Many new mums are often keen to get back to pre-pregnancy fitness levels after giving birth and want to know when they can start exercising again and what exercises they can do, or should avoid. I was recently asked in a Facebook group to give advice on what exercises can be done after giving birth by caesarian section for someone who was joining a gym.
After writing my answer, I thought it would be great to turn it into a blog post, so here’s the reply I posted in the group:
Why good sleep is essential for health and fitness
I’m really pleased to be able to share this discussion with sleep expert Doctor Lindsay Browning.
During this informative chat we discuss amongst other things:
-Why sleep is important for people who value their health.
-The benefits of sleep for performance and productivity.
-Sleep tips for people who find it difficult to get on a regular sleep schedule.
-Debunking sleep misconceptions.
If you’ve been struggling with your sleep, or just need some motivation to make sleep more of a priority, we hope you really enjoy this and get a lot of value from it.
What are the health, fitness, and sports training benefits of skipping?
I was delighted to be invited back onto the Creating Active Lives Podcast recently as host Sarah Bolitho asked me about the benefits of skipping!
As well as talking about the benefits, I also explained tips on how to get started with skipping and common errors to look out for.
Anti-Ageing Fitness Podcast
Creating Active Lives Podcast Image
I was recently very excited to be asked back as a guest for a second time on Sarah Bolitho’s Creating Active Lives Podcast.
This time however, I was also guesting with Lisa Hillier, who is a group exercise instructor.
We had an absolute blast recording this podcast as we were all so passionate about the subject.
Pregnancy Fitness Podcast
I was delighted recently to be welcomed as a guest on Sarah Bolitho’s Creating Active Lives Podcast to talk about pregnancy and exercise.
You can listen to the podcast by clicking here
Or if you prefer to listen via Spotify click here or apple here
I hope you enjoy the episode, and if you want to learn more about exercise during pregnancy or after pregnancy you may find it useful to read my article: Pregnancy and Fitness, here’s what you need to know! or learn more about my Fit for Baby training.
All the best
Steve
Exercise Challenges: How Can I find the Time for Exercise?
I recently ran a poll on what people find most challenging about exercise; finding the time, knowing what to do, information overload, or motivation.
Finding the time came in at the top, with 42% of people voting for this as their biggest exercise challenge. Motivation came in second at 38%. I’ll cover motivation in more detail in a separate post, but motivation does play a role in being able to find the time, so I will touch on that here too.
So, how can you find the time to exercise when you’ve got a busy life?
How does exercise help with stress?
Something that I often notice is that when people get super busy or stressed, their exercise moves further down their list of priorities. This is understandable, but it’s also a shame. Exercise, and fitness really help us to manage our stress levels.
Doing some exercise today will help to reduce symptoms of stress and getting fit in the long term can help boost your resilience for future stressful or busy times.
How does exercise do this?
Why I Train Online
I remember being stood in a gym, late 2018. I'd just put a client through a killer workout. They'd achieved some amazing things in the session and were feeling good. Then at the end of the session, full of enthusiasm, we got our diaries out to book the next session in.
"Can you do next Tuesday evening?"
"I'm afraid not, I have another client booked in then. How about Friday morning?"
"Sorry, I've got a meeting then, how about Sunday morning?"
"Ah really sorry, I'm not working on Sunday".
The realisation hit-I couldn't help people if I couldn't see them. My client was busy, I was busy, there was competition for popular training times. I had to find another way.
Fitness is the one exam you can’t cram for!
Remember back in school when your friend would tell you they’d spent too much time partying and not enough time studying, so they needed cram like crazy to get that last minute revision in for their exam?
Have you ever noticed that people often try a similar approach with their fitness?
Suddenly someone decides they need to get in shape, so they start “cramming for their fitness exam” because they want super-fast change!
The Runner’s Dilemma: Strength Training For Runners
Magazine Article On Strength Training For Runners
As fitness fads come and go, research continues to show that running is one of the best things someone can do for their health. Recent studies have even shown that running helps to reduce the risk of age-related memory decline and causes our brain to produce new cells!
However, many runners are running through pain, so I’d like to discuss how runners can make their bodies more resilient for their activity.
Read moreFitness Q & A
Magazine article discussing bingo wing exercises, stomach toning and protein supplements.
Fitness Q & A: "What exercise is best for getting rid of my bingo wings" and other commonly asked questions……
Read moreYouth Fitness: A Guide for Parents
Magazine article about youth fitness.
So, your 16 year old is now old enough to use a gym and has expressed an interest in fitness. Here are some things to consider while guiding them on their fitness journey:
Read moreProduct Review: Fitness Mad 45cm EPP Foam Roller
Steve Shreeve with the foam roller he reviewed.
I received this foam roller from workoutforless.com, and have used it extensively for two weeks. I’ve used it to foam roll my calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, ITB/VL, glutes, lats/upper back, and pecs. I wanted to use the roller extensively before reviewing it so I could test its durability, so I did some long duration rolling sessions with it and have found it to be very robust.
Read moreFinding The Fountain Of Youth: Using Strength Training To Turn Back The Clock
You have more power over how your body ages than you may realise. This is important whether you’re 18, 28, or 68. It’s never too late to get started on turning back the clock, but the more work you put in at a young age, the less you’ll be affected as time passes by.
Read morePregnancy Fitness, Here’s What You Need To Know!
Keeping fit during pregnancy has many benefits, including a faster return to pre-pregnancy weight and fitness. It’s not just mums-to-be who benefit from exercise during pregnancy-babies do too! Babies born to mums who have exercised throughout their pregnancies tend to be leaner and have lower levels of foetal stress-very cool! Importantly, exercise makes you feel good and helps you to regain a sense of control over your body as it goes through changes during each trimester.
Read moreWhy Do Some Men Find It Harder To Build Muscle Than Others?
There are four things you should know about building muscle:
1) Anyone can build muscle at any decade of their life.
2) Not everyone can build really big muscles.
3) It shouldn’t affect your self-worth if you struggle to build big muscles.
4) Strength training is always worthwhile regardless of the size of your muscles.
I’ll explore these things one at a time:
Resistance Bands Product Review
If you’re training at home, it’s important that you can make your workouts progressive. This is because if you always use the same amount of resistance for the same amount of repetitions when you workout, you body learns to do this with less muscle fibers each time you do it. This means that while you can be maintaining your strength, you can still be losing muscle (strength is not all about your muscles-it’s also about how well your body co-ordinates the muscles you have, which is why you can maintain strength, but still lose muscle).
It’s because of this that I recommend clip resistance band kits, because they allow you to change or add more resistance as you get stronger over time, without your exercise kit taking over your home!
Top Five Problems That Online Training Solves
One of the challenges we all face is when to do our workouts. When working with a trainer in-person you have to fit in to their schedule and the schedules of all the other people they are training. If someone else is booked into a session time that would suit you, you’re going to struggle to get your appointment in.
Online personal training solves this problem by eliminating the scheduling issue.
Are Home Workouts Giving You Sore Shoulders and Knees?
I’m a big advocate of home workouts, but many that I see are imbalanced, because one of their biggest strengths is also one of their biggest drawbacks.
As long as you have access to a floor, you can get a workout. There are lots of exercises that you can do by pushing your body against the resistance of gravity such as press ups and dips. These exercises are great for building the muscles of the chest, front shoulders and triceps, but you can encounter problems if you train this way for too long.
Why Do Your Joints Hurt Even Though You Keep Active and Attend Exercise Classes?
Isn’t exercise supposed to make your joints feel better? Yes it is, but exercise is a very broad term and encompasses many forms. It’s essential that you do the right types of exercise to keep your joints healthy, and many people miss out on one crucial element that can make all the difference.
Read more