9th May 2012

An interview with inspiring personal trainer Anna Lovelock

Anna Lovelock is a personal trainer and well-known Pilates instructor whose seemingly lifelong passion for sports and fitness has resulted in her inspiring many into becoming fitter and improving their sporting performance.

Alongside working with tennis professionals, the England rugby team and Olympic medallists, Anna’s latest venture is being the master trainer for ThinQFitness, an online fitness provider and the launch of the highly innovate ThinQ Fitness app, which means you can literally workout wherever and whenever you want to.

Trion Z had the pleasure of interviewing Anna to talk daily diets, keeping fit and the highly anticipated ThinQ Fitness app!

When and why did you start to become interested in health and fitness?

I loved, and participated in sport as a child, though I didn’t at the time equate it to “health and fitness”, just fun.  I started going to Pineapple Dance at 18.  Jane Fonda had just released her Aerobic Workout.  I loved the class concept and wanted to get involved.

How long have you been a personal trainer?

I have been a Fitness Instructor for 31 years and Personal Trainer for about 15 of those.

From working with members of the England Rugby squad to Olympic medallists, what has been the highlight of your career to date?

I can’t name a particular highlight, however, what has been a revelation to me is how much, after all these years I can still love and be inspired by my job.  Ideas in health and fitness are constantly changing, and as an Instructor you need to learn and adapt.

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4th May 2012

Five ways to lose weight this weekend!

If you’re tired of having a penchant for really ‘letting go’ in the diet, exercise and general health stakes at the weekend, pathetically mumbling to yourself that you’ll ‘start the diet again on Monday morning’, why not designate the weekend to losing weight and keeping fit?

If that sounds like an appealing plan then to help you in your quest to have knocked a few pounds off the scales on Sunday night rather than have gained a few, below are five ways to lose weight this weekend.

Go to a nightclub

Dancing the night away in a nightclub will go a long way in your quest to be slimmer. Just make sure that your healthy dancing antics aren’t humbled by knocking back buckets full of high calorie alcoholic beverages.

Have a lie-in

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who don’t get enough sleep consume an average of 300 more calories than those who do get enough sleep. Make sure that your extra calorie consumption doesn’t come through lack of sleep by having a lie-in!

Eat Brunch

Instead of eating greasy fry-up for breakfast as an attempt to thwart the repercussions of last night’s eight pints, followed by a stodgy lunch of fish and chip several hours later, opt for having a mid-morning brunch instead.

Brunches tend to be lighter than lunches and are there to be enjoyed as you will have more time at the weekend. Try to make your brunch as nutritious and as filling as possible so that you don’t have a tendency to snack during the afternoon. Poached egg on wholemeal toast makes a tasty and nutritious brunch.

Go shopping

As it we need any excuse! Walking around the shops carrying bags laden with new clothes, toiletries and shoes will do your quest for weekend weight loss and world of good, although it’s a shame the same can’t be said about your bank balance!

Clean the house

Why not ‘kill two birds with one stone’ by cleaning your house this weekend? Cleaning is one of those underestimated keep fit activities, with people being widely oblivious to the fact that spending just half an hour mopping the floor can burn up to 300 calories and scrubbing the bathroom can burn almost 150 calories.

Of course, not only will putting in some extra elbow grease result in an ultra-sparkling kitchen, but the more effort you put in the more calories you will burn!

 

3rd May 2012

The psychological benefits of yoga on teenagers

In a multi-millennial journey from being a spiritual practice of ancient India to becoming considered as being the ultimate antidote in the corporate fast lane, one cannot deny that yoga has come a long way.

In carrying out so many different moves and stretches it is easy to understand the physical benefits one gains if practising yoga regularly. Whilst it is widely accepted that any type of exercise is good for one’s mental health as well as their physical health, the psychological benefits of yoga remain a lot more ambiguous and uncertain.

The psychological benefits of yoga became slightly more ‘concrete’ when the findings of a pilot study were published in a recent edition of the Journal of Development & Behavioural Paediatrics. The study was aimed at researching the effects yoga had on adolescents suffering from mental health disorders such as anxiety and stress.

According to Science Daily, the study showed significant improvements in the psychological outcomes of 51 eleventh and twelfth grade students registered for physical education at a Massachusetts high school.

The students completed a series of psychosocial tests before and after undergoing a ten-week yoga program. The tests assessed the moods of the teenagers and self-regulatory abilities, such as anger management and mindfulness.

The research findings on the psychological benefits of yoga on teenagers proved that the youngsters who had been part of the yoga program had performed better in the psychological tests, such a showing a significant increase in positive emotions. Whilst the teenagers who had stayed in regular physical education classes tended to score worse in tests examining mood problems and anxiety.

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30th April 2012

The benefits of a mini exercise bike

Mini exercise bikes are quickly becoming a buzz word in the world of health and fitness, with the advantages being multiple. If you are unsure what the benefits are of owning such a device, then read on as we explore the marvels of a mini exercise bike.

Don’t require much space

Conventional exercise bikes, similar to conventional bikes, are bulky, heavy items which require a lot of space in a home or an office. If you simply don’t have this space, mini exercise bikes can be a great alternative. These clever exercise machines are light and compact and will easily fit inside a cupboard or under the bed, meaning you can discreetly store them without taking up valuable space.

You can burn calories in the luxury of your own home

Instead of having to wait for a dry day, being limited to cycling at times when it is light outside and dangerously competing with cars for road space, with a mini exercise bike you can cycle at your leisure, anytime of the day in the comfort of your own living room.

With a mini exercise bike you will burn the same amount of calories that you would risking life and limb cycling on the road and the same amount as you would burn by pedalling on a bigger stationary exercise bike.

With a mini exercise bike you can also exercise whilst carrying out other tasks, such as being on the telephone, on the computer or watching TV, effectively ‘killing two birds with one stone!’

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26th April 2012

Equipment free exercise at home

Many people tend to join a gym with the belief that they couldn’t possibly get in shape at home through lack of equipment. While fitness equipment such as exercise bikes, treadmills, trampolines, benches and weight machines are great for losing weight, toning the body and getting fit, you can achieve all the goals mentioned above using equipment free exercise at home.

Read the following advice on equipment free exercise at home.

Dancing

Not only is dancing fun, adrenaline-pumping and enjoyable, but it is also a fantastic form of exercise. People of almost any age can dance and all it requires is some music. As dancing is a highly active cardiovascular activity, when we dance we burn calories, which, of course if done regularly and done in-conjunction with eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, can result in weight loss.

Although there is other health benefits of dancing other than weight loss and increased fitness. Dancing can increase flexibility, which is an important component of maintaining good health. Dancing can also increase muscle strength and endurance, meaning your stamina and fitness levels will gradually improve.

As dancing is a social and enjoyable activity, which you can do to your favourite music, it can also increase your mood, release tension and stress and be an instant energy booster!

So what are you waiting for? Crank up your favourite album and dance the morning away!

Fitness DVDs

Many stay-at-home exercisers keep fit by following an exercise DVD. From Cindy Crawford showing you how you can get a body like hers, to Davina McCall revealing her body secrets, there is literally hundreds of fitness DVDs available that you can work to in the comfort of your own home.

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