It’s time to hit the reset button. Confinement to our homes to slow the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) has placed considerable constraints on our lives and suppressed our activity levels. Prolonged periods of inactivity can have dramatic and detrimental effects on your health. Research shows that people who are inactive are at a 17-25%…
Not everyone enjoys running or cycling, but most of us can walk. The return on the investment of walking is a form of exercise can be profound in terms of physical and mental benefits. With much of the world practicing social distancing and working remotely and from our homes, walking can help clear your head to offset…
Have you ever wanted to build your endurance to run 5 km? Doing so requires training, motivation, determination and a plan to get there! This sort of goal can seem daunting. Yet, with a regular and methodical training plan like we outline here, this undertaking is achievable for almost everyone! Not only will you work towards satisfying the American Heart Association’s recommendation of fulfilling…
We need to get moving! Social, or physical distancing which is recommended to reduce the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) has altered our daily work and recreation patterns, leading to a much more sedentary lifestyle for many of us! Presently, I am working remotely like many of you, which requires less walking, and my gym and swim classes are cancelled. The number of steps I take in a typical day have been reduced by one-half. We know that Exercise (even a single…
Keeping Active While Social Distancing | Challenge 1 In this time of social distancing and self-quarantining that helps slow the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), how do we keep active and mentally healthy? This is especially challenging in many parts of the world as schools, workplaces, gyms, and fitness classes are closed. Exercise (even a single bout) can boost your…
Short bursts of vigorous exercise from several seconds to minutes can be very beneficial to fitness and health. This latest ‘word on the street’ is supported by science-based studies over the last decade and is now incorporated into updated physical activity guidelines worldwide such as the 2018 US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Short bursts…
In this the second blog of our series on trekking, we continue our trekking preparations whether it be in Iceland, the bush trails in Australia or for the Oxfam trailwalk.Whatever your goal, if you are attempting to walk or trek you will need to prepare yourself by increasing your strength and endurance capacity gradually. With graduating doses of repetitive load, skin, tendons and bones will become thicker, stronger and more resilient.
Preparing for a Trekking Holiday. So, you are walking further to improve your endurance and loading on the muscles and tendons, and you have started improving your upper limb strength. Now we need to discuss lower limb strength and why it is so important. So, you are walking further to improve your endurance and loading on the muscles and tendons, and you have started improving your upper limb strength. Now we need to discuss lower limb strength and why it is so important. Read on for three exercises to build lower leg strength.
The lower back and the role of core stabilising muscles When you experience back pain, the core stabilisers — deep muscles in the abdomen and back — may function inadequately. Commonly referred to as ‘corset muscles’, stabilisers help preserve spine stability and posture. The stabilisers are synchronized with a different group of muscles (moving muscles)…