WHY FITNESS MAKES SENSE

Cardiovascular training

Cardio VascularCardiovascular exercise is also known as aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise uses your large muscles and can be maintained for long periods. For example, walking, jogging, swimming and cycling are aerobic activities. These types of exercises drive your body to use oxygen more efficiently and deliver maximum benefits to your heart, lungs and circulatory system.

Cardiovascular exercise has so many mental and physical benefits

  • Strengthens heart muscle
  • Increases efficiency of the cardiovascular system (heart, lungs, circulatory system)
  • Weight management
  • Increases levels of high density lipoproteins (HDL's) in the blood
  • Improves the immune system and helps protect the body against a host of diseases including cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and osteoporosis
  • Has a normalising effect on blood pressure
  • Increases bone density
  • Helps anti-ageing
  • Enhances well-being
  • Decreases anxiety and depression, helping you manage stress more effectively
  • Builds self-confidence and self esteem so makes you feel really good
  • Decreases body fat due to utilizing fat as energy
  • Helps you relax and sleep more restfully
  • Teaches you about goal setting and dedication

"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness"

Weight training

Strength Myth: Weight training is only for young athletes
Fact: People of all fitness levels and ages should do weight training

Weight training is often an under-rated component of health and fitness. Listed below are 12 key benefits of weight training.

  1. Weight training tones your muscles. This looks great and raises your basal metabolism…which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours a day. You'll even burn more calories while you're sleeping.
  2. Weight training can reverse the natural decline in your metabolism that begins around age 30.
  3. Weight training energizes you.
  4. Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
  5. Weight training alone will NOT develop big muscles in women…just toned muscles!
  6. Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.
  7. Improves intellectual capacity and productivity. Your brain needs a reprieve from thinking. Physical exercise provides that respite from the constant intellectual thinking tasks of our modern life.
  8. Your appearance will greatly improve.
  9. Increases self confidence, self image, self perception and outward self projection.
  10. Makes you feel happy. Your brain sends out endorphins signalling a happy and pleasant state of mind during and after exercise.
  11. Better sleep - exercise improves your sleep pattern. Your part of the deal is not to go to bed too late!
  12. Weight training:
    • makes you less prone to lower back injuries.
    • decreases your resting blood pressure.
    • decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.
    • increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type)
    • improves your posture.
    • improves the functioning of your immune system
    • improves your balance and coordination

"When you gain control of your body you will gain control of your life"

Why is stretching good for you?

  • StretchingReduces the risk of injury to joints, muscles and tendons
  • Reduces muscular soreness
  • Reduces muscular tension
  • Enhances physical fitness
  • Increases suppleness
  • Increases mental and physical relaxation
  • Reduces muscle tension and makes you feel more relaxed
  • Helps co-ordination by allowing for freer and easier movement
  • Increases range of motion
  • Helps prevent injuries such as muscle strains. (A strong flexible, pre stretched muscle resists stress better than a strong, stiff outstretched muscle)
  • Helps maintain your current level of flexibility, so as time passes you do not become stiffer and stiffer
  • Develops body awareness. As you stretch various parts of the body, you focus on them and get in touch with them, you get to know yourself
  • It feels good!
  • Better posture
  • Reduces stress
  • Improves concentration levels

"Stretching creates positive changes in a person's physical, emotional and mental state"

Nutrition

Do you find yourself falling into these bad habits on a regular basis?
  • NutritionSkipping meals
  • Leaving long gaps between meals
  • Consuming snack foods high in sugar or fat
  • Buying pre-prepared meals and take-aways
  • Eating on the run
  • Grabbing foods from the fridge/cupboard without thought
Can you relate to these feelings?
  • Tiredness
  • Exhaustion
  • Lack of enthusiasm
  • Lethargy
  • Poor concentration
  • Irritability
  • Light headedness
  • Sweet cravings
Poor food choices and bad daily eating habits can contribute to all of the above. Is this an area in your life that needs attention?

FITNESS2U offers practical nutritional advice to help steer you away from those crazy diets and food trends. You will become more aware of your cravings, specific nutrient requirements and how to maintain high energy levels and good health.

By means of regular appointments, we can keep track of your eating habits and make adjustments if required. We aim to ensure that you get the most from your food and, more importantly, still enjoy eating it.

"When you nourish your body with healthy nutrients you transform from the inside out"