I added a dedicated yoga practice back in recently in order to balance my olympic weightlifting workouts.
Something that surprises a lot of people is that hypermobile folk need to stretch. Particularly if they resistance train in any form.
Because our poor connective tissue causes unstable joints capsules muscles are prone to spasms and over tightening. This is quite literally the bodies attempt at compensation for the joint laxity.
Of course that isn’t ideal, what we need to structure our bodies are strong pliable muscles that aren’t excreting excess force on already unstable joints capsules.
Also I’m kinda old so mobility as well as resistance work is a good idea. Especially as I’m learning something new and challenging.
Anyway I started Ashtanga yoga again which I haven’t practice in years. I still remember primary series (mostly) so picking it up again seed like a good plan.
I’ve been joining an online Mysore style with a teacher called Adam Keen who seems great. I’m being careful to not overdo it though especially before training days.
It’s fun to get back into a little ashtanga though 6 am is ooof.
Oh and at the grand old age of 52 I did a headstand for the first time ever today. I was also too nervous and didn’t trust my strength. I suspect years ago I actually wasn’t strong enough to stabilise in headstand. But anyway that was pretty cool.
After that it was a 30 mins jog at the beach and a really beautiful morning for it too!
Perhaps like a lot of people in the new year you are thinking about dusting off your trainers and getting back into exercise? The question is how do you set yourself up for success? Whether you’re returning after a long break or just revamping your routine, it’s crucial to approach it thoughtfully and safely.
First things first—be gentle with yourself as you restart your fitness journey. Begin with light workouts or physical activities that you genuinely enjoy, like cycling, dancing in the kitchen swimming, or even brisk walks. The key is to ease your body back into the rhythm of regular exercise without overwhelming it. If you are wanting to learn a new skill such as yoga, Pilates or start resistance training with free weights I would strongly recommend classes or a trainer. That way you learn the correct form and exercises can be adapted to your needs. This is especially important if you have old or existing injuries or underlying health conditions. Nothing ruins a good intention like an injury.
Photo by Kampus Production: Pexels
As you get comfortable, you’ll want to introduce a concept known as progressive overload. This means gradually increasing the weight, intensity, or duration of your workouts to continue challenging your muscles and seeing improvements. It’s a crucial strategy to keep progressing, but always listen to your body and adjust accordingly. If you don’t incorporate progressive overload at best you stop progressing but at worst you can even regress. The body is incredibly good at adapting which means if you don’t continue to challenge it, your body will adapt to the stimulation so we’ll the starting program will no longer do much. If you are working with a trainer or coach they will handle this aspect for you.
Photo by Marcus Chan: Pexels
After a while you might lose the motivation to continue, you will I’m sure have very personal reasons as to why you started it’s worth remembering this initial motivation. Here are a few potential reasons to move that hopefully will keep you motivated.
1. **Bone Health**: Regular exercise, particularly weight-bearing activities like walking and weightlifting, is essential for maintaining bone density. This helps prevent conditions like osteoporosis, keeping your bones strong as you age (Hamdy, 2021).
2. **Preventing Sarcopenia**: As we age, muscle mass naturally declines, a process known as sarcopenia. Staying active and engaging in resistance training can slow down this process, helping maintain muscle strength and size (Janssen, 2018).
3. **Independence and Enjoyment**: Fitness isn’t just about looking good—it’s about feeling good and being able to live life on your terms. Regular movement helps maintain independence, making daily tasks easier and more enjoyable. Whether it’s playing with your kids, gardening, or dancing, staying active enhances your quality of life.
Finally how do you set yourself up for the best chance of success?
– **Set Realistic Goals**: Start with achievable targets and slowly increase them as you build strength and endurance.
– **Find a Buddy**: Sometimes, having a workout partner can provide extra motivation and make activities more enjoyable.
Photo by Elina Fairytale: Pexels
– **Hire a Trainer**: Perhaps you already know you struggle with what to do and when or sticking to a program. Having an appointment keeps you accountable and takes care of “where do I start and what do I do”. It is also really important to seek the advise of someone who knows what they are doing if you are recovering from illness or injury. Part of which might be getting clearance from your doctor then seeking a trainer who can work with/around that condition.
– **Celebrate Small Wins**: Every step forward is progress. Celebrate milestones, no matter how small.
– **Remember why you started**: Keep in mind your personal reasons for starting as well as those listed above. Exercise is a lot like brushing our teeth, we don’t always want to do it, but we know it’s critical to good health.
Remember, the goal is to enjoy the journey as much as the results. Stay patient, be consistent, and your efforts will surely pay off.
If you would like to have personal training, yoga or Pilates in a private gym in Alnwick please get in touch.
– Janssen, I. (2018). The Challenge of Sarcopenia: Musculoskeletal Declines with Aging. *Public Health Reviews*, [online] Available at: <https://www.publichealthreviews.com>
If you would like to work with a personal trainer also qualified in yoga and Pilates in a private home gym in Alnwick please get in touch.
When considering hiring a personal trainer, it’s essential to evaluate your needs and the type of environment where you’ll thrive. Do you prefer the bustling atmosphere of a busy gym, or do you find solace in a quieter, more private setting? Are there specific areas of concern such as sensory overwhelm or allergies?
Recognising this will narrow down your choices and ensure you feel comfortable and motivated during your training sessions.
Photo by cottonbro studio: Pexels
For those with specific health concerns, it’s crucial to find a trainer with the requisite expertise or experience in dealing with such issues. A trainer with several years under their belt may offer invaluable insights and precautions tailored to your unique requirements.
The modern world offers ample ways to vet your potential trainer. Start by exploring if they have a professional website or a presence on social media. This not only gives you a glimpse into their training philosophy but may also showcase reviews and testimonials. Positive feedback from past clients can provide reassurance about their skills and professionalism.
Qualifications are indispensable in the fitness industry. Don’t hesitate to ask to see evidence of their certifications. A certified trainer should proudly present their qualifications, assuring you of their competency.
Equally don’t be afraid to ask details about the qualifications, a weekend course is not the same as a year long one. Short day long or weekend courses or even entirely online are becoming common in the yoga and Pilates world. The depth of this type of qualification is not the same as one taken over many months or years in a studio
Similarly, inquire about their experience. This can be of particular importance of you have specific health concerns or needs that are relevant to your training.
Some trainers specialise in specific areas, while others cover a spectrum that includes yoga, Pilates, resistance, and cardio training. Know what you’re looking for in a training programme to ensure it aligns with your personal goals and interests.
Photo by cottonbro studio: Pexels
Budget constraints can be a significant factor in decision-making. Generally, a newly qualified trainer working within a public gym will be more affordable than a seasoned trainer with their premises. Remember, the more advanced and varied the trainer’s qualifications, the higher their rate might be. Therefore, it’s about finding a balance between expertise and affordability.
Finally check what their billing schedule is, some trainers ask for a minimum booking others week to week. I for example work on a week to week basis with no minimum booking required but I do have a 24 hour cancellation policy.
Ultimately, hiring a personal trainer is a personal decision. Aim to get the best value for your budget while ensuring they are the right fit for you. Always feel empowered to ask questions and be transparent about what you’re seeking in your fitness journey. If unsure ask to meet beforehand and have a chat about what you are looking for to see if that trainer fits your bill.
If you would like to have personal training, yoga or Pilates in a private gym in Alnwick Northumberland please get in touch.
[^1]: Smith, J. (2022). “The Benefits of Personal Training.” Fitness Journal. [^2]: Brown, L. (2021). “Understanding Qualifications: A Guide to Fitness Training Certifications.” Health & Fitness Review.
If you are considering joining me for one to one training in my little home gym in the new year here’s what to expect:-
On the first session we meet and have a chat about what you are looking for, what you hope to gain from the process as well as likes and dislikes movement wise.
Then we go through anything health related that might be relevant to the training sessions. This could be long term health conditions or old injuries.
Taking all of the above into account I take you through a few movements, nothing scary pretty basic body strength and mobility to see what your body wants to add to the conversation. If at any point of course if I ask you to do anything that feels wrong for your body we will skip that movement.
Then all of the above information is used to design a program that works towards your aims while working on mobility and strength to the degree that your body is ready for.
Some people start with a great deal of mobility work in order to allow them to move onto strength work safely. Others start with joint stabilisation for example in hypermobility spectrum disorders this is always stage one. For another it might be quite quickly into strength work.
The mobility and strength is through a blend of yoga, Pilates, bodyweight exercises and free weight resistance training.
Over time as you progress for most people more of the strength work is added in week upon week. Still we keep a focus on mobility to allow for strength through as full a range of movement as possible. This might be over a matter of weeks it might be over a matter of months. Each person will have different needs and their sessions as a result will look and progress differently.
The overall aim is however the same, to help you realign and strengthen your body to allow you to move freely and comfortably in day to day life.
For more information please read through other pages. The reviews page is a good place to start as it gives an idea of the process from a participants point of view and of course feel free to message with any questions.
When someone is feeling less than wonderful it’s common to try something and after a while it’s amazing. They start to feel better. Feel better to the point where yoga, Pilates, weight training whatever it happens to be becomes a passion. They want to tell everyone how fricking amazing Pilates is, how they felt awful beforehand, but now they feel pretty good.
Photo by Prasanth Inturi
But then it stops working, but that’s ok they try something new. Maybe going plant based or paleo and that becomes the new magic pathway. Then that stops working and so on.
So what gives? Possibly a few things. Firstly there is a very reductionist and polarising attitude towards life at the moment and it’s prevalent in the health and fitness space particularly. People are in particular camps, they are yogis, or weight lifters or runners. You can see fitness folk arguing in the comment sections of social media about which is better and why. Each of the adherents arguing their case as to why they are right, why weight lifting is better for far loss, or runners have the best VO2 max and that’s more important. How yoga reduces cortisol which does xyz.
Photo by Anna Shvets
Reality is we need a bit of all of them. We need some cardio for heart and lungs, strength training to prevent sarcopenia and frailty in later years and yes mobility too. Because what’s the point of the first two if you can’t get off the floor due to zero mobility?
So that’s a possibility, you had a piece of the movement puzzle but not the whole thing which meant that for example if someone was dealing with POTs they made progress through running but needed strength work also to improve blood flow.
Perhaps someone started a program but haven’t progressed. In other words still doing the same exercises again and again without any progressive overload. Without making them harder. When that happens the body responds to the stimulus but then gets to that stimulus, unless it’s made more challenging in order to again introduce stimulus detraining can even occur.
Or maybe once someone has an exercise routine sorted their body starts to change and needs better nutrition, more sleep. Other pieces of the puzzle.
Photo by Monica Silvestre
If this has happened to you think of the following
What is the quality of your sleep like?
How much daylight do you get each day?
How many steps do you take a day?
How much blue light are you exposed to?
Do you have time away from blue light before sleep?
How much of your diet is real food? Doesn’t matter what your preference is but looks at how much is something that would have existed before processed food.
Do you have time to relax? Are you genuinely de-stressing?
Are you too comfortable all the time? Do you ever deliberately get out of breath, too hot, too cold or hungry?
Weirdly the body responds to adversity the rule of hormesis. In other words the biological phenomenon where a low exposure to a potentially harmful agent, like a toxin or stressor, can have beneficial effects on an organism. At a low dose of course.
Photo by Pao Dayag
Obviously I’m not saying try and do all these things at once, a total life overhaul is unsustainable BUT if you found an exercise routine that is working or a dietary pattern that helps you but you feel you are no longer getting results. Don’t stop what was working and do something entirely different, maybe tweak it. Make the exercise tougher or add in cardio/strength and then look at sleep or steps. Then after a few months add something else.
The reality is for optimal health we eventually need to look at all of it. Rather than expecting a magic bullet we need to accept that the human animal needs to eat well, move regularly, get daylight and sleep effectively. Any single piece of the puzzle missing can leave you feeling less than awesome.
If you would like to have a personal trainer with a holistic approach working out of a private home gym in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!
Some people excel at sport and athleticism from an early age, it is woven into their DNA. They take to any physical activity they try with ease and grace. The kind of people who won every race at sports day and captained every team. Then there’s those like me who were quite literally picked last for every team in PE, I swear to god if my classmates could have chosen the school bench over me they would. To be fair it would have probably done a better job at the time.
I was skinny, knock kneed, had an undiagnosed hypermobility spectrum disorder and the serious lack of muscle tone that goes with it. As is often the case when we are awful at something I avoided it like the plague, I don’t know if things have changed but in my day PE teachers had no interest in those without natural athleticism never mind the reasons why.
To be entirely honest my experiences at school with regard to fitness were not just negative they were actually traumatic. I was openly bullied for my lack of physicality and knock knees and viciously name called. I’m not sure though out of the laughter or the pity clap I would sometimes get coming in dead last for something…again which one was worse. I still won’t even so much as take part in a 5k race in public as a result, the idea of any type of competition fills me with horror to the point where I actually feel physically sick.
Why am I telling you this? It’s not for pity or sympathy, I am honestly quite fine. The past is the past. I want you to read this if you like me had no natural ability and let you know that it does not and never did exclude you from looking after yourself physically. No matter how rubbish you were at PE you can still benefit from various forms of movement. Heck you might even enjoy it. I certainly do, in fact I can’t imagine a life where I don’t get up and exercise pretty much every day. I am so grateful that I discovered first yoga and Pilates in my 20s which I found I actually quite naturally built for and being the antithesis of competitive sports allowed me to tune in with my body and learn to love moving it. It was this love of movement I took into CrossFit and strength training, the difference being in that situation I was pretty rubbish to begin with. However many years later of keeping at it I am actually
pretty strong and certainly fit.
That for me is the important aspect, being fit and healthy, being strong enough to squat down to the ground with a heavy back pack and stand back up, being able to walk briskly up hills without losing my breath, being limber enough to fold into my legs with no discomfort, being able to lift heavy suitcases over head for other passengers on trains. These are the things that matter to me. That and the sheer love of movement, oh heavens it is simply glorious to just move, there is a delight in using your body that is with language almost inexpressible. As though different movements all have their own flavor and to engage in more than one is like a banquet for the body. Plus as a result I honestly feel better at nearly 50 than I did my entire adult life.
Don’t let a perceived idea of not being athletic dictate to you that exercise isn’t for you, it is for everyone from those like my husband who are naturally talented in a particular field (running) and thrive in competition to those like myself who myself who had to work at it. In fact I think those of us who are not naturals potentially benefit even more as there are often underlying conditions that make us that way which are improved by movement.
Exercise is for all of us and is certainly one of the keys to health and longevity.
If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!
I struggle with the meditative side of mind body practices. I always have done, my mind is like a pinball machine bouncing around. Never still, never quiet. But when I do take the time for that side of it, oh it’s glorious. There’s something incredibly powerful in the quiet moments of just breathing. You don’t need to make it complicated just sit close your eyes and breathe, focus on your breath aim to stay focused on the breath. Your mind will wander, thoughts will intrude. That’s ok, when it does gently lovingly bring it back. Give it try let me know how it goes
If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!
– Wear whatever you want. Clothes are fun they don’t have to stop being fun because your birthday cake now has enough candles to start a small house fire. – Go grey, don’t go grey, shave your head, dye your hair purple, ignore whatever the “hair for over 40s/50s” pages say and wear it however you want. – Keep being fearless, go where you want to, dance when you feel like it, travel, find new adventures we are NEVER too old for new adventures. – Re-invent yourself, if it was good enough for Bowie it’s good enough for us. Take a degree, learn a new skill, take up an instrument. We live at an amazing time where we can change and learn at any time. – Ignore anyone who tells you you’re too old for this that or the other, unless it’s soft play, we probably aren’t allowed in soft play areas for good reasons. – Move and enjoy it, bodies love to move remember how amazing it was as a kid just to taste different shapes with your body? Find a type of movement you enjoy and indulge in the sheer sensory experience of it! – Most of all have fun, yes there are things in life we have to do but don’t let your days become so crowded you lose all time for fun. You matter too. – Finally be proud of your age, you have achieved so much and come so far. The last time someone called me old (as an insult) I replied “yes I’m old as f**k and that’s neither the revelation nor the insult you think it is!”
Here’s to rebellious aging! My dress reads “I didn’t wear this for you” especially for all the people who think nearly 50s/ over 50s shouldn’t wear short dresses
If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!
Firstly don’t over complicate it, find something you either enjoy or at least feel comfortable with and do that activity. Doesn’t matter what it is, if you enjoy it and it gets you moving it’s perfect.
This simple act of choosing something you enjoy is really important you can’t commit to something if you feel dread every time you have a session planned.
You might manage to force yourself to run or lift for a few months but if you hate it you’ll quit, guaranteed. Then you’ll be telling everyone you “just don’t like exercise” which isn’t true, you didn’t like that exercise.
In short stop doing xyz because you think it’s good for you, do something you actually like which can be as simple as walking a bit more.
Secondly give yourself a bit of external motivation. This can be anything from a target weight to lift, an extra few seconds off a 5k or a virtual steps challenge.
At the moment one of my external motivations is a step challenge. I’m virtually walking the Pacific Crest Trail with The Conqueror Challenges For me this has huge significance. When my daughter had cancer I read a book called Wild by Cheryl Strayed it was hugely inspirational and an idea from it became my mantra.
While walking the PCT each and every day Cheryl would get up put on her huge back pack she nicknamed “monster” and simply put one step in front of the other. This became a metaphor to me each day I’d get up and put one foot in front of the other while carrying the weight of what was happening in our lives.
Some days just keeping and getting the basics done was a struggle but I committed to every day to keep moving forward. I finished my postgraduate law conversion during the year after her cancer for me that was part of moving forwards.
Because of this to finish the PCT myself albeit virtually will be a huge achievement, quite an emotional one actually. This of course makes getting there important and motivates me to get a few extra steps in. Each of us will find a different why, but I find it really helps to have that extra why.
I personally try to avoid aesthetic or weight loss motivations as they feed into more negative feelings I have but they do work for many.
That’s it, find something you enjoy, give yourself external motivation in some form and have fun with it.
As much as I’d love to have you take up Pilates or yoga I’d be just as happy for you to take up hiking or go to any of the other wonderful classes/ gyms around and find the movement you enjoy. Just get moving 💚
If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!
I love teaching any time of the year but Spring is my favourite, especially at Alnwick Gardens where we are surrounded by glass walls that allow you to feel like you are in the middle of the first burst of spring while in a class. The ducks are back, it won’t be long till they have duckings who do seem to enjoy walking through the class! It’s unbelievably cute!
If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick get in touch!
If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!
Sam Kelly Fitness 