Accessorise: Headbands, sweatbands, arm warmers, bags, gloves, socks, laces, you name it, the fitness accessories arena is burgeoning with a host of funky kit and designs. If you want to be a trend leader this year at the gym or while out for a run you need to find a unique accessory and wear it with pride.

Black and white: Last year, fitness clothing was bright. Think neon yellows, pinks and greens. In 2012, the fitness trendies are fighting back with a return to neutral colours, and especially black and whites. But don’t mix and match white tops with black leggings. It’s all black or all white if you want to keep up with the trendies.

Hair today: Beards are in for the guys, while long hair is on trend for the girls. Apparently, there is nothing cooler than a buff athlete with a burly beard (think David Beckham). And for the ladies, the hottest look is definitely not short, pixie cuts but long lovely locks (perhaps tied up in a high bun for your workout).

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Before leaving I worked out a body weight routine with my trainer and also downloaded Fitdeck from the app store. This is the electronic version of the card system which comprises of about 50 playing cards each with an exercise on. You then “play” or perform as many cards as you feel fit (excuse the pun). No equipment is required for any of the exercises so you only need yourself…no excuses now.

I never had the original card set but the app has additional pre exercise warm up and stretches, then your select amount of exercise cards then warm down cards. You can also select your level so as a beginner you may get 10 repetitions, 20 as an intermediate, 30 as an advanced. The cards are dealt equally between upper, mid, lower and complete body exercises so you get a balanced workout. If an exercise requires a time i.e. hold this position for 30 seconds, you can tap the counter and it will bleep once the time expires. Each exercise has a diagram and brief explanation which I managed to follow easily enough. A few exercises were not clear to me and seemed very easy so I guess I wasn’t doing it right. I suppose in todays video enhanced world short video clips with an audio explanation would make it even better but the current 2D system is still great. The app also records your sessions in it’s log with all the exercises you completed so you can see what you have done.

I can see Fitdeck being ideal for those away from home with the majority I would say being able to be performed in a hotel room. If like me you struggle to memorise routines this could be a great addition to you exercise regime.

You can download Fit Deck today from iTunes.

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What are Reebok EasyTone Trainers?

EasyTone trainers help you tone key muscles in your calves, hamstrings and glutes. Wearing them increases muscle activation in your leg muscles and buttocks. Reebok tested their EasyTone Go Outside trainers against a normal, foam based walking shoe of theirs, the Reebok Expresswalk, and found that EasyTone shoes increased muscle tone up to 11% in the calves and hamstrings and up to 28% in the glutes.

How Do They Work?

They’ve got built-in pods under the heel and forefoot, which are made to create instability at each step, forcing your muscles to adapt, in turn toning them up. The pods are highly durable and the trainers are lightweight.

When are They Worn?

 Reebok EasyTone Trend trainers are designed as a fashion item as well as a muscle toning trainer, so you can wear them out and about all day as you go about your usual daily routine. The black with berry trim can be worn with just about anything, including jeans. Alternatively, they can be worn for a gentle workout.
These trainers are best suited for walking and light exercise as opposed to high impact sports such as running or tennis.

Who are They Suitable For?

If you’re always busy running around but don’t get to the gym quite as often as you’d like, they’re ideal. As Reebok’s EasyTone slogan goes : “Take the gym with you”.
Many women wear them for things like shopping and the school run. The breathable black leather uppers, cushioned fit and versatile colourway makes them wearable throughout the day with your casual clothes. If you’re on your feet with your job and can wear casual shoes, these are great.

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It was all done in the name of charity – specifically the Breast Cancer Foundation. In order to participate heels over 3″ tall had to be worn and they were all measured before the race to ensure fairness.

Britney McGlone, one of the race contenders, said, “Running in stilettos is as easy as sprinting. You just need to get up on your toes and don’t let your heels touch the floor.”

Check out the video from the event below:

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Boxing is an excellent full body workout, burning around 500 calories an hour and it’s great for arm and shoulder sculpting. Although you use all your muscles, you won’t bulk up because of all the repetition of movement.

Not only does boxing firm your body up, it raises your fitness levels quickly. Boxing or kickboxing will also help with conditioning for other sports that require short, sharp bursts of physical exertion such as sprinting, throwing etc. The impact as you land your punch or kick is what provides the strengthening effect, as opposed to the motion, so a session with the punchbag can do wonders for strength. Find the right training program for you and before long you’ll find that your arms and legs are more defined and your stomach flatter, and your strength and stamina will be significantly improved.

Stress management and combat sport

Combat sport will not only improve your aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels, strength and stamina, but it has a positive effect on the mind, too. Releasing your mental tension through a sparring session is the ultimate in stress relief. Boxing and kickboxing are both highly effective stress-busters, literally knocking out the negative emotions. Both sports have gained in popularity recently as more and more people discover the positive effects they have on mental as well as physical well-being

Engaging in a combat sport is an excellent way to alleviate pent-up aggression in a safe, productive way. Many women report an elevated sense of empowerment and a boost in self-confidence after engaging in combat sports. It’s a positive and satisfying way to take out your mental stress, which is often linked to suppressed anger. Vent this accumulated anger on a punchbag and reap the benefits as you feel calmer and more in control.

Stress and anxiety can leave you feeling helpless, with a feeling situations out of your control. Boxing and kickboxing provide you with a sense of empowerment, not to mention self defence skills, physical strength and mental agility. You’ll probably find you feel lighter and more relaxed after a session, ready to take the world on in a positive, productive way.

If you’re looking for a high-intensity, total workout for mind and body, then boxing or kickboxing could well be the way forward.

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Doctor Daniel Pereles at George Washington University in America, along with a number of other colleagues, conducted an experiment involving 2,729 volunteers who all recruited online and ran at least 10 miles per week, thus increasing the reliability of the findings.

The runners were split into two groups. One of which were asked to stretch their quadriceps, calves and hamstrings before running, whereas the other group were asked to run as normal without stretching before hand.  However in the latter group volunteers were asked to report any injuries which would prevent them from running for a whole week.

The results of the findings, which were published at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, showed that injury rates in both groups were exactly the same at 16%.

The most significant risk factors for injury were having injuries in the last four months or a higher BMI, which stands for Body Mass Index. Injuries were also increased when competitors were asked to switch groups, which is mainly due to the fact that their usual routine was being abandoned which causes the body to respond accordingly.

Dr. Pereles said:

“Some insist you need to stretch, others say you don’t, and every time I tried to assess a study on this I found that the authors were extrapolating the results from gymnasts or wrestlers or soccer players or other sprinting or short distance athletes, and nothing was related to running.

“I just wanted to know whether stretching before going for a run would be beneficial for recreational runners like myself.”

The important to thing to bear in mind is that this study is solely aimed at runners who did not compete in any other activity. If you take part in Football matches, (or soccer to our American friends) Tennis games or just the occasional Squash encounter then stretching your muscles is highly advised to decrease the risk of injury and to gain optimum performance from your body. By not stretching it has been proved that it is more likely you will pull or tear a muscle, or just incur other problems which stop you from taking part in physical activity.

In professional sports, competitors train every day and then stretch before a match, and then warm down following their activity to gain maximum results from the most important muscles in the body. By not stretching it is doubtful their bodies would last for the length of time their match or game takes place.

However, judging by this study, if you’re a regular runner then perhaps you could add 10 minutes to your route, rather than using the time to stretch your muscles!

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At this time I must point out this cannot be 100% accurate, although having spent some time checking different sports and activities it would appear the figures are very realistic and reliable. Not all popular hobbies are listed but there are enough to make an informed judgment and choice. By entering your respective weight and the amount of time you plan to spend on one activity you can find out how much you might lose at http://www.healthstatus.com/cgi-bin/calc/calculator.cgi

In the UK, Football is the most popular sport in terms of how many people play and how many watch it on Television. The introduction of BSkyB has brought the game into millions of households and has become by far and away the most popular in the British Isles. However this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the activity that will help burn off the most calories; the sport forms just one of ten hobbies or interests (Badminton, Squash, Boxing, Tennis, Swimming, Running, Walking, Rowing via a machine, and Cycling) that I’ve decided to look into and discover which of them in a specified amount of time will aid weight loss.

All of these activities and their resulting numbers are completely relevant to my own weight and the time I have allotted, which is 30 minutes. For other people with different weights and increasing or decreasing time frames these figures will of course be altered and each individual is likely to find a different activity which is best suited to them. If you do happen to be a male conducting these sports for half an hour at a weight of 154lb then these will be of particular interest.

Walking (2mph)- 97 calories

The odd stroll now and then never did anyone any harm, and by walking for just 30 minutes you can burn nearly 100 calories. If you did this just once a day for all days of the week then you’ll come close to losing 700 calories! It may not sound very much but over a period of time you may burn more than you first thought!

Badminton- 157 calories

I’m quite surprised this doesn’t come up higher in the list such is the relentlessness and overall stamina required to play the sport. Getting around the court and exerting power on the shuttlecock requires a huge amount of fitness, and although it burns off a fair amount of calories, you may have to play it slightly longer than the allotted 30 minutes to get good results, or alternatively if you play competitively instead of casually its highly likely you’ll burn more than this in a similar time frame due to the longer match format and extra agility required.

Boxing (punching bag)- 208

Don’t worry-you don’t need to fight David Haye, Amir Khan or even you’re local boxer at the local hall and take a beating! To perform this activity simply buy yourself a punching bag, a decent pair of gloves and start punching. Having had one myself it wears you out incredibly quickly, but while trying to punch hard consistently it also improves your stamina, mental strength and eye to hand co-ordination.

Tennis (singles)- 213

Much like Badminton, this activity requires an awful lot of endurance as getting around the court and delivering shot after shot will after a while drain you of strength and desire to run. However the sport is very accessible, equipment is reasonably cheap to buy and you also get some fresh air at the same time. If you did this for half an hour a day for a month then you may lose up to four pounds, which is a quarter of the way to burning off a stone.

Swimming (moderate)- 213

Debatably one of the more enjoyable ways of getting, and subsequently, staying fit . Swimming gives a workout to all of the muscles and can be conducted indoors aswell as outdoors. If you live near a beach then its free, but its incredibly cheap to visit your local pool for a workout and keeps you well hydrated.

Soccer (casual)- 245

Without doubt this is the activity I participated in the most as a teenager and then subsequently while at University. Even if you play in goal like myself you get a thorough workout, it stretches the legs, makes you sweat, and certainly improves your overall fitness and endurance. At first it may be gruelling and tough to keep up, but over a period of time your body gets used to it and you’re able to run for longer periods of time. There are many clubs you can join in Sunday leagues, and even if you start as a substitute and get 20 minutes per game you will still be shedding those pounds.

Squash-245

I predicted before writing this up that Squash would be second best to Cycling. However, the activity doesn’t seem to be as good for fitness as I first thought, although there is no doubt in my mind that over a period of time this is just as good as any other sport or activity when it comes to losing weight and giving yourself a thorough physical work out. Again, I perform this activity myself on regular occasions and even after half an hour it really tests your physical stamina and determination to see a game out. Many local sports halls have several courts and they tend to be good value for money.

Rowing-245

Anybody that’s used one of these to exercise will I’m sure back me up when I say this is an incredibly exhausting and tiring activity, but at the same time its very rewarding and builds up a huge sweat. Obviously you don’t need to start off at high speeds; you can build your way into it and go for distances which you feel comfortable with before stepping it up a notch. It gives your legs, arms and back a real work out and thoroughly tests your overall physical endurance.  You can access one of these at a local gymnasium or, if you prefer, they’re readily available to buy.

Running- 296

It does surprise me that one of the more ‘easier to perform’ activities on the list is so high up, but then again that’s good news for people who cannot afford to visit a gym or pay for equipment to aid weight loss. All you need is a decent pair of shoes and a consistent program which involves making up routes in your local area and then increasing the distances as you become more confident. If you run for half an hour a day over the course of two weeks then you will have lost at least two pounds depending on your diet.

Cycling- 305

Having predicted this would come second to Squash it doesn’t completely surprise me that this appears at the top of the tree. It gives all the muscles a through work out, and if you already have a bike in your garage then its free to do (of course you will need a safety helmet and some refreshments to keep you hydrated). Similar to many of the aforementioned activities you can start off at a slow pace and then build up as you become more confident in yourself that you can carry out the hobby for longer periods of time.

Including inclines and tough routes into your program at specific times will really test your physical capabilities, and based on this calculator this is the activity which will help you lose weight in the fastest time.

Remember though, you cannot just perform these once a week and expect to burn off those unwanted pounds. These activities require a huge amount of focus, determination and consistency if you’re to see results, but if you’re intent on sticking at it and seeing them through to the bitter end then you will almost certainly see a smaller number on those scales.

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The survey conducted by adventurous shower and bathing brand Original Source showed that the average person spends only 17 minutes per day outdoors.

This indicates that the average Briton spends less than one year (301 days) in the open in a lifetime, while 25,249 days (69 years) are spent indoors.

An increase in the number of gymnasiums in the country is largely responsible for less time spent outdoors, according to 82% of 3000 people who responded to the survey.

A third said if their gym closes down for some reason, they would prefer working out at home, while 10% said they would quit exercise,

People also blamed poor weather for not spending time outside, with 11% feeling unsafe to venture out.

Psychologist Donna Dawson said: “Getting outdoors is essential to our health and wellbeing – both physically and psychologically. The combination of fresh air and beautiful scenery uplifts our mood and makes us feel good.

“The more time spent indoors, the more likely we are to suffer with depression, anxiety and mood swings. It’s extremely worrying that as a nation, it’s not important to us any more.”

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Moderate exercise carried out over a year increased the size of a part of the brain associated with memory and learning, a study conducted by a team at the University of Pittsburgh found.

Researchers selected 120 dementia-free physically inactive adults aged 55 to 80 for the study.

For a year, one group of participants took part in aerobic activity that involved walking for 40 minutes a day, three days a week, while the other group only performed stretching and toning moves, and did no aerobic exercise.

At the end of the year, the scientists found that the volume of a brain part called hippocampus increased in the group that did aerobic exercise, but decreased in the other group.

Hippocampus is responsible for spatial memory, which is associated with navigation skills. Spatial memory is known to decline with old age.

The aerobic exercise group also showed improved scores on spatial memory tests.

Levels of a protein that plays a role in learning and memory, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), were also raised in participants who did aerobic exercise.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences.

Simon Ridley , head of research at the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: “Increasing evidence suggests regular exercise and a healthy diet may help reduce our risk of developing dementia, as well as reaping numerous other benefits from living a healthy lifestyle.”

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There are many reasons for this change. Primarily its because people just don’t have enough money as they used to have, nor the time to actually make the trip to a gym a regular occurrence.

However there’s no reason to quit your quest to stay fit, there are still plenty of ways to work out for free without having to use a treadmill or consult a sweaty instructor for their advice. Simply Sweat has listed ten ways that you can stay fit without having to spend a penny.

1. Take a nice, long walk

Any form of physical activity which increases your heart rate will burn calories. Infact if you walked for 25 minutes and weigh around twelve stones then you will burn off 300 calories. Repeat this process every day of the week and you’ll burn off over 2,000 calories (nearly half a stone!)

Many may perceive this method as ‘too easy’ to be taken seriously, however studies have shown that you can burn off just as many calories per mile by walking as you can by running in a similar time frame.

Anybody can do it; it doesn’t cost you anything, and above all it contributes significantly to overall physical fitness.

2. Running

Certainly one of the more ‘popular’ ways of getting fit, running remains one of the easiest ways of gaining physical exercise, and the only thing you need in order to do it is a comfortable pair of shoes.

The best way to start is by running for five minutes around the block or creating a specific route, and as you become more confident in yourself you can make the route longer. However, try to avoid making this move too early as it can cause injury.

Local clubs often put on ‘fun runs’ or half marathons which you can try to work towards. Its a huge motivational factor and you’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction out of it.

Not only will this increase fitness, but it will also enhance your endurance and allow you to run for longer periods.

3. Swimming

Arguably this is the best way to keep fit as swimming strengthens all the muscles and its virtually impossible to pick up any injuries. Obviously to do it for free you will need a beach within close proximity or know a person who has their own pool.

Likewise to running you need to start slow, pace yourself and build up to bigger distances and time frames progressively. It’s a fantastic fitness booster, you get fresh air,and at the same time relaxes and strengthens all your muscles.

4. Cycling

After purchasing a bike (assuming you don’t have one) this activity is virtually free, the risk of injury is very low provided you wear a safety helmet, and you have the opportunity to visit some beautiful places which you may not have otherwise seen.

You don’t have to be a Lance Armstrong or an Alberto Contador (winners of the Tour de France). If you want to physically challenge yourself, enjoy some of the local scenery and improve your physical endurance and fitness levels then Cycling is certainly a good place to start.

If you did just one of these activities every day for a week then over time your fitness will definitely improve, and if your wanting to lose weight then you will undoubtedly shed some pounds if you stick to a fixed program.

5. Circuit Training

This method sounds daunting and perhaps a little extreme, but doing many activities in the space of just a few minutes will undoubtedly benefit you in terms of fitness.

Circuits consist of  ’stations’ where these various activities are placed and you literally go from one to the other where you spend an allotted amount of time. You could include squat thrusts, star jumps, press ups, sit ups and dumb bell raises for an all round selection of fitness enhancing programs.

Carrying this out twice a day will get your heart racing which will burn off calories quickly and improve overall fitness. Put in place a program that suits you and start off slowly, gradually build up confidence and self esteem which will then enable you to put in place more stations and be able to perform them for longer periods.

6. Walk the dog

This sounds so simple and wouldn’t particularly strike you as something that may improve fitness, but aswell as the dog getting exercise, you are too!

If you don’t have a dog then offer to walk someone else’s. This way you may be able to make money at the same time as staying healthy. Dogs need to be walked on occasions three times a day and therefore you will get a considerable amount of exercise while also doing something the animal enjoys.

You can pick your own route; walk for as long as you like and choose the times to do it. It’s a great way to increase your fitness without really realising it!

7. Aerobics

In this age of accessible technology and convenience, more and more people are increasingly turning to DVD workout sessions in order to lose weight and stay fit. Celebrities on regular occasions promote these discs on Television and on the Internet in the hope of inspiring others to follow their regime.

The Nintendo Wii has quickly become a legitimate way in which to lose weight as some of the games are designed in such a way that the user must stretch their body parts and be physically active in order for the console to react.

The ’sports’ game, which has become one of the most popular of its kind  was the subject of a study by students at Liverpool John Moore’s University some time ago and they concluded that if somebody were to use the console for 12 hours a week then an individual could potentially  lose 27lb, equivalent to nearly two stones.

Admittedly a Wii does cost money, but if you already have the console and the disc then don’t ignore it, whip it out and give it a go..the results may surprise you.

8. Not using the easy option!

By this we mean get off the bus a stop earlier, use bags of sugar and pasta as weights and run up the stairs instead of walk. All these things add up and you may lose more weight than you initially thought.

In addition don’t use the remote control to change the TV channel, change it at the screen. Don’t take the car to get a pint of milk and a newspaper, take a walk. When you’re in town don’t use a trolley, use a basket as this will provide a great work out for your arm muscles.

Although these things sound too simple, its often the basic ideas that get the best results. Think before you do something, and ask yourself whether you can change what your doing to burn an extra few calories.

9. Take the kids to the park

If you’re a parent you will know only too well that the little ones have an awful lot of energy and at times need to burn off their enthusiasm. Taking them to the park for a kick around or a push on the swings will not only wear them out, but you will be getting some fresh air and exercise at the same time.

Making this a regular occurrence will help you enormously if you’re trying to get fit and lose some weight, and you’ll be able to spend time with the kids at the same time.

10. Clean the house

I know what the men are thinking. Oh no, manual labour..  and admittedly it doesn’t sound particularly appealing. However don’t write it off just yet!

Cleaning your house vigorously from top to bottom once a week will increase the heart rate, you’ll build up a sweat and burn off calories very quickly. Presuming you do this four times a month it will contribute massively in your quest to stay fit.

So put down the television remote, tell the wife (or girlfriend) to relax, pick up a duster and start cleaning!

These are just ten ways in which you can lose weight for free but obviously there are many more, and all will come in handy if you’re on a quest to lose some weight and get fit.

Good luck!

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