Let’s Get Physical

Are you struggling to find a Christmas gift for your friend or loved one this year? Well look no further. Why not get them a gym membership, or at least a voucher towards one? I should have been clearer at the start. This is a gift probably best suited to a regular gym goer with or without membership or someone wants to join a gym and would welcome the gift. Please don’t give it to someone who you feel needs to go as I imagine they would take it the wrong way!!

Most of the mainstream gyms offer such vouchers and some of the smaller, more local gyms will no doubt offer this on request. In most cases you just have to redeem the voucher codes on presentation.

If membership isn’t a present needed why not try gym clothing or gym outfits. There is no doubt this would be a welcomed gift because I know I need some new gym kit but won’t buy any because my current kit is comfortable and can’t see the point, but I know I need a new kit. Vicious cycle.

The gym is also a good way to bond and do something beneficial together with someone close to you. You will be improving your health, giving encouragement and spending time. Those three things alone are a good foundation to any relationship.

So give it a try this year. With everywhere competing for price in a declining economy you’re sure to get a bargain.

There is no other sport like bodybuilding. It encompasses so many different aspects that pinning down why people do it is very hard to do. Some people say they do it to look good but what is ‘good’ to some maybe ‘average’ to others. Some people say they body build for competitions and as a way of achieving success through awards and trophies. This is a nice idea and gets quite close to what bodybuilding is really about.

The ‘trophies’ you should really be going for are the ones that enhance your body and your mind; this is what makes bodybuilding such an addictive sport. The way that training can alter the way you feel about the day is very appealing. Your physique will get compliments but there’s always somebody with a bigger frame than you so the process has to be very subjective.

Your ‘awards’ may come on the competition circuit but the rewards are very personal. The change to a diet that brings about better results for example or a change of sports supplement that helps you train for longer and more successfully, can give you a real buzz. It’s hard to put your finger on what bodybuilding means to people without doing it yourself, feeling the burn, watching your physique change and yes, getting the admiring looks, are all part of the overall sense of achievement.

You’re probably only going to do it once, so you want it all to be done right. You’ll no doubt choose the cake, outfits, your representatives (best man & maid of honour etc), venue and photographer. If you’ve got the cash you’ll probably get a wedding planner to do all the arrangement for you.

Despite having all these other things, one thing that will last the longest will be your memories of the day in particular pictures and videos. But how much better would it feel if you looked your best every time you looked at them?

With this being the time of year that many couples might look at getting engaged as well as the time of year that many people look at making new year’s resolutions that usually never last, of going to the gym, losing weight and getting healthy, maybe this could be the motivation that is needed to start getting in shape. It’s for a good reason and you’ll enjoy the results for the rest of your married life or at least every time you look at your pictures.

So to conclude, let what could be the best life decision you make help you make another great life changing decision. Getting in shape for your wedding is where it starts. From there you could stay in shape for life and it could be a hobby that you and your partner could share.

Trapeziums are tricky to grow so the best advice is to stick to the tried and tested methods. You can always vary them slightly to suit your own program but the general movements should remain the same.

Firstly, you should try ‘upright rows’, this is when you get the barbell and stand with the bar in from of you; grasp it in the middle with a gap of about six inches between your hands. Now, slowly bring the bar upwards to your chin for a two second count and then lower the bar. Perform 3 sets of 6-12 reps increasing the weight with each set and decreasing the amount of repetitions.

Secondly, you should be shrugging. There are several different ways to shrug weights. For example, you might want to shrug using a barbell. Here, you slowly shrug the weight as if you were trying to bring your shoulders up to your ears and then lower it down. Remember that, technique is more important than weight. You can also shrug in front of you or with the barbell behind you or try both methods.

Alternatively, you could use dumbbells. Start off with the weights by your sides and then slowly draw them upwards and then slowly downwards keeping control of the movement at all times. These muscles really need the encouragement given by good sports supplements products like whey protein and other weight gain powders.

With the massive hikes in food prices is it still possible to eat healthily on a budget?

The way politicians break bad news is like the way a doctor would break bad news t a patient. They hope by making light of the problem that we would be less worried about it. How much more wrong could they be? If anything their assumed optimism could be seen as more worrying!

When our grocery and supermarket food bills are raising by more than 12% and household  energy bills are on a massive rise also, the last thing you want to be hearing is ‘it’s all okay, there is nothing to worry about!’

We would surely react better if we were told how difficult things really are and then we cold budget wisely. At this rate we may be doing more harm than good by buying poorer quality food rather than budgeting more wisely.

A goodnights sleep can boost memory!

Sleep has a way of dramatically having an impact on how the brain works during the day. According to some research that was conducted in Switzerland, a sound night’s sleep may have the capacity to strengthen the connections between the nerve cells in the brain, which helps us in learning and remembering much more easily.

So sleep is more than just a way to help us to get some rest. When we are asleep our brains aren’t. They are actually still very active. They keep processing the information acquired during the day.

So whatever you do, don’t sacrifice your sleep. It’s a lot more important than we realise to our overall health. If you are a sufferer of insomnia, maybe be try some gentle, natural herbal ways to get to sleep, such as Valerian for example.

The secret benefits of a curry to your health.

Over the past 10 years or so there has been more of a focus on natural alternatives, especially with those that could be beneficial in reducing inflammation or swelling. One such natural alternative is Turmeric. Turmeric is derived from a plant source and contains both potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ‘curcuminoids’ which are known for their ability to reduce the pain caused by inflammation.

From some clinical trials, it’s been suggested that it could be as effective as some well known and often used treatments for joint inflammation but without the recorded side effects of the medicines, namely Phenylbutazone and Cortisone. It’s also thought to stimulate the body’s own natural production of Cortisone which comes from the adrenal glands, which indirectly helps the healing process.

From some other separate studies, Turmeric has anti-inflammatory potential above that of hydrocortisone, making it a useful treatment for those with eczema or psoriasis.

It always seems to be the same at Christmas, ‘Will all my hard work be wasted on Christmas junk food?’Well I have 2 answers for that one:

1.    Don’t eat like a pig
2.    Burn the extra calories

There is no problem with eating more at Christmas. Historically we always eat more during the winter months due to the climate. The digestion process produces excess body heat and keeps our stores up (shivering uses a lot of energy and burns calories!)So the eating isn’t not discouraged. However why is it that you have to binge eat and drink this time of year rather than any other (except on holiday abroad)?

As with all things moderation is the key this season. An alternative and probably the best one in my opinion is to keep on exercising, even if its lightly, through the winter months and particularly over the Christmas period. This will help keep some of the excess calories off and make it less difficult to shift in the New Year!

Many of us want to get fit and keep in shape. Especially at this time of year loads of us will rush to join a gym before or after Christmas in a last ditch attempt to deal with the seasonal excuse for a binge on food and drink!

But on the other hand there are lots of people who want to get into shape but whether out of fear or other personal reason do not want to join a gym. Well as with all things there is an alternative, and the options are relatively inexpensive, to being free!

1.    You can buy weight and work out from home
2.    You can use your own body weight to exercise

In my personal opinion using body weight to exercise is probably the best overall as its the most challenging. Once mastered, you could then add weight to the workout. The main bodyweight exercises are:

•    Press – ups
o    These work your chest and triceps (back of upper arms)

•    Pull – ups or chins
o    These work your back and biceps (front of upper arms) and improve your grip

•    Squats and/or lunges
o    These focus on your thighs, front and back, and also incorporate your core

In addition to these you can include the abs to get an all-round body workout.

This might appear to be quite simple but it’s not as easy as it seems. There are many guys in the gym who struggle to workout using bodyweight exercises as they focused too much on using weights (I was one of them back in the day!) but once the y incorporate both elements see significant improvements.

It’s as easy as that, isn’t it? We wish it was. If it was as well as free fitness advice I would be handing out free dating advice as well. Just call me the fitness and love doctor.

Since the dawn of time with cave men roaming the earth and clubbing everything to death, a partner was chosen based on a perception of survival of the fittest. It’s an in built natural urge to bear a child that has a combination of good healthy genetic traits. Call it a survival instinct.

Now in modern times the same urge generally exists however we are more resistant to our natural instincts and more about societal imposed demands and their effects on our perceptions of what our ideal partner should be. Things such as wealth and status are the main.

However there is one thing that has stood the test of time. We still recognise good health as a desirable trait. A person in good physical shape normally exhibits good all round health and this can be related to healthy genes.

So single guys and girls maintain your health. For one, keeping in good physical health builds a good mental state and you will feel good which will breed confidence which is attractive in itself and to be honest being in shape itself is enough to get heads turning and attract attention and when you do meet someone don’t get lazy and complacent!