Wundachair
Feb0
No, I didn’t make a spelling mistake- this piece of torture is called the Wundachair. It’s part of the standard Pilates session – and it is really quite amazing.
... Read MoreTrail 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
Snow fun
Dec0
This time of the year offers heaps of new types of entertainment and fitness-ability… due to that one special ingredient: snow.
Snow means you can go skiiing, or cross-country skiing, often at the same time as skating etc. But even without resorting to special sports – it offers so many ways of getting a flush on your cheeks and your heart pumping. Simply taking a walk becomes a different kind of work-out. Don’t be put off by the fact that it is cold, bundle up and ... 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
Paleo Diet
Dec2
I passed on information two days ago on the benefits of a diet that followed certain guidelines. Since then I have been doing a lot more reading about the benefits and have found some additional information that I want to share …
The info was a summary of what is called the Paleolithic Diet – which is also called Cave man diet or Hunter/Gatherer diet. Unlike Atkins which is based on not mixing your proteins and carbs – this “diet” is based on ... 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
Spa Secrets
Nov1
I visited a Spa today (and yes, called it work of course as I happened to be there for a meeting) that was so gorgeous, and in such lovely surroundings that I feel as if I have to rub my eyes and look again – which means, oddly enough, visiting another time – to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
The Healing Arts Center & Spa, is located at Cavallo Point in Sausalito, just north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Cavallo Point used to be an army barracks but ... Read More
Pain in the backside…
Oct2
It literally is a pain in the bum….
Sometimes, you cannot balance everything that is going on in your life – and I have found that out yet again. Of course, I have had times in my life before where I was struggling to keep an equilibrium between work, play, sports, family, friends and so on.
You may be different, but it took me a good number of years to figure out that “balance” doesn’t mean that every moment, or even every day is in perfect ... 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
Timing your supplements!
Oct0
Following my blog yesterday on B Complex, I got an immediate response from Jody de Groot on when to take these supplements to get the best result… so here goes!
There are many schools of thought on when to take supplements and I think some of this will be down to personal preference as much as anything else. But there are a number of things that might be good or even fun to know…
In general it is best to spread out your vitamins and mineral intake during the day ... Read More
Supplements – B Complex
Oct1
This time of year, tons of people on the Northern Hemisphere start suffering from the winter blues. As I wrote in my last post, getting out in the fresh(est) air is still a good idea as you will get some oxygen but also a little bit of light which can be amazingly good for you. But there are other things that will help you get through those winter months with spirits lifted and body in great shape.
One of these supplements is Vitamin B. There is a range of different B’s in the ... Read More
