Active Swansea autumn newsletter 2011

ACTIVE SWANSEA

NEWS

Welcome to our third Active Swansea newsletter Aimed at keeping you better informed on what sport and health related activities you can enjoy at your local centre and in your area.

THANKS TO… GORSEINON TOWN COUNCIL

STAFF PROFILE

We were able to enhance our summer holiday programme at Penyrheol Leisure Centre this year thanks to funding from Gorseinon Town Council.

We put the £1000 grant to good use, buying some new equipment for our popular kids’ activities and subsidising trips.

Scores of children travelled with us to Folly Farm and Oakwood Park for two fun days out – the money helped us keep costs down, allowing more youngsters to join in the fun.

David Lewis, Mayor of Gorseinon Town Council, says: “On behalf of Gorseinon Town Council, I am extremely pleased that Penyrheol Leisure Centre has put our £1000 Grant to good use, aiding the recent holiday activities. The leisure centre is a great asset to the Gorseinon and Penyrheol community and provides a great deal of activities to both young and old, locally and beyond.

The town council is proud to support such a worthy centre.”

Name: Huw David Edwards Centre and job title: Fitness Instructor at Penyrheol.

How long have you worked at Active Swansea: One year, and I’ve loved every minute of it.

Best thing about your job: Meeting new people and having banter with them. I love talking to customers and I try my best to help people reach their goals. It’s such a laugh and I meet some right characters.

Favourite food: Anything!

Favourite sport: It’s got to be football.

My Swansea Fy Abertawe

DO YOU USE EXCUSES TO AVOID EXERCISING? Apparently, many of us will use any excuse to avoid exercising – it’s one of the main reasons that we struggle to lose weight and get fit.

In a recent poll of 2,000 adults done by Weight Watchers, the main reasons were:

Don’t have time Did you know that the average person spends 6 hours in front of the TV? Yes, 6 hours!

1) It’s too expensive (23%) 2) Don’t have time (17%) 3) Exercise is boring (15%) Amy Lloyd, Active Swansea fitness manager says: “These results don’t surprise me. When questioned about fitness, members do come up with a lot of excuses to avoid exercising this time of the year!

People don’t want to come out in the cold, dark and wet. But it really is worth keeping the regime going. Remember, staff are at hand to keep motivated, help you vary your routine and get your adrenaline pumping!”

Here are our top tips to answer all those excuses…

We appreciate that it is hard to juggle work/family life, and that it is sometimes difficult to get out of the house, but it doesn’t need to be for long. A 20-30 minute workout can work wonders – you don’t need to spend hours in the gym to see the benefits.

Working out frequently for short periods is better than a long session once a week. Why not fit a workout in your lunch break or before work?

Exercise is boring!

It can be boring if you’re doing the same old thing, but you have to vary your routine. If you like going to the gym, ask an instructor for a new programme, or try one of our fitness classes, or try a dip in the pool.

Remember... it’s all about feeling good!

It’s too expensive Is it really? We have a variety of payment options at our centre to save you money.

Our standard membership of £29.75 a month is excellent value for money. If you’re struggling to make payments, then speak to reception about our PTL, duo and corporate memberships.

By the way... if you come to the centres your recommended three times a week, each session will cost you less than a pint of beer at your local pub.

Although the main focus of coming to a leisure centre for many people is to improve physical activity, next time you workout, concentrate on how exercise makes you feel.

It’s a fact that when you exercise, you’re going to feel better. You’ll feel less stressed and more relaxed, you’ll sleep better and you’ll likely be more confident. So, by all means measure your progress in physical terms, but don’t forget how much better you feel when you work out.

A large portion of women say that swimming is what they like doing best, but are twice as likely as men to worry about their ‘wobbly bits’, whilst women also worry that skinny ‘gym bunnies’ will look down on them.

We say... Don’t worry about what everyone else thinks and does. We have all shapes and sizes coming to our venues and that’s the way we like it. Oh, and once your in the pool, no-one can see your wobbly bits anyway!

FOCUS ON… GETTING A FLATTER STOMACH The secret to a firmer, flatter stomach is to combine abdominal exercise with a sensible low-fat diet.

No matter how many crunches you do, if you’re carrying too much weight around your belly (and yes, we’re talking about those love handles!), the fat will hide any improvements in muscle definition.

Which exercise is best?

There is no single exercise which is better than any other really. For good results, mix your routine up a little bit that target the various muscles in your tummy.

Take a look at our do’s and don’ts for getting a flatter stomach at the centres next time you visit or speak to one of instructors for the best routine for you – and get working on those abs this autumn!

SKI FIT For those thinking of going skiing over Christmas or in the New Year, now may be the perfect time to think about your fitness and conditioning programme.

If you’re working out regularly you are probably doing a fair amount of cardio work anyway – pretty much all cardio work involves using your legs – but you may just want to step it up for a few weeks prior to jetting off.

The best pieces of kit in the gym will probably be the stepper and the cross trainer, but don’t forget the thing that is always overlooked – stretching.

Focus on your achilles, calves, quads, hamstrings, hips and glutes (if you’re not sure what these are, ask one of our instructors). From a strength perspective, have a go at leg presses, squats or leg extensions for your quads, try dips, tricep extensions and kick backs for your triceps, and don’t forget the core muscles of the abdominals and lower back.

Look out for Ski Fit programme cards in the centres from November onwards.

MISTAKES TO AVOID THIS WINTER Mistake: doing long workouts Longer workouts do not equal better or faster results. If you’ve been slaving away at the gym and your body isn’t changing, you can’t do more of the same thing and expect a different result.

When it comes to getting lean and fit, your body responds to quality over quantity.

Mistake: Doing the same routine over and over again Repeating the same workouts over and over is a surefire way to STOP getting results. We're creatures of habit and we tend to stick to things we're familiar with and good at. But when it comes to your workouts, if you want to keep making progress and keep seeing changes in your body, you've got to start switching things up.

You see, your body has an amazing ability to adapt quickly and when it does, that's when you hit the dreaded plateau and you stop making progress.

What should you do?

The benefit of an Active Swansea membership is that you have access to pools, a huge range of fitness classes, racquet sports as well as the gym.

So make the most of your membership and vary your routine with something different – what have you go to lose? If you’re not sure what’s right for you, ask our staff for some advice.

To help you stay motivated...

Check out our challenge in December.

Information will be available in all our gym’s throughout December – take part and complete the challenge to guarantee yourself a small prize.

TRX GOES DOWN A STORM Having launched in September across four of our sites, our TRX classes are going down a storm.

Jon Parry, assistant manager at Penlan Leisure Centre says: “TRX has proved a huge hit at Penlan. We had taster sessions at the end of August which where really popular and gave our members the chance to give it a go. It offers members something a little bit different and is perfect if you’re bored of your routine.

A lot of people think it’s daunting, so if you think it’s too hard, just speak to one of our instructors who will be happy to give you a short demo and make you comfortable with the equipment.”

WELL DONE TO... PAUL FALA Paul Fala is one of our members who trains at Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre, and we think he deserves a pat on the back!

He goes to Cefn Hengoed Comprehensive School, and approx 8 months ago, he had no interest in keeping fit, being active or keeping a healthy lifestyle. His mother was concerned as his only interests were computer games and being a ‘play station junkie’.

Paul’s mother mentioned her concerns to one of our instructors, Mike Thompson. Mike has an outstanding history working with teenagers – enthralling youngsters with excellent fitness routines, leading them away from annoyance problems, anti-social behaviour and general laziness!

Mike spoke to Paul, took him through a gym induction and explained the importance and benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. He set targets and goals which he could aim for.

ACTIVE SWANSEA SPORTS AWARDS 2011 For every Wayne Rooney, Andy Murray or Victoria Pendleton there are scores of local sportspeople who don’t get the recognition they deserve.

Now you’ve got the chance to nominate your local sports hero in the 2011 Active Swansea Sports Awards. Who will you nominate? Categories include best sportsperson, team and coach, and nominations are open until Friday 21 October.

Check out www.swansea.gov.uk/sportsawards for details.

Well done to all our members who ran the Admiral Swansea Bay 10K! Here are some images of the day…

Paul took up the challenge and became a regular sight in the gym at Cefn Hengoed.

Mike was at hand to help him through his personal training programme. As a result, Paul has now lost weight, become fitter and healthier, and has also improved his school work. He is able to concentrate for longer, he’s more focused, and has greater pride in his work.

His efforts have been noticed by Sue Hollister, Head Teacher at Paul’s school.

She says that Paul has been transformed into a model pupil, and praises Mike Thomspon for his hard work with all the kids who go to the gym at Cefn Hengoed.

All pupils at Cefn Hengoed are now encouraged to work with Mike and follow Paul’s excellent example.

Children can use the gyms at Active Swansea venues from the age of 12 at specific times.

Times vary at each centre.

EARLY OPENING – PERFECT FOR EARLY BIRDS! Penyrheol gym and pool will be open from 6.00am from 12 October (Monday – Friday).

Morriston gym is open from 6.15am.

Penlan gym is open from 6.15am.

Bishopston gym is open from 7.00am.

Weekend opening times will vary per centre.

GOT SOME IDEAS FOR OUR NEXT EDITION? E-mail Active.Swansea@swansea.gov.uk and we’ll be glad to hear from you.

Even Active Arnie got in on the action!

www.facebook.com/ activeswansea