Yoga has been around for thousands of years. However, a lot of people associate it purely with flexibility and meditation and while those are part of it, they are not all there is to it. Increasingly, trainers incorporate elements of yoga into their clients’ fitness routines and it could be that you don’t recognise a particular exercise as one that has come from yoga.

You don’t have to know the names of each asana, or posture, to benefit from it. You may not even want to know it is derived from yoga. But the benefits are many and varied, including:

• Increased flexibility. This doesn’t have to mean being able to touch your toes or do a headstand. Over time though and with continued practice, your flexibility will increase and while you may never be able to touch your toes, no yogi ever said that you have to.
• Increased strength. You use your own body weight for many yoga positions which will build muscle strength, tone muscles, and help protect your from arthritis and back pain, amongst other conditions.
• Increased balance. The combination of improved strength and flexibility will also lead to better balance. This is particularly important as we grow older, keeping us more stable and less prone to falls and accidents.
• Increases joint lubrication, helping to alleviate chronic conditions such as arthritis and reducing the joint pain associated with them.
• Stimulates organ health. Certain poses, such as twists, will help to massage your internal organs keeping them healthy and functioning well.
• Can help with weight loss. While not all yoga types will do this, if you are looking for a form of yoga that will help you burn calories look for those that increase your heart rate such as vinyasa (or flow) yoga or ashtanga.
• Improves breathing. Yoga is based on the flow of oxygen through the body and movements are in tune with the breath, making it an excellent way to slow down and breathe properly. As a result, you will notice that you feel calmer, your blood circulation will benefit, and you will be more focused.

You are never too old to incorporate yoga into your fitness regime and adding even a few keys elements and exercises into your regular routine can be immensely beneficial. Talk to us at Valkyrie Personal Training & Massage today about how we can help you do this or how yoga can complement your ongoing fitness and conditioning. All you need to do is give us a call on 07973 483314 and we’ll find the right exercise and fitness regime for you in no time.

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1. Prevent injury

You have both deep and superficial core muscles in your body. Those deeper muscles give you the stability to move freely and without injury while doing simple things such as walking or running, while the superficial ones will give you added strength. Working on the deeper core muscles closer to your spine to build up that stability is the first step, followed by targeting the shallower muscles (what you see as your six pack) to build strength is what will help you prevent injury now and long into the future.

2. Protect your organs and central nervous system

Your core muscles give your body an added layer of protection for your internal organs and central nervous system. Keeping a strong core will protect those organs as well as your spinal cord, veins, and arteries by building a solid wall in front of them. Strong core equals protected spine and more flexible movement letting you go about your day.

3. Strengthen your back

Your core is not just made up of abdominal muscles. It also includes your obliques (those diagonal side muscles) and your back ones too. Often when people experience back pain it is as a result of an imbalance in strength between those muscle groups. Working on them all equally will ensure that they are what is supporting you, not your spine or one side of your body compensating for another and causing pain and injury.

 4. Achieve better balance

A strong and balanced core can add inches to your height! It makes you stand tall and proud, giving you a new-found confidence that you are no doubt also feeling with all those exercise-induced endorphins racing through your body. For those who spend their day sitting in the car or at a desk hunched over a computer a strong core will provide that balance to your body and maintain a healthier posture.

 5. Better breathing

Last, but not least, a strong core will lead to better breathing. This is because your diaphragm, which sits at the top of your core muscles, is also strengthened as you work on those muscles. Breathing from your diaphragm is a deeper breath, promoting relaxation and relieving stress.

For more top tips on why your core is important, or better still, for some good workouts for your core muscles, give our team at Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage a call today on 07973 483314 and we’ll get you fit!

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This month we are taking a look at how you can maintain some form of exercise regime, and how you can build up to those 30 minutes. It is important to talk to your doctor if you have any health issues before doing any exercise so that is the first place to start.

If you have been sedentary for a long period of time – either through ill health, injury, or habit – then the trick to getting into some form of exercise is to do so slowly and incrementally. Perhaps stop thinking about it as something that you must do or as exercise and focus on sitting less and moving more.  A few ideas to get you started:

• Be self-aware. Do you just not enjoy exercising? That’s fine, but the first step is to acknowledge that. You may not enjoy running or going to the gym, but you can still be active. Try walking to the shops instead of taking the car if it is only a couple of blocks away. Perhaps meet up with friends for a walk around the local park while you catch up instead of sitting in the coffee shop all afternoon.
• Know what you like and dislike. If you are an early riser, then there is little point in telling yourself you will go for that walk in the evening; do it in the morning and it will not only feel less like a chore, but it will also mean it’s done and you don’t have to dread it all day. Similarly, if evenings are better for you, set yourself a time for that walk and use it to decompress from the day.
• Keep going. If you miss a day, don’t give up. Everyone has an off-day once in a while, just don’t let it become another habit or excuse for not getting out and about.
• Start small. If you sit for long periods of time – for example at an office desk – try getting up every hour and moving around a little. Pace around the office while you are on the phone, or walk up the stairs to make a cup of tea. If you spend large periods of time in front of the TV, use the breaks to get up and move around the house.
• Build up to a little more each week. Once something becomes a habit, add a small new element to it. Already pacing while you talk on the phone? Why not add a flight of stairs as soon as you get off the phone? If you take the bus or train to work, why not get off one stop early or later and walk?

Using small changes to break bad habits or to get back into an exercise regime after an injury or illness will help you to develop new habits without even realising that you are doing it.

For help with training ideas or for a motivational boost give us a call at Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage on 07973 483314 today. We will help you find the right balance of fun and challenge no matter how new or experienced you may be when it comes to exercising.

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Sports massage used to be thought of as something that only elite athletes needed to do. No longer. Sports massage can help repair the damage muscles endure during exercise, it can restore a restricted range of motion, and can help with chronic pain and injuries. In fact, the benefits of sports massage are numerous:

1. Relieves pain

Whether chronic or due to a more recent injury, sports massage can reduce pain. It does this by stretching and releasing tight muscles around an injured or tender area, improving blood flow, blood and lymph fluid circulation which in turn improve oxygenation of the muscles and improved energy. Pain is reduced through the release of the body’s natural painkiller, endorphins. Chronic muscular strain is improved by relieving trigger points within muscles and loosening fascia (this is the tissue that connects and joins the various muscles in your body) that can cause pain, returning your flexibility to what it used to be.

2. Improves range of motion

Sports masseurs are also trained in orthopaedic assessment. This gives them a holistic understanding of how and why motion may be restricted and will work with your body to release tight muscles and fascia in any particular area, bringing greater motion back to the affected area.

3. Prepares you for exercise

Sports massage does not only work post-exercise but can also better set you up for a training session. It does this by correcting muscle imbalances created when one muscle becomes shorter and/or tighter, forcing the surrounding muscles to compensate and putting greater strain on them, which could lead to pain and even injury. Releasing those tighter muscles will restore balance to your body evening out the stresses and strains that exercise can have and reducing the likelihood of strain or injury.

4. Aids recovery

Exercise releases lactic acid and results in small tears to your muscle fibres as well as a build-up of toxins – this is what causes that familiar ache for a couple of days after exercising. A sports massage will help to speed up that recovery by working deep into muscles and tissue leading to stretched, flexible, and healthy muscles.

A combination of regular exercise and sports massage will ensure your body is healthy and able to cope with the rigours of whatever exercise regime you choose. For more information or to book a sports massage, get in touch with us at Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage by calling 07973 483314 – we will have you back in your trainers in no time!

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This month we want to make sure your good training regime doesn’t slide into a cocktail (or five) with little chance of finding it again, so we have put together five easy tips to help you keep on track AND go to all the parties. This way you can feel virtuous while you party and know that the chances of you putting on that extra holiday weight is significantly reduced this year.

Check your goals

Are they still achievable? They should be challenging, but not too much that they put you off your training schedule. Have you done that well that you need to update them and take them to the next level? Or are you trying to bite off more than you can chew, in which case you could go a little easier on yourself? The increased work and networking (aka parties) that come with the run-up to Christmas could mean that we revise our exercise goals down slightly, but not that much that it isn’t contributing to achieving your ultimate goals.

Enjoy it or mix it up

If your chosen diet isn’t exciting, or you can’t face another smoothie for lunch, then mix it up a little. Find an alternative that you will enjoy and stick to. If you’re finding that exercising isn’t as much fun, find a friend to join you or try a different form of it – perhaps a team sport or complementary activity such as yoga or pilates – will help.

Find an event to train for

This is an excellent way of sticking to a training plan. You don’t want to get to the time of the event and find you are underprepared (and risk injury) or that you let down those that you are fundraising for or who have contributed to your fundraising.

Reward yourself

Don’t wait for a big milestone before patting yourself on the back. Small rewards for incremental achievements are important and keep the motivation going. That doesn’t mean a big bar of chocolate after every training session though!

Get a personal trainer

Sometimes you need someone to push you that little bit harder or tweak your programme to get results. A personal trainer is an excellent motivator who can work with you to target exactly what you want and give you plenty of tips and tricks to keep you going on those training sessions you’re on your own for.

For motivation, advice, and inspiration, you can turn to Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage at any time. A quick call to us on 07973 483314 and we’ll have you in your trainers before you can change your mind.

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How about doing something different this year? Instead of waiting for January to make those resolutions when, let’s face it, everyone else is too and you’ll be queueing for the machines in the gym then give up when it takes forever to find a free treadmill to even get started on your workout, why not get into some good habits now? It’ll be much harder to get up for a 6am gym session in January when it’s freezing cold outside than to ease your way into it by starting now.

A few ideas and benefits to getting your exercise regime set now rather than waiting for next year:

• Good habits are hard to break. Getting into good habits now will set you up not just for the winter, but for life. The evidence that exercise and staying active let us live longer and healthier lives is irrefutable with Sport England very clearly making the case for it in a way that is hard to argue with – exercise can reduce the risk of a number of chronic conditions ranging from mental health to heart disease and stroke. Once you integrate physical activity into your weekly routine you will find that muscle memory takes over and your body starts to enjoy and even crave that exercise if you skip a session.
• Get out now while it’s still light and warm(ish). Good habits don’t form overnight, so start setting a routine for yourself now so that you are less likely to skip a day when the weather is foul or you had a tough day. Perhaps set aside Tuesdays for exercising? What else is there to do on a Tuesday? Or a Monday? Even better, add a Saturday morning to kick-start your weekend. Get rid of the week’s stress, Friday night’s hangover, and get up and out on a Saturday so that you are raring to go the rest of the weekend.
• Join a regular class. Joining a class gives you that incentive to turn up (especially if there are financial penalties for last-minute cancellations) and get sweating. Being guided through a set routine, or sharing the hard work with others in the class can be a good motivator and before you know it you don’t want to miss the class because you enjoy it, and what it does to your body and mind, too much!
• Get a trainer to help you. A trainer can be the difference between sticking to a fitness regime or giving up in the first month. They can help you target your exercise to meet certain goals or teach you a few key exercises and tricks to get into a good routine and stick to it.

By the time January comes around, you will be half-way to your goals and relishing exercise day. Unlike all the others who are trying to find their rhythm, you will breeze through your workout without a second thought about how to get that summer beach body. And you won’t be quitting before the month is out!

If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration or a kick-start to your fitness regime, talk to us at Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage. A quick call to us on 07973 483314 and we’ll have you up and out before you have time to think twice about it!

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A question that often comes up is ‘what is the best time to train and work out’? Lots of people want to know if there is a particular time that will help them burn more calories, build more muscle, or improve the cardio routine. The honest answer is that there isn’t any special time of day for any of these.

What is important though is finding what the right time for you is that will help you stick to a work-out routine – this is what will help you to burn those calories, build those muscles, or improve your lung capacity. Here are a few things to think about to help you decide what the best time is to get your trainers on and get going:

Are you a morning person?

Let’s be honest…not all of us can jump out of bed when the alarm goes off, much less be ready to hit the gym at 6am. In fact, if it takes a little time to wake up the last thing you want is to be around heavy weights or on a treadmill first thing in the morning! Finding the time of day when you are at your most energised is a great starting point as you are more likely to stick to a work-out routine.

What is your typical day like?

We would all like to think that we prioritise our work-out, but the reality is that we have all sorts of responsibilities that mean it’s not always possible. Work pays the mortgage and we want to spend time with our family; a bit of down time with friends is also important. While they should not be excuses for not sticking to a routine, if you have early morning meetings that you can’t miss or want to be home for baby bath time then factor these into finding a time when you can work out. It may be on your lunch break, or it may be that you start work a little later or leave a little earlier to hit the gym or the park before heading home.

How do you like to work out?

Do you prefer the convenience of a gym where you have all the equipment you need and a hot shower at the end? Perhaps you enjoy working out as part of a group, in which case a class may be a better option? Factor in which classes you enjoy and what times they are on and make sure you stick to them. If it’s a gym work-out you like, then what are the busy/quiet times at your local gym that enable you to get through your work-out without hanging around waiting for the equipment to become free?

Working out with a friend

If you like the support and encouragement that comes from working out with a friend, it’s important to find a time that works for both of you. Alternatively, it may be that the motivation you get from a friend means that you can try out different times and you may end up surprising yourself!

However any of these factors affect your decision, the key to a successful work-out and exercise regime is consistency. Find what works for you and stick with it to see results and work your way to a fitter, healthier lifestyle. For help and advice, or for a programme tailored to you, Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage is here for you – just give us a call on 07973 483314 and we’ll get you on to the right track.

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How much rest is required?

The rest time for any individual depends on the following six factors:

• The intensity of the exercise
• The rate of recuperation
• Frequency of the exercise
• Duration of the exercise
• Stress
• Nutritional habits.

Think about the following when considering what rest time you may need:

• How much effort you put into your exercise (intensity)
• The speed of recovery of your body (recuperation)
• How often you exercise (frequency)
• For how long you exercise for (duration)
• How much pressure you experience in your daily life (stress)
• What and when you eat (nutrition).

What does rest include?

You can give your muscles rest and relaxation by:

• Sleeping
• Napping
• Taking days off
• Indulging in a hobby or other leisure activity
• Holidaying
• Socialising.

The most important out of these is sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause significant damage to your body, muscles, and brain.

Drawbacks of a lack of sleep

Poor sleep affects your fat storage cells

A bad night’s sleep makes us grumpy and irritable, and we are not able to function at our best. It does the same to our fat storage cells too. Whenever your body is deprived of sleep, it suffers from a condition which is known as “metabolic grogginess”. This term was given by researchers of the University of California after they carried out research of what happens after four days of poor sleep.

In just four days, the body loses its ability to use insulin properly. In fact, the researchers discovered that insulin sensitivity dropped by a whopping 30 percent or more.

It makes you crave food

If you think that hunger is controlled by willpower, then you may want to think again. Two hormones, namely ghrelin and leptin, play a significant role in controlling hunger. More ghrelin means that hunger will be enhanced, whereas less leptin means your stomach will feel  emptier.

In the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, research was published which found that sleeping for less than six hours on a daily basis causes your brain to make you feel hungrier by stimulating ghrelin and depressing leptin.

Get your workout sussed

In summary, there is no way to a healthy lifestyle without getting proper sleep, so make sure that you have a good sleeping routine and resting time built into your exercise regime. If you want help to plan the right workout and rest periods for your needs, then why not book a personal training session? At Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage we develop personalised training plans to suit your needs. Call 07973 483314 to get your training plan sorted.

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1. You Can Burn More Fat

Completing a workout first thing when you have an empty stomach may help to burn up to 20% more body fat than after a meal. Not only will it burn more fat, but it will also kick-start your metabolism and send it into overdrive for the rest of the day, keeping your body burning energy at a steady rate. Make sure to fill up on a protein-rich breakfast straight after your workout to help feed those hard-worked muscles for repair, recovery and growth. A protein-rich breakfast will contribute to keeping your appetite under control and will stop you snacking and overeating afterwards.

2. Release The Happiness

Despite how grumpy we are before exercise, it is well-known that you feel much better after exercise. This happiness is thanks to exercise-releasing happiness-inducing chemicals, endorphins. There really is no better way to start that day and be smiling the minute you enter work, rather than just when you are leaving. Not only do the endorphins boost your happiness, but you’ll also have pride about your achievements and feel good about yourself the rest of the day.

3. Give A Better Performance

Got some gym goals that you’re desperate to reach? A morning workout allows you to be full of energy after a good night’s sleep. So if you’re tired and stressed after a day at work, the last thing you want to do is get your trainers on, and you probably won’t perform at your best. After a restful night’s sleep, you’ll wake up with bags of energy ready for you to hit your targets while your energy levels are at their peak.

4. Boost Your Social Life

Cancelling events because you have gym guilt? Well planning your workout in the morning means that you have your evenings free so you will never miss out on a social event again. Plus, the fact that you burn more calories during the day after a morning workout than you would an evening workout means there is even more reason to give yourself the night off to relax and enjoy yourself. After a relaxing evening doing something you enjoy will mean you are more likely to want to get up again the next morning for a workout. It’s a feel-good cycle.

5. Improve Your Confidence

There’s nothing better than the glow to your skin after a workout, and after a virtuous workout, you are more likely to want to continue being kind to yourself by nourishing your body with healthy food and plenty of water that will make you glow from within. You’ll also look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and less like you’ve rolled out of bed which is a massive confidence boost for your appearance.

If you want to try a morning workout but need more motivation to get you into gear, then why not choose a personal trainer? A personal trainer is sure to put you through your paces so you can start the day feeling awesome. If you’re in the Bromley area, then call Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage on 07973483314 and get your morning workouts sussed.

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Understanding Cellulite

Cellulite is caused by uneven fat pockets that protrude through collagen fibres. Cellulite does not mean you are fat. Unfortunately, cellulite appears due to the structure of fat cells and collagen fibres. The fact that women have thinner skin, so it is much more visible when fat cells push through. To combat cellulite, throw away your expensive lotions and potions, exercise is the best way to beat cellulite.

The Best Cellulite Busting Exercises

The best exercises that combat cellulite are ones the burn fat and strengthen muscle fibres to give your legs and bum a smooth, toned appearance. Here are some of the most effective exercises that you can do at home, no gym or equipment required.

Back and Forth Lunges

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, with a straight back.
2. With your left foot, stride forward and lower until your right knee is almost on the floor and your left knee is bent at a 90-degree angle.
3. Push your left foot into the ground to get back to standing position.
4. With your left foot again take a big step back, so your left knee is almost touching the floor, and your right knee is at a 90-degree angle.
5. Repeat the four steps with the other foot to complete a set. Complete 15 sets.

Straddle Squat

1. Stand with your feet about a metre apart, with your toes pointed out.
2. Squat down with a straight back ensuring your knees don’t go over your toes.
3. Keep your thighs parallel to the floor and if you are comfortable raise alternate heels, five times on each foot
4. Return to standing and repeat 15 times.

Curtsy Lunge

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, with a straight back. Clasp your hands together or hold a weight in front of your chest.
2. Take your left leg behind you, and to the right-hand side, so your thighs cross
3. Bend both needs like a curtsy, make sure your right knee is in line with your right ankle and not bent over it.
4. Return to standing and repeat with the other leg to complete a set. Complete 12 sets.

If you want to improve your cellulite and self-esteem, but need more motivation, then why not consider personal training? With a personal trainer, you can realise your potential and have the determination to succeed with encouragement and expertise. If you want to boost your fitness and confidence and are in the Bromley area, then get in touch by emailing Hannah at hannah@valkyrieptandmassage.co.uk.

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