable to every individual over the age of five years of age, and can be gradually applied if needed to pre-school children. It does not however apply to individuals with special dietary health needs. If your health is being monitored by a medical profession, they should always be consulted before undergoing any dietary changes.

You should always eat from the following food groups daily:

1. Carbohydrates-Bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods
2. Proteins-Meats, fish, beans and other sources of protein
3. Fruits & vegetables
4. Milk & Dairy foods-cheese, yoghurt, etc
5. Fats and oils & food and drink high in sugars

The foods in the fifth food group should not be consumed in large quantities, should not be eaten often and should not be eaten in place of any of the other food groups. A variety of foods consumed in moderation is important in the maintenance of good health.

In October 2005 the Government published Eight tips for eating well, which were based on the Eatwell plate. These eight tips are:

1. Don’t skip breakfast
2. Meals should be based around starchy foods
3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
4. Cut down on saturated fats and sugars
5. Eat more fish, particularly oily fish
6. Reduce salt intake – no more than 6g a day
7. Drink plenty water – around 2 litres a day
8. Increase physical activity and aim to maintain a healthy weight

4th rule: Balance is key!
With practically everything you do there will be opposite action to keep the balance. Working to get a flat stomach and in turn a good posture is no different. The majority of us overdo the work we do to the front of our bodies since that the bit we see most of when we look in the mirror. The irony of this the more you do to one side rather than keeping it even on both side, will create an imbalance which in some extreme cases make you worse off than when you first started.

So what’s the answer? For all of us who are sat at a desk all day, over do it with the bench press or do nothing but sit ups and crunches without results take note. Strengthening the lower back (which in my opinion provides greater support for your mid section) and working your back, in particular the muscles between your shoulder blades that lead to your shoulders pulling back helps to readdress this balance and even pulls at your chest and abs. These two things will improve posture and appearance and make all the hard work worth it!

5th rule: Stretch upper body
This is more important than 1st realised, especially to those who may not work their chest. However anything that causes your shoulders to round forward will force your stomach to protrude. This includes being sat slumped at your desk all day.

It’s always a good idea to stretch your chest and shoulders to prevent them getting tight and pulling forward. You’ll notice the difference straight away.

6th rule: Lower body stretch
Once again with a lot of our focus being on the front of our bodies and for most of us who are sat at desks all day, every day, we need to stretch. The area of focus is the area between our abs and top of thigh known as the Hip Flexor. This can quite easily tighten up, even on those amongst us who are reasonably toned and cause the stomach to protrude.

Following these 6 rules will put you on the right path to achieving your goals of a tighter, stronger and leaner mid section, with an improved posture.

2nd rule: Isolate your abs

This is probably the most obvious one, however it’s the one that most people get wrong!

Most of you out there probably do hundreds of sit ups and leg raises and everything in between and wonder why you haven’t developed a flat well developed mid section yet (assuming the 1st rule has already been followed!).

For a start are you sure your working your abs and not just assisting your movement with your hips? The best basic exercise that focuses the abs is the crunch. Performed slowly and purposefully you will soon enough feel them working. Try 2 – 3 sets of 12 – 20 reps. If you can’t do this straight away gradually build up to this. As this gets easier try adding resistance.

3rd rule: TVA? What’s that then?
So what and where is the TVA? The TVA or Transverse Abdominis is the part of your stomach muscle responsible for drawing in your abs and flattening and tightening your stomach. Because most of us are sat down so often and quite sedentary, this is one area is prone to relax and carry out its function which is to support spine. This lack of support contributes to poor posture.

One way to work this area is to sit or stand up straight with the correct posture (shoulders back) and hold in your mid section. Focus on pulling your belly button in as far as possible. Hold this for 60 – 90 seconds. Relax and repeat this about 10 times.

Another exercise is the plank. This involves you laying on your front as if you were doing pushups and supporting yourself on your forearms. Aim to hold for 60 seconds or as long as possible. With all these exercises and others, there is no point in trying to cheat, because you’re cheating yourself out of the benefits.

There are many articles in magazines etc promising to eradicate those “problem areas” How many of us actually manage to achieve these miracle, quick fix results? Thought so!

The stomach is one of those areas. We all want that flat stomach, or “six-pack”, but are we willing to put the work in? That is the question!

There are six golden rules that should be followed by all you hopefuls out there wanting to change your mid-section for the better.

1st rule: Reduce your body fat
This is rule number one for a reason. It won’t matter how much work you put into it, if you can’t see it you might as well have not done anything. Of course strong abs are better than weak ones, but surely you would rather have them visible on the beach?

The rule of thumb for this is to reduce your daily calorie intake by roughly 500kcal a day. The idea is that your body should start to use calories that are already present. For some this could be as simple as cutting junk food out of your diet. If this doesn’t make a difference then you will have to increase your level of physical activity and even reduce the size of meal portions gradually. The aim is to safely reduce your weight by a MAXIMUM of a pound a week, until you reach your desired body weight or appearance.

Please remember, before undergoing any diets or weight management techniques, consult a qualified health professional first. At the very least found out your Body Mass Index (BMI) and your measurements and use them as a guide.