Exercise Recovery Archives | Page 6 of 6

5 Top Tips to Achieving your fitness resolutions

January 15, 2016July 22, 2017 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

It’s that time of year again when everyone is talking about heath and fitness. Wherever you look there is advice and tips of how to get in shape. I want to simplify it all for you. It’s all about making small changes.

If you stick to these 5 simple tips, then you will be on your way to a healthier you:

Time Efficiency
Being efficient with your time it’s one of our most precious commodities. Knowing exactly what you have to do when you exercise will reduce workout procrastination.

Working out at home instead of the gym means that you you will save time going to and from the gym. You will avoid having to carry a wet towel around all day whilst wearing your crinkled shirt that you pulled out of your bag this morning.

To save time food shopping you can order boxes of organic and fresh ingredients with some awesome healthy recipes from Mindful chef. Use the promo code TRUBE50 for 50% off your first box!

Lifestyle
Alcohol is one of the barriers that gets in the way of achieving our dream bodies. If you still want to go out and have a drink with your friends then remember this. Gin and Vodka comes out as the lowest calorie option. Try these healthier options when drinking alcohol.

Gin and slimline tonic
Vodka, soda and lime

Exercise
The secret to good exercise is consistency. To get you started we have launched the TruBe Detox exercise program. All the workouts can be done from the comfort of your own home and are perfectly designed to blow away those holiday cobwebs.

Try week 1 for yourself:

Nutrition
Experience tells us that if we make small achievable changes to our diet, we are more likely to stick to it, rather than drastic fad diets that are not sustainable and potentially unhealthy.

Remember to eat protein and sugar after a workout to help with recovery. If you want to take supplements because it’s quicker and easier than eating straight after exercise, then there are some great products available from Super Vitality and as a friend of TruBe you can use the promo code TRUBE10 for 10%off all of their products.

Remember to hydrate! We lose at least 2 litres of water a day, even more when exercising. We need to replace this to keep the body functioning efficiently.

Sleep
Our body needs at least 7 hours a night to aid recovery. The lack of sleep can have a negative effect on hormones and cortisol release. Which then stimulates fat storage.

If you need any help with your at home workouts then why not get one of our trainers to come to you. Download the app.

Andy Hall – UK Master Trainer

What should you do before a workout?

December 2, 2015July 22, 2017 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

The key to any successful workout is preparation. But how do you get the most out of each session? Everyone is different but here are some tips to ensure you are ready.

Energise
Sugar is the quickest way to get energy into your bloodstream and to your muscles. This doesn’t mean that you should eat a mars bar before every session. Most fruits are a great source of natural sugar, you could even make a great tasting smoothie which is quick and easy to take before a workout. Allow around half an hour before a workout and don’t eat too much. If you’re really struggling for energy try a shot of espresso.

Hydrate
Sounds simple and straightforward but it’s easy to forget to drink water through the day when your concentration is locked onto other things. You would be amazed how energising it can be for your mind as well as your body. Being hydrated isn’t just about drinking lots of water, electrolytes are just as important. Did you know that coconut water contains more electrolytes than your average sugary sports drink?! Just make sure it’s from a good natural source like Mighty Bee Coconut Water.

Easy dynamic movements
It’s more than likely that you’ve been sitting around all day using little or no muscles to move around your home or the office. Your body needs to know know what’s about to happen to it so that its doesn’t tighten up and fight against your movements, potentially causing an injury. Stay away from static stretching before a workout. Static stretches increases range of movement but without telling the body how to move through this range. This lack of joint control can lead to serious injuries. Try the dynamic movements, in the pictures below, for 45 secs each before your next workout.

Raise your heart rate
Your heart is a muscle too and it shouldn’t be expected to go from 0-100 in 5 secs. Gradually increase the intensity of your warm up over 5 minutes. You should reach the intensity intended for the workout ahead for for at least 20-30 seconds. Using your whole body will ensure that your blood is circulating everywhere it needs to be.

Find your inspiration
Probably the most important of all. If you can’t be bothered to workout then you won’t get the most out of your session, so you are probably wasting your time. You should try to motivate yourself by picturing your ideal body or watching someone you admire on youtube. If you can’t motivate yourself then you need a reliable gym buddy or a hired professional.

Download our app and try booking a session to see which of our experts are available when you are.

How to Correct your Posture

November 12, 2015November 1, 2018 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

As an ex-professional ballet dancer, exceptional posture was a must. Now as a TruBe trainer, one of the most common complaints I hear from my clients is that they have poor posture. But what does this actually mean and how do we rectify it?

What is poor posture?
Posture is the relationship between the skeleton, muscle and other tissues of the body as it tries to stay upright against gravity. It can be as important to good health as proper nutrition, exercise, and a good night’s sleep. Bad posture occurs when certain muscles are activated too much and other muscle groups are under used, usually caused by sedentary lifestyles.

How do we get poor posture?
The largest part of most people’s daily life is spent working in the office which means we are spending most of our time sat at a desk. Sitting for prolonged periods of time can induce poor posture, causing rounded shoulders, a hunched upper back and a curved lower back.

Why is this bad for me?
If poor posture isn’t addressed it will only get worse and likely lead to chronic pain. Rounded shoulders can lead to shoulder impingments, hunched backs to neck pain and curved lower backs to chronic back, hip and knee pain. If left alone, surgery is the only option to resolve these problems.

How can I stop it?
There are some little tricks that we can look to incorporate into our daily lives that will help with your posture:

Use your standing time wisely. Check your stance whilst you’re brushing your teeth, cooking your dinner or even waiting for the Tube
Concentrate on standing as upright as possible. Maintain a natural curve in the lower spine and open your chest by pulling your shoulder blades together.
Stand-up every half hour at work and take a short walk around the office to help promote blood flow and prevent the tightening of muscles
There are many apps that remind you to stand-up, such as the Apple Watch. You will be surprised how much these can help.

To improve your posture even faster and reduce the chances of developing bad posture, here are some exercises you should and shouldn’t be doing:

Overhead squats
Lunging whilst reaching back and over your head
Try yoga, pilates or Ballet fit (Try a session with TruBe!)
Mobilise joints in 3 dimension
Avoid crunches
Avoid seated exercise machines
Avoid lengthy cycling or spinning sessions

If you need help with your posture or feel that your poor posture is leading to chronic pain, download our app and and book your next training session with one of our TruBe trainers.

Matt Williams – London Personal Trainer & TruBe Master Ballet Trainer

Why is Flexibility so Important?

June 30, 2015July 22, 2017 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

All dancers and gymnasts need to be flexible to achieve graceful movements. Having a flexible body also has a wide range of health benefits, and can help you reach your general fitness goals. Flexibility is usually associated with static stretching or being able to get into a position with a large range of motion. However it also encourages better mobility, which is the ability to use a large range of motion whilst moving.

Why you should spend time improving your flexibility and mobility

While you don’t need to spend masses of time working on your mobility, you can simply incorporate it into your warm up or morning wake-up routine to reap the benefits. Ideally, you should focus an hour a week on increasing your mobility. Here are four reasons why:

To Prevent Injuries

Static stretching was once used to prevent injuries. However increasing the static range of motion is like stretching an elastic band. If you don’t teach the body how to use a new range of motion properly, it will spring back to its original position, which can lead to injuries. Trying to move in a new and unknown way, particularly when muscles are not warmed up properly, can cause muscle tears, sprains and even dislocations. However If you gradually increase your range using dynamic stretching movements, you can teach your body how to cope in the new range, and over time explore more and more exercise options.

Burn More Fat
To burn fat you need to increase the amount of energy you expend. By increasing your mobility you will recruit more muscle fibres along the full length of the muscle which will then require more energy. If you aim to increase the mobility of all the muscles you use throughout the day then you will greatly increase the amount of energy you expend without doing any extra exercise.

Become Stronger

To become stronger a muscle needs to be fully activated. To activate a muscle you must lengthen it. The more a muscle is lengthened whilst moving, the more muscle fibres will be recruited resulting in larger muscles and increased strength. A good example of this is the crossover lunge. This exercise isolates the glute by lengthening it in all three planes of motion: rotating it, extending it forwards and sideways.

Be More Defined
Being more mobile will allow fibres to contract along the full length of the muscle. By utilizing more of the muscle in this way, you can build a better shape and become more defined and toned.

By simply adding an aspect of flexibility to your regular training sessions, such as yoga or dynamic stretching, you should notice a difference in your overall fitness levels. TruBe includes mobility exercises in every warm up and cool down.

How do you include flexibility exercises in your workout? We would love to hear below.

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