Cold shower challenge

For the past 6 months or so I have been subjecting myself to daily cold showers in the name of personal interest. I first became aware of the benefits of cold water immersion, or ‘cryotherapy’ a few years ago but couldn’t quite get myself to stand under a freezing cold shower or sit in an ice bath more than a handful of times. This time I made a plan to have daily cold showers (and maybe a few ice baths along the way too) for 6 months! Well I am 4 months in and wanted to tell you what I discovered and what the known benefits are of this madness!

The most talked about benefits of regular cold showers are:

• Speeding up recovery after exercise

• Increased alertness (Oh yes you will feel truly awake after a cold morning shower!!)

• Eases stress

• Increases energy

• May help with weight loss as the cold helps increase brown fat that is more metabolically active i.e. it burns more calories than white fat. (To help enhance this action ensure you hit those brown fat receptors in the back and front of the neck)

• Better deeper sleep

• It actually feels so good after you step out of the shower and get a warm glow as you heat back up again.

Day 1: No, I can’t do it, its too cold to just jump right into a freezing cold shower. After procrastinating for what seemed like 10 minutes I negotiated with myself to get into a warm shower then turn down the temperature for just 10 seconds. Wow that’s cold, I only managed about 5 seconds and screamed so loud!

Day 2: This time no delaying just get in to a warm shower then try to beat yesterday’s time. I managed a few seconds more today but it still felt horrible!

Day 3: Why am I doing this? I held firm to my challenge and wanted to see if it got any easier as the week went on. Nope not today just as cold but I am starting to feel that nice warm glow after the shower and I also think my skin feels a lot softer too. (Softer skin and shinier hair is also a known benefit).

Days 4-8: It has become part of my routine now and I am starting to feel the benefits. After a tough workout I actually looked forward to the cold on my muscles.

1 month in: Well I wouldn’t say I am totally hooked but I am definitely noticing that I sleep better after a cold shower a few hours before bed.

Now: Does this shower dial turn any colder? I couldn’t get the dial to turn any colder this morning as I felt it was too warm. WAIT, I wanted to turn it colder?? I did laugh to myself as this was definitely not something I would have tried to do a few months ago. I think I have got used to the cold! No Ice baths to date but maybe it is time to give them another go.

Always listen to your body when trying something like this and ask your doctor before trying it if you have a medical condition. Work up the time spent in the cold water from a few seconds at first so you acclimatise slowly.

Red Hot Personal Training

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Red Hot Personal Training's Christmas Gift Guide

Busy getting ready for the christmas celebrations? With Christmas just around the corner we thought it would be a good idea to share our favourite ideas for healthy Christmas presents.

1. You know how we have said how important a good nights sleep is (see blog dated Oct 27) so with that in mind how about a new supportive fluffy pillow that you can just sink into. To really go all out, why not get a silk pillowcase too. Silk not only feels luxurious but has wonderful properties that can help keep your hair shiny and tangle free and your skin smooth, bonus!

2. A wonderful piece of kit to have at home is a foam roller. Benefits of using it before exercise include increasing blood flow to muscles and range of motion and using it after exercise helps aid recovery and relaxation.

3. Lavender, Frankincense and Rosemary essential oils are a wonderful gift to give, as they help to enhance blood circulation, calm nervous tension and are also anti-inflammatory, so they are excellent after a tough workout. Use them in your bath, in an infuser, mixed with a carrier oil and use on your body or just add a few drops of lavender oil onto your pillow for restful sleep. Be sure to use the best oils as you can find to really benefit from them.

4. Have you tried Bamboo workout clothing? Clothing made from bamboo is wonderful at keeping you dry as bamboo is sweat wicking and comfortable during tough workouts, is a great option for allergy prone skin, is antibacterial and feels so soft against your skin. Bamboo is also a great choice for the environment too as it is biodegradable and only needs rain water to grow. We especially love Bamboo trainer socks.

5. Resistance bands are so simple and easy to use, take up little space and can be used to target multiple muscle groups. We love to incorporate these bands into our clients exercise plans and show them many ways to use them in a daily workout routine for strength, muscle and flexibility gains. The favourite type of band among our clients at present is the ‘Band of doom”(named by Red Hot Personal Training clients as you can really feel it working!!). It’s a strong, thick loop band that can be used as a precursor to many exercising as it activates the hips when placed around the thighs and used for squats, side steps etc. It can also very effectively target the glute muscles, thus strengthening and helping to turn back on those all important posterior chain muscles. As an added bonus its amazing for achieving a peachy derrière!

P.S How about a gift of Personal Training vouchers? Red Hot Personal Training has received a great deal of requests for gift vouchers to give as a present this Christmas. A 'one off session' voucher can be purchased for £45 or a package of 10 sessions for £400 making a saving of £50 per session! Please see the 'Prices' tab of our website for more details.

(Red Hot Personal Training, Pilates and Pre and Post-Natal)

Some of the best foods to buy 'organic'

Switching to a diet that is mainly organic can be pricey but many would argue worth every penny.    The benefits of organic food go well beyond just taste. 

Many studies have illustrated the greater antioxidant levels and drastically lower levels of pesticides and heavy metals contained in organic food.  The very chemicals that may lead to ill health and a toxic build up within our bodies. Organic food is also far better for the environment and animal welfare.

However switching to a fully organic lifestyle is well beyond most peoples reach.  Many clients of Red Hot Personal Training ask which foods would be the most beneficial to change to organic?  So we thought we would detail our 'Top 5 foods to buy organic'. 

1. Milk - Organic milk contains higher quantities of healthy Omega-3, Vitamin E and Beta-carotene than regular milk and does not contain fertility hormones, pesticides or unnecessary antibiotics.
2. Soft Fruit - Such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries are a wonderful addition to your daily diet containing many health boosting properties. However, non organic fruits with soft skins can absorb the pesticides that they are sprayed with and prove difficult to wash off.  
3. Eggs - Organic eggs are a fantastic source of protein and vitamins.  The wonderful yellowy-orange egg yolk produced by free range and organically reared chickens is packed full of goodness. However, non organic eggs may contain pesticide residue through their feed which ultimately ends up on your plate.
4. Bread - As a nation we love our bread so it makes sense that something we eat so regularly is switched to a healthier loaf.  Again, organic bread contains far less pesticide residues.    
5. Meat - Yes its a bit pricey but shop around and you can find some great deals (make use of your freezer if you buy in bulk!).  If you want to reduce your exposure to antibiotics it makes sense to buy organic here even if you end up using less meat and substitute with more vegetables, lentils, beans etc in the recipe.

The list could go on but a few little changes could make a big difference to your chemical exposure and the environment. :) x

Stand up for fitness!

Did you know that sitting down for too many hours every day can seriously impact your health? I wonder how many of you have just stood up!

Sitting facts:

• Research estimates that if you cut back on the time spent sitting down to under 3 hours a day in total, it could add two years to your life expectancy.
• An analysis of 18 studies found that people who sat for the longest periods of time were twice as likely to have or develop Type 2 Diabetes or heart disease, compared to those that sat the least.

Although a daily workout is absolutely essential for your health offering many physical and mental benefits, its equally important what you do in-between and if that is mainly sitting down in an office, at home or travelling try these suggestions below.

Here are some tips to get you moving:

1. Aim to not sit down for more than 15 minutes at a time without standing up or taking a quick walking break.
2.  Try standing up when you talk on the phone or use your computer/ipad etc.
3. Try and cut down on your TV time each day and incorporate regular standing breaks into your viewing time. (Go and make a cup of tea for example).
4. Simple body stretches performed after sitting down will help your circulation.
5. Do small bouts of exercise throughout the day. Every hour or two, take the opportunity to do some squats, standing lunges, high knees, toe touches, or push-ups against the wall. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, complicated, or long. Just a few minutes will do!

Can Red Hot Personal Training help you? We offer the following:

• Online Personal Training
• One-to-one Personal Training
• Pilates Instructor
• Pre and Post-Natal Exercise