Look good, feel great, keep it simple

Life is complicated enough so do yourself a favour and simplify your health and fitness routine

This week I'm going off-piste from the house dramas because, quite honestly, I'm boring myself so goodness knows what everyone else is feeling like.  Instead, I'm going to be talking about health and fitness, an area I'm quite au fait with and one which you might get more use out of rather than my house escapades!

Looking good and feeling great is an ongoing project, it's not something you can dip in and out of when you feel like it.  Our lifestyle choices affect our skin, hair, nails, body image, gut health, sleep patterns, mental health and so the list goes on.  Which is why it's really important to be consistent, not always easy when life gets in the way.

Exercise is hugely important but it's also worth reminding yourself that nutrition plays a significant role in your health too.  If this is an area you are neglecting, then along with a decrease in your workout performance, you're also likely to be suffering from dry hair, skin conditions and digestive problems.  Including plenty of the following in your diet will go a long way to resolving these issues.

PROTEIN - a lack of protein in your diet can result in skin problems, dry hair and brittle nails.  Include fish, meat, veggie alternatives and pulses in your diet.

VITAMINS C, E AND BETACAROTENE - these are powerful antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables.

FOLIC ACID - vital for the health of red blood cells which transport oxygen and nutrients to the body.  Found in green leafy vegetables.

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS - a winner when it comes to improving skin health.  Found in oily fish.

Of course, as well as feeling good we're only human so we want to look good as well.  Unfortunately, we can't completely change our predisposed body type, we all have our own unique body map that comes from our genes.  For example, ectomorphs tend to have a high metabolism and are generally very lean, mesomorphs generally have more strength and muscle definition and endomorphs usually have a more rounded, softer body finding it harder to build muscle.  However, all is not lost as we can most definitely improve on what we've been given. It's important not to focus purely on one area, whatever our body type we need a training programme that is balanced in cardio, strength and flexibility.  It's all about adjusting that programme to suit our own body type.  

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle as we age is vital to our wellbeing and although we can't stop the ageing process, our choices will certainly either help or hinder it.  Excess alcohol consumption, poor food choices, inactivity, lack of sleep, too much sun exposure and not drinking enough water will leave us not looking our best and a good few years older.  

Drink alcohol in moderation with a few days off each week, save the sweet treats for special occasions and along with your usual workout, try to include both a yoga/stretching session and a meditation/mindfulness session.  

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sessions of between 10-30 minutes 3-4 times per week will leave you feeling energised, will speed up your metabolism, burn calories for longer after your workout and are easy to include into your day. Try mixing and matching the exercises in the these sessions.

SQUAT x 10 reps

DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS x 10 reps

ABS CRUNCH x 10 reps

Repeat 3 times

LUNGE x 10 reps each leg

TRICEPS ROW x 10 reps each arm

ABS BICYCLES x 10 reps

Repeat 3 times

ABS OBLIQUE CRUNCH x 10 reps

PLANK x 60 secs

SQUAT JUMP x 10 reps

Repeat 3 times

It's all too easy to be taken in by some new fitness craze or the latest diet but when it comes to lifestyle it pays dividends to keep it simple, plus it's much easier to stick to a routine.

#2020