Your best accessory
Mar0
Whether you are an Oscar winning actress, or simply someone like me – I can tell you exactly which accessory will always work and make you look your very best.
You don’t need expensive dresses, amazing bling-bling jewelry or even a goodlooking guy on your arm 
.
The world’s best accessory is Self-Confidence. Hold your head high, back straight and you ... Read More
TRX training
Mar0
In the last year, I have been introduced by my PT Nando to TRX training. Yesterday I continued on the learning path with Chris Dovale at Equinox San Francisco.
TRX training is a great way or working out and can literally be carried with you anywhere. I just love it. Instead of using all sorts of machines, or even dumbbells/weights, it uses your own bodyweight. The core system consists of two pairs of straps, hooked at an elevated level. That means, you can hook it over a door, a ring ... Read More
the importance of Protein
Feb0
There are tons of myths about protein and sports. For instance, that simply eating more protein will increase your muscles. Now – it would be nice if it worked like that but then again, when have you ever found something to be that easy? No, unfortunately, eating protein alone will not build all that nice toned muscle for you – you have to work at it yourself!
But protein is a very important nutrition source for muscles and you should look closely at your diet and ensure ... Read More
Trail riding
Feb0
If you are in an area where you can get up into the hills – GOOOOO! It’s so incredibly exhilarating to ride high over the ridges – even though the climb up to the ridge and the bit down again usually will take the most time and the easy riding on the top will only be a fragment of the journey
To find great trails, first find your local bikestore, ... Read More
In sickness….
Feb0
Here I am writing a blog about health… and end up talking about illness. However it’s the natural other side of being healthy and worth spending a few words on. And those words are “don’t let being sick stop you from being healthy!”. What I mean is that too often a slight cold, or even light flu does not mean you have to stop exercising (obviously you need to consider how sick you are! I am only talking about minor illnesses here). As with all things though, you ... Read More
You’re only as good as…. your equipment
Jan0
As regular readers know by now, I am all for exercising outdoors. I run outside, bike outside, ski, skate, do my weight sessions and stretches outside whenever I can. Part of my love of sports, is that I CAN do all these things outdoors, get some much needed oxygen into my system and feel that sense that I call “love of the universe” as a result.
But at times you are forced to go indoors – either because of (extreme) weather, or because you are travelling or you live ... Read More
Power of Positive Thinking
Jan2
I was watching a programme this week on TV, whilst on my treadmill of course 
, which was claiming this wonderful new fitness movement. Basically, what it boiled down to was the fact that it combined a good solid exercise routine based on yoga moves, pilates and cardiovascular work-out elements with positive thinking. Well – I must say – I couldn’t agree more then ... Read More
A little sunshine…
Jan0
During these long dark winterdays, it sometimes seems that you are endlessly waiting for a little bit of light to filter through into our lives. So let me help you with this special playlist I created. It will bring that a little sunshine and a lot of beat into your exercising hours!
The playlist is built so you can start with any easy warm-up, the moves up a notch to a few more energetic sections to get your heart going and then let’s you cool down to some classics. Use it on the ... Read More
Crosscountry Skiing
Jan0
Adding a bit of variety seems to be quite easy at the moment – the winter weather is throwing in all sorts of challenges and obstacles but at the same time – it makes it a great time to do something out of the ordinary. Ofcourse, you can continue your workouts as you did before indoors, but why not make the most of the cold weather (across a lot of the western hemisphere at least) and go out in the snow and on the ice?
Cross-Country skiiing – like many sports really ... Read More
Great set of stretches!
Dec0
Here’s for all of you who didn’t buy into my winter fun suggestions of earlier this week… a nice half an our stretch work-out you can do in the warmth of a fitness centre or even at home.
Start loosening up – just take a couple of deep breaths in, letting your stomach extend as you inhale. Exhale through your mouth.
Do all off the below about 20 times (either side for arm/leg movements) not forcing the pace, but letting it flow ... Read More
Swim training
Dec0
Of all the training sessions you can do, swimming is often overlooked – even by me. I realised suddenly I hadn’t written up any swimsessions yet! Major oversight, for sure. Swimming is great exercise. I once looked at a health magazine that posted pictures of sports men/women of various sports AND at various ages, so like at 20, 40 and 60. The swimmers aged the most graceful of all of the sports displayed by far. They kept a great shape (that nice V-shape) and long, defined limbs. ... Read More
Healthy diets….
Dec1
Diet is a huge part of being healthy and fit and looking great!
But what is the right diet, there are so many rules and so many myths to bypass. I have mentioned before that staying as close as possible to natural foods, so nothing processed, is one golden rule that will help you navigate safely through the food maze.
Now the below just came to me by email – it ... Read More
Soft tissue
Dec0
An expansive topic – Soft Tissue. Meaning all the tissues that are not bone, effectively so skin, underlying layers as well as muscles and tendons. Often injuries start occurring when layers of tissue get “glued” together – causing less flexibility and more friction for other parts to move. Or your muscles develop tiny tears which can lead to scar tissue which in turn can lead to more tearing etc. So all in all, keeping your soft tissue loose is definitely something ... Read More
Skipping
Nov0
As I am still fighting some very annoying and persistant injuries, I am struggling with my normal calorie-blasting activities. I keep telling myself this is a mental challenge instead of a physical one for once, and I can deal with it… but it is still v. hard not to experience that feeling of exhilaration when you have completed a good run or great, very muddy, bikeride through the woods…
So Caleb, my cross-fit trainer, managed to find one thing I can do… jumping ... Read More
Cross-Fit
Nov0
I am just discovering a whole new way of training… or maybe I shouldn’t call it new, since it is a natural progression in many ways from all the “old” philosophies about training. But new or not, I am loving it! My trainer at Equinox, Caleb Chiu, is taking my through my paces, and despite the injuries I still have (read my prior blogs) I am finding that after a couple of sessions those are becoming less even though I have done some pretty nice workouts. Feeling ... Read More
Keep on running…
Oct0
A great run to do after a busy week is one that adds a little fun to your day. So rather then merely heading out, and pounding out the miles at your regular pace, let’s get some variety in there!
If you listen to music whilst you are running, then you can use that to alter your pace. If you don’t have music along …. which I don’t when I run in the woods, simply preferring to really enjoy the silence around me although I am sometimes rather disturbed by my own ... Read More
It’s getting cold and dark…
Oct0
If you are living in the Northern hemisphere…you will know what I mean with the title above..
It’s getting to that time of the year that when you get up in the mornings, it is dark and when you get home in the evening it is dark again. Not to mention that temperatures are dropping and you start getting your wintercoats out of the mothballs.
So when I turn to my friends and ask them to come out riding or running with me, they kinda give me that look that says ... Read More
Setting Goals!
Oct0
This week I have two friends who will be running marathons – separated by some 15,000 miles! Coen van Schijndel will be running the Eindhoven marathon – hoping to run it in exactly 3 hours (wow!) and Mike Kelly will be aiming to finish in 3:30 (wow2!) in the Chicago Marathon…
I love the fact that both these guys have been keeping me motivated with their stories of their training. I know what it takes to run a marathon – you are out there for hours just running ... Read More
The 9 Edges Endurance Run
Sep0
Having reported a few weeks ago on the great challenge my friend Roddy and his two mates were undertaking for Charity – I just have to share with you how they fared.. Although I wasn’t there myself – it is the kind of gruelling run that you can feel in every fibre of your body just looking at the pictures – and since a picture tells more then a thousand words - ... Read More
Do you know your body type?
Sep0
I usually don’t pay too much attention to body types, because at the end of the day – you will simply have to work with the one you got! No use crying that you want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger if you really are more like Danny de Vito after all.
I was in conversation yesterday though with Nando, Personal Trainer (www.1-2-1-trainers.com) and he pointed out that it does make a difference what material you work with and that it helps understanding your body type in ... Read More
