Griffen Fitness - Newsletter

April newsletter

Greetings!

Spring is in the air, so here's a favourite poem from my childhood:

Spring has sprung,
The grass has riz,
I wonder where de birdies iz?

The bird is on the wing,
But that's absurd,
I'd always heard that the wing is on the bird.

Enough frivolity! Onto the serious fitness stuff. Spring is when many folk start to feel more motivated into moving. So this month's article is on something that's easy to do wherever you are – walking.

If you're more interested in running, then see the bottom of this newsletter for upcoming charity events in Edinburgh. I have written a training plan for any ladies interested in the 5km Race For Life, let me know if you'd like to enter…

DIY Fitness – book now for April 2008
Proving a popular training option, DIY Fitness offers you the opportunity to design your own fitness programme in a small group environment. I will show you the easiest and safest ways to get fit, and then you go and do it for yourself! The next 6-week term starts on Wednesday 23rd April at 6pm and costs £75 (which includes all course materials). Contact me directly for a booking form and more information.

What's in Season for March / April
It's good to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's a list of what's in season locally:
Asparagus, broccoli, beetroot, carrots, cauliflower, leeks, mint, parsley, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb.

Easy Recipe: Buttery Beany Carrot soup

This soup recipe is so easy and tasty… Butter beans are low-fat, high protein, brimming with essential minerals and give the soup a lovely creamy texture. Serves 4 starters, or 2 hungry people for mains.

Dash olive oil
Tiny bit of butter (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
Medium tin (about 250g) of butter beans, rinsed
Twice that amount of carrot, washed and chopped into chunks (you can leave the skin on)
750mL vegetable stock
Sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
Sea salt and pepper to season

Heat the olive oil (and butter – optional) in a large pan and saute the onion, keeping the lid on.
Add the carrot chunks and cook a bit longer to coat the carrots. Pop in some chopped rosemary.
Squeeze the butter beans out of their skins and add to the pot.
Give it a stir, then add the stock.
Cook for 20 – 30 minutes until carrots are tender. Season to taste.
Cool, then blend and reheat.
Viola! Very tasty!

I like to use a bit of butter at the beginning as it brings out the buttery-ness of the beans. Only a tiny bit is needed, but you can skip it if you are slimming. You can also use dried butter beans, but soak them overnight first, and cook the soup for 1 – 2 hours before blending.

Fad or Fab: Heart Rate Monitors
A Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) consists of two pieces, a chest strap that electronically picks up your heart beat, and a watch-like monitor that your heart rate is transmitted to. Growing rapidly in popularity (and also dropping in price) this is an invaluable piece of kit for anyone training outwith a gym. Many trainers, myself included, use heart rate training, that is, cardiovascular training to a prescribed heart rate range, to optimise exercise results. I generally recommend an entry-level Polar brand monitor (about £30) as I find them reliable and also foolproof. Fabulous!

Get Social…

Sometimes exercise is more fun with a bunch of people. The Sunday Brunch Club is an organised social group that offers a variety of sports for you to try. They include: Tennis on Mondays, 5 a side on Wednesdays and Badminton on Thursdays as well as activities including roller blading, mountain biking and Nordic walking.

Sign up for updates on SBC activities and events and for more information visit www.sundaybrunchclub.co.uk

Resisting Temptation: Easter Eggs

You don't need to deny yourself or your loved ones the joy of Easter eggs, but this year, opt for quality rather than quantity. There's an increasing range of dark chocolate, hand-made and organic Easter treats available nowadays, on the pricier side, but definitely better quality. You'll eat less of them and enjoy them more.

Article of The Month

Walking! How Pedestrian…

Walking, the natural form of propulsion for us as a species, is one of the best forms of exercise ever. Walking at a decent pace will give your lungs and heart a workout. It can burn calories very effectively and tone your body. Thirdly and by no means lastly, it's a useful form of transportation. ... And it's environmentally friendly!

Have you ever been bedridden from illness or unable to walk through injury? You will know how frustrating it is to not be able to do one of the things we as humans take for granted. Going for a walk is a guaranteed way to beat any blues and give you a fresh perspective on life. And now you can walk to raise money for charity. The Great Scottish Walk takes place in Edinburgh in June and there's a choice of 1, 6 or 12 mile distances. See www.greatscottishwalk.com for more information and to sign up. You can also find a training plan at http://www.greatscottishwalk.com/gsw/events_fitness.php

You don't need to be training for an event to reap fitness benefits. Most of us walk at a pace that we feel comfortable at, with minimum exertion. As intelligent human beings, we like to get around at minimum effort. In the times of our great-Grandparents we'd do lots of physical activity as part of our everyday life, so we'd needed to conserve energy when we could.

Times have changed and nowadays, we need to burn as much energy as we can when we exercise (as the rest of our lives is so sedentary). To walk at a pace where you experience fitness benefits and 'fat burning' (i.e. using more body fat as fuel), you need to walk at a pace where you feel slightly breathless and 'puffed'. Some of us aren't used to pushing ourselves and can feel flushed and sweaty. But moving at this pace continuously for at least 30 minutes at least three times per week offers significant fitness benefits. For some of us, it's simply speeding up our walk to work. For others, it may mean getting out and about more. Go on, get outdoors and see more of our great city on foot. A Spokes map of Edinburgh that illustrates all the cycling / walking paths and quiet streets is an essential resource. They're only £4.95 each and I keep a supply in my office. I am more than happy to suggest various walks / runs around Edinburgh to any clients interested (in fact, any one who will listen!).

On the keeping active there, here's a list of upcoming events in Edinburgh that YOU can get involved in:

Sunday 30 March

www.edinburgh2008.org

World Cross Country Championships – wander down to Holyrood Park and watch some of the world's best cross country runners battling it out.

Saturday April 19, 1pm

Hunters Bog Trot www.shr.uk.com

A Scottish Hill Runners race, Holyrood Park, 6.4km, £3 entry

Saturday 3 May, 10am

Tesco Mini Great Edinburgh Run www.greatrun.org

Meadows, 1.4km race for kids 3 – 8 years old

Sunday 4 May

BUPA Great Edinburgh Run www.greatrun.org

10km road run around town centre

Sunday 11 May, 11am

5K Race For Life Hopetoun House www.raceforlife.org

Women's only race for Cancer research. Contact me if you require a training plan.

Sunday 25 May, 9am

Edinburgh Marathon www.edinburgh-marathon.co.uk

General entries closed, charity entries close 2 May.

Sunday 1 June, 11am

5K Race For Life Holyrood Park www.raceforlife.org

Women's only race for Cancer research. Contact me if you require a training plan.

Saturday 14 June

Moonwalk www.walkthewalk.org

Women's only half / marathon walk for breast cancer

And Finally…

This YouTube music video illustrates a very funny alternative use of 8 treadmills. Don't try this at home!

:)
Tracy

Tracy

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Contents

April newsletter