Why exercise is important.

Survival of the fittest


Staying fit is essential to deal with the hectic pace of modern life. Fitness essentially refers to the capacity to take stress and adapt favourably to changing conditions without disturbing the body or mind. Thus, we can see that fitness is not just a measure of physical strength but also mental stability.
In the modern context, fitness in many ways is synonymous with health. Good health is the primary need of modern living and staying fit is the only way to achieve it. Fitness and good health are interrelated; if you are fit, you are healthy and when you are healthy, your fitness levels go up. However, when discussed in lieu of survival, fitness takes on a whole new meaning.
As per the theory of evolution, only the 'fit' individuals of a species survive and pass on their genes. With this information, classifying fitness simply as health is inadequate. More than health, fitness points to the suitability of an individual in a given environment.
To illustrate this, a person adapted to living in the Arctic will not be able to survive in an arid desert environment. Thus, in the true sense, fitness is more like a person's capability to survive in a particular environment. This statement also implies that what may be regarded as fit in one environment, may not be fit to survive in a different environment.
This explains why some people fall sick whenever they visit new places. Another interpretation of the statement is that when the environment changes, individuals must change as well or perish and if they do perish, they were never fit to survive there.
The vast majority of the people might not agree with this theory because they do not realise the implications of being unfit. The tragic truth is that we hardly ever react to a situation unless it is already up on us. Unless people have a cardiac arrest or are diagnosed with cancer, they don't seem to realise the importance of fitness and healthy living. Getting to a state of healthy living and fitness doesn’t need to take up a lot your time either. 20 minutes, three times a week is all you need. 

The benefits of being fit and healthy

The benefits of being fit are plentiful. It would not be incorrect to say that each pleasure that life holds cannot be enjoyed completely if the person is not fit. When you are fit you are free to eat what you like, drink what you like, do what you like and live how you want to without having to wake up in the morning with regret. Yes this is partly because you will know what is healthy to eat, drink and do and therefore will do what promotes your well being.
You can actually safeguard yourself from ailments such as diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, and even dreaded ones like cancer by making an effort to stay fit and eat the right foods.
You can improve the quality of your life, be fresher when you get up in the morning, have no fear of infections every time winter comes and have no qualms when your car breaks down and you have to walk 3 miles back home.
That is the gift of fitness, a sense of independence, a feeling that you can take whatever the world throws at you. The benefits of fitness go beyond all medical and biological boundaries; what fitness really gives individuals is peace of mind.
For more information about the basic changes that you can make to improve your general well being , e -mail us or pop in for a chat.

Jax.

10 Fitness and Wellness myths busted

We thought it wise to blog about the myths that are associated with fitness and living a healthy lifestyle.  We will try to add a myth a week so that we can set the record straight on some of the most ridiculous health theories that people believe just because it is written in a magazine.  

The ten myths we are going to address in the following weeks are: 

1.       To get rid of tummy fat, you need to do millions of sit ups

2.       You need to drink at least 2 litres of water a day

3.       If I do weight training I will look like a body-builder

4.       Supplements are only for body-builders

5.       To be healthy, I have to live and eat like a hippy

6.       My doctor knows best

7.       Eating high fat diet is bad for me

8.       Fitness is for Lycra wearing 20 something’s

9.       To have a healthy and fit lifestyle, I have to sacrifice all the things I like.

10.   I just don’t have time for a healthy Lifestyle. 

If there are any theories that you are not sure are true, send them to us and we will look into it.

1.      To get rid of tummy fat, you need to do millions of sit ups

Well, we all believe that a wash board stomach is derived from hours of sit – ups. This has been our firm believe for so long that we can’t even remember where or when this theory has taken place. As with most myths, this one was founded in truth and then blown out of proportion.

Has anyone actually shown you how to do a good push up? We try to do a few in the old traditional way and this seems way too hard – then we buy some random contraption from the TV commercials hoping that the piece of equipment will do the trick.  For a quick reminder of the type of none sense that is out there, have a look at these! They kill me every time.

Joke one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LbWHABOMJg   

Joke two - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OWL4SM3ets&feature=relmfu

Joke three- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0gEZwl6NXU&feature=related

Why should you be doing sit- ups?

Sit ups are designed to strengthen your core. By strengthening your core muscles, you will take the stress from your lower back and fix your bad posture. This exercise is quite important and should feature regularly in your work outs but should not be done as a fat burner around the tummy.  

What exercise is better to lose belly fat?

Squats – loads off squats. Along with eating the right foods.  Remember that the human body is designed to store fat for the lesser seasons. Your tummy is the first place your body starts storing fat and the last place where it will lose it. That is just the way it is. By cutting down your carbohydrate intake to less than 100 grams a day, you will be using your body fat to fuel your everyday activities and as long as you stay away from sugar and processed foods you will start to lose your body fat by a rate of 2lbs a week!

Why Squats?- The muscles around your upper thy and bum are the biggest muscles you have in your body, by activating them you will use a lot more energy and therefore burn a lot more fat in less time. 

Myth Busted.

Any questions? Please let me know.

Arend

Can you come and play?

Back in the day

Like most of you, I have great memories of my childhood.  I grew up in South Africa during the 80’s and although this was a dark period in the history of our country, as a ten year old in 1986, I was concerning myself with only a few things- Rugby (played barefoot until the age of 14), riding around with my “gang” on our BMX’s and playing.

Playing consisted of anything and everything you can think of. Climbing trees and building tree houses, building obstacles from garden furniture to dive over into the pool in the back yard or making a catapult and trying to “hunt “the bats at dusk.

But by far the best games were those we played in big groups and almost always involved running, jumping and a bit of rough play. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Games such as Bull dog, Kiss chase, Stuck in the mud and dodge ball (the S.A. version consisted of a wet tennis ball that, when thrown with skill and speed will sting like mad and most definitely leave a bruise! Something you were eager to show off to your dad as a sign of your toughness, crazy I know.)

Little did we know or even care that these activities developed foot speed, stamina, lateral agility and strength. Mentally it developed competition which is a good thing for children believe it or not. We didn’t play because it was good for us; we played because it was fun.

But times have changed and I’m afraid that we have lost the ability of active play. Aside from all the new technology, I believe a mind shift has occurred in society, frowning on natural play. As adults it gets even worse- 60 hour work weeks, KPI’s and career progression seems to be the key to our work life balance. Note that we don’t say life work balance. We are getting more stressed and have less time for social engagement and we do not realise that this is affecting our productivity. It is no secret that physical activity is the most successful method to reduce stress so why are we not playing more?

Benefits of play.

Believe it or not but playing is the most natural thing for humans to do. We use both mind and body to play, as you well now. We dance, we gamble, we conduct complex sports games using ball and sticks, we form teams and leagues around these games, we follow professionals who play in such leagues for massive sums of money, we pose and solve puzzles and riddles. We play games and sports, and have been doing so for thousands of years.  So what are the benefits of actually partaking in play?

• It makes you smarter, increasing the functions of the hippocampus and has been known to fight off and delay Alzheimer’s disease.
•  It helps with positive engagement and improved interpersonal skills such as conflict management and motivation.
• It decreases stress, tension and  anger whilst increasing energy

All of the above will make you more productive in your work environment whilst strengthening your home relationships.

How to Play

You can play everywhere and anytime. Start by being creative and spontaneous with little or no equipment .Some people already play 5 a side football twice a week in their lunch breaks but what about the rest of us that is not that into Football or sport but still enjoy being active?

Well, when in doubt go back to the tried and tested games. Tag (or it) can be played almost anywhere and with anyone, work colleagues or just the family over the weekend in the local park. The version that I am about to describe is not my idea, but it does sound like great fun.

You will need to be dressed for running as this is what you will be doing a lot of.  A group of 5 will be a good start although less will also work.  To find out who will be “it “first, everyone needs to do 5 burpees. The one that finishes last is “it “and the game can start.  As the first person gets tagged, they need to do 5 pushups, when they tag the next person the pushups increase to 10 and so on until you reach 20 pushups. Then change the forfeit to air squats, sit-ups, maybe pull-ups from a sturdy branch. Your options are limitless. The Idea is that you will be running your heart out not to get caught and have to do a forfeit, thus burning fat like there is no tomorrow whilst having a laugh. Inevitably there will be the slower few that will do a disproportionate amount of push ups, sit ups or squats. But this will only make them stronger and faster. After 30-40min of this you will be exhausted, laughing and looking forward to your next week’s session. This is also so much more fun than 40min on the treadmill at a set speed. This can be done throughout winter as well as you will warm up quite quickly doing this sort of running around so no excuse not to try this at work over the next few weeks.

Do you have any Ideas of Fitness Play? Please share with us so that the pool of games can be increased and all can benefit.

See you on the playground!

Arend

5 Basic movements for great health and longevity.

Every year there is a new fitness product on offer and every year we buy into it. We spend our well earned £’s in the belief (or faint hope) that this gadget, that class or those trainers will somehow, as if by magic and with little or no effort from ourselves, turn us into (insert your ideal hot body celebrity here).

Ridiculous contraptions such as water bikes and elliptical trainers, vibration plates and any class with the word “Zumba” in front of it, flood the internet and TV channels promising us great results in a heartbeat.

Back to basics

The aim of this blog is to provide you with sound, proven advice. Today I will promise you that what is about to follow, if done correctly and consistently with all-out effort and vigour will change your physique, strength, stamina and fitness in as little as 2 months. It’s no special formula, no secret plant extract from the Amazon. It is just 5 basic movements that you can do anytime and anywhere (but I would love it if you came to do these with us!) Unlike the fitness fads, these have stood the test of time. 

The Squat

Why it works

Squats work practically every single major muscle in your legs. As burning off excess fat goes this is the one exercise that will do the most damage to that belly in the least amount of time. On the other side of the coin, if you are looking to build muscle, squats will help you in the long run by strengthening your back and teaching you the key posture for future lifting exercises. It also gives you great looking firm thighs and bum.

How it’s done

Functionality

Humans are made for squatting! That was our default resting position for centuries and in Africa a lot of tribes still squat around a fire ever night. The full squat or Asian squat as it’s also known is a great stretch that you can do every morning after getting out of bed and/or during work time after spending a long time at the desk. Some professionals even suggest that by squatting while doing your "no 2" you decrease pressure on your lower bowels and other parts that will benefit you for years to come.

The Press- up

Why it works

Press-ups work multiple muscle groups at once which is why we recommend them. They are a popular compound and body-weight exercise. When you perform a push-up you engage your chest, arms and shoulders. If you do them correctly and engage your abdominals you will also strengthen your core. More specifically, push-ups primarily work your pectorals, triceps and deltoid muscles. All these muscles are key for further developing upper body strength.

How it’s done

Functionality

Lifting your own body weight is beneficial to you in all regards of life. From looking underneath your bed for that lost shoe to preventing major injury by supporting your weight when falling over. Whatever the circumstances, you can rest assure that being able to do 20 good form push-ups will add to your general fitness and deal with those bingo wings at the same time.

The Pull- up 

Why it works

Pull-ups force you to lift your own body-weight. They are the best strength training exercises you can do for upper-body strength & muscle mass (think – more muscle mass = less fat mass). Unfortunately Pull-ups are hard. Very hard. So hard that most of us don’t even bother doing them. However, with a little commitment and practice you will soon be able to do at least 10 good quality pull-ups.

How it’s done

Functionality

If press-ups are “ying” then pull-ups are “yang”. With these two basic pull and push exercises you can accomplish a lot and add strength daily to your body. Pull-ups (or variations of them) will help you in most every manual task that you need to do in “real life”. Climbing over a wall is probably the best example of incorporating a pull-up and a push-up function (although I’m sure you do not have to climb walls every day of your life, you never know when you might have to).

Basic Lifts (Heavy Things)

Why it works

Dead lift, Sumo lift, snatch, clean and jerk might sound like your local variety of single men on the speed dating scene but these are the main ways to lift heavy things. All of the above target your lower and upper back muscles whilst engaging your abdominal muscles. By incorporating these lifts into your training you will strengthen your most valuable asset – your back.

How it’s done

Functionality

Well, where do I start? The most common injuries in the UK are spinal or back injuries. We all know of a person that has some sort of back problem. You might even be one of them. This is not just when lifting heavy things. Too often we hear the story of a person that bent over to pick up a piece of paper and “tweaked something“ in their back. By learning the key skills of correct posture when lifting you can save yourself a lot of ache and money in the future. Regular, well supervised weight lifting sessions will do wonders for your back. This training alone is worth your gym membership.

Running (Hard and Fast)

Why it works

So what exercise gives you the most fat burning for your effort?  For most people, the answer is clear. You should be sprinting! Not jogging, not running on a treadmill, and definitely not following the typical “fat burning protocol” A.K.A. death by Cardio machine. If you are looking to increase your strength, speed and power, then this exercise is just the thing.   However, it’s a nice bonus that you will quickly get incredibly lean and develop an awesome physique.

Sprinting is the ultimate full body exercise.  It literally engages every muscle in your entire body.  This leads to greater metabolic demands, which makes it a very potent fat burner.

How it’s done

Really? I’m not going to post a video for sprinting. However keep the following in mind. Keep running on your toes not heels. Swing those arms tightly against your body as hard and fast as you can. Keep the distance short to begin with (50 meters is fine) but start with 5 sets. Rest between sets so that you can sprint as hard as you can. With time you can increase distance and sets and decrease resting time.  

Functionality

Not only can you alter your genes on a cellular level by sprinting (reduces risk of cancer and ageing), it is a much better cardio workout in less time. Do it with the kids and make a game of it!

Any questions on the above or any fitness and diet related issues? Let us know.

Arend

5 Reasons why and how you should take control of your health and fitness.

There are thousands of reasons why people join gyms. Most of them boil down to guilt. Feeling guilty that we are getting older and not looking after ourselves, feeling guilty that we cannot play with the kids, feeling guilty that we don’t have energy to spend “quality” time with our loved ones, feeling guilty that when we do spend “quality” time with our loved ones we want the light off. Maybe you are feeling guilty after that massive piece of Black Forest cake, boozy night and/ or cigarette.

So I thought that we could give you 5 good reasons why you should embrace and enjoy a healthier lifestyle whilst seeing great results. This in turn will motivate you enough to keep at it and change your life for the better. Hopefully it will also result in less gym membership cancellations. 

You can become fit whilst being lazy.

Well, not really but almost. When we think of fitness and health, we conjure up images of top athletes such as Usain Bolt or Dame Kelly Holmes and we know that to achieve those types of results (or bodies) we need to spend years pursuing high level fitness and peak health through hard work, discipline, sacrifice and… misery.

I know you would rather opt for the best results with the least amount of pain, suffering, and sacrifice. Most of us would rather want to look fit than be fit, right? But the irony is that when you actually do what it takes to look fit (eat correctly, stop the over exercising, A.K.A Death by Cardio, lift heavy things intensely two or three times a week and sprint a bit now and again) you become VERY fit. And healthy. And happy. And less stressed. And more productive.

The best thing about the fitness routine I describe above is that it should not take you longer than 1 and a half hours a week! Leaving you with more time to do the things you want to do or just to relax.

 Vanity or looking good naked.

No real person wants to look like the “new” Jodie Marsh. Or the old one for that matter, but we would all like to be able to sunbathe on holiday in that nice light blue bikini that you saw in the shop or feel like Daniel Craig when we walk out of the ocean onto a busy beach.
The general rule of thumb is that 80% of your body composition is determined by how you eat. The remaining 20% is a combination of genetics and exercise. So if you eat correctly (right food types, correctly sourced and don’t use your mouth as a vacuum cleaner) it doesn’t take very much exercise to optimise your muscle size and strength and to cut your body fat.
Be realistic though; eating well and exercising cleverly will make the best you that you can be. It will not turn you into Daniel Craig. Although you (and your loved one) will be very impressed with how good you can look…..

Stay uninjured.

 

There is nothing worse than motivating yourself to start exercising again and taking control of your lifestyle just to incur an injury and having to lose your momentum. I know; I have been there just this year when a very silly mistake (over exercise) resulted in knee surgery and took me out of my training for 4 months. Getting back on track isn’t always easy as you unlearn good habits very quickly.
As we get older, our bodies don’t recover as quickly from exercise as it used to and soreness can quickly turn into sprains or strains if you don’t pay attention to them. Our PT classes’ use the exercise system mentioned above to create a balanced, strong and functional body that will be hardened against injuries so that you are free to play harder in sport or in the park with the kids (or grand kids!) It actually focuses on injury prevention and avoidance by not over exercising, while building muscle and burning fat.


Avoid illness

We are quickly approaching winter and with that comes every nasty bug imaginable. Soon you will be making use of the 2 for 1 deals at your local pharmacy on all types of syrups, potions and nasal sprays just like you did this summer with all the allergy pills and potions and …nasal sprays. When you subscribe to no exercise (or even chronic cardio training) and high carbohydrate (comfort) food with all its sugar, you are depleting your immune system to the point that it does not stand a chance against the smallest of infections.

By following a sensible eating plan and exercising smartly, you can improve your immune system dramatically. Being a long time sufferer of extreme hay fever myself, I was surprised how quickly it all disappeared this summer after cutting grains from my diet. Even the smallest of changes to your diet such as limiting your carbohydrate intake to no more than 100grams a day and increase your protein ( fish and meats) and good fats ( nuts, seeds, olive oil, omega3) will give you great results. 

Love and enjoy good food.

Which brings us to the inevitable- your diet. It is a common myth that by living healthy you need to give up eating good food. Nothing could be further from the truth. We fall prey to the “living to eat” mantra as opposed to the more natural and sensible “eating to live” strategy. You need to understand that food fuels your body and just like with any fuel, the better the quality of the food the better your body (machine) will perform. Eating right will program your genes in a way that will take your hunger cravings away by giving you enough energy and stabilising your blood sugar levels. We have seen great results at Ozone when members (and staff) make an effort to eat the foods that we as humans are meant to eat: Fish (no batter), Meats (not processed), Poultry (not KFC), Colourful vegetables (not starchy roots), some fruit (not fruit pastels), Seeds and Nuts (not Peanuts), Olive oil (not vegetable or sunflower oil) and very little grains (not bread). You will feel satisfied for longer and will not succumb to those sugar cravings. Keep an eye on portions. If you are unsure about quantities of food you need to eat, come and have a chat with us.

Needless to say that alcohol is a major factor in weight gain and the root of most evils, although the odd glass of red wine has been proven to be beneficial. 

I’m sure there are plenty more good reasons to take control of your personal health and fitness and if you have any, please let us know by leaving a comment. 

Go get them tiger!

Arend

Welcome

Welcome to our new blog!

Over the last few months things have surely changed here at Ozone. I'm sure our members have noticed that we do not "do" fitness in the traditional way.

Over the last year our 20 minute High Intensity Personal Training Sessions ( a bit of a mouth full- we will have to come up with a new name for these) have been very successful and have gone from strength to strength. Several of our regulars has seen great results and inevitably have been asking us questions relating to exercise, food and personal grooming tips (joking about the grooming, although Jonathan is always ready for advise if you'd need it).

We felt that the best way to dispense good information regarding all your fitness and health needs would be through a weekly blog.

We have a few core fitness truths that we would like to share in the start to squash those myths that you are told by the beauty and fitness industry. However, we want this blog to be relevant for you so please let us know what you would like to know about. We do not profess to know everything but at least we get paid to research these things so that you do not have to waste even more time during your valued lunch breaks.

So please spread the word and feedback will always be appreciated. Please note that we would like to keep this blog light and fun so if you have serious health questions or other comments regarding our club, please e-mail me on a.wissing@holidayinnlondon.com

I would like to finish with this thought: Strive for progress not perfection. This has helped me get over the fact that I cannot beat Ludwig at pull ups....well, not yet.

Arend
Ozone Club Manager