Health & Fitness

BEETS BLU BLUETOOTH SCALES

My best friend Amanda and I have been friends for 22 years and our favourite topic of conversation is our weight - it never gets boring!! She weighs herself more than me as I am too scared a lot of the time but if I have a good weigh in, it makes my day…..and vice versa. I think it is important to keep an eye on your weight as it can creep up ever so easily as most of us know. 

I was very grateful to recently be sent some Beets Blu bluetooth scales - these aren't ordinary scales - they do the whole shebang!

The scales are easy to use - they come with batteries which you just slip into the back and then you place them on a hard floor surface (not carpet). On your smart phone, download the Beets Blu smart scale app and you can either add your details like age and height yourself or it links up to the Apple health app and imports the data itself. Then for the scary part…..hop on the scales and within a few seconds, the scales will calculate your muscle mass, body weight with body fat percentage and body mass index, and water (hydration level). Wow - a big step up from my old school bog standard scales!

I am not going to tell you my measurements (I am still carrying some holiday weight!) but I found it really interesting to see how my body mass index, fat mass and muscle mass compared to the charts and thankfully I was in the healthy/fit zone…..although there is definitely room for improvement!!!

BMI index:
Underweight Less than 18.5
Recommended 18.6 to 24.9
Overweight 25.0 to 29.9
Obese 30 or greater

Fat Mass Index:

Classification	Women (% fat)	Men (% fat)
Essential Fat	10-12%	2-4%
Athletes	14-20%	6-13%
Fitness	21-24%	14-17%
Acceptable	25-31%	18-25%
Obese	32% plus	25% plus

Muscle Mass Index:

The scales work with:

- iPhone 4s (or later) 

- iPad 3 (or later) 
- Any smartphone with Android 5.0 (or later) with Bluetooth 4.0 
- Samsung smartphone with Android 4.3 (or later) with Bluetooth 4.0 

I love the fact that you can easily track your progress on your phone, this will act as a great motivator for me. Plus they look so smart and sleek that they make the scary weighing process more attractive.  With these extra measurements, my morning conversations with Amanda are going to go up a notch!!

The scales cost £55.00 which I think is great value considering all they do and how great they look. I just hope they can help me lose that holiday weight!!

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BEETS BLU HEART RATE MONITOR

I was recently sent a Beets Blu Heart Monitor however due to the ridiculously cold weather it has taken me quite a bit of time to try it out - nobody wants to run in the freezing cold. That is the good thing about Bikram Yoga - at least you know you are going to be warm!!

Anyway I forced myself out on a run last week and I was very pleased I did, I felt great afterwards - there is nothing like a good run to blow the cobwebs out. 

The Beets Blu Heart Monitor is very easy to use - I switched the bluetooth on on my iPhone 6 and opened my Runkeeper App and immediately it all linked together.

The heart monitor fit snuggly and comfortably round my chest and was discreet underneath my top. I started running... 

Every ten minutes the app would tell me my running speed and distance and now it also told me my heart rate and what percentage I was running at (80-90% which I was pleased about). I found this motivated me to push myself harder and try to continue to run at the same pace if not harder (thankfully I wasn't on a long run)!

Monitoring your heart rate while exercising used to be just for serious athletes however lots of people use them nowadays in gym classes such as spinning or aerobics or while just running whether on a treadmill or outside. The heart rate provides a fair measurement of how your cardio-respiratory system is working - the harder the workout, the higher your heart rate will be, however the fitter you are, the lower the heart rate.

There are 5 different heart rate zones:

1. 50%-60%, 104-114 bpm - A comfortable easy zone, good for warm up and cool down, improves overall health and metabolic rate.
2. 60%-70%, 114-143 bpm - An average effort, light sweating, easy to still maintain a conversation, improves basic endurance and helps recovery.
3. 70%-80%, 133-152 bpm - An above average effort, moderate sweating, slight muscle fatigue, improves aerobic fitness.
4. 80%-90%, 152-171 bpm - A hard effort, heavy breathing, increases maximum performance capacity.
5. 90%-100%, 171-190 bpm - As hard as you can go and exhausting, this is what I want to aim for when I sprint at the end of my runs!!

If you want to try heart rate training properly it is important to find out your maximum heart rate and a simple way to do this is use this equation:

208 - (0.7 x your age) 

For me that would be 208 - (0.7 x 35) = 183.5. Ideally I would like to train at 70%-85% of this which is  between 128.5 and 156 bpm. As always use your common sense though and if you are too exhausted and feel like you are about to collapse - STOP!

As for me, I will continue to monitor when I run to see how I improve my fitness and also as I said I find it works as a great motivator….I just need to get running again….

Happy heart rate monitoring :-)

Beets Blu Heart Rate Monitor on Amazon

Beets Blu

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THE GYM - SPINNING

I was not looking forward to this half term - Arabella is away with her father and Pascal is in France and so I am left to my own devices.....7 days home alone. Unlike Macaulay Culkin I am not going to sit around eating pizza and ice cream sundaes, and I bloody hope I won't be fending off scary burglars!! 

Part of it is nice - I get to have a lie in, watch crap TV (hello Kardashians), have a facial and plenty of me time - this may sound incredible to most mummies who are dying for a break but then again it is extremely lonely. I already can't wait for the normality of next Monday night when I have both Arabella & Pascal home.

Other than my gorgeous friends, the one thing that really gets me through these times is the gym. Even if I really really don't want to go, I force myself as it gets me out the house, I see friendly faces and I always feel better after exercise. I release lots of endorphins which pushes any sad feelings away and it makes me more motivated to do something rather than just sit on my arse. Plus as I am already paying a monthly fee, it does not cost anything. 

I have already written about my favourite classes Body Pump and Body Attack. Another class I do regularly is Spinning which is indoor cycling. I have to admit I absolutely hate it until about 3/4 of the way through the class, when the end is in sight, and I then start to appreciate what a good work out it is and I am pleased I have done it. It is a vigorous exercise session that burns plenty of calories (apparently around 400-600 depending on your shape/size/ability) and it keeps your muscles in great shape.

I don't know if you have seen a class or taken part before, but the bikes are all lined up in a studio, the lights are dimmed, the music is pumping and there are "disco" flashing lights (I sometimes think these are going to give me an epileptic fit even though I am not at all epileptic)!

Here is a picture I found on the Internet to give you an idea.

The class I do is 45 minutes long and there are 7 exercise tracks (I count these down to get me through it). You can adjust the resistance on your bike making it harder or easier and the instructor will tell (shout) what you need to do - from pedalling as fast as you can for a set time to adding resistance so you can "climb a hill". It is certainly a class that makes you sweat!! You basically are pretending you are riding your bike outside on different terrains - hills, dips, flat etc. 

It is not easy, for first timers the seat can be painful on your bottom, but if you persevere it is worth is as it is a great work out. Each track is different so you have some variety, sometimes you are in your seat, other times you are cycling standing up or even doing little jumps. It is just important to make sure your position is correct but that is something a teacher will help you with. Plus it is up to you how much resistance you add on so you do have some control....you can ease up if you feel you are about to die.

Some people love spinning - my friend Vicky came to a class with me the other day and she is 7 months pregnant! I find that inspirational as I would be knee deep in chocolate if I were her!

Give it a go and see what you think. I will be doing it tomorrow, hating it most of it but patting myself on the back when I am finished, feeling both invigorated and proud!

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BIKRAM YOGA CONTINUED.....

I did my second Bikram yoga class today - despite waxing lyrical about it yesterday I was a little apprehensive about doing it again. I needn't have worried - it was awesome.

There are a few points I left off my original review though....

Firstly it is really nice if you can arrive at the class a little early as you lie on your mat / towel and just relax. The room is quiet and peaceful and really really warm and if you have a good imagination you can close your eyes and imagine that you are lying on a beach in the middle of the Caribbean. However the main difference between being on a beach and in a Bikram studio is the smell!! As you can imagine - it stinks!! Not so much sweat and BO, more cheesy feet. Although you do become acclimatised very quickly and the smell disappears so don't let it put you off.

The other thing I noticed was how many men do Bikram - I was amazed. In my body attack / body pump classes, there are a few token men but majority women. In Bikram it was definitely 50:50, if not more men than women. This certainly helped Pascal feel more relaxed.

You really work hard - even though you are technically just stretching, your heart pounds. In between poses, my heart was beating as if I had been running and I was even panting at one point!! 

Finally the sweating is out of control - my nostrils were even sweating - I did not know this was possible. It's all good though, you feel purified. One word of advice, don't meet a friend / potential boyfriend straight after the class - you look like a drowned rat!!

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BIKRAM YOGA

At the weekend we went to stay with our gorgeous friends Tony and Jacci - both are in absolutely incredible shape and they credit Bikram Yoga for this. Tony only started doing it in September and has already lost 10kg (he also slightly altered his eating habits). 

I have never been into yoga - I did it several years ago but felt it to be a big old waste of time as it did not do anything to help with weight loss (my nirvana) - at the end of the session when we did "shavasana" and were meant to be opening our minds, I was always thinking about what's for dinner!

However Bikram yoga is a type of yoga that is performed in a room heated to 40 degrees. There are many many benefits such as....

- Detoxifies the body and removes harmful toxins. Bikram Yoga causes profuse sweating which converts the toxins in to water soluble products. This ensures the easy removal of the toxins in the form of sweat.

- The heat increases the metabolism and speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids. It also helps to increase the heart rate and burn calories effectively thereby promoting weight loss (yee - haa)!

- The heat helps to loosen up the muscles producing less strain on them. This reduces the chances of injury. It also strengthens the spine and provides relief from back pain.

- Stretching your muscles in heated conditions encourages the effective flow of blood to different parts of the body, hence increasing the blood circulation and improving the functioning of the circulatory system. Improved blood circulation helps to increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the several parts of the body.

- Improves the functioning of the lymphatic system that is responsible for flushing out the toxins from the body. It also improves the functioning of the heart, lungs, nervous & endocrine system.

- Helps to reshape your body by the lengthening, strengthening and toning of the muscles which also helps to reduce the risk of sport-related injuries. It improves the balance and coordination of the body and strengthens the bones and muscles and increases the flexibility of the muscles.

- Strengthens the body’s immune system and reduces the risks of infection.

- Helps the mind to be calm and relaxed thereby offering great relief from stress, anxiety and tension. It helps you sleep better (hallelujah)!!

- Increases the flexibility and lubrication of the joints, tendons and ligaments.

- Improves focus, concentration and discipline and it cleanses the body.

- Boosts the energy level of the body and increases the strength and stamina of the body.

Hello - what is not to like about all of that?! 

So Pascal & I decided to bite the bullet and try out a class. Both were incredibly nervous - could we stand the heat? I am super inflexible. Pascal is claustrophobic. Will it be full of yoga professionals? What do I wear? I hate trying new things....but hey, I must practise what I preach and try new classes.

We went down to our local Bikram studio and luckily everyone was extremely nice and helpful and we easily joined a class. Like with my body attack classes everyone was different shapes and sizes and had different abilities. Plus there were a couple of other newbies like us.

It was tough, my heart was pounding at times and sometimes the heat was suffocating, however I have to admit I did not find it as hard as I thought - my biggest problem was knowing my left and right. The heat is overpowering but no more than my spin class and you work against you own strength, it doesn't matter what everyone else does, you are all about you (heaven)! I don't speak "yoga" and so found some bits slightly hard to understand but you are encouraged to copy the pros in the front row which makes it easier (I was always good at copying at school)!

Each class is 90 minutes long and includes a series of 26 yoga poses and 2 breathing exercises. 

I actually really enjoyed it, I felt I had worked extremely hard and so will definitely be going again - when I walked out I had sweated so much I felt I had had a facial - my skin felt fantastic, I also slept better that night and didn't feel hungry all day which is a miracle. It was also good for Pascal as he normally just runs which leaves him in all sorts of pain whereas in yoga, he sweated and worked even harder but could still walk properly afterwards. 

All in all I would recommend giving it a go - the only downside is that it is not cheap but as I said to Pascal it is the price equivalent of going to the cinema or out for a couple of double g&ts - but it is WAY more beneficial. Just about to head for class number 2 now!! 

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THE GYM - BODY ATTACK

I've had one of those mornings yesterday - it was so grey neither my daughter or I wanted to get out of bed. Consequently we were then rushing around and very nearly late to school. To give myself some energy I drunk two enormous coffees and then went to my exercise class, couldn't park for about 15 minutes and forgot my water bottle - duh.

Every Monday I try and do the class Body Attack, as every Monday without a doubt I am suffering from overdoing the food and wine at the weekend (I think 99% of the class are in the same boat judging by the lack of enthusiasm on their faces). 

I don't know if you know Body Attack - I describe it is jumping around like a lunatic for an hour. It is a great all over body workout and you seriously sweat (even my eyes seem to sweat which is most unpleasant) so it is a great way to get rid of the weekend's toxins. The first time I did it I thought I was going to die and said never again - however I now try to do it twice a week as you can burn off around 700 calories per class which is not to be sniffed at!

Body Attack is a sports-inspired cardio workout for building strength and stamina. It is a high-energy interval training class combining athletic aerobic movements with strength and stabilisation exercises. There are 12 tracks per class (an hour long) and here is the current list of music and exercise.

You work the whole body combining moves such as squats, high kicks, press ups, lunges, shuffles, tuck jumps, jumping jacks, running, burpees, sit ups and even a new one where you jump into a snowboarding / surfing position and I picture myself as Michael J Fox in Teen Wolf surfing on that van! There is a lot of variety to keen you interested.

A new Body Attack class is released every three months with new music and choreography. We have just received a new release and it is taking me a while to get used to - coordination is not a strong point! Every exercise has a different level so if you can't do a move anymore, you can do a low intensity version - I had to do this yesterday as jumping around after two large coffees could have ended in an extremely embarrassing situation!!

As with pump you are working in a group and that really helps with motivation - nobody finds it easy (even the instructor is sweating buckets) and you can spur each other on plus it makes it much less boring!! Everybody is a different shape or size and whilst it is mainly women in my classes, men do come along too and find it a great way to boost their fitness as it is totally different to just running & doing weights - my brother runs a lot and fast but recently did an exercise challenge which included burpees, jumping jacks, press ups etc and he could not walk for a week!!

A combination of this and body pump will definitely keep those spare tyres at bay and increase your fitness - I will be practising what I preach and doing an hour of body attack tomorrow and while I dread the thought of it now, I know it is a fantastic work out so have a try!

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THE GYM - BODY PUMP

I thought it might be time to update the exercise section seeing as it is still completely blank!!!

Due to the huge amount I eat and drink I have to go to the gym regularly otherwise I would be the size of a house. I kind of go with the theory that if I exercise a few times a week I should be able to maintain my weight (more or less).

I really notice the difference when I eat like a piglet and don’t move a muscle (aka Lanzarote May 2013 – a 7lb weight gain in 2 weeks) and then the other side of the spectrum when I eat like an anorexic and exercise like mad (a 10lb weight loss in Jan / Feb) – unfortunately this was impossible to keep up & so incredibly boring!!

I would say probably 98% of people I know HATE exercise – I try to do about 4-5 classes at the gym a week which might sound totally insane but I have turned exercise into a habit – you just need to get over the first hurdle of starting.

I put my gym clothes on in the morning for the school run (quicker than thinking about what to wear) so then I feel I have to go & work out - although there have been times when I have gone back to bed in said gym clothes! This also means during the holidays when there is no school run my gym going is pretty non existent.

If you are a member of a gym, I would definitely recommend trying out some classes – group mentality can really spur you on. I know it can be scary being new but you normally get over that pretty quickly as you are too busy following the steps and trying not to make a tit of yourself. The classes I have been to are such a mix of men and women aged from about 20 – 75, they are all shapes and sizes and different fitness abilities, so it is unlikely you will feel the odd one out.

For me the best thing about exercise if the feeling after – the endorphins, the proudness, and even the sweatiness makes you feel fantastic plus you can then eat a burger or pizza or both (I hear you can now get a pizzaburger?) without feeling guilty.

One of the classes I would recommend is Body Pump.

This is my favourite class – you use barbells, plates and steps, and do set routines to a pumped-up soundtrack. This class challenges the whole body & is 20% cardio, 70% strength & 10% mind & body.

You aren’t running around like a lunatic but the class still makes you sweat & out of breath – I did it this morning and my elbows were even sweating – grim!! Each track works a different body part – you warm up with your lightest weights on the bar & then after than you work your back, chest, bottom, legs, triceps, biceps, shoulders & finally abdominals. The music is generally pretty good and up to date and you get to work on your muscles – and the more muscle you have the quicker you burn calories – so more food & wine!!! According to my fitness pal - I burn off about 475 calories for an hour class - that is nearly a Big Mac which isn't bad at all.

Benefits include:

•                It will improve your strength

•                LOTS of repetitions

•                It will improve your general fitness

•                It will shape and tone your muscles

•                It will protect your bones and joints from injury

•                It gets you into shape fast

•                You will feel confident

Have a go & let me know what it is like…..