The Foods of Love.

As Valentine’s Day approaches here are a few tips on foods that improve blood circulation to various organs and are therefore considered to be aphrodisiacs. I don’t think there’s a huge amount of scientific evidence to back this up but never mind - here goes: Dark chocolate is in most people’s top five sexy foods. Try cutting up some fresh fruit and dipping it in melted chocolate - delicious. Oysters were considered to be an aphrodisiac by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. This was based on the idea that Aphrodite (the Goddess of Love) was born from the sea. Caviar is another sexy seafood. Garlic may not be quite so sexy but it is said to increase body temperature and therefore boost desire - probably best if you and your partner both eat it. Of course if you wash any of these foods down with a bottle of bubbly the chances of success in the love department might be increased even further.

Abdominal Breathing

Despite the fact that we tend to master the basics pretty young - smack, “whaaaaa”, in, out, in, out - breathing is something that many of us are not particularly good at. Most of us breathe from the chest - which limits the amount of oxygen we can get into our lungs - when we should breathe from the abdomen. Fuller lungs means less work for the heart and more oxygen to the brain, which helps us to relax and think clearly. This is particularly valuable in a high stakes context where those who are able to relax under pressure tend to make winning decisions. If you want to practice abdominal breathing try putting your right hand on your abdomen and your left hand on your chest. If you are breathing correctly your right hand should move up and down while your left hand remains relatively still. Count to four - hold for two - and release for four.

Posture Perfect

As many therapists will attest, posture is in something of a slump. And, as we slouch at computer screens around the country, it isn’t too hard to see why. Good posture counteracts the forces that gravity exerts on the body and therefore reduces the stress placed on the spine and joints in particular (which can lead to headaches and neck and shoulder pain). In the old days one was made to walk up and down balancing a book on your head - still not a bad idea - but now a good weight training and stretch programme will help to correct these imbalances. Ideally your back should be straight, chest out and stomach in and probably the simplest exercise of all to get you into the correct position is the shoulder blade squeeze, which is very simple to perform. Just straighten your shoulders then squeeze your shoulder blades together. If it feels really good, it usually means that you haven’t been sitting or standing particularly well.

Body Mass Index

We are bombarded with messages telling us that we are getting bigger - but just how fat is too fat? Traditionally health professionals have used the scales and tape measure as their primary measurement tools but more recently Body Mass Index (BMI) has become more popular. Increasingly many exercise professionals prefer to use the waist to hips ratio as the definitive guide. Here’s how it works: Measure the widest area across your hips and then the smallest circumference around your waist. Divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement to get your waist-hip ratio. For women below 0.7 is okay; a ratio of 0.7 to 0.8 means that you need to be careful and above 0.8 suggests that you are potentially at risk. For men below 0.9 is okay; a ratio of 0.9 to 1.0 means that you need to be careful and above 1.0 means that you are potentially at risk.

Take a Break

Pretty much anyone who’s ever started an exercise programme has quit at some stage. We see it all the time; it’s par for the course. The difference between those who make exercise a habit and those who fall by the wayside is the ability to a) focus on long-term goals, b) recognise that what they are trying to do isn’t easy and c) resist the temptation to beat themselves up. Here’s a tip: Exercise is not an all-or-nothing proposition; next time you feel like taking a break, take one. A few days or so away from the gym won’t hurt - it may well help you to recharge your batteries and allow you to return feeling fresh and invigorated.

Progressive Resistance

Doing the same old programme with the same weights month after month isn’t the best use of your time in the gym. Two of the most common mistakes people make in their weight training programme are to increase the amount of weight too quickly or not to increase the weight enough to make gains. If you want to build muscle you have to use heavier weights but the key is to maintain proper technique. If you are not ready to increase the amount of weight - and still maintain good form - don’t try and force it. Once you can do 3 sets of say 10-15 repetitions with sound technique then, and only then, consider increasing the weight. When you do increase the weight, the general rule of thumb is to add a further 5% - 10%. Remember that a heavier weight usually means that you will be able to do fewer repetitions with good form. That’s fine, just work your way back to 10 - 15 reps at your own pace.