Category: Pilates

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Stay Balanced: Managing Stress and Staying Fit During the Festive Season

Alex CoombesLeave a comment

The festive season is often a time of joy and celebration, but it can also bring its fair share of stress and overwhelm. With busy schedules filled with shopping, social gatherings, and family commitments, it’s easy to let your fitness and well-being take a backseat. However, with a little planning and mindfulness, you can navigate this bustling time while staying balanced, managing stress, and maintaining your fitness goals. Here’s how to embrace the festive season with both joy and well-being.

Understanding Holiday Stress

First, let’s acknowledge that it’s completely normal to feel stressed during the holidays. The pressure to make everything perfect—finding the right gifts, planning gatherings, or even just juggling daily responsibilities—can lead to anxiety. Recognising the sources of stress is the first step toward managing it effectively. Whether it’s financial concerns, time constraints, or family dynamics, being aware of what triggers your stress can help you develop coping strategies.

Mindful Strategies for Managing Stress

1. Prioritise Self-Care

Amid the hustle and bustle, don’t forget to prioritise self-care. Schedule time for yourself to recharge and relax. This could be as simple as taking a walk, enjoying a warm bath, or indulging in a good book. Remember, self-care isn’t selfish; it’s essential for your mental and emotional well-being.

2. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing, can help ground you during chaotic moments. Even just a few minutes of focused breathing can reduce stress and bring clarity to your day. Consider starting your morning with a short meditation session to set a positive tone for the day.

3. Set Realistic Expectations

It’s easy to fall into the trap of perfectionism during the holidays. Instead of aiming for flawless gatherings or perfectly wrapped gifts, set realistic expectations. Remember that the essence of the season lies in connection and joy, not in perfection.

Staying Fit During the Festive Season

With holiday parties and festive feasts on the calendar, it can be challenging to maintain your fitness routine. However, it’s entirely possible to stay active while still enjoying the season’s festivities.

1. Incorporate Movement into Your Day

Find ways to weave physical activity into your daily routine. Whether it’s taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a brisk walk after meals, or organising a family game night filled with fun physical activities, every bit counts. Consider scheduling short workouts that fit your day, such as a quick HIIT session or a yoga flow.

2. Plan Active Family Outings

Make movement a part of your holiday traditions. Plan outdoor activities like ice skating, hiking, or even a stroll through a local holiday market. Engaging in physical activities with family not only keeps you active but also creates cherished memories.

3. Stay Hydrated and Eat Mindfully

With all the holiday treats around, it’s essential to stay mindful of your eating habits. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water and opt for healthier snacks when possible. When indulging in festive meals, savor each bite and listen to your body’s hunger cues. Allow yourself to enjoy treats without guilt, but be mindful of portion sizes.

Finding Balance

Balancing holiday joy with stress management and fitness doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. Start by integrating small changes into your routine, and remember that it’s okay to say no to events or commitments that don’t serve your well-being.

1. Create a Holiday Schedule

Take a moment to map out your schedule for the festive season. Block off time for self-care, workouts, and family activities. By being intentional with your time, you can reduce the chaos and feel more in control.

2. Stay Connected

Don’t forget the importance of social connections during this season. Reach out to friends and family for support, whether it’s through a quick chat, virtual meet-ups, or festive gatherings. Sharing your experiences and feelings with others can lighten your emotional load.

Conclusion

This festive season, embrace the joy of connection while managing stress and maintaining your fitness. By prioritising self-care, incorporating movement, and practising mindfulness, you can create a balanced approach that allows you to enjoy the holidays to their fullest. Remember, it’s all about finding joy in the little moments and taking care of yourself along the way. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and balanced festive season!

Core workout with TruBe Trainer, Antoinette

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Core workout with TruBe Trainer, Antoinette. Antoinette is a great advocate for fitness and has made it her personal mission to prove to you that fitness can come in many forms and that training doesn’t need to be restricted to the gym. Build strength, improve posture and increase mobility and flexibility all whilst having fun. This core workout with Antoinette made up of three of Antoinette’s go-to core exercises.

Core workout 1: 12 secs

Start on all fours, hands under shoulders with fingers spread wide and knees under hips, toes tucked under, spine neutral. 

Push the floor away with your hands.

Inhale prepare, exhale engage pelvic floor, squeeze abs and glutes, exhale lift knees just off the floor keeping the rest of the body as still as possible. Return knees to floor and repeat.

Aim for 8 reps, resting when you need to. 

Core workout 2: 18 seconds

Start on all fours, hands under shoulders with fingers spread wide and knees under hips, toes relaxed, spine neutral. 

Inhale prepare, exhale engage the pelvic floor, squeeze abs and glutes, exhale extend right leg behind, toe pointed. Squeeze right glute and right hamstring to lift right leg just off the floor, keep abs engaged for stability keeping the rest of the body as still as possible.  Don’t be tempted to arch the back to lift the leg higher.  Lift and lower for 4 – 8 reps.

Keep right leg extended behind and draw to the side and back for 4 – 8 reps, again keeping the rest of the body as still as possible.

Core workout 3: 14 seconds 

Start on all fours, hands under shoulders with fingers spread wide and knees under hips, toes tucked under, spine neutral. 

Push the floor away with your hands.

Inhale prepare, exhale engage pelvic floor, squeeze abs and glutes, exhale lift knees just off the floor keeping the rest of the body as still as possible. 

Step right foot back to the plank, step left foot back.  Step right foot in returning your knee under your hip keeping it off the floor.  Repeat with the left leg.  

Aim for 8 reps, resting when you need to.  Try placing a light block on your lower back for feedback, the block should stay stable and in place the whole time.

You can book with TruBe trainer Antoinette or any of our amazing TruBe trainers via www.trubeapp.com. TruBe sessions are delivered on a one-to-one basis in-person and virtually and range from Personal training and Boxing to Pilates and Yoga.

Stretching- Passive vs Active range

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What is passive stretching and what is active stretching? The best way to explain this is to demonstrate it…

Start by holding out your right hand, keeping your fingers together, then without using your left hand stretch your right thumb as far back as you can. Now, using your left hand, gently pull your right thumb back.  Did you notice that with the assistance of your left hand your right thumb went back further than when you were just stretching it back?

The part where you can move your right thumb without assistance is called active
range. The additional range is called passive range, and you have it at every joint.
You cannot control the passive range of motion through your nervous system. It is the point where active and passive range cross over is where many injuries occur.

Dancers are a great example of those who can be at high risk of passive range injuries. Many dancers have a high proportion of hyper-mobile joints. A quick example of this is a backbend. Most people have a backbend range of no more than 25 degrees, whereas those with hypermobility in their lower backs will have a far greater range than this. As they are able to access these ranges without assistance, meaning they are in active range.

Problems begin to occur if they are then required to match other hyper-mobile dancers or the expectations of the performance they are doing exceeds their natural abilities. To overcome this they can use momentum to push their body into passive range, they will then need to rely on that momentum to carry them back out of it. 

This can result in a far bigger injury than your average person would typically incur. But it isn’t just one area of the body that dancers are likely to have hyper-mobility, they may have it throughout their body, and they will therefore be more likely to end up in their passive range of motion, and more likely to get injured if they are not mindful.

So why does this make a difference to you?

Loading passive range is incredibly dangerous because you have no control of it,
and without control, you can’t ensure that that load goes through the muscles intended, which is ultimately why it causes injury.

This is why some trainers advocate partial range exercises. That being said it can be possible to train and increase your active range. If you find the crossover point between passive and active range, by doing safe movements, you can work on maintaining active control of the range. This will increase your active range and by extension allow you to work the joint to a fuller range, as well as decrease your chances of an injury at that joint.

It is recommended that you only work on this with the support of a personal trainer who specialises in active and passive range. You can see all of our personal trainers by clicking here. This blog piece was provided by active and passive range specialise Richard Kelly.

Richard’s bio:
Functional training advocate Richard has dedicated years of active learning towards the accumulation of new skills for the purpose of supporting his private clients Richard’s ability to offer nutritional support only enhances the final result.
Disciplines: Personal training, Pilates, Running and Stretching.

Fighting the Holiday Blues

Alex CoombesLeave a comment
Ethnie

Hey TruBe’ers,

So as it’s getting colder, we’re eating more and spending more time with family and friends and most likely away from our fitness (but we all need little breaks right?) here are some of my top tips to keep yourself out of the “Holiday Blues!”

1 – Start your day with a big breath

The biggest inhale and stretch followed by a positive thought or affirmation, one that works for me is “You did not wake up just to have just another day, go get it!.”

A big inhale will help to wake you up and clear that morning grog. It make take a few, but trust someone that wakes up at 4.30am most days, it works! 

2 – Try to keep some routine

Setting an alarm or showering first thing in the morning instead of going downstairs in your pyjamas – that way you’re sure to be ready to go whatever the situation. There is always that dreaded first alarm back after a holiday or a break and I don’t think there is any harm in waking up a little earlier than you naturally would to seize the day. 

There is a lot of research on how breaking sleeping patterns doesn’t do us any good (a quick bit of info can be found in Deliciously Ella’s podcast – episode “Why we sleep” with expert Matthew Walker.)

3 – You don’t need to go to all the holiday parties

A break from work should be just that, if you skip a night out for a night in the bath – so what, your body and hangover will love you for it and if you are staying in, make it worth it. Epsom salts for muscle relaxation, candles cause they’re pretty and a tipple of your choice – bliss.

4 – Put your phone away 

When you do attend gatherings with family and friends, soak up that time with them, before you know it you will all be back in your regular routine, there is no time like the present! 

Put your phone away, really listen and enjoy the time together.

5 –  Step out of your comfort zone

One to bear in mind, is that lots of people don’t have family to spend time with. Around 200,000 elderly people spend Christmas alone this year which is heartbreaking, perhaps passing on a smile or a quick conversation with someone could make their day and yours. 

It doesn’t cost anything to be kind and usually results in a good giggle or two. Being our wonderful British selves, the weather is always a good topic.

6 – Try new and different trainers

If you do get worried about slipping out of your fitness routine, TruBe gives you the best solution, your usual trainer may be on holiday but there are plenty more of us to help you stay on track! 

If you need any assistance to find a new trainer, ask the TruBe team to help you!

Stay safe and see hope to see you soon!

Love, Eithne x

 

New Year, New Challenge

Alex CoombesLeave a comment
Challenge

The roaring 20’s are officially back, and what better time to master the art of mindfulness, after all it is the time of new beginnings. 

To help you get started, we wanted to share how the decade ahead has already begun to influence the latest trends in fitness to show how wellness is on the up. 

Bring back your balance

Finding the line between fitness and wellness will transform the way you approach your workouts. Meditation, Yoga and Pilates will help your body and mind work as one, giving you the energy required for your body to function at its fullest.

Dedicate time to your practice, and be guaranteed sustainable results that last a lifetime. Not to mention a daily boost.

Top tip: Be patient in your search, this practice can take many forms, it is important to find the flows that works for you.

Health as a priority

Healthy Food

As we strive to protect the planet we call our home, plant-based diets are on the rise. Proven to have significant benefits, if done correctly. If this is something you would like to explore, consider getting yourself a lifestyle coach to help guide you. By tailoring your diet specifically to your body, lifestyle, goals and requirements, you are much more likely to stick with it whilst maintaining full nutritional value.

Box and Kickboxing

Instead of taking the gloves off, why not put them on? With each hour of boxing, you can burn up to 800kcal! Energetic and dynamic movements, combined with boxing techniques, are a great way to start or end your day. The powerful, fast hits and jumps will liberate your mind, with each bead of sweat, you can expect the stress to wash away, detoxing your body and helping with blood circulation whilst lowering levels of stress.

Believe it or not, the more intense the session, the more relaxed you will feel.

HIIT

Yoga

As High Intensity Interval Training evolves, expect to see specialisms such as Yoga and Pilates incorporated into your sessions, a great addition for those those to burn calories, build strengthen and correct posture.

Achieving total mindfulness will set you free, give it a try and let us know what you think.

Fitness as a lifestyle

Personal trainers live and breath fitness, their passion is drawn from the success of others. They are a driving force there to set you on the right path, both mentally and physically. 

Focus on positive and sustainable results whilst removing the guesswork and dread associated to fitness. Major improvements can be made solely by perfecting your technique as part of an ongoing routine.

Positive experiences

London workout

Consider sharing your TruBe sessions with your closest friends, family members or colleagues. Be supported and motived as you bond through this unforgettable experience.

If you want to know more, get in touch with a member of the TruBe team today! We have a range of personal trainers, lifestyle coaches and massage therapists available to come to you, anytime, anywhere.

Your TruBe team.