Over and over,research has shown that women who maintain a regular, moderate strength training program enjoy a long list of health advantages. Some women still fear that weight training will pimp themup and ake then appear ‘bulky’. However, negative attitudes about women in the weight room are rapidly fading as women of all ages realise the benefits of resistance training. According to renowned strength training researcher William J. Kraemer, PhD, of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Weight training expert and researcher, Wayne Westcott, PhD, from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, gives us 10 important reasons why women need to take strength training seriously:

1. You’ll Lose More Fat Than You’ll Gain in Muscle. Westcott and his colleagues have done numerous weight training studies involving thousands of women and have never had anyone complain about bulking up. In fact, Westcott’s research shows that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for eight weeks gains 1.75 pounds of lean weight or muscle and loses 3.5 pounds of fat. Unlike men, women typically don’t gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause bulking up, explains Kraemer.

2. Your New Muscle Will Help Fight Obesity. As you add muscle from strength training, your resting metabolism will increase, so you’ll burn more calories all day long, notes Westcott. For each pound of muscle you gain, you’ll burn 35 to 50 more calories daily. So, for example, if you gain three pounds of muscle and burn 40 extra calories for each pound, you’ll burn 120 more calories per day, or approximately 3,600 more calories per month. That equates to a loss of 10 to 12 pounds in one year!

3. You’ll Be a Stronger Woman. Westcott’s studies indicate that moderate weight training increases a woman’s strength by 30 to 50 percent. Extra strength will make it easier to accomplish some daily activities, such as lifting children or shopping. Kraemer notes that most strength differences between men and women can be explained by differences in body size and fat mass; pound for pound, women can develop their strength at the same rate as men.

4. Your Bones Will Benefit. By the time you leave high school, you have established all the bone mineral density you’ll ever have–unless you strength train, says Westcott. Research has found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density by 13 percent in six months. So strength training is a powerful tool against osteoporosis.

5. You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

6. You Will Fight Heart Disease. Strength training will improve your cholesterol profile and blood pressure, according to recent research. Of course, your exercise program should also include cardiovascular exercise and flexibility training.

7. You Will Be Able to Beat Back Pain and Fight Arthritis. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease arthritis pain and strengthen joints.

8. You’ll Be a Better Athlete. Westcott has found that strength training improves athletic ability. Golfers, for example, significantly increase their driving power. Whatever your sport of choice, strength training may not only improve your proficiency but also decrease your risk of injury.

9. It Will Work No Matter How Old You Are. Westcott has successfully trained numerous women in their 70s and 80s, and studies show that strength improvements are possible at any age. Note, however, that a strength training professional should always supervise older participants.

10. You’ll Strengthen Your Mental Health. A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did, Westcott says. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program.*

Great Daily Exercise - Squat sit with arm curl……

Starting Position
Lean against a solid wall, with your feet out in front of you approximately 12 inches and shoulder width apart. Hold dumbbells to your side, palms facing forward.

Action
Slowly lower your body from the hips until you reach 90 degrees at the knees. Hold that position. Holding elbows into your body, slowly curl dumbbells upward at the same time. Make sure to keep your shoulders still and just bend at your elbows. Squeeze at the top and return to the starting position. Keep your stomach muscles pulled in and breathe steadily. Try doing 2 sets with 10-12 repetitions.

Special Instructions
You can do this without the extra weights to start……

Muscles Worked: Biceps, Quads, Glutes

The Phrase ‘BOOT CAMP’ instills fear into many people, after visions on the TV of huge brawny seargant major types shouting abuse at less than sphelt like figures who are pushed until they looked like they will explode!!  It doesn’t have to be that way!!  Many BOOT CAMPs that are run successfully are based on fitness with a more ‘individual’ feel!!  The partcipants are encouraged to push themselves within their limits….to feel like they are working hard but also enjoying themselves…. BOOT CAMP should provide a ‘varied’ regime to challenge and work the body differently each session while keeping the participant interested and motivated.  The Time 4 Myself BOOT CAMPs in Scotland became such a success because they included these factors and our team members saw REAL differences in their body shapes in just 4 weeks!!

The key to getting the fat off and tightening up the lean muscle mass.. for good, really is quite simple…. I said simple not easy!!!

‘Interval Training’ is when you work your body in short sharp bursts of activity and have short recover periods. For example: doing leg squats for 30 seconds and having ten seconds rest while you move round to the next exercise which could be 30 seconds of push ups. This type of exercise has been the backbone of circuit training classes and military style classes/camps the world over…..so you’re maybe asking….’if it’s so simple why don’t more people just get on with it…get a stopwatch and some weights and burn the fat’????  Thats because simple and easy are two different things!! You have to be committed to achieveing your goals and again a good BOOT CAMP wil help you make sure you start the whole process with your Goals and Motivations before you ever lift  weight or do a squat.

To make real changes to your body and lifestyle you can’t expect to do 30 minutes light exercise 3 times a week and see HUGE results…. But with a Kick ass, metabolism revving, calorie burning BOOT CAMP style workout 3 times a week plus some general exercise and modifications to your food intake….well…. you can expect to burn fat, have leaner muscles, more energy,  feel happier in yourself, make new friends, see life differently, be more positive…..Sound good???? Look for  a BOOT CAMP style session near you or hire a Personal Trainer that can help you workout the right way to achieve your goals. If you need any help…drop me an email or give me a call.  Judith - 696 815 927

BOOT CAMPS in Tenerife Sur - Call Dymphna Byrne- 619 008 035

 BOOT CAMPS in Carluke, SCOTLAND  - Call Alastair - 07799 84 37 55

Errrrr yes??!!  Breathing oxygenates our bodies… oxygen is essential to support life to stay healthy and strong!! Ok so it may seem like an odd question to ask !! 

But seriously.. if you were to monitor yourself you would probably find that you have a tendency to hold your breath for short periods but at regular intervals during the day!! It maybe when you lift things or exert yourself, maybe when you eat, maybe when you talk !!

Many of us don’t take in enough oxygen by breathing  deeply enough into the rib cage..this can lead to stress on the body in general but my particular favourite is the neck muscles!!  So many of us have stiff necks and attribute it to stress, posture, etc etc well when you don’t breathe deeply or regularly enough your brain tightens some of your neck muscles to lift your upper ribs upwards to enable you to squeeze a little more air into your lungs!! This done regularly, causes the muscles of the neck to become stiff,sore…overworked!! How clever are our bodies!!! But neck issues aside,  oxygen is essential to our bodily functions..our muscles need oxygen to work properly. If they don’t get enough oxygen then thay can’t work effectively, which can leave you feeling fatigued, unfit, unwell even.

So start breathing with this simple exercise to get your brain into the habit and your body feeling the benefits of effective breathing ….

It is called the 4-7-8 exercise for relaxing and relieving stress and is a formula from Dr. Andrew Weil.

Any position is good. I recommend lying in bed or sitting in a chair to begin. Start by putting your tongue on the ridge just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there during the entire exercise.

Exhale through your mouth - you will make a whoosh sound
Close your mouth and breathe in through your nose for the count of four

Hold your breath for the count of seven

Exhale completely through your mouth to the count of eight - yes, you will whoosh!

Repeat four cycles total. This takes practice but you will love how you feel. Don’t change the numbers as you get good at this exercise. More is not better. Four-seven-eight is the key to success.

My students are always asking me to repeat those special numbers, so remember them. Do the exercise twice a day, or more if you like. If you feel a little lightheaded, especially in the beginning, just take a break. It will pass. That’s why it is a good idea to begin in a chair or in a bed. You can do this wherever you are to reduce your stress, especially when you are upset. This will also help you fall asleep, too and, the very best part is - it works like a tranquilizer. It’s non-toxic and it’s free!

Personal Coaching, Sports Therapy & Massage is now available in San Blas, Golf del Sur. I now have access to a room for treatment  within Helens Hair & Beauty Salon which is just opposite the church at the bottom end of San Blas….

It is a small room but suitably equipped for a massage or therapy treatment as long as you are not over 6ft . For Personal Coaching  San Blas is ideally located on a lovely stretch of coastline for walks, jogs, aqua training, interval training and many other wonderful  ways to exercise outdoors…..So if this suits you better than travelling to Silencio give me a call.

Helens Hair & Beauty offers a full range of hairdressing services and beauty treatments include….

Waxing & Sugaring

Manicures/Pedicures & Nail treatments and Enhancements

Facials

Eye treatments including tinting and shaping

Tel 676 69 55 56 for an appointment