The Crunch

Have a night out

Shona Wright — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:53:52 +0000

Exercise doesn’t always have to mean going to the gym, make your nights out active ones and you’ll be surprised how many calories you’ll burn without even realising it. Swap sedantry activities like the cinema or dinner for bowling or a night out dancing. Add a stroll to the venue rather than taking a cab and you’ll be notching up those active minutes no end.

Seek out your inner sports person

Shona Wright — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:57:16 +0000

Sports aren’t just for kids and professionals – football, basketball, netball and tennis are all great fun and teams and leagues exist for all abilities and age groups. Team sports are a great way to have fun whilst exercising and you’ll get to meet lots of new people with similar interests. Check out your local sports centre for more information or your local authority website.

RSK Adult kickboxing classes

Shona Wright — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:59:28 +0000

Kickboxing is a great way to get fit and achieve an all over body workout without cardio or resistance machines. If you’re looking for something different to your usual training, or looking to start getting fit after a lack of exercise, kickboxing is just the thing for you. Classes are aimed at mixed abilities and include a range of age groups, from teenagers to 50+, you’re never too old to get started and you’ll be surprised just how much fun you’ll have along the way.

As an RSK Instructor and PKA Black Belt, I also have 13 years experience of the sport and my classes are ideal for those wanting to try a new way to get and keep fit as well as those with previous martial arts training.

Class details:

Thursday’s 7pm – 8pm, Spirit Health Club, Crowne Plaza Hotel Heathrow, Stockley Road, West Drayton, UB7 9NA (free parking)

Coming soon:

Ladies only kickboxing class at Spirit Health Club.

For more information, contact me simon@thecrunch.net or 07557645800

Just how active are you?

Shona Wright — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:53:06 +0000

Feel like your on the go all day? Find our just how active you are by wearing a pedometer. These handy bits of kit measure just how many steps you take each day and can be a great guide to just how much running around you do. Aim for around 10,000 steps a day (around 5 miles) and think of creative ways to get yourself moving. Take the stairs, get off the bus a stop early, park a bit further away from the office – these are all things we know we should do, but wearing a pedometer will help you to realise just how many steps these small actions add up to in a day.

Have a friend, spouse, partner of colleague that’s also trying to be more active? Set up a challenge between the two of you and see who can increase their daily activity the most. There’s nothing like a little bit of competition to get you moving.

If you decide to making walking or jogging a part of your regular activity but find yourself getting bored, create an upbeat playlist to accompany your workout. Choose songs that make you smile and the time will fly by!

Wanting a washboard stomach?

Shona Wright — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 07:32:04 +0000

You can crunch, reverse crunch, twist and plank until your heart’s content but you won’t get great abs without some serious cardio first. If you are carrying a little extra weight around your middle, there’s no escaping the fact that you need to get sweaty. Core exercises are great to strengthen your muscles and you’ll need to make sure these are part of your workout but there’s no point putting all your energy into a tough tummy workout unless your burning away the fat on top. You should aim for 30 mins of cardio at least three times a week and you need to make sure you are getting hot and sweaty – if you’re not, then you’re just not working hard enough.

When you think of abs, you automatically think about sit-ups and these are a great exercise, but there are so many different versions and alterations out there that will keep your stomach muscles guessing and therefore working hard. Try adding some resistance to your core exercises by introducing some light hand weights, a medicine ball or resistance bands to make the workout a little harder. I’ll be posting some great videos on here in the coming weeks for core exercises so keep checking back.

Challenge yourself and do some good at the same time

Shona Wright — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:15:26 +0000

Sometimes it helps motivation if you have a specific event to aim for so why not sign yourself up for a challenge that will require some training. It might be a 10k run, a mountain climb, a desert trek or a white water rafting challenge. If you add in some charity fundraising you’ll not only feel great about completing the challenge, but you’ll also feel good about raising money for a good cause. Adding a fundraising element to your challenge also means you’re less likely to give up, you won’t want to disappoint all those sponsors!

Turn fitness into family fun

Shona Wright — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:48:54 +0000

If you’re bored of your usual fitness routine or struggling to find time in the day to escape to the gym, look to your kids for inspiration and get the whole family involved. Take yourself back to the playground, sports day and children’s parties – the kids will have great fun and you’ll all get a good workout.

Jump for joy

Don’t just watch the kids jump like mad on the trampoline – join in! Jumping is a great workout and if you add in a competition for who can jump the highest, you’ll have hours of fun. No trampoline? No problem! Grab a few skipping ropes and play jump rope in the garden, or have a skipping race.

Hula hoop time

A great workout for your core and what could be more fun for the kids than seeing their parents wiggle and swivel! Not only will you be working your abs and glutes to keep that hula spinning, but you’ll be raising your heartbeat and getting sweaty at the same time.

Frisbee fun

Run, throw and stretch to catch a frisbee and you’ll be surprised how many calories you will burn. For the kids it improves hand-eye coordination and if you pretend (or not) to be bad and drop the frisbee a lot, squat to pick it up and you’ll be adding an extra workout for your legs.

The ideas are endless and you’ll find that some activities become family favourites. By making fitness fun and an activity the whole family gets involved in, you’ll be installing a good understanding of a healthy, active lifestyle in your kids whilst also having fun and spending some quality time together.

Smoothies for athletes

Shona Wright — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:21:57 +0000

I really don’t believe that you should follow any fad diets, especially not meal replacement plans. I know lots of people have lost lots of weight by following them, but it’s not a long term solution. Choosing a healthy lifestyle means you need to start making smart choices about the food you consume and this requires you to have an understanding of what is included in a balanced diet.

Having said that, smoothies can be a great option to boost your healthy calorie intake and fill you up between meals. Smoothies for athletes is a great ebook that contains over a hundred recipes for healthy smoothies – read, enjoy and make sure you let me know your favourite!

Bored of 30min treadmill sessions?

Shona Wright — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:38:52 +0000

Tired of spending 30mins or more on the Treadmill down the gym? Try out HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Do 7-8 sets of 20secs all out as fast as you can go, then 30secs at low intensity, you will burn off more calories in those 6-8mins than you would in 30min at a medium intensity. Still need more convincing? You will also continue to burn calories for up to 48hrs after due to the high intensity you put your body through. This isn’t so easy to do on the treadmill so opt for the exercise bike or step outside for some fresh air and try it with sprints in the park. A great way to get the whole family involved and make exercise part of your family life.

Simon Wright, Personal Trainer

Shona Wright — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:34:13 +0000

Hi everyone,

My name’s Simon and I am the leading Personal Trainer behind The Crunch. Having always enjoyed a range of sports and keeping fit on a personal level, I took the plunge a couple of years ago and decided to commit to pursuing this as a profession. My areas of interest specifically are personal and small group training, working with clients to overcome barriers, break behavioural cycles and achieve a healthy level of fitness which will have a positive impact on their daily life.

As someone with a bit of life experience and a young family at home, I know it can be tough to sometimes make fitness a part of your daily routine and not everyone loves going to the gym. That’s why I wanted to develop a range of ways for exercise and training to fit into your life and that’s where the idea for The Crunch came from. Whether you want to train in the comfort of your own home, want to get outdoors and into the fresh air, or want me to meet you at work on your lunch break, you can be sure we will find a convenient way to build regular exercise into your routine and once you’ve started you won’t want to stop.

Often people decide they need to exercise more because they want to look a certain way and whilst training will definitely help you achieve that, you’ll also have more energy, sleep better and generally feel great.

So I hope you get in touch to kickstart a fitter and healthier future.

Simon