What is Fitness? 4 Reasons You Need a Personalised Programme

Fitness means a lot of different things to different people. You might think that being able to walk down the road without getting out of breath is good enough. You may believe that a toned and buff body is the bare minimum you are looking for. You could be trying to get fit for a certain challenge.

Fitness for an athlete is somewhat different from someone who wants to climb a mountain or run a marathon or play better football or cricket.

One thing I know as a personal trainer in Edinburgh is that fitness is PERSONAL.

1. Fitness and You

Contrary to popular belief, there is no one size fits all solution to your personal needs.

·             Let’s say that you want to run a marathon this year. A lot will depend on where you are starting from but your personal regime will certainly contain aspects that are designed to improve your stamina.

·             If you play tennis and want to improve your game, training might involve developing the strength of your backhand.

·             If you have been diagnosed with a health condition that better fitness will help improve then a regime that develops your aerobic capacity under carefully controlled conditions might be the best way forward.

2. Understanding Your Goals

Key to developing the level of fitness you are looking for depends on a deeper understanding of your goals and what you are willing to do to reach them. Working as a personal trainer in Edinburgh, I come across people from a wide range of backgrounds and with varying fitness levels. Getting to know them and learning what they want and how I can help them achieve that is a big ingredient of any future success. Once you know where you’re going, after all, it’s much easier to get there.

3. Getting Better Nutrition

Better fitness can be achieved purely through exercise. But if you want a higher level, or exceed your potential, you also need to look at nutrition. We’re not just looking at people who want to lose weight here. If you want to maximise performance and improve, what you put into your body and when you do it is as important as any session of circuit training or kettlebell swings.

4. Getting Fitness Support

You can, of course, organise your own exercise regime. Some people are good at this, others not so. The benefits of personal training in Edinburgh is that you get the support to keep going and continuously improve. With any exercise regime, it can be easy to slip into bad habits or get dispirited if you don’t get immediate results.

A personal trainer can help you stay on target and reach realistic goals, all the while actively encouraging you. Working with a professional also gives you the opportunity to regularly review your exercise and nutrition regime and make changes for the better.

Fitness is a personal issue. Getting the right plan in place that suits your needs is as much about common sense as it is about science. We can all benefit from being healthier and if you feel that it’s time that you got off the couch and began working those muscles and eating better, then perhaps it’s time you gave me a call.

5 Ways to Drink More Water

Working as a personal trainer in Edinburgh, my clients often quiz me about the best way to stay fit. While exercise has a whole bunch of benefits, one thing at the top of my list is staying hydrated.

Most of us don’t drink enough water and it’s easy to become dehydrated during the day. There is some dispute how much we should be drinking but the consensus is that we should all be having about 8 glasses of fluid a day. If you exercise a lot, you may well need more to make up for the amount you lose through sweat.

1. Keep a Bottle Nearby

If you’re getting some personal training today, make sure you take your bottle of water with you. In fact, if you carry a bottle around with you all day, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get your hydration up. Think about the old adage: out of sight, out of mind. That’s quite apt for water. When we don’t have it to hand, we don’t bother. But if the bottle is within reach, it’s surprising how often we pick it up and take a sip. Carry a bottle around with you all the time and you’ll find your energy levels improving and your concentration as your hydration improves.

2. Add Some Flavour

Some people love water, others think it’s tasteless and boring. The good news is that water is easy to add flavour to. If you want something natural, squeeze in a little lemon juice. Try to avoid any flavourings that are high in sugar as these can help you pile on the pounds. Drinking flavoured teas is another great way to keep you water levels up, particularly if you like a nice hot cuppa.

3. Foods That Contain More Water

You can covertly increase your water intake by eating certain foods. All food contains some level of liquid but ones such as cucumber, melon and celery all contain more than most. If you want something nutritious and hydrating then why not make a nice soup? There are plenty of ways to boost your fluid intake by choosing the right foods.

4. Use an App and Track

As a personal trainer, I’m keen on using technology as much as possible. While fitness trackers have their detractors, the one thing they do provide is great feedback that can help motivate individual fitness. When you can see where you stand, it prompts you to do more.

Most trackers allow you to monitor your water intake but you can also download dedicated apps onto your smartphone for that specific purpose. If you have trouble maintaining your water intake, then these are great option to try.

5. Get a Filter

Buying water can be expensive, especially if you need up to 8 glasses a day. More and more people are opting to use a filter bottle with tap water. Find the one that suits and you can keep up your water intake and cut down the cost at the same time. Don’t forget, water in UK is the safest in the world and often just as good as shop bought products.

If you start personal training with me in Edinburgh, one of the first things I will talk about is keeping up those water levels. Once you get used to it, you’ll find you drink regularly with greater ease. You’ll also notice the change it makes to your energy levels and enthusiasm for the workout!

Tips for exercising outside in cold weather

• Dress in layers. When you start to get warm you can peel off the layers quickly and then put them back on when you are cooling down.
• Warm up properly. Spend at least 6 minutes warming up to reduce the risk of injury.
• Train with a friend. Working out with a friend can help you to get motivated when it's freezing outside.
• Drink water. The urge to drink is less when it's cold, however it is still really important to hydrate.
• Don't exercise outside below zero degrees or if you feel unwell.

10 Tips for wedding weight loss

So you're looking for tips for wedding weight loss, as if you haven't got enough on your plate (excuse the pun) organising a wedding! This article will offer you advice on how to lose weight for your wedding in a healthy way so you can keep it off after your big day.

1. Create a diet plan that you will stick to. Cutting out simple carbohydrates (bread, pasta, etc.) in your evening meal will allow you to go to bed without feeling bloated and your body won't need to spend as much time digesting food and can spend more time repairing and restoring you for the next day.

2. Fill your fridge and cupboards with healthy foods and throw away the junk! Order online for a home delivery if it will help you make good food choices. There are so many healthy food shops that you can order from. In Edinburgh I recommend  Real Foods.

3. Book workouts in your diary or calendar. Just as you would book in dress fittings or wedding rehearsals, if you want to lose weight for you wedding you need to get committed! 

4. Ask your maid of honour or best man to partner up with you on workouts. Go for runs together, make a shared food plan or go to gym classes together. This can be a great way to motivate you to lose weight.

5. Use a smaller plate. This can help you to be aware of your portion sizes and stop you from overeating. 

6. Water, water, water! Most of the times we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty. Drink water before, during and after meals. Carry water with you everywhere- bag, car, pushchair, whatever applies!

7. Eat out at healthy restaurants and cafes. Look at the menu online before if it helps you, then  you can choose something healthy and you will be less tempted when you get there. There are loads in Edinburgh to choose from as you can see from my previous blog post. 

8. Carry healthy snacks with you. If you are out and about and feeling hungry, you will be less likely to indulge in a bar of chocolate or pack of crisps if you have a healthy energy bar with you.

9. Get yourself some new workout clothes or trainers! If you look good and feel good it makes it so much easier to get out the door, which, let's face it, is the hardest part. I've written a short post about how workout clothes can motivate you. 

10. Get yourself a personal trainer that will get the results you want! I offer personal training in Edinburgh in your home, office or local park. With the motivation and expertise you need, you will be amazed at how quickly you can lose weight for your wedding! Click here to contact me for a free consultation!

Best free workouts in Edinburgh

Many of my personal training clients in Edinburgh ask me what fun workouts they can do in between our sessions. While there are many great exercises that you can do at home, these outdoor workouts make you realise what an incredible city Edinburgh is!

Inverleith fitness trail is perfect for circuit training in Inverleith park. There is a vast array of equipment from monkey bars, sit-up bench, tyre run, wobble board and more. For more info click here

Running along Portobello Promenade can be windy when Edinburgh's weather is at it's most typical. I have written a previous blog post about working out in cold weather that you can see here. The view of the sea and the sound of the waves makes it worth it, whatever the weather. The prom is flat and well maintained, the council have introduced permanent free gym equipment if you fancy a change from jogging.

Edinburgh Park run- Park runs are 5km in length, occur every Saturday morning and are run entirely by volunteers. Edinburgh's park run takes place on Saturdays at 9.30am in Cramond on the Edinburgh Promenade. You can see the course map here. There is a fantastic atmosphere and it doesn't matter what your ability is, give it a try!

Walking up Arthur's seat is a great workout whatever the weather, you can take friends, a dog or just go solo. Those of you feeling you needing to push yourselves, why not run up or power walk? Arthur's seat is the highest point in the city, giving incredible views when you get to the top. A visitor to Edinburgh once asked my wife how long ago the rock which makes up Arthur's seat was an active volcano, she guessed it must have been about 400 years ago. We all have our strengths..

Cycling/running/walking Water's of Leith walkway. The walkway runs for 12 miles between Balerno and Leith and is great way to see a different side to Edinburgh. I amazed how many of my personal training clients do not take advantage of this great path. Be prepared to carry your bike up a few steps when you need to cross bridges. More info can be found here.

Whether you are new to exercise, an ex-bodybuilder or just want to learn to do a one handed push up, it's always easier with a personal trainer especially me ;) Click here to see what packages I offer and contact me for a FREE, no obligation consultation.