Feeling tired, dizzy or dried out? This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re getting sick; you might be dehydrated.
Why do we need to drink so much water?
We need to stay replenished because our bodies are actually made up of 70% water. And, according to Dr. F. Batmanghelidj – an expert in the field – different parts of the body are mainly made up of water:
Even our bones consist of 25% water. But our bodies aren’t just made of water – they depend on it to function. In fact, all of the microscopic biological processes in our systems harness water in some way. According to research from the USGS, water serves a number of essential functions to keep us going:
What happens if we don’t drink enough water?
We’ll struggle and become sluggish. However, the body is clever. And to get around the lack of water it will find shortcuts to continue. Unfortunately, this will always be at the detriment of something else; it can have knock-on effects.
Apart from the usual side effects of dehydration, e.g. headaches, dizziness, and drowsiness, dehydration can also affect our strength and stamina.
How much water should I drink a day?
The amount of water you should drink per day is equal to 0.033 x each kg of your body weight. This will give you your recommended intake in litres to function properly. However, as a basic rule, most people need a little over 2 litres of fluid a day (about 10 glasses). According to Bupa, the exact amount of fluid you need depends on a number of factors:
However, 8 – 10 glasses might seem like a lot to drink. Especially, when life becomes busy.
So how can we ensure that we’re getting enough?
Try and keep a full bottle of water with you at all times. Fill this up periodically when you take a break from whatever you’re doing. And rather than slowly sipping on water, drink it in decent volumes. The body will absorb this better. If you only sip a small amount, the energy used to process it will offset the energy gained by drinking it. Finally, try and drink water instead of juice, squash, tea or coffee. These all contain diuretics which actually make you lose water.
Can I drink too much water?
In theory – yes. But the dangers are minimal. Extreme overconsumption of water can lead to low levels of sodium through blood dilution. This is known as hyponatremia. Don’t worry, this is a rare condition and most healthy people are not a risk.
What are the benefits of drinking more water?
Mental concentration and physical energy are directly related to your water
Intake. And by rehydrating regularly, you should see a difference in your energy levels. In some people the effects might be immediate; for others, it might take days. It’s best to try your new routine for at least a week. Apart from generally feeling more hydrated, you should also notice other improvements:
What’s more, increasing your water intake can actually help you lose weight. Often the body struggles to differentiate between feeling hungry and thirsty. Consequently, a common reason for overeating is actually dehydration. If you feel yourself getting a bit peckish you may actually be thirsty. One tip is to have a glass of water and see how you feel 5 minutes later – you might be surprised.
The science behind water and carbohydrates
It takes 3 grams of water to process 1 gram of carbohydrate. If you eat carbs
and don’t drink enough water, it can be hard for your body to process them. Instead, it will store carbohydrates as fat. You also need water to break down fat and, consequently, to burn it off.
Are there any side effects of drinking more water?
To begin with, you’ll find that you go to the bathroom more frequently. This will
calm down once your body settles. However, if you find that you’re waking up in the night to go to the toilet, then try reducing the amount of water you drink after 6pm.
Drinking more water can give you a boost in so many aspects of your life: from increased mental clarity to more physical and mental energy, clearer skin, improved mood and even weight loss.
Now you know all the benefits of hydration you just need to head to the tap and get drinking!
Finding time to squeeze in some exercise can be tough. With a busy schedule, time is of the essence. With that in mind, we need to exercise as efficiently as we can. So whether you’re focusing on strength, cardio – or something else – here’s our 3 step plan to make the most of your workout.
Choose the right time of day
When exercising, you can actually use the time of day to your advantage. Early morning – with an empty stomach – is the most efficient time to work out in order to lose weight. At this point, you have a calorie deficit. This means that in the absence of food, your body will use your fat reserves as an energy source. But don’t leave it to too late; it’s important not to starve yourself.
Working out on an empty stomach for 20 minutes is a good way to workout. To make this even more effective, include some resistance training, e.g. weight lifting or body weight activities (press ups or squats). This is good because post-resistance training, your metabolism will double for at least the next three hours. Amazingly, even sitting down in this state, you’ll burn twice the calories that you usually would. And if you’re trying to gain mass, those consequent hours are great for getting enough calories for growth. At this time your body will be able to process more. Alternatively, you’ll actually lose weight if you eat the amount you normally would.
Plan, warm up and prime
If you’re looking for a whole body workout, the most efficient way to warm up is by focussing on everything at once. If this is the case, try using a cross trainer instead of a bike or treadmill.
It’s important to connect your goals to the type of exercises you’re going to do. Do you want a muscle group to get stronger or bigger? It’s important to make this distinction before you start. If you want stronger biceps – focus on bicep exercises.
Makes sense, right?
Sure. But if you want to increase the size of your biceps, you need to take a different approach. In this instance, it’s a good idea to prime your body with explosive movements. These will cause your body to release more anabolic hormones; it becomes the ideal environment for muscle growth.
Alternatively, you might be looking for whole body fitness, strength – or weight loss. If this is the case, you’ll need to make your exercises bigger. Basically, the more joints that move, the more muscles you use. This combination will result in bigger results.
Make time for recovery
No matter how busy you are, it’s important to make time for recovery. However, you can make the most of this time too. If you’re aching and tired but still feel like you should be doing stuff, try a passive recovery. You can actually get a passive cardiovascular workout from the sauna whilst you repair. Alternatively, try a lighter version of what you’re recovering from; go for a walk if you usually run. Soreness after exercise can last 1 – 2 days – if it’s lasting a week then you have overdone.
By doing a lighter version of the same movements, you’ll recover much faster.
The supermarket shelves are full of ‘low fat’ alternatives; ‘lighter’ soft cheese, 2% fat yoghurt, reduced fat baked goods. For decades now, the western world has been fighting against Fat, the big scary word that we’ve been told causes obesity, high cholesterol and coronary heart disease. Fat makes you fat, right?
Fat is a vital part of our diet as human beings. It helps our brain function, helps break down and absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, and can keep your body from converting excess energy from carbohydrates into body fat. That said, not all fats are created equal. There are several different types of fat that all serve different purposes and some are more helpful than others.
Un-saturated fats are often nicknamed ‘good’ fats, and include avocados, vegetable oils, olive oil, nuts and some fish. They can be divided into two categories:
Saturated fats are the undercover hero of the fat family. The words ‘saturated fats’ get thrown about with talk of risk of heart disease, elevated cholesterol and body fat, but actually there isn’t enough evidence to suggest that saturated fats are directly to blame for increased risk of cardiovascular disease, nor will a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol reduce the risk.
In fact, they are essential to a healthy diet as each of the trillions of cells in our body contains and needs saturated fats; they are the building blocks for the cell membranes that keep our organs, glands, muscles and tissue all working as they should be.
We recommend care with trans fats, often found alongside saturated fats in convenience foods and most likely the reason unsaturated fats have such a bad reputation. They are created when hydrogen molecules are added to vegetable oils, changing the chemical make-up of the oils to make them handy for giving food a longer shelf life and increasing flavour. This short-cutting comes at a price, as trans fats are known to raise cholesterol and increase chances of heart disease, strokes, liver dysfunction, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, as well as infertility in women.
Fats are not something to fear
The trouble with the ‘low fat’ misconception of health is that taking away helpful fats for a product that is ‘reduced fat’ or ‘calorie controlled’ takes away flavour and longevity. This means that food manufacturers replace our saturated and unsaturated friendly fats with sugar, sweeteners and, even worse, trans fats.
Fats are highly nutritious, and a fantastic source of energy. When you cut out fats, you cut down a significant proportion of calorie in-take, which sends the body’s system for storing energy as body fat into hyperdrive and actually limits production of fat-burning enzymes. This is part of the reason why people often put weight back on after working hard at a diet: the body is still in fat storing mode.
Fats are not something to fear or to cut out of your diet. Your body needs a fats-inclusive, intuitive diet to able to function naturally how you were born to and to promote movement, vitality, and both mental and physical wellbeing.
Imagine your perfect weekday morning. A refreshing start after a good, full night’s sleep, followed by calmly going about an uplifting routine that energies you for a productive, fulfilling day. Perhaps you leisurely flick through the paper, or listen to some mood-boosting music while enjoying a delicious, balanced breakfast.
Of course, for many of us the reality is a touch less idyllic. Trying to keep to a tight schedule first thing in the morning on a sleepy brain can mean that we may sacrifice taking care of our mind and body at the start of the day. The internet eats up a lot of the time that we do have, even before we’ve fully switched in mentally to the day. Research says that 80% of smartphone users check their phones and social media within fifteen minutes of waking up; it’s no wonder stress levels are on the rise!
How we choose to spend our time in the morning is crucial for our mental and physical wellbeing for the rest of the day. Habitually making time to practice even the simplest mindfulness meditation has been proven to offer extraordinary benefits, including alleviating symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and even boosting mood and fine-tuning focus.
Meditation has previously been misunderstood as a strict, religious discipline, but versions of mindfulness have been practiced around the world for thousands of years. The great news is that dipping your toe into meditation doesn’t have to involve sitting still for an hour trying as best you can to empty your mind!
Meditation is increasingly popular as a quick way of infusing calm into the stress of modern daily life, and it’s easier than you may think!
Try this quick four-step mindfulness technique called ‘RAIN’ to welcome a restorative sense of calm:
Meditation can also be easily integrated into your current daily routine, like this simple breathing exercise that can occupy just a few minutes on your morning commute or while waiting for the kettle to boil:
Mindful meditation can be a wonderful complement to a nourishing and invigorating lifestyle.
We believe in actively supporting you through discovering new experiences so if these types of techniques feel alien, try these apps for beginner guided meditation to help you build up confidence in your mindfulness skills:
Re-connect the mind and body alongside a rejuvenating, supportive exercise programme that we tailor to your needs to become a natural and convenient part of your daily routine. Reduce stress, improve strength and agility naturally, relax and re-awaken your senses.
More than just a warm room, there’s nothing quite like the experience of a sauna. The crackling stove against those rustic, wooden walls – plus that unmistakable aroma – create a surreal and invigorating experience.
It’s an ancient experience too. A form of sauna was used by the Mayans of Central America as far back as 3,000 years ago. Finnish for ‘bath house’, the sauna – as we know it today – was invented a thousand years later.
Alongside swimming, saunas can play a crucial part in the physical stage of wellness that we need to stay healthy. But, besides its relaxation and detoxifying benefits, did you know that taking a sauna is actually a cardiovascular workout?
What is a cardiovascular workout?
The definition of a cardiovascular workout is when your heart rate is elevated to reach the cardio zone. Normally, when doing cardiovascular exercise – such as going for a run – you have to move consistently for 9-12 minutes without rest. This will get your heart into the zone.
Can you actually workout without moving?
Strangely enough, you can. Whilst in the sauna, it’s possible for you to achieve a passive cardiovascular workout. In effect, this is exercising by doing nothing.
It doesn’t take long either. You should feel the effects of a passive cardiovascular workout after 5 minutes of being in the sauna. Basically, you’ll half the time it usually takes to get into the cardio zone – without moving a muscle.
For it to work, the heat – and the environment in general – must be right. Cabins that are too big won’t allow the heat to circulate, rising to the top. And be careful, too much humidity will also cause a problem.
5 steps to the perfect cardiovascular workout in the sauna
Take a hot shower: doing this before you get into the sauna will, gently, prepare your body for higher temperatures. However, you should make sure that you’re completely dry before entering the cabin. Remove any jewellery and, most importantly, make sure you’re well hydrated.
Watch the heat: the perfect sauna should be hot – without being humid. So, it’s important not to throw water at the rocks. This creates an imbalance between the humidity and heat, making you feel nauseous. What’s more, the low humidity of the sauna helps your perspiration evaporate quickly, ensuring your skin doesn’t overheat, which is uncomfortable – when this happens you tend to endure the process, or exit the sauna too soon to achieve the result.
Lay down on a towel: this can make a big difference to your sauna experience. It ensures that your whole body is the same temperature, making you feel better. Importantly, it’s also easier on your heart; your blood will circulate with less effort to get from your head to your feet.
Stay calm and relax: you can do this by focussing on your breathing. Warm up for 5 – 8 minutes and, for the last two minutes, sit upright with your feet below your waist. This will allow the blood to circulate and get used to the position. After this, leave the sauna slowly to avoid any dizziness.
Cool down properly: wait two minutes and then get into an ice bath, or take a cold shower (a warm shower is OK too). If showering, aim the water at your feet first. Then move the flow slowly up and down your body. Make sure your head isn’t the first area to be hit by the water as this will disturb your circulation.
After this, feel free to enter the sauna again for a further 10 minutes and shower. However, it’s important to lie down and relax for another 10 minutes afterwards. This will allow the body to settle, and your blood pressure to return to normal.
Try and replace the liquids you’ve lost immediately; it’s not uncommon to lose a pint of sweat whilst in the sauna. Besides water, herbal teas and fruit juices are best. These will help to replenish any natural minerals and electrolytes you may have lost.
Using only natural materials, the state-of-the-art facilities at Natural Fit have been provided by Effegibi: the market leader in saunas, Turkish baths and spas.
In this digital age, achieving the perfect work-life balance is easier said than done. Thanks to the advances of modern technology, we’re constantly on the go and plugged in 24/7. Time has always been the most precious commodity, but when life takes over, why is it so hard to make some for ourselves? With all the best intentions, our well-made plans to work on our own physical and mental wellbeing often slide down to the bottom of our ever-increasing To Do list.
Us Brits are working longer and less productively than our European counterparts, attributing a whopping 49% of sick days to stress, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 2016/17 stats. Workplace stress is very much a 21st century problem and, left to its own devices, can manifest physically in high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity, anxiety and more.
With GPs now prescribing parkruns and active lifestyles to patients, it’s clear that making time for your own health and fitness can redress the balance and create a healthier, happier mind and body.
So if time is the most valuable gift you can give yourself, let’s look at four ways to prioritise your wellbeing and fit more ‘you time’ into your busy schedule.
“Meditation and mindfulness might not be something you’ve ever thought of before but it’s something anyone can do”
If you’re giving yourself the gift of time, you might as well start first thing to set the tone for the rest of the day. Swap the snooze button and rushed morning commute for an energising fitness session, or leisurely walk or cycle to the office.
“Treating yourself to some extra time in the morning (and it really does feel like a treat!) will see you arriving to work calmer, happier and more productive throughout the day”, says Clare Evans, Time Management and Productivity Coach.
You’d be surprised at how much you can fit in before 9am, just by getting up that little bit earlier!
Our work and family schedules are often meticulously organised, so why not do a bit of self-care admin too?
Schedule in some weekly ‘you time’ into your calendar and treat it like an appointment you can’t afford to miss. Whether it’s booking a massage, enjoying a spa day, attending an exercise class, or simply meeting a friend for a lunchtime walk, if you’ve got people to meet and a date/time set, you won’t want to let them (or yourself) down.
“The key here is to make it a time that works for you,” says Evans. “If you’re not a morning person, make your wellbeing date an evening one. It has to fit easily into your life to become a habit.”
No matter what job you do, taking regular breaks away from your screen or whatever you’re doing to rest and refresh is really important.
“A sedentary office worker is only likely to achieve between 3000 – 4000 steps per day when they spend most of their time sitting. Taking regular breaks are good for productivity, boosts energy and recharges your battery”, says Evans.
If you find it difficult leaving a task to take a break, book onto a lunchtime exercise class, so you’re forced to leave work to be there, or leave the stuffy board room for a walking meeting outside.
“Lunchtime exercise, or just stopping what you’re doing to get out into the fresh air, improves both your physical and mental wellbeing,” Evans adds. “You’ll feel better for it and have a much more productive afternoon.”
Just like the parts of the body we train in the gym, the brain is a muscle, and meditation is strength training for the mind.
“Meditation and mindfulness might not be something you’ve ever thought of before but it’s something anyone can do, with huge benefits for your mental health and wellbeing”, says Evans. “It reduces stress and anxiety, increases focus, productivity, mental strength and resilience – all great things both for the workplace and in daily life too.”
If you’re new to meditation you might find it difficult to quieten your mind at first, but remember to free yourself from any preconceptions or judgement and start slowly from where you are.
Evans suggests setting aside five or ten minutes a day to practice this simple breathing exercise as a starter:
When you hear the word self-care, what do you think of? Eating a diet full of nutritious, healthy food or time out from your day to meditate or exercise? Giving yourself permission to leave the housework until tomorrow so you can finish watching your favourite programme, or booking yourself a relaxing spa day?
The truth is, self-care is different for everyone. For some, it could be all of those things, for others, the complete opposite. Either way, working on wellbeing should play an integral part in all of our lives.
According to the National Wellness Institute (NWI), there are six dimensions of wellness. It defines wellness as a: “multidimensional, holistic and encompassing lifestyle” on the path to “mental and spiritual wellbeing.”
If the quest for wellness is the journey, then self-care is the vehicle. And don’t forget, vehicles need fuel to run, so to for us to feel balanced and whole on the path to wellness we must keep our engines topped up at all six of these journey stops.
With that in mind, let’s look at some self-care tips and techniques that you can employ for each of them.
Self-care comes in many forms and is an integral part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
It’s a known fact that us Brits work harder and less productively than our European counterparts. For many workers, taking breaks is seen as a luxury, not a necessity, but it’s time to change the rhetoric and reclaim what’s ours.
Allow yourself the time to rest and recharge throughout your working day. You’ll return to the task calmer, refreshed and ready to begin again.
Like fish and chips or gin and tonic, the mighty swim and sauna is a match made in heaven and is the perfect way to destress and relax. The low impact nature of swimming coupled with the circulation-boosting heat of the sauna brings a world of healing benefits to tired and achey muscles.
The sauna opens up your pores to increase blood circulation, and is great for softening the skin and detoxifying your body. Be mindful, though – it’s not uncommon to lose a pint of sweat whilst in the sauna, so to avoid dehydration, limit your session to no longer than 15-20 minutes.
These days with social media and a multitude of messaging apps it’s easy to go months without physically sitting next to someone you care about. You might feel like you’ve stayed in touch, as you scroll through people’s lives in your news feeds and comment on their photos, but really, when was the last time you shared a cup of tea together, greeted each other with a hug, or took part in an exercise class side by side?
Nothing beats the connection of face to face interaction. Don’t let technology rob you of real human contact, and make that date to finally meet up.
When was the last time you learnt a new skill such as a new language, instrument or sport? The beauty of learning is that it’s completely mindful and requires your total focus. Find something that stimulates and inspires your creativity to expand your repertoire of skills and knowledge. It might seem a long time since you learnt something new, but keeping your brain sharp has been proven to boost brain power to slow cognitive ageing, so a win win all round then!
The ever-elusive state of ‘flow’ is something you might hear distance runners talking about. According to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who came up with the term, ‘flow’ is the state of ‘being completely involved in an activity for its own sake’. So whether that’s running, writing, colouring in, practicing Thai Chi, yoga, or whatever activity you can get lost in – find your flow, and stay there for a while. You deserve it.
It’s never too late to learn a new sport or get fit. There’s a new tribe on the rise, and they’re fitter than ever. According to a survey from EMDUK, the National Governing Body for group exercise, over a third of group exercise participants are aged 55 or over, as more baby boomers and retirees hit the gyms and fitness centres to take charge of their health and wellbeing.
There’s no shortage of inspiration in the media either. With Davina McCall thanking strength training for her rock solid abs at 50, Huw Edwards shedding three stone after taking up boxing aged 56 and Britain’s oldest personal trainer aged 73 setting up bootcamps for OAPs – it’s clear that nowadays, staying active in your senior years can be so much more than the obligatory trip to the local bowls club or rambling group.
If running’s not your thing, a plethora of dance classes, fitness groups and gym sessions are on offer for older participants, all with supportive and inclusive instructors to guide along the way.
It’s no secret that regular exercise improves both physical and psychological wellbeing, reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and mental illness as well as maintaining healthy blood pressure and strong bones. The older you get, the more important these benefits become, if you want to slow the ageing process and sail into your senior years with a strong and healthy body and mind.
The great thing about exercise is that it can be scaled for your ability. So, if you’re not ready to follow in Huw’s footsteps to pull on the boxing gloves just yet, there’s lots you can do instead. It’s about finding what works for you – both time and capability wise – and finding something that you love and can’t wait to get back to.
With plenty of sports for the over 50s to try depending on your physical fitness, mobility and strength, you can choose whichever suits you and get active at your own pace. Classes such as yoga or Thai Chi are great for improving balance and coordination; with the latter having been proven to slow the ageing process, prevent falls and reduce high blood pressure. These ancient forms of meditative low impact exercise can do wonders for your wellbeing and make you feel at one with your body, leaving you energised long into your day.
For those looking to raise their heart rate a bit more and make new friends, initiatives such as parkrun – free weekly timed 5k runs in parks across the country – see thousands of over 50s toeing the start line alongside their younger peers, with more than three million miles run by the over 50s age group in 2015 alone. The thriving community found at parkrun and in team sports such as walking football or netball bring huge additional benefits to the physical fitness you’ll gain. It’s a great way to build confidence, make new friends, learn new skills and improve your health all at the same time.
If running’s not your thing, a plethora of dance classes, fitness groups and gym sessions are on offer for older participants, all with supportive and inclusive instructors to guide along the way.
Brighton Life Coach and FunkFit Instructor Linda Bramley only started her fitness journey aged 49, and says she’s seen a huge increase in older people making their health a priority.
“Something is definitely happening with the over 50s. I attend many different types of exercise classes from Yoga to high impact classes like Combat, FiiT, Insanity, as well as teaching FunkFit, and the age range at all of these classes is very apparent.”
“Many will have been at work for over thirty years, or bringing up families, and have decided it’s their time to look after what is a really precious commodity – the body! A lot of them are surprised but delighted to see visible improvements to their weight, shape, endurance levels and importantly their mental health, and feel good very quickly after starting classes and so motivation to continue and try other things is high.”
For retirees less able to take part in high impact exercise like running but who still want to be involved in sport, there are various befriending schemes and fitness initiatives across the country with charities such as Age UK, but none combine sport and companionship quite like GoodGym.
A social enterprise that started in 2009, GoodGym is a collective of 44 running groups across the country that ‘do good, whilst getting fit’. Along with the weekly group runs to complete tasks for local community projects, GoodGym runners are paired with elderly companions, called ‘Coaches’, and run to visit them every week. The idea is that the Coaches are the motivators for the runners to stick to their training runs, and it’s a win-win for both parties – the Coaches get weekly visits from their new running buddies, and the runners get a nice cup of tea and a catch up as a reward for doing their run.
