A – Apples
An apple is a filling high fibre, low calorie snack which keeps you full long after you’ve eaten it. Next time you get a snack attack, reach for an apple rather than cookies or sweets
B – Balls!
Medicine balls, Swiss balls, and BOSU balls – all great training tools which can add an extra dimension to your workouts. Using such equipment provides an unstable base on which to perform a variety of exercise which challenge your muscles in a new an unusual way. Try integrating some ball-based exercises into your workouts – they’re both fun and effective!
C – Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise is vital for health and also a useful tool for fat loss. Work within 60-90% of your maximum heart rate for best results but remember interval training is probably the best fat burner going.
D – Diet
Diet is a dirty 4 letter word and implies a short term fix to weight issues. Weight management is not something that can be addressed overnight so forget about diets and instead think about long-term nutritional planning. 99% of dieters fail to reach the goals they have set for themselves. Why? Most diets are unrealistic, unpleasant, overly restrictive and boring.
E – EPOC
Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption describes the increased metabolism of oxygen that occurs after strenuous exercise. In simple terms, the body is in overdrive for hours after a strenuous workout and burning calories at an elevated rate even though you are at rest. EPOC only occurs after exercise that produces significant amounts of lactic acid so forget the long slow easy workouts and push the intensity up a notch.
F – Fibre
Fibre is calorie free food. Vital for digestive health, it makes meals more satisfying and keeps us fuller for longer. Seek out higher fibre foods such as wholemeal bread, pasta and rice and leave skins on fruits and vegetables.
G – Get moving more!
It’s all well and good going to the gym for 3 hours a week but what about the rest of the 165 hours? If health and weight management are your goals, it’s vital to try to be active as much as possible…don’t sit, stand, don’t drive, walk, use the stairs and not the lift, wash your car by hand, do some gardening.
H – Hypertrophy
When muscles get bigger (called hypertrophy) they burn more calories at rest and improve their capacity for work. Engage in regular resistance training and turn your muscles into fat burning furnaces to burn more fat as well as making daily tasks easier.
I – Interval training
One of the best fat burning workouts is also one of the shortest – interval training. Using a bike, rower, treadmill or stepper, go as fast as you can for 60 seconds and then go slowly for 120 seconds. Repeat this 5 times to total a great 15 minute fat burning workout which will also trigger EPOC (see section on E above).
J – Juice
Most fruit juices are made from fruit juice concentrates which have been processed to such a degree that any healthful benefits have literally boiled away making them little better than sugary soft drinks. If you want to consume fruit juice for health benefits, make sure you choose those that are not made from concentrates or, even better, invest in a juicer and make your own.
K – Knees
Look after them as you’ll miss them when they’re gone! Knee wear and tear is almost unavoidable but by making sure you maintain flexibility and strength in the quadriceps and hamstring muscles of the thigh you can minimise their decline. Low impact activities such as swimming and rowing are far less knee damaging than road running so consider periodically including these knee-friendly activities in your training.
L – Lunges
Lunges are a must for anyone looking to strengthen or tone their lower body. The lunge works all of the major lower body muscles and can be modified to suit almost all fitness and ability levels. Also, the lunge is THE lower body exercise of choice for most sports people as it replicates locomotion i.e. forward movements like running and sprinting.
M – Motivation
Ever feel like sometimes you just can’t be bothered to go to the gym or out running and that you’d rather just stay home and watch TV? You’re not alone! Find something to motivate you and days like these will be fewer and further between. Motivation can come from wanting to look better, feel better or perform better and merely wanting to live a healthier more productive life. Whatever your reason for exercising, set yourself some goals and work towards achieving them.
N – Nuts
Often shunned as being unhealthy, nuts provide both protein, fibre and essential fats. Don’t consume too many though as they can be calorie dense but they can be eaten in moderation by most people. As a rule, choose “raw” nuts as opposed to roasted as these are even better for you. Almonds, Brazils and walnuts are considered to be the best nuts for health.
O – Opposing muscle groups
Muscles come in pairs and oppose each other across joints. It’s vital for both joint health and appearance that both muscles in these parings are exercised equally so next time you do leg extensions at the gym, make sure you also do some leg curls. Other parings include abs and lower back, biceps and triceps, chest and mid/upper back, inner and outer thighs.
P – Press ups
The humble press up is a vastly under rated exercise that should be a cornerstone of most people’s workouts. It challenges the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps whilst also challenging the core. Because it’s a bodyweight exercise press ups can be done anywhere and anytime and can be modified to challenge the fittest exerciser but still be accessible to a beginner.
Q – Quinoa
Quinoa is a grain that is low G.I, contains essential Omega 3 fats, complete protein and is also gluten free. Use it instead of rice or couscous and you’ll be boosting the nutrient content of your meal. Simply boil for 15 minutes in vegetable stock and enjoy this nutty healthy grain.
R – Rest
Exercise is a stress and like all stresses, eventually we need a break from it. Make sure that you take at least 1 day a week off of exercise. Our bodies recover and repair when we are resting so if you want your fitness to improve, it’s essential to give yourself time for this adaptation to occur. It’s far better to take a day off training because you want to than have to take far longer off because of illness or injury. Consider having an easy week once every couple of months to make sure that you don’t get into an overtrained state.
S – Squats
If press ups are the essential upper body exercise, squats are the equivalent lower body exercise. Squats can be performed just about anywhere and anytime and offer a great lower body workout which targets every muscle of the lower body. Great for hip and knee health as well as strengthening the legs, the squat is functional and has great carry-over to everyday activities. Perform this exercise as a bodyweight exercise as part of a circuit to improve muscular endurance or holding weights to strengthen the legs. Either way, squats are a must in almost everyone’s workout!
T – Tea
Packed with anti-oxidants, phenols and other essential nutrients, varieties of tea have been proven time and time again to have many healthful properties. Whether you favour green, white, black, fruit or herb teas, you can relax knowing that your cuppa does you good.
U – Unstructured
Every now and then it’s refreshing to have a workout that surprises you. One such workout is Fartlek training. Fartlek means speed play in Swedish and essentially means performing cardiovascular exercise in a very random format, alternating between walking, jogging, running and sprinting. Mixed pace training is an excellent way of breaking out of the norm and adding a new dimension to an otherwise predictable training routine.
V – Variety
As they say, variety is the spice of life. Keep your workouts interesting and challenging by trying new things from time to time. Most people stick with the same workouts for one reason – they are comfortable. Comfortable workouts do not produce increases in fitness. If you want to improve you have to do something different from time to time and chances are the things you aren’t very good at are the things you need to do more of. For example, runners should also lift weights, weight lifters should do some cardio, everyone should stretch more…by doing things outside of your comfort zone you are far more likely to make progress in your health and fitness endeavours.
W – Water
Do you drink at least 2 litres of plain water a day? Honestly?! If you don’t then chances are you are dehydrated. Our bodies are made up of about 70%+ of water we are constantly using water to move substances around our bodies, keep us cool, lubricate our digestive system and hundreds of other essential chemical reactions. In many people, thirst is often confused with hunger and may result in eating unnecessarily which may lead to weight gain. To make sure you drink enough, carry a water bottle and drink little but often.
X – Xtreme workouts
If you are fit enough it’s great fun from time to time to set yourself a big challenge. Maybe it’s a marathon, a triathlon, a mountain biking challenge or a gym based super-workout. Whatever you choose Xtreme workouts can be very validating and provide a great opportunity to “see what you are made of”. My last Xtreme workout consisted of doing 800 burpees in 2 hours – a great challenge which still provides a unique talking point with my friends and clients. So, go on and challenge yourself with an Xtreme workout of your own!
Y – Youthfulness
There is no fountain of youth but exercising regularly and eating well is probably the next best thing. Staying active has been proven time and time again to slow the aging process by keeping muscles, joints and internal organs in good condition. Add in a diet high in anti oxidative vitamins and minerals plus plenty of water and fibre and you have the prescription for a long and productive life!
Z – Zercher squats and lunges
No – not a made up word just for this article but a legitimate exercise which adds a nice twist to these classic lower body exercises. In Zercher squats and lunges a weight is cradled in the crooks of the arms which forces the muscles of the hamstrings and lower back to work harder than usual when compared to having a weight resting on the shoulders thus adding an extra dimension to lower body training. Try ‘em – you might like ‘em!
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