2/11/21 ~ Why screen time can make us feel stressed
Do you feel your stress levels heighten when staring at a computer screen all day? It could be down to many things – including the blue light from the device, changes in our posture (we often find ourselves hunching over as we get engrossed in a task) and going into foveal vision.
Foveal vision is when you are focused only on what is right in front of you and tend to ‘block out’ other things going on around you. This increases stress levels - whereas peripheral vision, such as taking in all of our surroundings (when going for a walk, for example), leaves us feeling more relaxed and grounded.
To counteract this make sure you take regular breaks from the screen, even if that is just gazing out of the window for a few moments. It will help boost your concentration levels and leave you feeling calmer.
28/9/21 ~ New base for Wellness Lincs!
Things have been quite busy for us here at Wellness Lincs over the last few weeks. We've moved our base! We're now located in the lovely village of Billinghay, near Sleaford. We're still covering the Spalding area but are also now setting up in Sleaford, Tattershall, Coningsby and surrounding areas. Watch this space for more!
12/8/21 ~ Running to boost mental health
I recently met up with Vanessa Browning and Emma Rose (pictured) who run the Community Mind Matters Running Group every Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-7pm at the Castle Sports running track in Spalding.
The group was set up to help support people to get out, meet others and boost mental health.
What a brilliant idea! You can find the running group on Facebook here
6/7/21 ~ Can eating certain foods help us lose weight?
We often read in magazines or online that eating this or that food will help us to lose weight. But can eating a certain food really help us shed pounds?
I am not a fan of cutting out certain food groups, such as proteins, or fats or carbs (as I believe the body needs each group to function correctly). However, it is true that eating certain foods need more energy than others to digest.
TEF
It's due to what we call the ‘Thermic effect of food’ or ‘TEF’ – the energy your body needs to digest, absorb and process nutrients. While this in itself is a small amount of total energy expenditure - about 10 to 15 percent - some foods have a higher thermic effect than others.
Protein
TEF from protein is said to potentially increase your metabolic rate by 15-30%. That’s from foods such as lean animal proteins, seafood and plant-based proteins (such as lentils, beans, tofu and nuts). The bonus with protein is it also keeps you fuller for longer, reducing the temptation to ‘pick.’ Protein is also, of course, essential for the growth and repair of our bodies – for our hair, nails, bones and muscles.
Fibre
Eating high fibre foods such as avocados, pears, almonds, pistachios, mangoes, artichokes and plain popcorn have also been found to have a benefit on our metabolism and energy regulation.
Coffee
A small study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has suggested drinking caffeine, such as coffee, can give the metabolism a lift. But due to the effect of caffeine on our hormones (particularly in triggering stress hormones) you want to go easy on caffeine.
Green tea
If you like a cup of green tea, it may offer some metabolism-boosting benefits, due to the role of antioxidants called catechin. These are said to help break down fat.
Spices
Capsaicin, found in paprika and chili peppers has also been shown to help increase energy expenditure and promote fat burning in a PLoS One study.
Hydration
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that your metabolism needs water to function properly. Aiming to drink around 2 litres of water a day will keep you feeling fuller and help your metabolism.
By Zoe Myall. Zoe is also a Weight Loss Specialist with the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
2/6/21 ~ Summer goodness
Summer is here! Fruits such as these strawberries and cherries are a great choice if you are looking to lose weight or simply to eat more healthily. Packed with fibre but low in calories they'll help you feel fuller for longer - and with natural sweetness, vitamins and minerals they're a much better choice than processed sweets or chocolate that have limited nutritional value. If you can find organic varieties then even better!
We've got lots of knowledge and tips to help you eat as healthily as possible. Follow our social media for regular updates, hints, and advice.
11/5/21 ~ Mental health and exercise
Our mental health and physical health goes hand in hand. We are huge supporters of helping people with their mental health as well as exercising the body. I was so honoured to be asked to take part in a podcast for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek with Emma from Inspired to Change in Spalding and Vanessa from Community Mind Matters. Here's the podcast we recorded.
20/4/21 ~ Keeping on track with a weight loss programme
If you've made a start to change your lifestyle then well done - you've made the first step. It's all about making small changes and try not to expect everything to happen overnight. We know it can be hard to avoid temptations in the cupboard so we've compiled a few tips in this infographic to try to help keep you on track. Reward yourself for your hard work but try to think of rewards that you could choose that aren't food. Here are a few ideas and more tips to keep you on track!
4/4/21 ~ Healthy lunch on the go
When you're hungry it's all too easy to grab something quick from the vending machine or office canteen. But if you plan ahead you can make much better and more fulfilling choices.
Here's a quick, easy and very delicious lunch recipe which can be prepared in under ten minutes, thanks to our friends at Fitpro Recipes.
It’s also high in protein to help keep your appetite satisfied.
Asian Inspired Fish Salad
120g white fish, eg coley
half a red pepper, diced
half a yellow pepper diced
half a green pepper, diced
few handfuls of lettuce (optional), torn up into small pieces
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper to season
Serves 1
Per serving: 198 calories, 12 carbs, 6g fat, 24g protein
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil (just a few inches deep or enough to cover the fish).
Reduce to a gentle simmer and place the fish in the water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, turning halfway. When cooked through, remove from heat, drain and set aside.
In a salad bowl, mix together the peppers, lettuce (if using) rice vinegar and sesame oil.
Break the fish into small pieces, and mix into the salad.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!
10/3/21 ~ Getting a better night's sleep during the pandemic
Reports say that many of us have been having trouble with our sleep during the COVID pandemic and lockdown.
Sleep Awareness Week, run by the National Sleep Foundation, is from March 14-20 and aims to promote better ways of sleeping.
The Federation of Holistic Therapists also has lots of useful information to help you get a better night's sleep here.
It covers the importance of sticking to a routine, exercise, keeping a journal to help sort your thoughts and many other tips.
3/2/21 ~ Children's Mental Health Week
Mental health is so important to all of us and we have been reminded of that during Children’s Mental Health Week from February 1-7.
Children’s Mental Health Charity Place2Be launched the first ever Children’s Mental Health Week back in 2015 to ‘shine a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health.’
This year’s theme has been all about ‘expressing yourself’ - encouraging children and young people to find ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas through creativity – perhaps through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film, and doing activities that make them feel good.
There is more information about the charity here and information on how to support a child or young person who may be struggling with their mental health.
4/1/21 ~ Our top weight management tips
If you've decided you want to become healthier this year and perhaps are looking to lose some weight, well done on making that first step. Here are some of our top tips to help you stay on track:
Try not to weigh yourself every day
Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day for a number of reasons and for women it’s normal to put on a few pounds when it’s the time of the month! Stick to weighing yourself once a week and remember that how you feel in your clothes is one of the best ways of measuring your progress.
Watch your portions
It’s easy to overload your plate without realising it! A smaller plate is a good trick to make sure you don’t overdo it.
There’s no ‘magic potion’ to vanish away the pounds
It’s all about balancing your calorie intake with your physical activity and not eating or drinking more calories than your body needs in order to lose weight.
Track your progress
There are some great apps out there with calorie trackers which are a brilliant way to get an idea of how many calories are in different types of food and portion sizes. MyFitnessPal or the NHS calorie checker are among these.
Meal prep
When preparing your evening meal, freeze any leftovers in ready-to-go portions that’ll make a quick meal for another day.
Keep exercising
It’ll help keep your metabolism in tip-top condition as well as boosting your mental and physical health.
Don't give up!
If you have a ‘bad day’ it’s not the end of the world. Start again tomorrow, and remember why you are working to make a change.
31/12/20 ~ How we're continuing in the pandemic
News that Lincolnshire is now in Tier 4 was not unexpected - we have to do everything we can to control COVID-19.
We will be continuing to support our current and new clients by offering our fitness classes and personal training online as well as personal training face-to-face outdoors where possible.
Keep following our website and social media pages for updates on all our services. Above all, keep positive everyone!
16/12/20 ~ How to control the Christmas calories
Did you know that, according to research*, we could potentially eat our way through around 6,000 calories on Christmas Day? That works out to nearly three times more than an average person needs!
Add to that the extra calories in the run-up to Christmas and the days afterwards and it’s easy to put weight on over the festive season.
Try these tips to keep your weight on track over the holiday:
Have a little of what you fancy – but keep it balanced!
You can help to work off those calories with a bit of dancing in the living room or going out for a brisk walk or cycle.
* The research study can be found here via the British Medical Journal.
4/12/20 ~ Workout with us!
Now we’re out of lockdown and we can look ahead to the Christmas season (although things will be slightly different this year). To keep you motivated and looking after your fitness, Zoe has put together 12 days of ab and core workouts called ’12 Days of Abs.’ These workouts are no more than 4 minutes each and are completely free of charge. Join in via our You Tube page or at our Instagram or Facebook page.
1/11/20 ~ Keeping positive through lockdown
So from Thursday, November 5, we will be entering a second lockdown in England. This is very sad news, but vital to help save lives and reduce pressure on the NHS.
It is a time to try to keep positive, however. Keep doing your exercise as much as possible. Go out for a walk if you can and enjoy the fresh air and changing scenery. Nothing beats the sound of autumn leaves crunching under your feet on a crisp day! Pick up the phone and chat to a friend you haven't spoken to in a while, or simply curl up with a good book - or perhaps try a new hobby if you have time.
Doing these sorts of activities are just as important for our mental health as looking after our physical health. We will be continuing to offer fitness and wellness classes online for those of you who are able to join us. Most importantly, everyone, please stay safe.
10/10/20 ~ Achieving your goals
How do we stay motivated? I always find the best way is to choose something that you enjoy, or give yourself a realistic target to aim for.
If you are looking to lose weight, for example, remind yourself why you want to achieve that target and by when you would like to achieve your goal.
Make your goals ‘SMART’. That’s ‘Specific’ (know exactly what you want to achieve, rather than just saying 'I want to lose weight' - how much do you want to lose?), ‘Measurable’ (what will you measure your goal against? Could you do 10 bicep curls previously, but now you can do 11?) Next is ‘Achievable’ (make sure your goal is something that you believe you can achieve), 'Realistic' (be honest with yourself - if you want to run a half marathon but are just setting out on running then perhaps aim to master 5km first). Finally – ‘Time’ – give yourself a time period in which you would like to achieve your goal. Good luck!
Written by Zoe Myall
14/9/20 ~ Adapting to change
It's certainly been a strange few months. Who would have thought what 2020 had in store for us all?
The main thing has been concentrating on looking after ourselves and keeping each other safe.
Here, at Wellness Lincs, we've been adapting the way we do things. As well as keeping to our high standards of health and safety, we have put in even more steps to ensure that our services comply with COVID prevention measures.
We adhere to social distancing at classes and during personal training; and throughout the lockdown we have been delivering a number of our classes via Zoom. We will continue to also offer these classes on Zoom for as long as there is demand for them.
Whatever happens, we will continue to follow Government guidelines and hope to keep being able to offer our services for both physical and mental well-being.
Written by Zoe Myall
17/8/20 ~ Motivation
Have you ever got back round to a Monday and thought I will start something new this week but something has got in the way? Well, often we hear the phrase 'Motivation Monday' generally because it's the start of the week, which seems like a logical time to start or restart again. The simple fact is we really don't need to wait until the next Monday and can make tiny changes from now. Just think if you get started today how much better you'll feel by next Monday!
Many people over lockdown have developed new habits which are both positive and negative so deciding which ones to keep and which ones to change is a good starting point for motivation. For instance you may have missed going to meet friends for a coffee and cake every week but instead you've started going for a walk everyday. This is a positive change but you can always adapt it and ask your friends to come along and join you on a walk once a week so you still get to see them as well. Win, win! Alternatively, you may have missed out on attending fitness classes over the lockdown period but now they are starting again you are worried about going back. We are always happy to speak with you about all of our sessions and we are keen to share the safety measures in place and anything else that you wish to discuss. You may even feel that this is the time for a larger overhaul of your fitness or lifestyle choices and you would like a little bit of direction from a personal trainer. We are here to help support, guide and motivate you so you can work towards achieving your goals.
Written by Holly Barrett
28/7/20 ~ Get on your bike!
Many of us have been dusting off our bikes and getting back in the saddle during the lockdown and the early summer months. The Government has now announced a £2billion kickstart to cycling and walking. The vision includes a pledge to provide thousands of miles of new protected bike lanes, cycle training for any child or adult, and the first ever zero-emission transport city as well as an initial release of £50 bike repair vouchers. The scheme is part of several new measures that PM Boris Johnson is promoting in his battle against obesity.
If you are longing to take the kids out on their bikes for family bike rides or even for them to become more independent such as cycling to school, then we can help with developing their cycling confidence. We offer 1:1 or small group Balanceability and beginner cycling sessions for children aged 3 years and above. Balanceability bikes and helmets are provided so let us provide you and your child with the skills necessary to be a confident lifelong cyclist.
Written by Holly Barrett
17/7/20 ~ Will wearing masks become the 'norm'?
We have become accustomed to seeing medical staff wearing masks and other PPE to help prevent the spread of infection, but this week it was announced by the UK government that masks would not only be mandatory on public transport but also in shops. Across the world we have seen growing evidence from the WHO that countries that have made it compulsory to wear face masks when in public have shown to be significantly more successful in flattening the curve and reducing the numbers of cases of COVID-19. But why is important to wear a mask?
Written by Holly Barrett
1/7/20 ~ Have you been snacking more during lockdown?
Recent reports say that people have been eating more unhealthy snacks during lockdown. But on the other hand, more people have been sitting down as a family or household to enjoy their meals, rather than 'eating on the go, or in front of the TV.'
If you feel you've been reaching for the biscuit tin a little more than usual during the past few months, we've put together some tips to help curb the snacking.
For more tips and help on curbing those cravings, get in touch with us here.
Written by Zoe Myall
Nowadays, a huge aspect of our everyday life is sedentary work but it is important that we incorporate micro-breaks into our routine especially when working.
But, what is a micro-break? Micro breaks can simply be described as short or small breaks away from the work and bringing a little movement to your body such as a stretch, a short walk to the coffee machine or just standing up and having a chat with a colleague for a few minutes.
Frequent short breaks are better than longer fewer breaks so make sure you bring a mini-break into every hour of your working day. Micro breaks help with reducing stress levels, increasing productivity and reduce the strain on your eyes, body and mind.
Written by Holly Barrett
