FitNS Spring Newsletter – a special announcement
Re-launching outdoor fitness sessions at Tanner Street for 2011
Sign up for our new season of cardio-conditioning classes and get in shape in time for Summer
Maybe you’re planning a holiday over Easter and want to lose a few pounds or you are feeling guilty already about all the chocolate you plan to eat! FitNS bootcamps are making a return and have a new look for 2011. Read on to find out more about our fantastic new plans for taking tailored outdoor fitness to the next level.
We will be running a package of 6 sessions at a time for which we will need a minimum of 8 people (maximum of 12 people) signed up for the classes to run, so do forward this onto anyone you think maybe interested and get in early!
Everyone signing up will become part of the group for 3 weeks, no matter your level of fitness everyone will see and feel improvements as we are offering a unique difference - the sessions will be designed and targeted based on the information provided to us by the participants in advance – this might be a particular sport requirement, a body image concern or a specific injury. The sessions are run by qualified personal trainers who are used to designing individual tailored programs and we plan to bring some of this thinking to our groups rather than just roll out a standard class format.
Our first bootcamp course will run twice a week for 3 weeks from 4th-20th April on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6.15-7.15pm. The cost for all 6 sessions is £45. In addition to the fitness sessions, each participant will also be invited to fill in a food diary for analysis and will have access to personalised nutritional and fitness advice from your trainer for the duration of the bootcamp.
To sign up or for further information, please contact Nikki on nikki@fitns.co.uk or 07977 261165.
Tips and tricks
Web tool of the month
A really handy one to keep in your favourites... you know the feeling when you fancy eating something you know you shouldn’t but think that nothing else will fill that void – take a look in the snack swapper, you pick what you are craving and the snack swapper will suggest some alternatives that might just tantalise your tastebuds in a slightly healthier, less calorific way!
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/tool/snackswapper?nlcid=uh%7C03-23-2011%7C
‘Like’ FitNS trainers on Facebook for more regular tips and stories.
Exercise of the month – 1 leg raised squat
Put a twist on your regular squat exercise and target the inner thigh, all you need is a bench or step.
- Stand with your right foot in the centre the step and your left foot on the floor about a foot away from the step
- Keeping your back straight and feet pointing forwards, sit down towards the floor keeping your knees positioned behind your toes
- Push down on your heels to slowly raise yourself back to a standing position
- Complete 10-15 reps and then change legs. Do 2-3 sets.
Advance the move by adding weight – a barbell rested on your shoulders works well here, or you could try holding a dumbbell or medicine ball to your chest.
To give your feedback on this newsletter, or suggestions on what you might like to see in future issues, please email nikki@fitns.co.uk.
View this and previous newsletters at http://fitns.blogspot.com/
Wishing you a happy and healthy Springtime.
Nikki
Spread the word
Offer of the month – refer a friend
Let the cat out of the bag and receive a discount on your next purchase...If you have a friend, colleague or family member that you think may be interested in personal training, mention FitNS to them and if they sign up to a 12-session course, you receive a 10% discount on your next booking! Simple.
St Valentines Day
Wishing everyone a happy Valentines day
It’s a great excuse to spend some quality time with your significant other, but following this Valentines day maybe you could make a pact with your partner to take up a hobby together and spend more time together throughout the year. Me and my hubby recently took up climbing... It’s great fun and there are climbing wall centres all over London. It’s also a really great total body workout and is fabulous for your core muscles – I definitely felt it in my arms and tummy after the first couple of sessions!
Working out together also gives you extra motivation and adds an element of (healthy) competition... Plot out a run together, stopping at open spaces to challenge each other on the way round with various body weight exercises – tricep dips, bodyweight rows, push ups are examples of workouts that can be done with equipment you can find outdoors. See who can hold a plank position for longest at the end!
Tips and tricks
Go shopping!
Ok, this might be one for the ladies, but guys you should treat yourself once in a while too. A new workout kit is the perfect way to motivate yourself to get that workout done. Donning your new togs, you’ll feel all nice and confident to perhaps try out a new gym class or to give you an extra boost to add a couple of km onto the end of your usual weekend run. Whatever your aim, a bit of shopping and lovely new clothes will help get the necessary endorphins flowing.
‘Like’ FitNS trainers on Facebook for more regular tips and stories.
Recipe of the month
Struggling to keep your sweet tooth in check? I recently ‘invented’ a healthier version of a chocolate orange which really helps kurb those cravings. You can use other fruits according to your taste – try strawberries for a romantic valentines treat.
Ingredients:
150g of best quality organic dark chocolate
1 orange or 2-3 satsumas
Directions:
Peel the orange(s) and remove as much of the white pith as you can
Separate the orange into individual segments
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate until runny (don’t let it burn as it will go strange and lumpy)
Pop the orange segments into the runny chocolate 2 or 3 at a time and ensure they are coated
Remove the coated orange segments to cool on a sheet of baking parchment
Refrigerate and after 30 minutes they’ll be ready for you to pop a piece or 2 when you need a chocolate hit, they keep for up to a week in an airtight container. Just don’t overindulge, they are still covered in chocolate, after all!
Exercise of the month – V Sit and Twist
Challenge your core muscles – twisting is an important component of core workouts. Your back and abs must be strong in every direction, including forwards and backwards, side-to-side, and twisting to both sides.
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your heels on the floor
- Clasp your hands together, extending your arms out in front of you, and recline back so that your body is angled about 45 degrees
- Keeping your lower body still and your abs contracted, twist your body to each side
Advance the move by leaning back, holding a medicine ball in your hands, or by keeping your heels slightly off the ground.
To give your feedback on this newsletter, or suggestions on what you might like to see in future issues, please email nikki@fitns.co.uk.
View this and previous newsletters at http://fitns.blogspot.com/
Wishing you a happy and healthy month of February.
Nikki
Nikki Payne
FitNS Bootcamps and Personal Training
07977 261165 | www.fitns.co.uk
Happy New Year!
My New Year’s resolution is to join the gym...
January is a notoriously busy month for gyms, gaining masses of new members all signing up for 12 month contracts, determined to get fit in the new year. I’m not saying don’t join a gym (that would be kind of hypocritical of me!), just that despite best intentions, for many people joining a gym just isn’t enough and many of the January army will have dropped off by February and hardly use their membership for the rest of the year. What a waste of money!
The reasons that people don’t use the gym after January vary, but common ones are boredom, lack of results, lost motivation or unhappiness with the gym environment.
Why not stand out from the crowd and make your new year fitness resolution something a little different, here are some ideas to keep you going into February and beyond...
- Find a class that will allow you to book just a couple of sessions at a time (bootcamps at Tanner Street are back in March guys!)
- Find a gym that is pay as you go – it could seem more expensive, but if you work out per session use for that 12 month membership you had last year you’ll probably see it’s worth it!
- Join a running club, you should be able to find one locally to you, many are free or very low cost and cater for all levels
- Make fitness part of your life. I’m always on at my clients about functional fitness outside of our sessions – i.e. building it into your daily routine. Cycling or jogging to and from work is a good one.
- Last but not least (and obviously I had to put this one in here) get a personal trainer! It may seem like a luxury, but for many they find this is the only way they will stick to an exercise program... In addition, you will not get bored as your programme should progress as you do, your results are consistently monitored and you get great advice at every session – you literally cannot help but achieve your fitness goals!
Latest offers
Work out during the day for less
Treat yourself this New Year with a course of off-peak personal training sessions, we have reduced our regular prices by up to 10% if you take your session during working hours, so if you can take a lunch hour or you work shifts or are part time, then this option may be perfect for you! Remember that with a personal trainer ensuring your technique is correct, you will achieve 100% better effects from your workout and the additional motivation you receive will keep you going week after week.
You will find full details on the ‘packages’ page of our website, which now contains a downloadable price list with all of our current offers on.
In the press
January blues?
There IS such a thing and this article helps you understand the chemical reasons behind those blues... Learn the evils of white bread, why sleep is important for combating depression and learn how to feel better and more energised simply through the food you eat... http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/membersonly/viewfeature.aspx?featid=10457
Tips and tricks
Keep a diary!
Keeping a log of the activity you have done and what you eat and drink can really help focus your mind on what you need to do to achieve your goals. It also will spur you on if perhaps you have a little slip over the weekend. As one of my clients said to me recently - I not only fell off the wagon over Christmas, I ate the wagon too! It happens to the best of us – it’s how you get up and carry on afterwards that really counts. Granted, it takes time getting used to writing everything down, but I guarantee it will open your eyes to bad habits and help you counter them!
‘Like’ FitNS trainers on Facebook for more regular tips and stories.
Exercise of the month – elevated lunge
Tone your legs and bottom with this slightly more advanced version of one of our favourites – the elevated lunge. - Stand two feet in front of a chair, bench or step, facing away from it with your feet hip width apart.
- Lift your left foot and place on the chair behind you.
- Lower into the lunge ensuring the right knee does not reach over the right toes and dipping the left knee towards the floor.
- Straighten right leg to come back to standing, repeat around 15 times and then swap legs.
- Hold onto some dumbbells (as shown) if you want a tougher workout.
To give your feedback on this newsletter, or suggestions on what you might like to see in future issues, please email nikki@fitns.co.uk.
Wishing you a happy and healthy month of January.
Nikki
Nikki Payne
FitNS Bootcamps and Personal Training
07977 261165 | www.fitns.co.uk
