Hey – just a quick note today as I’m in between sessions,

A question for you – what if you didn’t set any goals this year or month or week or ever!

How will you feel?

What will your facebook status be in a week, month or year?

Will you moan about the weather / financial position/ fitness / relationship?

And lets just think what others will make of your whining,

Will they care – or even worse will they pity you? Say aaargh and agree that life sucks?

Hey but i guess sometimes goals are a bit scary cause – what if you set goals but dont achieve them?

Your facebook status may read I tried but I failed,

Then what?
Will people think – pathetic loser? Or will they say- come on matey try again?

But what if you achieve your goals?

Your facebook staus may read

I did it!! I achieved!

Your friends will ‘like’ in admiration and
maybe feel inspired to do something themselves, and comments of ‘well done’ come pouring on your wall

But thats if you bother to write out your goals

Hey ho as I said last week – ‘If its to be its up to me!’

Try – fail – learn – try – fail – learn- try – fail – learn

however many times you stay on it, just keep going and eventually you get

Try – succeed – ‘like’

Love ya – ooops almost late for my session xxx

Do you ever wonder why your friend can eat anything and still stay slim?

Its so unfair,

You see her eat a bag of crisps and a chocolate bar at work, you daren’t even look at chocolate, let alone buy it.

You have a balanced healthy diet, and you definately eat healthier than she does, with your daily prepared soups cous cous salads, punnet of strawbs in your drawer, and seeds in a little tupperware tub.

Its so unfair, because she doesnt even go to the gym! Whereas you go to zumba, pilates and walk the dog!

Its so unfair
Yes it is unfair you couldn’t try harder, Woe is me I know, life sucks, Keep reading,

Lets stop and look at what is happening here

You eat healthily – but what about portion size?

Because its good and deemed ‘ok’ to eat, stay mindful of the fact it still has a calorific value,

A banana is still 80-100 calories almost 2 of her biscuits,

A mountain of nuts and seeds can have more calories than a bag of crisps,

And just a moderate extra banana a day above what you need can help you gain a pound in just over a month!

So yes its way unfair that we are conditioned that some foods are bad so avoid at all cost and some are good so pile it high,

Some foods are high in heart clogging fats some are high in heart unclogging fats – yes we need to choose the latter but not twice as much, you wont get twice the benefit , but will get twice the calories!

The sad thing is you could eat a trashy diet but so long as it was less than you needed you would lose weight,
But you would likely be unhealthy and be depriving your body of valuable nutrients to repair tissue and strengthen your bones, your exercise level may plummet from hard to down right pathetic.

The good news is you already know what keeps your body healthy, that youv’e sussed, work on it and improve the overall consumption to a level conducive to weight loss and your laughin’.

Your workouts can stay at an athletic fat burning,muscle building, butt toning abs to die for level and you can
burn off calories with your exercise,

but if you put in more calories than you need with your abundant, albeit healthy, diet, it will not shift weight.

So it has not been a cruel joke by mother nature – she probably hasnt a faster metabolic rate or is naturally skinny.

Sit down and compare the total intake of both you and your skinny mate, and the output too,

Because no matter how complex people try to make weightloss the simple fact is too much in too little out = weight gain and defo no loss!

If you already know that you just simply eat too much even of the good stuff, then come on – have a word, toughen up and focus less on food and more on keeping that body busy!

Have the best day ever

Aimie xxx

Are you suffering with a Dodgy knee? ( thats a technical term! )

First of all any knee pain should be checked out by your doctor and diagnosed, Pain is there for a reason, to protect your body and to alert you something is not right.

Correct treatment and diagnosis are vital so you can be leaping round like tigger once again.

When you are ready, you know what your dealing with and are able to start training again the following exercises and advice can prevent further knee issues.

Correct body alignment and proper technique during training is crucial in getting the most from your workouts and ensuring safety and injury prevention.

Muscular imbalances can be the cause for many injuries and this can be put down to repeated poor posture or lack of strength required for daily activities.

The kneecap(patella) is moveable and needs equal muscle strength to keep it stable and running smoothly over the joints of the tibia and femur during movement.

If your muscles strength and or flexibility are imbalanced then the patella can be tracking to either side (depending in which muscles are stronger or weaker) it can also be pulled high or backward, due to hamstring and quadriceps tightness or weaknesses.

So if we were to presume all scenarios it would be fair to say that strength training and flexibility of each of the muscles is important,

Many ‘dodgy knee’ conditions cause friction and pressure on structures around the joint, this wears down cartilage covering the bone ends causing pain.

Exercises are to serve the purpose of strengthening and stretching the muscles to take the weight bearing load off the joint, so it can move freely in the correct anatomical way.

Thinking about your daily movement patterns and posture can help awareness of what pressures are placed on your knees.

Footwear is also very important particularly if you have flat feet or excessive high arches. Both can cause the alignment of the knee to be compromised and even more aparent in high impact activities such as running and jumping. Speaking to a podiatrist or physiotherapist can be valuable enabling you in choosing correct footwear and getting orthotics to raise your arches (in flat feet).

In your regular fitness plan I would recommend at least twice per week 8-12 repetitions of 1-3 sets of each of the following,

Stretching for the
Hamstrings,
Quadriceps
Psoas
Adductors
Iliotibial band
Gastrocnemius

Strength of the
Vastus medialis, Vastus lateralis, Rectus femoris and Vastus intermedius, Hamstrings

Floor:-
Side leg raise,(Outer thigh, inner thigh)
Front leg raise,
Hip lifts on or off the fit ball

Standing:-
Squats, lunges

Office
Pillow squeeze
Side stair stepping
Stool walks ???!!! Answers on a postcard) photos to follow :-/

if you would like specific advice then please drop me a line as im always willing to get you back out there doing your thang

Bye for now you crazy peeps

Aimie xxx

As an athlete (don’t disagree bashfully) or regular exerciser (if you prefer) you will recognise the importance of nutrition, although at times it still may seem like hit and miss from session to session. This article will provide you with current research and information to keep you ticking along and seeing better progress from your endurance training,
and lets face it thats what we want, no one likes the lead legs on a run or the lack of energy but if you use the information here you can make your energy levels soar,

happy reading

Preventing the “Low-Fuel Light” in Endurance Exercise
Andrea Hacker Thompson M.S., R.D.
Endurance athletes spend months training for
a marathon or triathlon with a performance
goal in mind. Often, nutrition is mistakenly
left out of their plan. Nutrition should be a
fundamental tool in every endurance athlete’s
toolbox. During the training season, athletes
should practice and sharpen their nutrition
plan so they feel confident in it on race day.
ACSM defines an endurance athlete as one
who trains and competes for 90 minutes or
longer. A nutritional plan is especially
important for endurance athletes because they
are at high risk of bonking, or as I call it,
having the “low-fuel light” come on.
The body of an endurance athlete is like a race
car with two fuel tanks. The duration and
intensity of the activity determines which tank
is the primary fuel source. Tank A is the body’s
fat stores, which contain about 70,000 calories
of fat that are available during lower-intensity
aerobic exercise. Tank B is the body’s
carbohydrate stores, which are glycogen stored
in the muscle and liver. As the intensity of a
workout increases, the ability to use the fat in
tank A as fuel decreases, and the body
becomes more dependent on carbohydrates in
tank B for fuel. The body can only store
around 2,000 calories of glycogen at a time,
which fuels both the working muscles and
brain. When our glycogen stores get low, the
low-fuel light comes on. Both the brain and
muscles send signals of fatigue.
When we exercise for less than 90 minutes,
tank B has sufficient stores to power us
through the activity. However, when we
exercise for more than 90 minutes, we need to
have a nutritional plan to prevent the low fuel
light from turning on.
There are four key areas to focus on if you
want to prevent a low-fuel light—fueling
before exercise, fueling during exercise, fueling
after exercise and daily fueling.
Fueling Before Exercise
A race car never starts a race without new tires
and a full tank of gas, so an endurance athlete
should not start a workout without fueling.
Eating before a workout guarantees that the
body starts with a full tank of glycogen.
If you have three or four hours, eat 300-600
calories, primarily of carbohydrate (2-3g/kg
body weight), moderate in protein and low in
fat. Minimize the amount of fiber in this meal
to prevent stomach discomfort during
exercise. Even if you are not hungry, you
should have something to eat before a long
workout. Think of it as fueling your body so it
can perform optimally.
Pre-exercise meals can include:
• Oatmeal with milk, fruit and nuts
• Turkey sandwich with fruit
• Cottage cheese with crackers and fruit
• Toast and peanut butter
Three to four hours before you work out,
drink 2-4 cups of fluids. One hour before you
work out, drink 1-2 cups of fluids.
Fueling During Exercise
This fueling opportunity is the well-planned
“pit stop.” The fuel should be simple, easily
digestible carbohydrates that the body needs
to maintain energy and prevent fatigue.
Fuel every 45-60 minutes during a long
workout. ACSM guidelines recommend 30-60
grams of carbohydrate (120-240 calories) per
hour. Remember that for optimal
performance, we also need to provide the
body with fluids and electrolytes. If the
workout is less than 90 minutes, but at a high
intensity, you may want to drink an energy
drink instead of water or bring an energy gel
with you.
Mid-exercise foods can include:
• Gels
• Energy beans
• Energy beverages
• Honey
• Bananas
• Oranges
During endurance exercise, drink 6-12 oz. of
sports drink or water every hour.
Eating After Exercise
The goal for post-workout fueling is recovery.
Fueling will help you replenish glycogen
stores used during the workout, optimize
protein synthesis to repair damaged muscle
tissue and stimulate the development of new
tissue, and replace fluids and electrolytes that
were lost in sweat.
Within 30 minutes of exercise, an endurance
athlete should have a snack of 300-400
calories containing carbohydrate (75-100
grams) and protein (6 grams). The
carbohydrate-to-protein ratio should be 2:1 in
short, low- to medium-intensity workouts or
3:1 in long, high-intensity workouts.
Post-exercise foods can include
• Chocolate milk
• A high-density nutrition bar (e.g., Clif bar)
• Smoothie with yogurt and fruit
After exercise, drink two cups of fluid for
every pound of body weight lost.
Daily Fueling
The fourth way to prevent your low-fuel light
from turning on is to eat a diet consistently
high in carbohydrates. A diet full of whole
grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein (not
in cookies and chips) will ensure that your
muscles have fuel when you hit the road.
A good pit crew at the Indianapolis 500 is a
key part of a winning performance. A good
fueling plan is equally as important for an
endurance athlete, making the difference
between running out of fuel and taking a
victory lap.

“Reprinted with permission of the
American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM Fit Society®
Page, Spring 2011, p. 5.”

No carbs after 4 pm?

Your body is using fuel 24/7 so what time you eat has no bearing on weightloss or gain, it does affect your blood sugars and is more of a concern for diabetics , which is a different subject.

The calories you eat and the amount that you burn are what affects weightloss.

Restricting carbs after 4 is just another way of reducing total calorie intake.

Eating high glycaemic foods prior to exercise can give you a boost if you are lacking in energy and timings can be crucial in athletes and those taking part in endurance sports.

But for the most, time is not a weightloss factor, calorie amount is

When we give weightloss our attention we know the principle of energy in energy out and how these must either balance or lean one way or another to gain or lose weight.

but we are in a rush so we reach for ….
Yes the Atkins, south beach , weight watchers, slimming world, food combining diets which will work …. till you get bored!

But when we have decided we are tired of the dieting what happens then?
We gain weight again, sometimes more than before.

Why???

On all calorie restricted diets when you stop your energy requirements are lower than when you started. Meaning you need to eat even less or exercise more just to maintain your new weight.

In follow up studies its been shown that the longterm effects were the same regardless of diet components, so why not eat a healthful diet instead of a tiresome restrictive one?

Does this then, not serve as a reminder again that crash diets are not real, they are short term and frankly in my opinion destructive, unless you realise that it means massive changes at the ‘end’,

So what’s the solution?

Small changes, to help adjust to new activity habits and portion control, (an extra flight of stairs, one less slice of toast)

Keep tabs on yourself with a food/activity diary, weigh in or better still get someone else to weigh you,

Fuel the fire when you need to, adjust your intake to match your expenditure,

Eat according to your lifestyle,

Keep meals healthy and full of fruits and veggies,

Dont elimate foods , add new healthy foods instead

Fill up on high volume low calorie foods to avoid hunger

Dont skip breakfast , your body thinks famine and send the messages to your brain to fill up oin high calorie foods,

If your food obsessed find a new hobby, boredom is a factor in over eating.

Learn something new, take a course , go for a walk , redecorate,

Remember that your a human being with mobile joints designed for movement,

Food, although a pleasure, is to fuel this movement,

Movement should be enjoyable and the more you do the easier it gets,

Start small and add extra activity into your lifestyle, but be mindful that it’s for the longterm,

Have a great week
Aimie

We are all the same – the worlds great achievers the worlds saddest losers, I am the same as you/them, you are the same as them/I,

What makes success then if we are all made the same?

The use of

Discipline
Self belief
Goals
Desire
Persistence
Self worth

You have all these skills they are not exclusive

And if your lacking in an area you can hone the skills required, practice makes perfect

Just never give in to

Self doubt
Hedonism
Greed
Laziness
Negativity

Watch them they sneak up on you and grow like weeds in abundance! you have to whack them down and grow more positive.

You have everything you need for everything you want.

So what ya gonna do?

Win or lose?

Bother or not?

Do or don’t do?

Think about it for a while?

Live your life or watch others lives?

Whose time is it on the clock?

Your choice

Thats another 30 second gone

Yes in fact everything you do is mental!!

To get fit you have to think it first , see it in your minds eye long before you start taking action.

Our thoughts are things, they are the seed of everything you create in your life.

Look around you at the people you hang with and the material things you possess.

Why do they appear in your life? Because you thought about them and wanted them to be there, which led to your taking the steps to having them.

So if you think about being fitter and can see your self running, cycling, weight training, and being committed to eating well and self disciplined, guess what, you are more likely to achieve just what you can see!

Then we can look at just what you need to do to achieve it.

Be a mentalist and see what you CAN achieve.

I’m on bbc radio lancashire again today , talking about injuries,

So I thought I would just blog it for those who will miss it…

How frustrating, you know the scenario , your all fired up and ready for the next weightloss fitness mission, 2 weeks in and ping !! A flaming injury, why you ask ? Just when I’m feeling good and in control?

Well the key here (annoying as it sounds) is prevention!

Plan what your going to do and think about the energy and strength it requires to do it properly. My top tips would be..

1. When you start something new go and have a physio mot, just to give you confidence and a heads up as to what your Achilles heel (pardon the pun) may be and what to strengthen or stretch.

2. Get a well devised strength plan to address weak areas and equal out any imbalances.

3. Get a plan in your chosen activity be it running cycling mountain trekking etc.

4. Gradual progression , ensure your chosen plan progresses at a rate your body can handle , too much too soon can cause all kinds of problems.

5. Follow the plan and don’t be tempted to run before you can walk … Literally.

6. Keep your flex appeal – stretching out the tight muscles can be so simple and very effective at avoiding injury.

Exercise can be the most rewarding thing you do , so keep it safe and effective and you will enjoy it a whole lot more.

Keep moving !

Aimie x

27 Ways to Run Better Every Day | Active.com.