My Favourite Personal Trainers PTs | Wellness

I don’t go to the gym. It is not that I do not want to, it is that I like to save time and money. Sweating in front of strangers is not my idea of fun either, so I workout at home. This has not stopped me finding some amazing personal trainers. YouTube is full of them. I love PopSugar Fitness, Fitness Blender and Joe Wicks. I cannot recommend these sites enough and I hope you check them out. They have changed not only my body, but my life. Here are some of my favourite personal trainers and their workouts.

Jeanette Jenkins.

Jeanette takes no prisoners. She does an INSANE 500 calorie workout. She helped me lose a stone in weight. She is so happy and positive. I feel so happy after doing her workouts. Hell, I even feel happy while doing it. Even if it hurts like hell.Check out all of her workouts. They are all amazing.

Amy Rosoff Davis

Amy is another brilliant trainer. I did the workout below three times a week when my daughter was a few months old and I lost half a stone and completely changed my body shape. Her focus on BarreCore looks easy but is hard as hell. It really reshapes your body. Her other workouts are great too. She trains Selena Gomes.

Kelly and Daniel from Fitness Blender have a huge amount of amazing workout videos. They even have workout programs which are cheap and that makes sure you workout different muscles each day. Their site is work a look: Fitness Blender. One of their great workouts is below.

I am now focusing on keeping the weight off. Okay, okay, I should not be too hard on myself as the three times I put on a lot of weight I had either had an injury or had a baby. But the above people helped me get fit and healthy each time. I find it hard to lose weight and keep it off now. Make sure you go at your own pace. I have done low impact modifications when I have hurt my knee or am starting up again. These are my recommendations. They worked for me, I hope they work for you too.

 

9 Ways To Give Your Brain a HIIT Workout

We spend hours at the gym or running and hiking to train our body and endurance.  But what about our brain? If you feel like your attention span is shortening you can stretch and strengthen it with simple everyday changes. 

Get more sleep

Not sleeping properly can not only affect our energy levels and looks but also our brain functions. Getting enough Zzz’s can help support learning, memory as well as regulate our mood or even appetite and libido. When looking at the brain of someone who is sleep-deprived, scientists have found reduced metabolism and blood flow in multiple brain regions.*

Be social

Making friends and socialising has a great impact on our emotional wellbeing as well as brain functions. How? When speaking to people and building relationships, you have to pay attention to what they say and then use your memory to recall information to be able to hold a conversation.

Pick up a foreign language

Did you know that learning foreign language can actually make your brain bigger? ** It can also boost your creativity and ability to focus. But most importantly, learning another language gives you ‘a cognitive reserve’ that helps to protect against the changes that can occur during ageing. Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading Nutritionist and author of Natural Solutions for Dementia and Alzheimer’s explains, “Speaking a second language throughout your life could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Studies show that people who speak two languages may develop dementia more than four years later than those who speak only one language! Language learning leads to more neural connections. More neural stability and more resilience to neural damage.”

Using music 

“Research suggests that playing a musical instrument music when you are older can give you a 36% lowered risk of developing dementia and cognitive damage,” Marilyn says. Can’t play an instrument? Don’t worry, singing can you remember words easily too. “Think how easily you can remember the words of songs that you sang years ago – and yet how much harder it often is to remember a poem or piece of prose that isn’t set to music. Word sequences are far more memorable when they are sung rather than spoken,” Dr Glenville adds.

Start knitting

Apparently knitting is set to be the new baking. It isn’t just something elderly women do and it has recently become popular with celebrities. Apart from helping you to relax it can also boost your mental health as it stimulates almost all of your brain. When knitting, you need to stay focused, plan what you’re doing in advance and also use visual information and synchronise it with your movements.

Teach your body a new skill 

There is a range of techniques to keep your brain alert that doesn’t have to paper-based cognitive tasks. Dr Glenville says “Walking in a new park or taking up line dancing fire up new neural pathways that keep your brain in touch. Needing to remember the steps n a dance is also a wonderful workout for your brain – learning the flow and rhythm of the music stimulates cognitive activity, while learning and performing the steps is great for both your memory and your physical fitness. Active learning is the perfect complement for doing jigsaws, Sudoku and crosswords.” 

Set yourself little challenges 

Dr Glenville suggests the following simple games to give your brain a workout: “Counting backwards from 100 in 2s, 3s or 4s is a good one, and you can make it harder by doing something else at the same time, such as tapping your foot. Or try the ‘tip-of-the-tongue’ game – think of a theme, such as ‘food’, and name as many items relevant to the theme as you can in one minute.” Most people can do 30. Can you double it?

Write things down

Studies have shown that the act of writing something down forces your brain to recall it in a way that typing on your computer or phone does not. ***

Laugh 

Who doesn’t love laughing? It not only lifts your mood but it’s also a great calorie burner. However, researchers have also discovered that laughing can also minimise the damage that stress hormone, cortisol can cause (it damages certain neurons in our brain and affects learning ability as well as memory). On top of that, laughter produces wave frequencies similar to true stare of meditation.****

 

*www.brainfacts.org/about-neuroscience/ask-an-expert/articles/2015/what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-are-sleep-deprived/

**https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/04/what-happens-to-the-brain-language-learning,
***http://mentalfloss.com/article/52136/11-simple-ways-improve-your-memory

****http://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/laughter-good-for-brain-meditation/

 

Zumba DVD Review: Get Your Fitness Party Started + 2 Copies to Giveaway!

Zumba DVD Review Get Your Fitness Party Started- 2 Copies to Giveaway!I have been a fan of Zumba for a while now. I even have the Zumba video game for the Wii. This DVD is just as fun. It is suitable for beginners or those who have done Zumba for a while. There is a step-by-step guide where you can learn the basics of the four core rhythms, an easy-to-follow class and then an intense, high calorie-busting routine which has super cardio bursts which are optional. The great thing about this DVD is that you can go at your own pace and it’s fun. Rare for a workout. We have two copies to giveaway.

We have two copies to giveaway. To be in with the chance of winning this fantastic prize, follow @Frostmag on Twitter or Instagram, or like us on Facebook. Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter. Or subscribe to Frost Magazine TV on YouTube here: http://t.co/9etf8j0kkz.Then comment below saying what you did or email frostmagazine@gmail.com Competition finishes end of March.

Out to own now on DVD and Digital HD Zumba® is your chance to join the dance-fitness revolution that has changed the way we “workout” forever. It’s fun, effective and best of all is made for everyone.

Regardless of your ability and whether or not you have previously tried Zumba® this is the product for you that’s guaranteed to get you dancing! Over 15 million people from all around the world have joined the calorie-burning dance fitness party and achieved amazing results – and now it’s your turn.

Featuring three easy-to-follow dance-fitness workouts, you can learn from the creator of the Zumba® fitness program himself, Beto Perez, as he takes you through the essential moves to get you dancing yourself into shape.

Zumba® is perfect for everybody and every body. It takes the ‘work’ out of workout by mixing low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. Zumba® combines all the elements of fitness – cardio, muscle conditioning, balance and flexibility and boosted energy. As the Latin rhythms take over, you will quickly see why Zumba® is often called exercise in disguise.

Zumba DVD Review Get Your Fitness Party Started- 2 Copies to Giveaway!1

EXERCISE BREAKDOWN: THREE EASY-TO-FOLLOW DANCE FITNESS WORKOUTS

STEP-BY-STEP
Learn the basic steps of the 4 core rhythms found in a Zumba® class. (30 mins runtime)

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!
Put those new moves to work as you rock out in this easy-to-follow class. (30 mins runtime)

SUPER CARDIO DANCE PARTY
Get a total body rush with this intense, high calorie-blasting workout with super cardio bursts in every routine. (55 mins runtime)

ZUMBA DVD PRODUCT DETAILS

Release date:               Out now
RRP:                               £19.99
Discs:                             1
CERT:                             Exempt
Cat No:                          8306280
Barcode:                       50530-8306280-4
Running Time:             1 hour 55 minutes

 

 

 

Wellness afternoon at London City Island with Personal Trainer Scott Ashley

With fitness craze after craze, it’s hard to know what class is right for you nowadays. Do you prefer a spinning class? Yoga? or are you brave enough for some Insanity?? Well this week, Frost tried out Scott Ashley’s revolutionary fitness class HOLIXIR right on the exclusive, still to be finished London City Island by Ballymore.

SCOTT (16)

I must admit i’m an absolute fiend for trying out new classes and anything to do with working out but straight away this was going to be a workout like no other as we were not working in a simple gym studio in a soul-less gym but the setting was on the site of the new London City Island development. We were driven to the site which is currently being dubbed, ‘mini manhattan’ and after passing through the dust and the builders, were greeted by the gorgeous Scott Ashley in a stunning showroom.

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Scott Ashley the Celebrity Personal Trainer has worked with everyone from Duncan James to Valentino and coming from such an athletic, hardworking background it’s no surprise that he has such a host of loyal clients. As well as working with celebs, Scott explained he had lots of experience working with people with eating disorders to Type A personalities creating a bespoke approach to each individual. As well as having his own pool of clientele, Scott is also resident trainer at Café Royal on Regent Street.

Living in fast-paced and constantly evolving times, what I was most intrigued to know about was the question of how to keep motivated and stay on form when you’re on the road. Scott explains that staying diligent as to what your consuming is the most important thing. With a lot of his clients on tour all the time he explained that the hardest thing is to stay away from the allure of a fast-food restaurant or rest station goodies. If you can’t find any healthy options then it is worth carrying healthy snacks with you. In terms of diet, I wanted to know what Scott absolutely stayed away from, refined sugar and wheat were at the top of the list. With wheat increasing bloating and triggering huge spikes in insulin it’s no wonder someone who’s looking to improve tone and fitness would curb the wheat intake. Before we took Holixir for a spin, we were also interested to know what it was all about, described as a holistic body weight workout Scott went on to explain that this is a multi disciplined workout which will stretch you and go on to improve posture, strength, flexibility and give you a better metabolism. With that, we were lead to an open roofed terrace on a lovely sunny day to try it out.

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So the class begins with a Yoga flow sequence designed to stretch out and warm up your muscles followed by core strength group exercises, Tabata training, Pilates and double stretching. Let’s not be deceived by the name which suggests it to be a gentle, holistic class, this class will really get you working up a sweat and setting your core on fire within 5 minutes. Some of the moves I found were similar to Insanity especially during the Tabata section, which is basically a High Intensity interval workout, but it didn’t make you shudder with dread at the thought of there being four more rounds of the same to go! The Pilates roll down exercises and double stretching to finish will save your sanity and this is a great way to end a workout if you’re working with a partner. The whole class was very social and also allowed you to motivate each other and everyone was left with a great sense of achievement after!

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If you’re interested in giving the class a go, details on Scott Ashley and HOLIXIR can be found here;

http://www.scottashley.com/holixir/

London City Island by Ballymore, will be a new neighbourhood in London located a stone’s throw from Canary Wharf, the development will have 1700 homes as well as a host of restaurants, bars and private members club. More details can be found here;

http://www.londoncityisland.com

Get Fit & Flab Free This Summer With The Dukan Diet & Nicki Waterman

getfitandfabWith 96% of UK women admitting they are unhappy with their bikini body[1] the Dukan Diet and celebrity fitness expert Nicki Waterman have joined forces to help you fight the flab and feel fab this Summer.

Said Nicki Waterman, “What you eat is only one part of the weight-loss equation. Diet alone may help you drop pounds, but you’ll have trouble keeping them off if you don’t exercise. And that’s not to mention the added benefits you’ll miss out on, from improved mood, to better sleep, to disease prevention. The exercise has to be there!”

“It’s understandable that people want to look good on the beach, but it’s more important to be healthy and do this safely” said Dukan Diet creator Dr Pierre Dukan. “Thousands of UK women are still resorting to crash dieting and unhealthy methods because they are so unhappy with the way they look. Crash diets may help you may lose weight in the short term, but you will inevitably regain that weight in the long-term. My diet is the only plan which devotes 50% of the plan to stabilising your weight, for the rest of your life.”


In as little as 8 weeks you can lose up to 1 stone[1] and tone up those wobbly bits with this exclusive diet and fitness advice:


THE DIET PART

The Dukan Diet; a high-protein, low-carb and low-fat weight loss plan, has a huge worldwide following, with numerous celebrities reportedly fans too. No calorie counting, it’s based on protein rich food and veggies you can eat as much as you want of, to give quick results and long-lasting weight-loss.

The Dukan Diet is a 4-phase plan; two phases to lose weight and two phases to ensure you keep the weight off forever.

 

Phase 1: A brief ATTACK phase with immediate results – lasting between two and seven days, depending upon how much weight you have to lose, during this stage you can eat as many of the 72 protein-rich ‘approved’ foods as you want in any combination. Approved ATTACK ingredients include fresh fish, shellfish, poultry, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and eggs.  Expect to see quick results during this phase.

Phase 2: As you enter the CRUISE phase now add vegetables. CRUISE continues uninterrupted until your true weight is reached. Dieters alternate pure protein days with protein and vegetable days with anaverage weight loss of 2lbs per week. On average 5 weeks is spent on the Cruise Phase if you have one stone to lose.

 

Phase 3: Once you have reached your target weight the Dukan Diet differs from any other diet as it ‘weans’ you back into eating a balanced diet, ensuring all your hard work doesn’t go to waste. A CONSOLIDATION phase lasting five days for every pound lost is implemented and reintroducesfruit, wholegrains, fats and finally starchy foods to your diet. This phase is designed to reintroduce dieters to the ‘pleasure’ of food whilst prevent the rebound effect that occurs after any rapid form of weight loss. In an 8-week plan and with one stone to lose, you would bethree weeks into your Consolidation phase by the time you go on holiday, enabling you to enjoy a varied diet.

Phase 4:The final stage – STABILISATION – is less of a diet and more of a set of guidelines to live by to counter-act any mild weight gain:

·       Eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran per day

·       Regular exercise (min 20 mins walk per day)

·       Have a Pure Protein Attack day once a week.

To get started – calculate your True Weight on the dukandiet.co.uk’s free online calculator or pick up the Dukan Diet Book (Hodder; £12.99). Additionally, the following code will give you a 15% discount off all products in the online shop for twenty days fromtoday (4th July 2013): FITFLAB15

 

THE DUKAN DIET EXERCISE PLAN BY NICKI WATERMAN

Depending on your level of fitness aim for a minimum of 30mins exercise every day. This can be walking, cleaning the house or dancing to the radio – as long as you’re active.

 

The following exercises and tips are guaranteed to target those troublesome spots and get your body bikini-ready:

 

1.)Add Some Pounds

Adding resistance training to your routine will give you a toned – not bulky – look and increase metabolism.

 

 WALKING LUNGE

Tones your legs, bottom and thighs.

SETS: 3

REPS: 20

HOW OFTEN: Every other day.

Take a big step forward and bond both your knees to 90-degrees, keeping your body upright and feet pointing forward. Push off your back foot and brig it in front of you to go into the next lunge. Walk forward with each lunge

 

2.)Squeeze In A Fast Workout

If you’re short on time, simply do press-ups for a quick, calorie-burning upper- body workout.

 PRESS-UPS:

Tones your arms, chest, shoulders and deep core muscles.

SETS: 1

REPS: As many as you can do.

HOW OFTEN: Every other day.

Lie with your hands beneath your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Brace your stomach muscles and bend your elbows, keeping them close to your body. Lower as far as you can before pushing back up.

 

 

3.)Make Achievable Goals

Making lofty resolutions like deciding to lose 30 pounds in two months is setting yourself up for failure. Instead, make smaller goals you can tackle individually and incorporate into your lifestyle. Try adding a new fitness class to your exercise routine, taking a lunchtime walk instead of eating at your desk or do some simple Step-ups whenever you can.

 STEP UPS

Tones your legs, bottom and thighs and gets your heart pumping

SETS: 3

REPS: 15 each side.

HOW OFTEN: Every day.

Stand in front of stairs, box or a chair at about knee height. Place one foot flat on the stair, box or chair without letting your trailing leg touch down. Return to the start and do all your reps on one leg before repeating on the other.

 

 

4.)Plank It Out

The plank is one of the best moves to tone your core. After mastering the basicplank, you can add more advanced moves. Touching your elbow with your knee while in plank is great for the oblique muscles. To get some extra arm toning in, try the up and down plank: start in plank, come up onto your hands while holding the plank position and then return to the plank and repeat.

 PLANK WITH LATERAL TOE TAPS

Tones your core and upper body.

SETS: 3 sets

REPS: 30, alternating sides

HOW OFTEN: Every other day.

Rest your weight on your forearms and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Move one foot out to the side with a straight leg; tap the floor andthen return slowly to the start. Alternate sides.

 

 

5.)Try Some Big Movements

Don’t be intimidated by certain exercises. If you’re looking for all-in-one moves, push-ups, squats and planks are hard to beat. These powerhouse moves work the core, your legs and raise your heart rate.

WIDE LEG SQUAT

Tones your bottom, thighs and core.

SETS: 3

REPS: 20

HOW OFTEN: Every other day.

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out. Keeping torso upright and weight on your heels, squat down as far as you can manage, raising your arms fro balance. Hold for a second then push back to the start.

 

 

6.)Work Muscles Together

Don’t want to waste any time at the gym? Combine exercises that incorporate both your upper and lower body, and work multiple muscle groups at once. Try this military press as you come up from a squat.

 SQUAT MILITARY PRESS

Tones your shoulders, arms, abs, bottom and legs

SETS: 3

REPS: As many as you can do for one minute.

HOW OFTEN: Every other day.

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a weight in each hand (half litre bottle of water or cans of beans will do), arms by sides. Squat down and then stand up quickly, bending elbows to bring dumbbells up in front of shoulders, palms facing forward. Immediately press arms straight overhead.

 

 

7.)Target Arm Flab

While genetics decide where your body will store fat (thanks, Mom and Dad), you can spot tone problem areas. To sculpt toned arms, incorporate moves that will work all three of the muscles in your triceps, your biceps and shoulders. Tricepkickbacks, bench dips, overhead presses and head bangers are all great options.

 

TRICEP DIP

Tones the back of your arms.

SETS: 3

REPS: 15 – 20.

HOW OFTEN: Every other day.

Place your palms on a sturdy bench or chair behind you, fingers pointing forwards. Keep your body upright, bum close to the bench and legs out in front of you. Bend at the elbows keeping them pointing back. Lower slowly and push back up.

 

 

8.)Do What You Love

If the idea of traditional exercise makes you shudder, there are other options. Have you always wanted to learn how to do a sun salutation? Try a yoga class. Interested in self-defense? Sign up for boxing lessons. Meet friends for a walk instead of lunch, or bike ride around your town instead of driving. You’re more likely to stick to a fitness routine if you’re enjoying it – and remember, you don’t have to be at the gym for it to count.

 YOGA: THE COBRA

Improves posture.

SETS: 1

REPS: Hold the position for 5 full breaths, then release.

HOW OFTEN: Every day.

Lie on your tummy with your legs spread at hip width and the tops of your feet on the floor. Rest your forehead on the floor and relax your shoulders; bend your elbows and place your forearms on the floor with your palms turned down and positioned near the sides of your head. As you inhale, engage your back muscles, press your forearms against the floor, and raise your chest and head. Look straight ahead. Keepyour forearms and the front of your pelvis on the floor, being mindful of relaxing your shoulders. As you exhale, lower your torso and head slowly back to the floor.

 

 

For more information or to create your free personal weight-loss plan please visit www.dukandiet.co.uk

 

[1] Depending upon how much weight you have to lose


[1]The research for Dukan Diet was carried out online by Opinion Matters between 03 / 05 / 2013 and 07 / 05 / 2013 amongst a panel resulting in 1,715 respondents. All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK andICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998).

Mark Anthony’s Quick 5 Minute Workouts: Get a Better Body

free workout videosCelebrity trainer Mark Anthony has created some quick 5 minute workouts that you can do when you wake up in the morning – one for arms, one for legs and one for stomach.

Florida grapefruit teamed up with Mark in an attempt to get the nation starting their day the Florida way, these quick workouts can be done first thing in the morning. Enjoy. www.facebook.com/floridagrapefruit

Back Exercise

Abs Exercise

Chest Exercise

Free Zumba Video | Health

The Zumba craze hit in a big way, but if you are still unsure whether it is for you then Frost Magazine sourced a free video. It is slightly advanced, but I had only done Zumba once and have managed to pick it up. It is a good, fun workout. Enjoy!