Workout: Tabata Tuesday II

Workout: Tabata Tuesday II

Warmup:

• 10 minutes row/run/bike
• Fitness Explorer Warmup

Workout: 

Tabata Intervals (20 minutes including rest periods)

• 20 sec 1 arm KB Clean & Press**, 10 sec Rest - (repeat for 8 rounds).
• rest - 30 sec
• 20 sec Press-Up, 10s rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 30 sec
• 20 sec Drivers, 10s rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 30 sec
• 20 sec Long Jumps (max effort), 10 sec rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 2m 30 sec

* KB = 16kg Kettlebell - male, 8kg - female
** KB should touch floor in between reps, swap arms as needed.

Finisher:

100 Jump Pull-Ups 

StrengthBox: First Class Training Facility in Toronto

Greg Carver and Liz McGurrin own the gym 'StrengthBox' in Toronto, Canada.  I've had the pleasure to train there on my last visit to Toronto and can highly recommend it for the best training space and coaching you are likely to find in that part of the world.

They are starting a new beginner class from November 1st 2010.

If you are based in Toronto, find more details here: 

"Want to get back into shape, work towards a leaner physique, and learn more about natural movement? StrengthBox Beginnings may be for you. It’s a new month-long class that’s being offered three times per week (M-W-F at 7am) at the StrengthBox gym in Toronto that’s designed to get you moving again in a safe, fun and co-operative environment."

Ageing: Are we really as young as we feel?

Are we really as young as we feel?

There was a recent BBC documentary called The Young Ones, where six celebrities return to 1975 to explore whether living as their younger selves could make them physically and mentally younger.  This was not your usual throw away 'reality TV show' and is well worth watching if you get the chance to find it on iPlayer.  

The results after the 1st week were remarkable, improvements in cognitive and physical function across the board.

How old???

I often feel that when I focus on my chronological age that I 'feel' my age.  So in all intents and purposes I just don't think about it.  If people are surprised at my age is it because I am just deluding myself, is it good genetics or is the amount of exercise I do that is they key?  

Well - "How old you are matters, but beyond that it's your interpretation that has far-reaching implications for the process of ageing." says research author Markus H. Schafer, a doctoral student in sociology and gerontology.  

The research from Purdue University in Indiana, USA reports that perceiving yourself to be youthful and retaining youthful activities will keep you young far more than just exercise alone.  

Tips to anti-ageing:

The environment we are in, our preconceptions about old people and how we behave can have enormous impact on how we feel about the elderly and how we personally age.

Reserve some time to make exercise playful, laugh more, be nostalgic (rather than being embarrassed about the previous decades), keep pace with current trends and reduce stress - all helps to roll back the years.  

Tag anyone? 

Source: Jan 2010 - Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences - "Age Identity, Gender, and Perceptions of Decline: Does Feeling Older Lead to Pessimistic Dispositions About Cognitive Aging?"

Health: 2 people diagnosed with diabetes every 7 minutes in the UK!

Health: Diabetes on the increase in the UK

It was announced today by Diabetes UK that Diabetes and Obesity is on the increase.  An additional 150,000 individuals have been added to the total number of those diagnosed with Diabetes sufferers (2.8 million) - this year alone.  An increase of around 5%, which equates to roughly 2 people every 7 minutes.

Is this a Diabesity epidemic?  YES.

This is a huge burden on the National Health Service, with about 10% of NHS costs attributed to treating diabetes.  

What is also concerning is that the figures above don't include those under 17, so the number would be worse if they included children,

Those most likely to be at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes are those who are overweight or being of 'normal' weight and having a large waist and those aged over 40.  The risk is greater for those age 25 or over for those of Afro-Caribbean and South Asian descent.

Another recent survey conducted in eight countries among 3,000 people with diabetes has revealed that more than one in three people skip doses or fail to take their insulin as prescribed several times a month.

Source: www.diabetes.org.uk

Diabetes UK:

"Diabetes is serious: if not diagnosed early or poorly managed, it can result in blindness and amputation or a shortened life expectancy from heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.”