On the 12th day of fitness my trainer said to me...throw off your trainers and hang up your stocking!

It's late on Christmas eve and we've had 11 days of fitness tips and how to stay well and healthy over the Christmas period.

The New Year will bring with it many a New Year's resolution and we'll be getting right back in tip top condition! There will be boot camps in Brighton with Target Body Training and fitness groups all over the country helping you to fulfill your goals. So for tonight....throw off your trainers and hang up your stockings and enjoy your Christmas day.

We'll be back in January with tweets and blog updates with all new programmes for 2013! It's exciting and I can't wait to share them with you all. Watch this space!

In the mean time if you need any advice or help don't hesitate to get in contact. All details are on the website at www.targetbodytraining.co.uk

Merry Christmas! See you in 2013!

On the 11th day of fitness my trainer said to me...stay motivated!

Whilst noone is yet in full blown new year's resolution mode, those of you reading this are probably not wanting to get to the beginning of January and feel completely bloated, poorly and warn out. Yes you want to enjoy Christmas and not deny yourselves of the treats but you want to stay relatively healthy throughout.

Over the past few days I have spoken about healthy options to the Christmas spreads, 10 minute workouts which are easy to fit in, tips on sleep, drinking more water and low calorie alcohol and more.

It's easy to read and not do, the tip is to stay motivated! How do we do this? Most of the time my clients know exactly what they need to do to stay in tip top condition but they don't have the motivation to do it themselves. This is why people hire personal trainers, to make sure they're working hard and they actually do something. If you've paid a trainer for a bundle of sessions, you're paying for them whether you turn up or not so noone wants to waste money!

So........

• Find a friend over Christmas to keep you accountable

• Find an exercise class you like to do with people

• Email me to put you on the text list for daily accountability (UK only)

• Write down your (reasonable) goals for Christmas period and start thinking about those New Year's resolutions!

• Buy yourself some nice workout gear - when you feel good in it you'll want to use it (that's the hope anyway!)

 It's Christmas Eve tomorrow!

On the 10th day of Christmas my trainer said to me...sleep!

How many hours sleep do you get a night?

Sleep is as important as nutrition and exercise for your general health and well being. The average adult needs between 7.5-9 hours a night. I know sometimes I don't get that and it impacts me a few days later. In fact a couple of days ago I was so tired I drove a friend to an appointment, left the lights on, drained the car battery and had to call out breakdown recovery to come and rescue me. I was however in a location accessed only by a low bridge which of course the van couldn't fit under. This if course meant the heavy power pack to start my car had to be carried and it was pouring with rain - I'm pretty sure the breakdown guy loved his job that day!

Sleep deprivation generally makes me feel sluggish and the snooze button gets used at least 5 times in a morning. I start to crave instant energy foods with a high sugar content and then suffer later with the energy slump...and so the cycle continues.

Sound familiar to anyone?

The negative impact of sleep deprivation include:

• inability to make decisions
• frequent colds and illnesses
• inability to cope with stress
• weight gain
• fatigue
• difficulty in concentration etc

There's a difference between getting enough sleep to 'get by' and getting enough sleep for your body to work in optimal condition. You may feel like you're getting enough hours sleep but still waking up groggy. If this is the case you may not be getting enough quality sleep or waking during the wrong stages of sleep.

Without going into too much detail, if the sleep stages are disrupted (particularly in rapid eye movement REM stage) it could leave you feeling tired. 

Non REM Sleep:

- Stage – This stage lasts about five minutes. Eyes move slowly under the eyelids, muscle activity slows down, and you are easily awakened.

- Stage 2 - First stage of proper sleep - lasts from 10-25 minutes, eye movements stop, heart rate slows down and temperature goes down

- Stage 3 - Difficult to wake up and if you are woken it's fairly difficult to adjust quickly. 

REM sleep:

- About 70-90 mins after falling asleep properly. This is where you dream! Heart rate and blood pressure increase and limbs are paralyzed. 

Your body follows a pattern throughout the night fleeting between non REM and REM sleep and a full cycle lasts approx. 90 mins. This then repeats a few times throughout the night.

So over the Christmas period try and get some more zzzzzz! If this is something you struggle with try keeping a sleep diary. We will be doing more of these diaries in the new year but get a head start and see the difference a few good nights can do. 

Use the helpful hints below to get you started:

• Aim to set a wake up time that's a multiple of 90 minutes so you're not awoken by your alarm within a deep sleep 
• Turn off screens 45 mins before bed
• Take a bath to make you relax
• Try and set the same bedtime each night
• During the day get as much light in as possible
• Make the room as dark as possible at night
• Do a few stretched before bed

Enjoy some good sleep this Christmas time!!! Only 3 days to go!!!!!

On the 9th day of fitness my trainer said to me...10 min workouts every day?

On the 9th day of fitness my trainer said to me...10 min workouts every day?

A friend of mine asked for some 10 minute workouts to do over Christmas. So below are some workouts you can pick and choose from each day. Choose one each day or if you have more time and are feeling confident choose two!!! The best way to keep to the timings workout is to download an interval timer on your smartphone and set the times. It will buzz at you when it's time to change and stop!

Drink plenty of water before and after and remember it's only 10 minutes so keep going!

Workout 1: (10 second break between each exercise)
Squats x10
Star Jumps x10
Side lunges x10 (each leg)
Tricep dips x10
Plank x30 seconds
Press ups x10 (If you're not up to full press ups, do them on your knees and keep your back straight)
Repeat this whole workout 3 times

Workout 2: (Interval timer)
Burpees - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
Squats - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
Pipe to plank - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
Mountain Climbers - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
Star Jumps - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
Tummy crunches - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
Reverse lunges - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
High kness - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
Back to burpees - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest
Plank - 50 seconds
10 seconds rest

Have fun with these! Let me know how you do. Feel free to ask any questions on the Target Body Training facebook page or keep me up to date with your progress. Alternatively give me a ring or a text!

All contact details are on the website www.targetbodytraining.co.uk

On the 8th day of fitness my trainer said to me...make your leftovers creative!

On the 8^th day of fitness my trainer said to me....make your leftovers creative!

Whilst my house rarely have leftovers when all the family are around, there is always an abundance of turkey and vegetables and maybe a few spuds!!! (The Smiths are good at food!) 

Boxing day for us usually consists of a beautiful ham joint and a white sauce and a few vegetables which means we’ve not even started on the leftovers of Christmas day.

Supper always consists of leftover meat and cheese and pickles and crisps! Often a nice bit of turkey is made into a sandwich for days after Christmas. Instead of filling up on bread by making a ‘leftover sandwich’ try a few of the following ideas.

Bubble and Squeak!

You get vegetables and protein in a tasty bowl of goodness minus the bread! Throw all the potatoes and veg and meat in a frying pan with a bit of coconut oil and the potato should hold it all together. Add some onion and season with salt and pepper. I would fry an egg to go with it!

Turkey Curry

Add some spices you enjoy in a pan with the turkey and some tinned tomatoes and boil some brown rice to go with it

Turkey and Leek Soup

·         700ml water

·         200g uncooked pearl barley

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2 medium onions, chopped

·         1 large leek, chopped

·         500g turkey mince or turkey breast

·         4 pints beef stock

·         300ml Chinese rice wine

·         2 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander

·         freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 1 hour 45 mins

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the barley. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat, and cook the onion and leeks until tender. Mix in the turkey and cook until heated through. Pour the beef stock into the pot and stir in the cooked barley. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Mix the rice wine into the soup and season with ground coriander. Continue cooking about 10 minutes. Season with pepper to serve. (Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.co.uk)

There are many creative things to do with your leftovers which doesn’t involved all of the bad things and not wasting a thing.

Enjoy guys….it’s nearly Christmas!!!!

On the 7th day of fitness my trainer said to me....go for a healthier beverage

On the 7^th day of fitness my trainer said to me….go for healthier beverages!

It’s Christmas time and the drinks cupboard is stocked up. The office party has a plethora of alcoholic beverages for you to feast on and any time after 1pm is surely ok for a mulled something isn’t it?!

Whilst I’m never going to tell you to say no to a cheeky drink at Christmas, if you’re opting in for a slightly healthier one then continue reading. Our bodies treat alcohol as a toxin so all drinks should be drunk in moderation but there are options we can make for healthier booze!

Whilst looking at the calorific content of a drink is helpful you also need to look at the sugar content! If you’re watching your weight then forget the fat content as your only guide to whether this is ‘healthy’ or not, sugar will make you fat too!

Take a look below for some of the healthier options:

Vodka is 96 calories per 1.5oz

Whiskey and Gin is 95-110 calories per 1.50z depending on the brand

Red Wine is between 110-130 calories for a normal glass

Guiness is 128 calories per 12 oz

For those of us who like mulled wine it’s probably helpful to know that a typical glass is approximately 253 calories. This is in contrast to a glass of dry white wine which is approximately 83 calories so if you’re not too bothered about the mulled stuff then opt out!

In a comfortable setting with family and friends, one or two glasses can quickly and easily become four or five. How do we help combat this on a quest to a healthier lifestyle and a healthier Christmas? Some helpful tips given to me by some friends are:

• Set a budget for how much you’ll spend before you leave the house
• Take you time between rounds
• Aim to be the slowest drinker
• Sit down – some drink slower when you can put your drink on a table
• Do something else you enjoy whilst having a drink like playing a game
• Change of scene – maybe somewhere that doesn't serve alcohol. 

See you tomorrow!

On the sixth day of fitness my trainer said to me.....Choose Wisely! The buffet battle plan!

Survey the buffet

Have a look at the buffet without a plate first and see what you really want before piling your plate up with everything.

Go for colour

Fill up on the colourful foods (and by this I don’t mean M&M’s), pile your first plate up with colourful raw vegetables first and come back for your second plate when you’ve eaten this!

Choose a couple of high fat treats

The buffet always has numerous plates of spring rolls, scotch eggs, profiteroles, onion bhajis and chips, all high in fat. Choose a couple that you will really enjoy and stick to it.

Small portion size

By keeping the portions small, you can eat a number of flavours without overeating. Try to think about your normal meal size as buffets and BBQs are easy places to eat more than you normally would due to a constant flow of food.

Eat 3 plates of food max. and eat slowly

Remember to eat your food slowly. Food takes time to get to your stomach and for you to realise you are full.  By allowing the food to reach your tummy you’ll probably stop sooner than someone who is eating super fast, and subsequently you'll consume less calories. Limiting your number of plates to 3 means you’re less likely to have much more food than a normal meal – just make sure these plates aren’t massively overflowing!

Watch the drinks

Sugary drinks and alcohol can often be where the calories are hiding. Limit yourselves to couple of drinks and fill up on water in between courses.

Sweet tooth tricks

If you’re like me and have a sweet tooth and you would love to have a taste of a number of puddings on offer, then split puddings with friends and have a taster of each rather than a whole serving!

The most important thing at a buffet is to choose wisely – what is worth a taste and what probably looks more inviting than it actually is! Try to follow at least some of these tips and you’ll be victorious in your buffet battle!

On the fifth day of fitness my trainer said to me...5 FRUIT AND VEG!

On the fifth day of Christmas my trainer said to me...5 FRUIT AND VEG!

But it's Christmas right and nobody makes sure they get fruit and veg in over these next 2 weeks do they?

If you've ever ended up with a stinking cold or feeling generally under the weather I think we could put some of that down to the lack of good things we generally consume over Christmas. Filling up on nutrients and vitamins means you'll more likely ward off the Christmas sniffles and come out the other side feeling fit as a fiddle.

Now I hear what you're saying, not many want to choose some fruit for pudding when there's Christmas pudding and chocolate yule log on offer but there are ways of getting all the good things you need without denying yourself of the treats.

Fill your plate with all the seasonal veg this December that can be roasted in coconut oil (or any other healthy fat) and already you've consumed 3 or 4! We all have those tangerines in our stockings so make sure you eat it rather than make it into part of a decorative fruit bowl!

Friends of mine run a fantastic fruit and veg business. They deliver locally farmed produce direct to your door which is a no hassle way of making sure you have a great selection of vitamins and minerals at home this December. Take a look at their website for more information:

www.ashareofthecrop.co.uk

They have also helpfully given my a healthy recipe to share with you all so take a look and have a go!

'Our boxes currently contain an assortment of winter veg. Over the last few weeks we have had Cauliflower, savoy cabbage, parsnip, carrots, sweede, leeks, red and white onions , sweet potato and standard potato

Of course any winter veg can be made into a heart warming soup. Cut and fry an onion. Take 500g of diced vegetables and fry with the onion for 2 minutes. Add a litre of water with a stock cube and boil until the veg goes soft. Then blend, job done. You can try the classic leek and potato or swede, parsnip, potato and carrot, or experiment.One customer recently made a beetroot and red cabbage soup! A large batch of soup can last several days and can be taken to work in a thermos or heated in the microwave. Perfect to keep you going all day. Healthy nutritious and filling' (Kevin McGarry)

Nobody wants to deny themselves of all the rich and wonderful foods at Christmas but fill up on your fruit and veg first and you'll enjoy a healthier and hopefully sick free time with family and friends and start the new year with a bounce in your step!

December vegetables are:

Beetroot, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, horseradish, kale, leeks, parsnips, shallots, swede, turnips, wild mushrooms

December Fruits are:

Apples, clementines, cranberries, passion fruit, pears, pineapple, pomegranate, quince, satsumas, tangerines

On the fourth day of fitness my trainer said to me....drink up!

On the fourth day of fitness my trainer said to me…drink up!

You don’t need to be a nutritionist to know that water is good for you but so many of us don’t drink enough – especially over this Christmas period. I don’t know about you but I’m already feeling like I need a health kick and that’s just after a couple of days of Christmas eating.  After a few end of term drinks and a little bit of party food, I’m struggling with fatigue and a general feeling of yuckiness!

This is no surprise as the harmful effects of dehydration include tiredness along with migraines, muscle cramps, irregular blood pressure, kidney problems and dry skin.

Some researchers  recommend 8 glasses of water a day to keep us in tip top condition and this is a great guide but this will all vary depending on different lifestyles; how much exercise you do and what foods you’re consuming. The human body needs water to stay healthy as nearly every cell in our body needs water to function well.

The health benefits of drinking enough water are:

• Weight loss – A study showed people who drank two 8.5oz glasses of water before each meal lost on average 4.5lbs in 12 weeks! (Journal of Obesity)
•   Natural cure for headaches
• Younger looking skin
• You think better!– brain is mostly made up of water so being hydrated helps more productivity at work
• Better exercise
• Helps digestion – always helpful with the little extras that are consumed over the next few weeks!
• Keeps you well, less likely to get poorly
• Flushes out toxins- which helps combat tiredness

So drink up this Christmas….water that is!

On the 3rd day of fitness my trainer said to me...20 mins of exercise, that is all!

On the third day of fitness my trainer said to me....20 minutes of exercise a day - that's all!

The dreaded exercise post - some love it, others loathe it. I'm an early bird so absolutely love getting up in the morning and running first thing but that's not to say that sometimes it's a struggle to get out of a warm bed when it's freezing outside! This morning I managed it and went for an early morning run and watched the sun rise - it was stunning!

There are many a 'plausible' excuse for not exercising, many of which rear their ugly head at Christmas. 'I'm too tired, I've got a hangover, I'll do it tomorrow, I've eaten too much chocolate, It's Christmas!, if you're going to do it wrong do it right!' I have used these many a time!! What I do know however, is when I get up early and blast through a jog along the seafront, I feel so much better and I'm more likely to make healthier choices throughout the day. The likelihood of me doing exercise at the end of a busy day is slim so this suits me down to the ground.

For others of you, the thought of getting up early and running anywhere fills you with dread and makes you feel nauseous so you need to stick in your diary a time every other day when you will take 20 mins to blast through some exercises in the comfort of your own home. I've put a couple of workouts below for you to go through, don't worry these will require no equipment, just you and some space (and a glass of water!)

- Repeat each exercise 10-12 times and try and do the whole circuit three times through.

Workout 1:

• Star Jumps
• Crunches
• Tricep Dips - (this will require a chair)
• Lunges
• Push ups
• 30 Second Plank
• Squats

Workout 2: (slightly more advanced)

• 45 star jumps
• 15 squats
• 1 min plank
• 10 standing calf raises
• 10 push ups
• 20 lunges each leg
• 40 crunches

Have a go or do one of those workout DVD's that are on your shelf - but do something which gets your heart pumping and off the sofa over the Christmas period - even if you start with a brisk walk after a big meal. Have a go! See you tomorrow.

Breakfast like a King!

On the second day of fitness my trainer said to me...eat breakfast like a King!

We’ve all heard it before...Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! If you’re anything  like me, you can’t understand anybody who can function without breakfast so this is music to my ears but for so many it’s such a chore to get something eaten before work. Everyone knows that the key to maintaining a healthy weight is a combination of regular exercise and healthy eating but with all the Christmas food around, the abundance of chocolates and the constant grazing, it could be so easy to think I’ll skip breakfast and that will help!

In fact this is the worst thing you could do. Breakfast kickstarts your body into
producing the enzymes needed to metabolise fat helping you shed the pounds (or
in this case, not put too many on over Christmas!) Your diaries are probably filling
up with dinners, drink engagements, work parties and family events of which you
probably have no power over what food you’re served! Breakfast is a meal which
you can have control over. Main points for a healthy breakfast:

• Make sure you eat something!

• Fill up on a protein rich breakfast

• Incorporate one or two of your 5 a day straight away     

• Wash down with plenty of water

The picture depicts one of my breakfast options last week – an omelette with
chopped apple, raspberries and cinnamon all cooked in coconut oil! Other options
could involve some eggs and lean bacon, boiled egg and half a grapefuit or even
peanut butter (a small amount) on wholegrain or even better...Spelt bread!(An ancient grain that's easy to digest and full of protein) 

For those of you who couldn't stomach something cooked or can't be fussed with cooking in the morning, choose a healthy cereal with little sugar content. All bran, fruit and fibre or weetabix are great options. 

So here we have it – day number 2, eat a healthy breakfast and prevent the cravings for
elevensees! 

Welcome to Target Body Training Blog

Target Body Training’s (TBT) long awaited blog is finally here and we’re kicking it off with our 12 Days of Fitness! Nobody is thinking about dieting and exercising to the max but about the meals we’re going to prepare, the people we’re going to have over, the drink we need to get in and the last minute presents we need to buy whilst trying to avoid the crowds! However TBT is endeavouring to arm you with tips to get you through the Christmas season fit and healthy whilst still enjoying the perks of an abundance of food and friends and family to enjoy it with, so here goes….

On the first day of fitness my trainer said to me….It’s not too late to think about a healthier festive season!

The 1^st December creeps upon us and some have already resigned themselves to having a more rounded reflection and minimal energy but that needn’t be the case. Over the next 12 days I will be posting daily tips to help you have a more healthy festive season: healthy recipes, exercise programs which can be done in a short amount of time and from the comfort of your own home avoiding the winter chill, posture related tips to avoid aches and pains and some alternatives to the Christmas snacks which pile on the pounds.

Why not try and enjoy a healthier Christmas so you hit the new year running?