Why Weight Train?

Mood boost - Had a grueling day at work and need to release some tension? Pick up those weights. Like any form of exercise, strength training can enhance your mood by releasing feel-good hormones called endorphins.

Posture - If you have a desk job, it’s easy to develop poor posture and a limited range of motion in the shoulders, which should be the most flexible joints in the body. Lifting weights can help reverse this by opening up the chest, strengthening the back muscles, and improving freedom of movement.

Weights should be a crucial part of your workout regimen. For older adults strength training is almost more important than cardio because preserving muscle becomes more important than losing fat as you age. In every decade, starting in our mid-30s, we lose a percentage of muscle, which affects our metabolism, balance, and also the ability to brace ourself in the event of an injury.

Weight training helps us to build more muscle.

In addition to building strength, lifting weights has other benefits.

Weight loss - Lifting weights helps you build more muscle, which can help you burn more calories. Muscles are metabolically active, burning calories even when you're not exercising.

Bone health - As we age, our bones become more brittle and weaker.

May Day - A day to celebrate

This is especially the case for postmenopausal women who have lower oestrogen, the hormone responsible for maintaining bone mass. Lifting weights helps you build bone mineral density through Wolff 's Law, which states that bone can grow in response to forces that are placed upon it. Strength training involves muscles contracting against the bones they’re attached to. This force helps improve bone density over time.

Reduction of back pain - There’s no one reason for back pain, but muscular imbalances, like weak knees and an unstable core, can contribute, among other things. Most people think aches and pain are due to strains, but sometimes, it’s a result of bad biomechanics. Your muscles work in a kinetic chain, so if there’s a weak link, it can often manifest into a bigger problem in different areas of the body. By building total-body strength, you can bypass most injuries.

By Sarah Davey

to the burgeoning labour movement. Workers were campaigning for better working conditions and shorter hours and May Day became intertwined with this in 1889, when the International Socialist Conference declared May 1st as International Workers' Day.

The May Day bank holiday, observed on the first Monday of May each year, is a cherished tradition in the UK. It marks the advent of spring and provides a welcome day off from work for many people. So how come we get a national holiday at this time of year?

May Day has its roots in ancient traditions that celebrated the arrival of spring and the renewal of life. The Celts observed Beltane, a festival that marked the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, while the Romans held the festival of Flora, the goddess of flowers and springtime. Over time, these traditions merged and evolved, giving rise to the modern May Day celebrations.

It was during the medieval period that May Day festivities became increasingly popular in England. The celebrations often included the crowning of a May Queen, a young girl chosen to represent the spirit of spring, and the performance of Morris dancing, a traditional English folk dance. One of the most iconic symbols of May Day is the maypole, a tall wooden pole adorned with colourful ribbons that are woven into intricate patterns by dancers.

In the 17th century, the rise of Puritanism in England led to a decline in the popularity of May Day celebrations. The Puritans sought to rid society of what they considered to be immoral and decadent practices, and they viewed the festivities as pagan and inappropriate. As a result, May Day celebrations were suppressed for several decades.

In the 19th century, May Day experienced a revival, largely thanks

Despite this, May Day did not become an official bank holiday in the UK until 1978. It was instituted by Michael Foot, then the Labour Employment Secretary, and Prime Minister James Callaghan as a means of providing workers with an additional day off and bolstering support for the government's policies. The May Day bank holiday was initially met with some resistance, as opponents argued that it would disrupt business and promote socialist ideology. However, it quickly gained widespread acceptance and is now an integral part of the British calendar.

Traditional customs, such as the crowning of the May Queen, Morris dancing, and the maypole dance, continue to be observed in many towns and villages. There can’t be many nicer ways to spend a sunny May Day than to wander around a village fete and enjoying the holiday atmosphere. I wonder if the Morris dancers have any vacancies this year…

By Tom Hancock

New showrooms now open at Bypass Nurseries, Capel St Mary and Glasswells, Ipswich