THE BODY is just so interesting!

I have been teaching my FF Yoga for some weeks now and in it we do MUCH thoracic rotation (twisting from the mid back - think of the triangle pose if you know it). Last week my mid back was really SORE and stiff, so I figured it might be I am overdoing it. I then started to experience pain when I inhaled to over 50% capacity.

I have 'been here' before and this was years ago; WAY before Yoga so this needed rethinking!

I posted my problem on FB as I was foxed by it. Fellow traininers suggested stretching the thoracic (already done) foam rolling the thoracic (already done), and nothing resonated until a genuis told me to stretch my scalenes - now THAT made sense as I have not been stretching my neck at all.

Some weeks ago for Candlelight Pilates I asked the members what they'd like me to do for that session (a bit like a DJ asks what records you'd like him to play, I ask what member's muscles are tight). One lady said 'anything but neck Cat - it does nothing for me!'

Me being the slightly paranoid person I am (!), I then assumed EVERYONE was not 'getting anything' from neck stretches and ever willing to please,u took them ot for about 3 weeks. (this takes us to last week)!

MISTAKE.

1. Loads of members need to stretch their necks and

2. I DO and it is my party!!

So I took my ickle dog out that night and as he was running in circles around a field I thought "hey I should do those stretches while I have the oportunity". The stretches worked instantly, and I could breathe unhindered for the first time in days. HOORAY.

But I wanted to know more about WHY!! This is the classic case of Google ONLY WORKING if you have the end of the story before the middle or beginning! If I googled tight thoracic I got millions of stretches I already do/know. If I googled I cannot breathe I got loads on asthma! But if I goggled tight scalenes leading to thoracic..... I get this:

Shortened neck muscles can lead to compression of the neck vertebrae. This tends to make it more difficult to turn or tilt the head. To compensate, many people begin raising their shoulders to create some slack in the tight and restricted scalene muscles found at the side of the neck. Unfortunately, lifting the shoulders can, over time, create its own set of complex, painful and bewildering symptoms and should be avoided at all costs.

Restricted breathing may also be a troubling symptom. As the scalene muscles shorten, they are strong enough to raise the position of the first rib, which they are attached to. The lung is attached to the underside of the first rib. So, when the rib is lifted, it puts strain on the fascia covering the lung, making it more difficult to fill the upper portion of the lung with air. A feeling of restricted lung capacity can be the result.

BINGO!!
I love google too!
I am never going to forego my neck stretches again - it was a scary week!

If you'd like to know the stretches I do for necks (I know many highly effective ones) - please email me and we'll get a sheet to you!

De-tox

The best things come in waves and I won't necessarily train hard all year round (just like footballers taking summer out).

Doing (currently) 21 exercises a week at the Club I have to be savvy to acheive this. There are some that CAN'T get by without my joining in, but on my off weeks I avoid most Cardio workouts and just join in the mind body sessions. Perfect.

In a similar vein - I am human and can't adhere to my own nutritional plan all year round - although I am pretty good. Wheat, milk, trans fats, caffeine, are all out permanently, and I only eat meat OUT (and then if I trust the source). I cook in coconut oil and use flax and olive oils on salads. I ADORE veggies and avoid most fruit (not necessary if you do veggies and high on sugar). So where do I fail? Well, I love wine, but don't drink much, (but it is getting too often), and I keep dipping into Green and Blacks darkest chocolate! I seen to have rediscovered cheese and I have also not been too hot on juicing (which is all part of the plan on Weight & See). And carbs have crept back in and need to be reduced other than post-work out. I love the gluten free bread from the deli but again should be getting more chances to avoid this and eat other forms of decent, less convenient carbs.

HENCE my recent decision to get back on track.

Day 5 was Friday and I had a crashing headache. It is almost like a hang over but weirdly you have a sense of talking ahead of yourself and although you feel VERY muzzy headed you are still sharp underneath it - MOST disconcerting! Sunday now and the headache has gone but (I have had this before) I am still not 'right'. Now the last time I did this I was into it by WEEKS and STILL felt muzzy so I started to take Seratonin - the results were fantastic so I will do this again (along with a sun bed for 6 mins a week). I do recall (In FS Pilates) feeling like a child again in terms of absolute mental clarity. It was a fabulous feeling and I want it again!

The main reason for doing this? I woke up last Sunday and truly felt my age - like I had been run over by a very heavy truck. This (for me) tends to happen when my body is struggling to attain homeostatis - here meaning 'an alkaline state'. ALL bodies are alkaline it is just how much work it takes to get it there that makes us suffer. Wine, chocolate, (even the best Green and Blacks), and cheese (all very acid) , and not enough enzymes (from fresh juices) will all contribute to make the process a harder one and the body WILL object. I reckon just a couple more weeks and I'll be reaping the rewards of this strict protocol. I expect my clients to do it for just 4 weeks, then relax. I am going to presevere til Christmas (another 9 weeks away), then keep it going afterwards. The 'letter to my body' did the trick for me - I really do want to be the best I can be right up til I am 50 - then better again!! I WILL REVERSE THE AGING PROCESS!! Right now I have dark circles under my eyes and am sleeping like never before - all GOOD signs - the toxins are in my blood stream and ready to get gone!! More in a few days time!

letter to my body

This fantastic idea is something I pinched from a newspaper article. They had 4 women write a letter to their body looking at aspects of what their bodies had been through over their lifetimes.

So we did the same! It is SUCH a powerful project and mine got longer and longer (well I am 49!). I simply can't bring myself to publish it here - it is so private and I have been so stupid in the past to my body and how I treated it. But if you'd like to see it on my sister site (which you need to join, but that at least will keep out most scandlemongers!), feel free - but I'd love it if you would leave a comment and also for anyone else who has left an account on the page (one is most moving).

http://weightandsee.ning.com/forum/topics/letter-to-my-body

Oestrogen, the excess of it and what it does..

Here, we look not at ‘overspill’ (muffin tops as in another blog), but lower down to the bottom / top of the thighs. We are talking about the scenario whereby the rest of you is relatively lean but you are having problems getting stubborn fat deposits off your J-Lo.Whereas with muffin tops, we are dealing with an insulin response, a pear shape is often due to high oestrogen levels and as I researched this issue further for this article, I unearthed some astounding facts: Levels of oestrogen have never been higher in the history of mankind than they are today. I’ll come to ‘how’ in a minute but for now you need to know that as the liver tries to modify oestrogen levels it will send them via the bloodstream to where it is ‘safe’ – in this case the adipose (fat) tissue of the buttocks and thighs! The potential sources of oestrogen (or eostrogen mimics) are numerous: white can linings, certain nail polishes and aftershaves, plastic bottles, Teflon coatings, recycled city water, some medications a bad diet, and many more.

To bring your levels DOWN (this applies to men too – think moobs), it is the same old story: LOTS of green vegetables (steamed and never microwaved), less red meat, HIGH resistance training, don’t inhale chemical fumes, and eat more pulses: hummus, lentils, red kidney beans...I have LOTS more advice on this but too little space so if interested, e-mail me, cat@gymandtonichay.co.uk

It’s your duty to look after your booty!

If you go to the gym and tonich website:

http://www.gymandtonichay.co.uk/index.htm

there is a much longer version to be had!

Buddy training

This is something I see in the gym OFTEN and it is gratifying to observe: In training, two can be stronger than one, and as a couple, or as friends, or in a group, you can face the world head on, with a stronger united front (well that’s the idea anyway!).

Now in our 10th year of trading as Gym & Tonic in Hay, I feel I am qualified to speak on the subject of adherence to the cause, and in the case of the gym one thing is blatantly clear: training with a pal works really well and I’ll outline why: ‘Buddy Training’, as we call it in the trade, means you have instant support (as well as in the gym with us), if one of you is not in the mood the other will prop them up.

You’ll feel accountable to each other and so less likely to sabotage your efforts. It is easy to get the blood pumping with two (especially if there is a little harmless competition there!). You’ll encourage and motivate each other, and I am always touched when I see two clients helping each other remember a weights routine, for example. A couple of pointers on this subject though: don’t pal up with Miss Lycra-clad super fit if you are just starting out – this will have the opposite effect, and don’t buddy train with anyone who is capable of constantly bringing you down or encouraging you to head for the cream buns and latte as soon as you’ve finished our work out!

more tips for optimal health!

IF – like the majority of the population, you’ve been sitting on your butts all winter (‘it’s so hard to get out to fitness classes/ train in the gym’, it’s too cold right?), and eating comfort foods ‘I always do inWinter,’ then you may be starting to panic at the thought of a bikini on a beach! Don’t get mad at me for this post – I meet enough of you to know this WILL resonate! So .. what are you going to do? You could keep completely covered up, but the tan will probably be less than enviable. You could go to the shops today and get a whole wardrobe, latest fashions, but in the next size UP? You could neck silly diet pills. Or you could go with your OWN ‘plan X’.... er, what plan X?

It is not too late to lose some body fat FAST - exercise is a great option but it also has to be intense enough to get results. Even then it is only about 30% of the results you’ll get. (A massively important 30% admittedly, so get in there!)

The remaining 70% is down to the cleanest nutrition you can muster. If you followed these simple rules you’ll see the weight dropping off. None of these are controversial to those of us in the know – and you won’t need a Doctor’s certificate to follow this: No sugar in any form, FAR LESS alcohol, no wheat (for a month and see what happens), reduce meat down to 10% or less, LOTS of veggies, LOTS of salads, fewer carbohydrates, and make what you do have the best quality, no rubbish cereal for breakfast ,lots of water, no fizzy drinks at all, drop the caffeine (slowly wean off!), eat more fish and take a good fish oil supplement, and get LOTS of sleep.

Daunting.com? You can get FREE advice anytime

here: www.weightandsee.ning.com

tough love

750 gym members this month peeps, and what have I learnt about human nature? Who will stick and who will twist?

NOTHING! Well – put another way – you can never tell. Some members say all the right things at Induction and they’ll go hell for leather – then fizzle out fast! Some feel they come because ‘they should’ and then adhere until they are gym furniture! But this I CAN tell you – most of us need support & structure, and information, mixed with some inner resolve. Let’s look at ‘Sue & Jen’ (fictional): Sue makes it regularly to the gym as she knows the ‘lose it or lose it’ is not a myth! Jen would like to attend more often but ‘time gets in the way’ (but somehow spends hours with games on Facebook every day!). Sue listens to advice given and prepares all her meals in advance so she won’t mess up, Jen prepares cakes for her family but hey – a proper meal takes too long and ‘she has better things to do’ the cake will hold her til tea time (she’ll lose that 3 stone from next month when the kids are back at school... Sue drinks lots of water as her body will not give up fat if it is dehydrated, Jen figures another cappuccino cannot harm her – hey, you only live once! You getting the drift?!?

Every decision you make will impact on your health – and we have to make MANY every day. We DO only live once, so let’s make it a vibrant, energised, and long lived existence!!

That time of year again!

Tis the month to exercise!

Every year the gym is quiet in November, it then picks up mid December and explodes in January. But do you know what – with repsect you’ve got it the wrong way round folks, sorry to say! NOW is the time to get the weight and alcohol consumption under control so you really CAN enjoy the indulgent times to come! Do you know the average person puts on 11 Ibs between now and Xmas day? That means that ON the day you’ll already be feeling clothes tight and uncomfortable, already planning the next set of New Years resolutions!! “More Turkey ho, ho, ho?”, “I can’t move so NO, NO, NO!!” Christmas is approaching fast, and you are running out of options!

Well you have 2 options…You do something fast, or you don’t!

I know it is cold, damp and miserable and the very thought of donning your gym/running/class gear is as appealing as a stir fry for breakfast but if you don’t get moving in some capacity soon YOU’LL be the one staring wistfully at the fit, toned and ready-for-the-season-girl who did make the effort! We DO sympathise with you – it IS tough to get motivated when your first thoughts when you get back from work are “when is Corrie on”, “where is my grub”, and “where is my cosy dressing gown babes?” BUT Corrie can be saved for later, the food will taste better after you’ve done your work-out and your robe might not fit for long if you don’t stave off the layers of fat that winter will surely bring with no effort!?! So: get fit in any way you can – this can be power walking, jogging, swimming, classes, or the gym. Start cutting way back on alcohol, place some goal setting in place to keep you on course,eat clean so you can splurge in peace in late December (but back on course in January right?!). And truly enjoy the season! Happiest and healthiest Christmas, to you all, from all at G&T’s.

(and I know the pickie is of a b'day but it is cute!)

MYTHS!

It is quite a revelation putting this together as it reminds me just how far and fast Sports and Fitness science moves! Again – I am going to make a smallish basic list – if you’d like any advice please feel free to call me for a no-obligation discussion on anything you like!! Please leave a message and I promise to get back to you (or e-mail).

• You cannot spot reduce areas of fat! I USED to say this – and in terms of ‘toning’ it still holds true. However, you CAN reduce tummy, butt, and muffin top fat IF you know the cause (you will, as you’re an avid Wye Local reader right!? – if you missed it – CALL!)
• Endless sit ups will get me that six pack?!

Nope!There are 3 perfect ideals for a 6 pack: nutrition, myotatic crunches and working transverse abdominals – oh, and fixing tight flexors will really help to tilt the pelvis back so giving the appearance of a flat tum!

• Running for hours is great for fat loss?

It ain’t bad – but there are better ways. Love it? Carry on, but if you’re after a better effect for fat loss, in just 15 minutes we can tell you how! Burning cals even after you stop!

• “If I am a woman I will bulk up with weights?”

NOT SO! We have less than a 10/th the testosterone of men (often a 40th). Even THEY need to work HARD to gain mass. With the right reps and weights you burn body fat and look good – you just need to know what this all means!! And lads – do weights if nothing else!

read your labels!

On the run up to Christmas we start to become aware of our wobbly bits! (and how they might increase!). I have marked up 8 food diaries this week, and one thing is striking: Much of the time ladies understandably THINK they are doing the right thing but don’t realise that food manufacturers are. 1. Clever, and 2.Taking us for a ride!

Britain is the second most obese nation on the planet and 31,000 deaths a year are obesity related.How has this happened?The reasons are multi dimensional, but one thing is clear: Food manufacturers are not in the business of helping to reverse the trend; they are in the game, solely, to make money. With their sugar laden/ lite rubbish you will gain body fat, not lose it I promise you. Look at some of the stuff the diaries revealed: Quorn battered fillet, ‘Skinny’ muffin, ‘Smart’ banoffee cereal bar, ‘Go ahead’ yoghurt bars, Activia yoghurts... the names imply health, the ingredients (scrutinise the labels guys & gals), tell a totally different story. It’s up to us to educate ourselves, get cynical and get a clean nutritional plan together. Alien ingredients (e-numbers, preservatives, colourings), are protectively stored in the body in adipose tissue (fat!). If you lose the chemicals, the body has less need to protect itself and you’ll start to lose the fat. Want to lose adress size (or more)? Abandon these foods and go clean and wholesome!

cross training

ALL exercise is good for us and we believe there is a sport for everyone – but you might not have found it yet! CROSS TRAINING means not sticking to just one sport as this can create muscle imbalances or weaknesses leading to injuries. A gym IS cross training as you work across a variety of machines and, best of all, you can weight train. STRENGTH is the must-have foundation for any other sport you might be doing. If you are a regularWye Local reader you’ll have seen Cat imploring everyone to get into weights – including women, and yes, even the elderly and kids – IF they are given a specialised programme to follow. AT Gym and Tonic we believe in functionality – we prepare work outs to address your individual imbalances using free weights, (more so than ‘fixed path’ machines).Another reason to attend a good gym is motivation! This is why so many cardio machines at home end up as GREAT clothes horses – there are too many other things to do at home - we need a dedicated space to exercise properly with expert tuition, and a varied programme. You are never too old, or young to exercise, and at Gym and Tonic we aim to cater for absolutely everyone, with new payment packages to help accommodate for this blasted recession. Call me any time for advise on lifetime fitness and get ready for the summer NOW! (you still have time!) 01497 822995.

goals!

This only works IF you take action, and the first thing to do is to grab a pen, sit down in a quiet place and ‘enter the zone!’ – you need to think, be honest with yourself and have no interruptions! No cheating now – get that pen! Now, write down a list of everything you are doing that is preventing you from reaching your wellness goals. I say ‘wellness’ because it is all encompassing; include everything related to your health that is holding you back, spoiling your chances, in creating the best you’ve always wanted to be in terms of health, energy, and vitality. Deep down you know exactly what these are, and how you may be jeopardising your potential. Now tell the truth! Truths exposed are powerful. Now make a new list of all the changes you will make, point by point, urgently into your life to bring about the body, health and energy you really want. Be very specific. Slot these into your days and weeks. It requires new behaviour and proaction. Seek help from the experts you need to achieve your aims; you want to stop smoking – seek out a hypnotherapist / see your Doctor / buy nicotine patches. Educate yourself with books and courses to get where you want to go. Take this list everywhere, look at it every day. Live by it and allocate time to devote to the goals you’ve set.

Writing thins down is like creating a contract with your self!As you achieve, it gets easier. Promise.

do you want more on weight loss?

Is a shrimp waterproof?

One of the curses of our losing body fat is the return of cravings – especially after a few ‘good weeks’. The dreaded dime bars and booze raise their ugly heads! And nothing will make you gain weight faster than sugar and alcohol - both of these will shunt fat onto your love handle area, hence the muffin top phenomenon gripping the UK. Two big tips you may not have heard of before - listen up:

1. Cook with Coconut oil. Forget Olive Oil – it does not bode well in high temperatures. Briefly – forget all you may think you know about this oil – (Saturated fat=bad), it is fantastic for a sluggish metabolism and protects against Candida (no room for more here). If you have Candida weight loss can be really hard to achieve. I have tested many (women) for Candida and it is common, causing fatigue, muzzy heads and lots of other symptoms, including CRAVINGS It ‘feeds’ off sugar and alcohol! Coconut oil is also a great blood sugar stabiliser, and can lower the glycaemic index of your meals! All good stuff! More?

2. Sunlight. Noticed how we feel in winter, compared to summer? We want stodge! Sunlight stimulates the ‘feel good’ hormone serotonin, our natural anti -‘S.A.D’. Without enough of it, we also reach for the ‘carbs’, as they artificially duplicate positive setatonin levels. Bad news? – we then suffer from a big insulin spike - resulting in weight gain! Grrr. So get out in the fresh air! 20 minutes is all you need a day, preferably mid day when the sun is at it’s highest. Remember – it is the LIGHT we need so even in winter get out and enjoy even if no apparent sun is evident.

The slippery media

Let’s get real!

Would you allow me, this month dearest readers, to let off steam and also make a few salient points regarding the media and their take on ‘wellness’ today? Whenever you read an article in your daily paper, or watch a TV ‘reality programme’ please remember this: they love NEWS in the truest sense of the word, of any description, and this news has to be an attention grabber or wesupposedly either won’t watch, (TV), or won’t buy (the papers). So far as ‘celebrity stories’ go, it is for them to sue when the media defame them, but when they get it oh-so wrong regarding health and fitness, this Cat roars! (Well, she wants to)! A while ago I was e-mailing the trainers of a certain TV programme, (let’s call it “The Biggest Abusers” – strangely appropriate!). It’s put Personal Training and modern Bootcamps back by about 15 years. Well gone are the days of ‘shouting reps’ and bullying clients (if we ever did?). Quality fitness training nowadays should EDUCATE first and foremost, in all areas of health: fitness, AND clean nutrition, and to receptive clients who are prepared to embrace changes, this can change their lives forever. There are plenty of well qualified fitness trainers in this area who would never dream of needing to administer oxygen because they’ve over-beasted a client in a fitness class, or to play silly mind games forcing you to over-eat chocolate! (if you have no idea what I am talking about just trust me on this matter, it is truly ridiculous TV!). I fully realise you’ll see through most of the hype, but just a 2% belief in any of it might be dangerous! And as to many ‘diets’…. Don’t get me started!

Rest!

Take a client with clean nutrition, exercising well but stubborn fat deposits not shifting, I then look at their LIFESTYLE. If stressed, tired, or ‘wired’ we need to calm the nervous system first, as Cortisol levels will be elevated, leading to an acid environment, and weight gain – especially around the stomach area. (too little Cortisol presents problems too – mainly fatigue). I advise clients to “Sharpen the saw”. In other words – rest more, so your training is more ferocious and effective. Or “Don’t train if you can’t gain” It sometimes works to advise a client to take a week OFF from training, and get into massage, steam rooms, meditation, power naps, and power walking in the sunshine. Also look into ‘Holosync’ (Google!) which clears ‘brain chatter’. When this is all in place can we then re-evaluate nutrition, resistance training, aerobic training and food diaries. Regularly NOT getting enough quality slumber? Noticed how improved your energy levels are, with higher performances in both mental and physical tasks when you are really rested? Why we feel so good when we are on holiday? During sleep the liver processes all the rubbish we have ingested from the day (not just alcohol either). The body regenerates whilst asleep, recovering for the next day. Growth hormone (think of this as a fat burning hormone), is released in waves overnight (which is why if you are not getting enough sleep, you will find it really hard to lose weight/fat).

If you are NOT getting the rest you need – you may recognise this - we often need sugar and caffeine ‘fixes’ to get through it! (creating a neat vicious circle).

I also know from my own experience that any exercise you do is compromised by a lack of sleep – you’ll not perform at your usual levels.

HELP!! Drop caffeine right down, especially 4 hours before bed. Avoid processed foods (anyway), but they often contain sugar/MSG, e-numbers, & food additives - all ‘foreign to the body so the liver has to work even harder. Chose your alcohol days wisely (if at all), as this is a STIMULANT! Bright lights (TV and lappies), will also stimulate you so try to avoid an hour before bed. At bed time avoid stress if possible and definitely try to avoid work-orientated reading matter! Drink Tulsi tea (Deli) as this helps to knock you out! Get your room pitch black AND (this is a winner but you need to be brave), believe it or not a COLD bath or shower an hour before bed will shut down the system very efficiently!

We only have so much room here - if you’d like more on this subject (and many others) e-mail me cat@gymandtonichay.co.uk for the full article.

Foodie tips!

If I tell you NOT to think of an elephant – guess what – the elephant will dominate your thoughts for some time! Similarly you need to think about WHERE you are heading to in terms of all your goals, NOT where you ARE AT! So to achieve fitness/weight loss goals focus on the future and how you’ll look – try not to dwell negatively on how you feel about your status now. Make a plan and write it down (I’ve said this before). You won’t ‘suddenly be a dress size smaller’ – it needs structured planning, and this planning needs sub goals, so break these down in turn.

Think of a reward for when you get there and tell all your friends about your goals too – you’ll be far more likely to adhere! If you are a procrastinator, this is based on fear, perfectionism, + seeing too wide a picture not breaking it down onto these sub-parts. The best solution is to JUST START, even a little bit, the rest will surely follow as it will then pray on your mind (proven) – so grab your pen NOW and start to plot anything! Next: when you eat, chew at a normal pace to start, then slow right down for the second half and savour it – you’ll get better messages to stop when full. + Put a big mirror in the kitchen – you are less likely to cheat if you see yourself in the act (TRUE!!).

Let's get this up to date!

JEEZ - there is always too much going on, I forgot I even HAD a blog until I came across this by accident! Well the Club is doing really well - having come through a VERY troublesome time when the recession first hit Hay (well it hit ME some 18 months ago).

Getting in other instructors did not really take off - not them, or me, just the fact that G&Ts members, for the most part are on a package where they'd have paid EXTRA for the other instructors and there was no way around that, so what could we do? I would still court fresh blood

in there if they coud only work at getting in their own clients! It is a great space!

There are now 21 classes on offer though (more than ever), and the gym now has 12 cardio machines! It has been a tough few years but on a personal level I am far better at looking after myself - giving myself the chance to catch up with the admin and marketing with a big break in the middle of each day. We also have new help - a simply great lass is helping with the PR now and we have a superb in-house masseur. You can catch me on FB, or look up the latest on the web site - I'll definately try to get around to doing a more interesting blog than this one! But felt if you landed here the least I could do was an update!!