Monthly Archives: June 2019

June 17, 2019

HOW TO INSPIRE YOUR CHILDREN TO LOVE EXERCISE.

A number of recent studies show that a large number of children in the UK are not receiving enough daily activity, with only 1 in 3 kids being physically active every day. As technology develops and becomes more widespread, children are spending more time looking at screens, and less time moving their bodies.

Exercise has multiple benefits for children. Not only does it help them develop strong muscles and bones, maintain a healthy weight and decrease the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, but it aids mental developmental and health, increasing motivation, focus and learning.

Encouraging your child to be active and love exercise will set them up for life, equipping them with the skills and confidence necessary to stay active and healthy.

Here are just a few ways in which you can inspire your children to be active from a young age:  

Provide active toys
A good way to get kids moving when they are young is to provide fun, active toys they can play with. This could be something as simple as a ball, although there are plenty of options to choose from. Not only will this get them moving and having fun, but it will help them develop motor skills, hand-eye coordination and other vital abilities.

Lead by example
It has been shown that children who regularly see their parents enjoying sports and physical activity are more likely to do so themselves. If you treat your body with respect, your children will notice this and work to imitate you. Stay active yourself, and you’ll provide your children with a positive role-model, influencing what they see as normal and healthy.

Play with your child and exercise as a family 
Inspire your child to be active by taking the time to play with them and exercise as a family. Make activity enjoyable by taking them for a bike ride or walk in the park – add some fun with a little game or challenge. The opportunities are endless if you use your imagination. Make exercise and games a regular part of the week, and it will effortlessly become a habit for them.

Turn off the TV
Limit TV time and computer use. The general recommendation is no more than 1 to 2 hours of total screen time a day, including TV, videos, computers, and video games. Screens are not all bad and they have a time and a place, but they shouldn’t be used all the time. Free time can then be used for more physical activities.

Allow them to try different sports and activities 
One of the best ways in which you can inspire your children to love exercise and make a life-long habit of it, is to help them find a sport or activity that they absolutely love and are passionate about.

June 3, 2019

WHY YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR FLEXIBILITY.

Your flexibility is, put simply, the ability of your joints and body parts to achieve their full range of motion, allowing you to do simple, everyday tasks. Like most things, your flexibility decreases with age as your muscles lose their natural suppleness and become more prone to developing aches, tears and pains. 

Working to maintain your flexibility is very important for a number of reasons – some of the benefits include:

An increased range of motion
If your muscles are tight, you’ll experience a reduced range of motion throughout your body. This can make it difficult to do simple things such as reaching overhead or bending down. Working on your flexibility will make your everyday activities (as well as exercise) much easier. 

The prevention of injury
When you don’t stretch, you increase your chances of injury as the tendons and ligaments around your muscles stiffen. Tight muscles reduce your range of motion, making it easier to injure yourself. Flexible joints require less energy to move through a greater range of motion. Working on your flexibility increases your range of motion and lowers your risk of injury to the muscles, tendons and ligaments. 

Reduced back pain
There are multiple muscles that feed into your back. When these muscles get stiff and tight, it’s common to experience pain. For example, when your hamstrings are tight, they pull the pelvis down and create more pressure on the lower back. Tight hip flexors and pelvic muscles will also place extra stress on the spine.

Stretching all these muscles regularly will help to ease tension and soreness which will in turn relieve pain in the back and other areas of the body. The more flexible your pelvic muscles, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps, the less stress you’ll feel in your lower back. 

Better posture
When we spend time hunched over a computer, certain muscles in our body — such as shoulders, back, core, and neck — actually shorten. This can have a big impact on your health, even increasing the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) being released in your body. Stretching will help to lengthen and strengthen your muscles, reducing the effort it takes to maintain good posture throughout the day and can help you to feel more relaxed.

What are some different ways to stay flexible?
 The best way to maintain flexibility is to stretch regularly. Whatever your age, you should try to stretch for a short period at least once a day. If time is short, focus on stretches that work the larger muscle groups such as shoulders, hamstrings, hips and lower back, and calf muscles – areas that are prone to stiffness and soreness as we age.

Yoga is also a great way to stay flexible and supple as postures focus on lengthening muscles and relieving tension in the body.