Improvements in health & fitness are not limited to your personal training sessions! Simple activities performed through the course of your normal day will increase energy expenditure considerably helping you to become fitter and leaner.

Try some of the following every week:

1. Walk it off: Walk shorter journeys instead of driving or taking the Bus/Tube. For example walk to the local store for groceries or walk to work. On longer journeys try parking your car further away from your destination or get off public transport a little before you reach your destination and walk the remaining distance.
2. Use your hands: The use of labor saving devices such as dish washers, tumble driers, washing machines & remote controls have massively cut down calorie expenditure & muscle usage over the years. Try cutting down on your use of these devices. Dedicate a day or two each week, when you have a little more time, to do some house hood chores by hand.
3. Take the stairs: The next time you’re in the shopping mall, Tube station, at work or home take the stairs for a great leg workout!
4. Cleaning: Clean and tidy your house, office or car
5. Play: taking your kids, a friend or your pet to the park for some activities. Simply have some fun moving around playing games.
6. Gardening: Mowing the lawn, clipping and sweeping paths are an excellent total body activity.
7. Get on your feet: whilst in the office or at home stand up and walk around every so often – this could be between commercials on the TV or between assignments at the office – you can quickly go and get some fresh air and clear your mind at the same time. If needed set an alarm on your watch every 30 minutes or so.
8. Hide the remote: Hide the TV remote and change channels with your hands…you will be amazed how active this can keep you!
9. TV AD Activity: When watching TV at home, perform jumping jacks, AB crunches, squats or any other exercise during the adverts

It is understandable the some of the above points may not always fit into the average working day, but remember that the use of just one or two can bring surprising improvements to your health & fitness.

As an example, cleaning your home can burn over 300 calories per hour, gardening equates to over 400 calories per hour!

Happy Training!

Andrew Pascoe
TJF Personal Trainer

To visit Andrew Pascoe’s profile page please click here - Personal Trainer Mayfair.

Congratulations on Just take a look at the benefits you will see and feel in your body when starting your new TJF exercise regime!

Exercise increases:

• Flexibility
• Work, recreational and sports performance
• Sense of wellbeing and confidence
• Blood lipid profile (cholesterol levels)
• Insulin sensitivity
• Immunity
• Stroke Volume (amount of blood pumped by heart per beat)
• V02 Max (fitness level)
• Lean body mass (muscle)
• Posture

Exercise decreases:

• Daily Fatigue
• Anxiety/stress
• Depression
• Coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Blood Pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Body Fat/obesity
• Bad Cholesterol (LDL)
• Resting Heart Rate

You can add life to your years and years to your life with exercise!

Happy Training!

Andrew Pascoe
TJF Personal Trainer

To visit Andrew Pascoe’s profile page please click here - Personal Trainer Mayfair.

The technical name for the soreness that we have all felt following an exercise session is delayed onset of muscle soreness abbreviated as DOMS.

It is common and normal to experience DOMS with a new training plan or exercise and it is mainly caused by muscle fiber damage. Approximately 8 hours after exercise, muscles are generally pain free. DOMS begin in the first 24-48 hours after exercise, at this time not only is the muscle sore but it is also weaker and has a decreased range of motion. Don’t worry, this isn’t as bad as it sounds, in fact DOMS can be a sign that you have stressed the body enough during exercise to cause an improvement. Tension on muscles during the eccentric (lowering) phases of an exercise tends to cause the most DOMS. Especially if these eccentric (lowering) phases of the exercises are rapid in nature.

Is DOMS necessary?

Despite the information above, it is wrong to assume that DOMS is the ultimate measure of effectiveness in your exercise plan.DOMS is a sign that you have effectively overloaded your body during a training session to stimulate improvements. Provided it is given adequate rest, you will recover and adapt to become fitter, leaner, stronger and firmer. However, severe DOMS can require 3 days (or more) of rest in order for your body to recover, in this scenario exercise sessions need to stop or be lowered in intensity to allow for recovery which in turn may halt your progress by limiting your training time/days. The best advice is to stay consistent with your training plan and make small but steady progressions within the exercises you perform. By doing this you will experience good results and make health and fitness a regular part of your lifestyle. Having to take 3 days rest before being able to train again is not ideal and also quite unpleasant! When it comes to muscle soreness a little is good… too much is not! Striking the balance is the key!

So expect to be a little sore a day or two after your training sessions but able to walk!!!

Happy Training!

Andrew Pascoe
TJF Personal Trainer

To visit Andrew Pascoe’s profile page please click here - Personal Trainer Mayfair.