We can all get concerned about various aspects
in life, such as our fitness, how much money we have, and even the environment
in which we live in. If you do this, you should consider a new form of
transport and get a bike! Stopping using your car will can make a big difference
to how you are feeling day in day out! Did you know that cycling to work can have
a better impact on your physical and mental health? Not forgetting the fact
that cycling is a much cheaper form of exercise which will save you time as
well as making you feel fantastic. Still looking for motivation to swap your
four wheels for two? The environmental impact of cycling is almost non-existent,
compared to cars with heavy-CO2. Here are just some of the reasons
why you should say goodbye to the car this new year.
Benefits for your health
The physical benefits of cycling as opposed
to driving to work are greater as you will be aware. If you don’t have time to
go to the gym, then cycling is a fantastic (and free) alternative that you can
easily fit into your daily routine. According to a meta-analysis published
by the British Journal of Sports Medicine cycling can dramatically
reduce your risk of cardiovascular illnesses. The study accounted for both
people who cycled for sport and people who used a bike for their daily commute.
Not only did this analysis conclude that cyclists have a 22% lower risk than
non-cyclists for cardiovascular illnesses, but they also had a lower BMI on
average.
Cycling is excellent in helping with your
mental wellbeing. For example, cycling gets you out of the house and into the
outdoors, and allows you to release endorphins, this has been proven to dramatically
decrease stress.
A cheaper mode of transport
If you want to get fit and active, you could
do it in a very cost-effective way! Driving to work each day can be truly
damaging to your bank account. Not only is there the initial price of the car,
but the maintenance, road tax, and fuel costs all add up, resulting in a
needlessly expensive method of commuting. Switching out your car for a bike can
reduce these costs tenfold.
One bicycle lover said that he has saved £6
per day on petrol costs since opting to cycle for his 30-mile round journey to
work. So, on average he saves £30 a week and £1,150 a year! Even a few pounds
saved each day can make a huge difference, and when you pair this with the
health benefits and the environmental pros, the positive points really help.
However, like most things, there is the
initial cost of a bike to consider. Luckily, many employers engage with the
“cycle to work” scheme which could save you a lot of money if you’re looking to
purchase a new road or electric mountain
bike. As a result of making monthly salary sacrifices, this scheme will
allow you to purchase a bike tax-free, saving up to 42 per cent of the overall
value.
Better for our environment
Finally, we have to think of the
environment in which we live in every day. Driving is still, sadly, most
Europeans’ favourite transport method — this puts a great cost to the
environment. Not only do cars produce huge amounts of CO2, but the
initial production of a car is far more environmentally damaging than that of a
bike. According to calculations from ECF,
the production of a car alone accounts for 42g of CO2 emissions per
kilometre. When combining this output with the output CO2 from each
kilometre actually driven, the total comes to around 271g CO2 per kilometre.
Of course, we do have the eco-friendly
bike. Although some may say different, a bike isn’t completely carbon neutral,
as the energy used in production has to be thought about. However, this small
output is minimal compared to that of a car. Taking production into account, a
bike is accountable for 5g of CO2 per kilometre — miniscule in
comparison!
As you will have read, the benefits of
cycling outnumber those of being on the roads. It may be difficult to change
your morning routine and get up a little earlier for the sake of exercise, but
your health, your wallet, and the environment will all benefit from it. So why
not give it a try it on this new year?
Regular exercise is one of the best habits that you can instate to improve your overall health. Though many physicians tout exercise as being a serious contender in the fight of disease, many of us simply don’t make time to move our bodies as often as we should.
Soon after beginning an exercise regimen, the benefits begin to appear: more energy, less fatigue, better self-control, and improved self-esteem. The benefits are truly endless. Yet, getting started can be difficult.
The world of fitness is full of unknowns. Protein drinks, diet pills, and fad diets abound. Starting with the basics is essential. Upon beginning an exercise regimen, focus on a few small concepts initially:
Ease Into It
Nobody starts out by running a marathon. Yet, nobody becomes fit by sitting on the couch, either. Begin with slow, steady changes. Oftentimes, it is helpful to set a daily routine. Write down the actions that will be performed during the day and the set times that you plan to complete them. Sticking to a routine can help provide structure and a sense of control. Many individuals find it helpful to plan out meals on a schedule, as well.
Hydrate Yourself
It is crucial to maintain hydration throughout the day prior to a workout. Water allows regeneration of skin cells, increased metabolism, better focus, and offers digestive benefits. Staying hydrated after a workout with the help of Halo sport drink and similar sources of electrolytes and essential trace minerals has also proven to be beneficial. Replenishing cells, enhancing mental clarity, and encouraging muscle growth are all benefits that are reaped by drinking enriched fluids.
Learn from Professionals
While many new gym-goers are anxious to get in there and start slinging weights around, it really is important to educate yourself beforehand. No amount of observation replaces proper form, machine familiarity, and expert training. Sure, we can’t all afford a personal trainer, but many other options exist that will allow you to obtain the training that you before embarking on an exercise regimen. Many gyms offer an orientation program, which consists of a knowledgeable staff member or trainer explaining the machines, form, and appropriate weight adjustments. We also live in a wireless world. A laptop, cell phone, or tablet is often not out of reach. Utilize those resources to connect with professionals in regard to your fitness journey.
Use Variety
If doing the same routine every single morning sounds like a bore to you, you are thinking similarly to the majority of fitness enthusiasts. A lifeless, stale routine is certain to make any gym-goer burnout quickly. Explore your options by trying out different types of movement. From yoga to jiu-jitsu to Olympic weight lifting, there is a fitness routine that appeals to everyone. However, most individuals never even try out the activity that they may ultimately be interested in, due to fear of the unknown.
Invite a Friend
Enjoyable activities are easier to stick to. Inviting friends to attend fitness classes with you, enroll in a new program, or just walk on the treadmill with you will make the time pass quicker and the experience less awkward. As time passes, individuals who have friends inquiring about gym visits or waiting on them for after-work workouts are more likely to stick with it. Simply put: having a friend who works out with you can increase commitment and comfort.
Online takeaway service Just Eat found
recently that veganism was a top trend among their customer base. Although it’s
important to understand that veganism is not a trend and instead a lifestyle
choice, the brand also noted that there was a 94% increase in healthy food
ordered at the time. For sporting athletes, lifestyle is essential for
performance and veganism is an increasingly popular option for some of the
biggest names in the field. With this new information in mind, join Traidcraft,
suppliers of fair trade vegan
chocolate, and take a look at how successful a plant-based diet has proven
for those who are under constant pressure to perform.
Jermain
Defoe
As veganism has grown in popularity over
the years, documentaries on the topic have become readily available to educate
audiences on the realities of the meat industry. One person to make the
conversion to veganism in light of one of these programs is Jermain Defoe, an
English professional footballer playing for a string of successful teams
including Tottenham Hotspur. In a recent interview, he confessed that his lifestyle
change came as a result of watching ‘What
The Health’ on streaming service Netflix, an expose of the cruelty and
environmental consequences of a carnivorous diet. While many footballers retire
before they hit their mid-30’s, Jermain is 36 and still actively playing the
beautiful game for Scottish Premiership team Rangers F.C.
In an interview discussing his new dietary
choices in 2018, he said “Now I feel like I’ve got more energy. I feel
completely different – I’m able to train every day, I don’t get injuries, it’s
helped with my game. That, for me, is the most important thing”, demonstrating
a whole host of benefits from excluding dairy and animal products. With 57 caps
for his country and 162 goals in the English Premier League, Defoe is a great
model for any aspiring vegan athletes.
Venus
Williams
Venus Williams has been a professional
tennis player since the age of 14, and she was the first African American woman
to become World No.1 in the Open Era in 2002. Her career is a force to be
reckoned with, and she has remained unshaken by many opponents; but in 2011,
Venus was diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome and pulled out of the U.S Open
later that year to recoup. As a result, she made the switch to follow a raw,
plant-based diet and she slowly began playing again. She has regularly stated
in interviews that making the lifestyle change was the sole reason that she
could take to the court again, and she is often pictured armed with a carton of
milk substitute in between sets.
She has celebrated her new relationship
with food, “I fell in love with the concept of fuelling your body in the best
way possible”, and she is testament against the common misconception of vegan
diets as being restrictive and inadequate for those in sport. Protein is often
a key focus for athletes, and many people believe that the protein content of a
plant-based diet cannot compete with meat products. However, some of the best vegan
friendly protein dense options include tofu, lentils, almonds, spirulina and
chia seeds.
Forest
Green Rovers
Fans of the Gloucestershire side do not
enjoy the traditional steak pie or beef burger before kick-off, as the
pre-match snacks are made with meat substitutes. In fact, meat has been
entirely benched, as even the players must adhere to a veggie diet to don a
Forest Green Rovers shirt. In terms of performance, they are currently fifth in
League Two after a triumphant promotion in 2017. They cite their reasoning for
implementing veganism into the club as environmentally linked, with the damaging
consequences of livestock farming a key motivator behind the meat-free squad.
They have also recently qualified for the 2019 English Football League
play-offs, which could see them soar into the next tier up, League One.
The club chairman Dale Vince is also a
green energy pioneer as the founder of Ecotricity, and he brought veganism onto
the pitch at Forest Green Rovers in 2014. On the topic, he has said “Personally,
I’m a vegan and have very strong views on the environment, animal welfare and
human health”, and these concerns have been transformed in a sport setting as
Forest Green Rovers set their sights on promotion glory.
So, do vegan athletes outperform their
carnivorous competitors? Veganism has been subjected to a lot of criticism for
a variety of reasons, but we could be underestimating it as a valid way to fuel
our bodies. As these plant-based victories show, there is a substantial amount
of bodily fuel that can be derived from following a plant-only diet, and
perhaps athletes should try the switch themselves in order to determine the
benefits.
How are your New Year’s resolutions going so far? If you know they could be better, and you just haven’t managed to be more active in 2019, #OfficeYoga could be the answer for you.
If you’ve been feeling tired and sore at your desk job, Furniture at Work as released an excellent infographic that’s sure to help. The company sells office furniture online, so they really know what they’re talking about.
For example, the Chair Cat Cow stretch involves arching your back and then roundign your spine. This helps you improve balance and posture, strengthen and stretch your neck and spine, and reduce lower back pain.
The Chair Raised Hands pose seems simple, but if you haven’t been activating the right muscles lately, you may find it a little tricky until you get the hang of it. Simply sit on your chair with your feet flat on the floor, and raise you rarms towards the ceiling as you inhale. This helps strengthen your core, open your shoulders, and improve your posture.
The Chair Eagle pose is a little more difficult. It involves crossing your thighs and wrapping your foot around the opposite calves. You then bend your elbows to loosen your shoulders and wrists and release tightness across your sacrum and between your shoulder blades. This also helps you strengthen your legs.
Whlie all of these poses are great, I think my favorite is the Chair Spinal Twist. WIth this, you sideways on your chair and then twist your torso while holding onto the back of your chair. This allows you to lengthen your spine, helps relieve back pain and stiffness, and opens your chest- increasing how much oxygen your lungs are getting. If you tend to get slow and tired in the afternoons, this is a great pose to try before your 3pm coffee.
Have you tried office yoga? If not, take a look at this great infographic and let me know how you go.
The benefits of exercise for both body and mind are well-documented.
But did you know that exercise can also help people
struggling with addiction?
While many treatment strategies focus on the mental aspects of addiction,
addicts often find that the physical component of exercise has therapeutic
benefits, as well.
Let’s take a closer look at how fitness is an excellent ally in the struggle
against addiction.
1. Fitness helps with withdrawal symptoms
Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia are often most intense during the withdrawal period, including detox. A gentle exercise regimen can help lessen those symptoms, as well as ease physical symptoms such as muscle aches and joint pain.
2. Exercise provides needed structure
Regular exercise helps to create a routine and provide structure to the day. It offers a healthy distraction from addictive craving that may lead to relapse, and also helps take the mind off of stress, anxiety, and feelings of depression.
3. Improved mood
Consistent exercise releases endorphins in the brain that help to moderate its chemistry. In turn, they’ll help to improve mood, lessen cravings and stress, while also improving sleep quality.
Some studies show that exercise helps create new nerve connections in the brain that help heal your brain from the damage caused by addiction.
4. Improved physical health
Addiction can take its toll on your body and may lead to serious health issues. The good news is that exercise improves cardiovascular health while lowering the risk of diabetes and some types of cancer. It also strengthens the immune system.
Moreover, another benefit of exercise is that it helps many people in recovery to resume a normal sleep schedule.
5. Exercise helps prevent relapse
Exercise not only helps reduce addictive cravings but also can improve treatment outcomes. Studies show that people who regularly exercise are less likely to suffer relapses in their recovery from addictive substances and behavior.
6. Exercise helps balance brain chemistry
We’ve briefly touched on exercise’s positive effects on the brain, including an improved overall mood, but it also helps to balance brain chemistry – which is an important part of rehabilitation and recovery.
Habitual use of drugs and alcohol changes brain chemistry and alters the addict’s mood, stress, and physical energy. In time, the brain cannot produce the proper number of neurotransmitters needed to reach chemical equilibrium, which then leads to withdrawal symptoms. Because it releases endorphins, regular exercise can moderate brain chemistry to help it regain its natural chemical balance.
7. Exercise is a healthy distraction
Exercise, like mindfulness practices and meditation, not only reduces stress and improves mood but also serves as a healthy distraction to the cravings that may lead to relapse. It helps to take the mind off of stress, low moods, and anxiety that often intensify cravings.
8. An exercise program helps take up time
Keeping busy through healthy activities such as exercise helps take up time that was once spent engaging in addictive behaviors. The amount of time that people waste on their addiction is often staggering but suddenly having all that extra time on their hands can be a struggle, especially in the early stages of recovery. A regular, structured fitness routine helps to fill those hours with something that’s good for both mind and body.
Even getting ready to work out, and cooling down and cleaning up afterward, takes up time that might otherwise be spent on addiction.
The bottom line is that fitness is a useful tool to have when recovering from addiction. From improving a person’s physical and mental health to changing brain chemistry, exercise is helpful in many ways.
If you need more information about drug addiction and
treatment options, please visit The Recovery Village
website.
It is a widely held belief that different
colours denote different feelings – for example, the colour blue is associated
with calm whilst red can be associated with passion or aggression. Colour
phycology is a widely researched subject, but just how far does colour
association extend? Does a man wearing a green t-shirt appear less confident
than a man in a black and white suit? Does a woman
wearing a yellow dress appear happier than a woman wearing a black dress?
It is widely accepted that different
colours can affect our mood. Let’s take an extension from that — if colour can
affect us mentally, can it affect us physically? If our moods are heightened or
dampened based on colours, it would make sense that colours could be used as a
means to amplify performance in athletics.
Blue is often associated with calm, yellow
is typically associated with happiness, and black has connotations of death in
many cultures. It has been cited by numerous sources that teams wearing a red
sports kit are more successful. But is this always the case? Let’s analyse
the colours of different running clubs. The main purpose of club colours is, at
base, to identify runners on the track. For example, the Edinburgh University
Hare & Hounds Running Club wear green, whereas the Glasgow University club
colours are black and gold.
Let’s take a look at some sports where colour
has been linked to increased performance. Hill
and Barton conducted a study regarding combat sports, and concluded that
red had a higher success rate than blue due to red apparently sending a message
of aggression and dominance to the opponent. But another study of Judo athletes
showed blue contestants had a higher victory rate than
those wearing white. According to researchers, the study was not wholly
controlled — the blue-kit wearing contestants were seeded as the top 11%. Due
to this, even in the loser’s pool, the athletes in blue had competed in one
less match, and had had longer rest periods. Another study corrected these
variables, and found uniform colour had little impact on success.
So, if colour and sporting success aren’t
related at all, do colours make a difference? Minnpost
dug a little deeper into the matter, and found an alternative view on the issue
from psychologist Tom Stafford. He suggested that the colour of kit didn’t
impact the athletes as much as they impacted the referee — and he used studies of digital colour manipulation to support
this theory, in which referees were shown images with the colours worn
by contestants altered. The referees awarded more points to those photoshopped
in red kit than in blue. Could it be that the colour of sportswear has more of
an effect on the people watching than the athletes themselves then?
The audience at a sports game are usually
looking for entertainment, so this is a valid point. Perhaps the choice of
colour in sportswear is less to do with trying to increase the chance of
winning, or putting off the opponent, but instead
generating a sense of excitement and energy in the crowd watching.
That’s not to say that colour psychology
has no place in sports. But instead of looking at what we wear when we go for a
run or perform sports, perhaps we should be considering our surroundings instead.
Swiss running website On suggests that the real
power of colour psychology in athletics comes from the colours of a runner’s
surroundings. The example posed is that running in a grey room may be
uninspiring and clinical, whereas running in a colourful room might perk the
athlete up more. This theory could also be applied to outdoor running vs indoor
running – for example, running under a clear blue sky on the green grass would
probably be a much happier experience than running indoors on a treadmill. The
sight of these colours could make for a happier athlete who, in turn, may
perform better.
We can certainly apply colour psychology to
sports. But if a team or athlete wins where another doesn’t, it’s unlikely
because he or she chose to wear a red shirt.
Cycling
isn’t a pursuit that just needs to be undertaken by those with aspirations to
one day compete in the Tour de France or as a sole means to get fit — getting
on your bike and pedaling from A to B is something that can be brought into
your everyday life. Join family-owned cycling retailer Leisure Lakes Bikes as
they detail how to go about cycling each day and the benefits of doing so…
Why should you cycle
regularly?
We could
cover an entire article just detailing the benefits that cycling provides, as
there are many reasons to enjoy this pursuit on a regular basis.
Cycling can
improve your mental wellbeing for one, with a study by the YMCA finding that
individuals with a physically active lifestyle recorded a wellbeing score which
was 32 per cent higher than people who were inactive. There are obviously many
ways to exercise, but cycling stands out as it allows you to take part in
physical exercise, get outdoors and explore fresh surroundings.
What’s
more, you can either choose to cycle alone to give you time to reflect on any
concerns or worries you have, or cycle in a group in order to enhance your
social circle. Graeme Obree, a former hour record holder, expanded on this
aspect in particular by telling Cycling Weekly: “Getting out and riding will help
… Without cycling, I don’t know where I
would be.”
Your body
can profit even more from cycling. For instance, the activity promotes weight
loss — between 400 and 1,000 calories can be burnt per hour depending on your
level of intensity and your weight — and it also builds muscle, especially
around the calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps.
Then
there’s the benefits to your overall health. Cycling has been found to reduce
the risk of you developing cancer or heart disease, improve your lung health,
allow you to enjoy better sleep, and increase your brain power.
It’s not
just your health and wellbeing that will see improvements if you cycle more
regularly either. Pedaling to and from a destination can actually take a
shorter amount of time than completing the commute in a vehicle, depending on
the distance and the level of traffic encountered of course.
You could
save quite a bit of money as well. Cyclescheme.co.uk imagined a scenario back in 2011
whereby a cyclist travelled for five miles to work every day and then another
five miles to get back home. Covering a 48-week year — holidays were taken out
of the equation — the organisation found that 2,400 miles will be covered,
which would account for around £320 in fuel costs if a vehicle was used to
travel the distance. That sum was based on the average cost of fuel during
2011; just imagine the savings today seeing as though fuel prices have
continued to skyrocket over the past decade.
According
to the UK’s best-selling cycling magazine, you’ll want to get your hands on a road bike that is capable of riding through any weather
condition without any fuss and which you can rely on with minimal maintenance.
Consider fitting your bike with mudguards too — no one wants to arrive at the
office with mud and muck covering their clothes — as well as wide tyres which
will work to spread the load, improve comfort levels, and provide enhanced grip
during wet weather.
While
you’re shopping for your cycling gear, take note that it’s a legal requirement
for you to have a white front light and red rear light, both in working order,
on your bike after dusk and before dawn. It’s advised that you use these lights
throughout the day too though, as they’ll improve your visibility. You may also
want to buy a backpack that you can fill with your essential work items and
then carry over your shoulders while you cycle, or a pannier rack for your bike
if you often carry a lot of stuff during a commute.
Once you
have your bike sorted and are beginning your commute on two wheels, it’s
important that you cycle with confidence. To help, Cycling Weekly advises:
“Hugging the curb often encourages drivers to pass closely, which will only
increase any nervousness that caused you to do so in the first place — so avoid
this and keep a safe distance that affords you room to swerve around a pot hole
should you need to.
“When
approaching junctions, check behind you and move into the centre of the lane
when it’s safe to do so — this prevents anyone from overtaking or undertaking
when it’s not safe to do so.”
With the
last point in mind, you’ll want to make sure that you’re comfortable enough to
look behind you when cycling too before using a bike for a commute. Cycling
one-handed is another essential skill, as there will be times when you need to
release one hand from the bike’s handlebars to indicate and tell other road
users that you’re about to make a turn.
Once you
reach your workplace, ensure you have a high-quality bike lock to hand to
securely store your bicycle while you’re at work. It’s recommended that you
apply one lock to the frame of the bike and then a cable lock to the wheels if
they are attached by quick-release skewers. On the topic of security, try and
leave your bike in a location that is monitored by CCTV too.
Remember
that you’re heading into your job when you’ve completed a bike ride to work as
well. Therefore, keep a pair of appropriate work shoes at work which you can
quickly slip into once you’ve arrived, and pack some dry shampoo and wet wipes
to look the part if your workplace doesn’t have its own shower.
Hopefully
by now you’re inspired to start cycling on a daily basis — enjoy the many
benefits it’ll offer you!
Author Bio
Lee Dover is a senior copywriter at Mediaworks with an
interest in sports as well as researching into healthier ways of living. He has
a BA (Hons) in Magazine Journalism. Away from work, Lee is also a keen runner
and is an athlete and coach for Houghton Harriers & Athletics Club. Since
joining the club in 2015, Lee has competed in various road, track and cross
country competitions — on a regional and national scale. Highlights of his
running career to date include his victories at the 2017 Lambton Run 10K and
the 2018 South Shields 10 Mile race. You can follow his progress on Twitter via
the handle @leedover1.
When attending a leisure centre or gym, a customer expects to sweat a little depending on the class they’re attending! It’s especially important then for such venues to have a suitable air conditioning unit and HVAC system in place, in order to prevent overheating or too-cold conditions.
In this article, we’re exploring the importance of maintaining a comfortable temperature within a sports centre, as well as what temperatures are considered to be the optimum target to achieve this.
Responsibility and duty
Technically, there are no regulations regarding specific temperatures within a gym or leisure centre, according to Health and Safety Executive. But normal health and safety legislation covers the vast majority of other safety requirements at the gym. In terms of temperature, although there are no fixed regulations specifically for gyms and leisure centres, we can use minimum workplace temperature requirements as an estimate of what constitutes a comfortable temperature during activity.
As stated by the Approved Code of Practice, 16°C is considered to be the base level for a comfortable temperature within a workplace. Work requiring “rigorous physical effort” is placed a little lower, at 13°C. Again, this isn’t a legal requirement, but it gives an idea of what an optimum temperature is for comfortably engaging in physical activity.
Sport England published a handy guide for exercise spaces and fitness centres, outlining the ideal temperature for clients:
Fitness Gym – 16°C to 18°C (60°F to 64°F) in the summer, with “comfort cooling” as needed.
Studios – 18°C (64°F), with a slight summer rise acceptable.
High temperatures at the gym
When a gym is too hot, working out becomes a torturous experience. Plus, it’s a risky activity; dehydration and heat stroke are notable risks of working out in an overheated gym. But even just sweating too much can be a problem. We Be Fit notes that while over-sweating can cause gym-goers to notice an extra pound of weight loss at the end of their workout, the weight lost is fluids from sweating and will be negated with a drink. The article suggests that working out in an overheated gym for a long period can result in a 50% less effective workout! All that sweating for nothing.
Low temperatures at the gym
It’s less common to encounter a very cold gym, but when it does happen, it can be just as difficult to work out in as a too-warm space. My Inner Go looked at the pros and cons of working out in a cold environment and found that chilly temperatures brought with it a higher risk of injury. This is because muscles tend to seize up in the cold (which is why warming up before physical activity is so important). The website offered a great analogy for cold muscles: consider them like Play-Doh! When Play-Doh gets cold, it goes stiff and doesn’t stretch, it just snaps. But warm Play-Doh is stretchy and flexible.
Regulating temperature
It’s important for sports centres to keep their different rooms and classes in mind when regulating the temperature. Investing in an efficient, responsive air conditioning system will help regulate a comfortable temperature within the building, with units in Daikin’s air conditioning range offering low energy consumption models to fit your carbon emission targets.
A comfortable environment is critical to a successful workout. Keeping a good temperature through a facility will ensure customers stay happy and are more likely to keep coming back. If the gym starts to get a reputation for being freezing cold or too stuffy, gym goers will quickly turn to other establishments.
There seems to be a new fitness craze that sweeps gyms and exercise classes across the world annually as people look for more creative ways to get fit. But, what are some of the strangest fitness fads that we’ve seen over the past decade?
Plogging
A fairly recent fitness fad – it made its way into our lives at the start of 2018, and some people haven’t looked back since. It’s a Scandinavian based trend that encourages people to pick up litter while out running — improving health and the environment.
The unusual term ‘plogging’ comes from the word jogging and the Swedish phrase ‘plocka upp’ which means pick up. The exercise part comes from running with intermittent squatting and lunging so you can pick up rubbish from the ground. It is an effective calorie burner too — fitness app Lifesum estimates that a typical user will burn 288 calories from 30 minutes of plogging.
This new fitness trend is also making its way onto social media platforms too — with people showing images of themselves in running gear with plastic bags ready to fill with litter. Could we see this trend become widespread sometime soon?
High-heel workouts
It’s nothing new that high-heels are known to help shape posture but working out in them is a relatively new form of exercise. Research has suggested that even walking in high-heels (below three inches) can shape the calves and improve muscle tone and shape.
By performing all the usual exercises of a normal workout such as lunging, squatting and lifting small weights while wearing high-heels, balance can also be improved. It hasn’t been fully determined whether wearing high-heels for a workout can result in weight loss, but it can help you learn how to walk better in them.
Jogging without shoes
In 2010, an unorthodox trend came along that saw runners trading in their running shoes for a form of running ‘sock’.
The individuals who are in support of the pattern say that running in trainers or running shoes can make you more inclined to sustain injury as it encourages running with unnatural form. It’s also said that running barefoot strengthens the tiny muscles found in feet, ankles and legs which can also reduce the risk of injury.
Although some people still practise the art of running without shoes, it is somewhat of a dying art. Experts have said that switching to barefoot running without properly transitioning makes you prone to injuries. Only try this one if you’re willing to practise walking barefoot before running.
FitWet
The FitWet bike is a unique piece of kit that blends an exercise bike with a personal hot tub with hydrotherapy jets. It’s no shock that submerged workouts are of added benefit than normal routines and this is no exception. Cycling whilst relaxing your muscles is surely a more pleasant way to burn off those extra calories!
Hot barre
Americans aren’t shy from introducing new exercise art forms, and so with many weird and wonderful fitness classes, the trend of ‘hot barre’ first took off in New York and Los Angeles.
It involves combining classical ballet moves in a room heated to 40 degrees and it took off around 2015. Advocates of the fad say that hot barre encourages you to gain a deeper stretch while helping you release toxins and feel detoxed. Then, as the body has to work hard to cool itself down, you can expect your metabolism to boost and number of burnt calories to increase.
The fad has spread to other exercises too; yoga, long loved for its reputation for easing pain for arthritis sufferers and joint troubles, now has a ‘hot yoga’ variation.
From barefoot jogging to working out in stilettos, who knows what the next strange fitness trend will be?
Some people prefer to work out in their homes. If they have enough space, they have a dedicated room or section of the basement that they refer to as their home gym. These spaces need to have the perfect flooring for the job. It needs to be easy to clean, and comfortable enough to work out on. No matter whether you do yoga or have a full gym in your house, you need to consider these flooring ideas, courtesy offlooring services the colony tx.
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are great for just about everything. They can easily support the heavy workout equipment that comes with a home gym or yoga practice. On top of that, wood is naturally a shock absorbent material, and as long as you have the right surface treatments applied, it is fairly non-skid. This means that you won’t skid all over the place when you’re in the middle of a workout. If the floor becomes scuffed or scratched, it’s very easy to buff out the scratches and refinish the wood. On top of that, the many different types of wood and shades of stain ensure that you’ll have no issues matching the floors to the rest of the room.
Cork Flooring
Cork is one of the newest types of wood flooring on the market. It also provides quite a bit of cushioning, which will keep you from damaging your knees and ankles. Although you do have to be careful about placing heavy equipment on this flooring, as it may create some dents and divots, you’ll have an excellent surface for exercising. You won’t have to worry about sound traveling since the cork absorbs some of the noise. On top of this, it’s quite affordable and very easy to care for.
Rubber Floor Tiles
Don’t overlook the great qualities of rubber floor tiles. They’re excellent at providing cushioning and sound dampening, just like cork flooring. They also are very easy to keep clean. If you want a floor with some give – and one that looks like it belongs in a gym, then this is a great option. It’s also good for people who practice yoga, as the floor is comfortable to pose on. You may not even need a separate mat, just a dedicated section of the floor. On top of this, if any of the tiles become damaged, they are easy to replace.
Linoleum
Although linoleum (which should not be confused with the old styles that were not as nice) is a harder surface, it provides a good floor for a home gym. The linoleum is easy to clean and is fairly scuff and scratch resistant. You will need to use a separate rubberized mat for things like stretches and yoga, but they are easy to roll up and place out of the way when you don’t need them. Even better, linoleum is very inexpensive.
