Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Wednesday 27th May 2020

Wednesday 27th May 2020

Hi,

This lockdown is playing havoc with peoples' mental health.

Working from home.

Can't see your friends or family. Can't go out for dinner or to the pub or to the cinema or to the gym.

It's just making people climb the walls.

For this reason, we are offering all of our members complimentary 30 minute PT sessions.

Businesses talk incessantly about how much they care.

They bang on about it constantly,

It's on their logos.

And on their websites.

And on their headed paper.

It's everywhere.

But it means absolutely nothing if you don't back it up with evidence. Talk is cheap. It's action that counts.

It's during this time that you need to look at what the gyms in the area are doing for you at this difficult time.

Which ones are offering you help and support?

And which have just closed their doors and gone silent on you?

The coronavirus outbreak is an unprecedented time for everyone. There are measures we must take to limit the spread of the virus - and these have led to massive changes to the way we live our lives.

We all react differently to situations, but it's important you look after your mental health as well as your physical health during this time. So we are offering all of our members complimentary 30 minute PT sessions.

Here are some of the ways you can take care of your mind:

Consider how to connect with others:

Maintaining relationships with people you trust is important for your mental wellbeing. Take a look at some of our ideas about how you can connect with others.

Help and support others:

Helping others could make a big difference to them and make you feel better too. This is one of the reasons why we are offering all of our members complimentary 30 minute PT sessions.

If you don't want to have one of these complimentary 30 minute PT sessions, even if you just want to talk, then here is a list of things you can do during lockdown:

Talk about your worries:

This is a difficult time for everyone and sharing how you are feeling and the things you are doing to cope with family and friends can help.

Look after your physical wellbeing:

Your physical health can have a big impact on how you're feeling.

Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, drink enough water, exercise inside where possible or outside once a day.

Take a look at these ideas for getting active at home.

Look after your sleep:

Try to maintain regular sleeping patterns and keep good sleep practices - like avoiding screens before bed, cutting back on caffeine and creating a restful environment.

Try to manage difficult feelings:

Focus on the things you can control, including where you get information from and actions to make yourself feel prepared. Every Mind Matters provides further information on how to manage anxiety.

Manage your media and information intake:

24/7 news and social media can make you more worried. If you find this is affecting you, try to limit the amount of time you spend keeping up with what's going on.

Get the facts:

Use a credible source you can trust such as UK, or the NHS website, and fact check information that you get from newsfeeds, social media or from other people. Try not to share information without fact-checking against credible sources too.

Think about your new routine:

Life is changing for us all for a while.

Think about how you can adapt and create positive new routines - try to engage in useful activities (such as cleaning, cooking or exercise) or meaningful activities (such as reading or calling a friend)

Do things you enjoy:

Focussing on your favourite hobby, learning something new or simply taking time to relax indoors should give you some relief from anxious thoughts and feelings and can boost your mood.

Set goals:

Setting goals and achieving them gives a sense of control and purpose - think about things you want or need to do that you can still do at home.

Keep your mind active:

Read, write, play games, do crossword puzzles, sudokus, jigsaws or drawing and painting. Find something that works for you. During lockdown, I've written a young adult novel. For example.

Take time to relax and focus on the present:

Relaxation techniques can also help some people to deal with feelings of anxiety.

Get outside or bring nature in:

Spending time in green spaces can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing.

Sit in your garden if you can, open windows to let in fresh air or look at a nice view or some photos.

Remember that social distancing guidelines enable you to go outside to exercise once a day as long as you keep 2 metres apart from others who are not members of your household group.

So why not come to the gym? You can't come inside but I'm more than happy to do a bodyweight, HIIT or kettlebell workout outside. If not, just swing by for a chat. We can sit outside, 2 metres apart and we can just have a chat.

Take action for happiness:

Stay calm, be wise, be kind. Let's take action to look after ourselves and each other as we face this global crisis.

We may be physically apart, but we can still be together through Zoom, FaceTime or similar.

So please don't forget that we are offering online coaching, diet plans and workout plans free to all our members.

Again, please message with your requirements.

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has continued with their membership payments to the club.

Your amazing support is greatly appreciated.

The income we have received has allowed us to make significant changes while we have been closed, these changes have really improved the club - and you'll see these when we reopen.

We gave our members the following 4 options in regards to their direct debit:

1). Continue to pay your Direct Debit in the normal way, so that your club can retain key staff and continue to invest during this short time. If you are happy with this option, no further action is required by you.

2). Defer your DD for an initial 1 month period, if you choose this option we will respond with a separate email to confirm your next payment date. If the club continues to be closed after this 1 Month term we will contact you again before that payment is due to defer the payment for a further period of time.

3). Continue to pay your DD on the due date, but pay 50% of the monthly amount to support your club.

4). Continue to pay your DD on the due date and the money you pay can be exchanged for 1-2-1 personal training sessions. For example, if you pay £25 per month and we're closed for 2 months, you would get 2 x 45 minute PT sessions. Drop me a message and we can arrange this.

Everybody who sustains their direct debit or standing order (even at 50% of the monthly amount) during this temporary closure will be exempt from all future price increases and will retain any special offers (including our 2-4-1 offer) indefinitely.

Not everybody pays through the same direct debit company. Some people pay by standing order. Please contact me if you're not sure.

As soon as we have more information from the government regarding when we can reopen, we will pass this on to you. I am sure -like us - you are desperate to get back to training in the club.

We know that training at home is not as good as training in the club but don't forget that any member whose payments are live can still have online personal training, either 1-to-1 or in groups.

As we said, we really appreciate all the members that have been able to continue their payments.

They have allowed us to invest in the club and ensure we can reopen for you and our staff in the strongest possible position.

If we all abide by the rules the Government will be able to relax these restrictions - and will be hopefully be back to normal.

Stay in touch with us on socials and we will keep you updated.

For any further information please email: woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk.

Yours in fitness,

Giles


What vegan foods should you avoid?

The rising popularity of the vegan diet has attracted attention from many individuals, including those in the training community.

We're not a vegan gym but some of our members are. Others are intrigued by the vegan diet whereas some might just want to reduce their meat consumption.

While traditional training diets include large amounts of animal protein, the vegan training diet eliminates all animal-derived products and is higher in protein than a traditional vegan diet.

Following a vegan diet can provide several health benefits, although it comes with some drawbacks for training, which should be taken into consideration.

The vegan training diet tends to avoid or limit the following foods:

Animal foods:

Meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, and bee products are entirely off-limits on a vegan diet.

Certain animal additives found in several foods fall into this category as well.

Foods that might not be vegan-friendly:

Some breads, deep-fried foods, candy, potato chips, dark chocolate, and other products may harbor animal-derived ingredients.

Vegan junk food:

Candy, ice cream, and some vegan protein bars should be restricted, as they tend to be high in refined sugar and calories.

Mock meats and cheeses;

These tend to be processed and may contain additives. They also tend to provide fewer nutrients than whole foods. Therefore, these products should be limited.

While vegan diets are typically based on non-animal whole foods, there are some foods you should watch out for when starting the diet.

Some may contain traces of animal-derived ingredients, whereas others may lack a sound nutritional profile.

I hope all of the above makes sense but if you have any questions please come and ask me.


Who shouldn't foam roll?

You shouldn't foam roll if you fibromyalgia. Also, don't foam roll over varicose veins

Foam rolling breaks up scar tissue. Breaking up scar tissue and adhesions between the skin, muscles and bones is crucial for a healthy body.

When you foam roll, you put targeted pressure on your fascia, releasing trigger points where you're feeling pain.

The process relieves pain caused by shin splints and IT band syndrome, both of which are very common in runners, and more generally, usually clears up problems caused by tight fascia and muscles.

I hope all of the above makes sense but if you have any questions please come and ask me.


Exercise of the week: the single arm row

The one-arm dumbbell row is a great way to work your upper back.

Stand to the right of your weight bench, holding a dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing in.

Place your left knee and your left hand on top of the bench for support. Let your right arm hang down and a bit forward.

Pull your abdominals in and bend forward from the hips so that your back is naturally arched and roughly parallel to the floor, and your right knee is slightly bent.

Tilt your chin toward your chest so that your neck is in line with the rest of your spine.

Pull your right arm up until your elbow is pointing to the ceiling, your upper arm is parallel to the floor, and your hand comes to the outside of the ribcage.

Lower the weight slowly back down.

Concentrate on pulling from your back muscles (right behind and below your shoulder).

Don't just move your arm up and down. Although your arm is moving, this is a back exercise.

Keep your abs pulled in tight throughout the motion.

Don't let your back sag toward the floor or hunch up.

Pull your shoulders back and down to set the shoulder blades.

I hope all of the above makes sense but if you have any questions please come and ask me.


Dilly Chickpea Salad

Chopped pickles and a little bit of pickle juice are the secrets to making this plant-based tuna salad alternative super flavourful.

Try it on a sandwich, or use it for dunking crackers and raw veggies.

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ c chopped dill pickles
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp pickle juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Method:

Mash chickpeas with a fork or potato masher until slightly chunky, with just a few whole chickpeas remaining.

Add pickles, olive oil, dill, pickle juice, mustard, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Serve at room temperature with veggies and crackers for dunking, or spread on a sandwich or wrap.

Enjoy!






Useless Facts

Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States!

166,875,000,000 pieces of mail are delivered each year in the US

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave

The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head

Daffy Duck's middle name is "Dumas"







The Woodlands Fitness Centre Ltd
A: Unit 27, Molyneux Business Park, Darley Dale, Derbyshire, DE4 2HJ
T: (01629) 733 123
E: woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk
W: www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk