Functional Fitness and Wellbeing
Up until recently Yoga was seen purely in terms of flexibility and it’s benefits. There are 2 questions that are now emerging after recent research – Is Yoga JUST about stretching and flexibility? How beneficial is stretching to our mental and physical health? Besides stretching Yoga has strength work, core work, balance/motor skills, breath work, […]
As a society we have become obsessed with comfort and keep ourselves ourselves in an environment that promotes this. We have centrally heated homes, hot tubs, air conditioning, cars with temperature control, food constantly available (and delivered to our doors if needed), covered shopping centres, medical care on hand 24 hours a day and all […]
Up until quite recently, the received wisdom was that high blood pressure (hypertension) was generally idiopathic (of unknown origin) in most cases. Excess excess salt could increase any tendency to hypertension, but in general other foods had little effect. A number of studies dating from 2014 have now shown that excess sugar is as bad […]
There are many traps to get caught in when practicing Yoga. Some of the most common ones are becoming obsessed with “achieving” or “mastering” an asana (posture) OR perhaps losing ourselves in the physicality/sensualness of the practice OR perhaps just letting the mind drift with thoughts, hopes and dreams. Well a clever little technique to […]
Many people looking to get a flat toned tummy invariably try curl ups or sit ups, whether at the gym, studio or home. These exercises involve lying on the back (with the knees either bent or flat on the ground) and slowly lifting the trunk off the floor. This strengthens the superficial muscles of the […]
Good breathing is for your overall health and wellbeing. Your breath affects all of your vital systems, right down to the cellular level. Poor breathing patterns affect not only the physical body, but can lead to anxiety/depression, insomnia and reduced concentration. One of the main reasons for poor breathing in otherwise healthy people is an […]
It is now common knowledge that many of the current health crises that afflict the world – heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and dementia – all have a common precursor – INFLAMMATION. Even Coronavirus infections would seem to be a lot worse for the patient if they have high levels of inflammatory blood markers. Inflammation […]
It is estimated that the number of people with dementia is likely to triple by 2050. Dementia is very rare below 60 yeas, this goes up 1% of the population between 60 and 70 years, 5% for the 70 to 80 years. After 80 years the figures increase dramatically. By far the most common form […]
It would perhaps be an understatement to say we are living through stressful times. Our minds are either clinging to thoughts of our pre lockdown lives or we are worrying about the future. Well this is exactly the moment we need the stabilising effects of mindfulness in our lives. With this in mind, I have […]
During our enforced lockdown, many of use will be spending a lot (too much) time staring at screens – be it PCs, TVs, tablets, phones or laptops. Not only can this strain the eyes, but it may also weaken the eye muscles and lead to tension headaches. Well why not give the eyes a workout […]