Alesha's fit tips

1. Hi-Lo, Which Way to Go?

What goes up must come down. What that means, in dance terms at least, is that whenever both of your feet leave the ground – as they do when you jump for example – your body has to absorb the force when they land (high impact). But if one foot stays in contact with the ground at all times – as is the case with a simple step-touch for example – the impact is much less (low impact). The same rules apply in the gym: Running is high impact, walking is low impact. So, the obvious question is: why bother with high impact exercises? Well, the answer is that while low impact work will spare your joints, high impact exercises tend to be a bit harder work and therefore burn more calories. If you talk to our coaches and teachers they will be happy to discuss the right high-low mix for you.

2. Taming Your Tempo.

You will have noticed people weight training at a variety of speeds; some are just a blur and others are so slow that you feel their pain too. The only reason that most people move weights quickly is that it allows them to gain momentum and use extra muscle groups – this is also known as cheating. For most people, a slow steady pace is the best way of getting the best from their weights workout. The other thing you should be aware of is that you need to maintain a slow tempo in both directions i.e. lifting the weight and returning it to the start position. Two up, four down is a handy mantra. The LA Fitness coaches will happily help you with the two-four count if you ask them.

3. Sleep Tight.

If you think most people spend seven or eight hours a night pushing out the zeds, you’d be seriously off the mark. Sleeplessness is a big deal for many of us. Here are a couple of suggestions that might help if you struggle to get to sleep: Make sure that your room is dark – even something like a flickering computer screen can confuse your body clock – and adequately ventilated. A warm bath before bed time can help – apparently it’s not the warm water that sends you to sleep, it’s the cooling down afterwards. You might also try reading or listening to music before you go to bed and remember to keep a pen and paper handy so that you can write down things that pop into your mind. Exercise regularly, don’t eat heavy meals late at night and try using a simple relaxation technique before you go turn in.

4. The Barefoot Buzz.

Back in 1985 an 18 year-old called Zola Budd hit the headlines when she broke the women’s 5000 metres World, running barefoot. Everyone thought Budd was a little whacky at the time but, as it turns out, running in bare feet has some advantages. Most people who run in training shoes tend to strike the ground with their heel first, but when they run with no shoes on they tend to hit the ground with the middle or front of the foot, which creates a more springy step. We don’t suggest that you run barefoot in the gym, for hygiene reasons, but if you get the chance to run or even walk barefoot outside this summer try it – just make sure that you ease into it slowly and watch out for anything dangerous.

5. The Challenge of Change.

Some bright spark once said: “Life is change; growth is option. Choose wisely.” I reckon that’s pretty profound. Most of us struggle to make changes because they tend to move us out of our comfort zone. If it was easy, everyone would do it, right? Here are a couple of tips that will help to support you as you make lifestyle changes in the gym. Create a clear vision of what it is that you want to achieve and then figure out why it is that you want to achieve that goal. Write it down. It’s the why, not the what, that will inspire you when times get hard. Losing a stone in itself isn’t all that motivational; losing a stone so that you can run around with the kids is what will inspire you. Now figure out what your strengths are and apply them to the task at hand.

6.A NEAT Idea.

Largely due to the fact that the computer has pretty much taken over our lives, ever increasing numbers of people are spending hour after hour sat on their rear ends. The new phrase for this is “sitting disease.” James Levine of the Mayo Clinic in the US, believes that spending all day scrunched up in a chair is a “form of physical entrapment.” He says that we need to punctuate our days with what he calls non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT for short. What that means is getting out of your chair and off your bottom for at least ten minutes in every hour. That might involve pacing up and down while making a call, doing a few simple stretches, walking to talk to someone in the office rather sending them an email or even just standing up at your desk. Makes sense to me.

7. Dark Chocolate.

Good news: Research from one of the largest studies ever conducted in Europe says that 6.7 grams of dark chocolate per day is ideal for protection against heart disease. The fact that dark chocolate works and milk chocolate doesn’t, is all to do with the absorption of polyphenols (apparently). Now before you get too excited, 6.7 grams a day isn’t a whole lot, “The best effect is obtained by consuming an average amount … corresponding to a small square of chocolate twice or three times a week." Nobody is saying that dark chocolate is a miracle cure for heart disease but let’s be grateful for small mercies shall we. Source: www.sciencedaily.com

8. Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

The days when Brits slapped on baby oil and fried in the midday sun are largely a thing of the past but we should remember that the vitamin D that sunlight contains is vital for overall health, and exposure to natural sunlight is important. Given that the average adult spends less than 30 minutes a day in the great outdoors – hard to believe I know – maybe we should all get out a bit more this summer. Now might also be a good time to give your gym programme a quick once-over in preparation for the months ahead. If you’ve been doing the same routine pretty much forever, the chances are that in order to achieve the svelte summer shape you are looking for you might need to change a few things around. Why not talk to one of our coaches and have your programme reviewed.