Ask Allison

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Dear Allison 

How do I keep motivated to exercise when its cold and dark outside?

I’m guessing from this question that you either exercise outside, day time when it’s raining or else need to go out after dark to access your exercise class or session.

I have some suggestions and hope they help: -

•  Do you have a training buddy to help keep each other motivated? We are never so keen to avoid letting someone else down as we are ourselves. Having someone else to motivate you, can often help keep on track and its safer being out in pairs after dark. 
• Get your clothes ready, the night before or before you go to work. If clothes are left ready, then it’s more difficult to avoid exercise. At the same time make your drinks, snacks and packed lunch so you can eat healthy afterwards if you are pushed for time getting to work. 
• Change the time of your session, do you have to go out in the dark? Could you run, or carry out your session during a lunchbreak or do you have flexible working that could allow you to change your exercise time? Where possible schedule breaks in our calendar in the same way you would for a conference call or meeting. 
• Could you form a club? If you need more people to keep you motivated could you find out if more people would like to join a group of joggers, social distancing allowing of course.
• Could you exercise indoors? There are many local instructors about who are running classes online, at a class rather than a video you would have correction and encouragement to help keep you motivated. 

Remember how much better you feel after your exercise, if we didn’t feel better then we would not be motivated to keep going. Is your exercise programme a supplement to a diet or healthy lifestyle? Keep trying on your clothes for a measurement or a weekly weigh in. 

Do you have a goal that you are working towards? We often stay more motivated when we can see the purpose of the goal in sight. It could be to run for 10 minutes more, or further, it could be to perform 2 more of a certain exercise. Whatever your goal is it should be meaningful to you.

Think how amazing you will feel in the Spring, when life will hopefully be getting back to some form of normal. 

I hope this has been helpful.

Dear Allison 

My dad would benefit from Pilates, how do I convince him its not just for women?

Everyone would benefit from improving posture, increasing relaxation and developing a stronger core. Most people need better mobility and flexibility and so many people I speak to need to improve sleep quality. The benefits of Pilates are therefore for everyone to enjoy, not just women. I feel very strongly about this, its a misconception that Pilates is for Women, so much so, I have a Men Only Pilates Zoom class. This class is on Thursday at 8pm and is very popular.

Before introducing this class I spoke to many men who felt uncomfortable accessing a regular Pilates class and found the time of other classes hard to get to. After discussion with a client whose husband expressed an interest in a Men Only class I added Men Only Pilates to my timetable. This was about 4 years ago now and it has proven to be very popular.

The age and ability of the class participants vary greatly, this is what makes Pilates so accessible, everyone can do the same exercise in a variety of ways and levels so the class is inclusive, but also can be adapted to be specific to individual needs and abilities.

Pilates is a great class for relaxation, it takes focus and concentration to be aware of what you are doing and where it should be felt, therefore isn’t any time to think about work, children, families or anything else.

Pilates would work well as a stand alone class or be an excellent compliment other workouts or sports training.

When starting Pilates, the first few classes are hard, not because the class is tough, it doesn’t have to be, but because Pilates is very slow and controlled. The temptation is to whizz up the levels and work as hard as possible, the best way to start however is to start on level 1 for everything, waiting as long as necessary before moving up to other levels. Some exercises will soon feel easy others not so.

Do you think this is the class for you?

Dear Allison 

 I am sitting at my desk all day at home, do you have any suggestions to help my back?

Thank you for your question. You haven’t said if you have a proper chair, if you are working at a front room table or at a desk. The most important thing is here are you moving during the day? If we sit for long periods of time we get stiff, we need to keep moving to keep mobile.

Before work could you use the time you used to commute, if you did that, to have a walk, or could you go for a walk at lunchtime?

Is your chair at the right height for you? Could you sit on an inflatable ball for periods of time throughout the day, this helps to keep us more mobile as its hard to sit still on a huge inflatable ball.

When on the phone or whilst you are at a meeting could you stand up? Standing regularly helps us to stretch out our muscles, its important to keep moving. Could you encourage walking meetings on the phone instead of conference calls?

Pilates will help with your back by mobilising and strengthening it. During the day could you get down on the floor and lie with your knees bent feet flat on the floor and just roll both knees to one side slowly and back to the other, do this about 10 times. Then hug both knees up on your chest to help stretch your back out.

There are many suggestions here, could you make one change, establish that habit, then make another one. We will be working from home for a good time to come so we owe it to ourselves to make it the best experience we can. Good luck and I hope this will help.

Dear Allison 

What is your favourite stretch and why?

This is a brilliant question, I love all types of stretches, they are  so important during and after any training sessions.  When training of  any type, muscles contract under tension causing them to shorten and  widen, they still contract as they lengthen, otherwise anything you are  holding,  a weight, child or a kettle would just drop to the floor.

Muscle fibres stick together when they are contracting which is why  they need to be stretched after use to realign the fibres and increase  flexibility in certain muscle groups.  Everyone has some muscles which  need a greater range of movement, depending on your  lifestyle, sport or  medical history as to which ones.  Typically we need to increase  flexibility in our hamstrings, the back of the thigh and low back.  If  we spend lots of time hunched over a desk or seated its likely that  chest muscles would also need improved flexibility.   I love stretching  my hamstrings but my favorite stretch ever is the hip flexor stretch.

Have you ever got out of a chair after sitting for a long time, or  out of a car after a long journey and had trouble getting upright as the  top of your legs at the hip joint feels uncomfortable?  These are the  hip flexor group of muscles, made up of the iliacus and psoas major  muscles they lift the knee from the hip.

To stretch the hip flexors lie on your back, bend your knees with  your feet on the floor.  Bring one knee to your chest holding under the  back of the knee, then slowly straighten the other leg.  You will feel a  stretch in the front of the hip on the straight leg, hold for about  20-30 seconds then change leg.

My favoutite way of doing this is to use a Pilates ball under your  hips, lie on the ball and slowly straighten the legs out, the stretch is  excellent, particularly after weight training or kettlebells workout.   It actually feels like I am growing.

Dear Allison 

I have gained weight during lockdown and don’t know how to shift it, could you please give me some suggestions?

Thank you for your question, this is a problem for so many people at the moment. You do not say if you are a current exerciser or not?

If you read books about Habits, they all suggest to change just 1 thing at a time. Do not try to change everything otherwise you risk becoming overwhelmed and then change nothing.

Form 1 new habit and when that is established, form another.

My suggestions are:-

• A food diary is often a useful tool, if you record all you eat then often just thinking about what eat can help make a change to your habits.
• Exercise, make time in your diary, i.e. every (whichever day) I will do (a walk, Pilates or whatever you like to do) at (this time.) If we have events planned we are more likely to carry them out. If you are working from home, use former commute time for exercise.
• Losing weight is about moving more and eating less, small reductions, do not stop eating that will not help, just have smaller portions, change form fried to poached, eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Cut down on alcohol and sugary snacks. 
• Plan your meals and make a shopping list. Stock up on fruit and vegetables, try some new recipes and enjoy using healthy foods.
• Stay hydrated, drink lots of water and avoid fizzy drinks. If you visit high street coffee shops order Americano and avoid the Lattes and cappuccinos.

If you are a current exerciser, or if your habit has lapsed could you get back to what you were doing?

Our lives have changed greatly during lockdown and we may have reduced income or lost employment therefore may not have the money to go to the gym or classes. Walking is a great way to exercise, see our local area and get fresh air at the same time. Walking is low impact so will not trouble our joints as much as running could and you can extend your time when you feel able. Start with 5 minutes and go from there, building up when you can manage and want more and more. Above all, enjoy what you do. 

Good Luck - All the best Allison