Fitness with Tracy Griffen

September newsletter

Hello healthy people,

I was delighted to discover yesterday that 'Fitness with Tracy Griffen' is a finalist for the Association of Scottish Businesswomen's Young Business of the Year 2007 award (what a mouthful). There are only seven finalists across Scotland, so it's all a bit exciting…

It's good to know that more and more people in Scotland are making their health and wellbeing a priority and incorporating fitness into their everyday life. To this end, I have included what I hope is an even-handed comparison of exercising in gyms versus exercising anywhere else - read on and enjoy!

What's in Season for August / September

It's a great time of year to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's what's in season:
aubergines, basil, beetroot, courgettes, fennel, garlic, green beans, leeks, lettuce, loganberries, peaches, peas, peppers, strawberries, sweetcorn and tomatoes

Easy Recipes - A Comparison of Three Smoothies

Smoothies are fab. They're an easy way to get lots of nutrients into your system, are easy to make and even easier to drink. Experiment to discover your favourite combination. Here's a comparison of my favourite three.

Dairy Banana Smoothie

The milk and yoghurt in this smoothie makes it a slow burning energy drink (also a good source of calcium to maintain strong bones). The thick texture is quite filling and it satisfies longer than the other two recipes. The minus side is that some people might find the amount of dairy quite claggy and cloying (you can use soy milk), it's got more fat than the other two and it's not terribly refreshing!

Blend:
1 - 2 bananas (the riper the better, it's a good way to use manky black bananas)
Large dollop of natural / flavoured yoghurt
A cup of milk
Squeeze of honey (optional)
handful of very ripe strawberries (optional)

Easy Fruity Smoothie

This is a fruity fix of vitamins, however people with sensitive teeth may find it nippy. Also as it's fairly acidic it can upset empty stomachs.

Blend:
1 banana
handful of berries (optional)
¼ melon, seeded and peel removed (melon makes the smoothie go nice and frothy)
a cup of orange juice
squeeze of lime / lemon juice

The Solution! Go Troppo!

Instead of using acidic orange juice as a base for the smoothie, use a middle of the road juice like guava (can be bought from Indian shops) to make a delicious Tropical Smoothie

Blend:
1 banana (of course!)
Handful of berries, melon and / or some ripe pineapple
a dollop of yoghurt is optional, and turns it into a lassi
1 cup of guava juice

Enjoy! What's your favourite blend? Email me.

Resisting Temptation – Part 1

How top not to eat snack food, don't buy it!:
When you're going to the supermarket, make a shopping list and stick to it.
Walk straight past the crisp and biscuit aisle.
Resist the 2 4 1 offers on snack food (notice they rarely have healthy 2 4 1 offers) that you didn't even plan on buying…

Fad or Fab?
Recently I tested out a pedometer to see if measuring steps was a good way to encourage fitness. There are a wide variety of pedometers on the market priced from a couple of quid, and they work on the principle of measuring the number of steps the wearer takes. To do this, it is clipped to the waistband and it measures how many times it is jiggled by the wearers leg. This theoretically measures the number of steps the wearer makes. The downfall of this is the design is that when you go the loo, it measures it as steps, if you jump and up down, it's also measured as steps. So it is really an approximate reading. Some models also automatically calculate the theoretical distance covered. This is assuming that the wearer takes the same length strides each time, and also assumes the length of the stride.

Whilst a pedometer may be an inexpensive way to calculate if the wearer has been moving around enough in a day, it's not a terribly accurate way of doing it. I believe that with the evolution of GPS, there will become the expansion of the market of handheld global positioning devices, which tell you exactly how far you've travelled (think of in-car satellite navigation) and pedometers will be resigned to the back of the cupboard.

Resisting Temptation – Part 2

Some of you may remember that my husband and I embarked on an alcohol-free month of July, to see what would happen. The article I was writing became a long ramble about alcohol in society and too introspective for this newsletter. The good news is that we pretty much did the month (with the occasional slip up!) and lost an inch from our waistlines each. Our skin cleared, we became very productive (Andy took up middle distance running) and we changed our weekend habits considerably. Not to mention the money we saved… August is a crazy social month in Edinburgh, but why not plan an alcohol-free period (week, fortnight, month, whatever you can manage) in September?

Essential Website

I've created this section in the newsletter to promote some of the inspiring people I am lucky enough to meet through my work. This month, Helen from The Results Agency:

"Are you stuck in a rut, or in need of inspiration? Do you long to thrive? If you're like most professional women, you probably don't have much time to think about life and how to make it better. You may have a feeling for what needs to improve, but lack the motivation and clarity needed to really make it happen. Maybe you've reached a life milestone, maybe it's a feeling that's been growing for a while. Either way, you've realised that just "OK" isn't good enough anymore. The solution? Get the results you want and start growing a better life. The Results Agency specialises in helping professional women do quality thinking about work, life and the pursuit of happiness. It's a practical, creative & heart-centred approach to getting the results you want. So you can stop striving and start thriving.

Interested? Visit www.theresultsagency.co.uk for lots more info, and to download your free Life Audit workbook. Plus you can sign up for the free e-zine and check-out your free introductory session.

Extra Special offer for Tracy's clients: Get a free coaching session when you book a block of 4 standard sessions (that's as well as your 10% discount for block bookings)"

Article: Location, Location, Location
The Great Outdoors Vs a One-stop-shop

Exercise is evolving. Now, more than ever, we have a wide variety of options of how to stay in shape. I have trained both in and out of a gym. Nowadays I train entirely from people's homes or places of work, which I personally find more satisfying. But there are advantages of a gym too. Here's an even-handed (I hope!) comparison of exercising in a gym versus 'anywhere else':

Gym Environment

- It doesn't matter what the weather is like outdoors, you will always be warm and dry. But what if it's sunny?

- You can always watch television whilst pounding away on the treadmill…

- Many gyms have motivational music… but do you like pumping techno?

- In most gyms you will have an expansive choice of up-to-date equipment. But do you use it all?

- There's usually one inconsiderate gym user who never wipes down his sweaty bench… Ick!

- You may feel motivated by all of the other folk around you. Aerobics classes are a great way to use other folk to motivate you.

- Negotiating bunches of burly blokes in the weights area and queuing for machines.

- Some like to use the gym to search for potential mates (in every sense of the word!).

- Swimming pools, Jacuzzis, saunas and steam rooms make all the hard work worthwhile.

- It's great to have different elements to your workout. Some people like to do weights some days, classes on other days and perfecting their swimming stroke as an additional element to their workouts.

- Likewise if you can afford to keep a gym membership mainly for use in the winter, you can combine indoor and outdoor workouts.

- You're stuck with a year-long contract which is generally difficult to get out of.

- All of the cardio machines measure distance and your heart rate, which is important for tracking progress.

- Not all gyms are adequately staffed which can be an injury risk.

Anywhere Else

- It's great to get outdoors, and it's been proven beneficial to spend a bit of each day somewhere green. Seasonal Affective Disorder may be helped if you spend a bit of time outdoors each day, no matter the weather.

- Running outdoors is more challenging than running on a treadmill. A treadmill moves under your feet and you effectively jog on the spot. When you get outdoors you have both propulsion and the natural elements to contend with. Running on different surfaces (i.e. grass, dirt tracks) also strengthens stabilising muscles in your ankles and legs.

- Fresh air!

- Commuting to work by bike or foot is an easy way to get your base cardio work in regularly.

- Try hill walking on the weekend, or explore some of Edinburgh's hidden bike tracks (buy a Spokes map from a bike shop) – discover a new route!

- You also need high visibility clothing if you're exercising outdoors in the dark over winter.

- If you're exercising in the home, you can choose your own music and television shows.

- You can also choose what time of day you workout, and you can do more, shorter workouts.

- No need for a crèche. Many of my clients use a Swiss Ball at home, and kids (and pets) love them!

- If you're exercising from home you are unlikely to have the full range of equipment that a traditional gym offers. Sometimes storage is an issue, especially if you're lifting heavy weights.

- In tenement flats, noise is also an issue (i.e. a treadmill in a flat may not be appropriate)

- No monthly fees or year-long contracts.

- Great for those short of time.

If you have children, it is important that they see you exercising. Get them involved too! A family bike ride, or walk along the beach will teach your kids that exercise is an important part of every day life.

If you like the idea of being independent of a gym, but need some ideas on how to get started, employ the services of a fitness instructor or personal trainer. If you'd like an economical option, you can split the cost with a friend (I personally offer a 'rate with a mate').

I hope you have enjoyed the swag for this month, and your next fitness newsletter will be appearing in your Inbox mid-September. Until then, have a happy end-of-summer!

Tracy

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September newsletter

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