Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands newsletter: Monday 24th June 2020

Wednesday 24th June 2020

Hi,

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.

What's more, research shows that the number of people seeking the advice and support of personal trainers to help manage mental health issues is increasing.

Over lockdown we've seen more and more clients approach us with mental health concerns and worries.

So, how exactly can exercise benefit mental health and what can we do as a Personal Trainers to enhance the impact of physical activity on our members' overall wellbeing?

The link between mental health and exercise

As Personal Trainers, we have the ability to change people's lives for the better - helping them to reach their physical goals through exercise and develop healthier minds in the process.

Being active is not just a great way for people to stay fit - but it can also have a powerful effect on their mental wellbeing.

For many years, physical and mental health were seen as two separate areas but - recently - there's been a positive shift in the way mental health is viewed and approached.

This has led to much more open and frequent discussions around the subject, which help us to understand, protect, and sustain our members' mental health.

It also means that greater emphasis is now being placed on the way physical activity can support mental health.

During exercise, natural, mood-boosting chemicals are released into the body, such as serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, while harmful, stress-related chemicals are reduced.

As such, numerous studies have shown that physical activity can have a strong and positive effect on mental wellbeing and some mental illnesses - increasing self-esteem and reducing stress, anxiety and depression to improve quality of life.

So, our work as personal trainers is not only helping to make people healthier, but happier too - a reason for us to feel good about what we do every single day!

Every client is different.

With mental health being such a complex area of human science, it's important for us to remember that every mental illness is different - and each person's mental health is unique to them.

That being said, there's no "one size fits all" approach to supporting the mental health of our clients and the benefits of exercise may take a while to be seen.

It's all part of a longer journey and needs to be viewed as a marathon rather than a sprint; something important to communicate with our clients to help them stay motivated.

We design training programmes around what makes our clients comfortable and adapt them as we identify what's working versus what's not.

Communication is key

Communication can be a struggle for people experiencing a mental health issue. While some clients will be very open about their mental health, others may not disclose their condition or be undiagnosed.

For some, engaging with other people about their mental health, including us, can be therapeutic - but expressing thoughts and feelings is not easy for everyone.

If clients choose to share information about their mental health and explain their history of anxiety, depression or ongoing issues with us, this is where our emotional intelligence - a fundamental skill for all personal trainers - really comes into play.

Through good communication, we can help our clients' development and provide even better support throughout their journeys. The key to this is using positive reinforcement and discussing progress and programmes with our clients on a regular basis.

This will not only help us to manage our members' expectations - but it will also enable you to show the positive steps they're taking towards achieving their goals, which will give them an even greater sense of achievement and feeling of being supported.

Remember, exercise may not have been the first thing they turned to as a treatment for their conditions, so our clients will hopefully appreciate knowing how they're getting on and the next steps that they'll be taking.

Something else that's essential to consider is how we approach training sessions, mindful of each client's personality and background.

While a major part of our role is to provide motivation for out clients, it's also important to understand their limits (what makes them tick, what they respond well to and what they don't like) and whether our programmes are having the desired effect.

This highlights the importance of making sure we set clear goals and objectives from the start and, again, why strong communication is so vital.

Personal training is a life-changing profession

As you can see, being a personal trainer goes way beyond helping people to lose fat or pile on a load of muscle; it's about supporting people's overall wellness journeys - as much about the mental health of clients as it is about their physical health.

We have the opportunity to make a dramatic difference to people's lives doing something we love!

We are offering all of our members a complimentary 30 minute online PT session. So it'll just you and a Woodlands trainer. You don't even have to do any exercise. If you just want to talk, then we will listen without judgement. Think of it as a Church confessional.     

So please contact me for your session through email, social media or any other way you can think of.

We will still be offering online coaching, diet plans and workout plans free to all our members. Again, please message us with your requirements.

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.

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


Is there protein in vegetables?

You can even find protein in vegetables and fruit.

Peas (technically a legume but more commonly eaten as a veggie), brussel sprouts, mushrooms (especially Portobellos), spinach, sweetcorn, broccoli and asparagus are some of our favourites. Even baked potatoes (both sweet and normal) are a great way to include more protein in your diet.

The interesting thing: eating plants is a great way to get enough, but not too much, protein (and therefore enough calories, vitamins and minerals, healthy fats and fibre too).

In order to do this, all we have to do is eat a range of different legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, veggies and fruits.

Doing so, ensures we get all the right nutrients without any dietary cholesterol at all and, actually, leaves no room for animal products.

Animal products may seem like a quick fix, a way to get an injection of protein or iron, but on balance they are absolutely not a necessary part of our diets.

The reality is that all foods contain protein. Yep. Every. Single. One. It's just that some contain more than others.

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


Losing weight doesn't mean you're losing fat

Weight loss isn't linear; things take time and it isn't as incremental as you might think.

Just because you maintain a daily deficit of 500 calories for 7 days doesn't mean you'll lose a Ib of body weight. You could lose more.
Or less.

Fluctuations in water weight can often be the issue.

2 examples:

Person A: 140 Ibs and 50% body water.

Person B: 140 Ibs and 60% body water.

Let's say....

If Person A increased their body water to 60%, their weight would increase to 175 Ibs.

If Person B decreased their body water to 50%, their weight would decrease to 112 Ibs.

Losing weight doesn't mean you're losing fat.

And gaining weight doesn't mean you're gaining fat.

Just trust the process.

Give it time and patience.

And I promise you it will work.

When we set out to shed a few pounds, we want those pounds to come from fat - but it can be tough to know exactly where our weight loss is coming from - especially at first. Here's how to tell if you're losing water weight instead of fat.

You're On A Low-Carb Diet:

Following a low-carb, high-protein diet can be a safe and effective way to lose weight. Some of that initial low-carb diet weight loss comes from water - especially if you ate a higher-carb diet beforehand.

When we eat carbs, our bodies break them down into glucose. Then, we combine those glucose molecules with water molecules to form a compound called glycogen, which we store in our muscles and liver to use when we need energy later (like during high-intensity exercise). The more carbs we eat and store as glycogen, the more water we store, too.

So if you've recently gone low-carb, you can expect a few pounds of your weight loss to be from water.

You've Lost A Lot Of Weight Quickly

If you've lost five pounds after just a week of an intense new diet and exercise plan, most of that is from water, too. We recommend cutting about 500 calories per day to lose fat at a sustainable rate - which is just about one or two pounds per week.

Rest assured, as your body adjusts to your new eating and exercising throughout those first few weeks, the weight you lose shifts over to be more from fat than water. Our bodies don't store an endless amount of water, so once we shed the excess, there's no more to lose. I've had clients who might lose 5-10 pounds the first week or so of a new regimen and then lose one pound per week for the duration of their program.

Your Weight Fluctuates Dramatically Day-To-Day:

If your daily weigh-ins have been all over the place the last couple of days, don't freak out. It's hard to lose and gain body fat overnight - so chances are you're just dealing with fluctuating water weight.

If it takes cutting 500 calories per day for seven days to lose one pound of fat, it's going to take more than one day of eating indulgently to gain a whole pound of fat. In fact, to do so, you'd have to eat about 3,500 calories more than your body needs. If you usually eat 2,000 calories per day, that's a whopping 5,500 calories!

Your Clothes Don't Fit Any Better Than Before:

Regardless of the story the scale tells you, your clothes will always tell the truth about weight loss. If you're only losing water, you probably won't notice much of a difference in how your clothes fit. However, if you're losing fat - and inches - around your waist, for example, your clothes will feel looser and you'll know you're losing body fat.

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


Exercise of the week: the 0ne-Arm Burpee

The one-arm burpee is a calisthenics, cardiovascular, plyometrics, and total body exercise that primarily targets the quads and to a lesser degree also targets the abs, chest, forearms, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, lower back, middle back, shoulders and triceps.

How to do One-Arm Burpee:

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, one arm at your side and the other behind your back.

Bending at the hips and knees, reach down to put your hand on the ground.

Once your hand reaches the ground, extend your legs out behind you with a quick hop into a push-up position.

Keeping your hand on the ground, reverse the leg drive motion to bring your feet back under you.

Jump hop as quickly as you can without compromising form.

Repeat the exercise with the other hand.

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


Moroccan freekeh traybake

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli flakes
270g cherry tomatoes
½ x 400g can apricot halves, drained and roughly chopped
70g green olives
250g pouch cooked freekeh
70g fat-free Greek yogurt
Small bunch dill, finely chopped


Method:

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Toss the oil with the chickpeas, spices and chilli flakes in a medium roasting tin.

Roast for 15 mins or until the chickpeas are beginning to crisp and turn golden brown.

Add the tomatoes, apricots, olives and freekeh to the pan and toss everything together.

Return to the oven for a final 10-15 mins until the tomatoes start to burst and everything is piping hot. Season to taste.

Combine the yogurt and most of the dill and season with salt.

Serve the freekeh with any extra dill fronds scattered over and a dollop of the herby yogurt.

Enjoy!


Useless Facts

South Dakota is the only U.S state which shares no letters with the name of it's capital

The KGB is headquartered at No. 2 Felix Dzerzhinsky Square, Moscow

The Vatican city registered 0 births in 1983

Spain leads the world in cork production

There are 1,792 steps in the Eiffel Tower





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