Category: Healthy Mind

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How to Overcome the Intimidation Factor: Fitness Addition

Alex CoombesLeave a comment

It is safe to say the first fitness steps are often the hardest. With so much out there, it is completely normal to wonder how exactly to begin. No matter how you decide to begin you are bound to come out the other side a healthier and happy version of you, and remember there is no right or wrong way to do things, just your way.  

You may have heard of the phrase, ‘One size fits all.’ With fitness, this is most certainly not the case. Some people thrive in certain environments, others don’t. We want to prove to you that no obstacle is too big.

We are here to offer a helping hand! Here are our top pointers for those who are ready to embark on their fitness journey this Summer.

Don’t like working out alone?

Walking into any fitness environment for the first time can be intimidating itself, but you don’t have to do it alone! A workout buddy is always favourable and helps keep you motivated as well as giving you the company you need. A study published in Nature Communications found that friends can influence a person’s workout routine, and they found exercise is “socially contagious.” If all your friends are busy, then this is where a personal trainer can be extremely beneficial. Not only will a personal trainer help motivate you, but they will be with you every step of the way and can even help accelerate the process allowing you to see visible results, faster.   

Anxious?

Try having a plan in place. It’s important to know exactly what you want from your body. If you are not sure, why not have a complimentary ‘lifestyle assessment’ with one of our TruBe professionals. Having a game plan will help you navigate your way from start to finish. Plans will help keep you motivated and can help relax any negative thoughts/ feelings that can distract you from your goals.

Once you have taken that first step, exercise it a great way to monitor your anxiety, it helps you order your thoughts and can even enable you to remove any stresses that have been playing on your mind.

Self conscious?

It’s important to focus on one thing: yourself.

Don’t let yourself become stuck in the mindset that people will be judging you. A poll done by the British Mental Health Charity shows that 2 out of 3 women say they feel self conscious about their body shape when they exercise in public, whilst 60% of women were uncomfortable about their bodies reaction to exercise. Just remember: people are concentrating on their own workouts, not on you. You are all there for the same reasons…to become healthier! Don’t dwell on what other people think, and remember, everyone must start somewhere. We’re all in this together! *cue High School Musical*

Scared you won’t see results?

There’s no need to rush when it comes to wanting to see results, time is important. Any fitness goal takes time to see the results you’ve been craving. It’s key to stick with it and to remember that it’s all about progress and passion. Once you build passion for your favoured discipline, changes will happen much faster due to increased energy. Results will come from your dedication and commitment and a healthy stress-free mindset.  Visible results won’t just come from working out, but from other factors as well. For example, it’s important to be fueling yourself properly. Eating fruits and veggies and foods that are high in protein are the perfect way to boost your workout. Healthy tip? Try making a fruit smoothie before a workout. A fruit smoothie the perfect pre-workout snack because it’s high in protein and can be quickly digested. 

We hope we have helped give you the motivation you need to help make you feel more confident and comfortable.  It’s important to not give up on your commitment of a healthy lifestyle! Our TruBe trainers are just a tap away and here for you anytime.  Overcoming fitness intimidation definitely takes time, but remember that with time, patience, and confidence, you will become comfortable in no time! 

Your TruBe Team

Your Perfect Kickboxing Beats Playlist

Alex CoombesLeave a comment

Discover our new TruTunes: Kickboxing Beats. We’re all about Kickboxing this week at TruBe, so we’ve compiled 20 of our favourite songs to help inspire you and get you moving. Did you know there are countless benefits of kickboxing? From a boost in confidence to improving your endurance, kickboxing is the ultimate workout for your body this summer.

With artists such as Halsey, Snakehips, and Mura Masa, you’re bound to get your body moving and hitting to the beat.

Download. Play. Jab.

 

 

The Top 4 Benefits of Kickboxing

Alex CoombesLeave a comment
Trainer, Alessandra

When it comes to kickboxing, the benefits are countless. From increased flexibility to a boost in energy levels, kickboxing is a fun sport that’s worth the hard work. Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, kickboxing is a great way to change up your usual workout routine. Since we’re all about kickboxing this week at TruBe, we’re here to let you in on 4 of our favourite (and exclusive) benefits of kickboxing.

Kickboxing Improves Your VO2 max

What exactly is VO2 max? The technical definition for the maximum rate of oxygen consumption measured during incremental exercise, in short, kickboxing improves your overall fitness. Kickboxing is usually comprised of ‘rounds’ (2-3 minutes of intense hitting) often referred to as a HIIT workout (High Intensity Interval Training). When doing an interval workout, your heart is trained to be more efficient. This act helps to greatly improve your VO2 max, thus improving your fitness. For example, you won’t feel as tired after climbing a hill or even a long flight of stairs –something we’re all in need of!

A Boost in Confidence

You may not know that when you are taking it out on the bag, endorphins are being released into your body, this helps lift any negative mood you may have been in and helps you feel confident and energised. An increase in confidence is a huge benefit of kickboxing. Learning a form of self defence proves that you can hold your own, resulting in a confidence boost that will benefit you in your everyday life.

Tones Your Entire Body

Looking for a full body workout? Kickboxing is the sport for you. There’s no area of the body that kickboxing won’t tone. The Muscle, Ligaments, and Tendons Journal conducted a study  titled ‘The Effects of Five Weeks of Kickboxing Training of Physical Fitness’. The study showed that after only five weeks of training, the participants involved showed great improvements in speed, agility, upper-body muscle power, and flexibility. Kickboxing is a full-body workout, and if you’ve taken a training session before, you know that everything gets worked!

Builds Endurance

Kickboxing is a perfect workout to improve your endurance. By taking part in regular cardio exercise, your endurance is strengthened, as proved by the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

We hope these 4 benefits inspire you to start incorporating kickboxing into your daily workout routine. Need help or have any questions? Our kickboxing trainers are here for you anytime, and anywhere. Book your next kickboxing session with us here!

Fun fact about endurance: By building up your endurance with kickboxing, you can transfer it to any other workout whether that be swimming or running.

Keep those kicks coming!

Your TruBe Team

The Role of Exercise in Mental Wellbeing

Alex CoombesLeave a comment

Mental Health Awareness Week is an amazing way to bring to light a topic that can sometimes be hard to talk about. Although this week has now passed, it still remains a subject that will always be at the forefront of our minds. Our very own founder and CEO, Daria Kantor, has shared her thoughts on the often overlooked role of exercise in one’s mental wellbeing. Daria is an extremely passionate campaigner, we hope her words inspire you:  

‘I read a statistic this week that declared that in the past year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope. That’s an overwhelming majority and whilst mental health is more and more regularly addressed, there is still a significant amount to do.

I count myself remarkably happy to have grown up around sport and to have been able to enjoy an active lifestyle. I played competitive sports from the age of nine and although I was always aware that I was never likely to be a professional athlete – it was the mental aspect of the game that I always loved.

Mental Health Awareness Week was the week of May 14th, hosted by the Mental Health Foundation. Mental health has always been something I am interested in, conscious of and keen to raise awareness around. It is also an area where in my role as CEO of TruBe, the personal fitness app, I have seen the important relationship between exercise and mental wellbeing. So, what are the benefits?

Tackling Depression & Anxiety

It is interesting and eye opening that in the UK, GPs are now diagnosing exercise as part of a treatment plan to tackle depression. According to one medical study, “physical activity has been consistently shown to be associated with improved physical health, life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, and psychological well-being.”

Morale Improvement

There is no question that exercise can have a positive impact on your mood and morale. A study, read on the Mental Health Foundation, revealed the fascinating results of a study, when researchers asked people to rate their mood immediately after periods of physical activity (e.g. going for a walk or doing housework), and periods of inactivity (e.g. reading a book or watching television). Researchers found that the participants felt more content, more awake and calmer after being physically active compared to after periods of inactivity.  Exercise is also proven to reduce stress. When we work out, we increase the concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress.

Prevent Cognitive Decline

Mental Health, as a turn of phrase, is such an incredibly broad collection of conditions, issues and demons. However, one area in which studies have shown some real benefits of exercise, is in the battle against Alzheimer’s. Working out, especially between age 25 and 45, boosts the chemicals in the brain that support and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus, an important part of the brain for memory and learning.

Battling Addiction

One of the sad truths of those struggling with Mental Health issues is the side effects of their condition. One of the more common of these is addiction, often to narcotics, but really it can be to any number of vices. Not only can exercise be the distraction that your body may yearn for, it can also dramatically reduce an individual’s craving elsewhere.

Mental Productivity

Whether exercise is the switch off you need from work, or the driver behind creativity, there is significant research to show the role of working out in improving an individual’s productivity. In turn, this improved productivity helps the individual battle against their mental health issues, assisting them to tackle situations head on and progress.

Coping Mechanisms

Sport and exercise also enhance an individual’s coping mechanism. Whether that’s a gradual understanding of how to handle defeat, or how to overcome a series of challenges, the mental process required to combat disappointment is invaluable for one’s mental health.

The list could go on. There is the element of human interaction, of team building, of physical improvement. There is, to me, no argument that stacks up against the importance of fitness and exercise in helping people deal with their mental health issues.

I wholeheartedly appreciate that exercise is just one vital ingredient in the a more complex battle. But it is certainly that, vital. I also recommend anyone struggling to visit the websites of the wonderful Mental Health Foundation or Mind. There is help out there and no problem is too small or too large to ask for help.’

We hope Daria’s words have resonated with you. We are here for you here at Trube, whether that be a training session to help get out your unneeded stress or a fitness consultation to help inspire you.

Your TruBe Team

 

Can a Sports Massage Make You A Better Runner?

Alex CoombesLeave a comment

If you’re a runner, whether that be a beginner or a pro, and you’re thinking about getting a Sports Massage but not sure if it will be beneficial towards you, think no further! A Sports massage may just help you beat your best time.

Feel as if you have tense muscles whilst running? A Sports Massage will help get rid of that unneeded tension and improve your movement, and even improve your range of motion, resulting in a run that feels good on your body. Sports Massage does not only benefit you before a run, but helps after your sprint as well, as it helps greatly with recovery and stretching sore muscles.

A major overlooked benefit of Sports Massage for runners is pain relief. Greg Lehman, an award-winning physiotherapist and chiropractor, says the following:

“Pain changes how we function and can even inhibit healing. Massage may also help with recovery after a workout and may help get us out of a stress dominated state of our nervous system.”

This brings forward a commonly overlooked part of training: relaxation. Stress can greatly affect your running performance. According to the Health and Safety Executive, up to half a million people in the UK have work related stress, and up to 5 million people in the UK are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressed through work. By receiving a Sports Massage, your body is bound to be relaxed and improved, ridding your body of unwanted stress and making for a healthy and enjoyable running experience.

When is the best time to schedule a Sports Massage?

A day or two before a big race or a scenic run with friends is a great time to get a Sports Massage. Your therapist will leave you feeling light and energetic, and ready to take on any running challenge that comes your way. If you prefer receiving a Sports Massage after your big run, that’s fine too! However, it’s important to wait a couple days, as your body has just undergone a major workout. Your Massage will be on the lighter side, as to not strain any muscles further and help speed up your recovery time.

Want to get the absolute most out of your Sports Massage? Warming up your muscles right before receiving a Massage is ideal for your body and helps your therapist begin therapeutic work quickly, making for less shock and strain to the muscles. Kim Davis, CEO of RunLab, says the following:

“Think of your muscles like gum; the warmer they are, the more pliable they are, and easier to work with and you’ll get more bang for your buck out of your Massage session.”

The best way to warm up your muscles before a session is either a short jog or walk.

Every runner has different Sports Massage needs, and it’s always important to keep in mind that maintenance is a must. Whether you’re training for the London marathon next year or simply going on a quick run around your block, Sports Massage can help with your running needs, prevent future injuries, and help make you a faster runner with no extra stress weighing you down.

Our therapists are here for your running needs, and here to meet you, anytime and anywhere, to improve your running experience.

We want to treat you to 20% off your first single session*

Promo Code: WELCOME19

Your TruBe Team