energisedperformance blog

So ladies! It is the festive time and we nearly all love wearing heels, but there are so many parties it may be a little too much for our feet and calves to take! Below are a few tips to help you strengthen your legs and make it easier to last in your heels and feel comfortable… as well as reduce the risk of injury so you can train and run comfortably too!!

Exercises to help: 2-4 x per week…

1. Calve Raises - balanced on the ball of the foot as you raise up, and slowly back down: repeat 2 sets x 30 reps.

 2. Crunches - lying on the ground lifting up - looking up, keeping a fist distance between the chin and chest pulling the tummy to the mat: 2 sets x 30 reps

3. Pencil Lifting -  picking up a pencil with your toes to strengthen the foot muscles: 2 sets x 10 times each foot

4. Dorsal Raise - lying on your front, keeping the head looking down, raising your chest off the mat to strengthen the lower back: 2 sets x 10 reps

5. Squat: weight into the heels and pushing up from your bum, watching your knees do not go over the toes: 2 sets x 20 reps.

During wearing the heels!

Practice walking in your favourite shoes to make sure that you can walk without finding it too difficult as then you know you will not enjoy the evening. Then, walk normally! Try not to bend your knees more than normal, but allow your hips to swing more. Take smaller steps if this helps you to keep good balance.  Stand tall with your core and buttocks switched on to support your lower back and calves. 

Try to sit down every 20minutes to give your feet a rest and allow the blood flow into the balls of the feet. You will be able to last much longer into the night with comfortable feet.

Take some fold up shoes in your handbag if you find your feet do ache at the end of the night to help you out and avoid being barefoot!

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After the party, before the next…! 

Stretch your calve muscles by leaning against the wall and gently taking one leg straight to feel the stretch down the back of the leg.

Wear comfortable, supportive shoes during the day to allow the muscles to relax.

Massage your feet with a calming oil, or arnica if they feel bruised.

We hope our Blog helps you ladies enjoy your party shoes even more and welcome your feedback and photos from you nights out!

If you are unsure of any of the exercises and stretches, or would like more specific advice please do contact us.

Happy New Yeaar and dancing…. and running in Jan 2010!

If you are going skiing in the New Year and would like to increase your strength and confidence on the slopes, meaning you can make the most of your holiday, then why not book onto our 6 week pre-hitting the slopes, Ski & Board Fit Course, brought to you in association with Alpine Mojo!

This popular outdoor course starts on Tuesday 12th Jan 2010 is suitable for men and women, and gets results - it has been fully booked for the last 4 years!

As well as helping ensure you get the maximum enjoyment from your holiday, it will help with your strength and conditioning, injury prevention, core and back strength, control and power, flexibility and stretching techniques, as well as giving you some basic positive mental tips!  All essential to meaning you gain the edge on the slopes!

If you are interested, or would be interested in completing this course a little later in the season to prepare for your holiday, then get in touch by calling Kim on 07720 845 849.Or get a group of 3+ and we will run the course for you, when and where you want!

It is often hard to balance parties, family time, work, Christmas shopping, sleep, exercise and time out! So at the Energised Offices we thought we would give you our Top Ten Tips to help Boost your Energy and keep you fit and well over the festive period…..

1. Eat your Breakfast!

Even if you have been out the night before, or over indulged a small breakfast will balance the blood sugars for the day, boost your energy and help you to avoid the chocolate box later in the day… try porridge with kiwi fruit, almonds and manuka honey for a immune and energy boost - yum! 

2. Drink plenty of water

Water will boost your metabolic rate, help break down your food into energy and keep you looking fresh and well.  Try a mug of warm water with lemon in the morning to detox the body, followed by green tea - then water with lemon through the day, peppermint tea  for digestion and camomile tea to help you sleep.

3. Keep your body moving & get active…

So we all know that over the festive time it is about relaxing with family and friends, watching films and sitting by the fire. However, if you do just a little bit of exercise - brisk walks up hills,  gentle jogs, dumbbell and swiss ball routines at home, core work and swimming - it will help maintain your fitness levels, keep your energy up and help you to feel confident.

4.  Limit your Caffiene…

Although caffiene will give you a short term boost it, you will then begin to rely on it and feel more tired when the effect has passed and then need more.  Fruit juices will give you the natural sugar boost you will be looking for, without the high and then the huge low..

5. Listen to your Stomach.. 

So during Christmas we do generally eat more food, and it is important to be able to relax and enjoy yourself.  However, just make sure you listen to your body and watch your portion size, eating more of the vegetables.  Try to on a scale of 1-10: going up to about 8/10 on a fullness, and down to about 3/10 on emptiness but trying to avoid the extremes.

 6. Have a power nap...and good sleep

We often have  many late nights out during the Festive period…. so take the time to have a quick power nap for about 15-25mins - to re- energise your mind and body.  Avoid napping for over 30mins as this is proven not to be as effective as the shorter period of time. Plan at least a few evenings where you are in bed by 11pm to allow your body to physically and mentally repair.

7. It is okay to say No..

There are so many choices over the festive period - parties, family, friends etc - make sure you plan what you want to do, what you choose to do and have the courage to say No or offer something different to give yourself some time, so you start the New Year feeling refreshed rather than fatigued!

8. Up your Vitamins

Make sure you plan some healthy meals in amongst all the festive food and wine so you get all the vitamins and minerals you need to boost your immunity and keep energy levels high! Green veg, chick peas, brown rice will all provide vit B12, folic acid and magnesium - essential for energy. If you really cannot get enough good quality food make sure take a good quality multi vitamin, vitamin C and garlic to keep healthy.

9. Stand Tall

Watching lots of TV, eating lots of good food and spending more time in heels can cause your posture to suffer.  Think of zipping your pelvic floor muscles to your tummy button in, and pulling towards your lower back - then gentle clench your buttocks. Then lift your rib cage up and relax your shoulders. Take a deep breath and as you breathe out lengthen your spine by imagining there is an elastic cord coming from the top of your head lifting your posture.. do this sitting and standin, walking into a party or cooking the food! Good posture will make you look and feel good.

10. Have fun and be kind to yourself 

Allow yourself to have fun, spend time with people that make you feel good and enjoy the festive time. Sometimes Christmas is challenging for people so make sure you are kind to yourself, and do things that work for you.  You could do a mind map with ‘How can I make the Festive time work for me’ - then you can put all the positive and challenging things on mind map - then work out how you can make these positive.  Any questions do be in touch and we can support you.

So there you have it! I hope you find the Top Tips helpful and  look forward to welcoming you in the New Year to one of our courses - perhaps the Make it Happen in 2010 Coaching Day on Sun 7th Feb in Bristol… a few spaces left!

It’s been a fantastic year here at Energised and we are proud and privileged to have worked with each and everyone one of our Clients over the past 12 months - so much has been achieved by everyone and we’ve truly had a fantastic year with you all!

Now we’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas - we hope you all have a well deserved fun and relaxing break with your family and friends!  We also wish you all a healthy, happy and energised 2010 - we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

(The Energised offices will be closed between 24th December and 4th January and we will have limited access to e-mail and mobile reception during that time and will respond immediately on our return if not during…we have a few space for PT sessions in Scotland over the period too…!)

Thank you everyone who entered the EP competition!! Jan 2010 competition coming soon on the Blog… results are(festivedrum role!)

Winners…. Time chosen by Kim, comments by a group of 3 EP clients… (not entered in comp!!) …

Closest time :Joss at 2hrs - its was 2hrs 12mins £20 voucher!

Best comments: Andrea ‘Flop down for a quick does of Vit D’ & Helen ‘Pure dedication at -6? £10 vouher each!!

Stuart Good to be alive! ….Still alive? Close running up!!

Thank you all for entering - look out for the Jan competition… Vouchers can be spent on all EP services!

Happy Happy Christmas! And a wonderful 2010 filled with much happiness, good health, success and wealth.  See you at Bootcamps, Workshops and the rest…

Head Coach Kim set off in the frosty sunshine to run around Bristol, partly for her own enjoyement and fitness and partly to capture a few winter photographs for the Festive Competition!!  If you didn’t know that it was -6 and the outfit you could be mislead and think it was summer time with the blue skies and sunshine…

So what do you have to do to be one of the lucky two people to win a £2o EP voucher which you can spend on a Sports Massage, Big Beasting’s, Make it Happen Workshop, Fitness and Health Test or 30min coaching call!  Pretty good little festive gift we hope you think…

All you have to do is guess how long Kim was out and about running from looking at the photos, and add a funny or thought provoking comment.  The closest person, and the best comment will both win a voucher - announced on Wednesday 23rd December - comments can be placed below, emailed through the contact form and placed on the Facebook Energised Performance page.

Good Luck!!

We look forward to your thoughts and welcoming you to our Energised Courses in the New Year - starting with the New Year Big Beasting on Sat 9th Jan 2010 which is nearly full and we would highly recommend - the Festive Big Beasting on Saturday was a huge success - well done everyone…

Stocking fillers are really difficult and my brother often says they are filled with things that we never use… so whilst I was talking too him I thought EP could offer you a great Stocking filler for only £10!

What could you get for £10 Stocking filler from Energised Performance…..a place on the New Year Big Beasting on Sat 9th Jan or the Pre Valentines Beasting on Sat 6th Feb.. or a tub of TORQ electrolyte, or for a £5 stocking filler you get a introductory pass for a Weekly Bootcamp session or 4 TORQ energy bars or gels!  Pretty good for the Stockings we think…!

For a more generous Stocking Filler or present we have Gift Vouchers for personal training, sports massage and know what you would like.

Stocking Fillers are limited due to popularity, and can be ordered by emailing kim@energisedperformance.com. Orders to post must be received by Monday but vouchers can be send via email.

Happy, Happy Christmas! 

Yesterday saw 1,800 fancy-dressed runners take to the beach and streets of Weston-super-Mare at the Wyvern Christmas Cracker 10km race!  A great race with a fantastic atmosphere, many members of Team Energised were there and got into the Christmas spirit in a truly ‘energised’ way!  Everyone put in a fantastic performance and we’d like to congratulate you all for achieving your goals, PBs, raising lots of money, and/or simply having some pre-Christmas fun!  Well done to Dianne, Richard, Katy, Dave, Sharon, Amanda, Lizzie, Alison, Neil, Phil, Rachel, Clara, Justin, Karen…!  Brilliant efforts by all!

A special WELL DONE to Katy (pictured!)who raised over £500 for Headway the Bristol charity for head injuries, completing her first 10km in under 70mins - brilliant. To donate to this wonderful charity visit her just giving page: http://www.justgiving.com/Katy-Burfield  - for more photos etc - visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Energised-Performance/56901163566?ref=ts

If you would like to join Team Energised for a final Energised flurry before your Christmas break, then join us at the Festive Big Beasting this Saturday!  The Energised Big Beastings have become very popular over recent months, so why not come along and see what it’s all about!

Taking place this Saturday 19th December from 8.20-10am at Blaise, the session will include hill and speed intervals, core & strength work, stretching….and more!!  Our Energised coaches will ensure the session is challenging, rewarding and fun!  To reserve your place or to find out more, please call Kim on 07720 845 849 - we look forward to welcoming you!

PS - Remember to sign up to our 2010 Bootcamps - places are going quicky…!

Are you looking for the perfect gift to give someone this Christmas?  Perhaps someone you know is hoping to become fitter in 2010 and would like some personal training, or someone running the London Marathon and would like a training plan or sports massage, or would like some lifecoaching to help support them make their New Year’s Resolutions happen in 2010, or they will be given a Flexi Bar and would like a session to help actually use it…. or many other fitness and wellbeing ideas?  Yes!!

Then buy them Energised Gift Vouchers and help them kick-start the New Year in the best way possible...  Vouchers can be spent on all our 1:1 services, including personal training, NLP and massage, or on our camps and courses - they are available from £10 and £50.

For the extra special gift, you could treat someone to a weekend at Folly Farm, Chew Vally at our Make It Happen in 2010 Coaching Weekend, or even to the Italian Fitness Week!  At the Make It Happen Weekend we will be helping Clients achieve their goals for the year ahead with guided hypnotherapy, 1:1 sessions, coaching talks and optional exercise -  plus beauty and massage treatments.  And the Italian Fitness Week in Lucca, Tuscany, is back for the fourth year, and promises to be as energetic, inspiring, revitalising and fun!

For more information and to discuss your gift ideas for someone you really care about and see if its right for them and our courses and camps, please call Kim on 07720 845 849 - thank you!

Everyone who know’s how we work at EP will know that we definately go with listening to your body, everything in balance and moderation, so you can enjoy life and not be controlled by the amount of calories etc.. However, in the run up to Christmas we have been asked lots of questions about how much client’s can eat - what they should eat etc over the festive period - so we thought it would be helpful to give you the facts and figures just to have in the back of your head as a reminder..!

The UK Department of Health estimates a women should consume 1940 calories a day and men 2550 - however the needs can greatly vary.. .. and slow weight gain is perfectly normal as we get older - therefore a 2lb gain each year will hardly be noticed, and in a few years you will have gained a stone and wonder how… to avoid this happening read on!

Lean muscles burn body fat and increase our metabolic rate - between the age of 30-70 our muscle mass will decrease on average about 30% in most people.  So a 0.45kg loss in muscle results in 300 fewer calories being burnt a week! Which if you didn’t realise would be an increase in 2lbs without you even realising.. .. so what should you consider?

Body Composition (BMI - Body Mass Index)

Body Mass Index (BMI) is Weight (kg) divided by Height (m) squared which will give you a figure.

Government Guidelines suggest the following:

Below 20: Underweight

20-25: Normal

25-30: Overweight

Over 30+: Weight Loss recommended - medical

So whilst the table above is a good guide it does not take into consideration muscle to bodyfat ratio - which for an athlete is important. Therefore, if you train it is important that whilst this is a good guide, bodyfat is taken.  There are several machines which will measure this and give you a guide of the percentage and healthy ranges - for more information please contact us.

When you begin to get fitter it is thought medically that 0.5-0.9kg or 1-2lbs per week is sensible and will be permenant in change, unlike extreme diets (for more information contact us!).. and the best way to do this is to exercise regularly & eat a balance diet of carbohydrates ( main source of energy - 1g=4 calories), proteins ( essential for growth and repair - 1g = 4 calories) and fats ( energy and neurological functioning- 1g = 9 caolories) - limiting refinded sugars and processed foods.

If you can exercise 3-4 times per week for 45mins, and increase your daily levels of activity to a minimum of 45mins a day - lots of walking, postural work and stretching!

Fundamentally - listen to your body and how you feel when you eat different foods, exercise regularly, have lots of good sleep and keep balanced stress levels.. and allow yourself to feel good inside and out - respect yourself and know you are a good person!

It is a huge topic of conversation so if you need any more information or would like some advice please contact us or do come to the Make it Happen in 2010 Workshop on Sunday 7th Feb, and any of our Bootcamps!