Griffen Fitness - Newsletter

October newsletter

Greetings healthy people,

sunny Leith The weather is dreary but don't despair, a good bout of heart-raising exercise (yes, even in the rain), will get your blood pumping and all those happy endorphins rushing through your cranium! The weather is not so awful when you actually just get out there.

If you like what you read in this newsletter, then tune in to the very fine Leith FM (tune in online or at 98.8 FM) at 3pm on Monday 6th October for my secondly monthly instalment of 'Healthy Living in Leith' – a lifestyle programme with lots of ideas to get you moving. If you know of any local bands who would like their music played on air, also please drop me a line…

What's in Season for September / October
Fruit: blackberries, pears, plums, elderberries (in the wild), figs, apples
Vegetables: watercress, squash, beetroot, mushrooms, courgettes, marrow, kale, pumpkin, butternut squash, samphire (found beside the sea)

Easy Recipe: Ginger Beer
It may seem strange to see a recipe for a soft drink in a fitness newsletter, however this ginger beer recipe really is the elixir of life! I drink it as a post-exercise treat, or if I'm feeling a little run down or tired. It also works wonderfully if you have over-indulged the night before.

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is also good for tummy problems (ginger can be used for motion sickness amongst other things, see WiiFit review below). Indian Ayurvedic medicine uses ginger for its warming properties. I telephoned Robert Stone, masseur extraordinaire who practices Ayurvedic massage who told me that ginger can be used both internally and externally, in massage oils and baths, to help restore balance to the system. It's a good reason to try the below (very easy) method to make ginger beer.

2 litre bottle of still mineral water (* see below)
large chunk of root ginger, the best value and freshest is from an Indian supermarket. Don't buy wrinkly stuff!
1 lemon
1 cup of sugar, for this recipe white is best
¼ teaspoon of dried yeast, you can buy it in small sachets for bread making
* you can either use store-bought bottled water or tap water. I have a water filter jug, so I use this. You'll need a two litre bottle anyway to make the ginger beer in.

- Decant the water into a suitable temporary container (skip this step if you are using tap / filter jug water)
- Using a plastic funnel, pour the sugar into the bottle.
- Add the dried yeast to the bottle.
- Grate the ginger until you have about 2 tablespoon's worth. Feel free to vary this according to your taste. Shove into bottle.
- Next, extract the juice from one lemon and add to bottle.
- Now you need to add the water to the bottle. Fill until there is approximately a one inch gap at the top, then put the cap on and shake the bottle until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Screw the cap on the bottle as tightly as you can, then place the bottle somewhere warm for about 48 hours to let the yeast go to work. Once the bottle is very hard and can't be squeezed, the ginger beer is done.
- Place the bottle in the fridge overnight. This halts the yeast and stops the bottle exploding. You really don't want to leave that bottle in a warm place for any longer than 48 hours.
- Strain and enjoy.
Top tip – For colds, try a hot infusion with the juice of half a lemon, a slice of fresh ginger and a dash of honey with boiling water. Works a treat!

Resisting Temptation Hint of the Month: Eating Out and Looking Good
Through talking to many people about their eating habits, I have discovered that most feel compelled to finish eating what's on their plate, even if they're already full. This is especially true in restaurants. If you are wishing to lose weight, one of the first things you need to realise is that you don't need to eat all the food you're served. It is more sensible to leave a little on your plate than shovel it all down and feel bloated.
Find eateries that serve smaller portions upon request (my favourite restaurant for manageable portions is Bijou Bistro, near Leith Links). Alternatively try restaurants that allow you to take a 'doggy bag' home (Vittoria and La Favorita on Leith Walk both do this). Also, try restaurants that serve traditionally smaller dishes, like Spanish tapas or Turkish meze. Once you've found a good, healthy restaurant, keep their business card so you can recommend it to your friends, family or work colleagues next time you go out for dinner. Dining out need not be a reason to blow your good intentions!

Fad or Fab: Wii Fit
There's a fad that's sweeping living rooms everywhere… Wii Fit. It's an ingenious device based on a 'balance board' that the player stands on (which senses the weight distribution through the player's bare feet). In the case of Wii jogging, the 'Wii remote controller' is popped into the pocket which senses leg movement as the player tried to keep up with the 'Mii' jogging around a virtual island. In other words the computer game senses the player's movements that becomes part of the game. Ingenious, yes, but effective, I'm not so sure.
I have a number of issues with the Wii (not only the fact I strained a shoulder in an over-exuberant Wii boxing session at a friend's house late one evening). Encouraging consumers that they need to watch a screen to get fit is encouraging folk to stay indoors and look once again to their television for a solution. Health warnings on the Nintendo website include seizures (about 1 in 4,000 chance), repetitive strain injury, eyestrain, electric shock, motion sickness amongst others. Earlier this year I met a lady who was hospitalised with a serious back injury from throwing herself across her kitchen in an enthusiastic bout of Wii tennis playing. It makes cycling through Edinburgh traffic look positively tame!
WiiFit fever is taking hold and many of the stores are out of stock. For long term benefit you're better off paying for a block of personal training sessions and learning how to exercise safely and effectively and get outdoors in the fresh air.

Try Something Different: Try a Tri
It's nearing the end of 2008 triathlon season in the UK, however if you feel that you'd like to have a bash at one in 2009, now is the time to start training. A triathlon involves a swim (in open water or in a pool), a cycle, then a run to finish. Relatively unknown in Scotland until only a few years ago, this is a fast-growing sport and not only for the ultra fit (thanks to the popularity of sprint distances). For example:

Sprint triathlons can vary in distance and start with a 400m – 750m swim, then a 6 -12 mile (10 - 20km) cycle finishing with a 3 - 6 mile (5 – 10 km) run.

Olympic distance is 750m swim, 24.8 mile (40km) cycle, finishing with a 6.2 mile (10km) run.

Iron man distance is 2.4 mile (3.8km) swim, 112 mile (180km) cycle, finishing with running a full marathon!

As you can see, the distances vary, and there is one available to suit most fitness levels. See www.triathlonscotland.org for more info. If you'd like to prepare for a tri in 2009, drop me a line and we can start working on a training plan for you.

Article of the Month: Set up your own home exercise space

I like gyms. Honestly, I do, I just rarely bother to get to one (naughty me!). I'd rather exercise from home, where it doesn't matter what I look like and I don't need to worry about getting there and back etc. Here are my top ten items to look at if you'd like to start exercising from home:

1. Heart Rate Monitor – Essential for making your cardio (pulse-raising) exercise measureable. It's an advantage the gyms used to have over home exercise as they used to be mega-pricey. You can now get an entry level Polar model for £35 from Argos – I prefer the Polar brand as they are reliable and easy to use with good after sales service.

2. Exercise Mat – Essential if you have floorboards or slate underfoot. Carpet is OK to exercise on as long as you don't mind sweating on it and getting covered in fluff. My favorite place to buy mats is John Lewis as they have a variety of colours and thicknesses.

3. Trainers – Your shoes should reflect what you want to do. Many people feel they need to buy fancy shoes to start, but as long as they are comfortable with adequate cushioning, you're fine. My personal way of finding out if I need a new pair of trainers is by slipping one hand inside my shoe and placing the other on the sole. If it feels thin and as if there is no cushioning, it could be time to buy a new pair, especially if you're running on roads.

4. Music – An essential part of working out, so create a pile of your favorite CD's, or spend some time sorting out your iPod to inspire and motivate. You can also download exercise podcasts from iTunes for something different.

5. Resistance tubes / bands – If you travel a lot or don't want to clutter up your home with weights, try using some rubber resistance (as featured in last month's Fad or Fab).

6. Cardio Equipment – All effective exercise programmes involve pulse-raising exercise, which can be measured using your HRM (Heart Rate Monitor). Popular choices include swimming, cycling, running, power walking (although make sure your heart rate is high enough!), aerobics or using a bouncer. The WiiFit doesn't count as it's not sustained or intense enough. So there!

7. Skipping rope – a cheap piece of kit (I sell speed ropes for £4) which will get your heart rate up, anywhere, anytime.

8. Exercise Ball – dependent on space you have available, an exercise ball is very good for 'core' exercises and is also fun. Powerhouse Fitness on Elm Row stock good quality non-burst balls for around £15. Be sure to buy the 'non burst' as cheap balls are horrible and difficult to control (and can also burst). The easy way to tell if it's good quality is that the rubber should be thick and non-reflective. The cheapo balls that come with Special K cereal are rubbish.

9. Dumbbells – hand weights are very useful if a) you know how to use them, and b) you have the correct weight. Dumbells (individual hand weights) are more versatile than a barbell (a long pole with weights on each end), and easier to store.

10. A Reebok Step – Bizarre as this sounds, this is one of my favorite pieces of home exercise kit. You don't need to be an aerobics whizz to benefit from using a step. It's an easy way to get your heart rate up indoors, and it also doubles as a weights bench. Squats and lunges also take on new meaning when done on a step. In an emergency, it can also double as extra seating at a party!

11. For the ladeez – a good sports bra is an absolute essential. Not only will it prevent you from taking an eye out, but it will improve your posture, speed and agility. I can never remember my size, so I head to my fav department store (you guessed it, John Lewis) for a fitting. My new bra has titanium underwire, how cool!

Enjoy!

:)
Tracy

Tracy

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October newsletter