5 top workout classes

Are you finding it hard to get the most out of your gym session? Whether your goal is to lose weight, improve fitness or merely to relieve stress and escape from your hectic day to day life, it can be very hard to accomplish these goals at the gym when you do not know what you are doing or do not have the motivation to really push yourself. To blood sweat and tears because believe it not that’s how you are only going to get the results you want.  I know  a lot of individuals who commit themselves to the gym but  don’t see any changes in their physical or emotional appearance and thus start missing workouts, say  they will go tomorrow but then tomorrow comes and they make self-promises to go the following day  and so forth. For those who do find it hard to work out by themselves and may not feel a personal trainer is right for them, maybe can’t afford to pay on top of your membership,  I have a solution for you; Workout classes!

There are loads of different classes out there that cater to all needs, whether it’s intense calorie burner or muscle definition. Workout classes can really help to push you to that level you never would have thought you could exceed by yourself at the gym.

Here are my top 5 Favourite workout classes

Spinning

Spinning classes are probably one of the best cardiovascular workouts there are. For those who are looking to shed a few pounds (or more), improve fitness or even relieve stress spinning is the perfect workout for you.

Activities included?  This class is not just a typical cycling exercise that could potentially be done outside on your own bike or at the gym. It’s a The class will start off with a roughly 10 minute warm up and then mix it up with short intense intervals of fast pace cycling and hill climbs as well as slow pace speed. You may also be instructed to fist pump in the air. You are guided by a class instructor to help motivate you all the way and it is also choreographed with loud pumping music to make that experience even more enjoyable, motivating and fun.

Physical Benefits?  An intense calorie burner that also helps to burn fat. Be prepared for a sore body the next morning as it is a great leg strengthening workout but don’t let that scare you, as they say ‘what don’t kill you will only make you stronger’.

Kick boxing

Another great cardiovascular workout is kickboxing. It is said that kickboxing is one of the best workouts for athletes and you will understand why after your 60 minute class.

Activities included? Kick boxing includes a range of kickboxing moves from the likes of punching, forward kicks, jump rope, and a range of foot work technique. There are advanced class as well as intermediate classes for who those who have no kickboxing experience and want to try it out.

Physical benefits?  It is said kickboxing class can burn up 750 calories within one class and is one of the most effective ways to burn belly fat. This is another great workout for those who want to improve their fitness and also a great way to relieve anger or stress; fuel your aggression by pretending to kick the shit out of your boss or even boyfriend.

Yoga

A mind and body form of workout with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy; Yoga has become vastly popular over the years. Lots of celebrities such as Madonna, Jennifer Aniston and Halle Berry take up yoga and look how fresh, fabulous and youthful they have become.

Activities included? Includes a mixture of posture, breathing and meditation exercises within a 60 minute class.

Physical benefits? Yoga is a great workout for those who want to relieve stress as well as improve your posture and flexibility which will also help improve sexual performance. It also helps relieve anxiety levels which help to improve your mood and any stress you have that’s weighing you down throughout your day. Yoga is a great class to go after a hectic day’s works and you just want a break that stress in a more relaxing, less aggressive form without having to do too much intensive movement.

Bikram yoga

Bikram yoga holds similar benefits to the more traditional form of yoga however this class is performed in a heated room of 37/40 degrees. This is a unique workout class that has become popular mainly because of the heavy amount of sweat you lose. And you know, sweating is a great sign to show yourself that that you have put the work in. sweat loss is also said to

Activities included? It follows a set of 26 postures and breathing exercise and focuses on endurance.

Physical Benefits?  Flexibility, strengths and the heat helps improve breathing it also relaxes your body, muscles and joints.

For those who do not mind getting steamed up with sweat then this is the right workout for you!

Warning: make sure you drink plenty of water before you participate due to the loss of sweat you will undertake you

Twerking

Twerking is a new formation of dance move that has capitalised the dance and hip hop scene. Some of the moves generate from Brazilian and Zumba classes that involve mainly hip and glute movement. You have probably seen similar moves from the likes of Miley Cyris and Rihanna who have received a lot of backlash from the media about their explicit dance moves.  Consequently you may think it might not be your cup of tea however the class itself is starting to become vastly popular because of its fun, not so serious environment where you all are there to reach similar goals, let your hair down, and learn some new dance moves.

Activities included? High intense 60 minute cardio class that consists of a 10/15 minute warm up session followed by a number of set dance routines that focus mainly around the butt and leg area.

Physical benefits?  A great cardio workout that also helps to strengthen leg, glutes and lower back muscles. It also helps improve flexibility.

The great thing about this dance class is that If you like dancing you tend to not focus too much on the workout objective and just have fun with it, which makes it a lot easier for some people; but don’t be fooled, you will still puck up a sweat! For those who want to try something different go try It out with your friends, have some fun and burn some calories. There is no experience needed!

Get involved in the conversation

Tell ME what your favourite workout class is?

Comment below

Top 5 Tips….Guest Post

So this week I have a guest post who will give you the ‘TOP 5’ today . James Daley is a Personal Trainer and a Cage Fighter who kindly offered to guest post this week. 

I thought I would give some really good general tips that are simple and
easy to follow:
1. Keep your gym sessions intense, this means interval cardio work.
Try one minute intense and one minute at a slower pace either with running
or a safer option, using a bike.
You can either follow this with compound resistance exercises or the long moderated intensity version:

Compound resistance exercises consist of squats, overhead
dumbell presses and the lat pulldown machine. Have minimal rest period
between sets or you can circuit the exercises back to back.
The long moderate intensity version with no weighted exercises, which seem
to be a ladies favourite, will take up to 250 minutes plus of an, I’m already
guessing, busy week. This alternative given would be 25 minutes in 3
separate sessions per week if the goal is weight loss.

2.Avoid ‘low fat’ goods, they usually have added salt or sugar to make up for the lack of taste.

3. Avoid a low fat diet, fat can help stop sugar cravings and keep you
fuller for longer

4. Eat as many green leafy vegetables as possible as they are stacked with vitamins and minerals.

5. Do not be afraid to engage yourself in strength training, strength training is for everyone.

Check out the video I posted of my 64 year old mum dead lifting 87kg after losing over 2 stone of body weight.

Twitter :@jamesdaleymma

My Favourite Smoothie

Just thought I’d share with you today one of my favourite smoothies. I tend to drink smoothies when I am on the go and do not have time to sit down and eat a bowl of fruit. Drinking smoothies is a great way to get your 5 day daily intake and they are quick and easy to make. This week it is  ‘Tropical Thunder’ smoothie! yeah I Just made that name up to sound cool and professional but you can call whatever you like aha.

All you need is:

• A blender
• Mangos
• Melon
• Greek Low fat yoghurt
• and fruit juice

So try it out and so how it fits your taste buds!

5 Ways To Avoid Getting Spots!

Healthy living

No one likes spots. They can be a pain when they come through and they can sometimes be a pain to get rid of especially when they leave horrible dark scars. So my way of trying to avoid spots is by figuring out what it may be that is causing these spots and to find a solution. Over the years I have cut out a few things from my eating plan, and have looked after my skin a lot more when it comes to cleansing and moisturising ECT.

So here are the 5 things I have done to try and avoid getting spots as much as I can:

• Chocolate: As much as I love chocolate it is also something I have to self discipline myself with because when I do eat loads of chocolate I can majorly feel it on my face.

• Fast food: I try…

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Skin And Hair Benefits From Eating Healthy…

I don’t know about you but I always get some sort of craving for fast food.  Whenever I have a fat day and pig out on a KFC or a McDonalds’ I feel absolutely horrible after; my skin feels all greasy and horrible, I don’t feel satisfied at all and I kind of wished I didn’t eat it. I then say to my self ‘I’m never eating this again!’ Until I forget that feeling and crave for fatty foods again. But hopefully that time won’t come about anytime soon. I like to feel good about myself and I think it is important to eat healthy not just to feel healthy but there are many benefits when it comes to looking healthy in regards to your skin, hair and nails.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are nutrients you mostly get in fruit and vegetables that Help to prevent that damage of cells, pump up your energy levels, and good overall health. The three major antioxidant vitamins are beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. You’ll find them in colourful fruits and vegetables, especially those with purple, blue, red, orange, and yellow hues.  Incorporating the right amount into your diet can help give you healthier skin and hair. The recommended daily amount is  5 a day according to the NHS.

 Foods

Blue fruits – (One of my very first posts was about the benefits of Blue fruit and veg if you want to check that out for further information you can) Blackberries in particular contain a number of antioxidants such as vitamin C that help radiant the skin and hair. Anthocyanins can also help prevent or manage arthritis. The seeds are even rich on omega and omega 6 fatty acids which are vital for healthy skin.  They also help keep the skin hydrated from the water intake provided. You can have blackberries with your cereal, for a quick snack or with low-fat yoghurt, which leads me to my next point…

Low Fat Yoghurt – Contains calcium which helps to strengthen your nails, teeth and bones.

Kiwis – Contains vitamin C that helps to keep the skin firm helping to prevent wrinkles and it also helps increase the circulation of your scalp for hair growth. Kiwi is quite a refreshing fruit; you can have this in a fruit salad or even with your low-fat yoghurt or simply by itself.

Sweet Potato – Contains Beta-carotene that helps to fight your skin from ageing. Have this as an alternative to potatoes. Mashed sweet potato is my favourite; I tend to have this with chicken and green beans. Carrots and mango also contain beta carotene and other vitamins.

Dark Green Vegetables – contains vitamin A and C and also provides iron and calcium. Spinach is an excellent source of this which your body needs to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles, is the body’s natural hair conditioner that helps the scalp. My friends mum makes a lovely spinach and  mushroom dish which is something I’ve wanted to try out myself as it taste absolutely delish(I might just find out the recipee for a later post) .I also love broccoli, which you can add to any meal.

Salmon – Contains Omega 3 Fatty Acids that helps strengthen hair and make hair grow quicker. It is also filled with vitamin and iron that help to keep skin and hair healthy. It has selenium, a mineral that protects your skin from sun exposure (though that nothing to worry about in England at the mo’ that’s for sure) but the vitamin D in salmon helps your bones and teeth stay strong too!  I love salmon, it’s quite easy to make and you can simply have it with anything.  Last night I made salmon flakes with pasta and peas

Walnuts – Contains vitamin E and Omega 3 Fatty Acids that help promotes healthy skin, helps to condition your hair gives your brighter eyes and strong bones. Nuts are pretty addictive. My housemates have signed up to Graze  where you get healthY snack boxes delivered to your home containing all sorts of healthy snacks including nuts. It is very cheap to sign up to and your first package you get half price at £1.94.

Water – Drinking lots of water will help not only your body feel hydrated and energized but it will keep your hair and skin hydrated. Cold weather can dry out the skin so try to avoid drinking fizzy drinks or alcohol that will dehydrate your skin.

5 Ways To Keep You Going Throughout The Day..

Ever feel a bit sluggish in the mornings?  or cant seem keep your eyes awake during the day? well for me,  as  a student I find it so hard to concentrate in lectures and have 100% productive day when I’m tired, and I am always tired! I don’t like coffee and I don’t like energy drinks either so I have had re-analyse my eating plan and see if there is anything I can do to overcome this and these are top 5 I have added to my lifestyle in order to keep me energized throughout my day, the healthy way!

1. Breakfast –  This is probably quite an obvious and most common tip but I don’t normally have breakfast and yes, I know breakfast is the  most important meal of the day but I never really saw breakfast as a priority, I never made time for it but I realised that this could be the main issue as to why I have no energy throughout the day.  Eating breakfast has many health benefits and one of them being, it gives you energy. breakfast tops up your energy stores for the day and helps to regulate blood sugar. So eat your breakfast guys!

2. Water –  Water is an essential nutrient to keep you hydrated and is the main source energy to the body without the cost, calories, and caffeine found in marketed energy drinks. Water is my favorite drink and I try to drink at least 6 glasses a day.I recycle bottles so I can fill the up myself and take to them uni instead of having to buy bottles all the time because the prices of water is ridiculous in some places

3. Eat Less Carbs –  Although carbs are known to keep your energy levels up, eating too many carbs can actually drain your energy. I eat a lot of carbs and I have been trying to cut down on them. Try and combine carbs with protein or try and add nutritional foods like fruit and vegetables. Fruit and veg is something in particular I have added to my eating plan consistently, I take a packed lunch to uni now and try to include as much fruit and veg as possible. A packed lunch saves a lot of money too!

4. Relieve Stress – Stress can certainly waste a lot of energy so it always good to help relieve some of that stress whether it be exercise, meditating or even yoga. I am going to start yoga sessions to help improve my posture, and flexibility as I have some minor joint problems but  a number of studies show yoga is also a great way to relieve stress and anxiety and improve your overall mood.  So if any of you are feeling a bit stressed, try yoga! I just bought a yoga mat as well, that was very cheap, that I will be using at home, So if you don’t fancy going to classes but a yoga mat and do it in the comfort of your own home. There are plenty of websites and Youtube videos out there you can use without you having to spend a penny.

5. Get Enough Sleep – getting enough sleep will improve your immune system and make you more prepared for your day ahead. My sleeping pattern is all over the place at the moment with deadlines coming up but I try to make sure I get enough sleep. You should be getting at least 7/8 hours sleep a day.You will also have more energy if you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—including on the weekends.

So there you have it, these are some of the things I am doing or are in the process of changing in order to maintain and improve energy fuel to help keep me going and feel good throughout my day. Hope it was helpful!

Free Ride For Sports!

So I found out today that a subways station in Moscow is allowing customers to pay their fee by squatting which I thought was absolutely brilliant and a great way to introduce exercise into people’s everyday lives. With the Winter Olympics taking place in Russia, the committee introduced this idea not for the benefit of saving money exactly but to get the public interested in exercise and also a way to advertise the build up to the Winter Olympics.

I think it is a great campaign to get the public excited for the games ahead which starts in February. Alexander Zhukov, the president of the Russian Olympic committee says it’s about bringing sports to the people. “We wanted to show that the Olympic Games are not just an international competition most people watch on TV every two years,” He also said “They are also about involving everyone in the sporting way of life.” Which I think they have done this very well with many benefits. It’s a campaign that involves participation, interactivity from the audience that is physical and active. Not only does it promote the Winter Olympic Games but it is promoting healthy living which is what I always like to see!. It is also rewarding; People are more likely to participate if it involves a reward, and if you participate in the challenge you get a free subway ticket and you can wonder swiftly onto your travels! Brilliant!

Squatting is also a very common exercise that has many benefits such as:

• Tones your legs and bottom
• Maintains mobility and balance
• Functional exercise that makes real life activities easier
• Improves flexibility
• Prevents injuries
• Burns fat faster and the removal of waste products

So how does it work? Well, all you do is go up to the vending machine at the Vystavochaya Station where it will calculate how many squats you do within 2 minutes. If you succeed 30 squats within those 2 minutes then the machine will print out a free ticket. The tickets only cost like a pound but hey there’s nothing better than personal satisfaction knowing that you managed to save a little bit of money through the choice of exercise, something that will benefit your body and make your day that little bit better. And who doesn’t like a freebie anyway?

Check out the video here:

If only they did something like that in England I would definitely do it! Would you do it? Fill out my Poll below, I would love to know your views! Thankyoou 🙂

Video Workout Of The Week…

I am not sure about you guys but I love a good ol’  workout I can do from home. When you have nothing  to do and you fancy just letting some steam out, and like I said in my earlier post I am not a big fan of the gym, working out is the best solution! just sweating the stress away, it is great! so yeah I thought I would do a post every week on workouts I love to do!

The first video I thought I would share with you that I like to do is a less intense video but it is so fun, it doesn’t really feel like a workout.  Yes thats right, it is Beyonce! Now most of Beyonce videos are pretty good videos to dance to and to break off a bit of a sweat but this one is particularly special, its her Lets Move ‘Move Ya Body’ Flash Workout video! The purpose of this video was part of the Lets Move Campaign that was started by First Lady Michelle Obama with the aim to solve child obesity in the United States!

Whenever I am in the mood for a lil workout but not so intense I just have this video on repeat and I just do it over and over again. I love it!

soooo Check it out!  Work it out! Sweat it out! LETS MOVE! 😉

Top 5 Favourite Blogs

So last week I did a top 5 on how I try to avoid spots and I thought I would make this an ongoing thing to do every week. I read a few blogs in my spare time and its one of the reasons why I wanted to blog myself so I thought I’d share with you my Top 5 Favourite Blogs for you to check out.

1.STYLE CASTER

I read this blog a lot as it covers almost everything I am interested in; she covers Celebrity culture, fashion, shopping and even health and fitness! I love the layout of this blog as well, I can easily find the category I want to look more into and the bold headings, black and white colour scheme and images make it very engaging for me to want to read more. I love it.

http://stylecaster.com/

2. Equilbrium Fitness

I am always looking for new and exciting ways to keep healthy and I thought this blog is really interesting especially the recipes that have been covered. Her latest post on Banana Ice-cream I thought was rather interesting because I do love ice cream- so finding an alternative, healthy way was great and deffo something I am going to try!

http://equilibriumfitness.me/

3. Celebrity News And Fashion

This blog is mainly based on images which I love. I love to hearing about the latest celebrity fashion trends and images are great and really engaging.

http://celebritynewsfashion.wordpress.com/

4. No Excuses Fit

Motivation is key when you are trying to reach some sort of goal. When I am trying to reach a certain goal I definitely need motivation to keep me going, and I thought this blog of ‘Morning Motivation’ was nice to read now and then to keep going and reach your goal.

http://noexcusesfit.me/

5. Blogalites

I came accross this blog not so long ago and the layout and colour sheme really atttracted me to it, it seems a bit of a girly girl and made me want to read more. There are some really good workout videos on here and she gives some really valuable advice on how to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is a really informative and fun blog that is deffo worth you guys checking out!

http://www.blogilates.com/

Gym V’s Sport

When it comes to keeping fit the one thing that holds me back when it comes to hardcore exercise is long distance running. I hate running. I find it so boring and de-motivating; especially running by myself. I also find the gym also quite boring. I have been to the gym probably about 5 times in my lifetime and I never really know what to do, where to start, when to stop, I just get bored. I have no motivation, unless I have a personal trainer screaming down my ear. So I do have to thank my parents for introducing me to variety of sports when I was younger. I did Karate, swimming, netball, basketball, Athletics and most of all Hockey. Hockey is my saviour. I love playing; I love watching, I love everything about it.

I saw Spain Vs Pakistan at the 2012 London Olympics

Personally, I think taking up a sport is so much more enjoyable and worth the money than the gym. This may be because my closest friends are not that much in to sports, or exercise as much as I am so I am likely to go to the gym by myself which is quite de motivating for me and don’t feel like I am getting anything out of it. The thought of doing cardio on the spot sounds like torture and so boring. I also get a bit intimidated doing weights around all the macho men.

I just think taking up a sport is much more rewarding, socially as well as physically. You get to meet new people and make friends, outside your main social circle, whilst keeping fit at the same time; you get to go to new places as well, whether that is to away games or going on sports tours. I don’t play as much hockey as I use to but I do enough that helps to maintain my fitness levels. I train, which helps to improve my fitness as well as hockey skills, and I don’ get bored running around. I also go to fitness training which a bit harder but we train as a group, as a team which is a lot more motivating with everyone supporting one another. I then play a match on Wednesdays and then go out the Wednesdays night. To celebrate our victory.

I love the idea of team sports, I like the fact I can socialise with my team mates whilst keeping fit and doing something I love. I am quite a competitive person as well, so winning would be my motivation to work hard while playing. Hockey is said to be one of the sports that uses almost every single muscle throughout the match it promotes healthy weight, heart health, good metabolism, etc. According to my calorie counter I burn 531 calories in 60 min hockey match alone. Who needs the gym eh.

As a student, especially, joining a sports society was probably the highlight of my uni experience. I get to play something I love, i have some really cool people and get to socialise at the same time. I would definitely advise any students out there to join sport society. You don’t have to be good at the sport, they welcome all levels to join. It’s all about meeting new people and having fun. We don’t take hockey too seriously, we just play to have fun, keep fit and socialise.