International Women’s Day
Started in 1911, International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. We asked a number of women in the community this question: What does International Women's Day mean to you? Here's what they said...
Benefits of Foam Rolling
Scientific evidence lags behind popularity of using the foam roller but the limited research suggests it does do what we hope for: 1. Less fatigue in exercising when foam rolling is used as part of a warm up. 2. Foam rolling helps reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), hence boosting performance in later work outs. 3. Foam rolling increases muscle flexibility and a short term increase in range of motion. How does it work-the theories: 1. Myofascial self release. Adhesions...
Eat Like You Love Your Body
So many times, I see people who eat like they don’t like their body, they treat it poorly, not giving it the nourishment and care that it needs to perform at its best. I want you to think about a life of eating like you love yourself. Here’s what that means to me. 1. It means not skipping meals, just skipping the junk and the ultra processed 95% of the time. I work with a lot of...
Fascia
You may have heard the term Fascia used – but what exactly is it? Essentially, fascia is a clingwrap-like substance that wraps around all our muscles and organs, bones, arteries and nerves providing support and reducing friction in everyday movements. Structurally, fascia is like fairy floss, tightly woven and web-like. 'Myofascial release' is a series of exercises that aim to work the fascia, gently smoothing and stretching it to ensure your body is able to function at...
The Link Between Stress and Gut Health
Stress. It’s a struggle for all of us at one time or another, but did you know that recurrent stress, that heightened sense of urgency, anxiety, fear or even adrenaline that is often present in your fast-paced modern lives can chip away at the foundations of your health. In particular, it can chip away at your microbiome, with research showing that ongoing stress can negatively affect the trillions of healthy bacteria in our gut resulting...
HIIT vs. LISS
Most of us have heard of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) but how many of us know about LISS? Low Intensity Steady State training (LISS) is hugely popular on social media but what is it all about? Essentially, it is low intensity exercise (aim for 50% increase on your resting heart rate) performed for a sustained period, typically 30-60min. So, what are the benefits? * Reduced Injury: With many high intensity training styles, the risk of injury is high....
Dietary Fats: The Good, The Bad & The In-Between
Here is a fascinating look at dietary fats from our Nutritionist, Nereda Merrin. For years, fat was a four-letter word. We were urged to banish it from our diets whenever possible. We switched to low-fat foods. But the shift didn't make us healthier, probably because we cut back on healthy fats as well as harmful ones and within processed foods the space left by fat was filled by sugar. What we know to be true now, is...
Power of the Pose: Side Plank
This exercise is often overlooked in favour of the regular plank pose to build a strong core. This version of plank pose will ensure you target the quadratus lumborum, part of the posterior abdominal wall that plays an important role in avoiding back pain. Finnish researchers discovered that people with deficient muscle endurance in their lower backs were three to four times more likely to develop on-going lower back problems that those who have fair or...
3 Good Reasons to Learn Something New
This month we're encouraging you to run with your curiosity and try something new. Step out of your comfort zone and take the plunge! Here are 3 good reasons to give it a go: 1. Science: The white matter in our brains (called myelin) helps to increase our performance and becomes more dense the more we learn new skills and thus, more efficient, further increasing learning. 2. Creativity: Curiosity and creativity are linked and new ideas can stem...
Strengthen your Willpower Muscle
Have you ever been in a slump (most commonly post-Christmas) and the making of good wellbeing decisions is just too hard? When the extra glass or two of wine and dessert plus missed exercise classes seems the easiest path. It could be that your will-power muscle just needs a little work. In the same way that muscles strengthen with regular use and fatigue when neglected, will-power will become easier with regular love. Here are some top tips...