Welcome to our
wellbeing clinic! From health to diet, fitness to beauty, out team of experts
dispense straight-to-the-point advice.
Meet our new
fitness guru, Jane Wake. With over 20 years’ experience as a personal trainer,
nothing is beyond her expertise.
Quick-Fix Toning
Q: I’m determined
to be toned by bikini season, but I only have about 30 minutes to exercise at a
time – would using a PowerPlate be the answer?
Hayley, 34, Cardiff
A: PowerPlate –
which works by stimulating groups of muscles through vibration – is seen as the
microwave of fitness, as it can give you good toning results are significantly
better than traditional types of training, though, and 30 minutes is plenty
long enough for you to do a variety of training that fantastically effective.
The key is to make your workouts progressive, upping what you do every few
weeks (more repetitions, heavier weights, more advanced exercises, ect) and
keeping it varied. Include PowerPlate as part of your whole regime – some gyms
run classes – but don’t forget workouts that contribute to flexibility and
cardiovascular fitness stays both challenging and balanced.
Pregnant Pause
Q: I’m seven moths
pregnant and desperate to do some exercise. I used to be really active in the
early days, but now that I’m so much bigger and more tired. I’m not sure what
to do! Help.
Joanna, 33, Cambridge
A: It’s really
important to keep moving: research shoes it can lead to an earlier labour and
quicker recovery, so use that as your motivation. Exercise can really help if
you start to develop lower-back pain, too. The key is to work out often at a
moderate intensity – where you can still talk easily. Walking or swimming for
30 to 60 minutes on most days of the week is ideal. Also, ditch your armchair
and, instead, sit on a large exercise ball in the evenings to keep your body
gently moving and to release tires muscles. Kneeling on the floor and resting
your upper body on a Swiss ball is a great way to relax at the end of the day,
too.
Trending… Piloxing
Straight from LA
(Kirsten Dunts and Gilary Duff are fans), this workout blends the flat-blasting
benefits of boxing with the toning power of Pilates. Leg lifts and plié squats,
combined with punching (in weighted gloves) plus mat work for serious
sculpting. Still in its infancy here, check smaller boxing gyms and PTs for
classes, or search at wahanda.co.uk and piloxing.com.
