fit for life

HEALTH & FITNESS Contribution thanks to Sarah Lewis

BECOME FIT FOR LIFE Lava Wellbeing & Fitness FB: @lavawellbeing Insta:@lavawellbeing_fitness

Our best defence against this pandemic is good health

Ifirst qualified as a personal trainer in June 2018 with the sole purpose of empowering people to utilise exercise to be accountable and become the best version of themselves and become ‘fit for life’, whether that means to fulfil their potential as a professional footballer or someone with a long-term illness being able to carry their shopping and climb the stairs without becoming out of breath. I believe that exercise should be accessible to all regardless of ability.

A majority of my work focuses around injury rehabilitation, activity to manage long term health conditions, pre and postnatal exercise, or working with those who have simply lost their spark and are feeling overwhelmed and ‘out of shape’ having not prioritised themselves.

I opened the Lava Wellbeing & Fitness studio in October of this year and the response has been fantastic. We are currently living in a time where we have suddenly become more sedentary being forced to work from home. Computer screens have replaced face to face contact and as a society we are becoming more isolated. Now, more than ever, it is important that we prioritise our health and wellbeing, after all, our best defence against this pandemic is good health.

The latest guidance from the Chief Medical Officer for older adults is 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (health allowing) per week.

So, broken down simply, a 25 minute walk a day can not only improve the quality of your sleep, help maintain a healthy weight and manage stress, it can actively help reduce the risk of the following:

• Type 2 Diabetes by 40% • Cardiovascular Disease by 35% • Falls & Depression 30% • Joint & Back Pain 25% • Cancers (colon & breast) 20%

A few other fun ways to build movement into your day could include:

• Marching on the spot while you wait for the kettle to boil • Stepping on and off the bottom step during a TV ad break • Doing 10 bicep curls with tins of beans or bottles of water while putting the shopping away.

*Figures taken from UK Chief Medical Officer Physical Activity Guidelines 2020. ** You should always consult your doctor before undertaking any physical activity.