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www.guardianangelfitness.co.uk
The site is designed to give you more access to useful
information about your lifestyle and your body, to make
it easier for you to book appointments, pre-pay online and
purchase vouchers and equipment.
There will be articles posted about how to care for yourself
better, no nonsense information about fitness and health
that aims to cut through the confusing information spouted
by the diet industry and simply give you sound facts.
There will be a facility to request bookings online.
Those of you who like to pay in plastic can now pre-pay
by credit card online
There is also a small online retail section where you can
purchase gift vouchers and fitness equipment online.
I hope that this will make your experience with Guardian
Angel even more enjoyable and convenient.
You
will no doubt be aware of the pleasure of having a massage.
Massage
on a regular basis can do so much more! Shoulder pain for instance can be reduced
and prevented by regular massages 'Angel Style'. Shoulder
pain can restrict your ability to lift up your arm, especially
the action that you would use if you were reaching for
something from a shelf.
Massage affects the health of many systems in your body
including your skin, endocrine system, immune system, joint
mobility and posture.
A common root cause of shoulder pain is muscle imbalance
between tight muscles in the chest and shoulders and stretched
weak muscles in the neck and back.
These muscles are so restrictive they pull your shoulders
out of alignment. The pain that this can cause manifests
in the muscles around the shoulder joint and long term misalignment
can lead to osteoarthritis in the joint as the joint surfaces
rub together.
Regular massage specifically stretches the
tight muscles, and replenishes a good blood flow to the
working muscles to encourage proper alignment of your
shoulder. Activities we do in our everyday lives such as time at
a computer, at a desk, writing, sewing, cooking, driving
all encourage us to round our shoulders. This is producing
an alarming number of shoulder injuries and unnecessary
pain.
Action points
• Take regular breaks and
stretch out chest and shoulder muscles when sitting for
long periods of time.
• Sit with good posture so
that your head is held high, your shoulders are held gently
back and your chin is not poking forwards
• Have a deep massage at
least once a month
• Do regular exercise to
strengthen and stretch the supporting muscles in your
head neck and shoulders
• Check your pillow alignment
so that your neck and shoulders are supported as you sleep
• Avoid carrying your heavy
bag on your shoulder.
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I would like to take this opportunity to say a special
congratulations to Ian McGargle who completed his first
London Marathon this April.
Ian raised £1000 for Sports Aid and £2000
for MS.
Unfortunately a couple of months before the race due to
the large amount of training, Ian suffered an injury to
the outside of his ankle. He was treated by Clare and rested
it. He was able to resume training again, only to suffer
a similar injury to the other ankle only days before the
run.
After further treatment Ian was determined to complete
the race he had spent the last 8 months training for.
Not wanting to waste all his hard work and determined not
to let the charities he was running for down, he aimed to
crossed the line no matter what.
And so he did!! Now despite describing it as the worst
experience of his life, that he was glad he had had Ian
plans to run Amsterdam Marathon in October.
Well done, and best of
luck Ian.
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I had a huge shock recently when my Aunt at age 51 had
a heart attack. Happily she has now made a good recovery
and is making the right changes in her lifestyle. Struck
by this event I feel its vital to pass on to you the benefits
exercise can have in reducing your risk of coronary heart
disease. Don't wait for a warning sign!! Change your lifestyle
NOW
| Risk factors for CHD include |
Family history |
| Obesity |
Smoking |
| High Cholesterol |
High Stress Levels |
| High Sedentary |
High Alcohol Levels |
| Poor Diet |
Diabetes |
| High Blood Pressure |
|
Moderate exercise positively affects the health of your
heart, sometimes dramatically, because
• Respiratory muscles are
strengthened
• Blood Pressure decreases
• Diameter of coronary arteries
increases
• Volume of blood pumped
by the heart each beat increases i.e. heart gets stronger
By increasing the amount of cardio-vascular (aerobic) activity
you do you can actually reduce your risk of coronary heart
disease.
Lifestyle plays a big part in the health of your heart.
A change in diet, smoking and drinking habits can keep you
healthy longer.
Top tip! Just a 20 minute walk each day will
go a little way to keeping your heart healthier. For more
advice on keeping yourself healthy please speak to Clare.
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When you tone up your arms for summer you can wear your
summer strappy tops and dresses with extra confidence and
pride.
Perform this simple exercise every other day and notice
how your shoulder muscles start to tone up.
• Warm up your body by jogging
on the spot for 3 minutes and moving your arms gently
in circles, slowly increasing in size.
• Start by standing up with
your feet hip width apart.
• Hold a baked bean can in
each hand and face a mirror (if possible)
• Make sure you stand up
tall with your knees slightly bent, your bottom squeezed
and your shoulders held gently back.
• Lift your arms out to the
sides until they are level with your shoulders then gently
lower.
• Do this 15 times then rest
for 30 seconds and repeat
Exercises like this done in a structures program yield
the best body sculpting benefits!!
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The spine is the core of the body. It is a complex structure
made up of bones, discs, muscles, ligaments.
The way you treat your back throughout your life will have
an effect on your long-term health. Your spine houses your
central nervous system that is responsible for governing
every part of the rest of your body.
Even though you might get away with poor lifting technique
999 times if your back goes on the 1000th time it is NOT
because you picked something heavy up badly once, it is
because it is the 1000th time!!!
Understanding how you should strengthen and care for your
back is a long-term project, and there are many variables.
There are some simple guidelines however:
Your spine is in its strongest position
in 'neutral'. This
position has a natural lower curve inwards and a natural
upper curve outwards. Vertebrae are aligned and there is
an even amount of pressure put on the discs.
When standing, lifting, working or sitting there should
be a natural movement in the spine. You should not strive
to hold a rigid position in your day to day life.
However you do need to make certain that your posture protects
you.
• Keep the natural curvature
of the spine, ensure your shoulders are gently held back
and that your head is lifted.
• It is especially important
to elongate the muscles at the back of the neck so that
your chin does not poke forwards.
If you would like to know more about back care or you would
like to book a massage, or learn exercises to do to keep
your back strong please speak to Clare.
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