TRX

FINALLY, I got round to trying TRX. It is increasingly popular and those I know who do it on a regular basis constantly harp on about its benefits. I was dying to try it, but alas college stood in the way! Now that's over, I have no more excuses and a lot more time so off I went. I loved it. I have terrible coordination though and was terrible at it! I found it frustrating as instructor had to approach me a couple of times to help me. She was very nice, but I was a bit embarrassed. I went to a beginners' class, and I think I'll be there for a while - I suppose I have to start somewhere! I can't wait to go back and get into it properly and based on my one class, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to improve strength and muscle definition. Lots of stretching afterwards and I could still feel it for a day or two afterwards. No harm in that though. I think this is my Wednesday evening workout :)

What is TRX?



I did not look like any of these people!



In a nutshell, TRX (Total body Resistance eXercise) is suspension training. First used by the US Navy SEALS, it uses bodyweight and gravity to develop strength, balance, flexibility and core stability - all at the same time! It uses the TRX Suspension Trainer, a specifically designed set of straps and handles that allow for bodyweight-based training. The tool is a deceptively simple device that allows the user to do hundreds of exercises with its adjustable levels. It can also be used to stretch and do yoga, but one of its best uses is in plyometrics - fast, explosive multiplanier and multi-joint movements. A TRX workout doesn't put strain or stress unecessarily on your body as it resistance-based, so it tends to be pretty injury-free whilst still being a fantastic all-body workout. The trx really is the "all-in-one" training tool it is so often lauded to be.

It can be difficult to get the hang of the idea without seeing it in action, so here's a video to help you visualise it.

Benefits

Apart from all the benefits mentioned above, TRX also claims to:

• deliver a fast and effective full body workout;
• help to build core strength. Remember that your core strength isn't just your abs; it includes you chest, back and pelvic muscles as well as others.;
• increase muscular endurance;
• benefit all fitness levels from professional athletes to you and me;
• improve joint strength and health; and
• help to prevent injuries by exercising in the same way you move everyday, i.e. fluidly, as opposed to static, or backward - forward only movements that most exercise regimes follow.

Have any of you tried TRX? As I'm new to it, please share your experiences with me - good and bad! Are you all "ripped" from it?! ;) Any tips to make me more proficient (my coordination really is bad!)? All comments welcome.

Christmas Tips

(searchwallpaper.org)

It's upon us again. I don't know how it happens, but it doesn't seem like twelve full months since the last one! Anyway, there were reports last week that the average person consumes c. 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone (recommended allowance is 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men). I'm not usually one for calorie counting to be honest, as I don't feel that all calories were born equally, but that is a shocking figure. If we are consuming three times as many calories, we are likely also taking in two or three times too many carbs, fats, saturated fats, etc. so I thought about how we might reduce this. I am a self-confessed glutton and find, once I have a routine, I can be very disciplined, but when surrounded by mincies, chocolates and Pringles it's a different story! Below are some tips on eating well over the Christmas period, especially Christmas Day, that I have gathered from various sources - Andy Kenny Fitness, Why Weight Ireland and a couple of others. And from my own head too. Here goes:

Christmas Day:

(iStockphoto.com)

• Eat a proper breakfast. I know it sounds boring, but it sets you up for the day (like any other), and means you're less likely to jump at the chocolates, etc. Now having said that, I have never found a way to marry my Weetabix with my favourite selection box item - the Curly Wurly. Suggestions on a postcard please!
• Dinner: Make a healthy vegetable-based soup for starter and have a big bowl. It will help to fill you. If you don't have time\ don't want to\ don't like soup try smoked salmon, prawns or a nice Caesar Salad instead. For your main course, focus on the meat and vegetables on your plate. They are full of protein and fibre and will fill you up for longer than other options. Try to limit (if you can't completely avoid) the spuds and stuffing. I can live without potatoes as I have never been a huge fan, but stuffing - not a chance! Remember as well, sweet potatoes are much better for us than the humble spud, so choose them for cooking\ eating.
• Limit yourself to one desert. Hopefully, if you've filled up on a healthy starter and a main this will be easier. Personally, I don't like all Christmas deserts, but I'm a sucker for my mum's trifle and the mince pies. The latter are a favourite, and I can tell you that I am devastated to learn that the average pie has 250 calories. I am proud to say that I haven't had any yet... *weeping but triumphant*
• If there is a tin of sweets knocking about, try not to over-indulge. Apparently each sweet has roughly 60 calories. Take a few and put the tin away; that way you will hopefully just forget about it as opposed to mindlessly munching. A few years ago I lived abroad and Christmas wasn't the celebration it is here. On my first Christmas home, I remember sitting on the living room floor scoffing the Roses. My dad told me I was being a glutton; I told him I was making up for lost Christmases!! Not a great excuse, but you'll always find one.
• If you're having alcohol, wine is better (less calories) than beer or cider. A spritzer is even better, but with diluted calories, comes diluted taste in my opinion. I would rather one nice glass of wine than two spritzers, but everyone is different!
• Don't make sandwiches with leftover turkey and ham in the evening; those extra carbs will send you over the edge and are completely unnecessary after little or no proper movement all day. I don't think anyone could possibly be hungry enough to eat sandwiches, but it seems to be a real Irish thing - use the leftovers and eat something 'healthy'!
• I have never been hardcore enough to exercise on Christmas Day (or Christmas Eve or St. Stephen's Day!). I would imagine that the last time I did anything vaguely active was when Santa brought a bike about twenty years ago ;) I don't think it would go down too well at home if I wasn't there to help with the many preparations involved with Christmas dinner. I think a brisk walk in the evening is a nice idea. It will get the metabolism going, get some air in the lungs, which will help you sleep, and remove you from all that temptation for a while. After the day itself, I think it's acceptable to leave the nest to go for a quick run or cycle - weather permitting. Maybe one day though I'll swim the 40 Foot! Ha - who am I am kidding!

Yummmm... Enjoy!

The Festive Period:
The couple of weeks leading up to Christmas can just be debaucherous if they get out of hand. Last year, I found myself out every night for about three weeks and went back to work for a break! This year, I am living my learned lesson! It can feel like an endless stream of parties, nights out and get-togethers of various types. Routines are broken and lots of food and drink are available that wouldn't usually be. So, what to do?

• When it comes to alcohol there are lots of tips and tricks. One of the best ones I heard is after a couple of beers, switch to a light version. You won't notice if you've had a few and calorie-wise, it will make a difference. There are the other obvious ones such as having soda water and lime or tonic in your spirits instead of sugary 'juices' or fizzy drinks. I am just learning to drive, so can't take advantage of this, but if you're going out, don't want to drink but know that there are pushy people where you're headed, just drive. Nobody will force a drink on you then. (If anyone does, that's a completely different issue...)
• There is always finger food at Christmas events. It often looks and smells amazing. Usually doesn't taste as good. But we eat it unconsciously. I don't have any real tips here except just don't eat it. If you can, eat something healthy and filling before you go and that should ease the temptation. Stay strong!! 
• If there are nibbles, or if you're hosting a party with nibbles, choose raw nuts instead of roasted or crisps. Don't use the dips as they are full of additives and saturated fats.
• At this time of year, there are often tins of sweets in the workplace. See above. Take a couple and put them out of sight. Get back to work and don't think about them. At lunch, go for a walk around the block if possible, especially if you have over-indulged. Keep moving to keep the metabolism ticking over. It gets a real kicking at this time of year!

If you have any other tips, please share them below. We all need all the help we can get. 

Enjoy it all. Have a safe and happy Christmas, and a healthy and prosperous new year!

Soup Recipes

Wow!! Is it just because I've had a couple of weeks off at home, or has it genuinely gotten coooold these past few days? I woke up this morning and it was so cold my immediate thought was 'The first thing I'm going to do when I get home this evening is to make soup!" Anyone who knows me or who has read this blog before will know I am a big soup fan. If I recall, Dublin had such bad weather in the 'summer' that I posted a soup recipe in June!

I've recently started a Twitter account and started following BBC Good Food Blog. Though they don't seem to tweet too much, I was delighted when I saw a recipe for tomato and courgette soup. Yum! I have made it lots of times and have changed it quite a bit. The original recipe is here, but below is my personal take on it - make at your peril!!

Courgette and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 2 or 3 courgettes (depending on size)
• 5 or 6 tomatoes (again depending on size)
• a decent knob of butter
• 1 tablespoon of plain flour
• 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to personal taste)
• 2 red chillies (chili powder also works)
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock (homemade or shop-bought)

Method

1. Melt the butter slowly in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and courgettes. Cook for about four minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add tomatoes, garlic, chillies and flour. Stir continuously so that flour doesn't go lumpy. 
3. Add the turmeric and stock and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Blend to desired thickness.

Take or leave various ingredients to your personal or family's liking. I know a friend of mine put lardons in it and she said it was really lovely. Even if you're not used to cooking or making soups, it's really easy to make and also easy to play around with. As long as you keep the fundamentals, I don't think you could mess it up too much. (Let me know if you do - I will eat my words and make some fresh stuff for you! ;) )

The next soup I'm going to give the recipe for probably breaches copyright or something, but here goes! I recently had a couple of weeks off between jobs and took the Avoca cook book out. I have only made one or two things from the book since I got it as a present because I find a lot of the recipes take too long and I don't have the time after work, etc. Anyway, being a lady of leisure (of sorts) I thought I would make a stab at a few things. I found this soup amazing! And I mean seriously amazing! It makes a lot and one serving is filling enough by itself. Again, I have made a couple of changes because I'm a fussier eater than I care to admit, but my way or 'their' way, I guarantee delicious lunches - for a week!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup with Coconut and Chili

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 50g butter
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped (I didn't peel them as most nutritious stuff is in the skin)
• 1 red chili 
• 1 x 420g coconut milk
• 600ml vegetable stock (I just used shop-bought stuff)
• a handful of coriander leaves (optional)
• lemongrass stalk (optional)
• salt
• ground black pepper

Method

1. On a low heat in a heavy saucepan  gently cook the onions in the butter for about eight minutes. Keep the lid on them, checking occasionally and stirring. 
2. Add remaining vegetables, stock and chili. Season well, cover and simmer until all vegetables are soft. It should take 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and add the coconut milk and fresh coriander. Liquidise until smooth. If you use the lemongrass, make sure to remove it before this.
4. Taste and add seasoning if required.

This is potentially the nicest soup I have ever had. Well, definitely the nicest I have ever made. I have also gotten mega brownie points for it, despite the fact that it doesn't take long to prepare or to make! (I'm not complaining!) I make it without the potatoes as it is very thick with them. Also, I don't really like potatoes. I guess you could substitute one sweet potato for a regular one or some combination along those lines if you really wanted potatoes. I didn't use the coriander because, need I say again!, I hate it. The first time I made it I used regular coconut milk. It was quite heavy. I have since used light coconut milk, which doesn't have as strong a taste, but still adds a lovely taste to the soup. If you don't like coconut, just make it without. I gave my mother the recipe without it in as I knew she wouldn't like it and might be put off if I included it.

A pot of this has about eight to ten bowls in it. It could be the cheapest lunch you'll have this year! Full of yumminess, not to mention nutrition, especially from the sweet potatoes.

If you make either of these, please let me know what you think. Let me know what ingredients you add or leave out and what the result is like. Would love to hear your tips and advise, or other soup recipes. I don't think this cold weather is going anywhere for a while, so lets get sharing I say.

Enjoy! :-D

Running in Winter

I'm trying to get back in to running. Last semester in college was just so hectic that I had to give up almost all my hobbies. Some are easier to get back into than others. Some people have told me that it's easier to get back into running in the summer months, but I disagree. I love running in the winter; I love the cold and the dark. I suppose in Ireland, despite popular thoughts to the contrary, we are lucky in that we don't get very harsh winters; this makes it easier to get out there on a dark evening.

I think I like it better than summer running because I started running in winter, so have fond memories of dragging myself about the place under the cloak of darkness. Also, I prefer cold weather for running. It doesn't take long to warm up, whereas in warm weather I run out of steam very quickly. I tend not to feel the cold too badly and wear almost the same clothes all year round (maybe that's my problem!).



Wrap up and enjoy

 When I started writing this blog, I researched other blogs - and found lots! One I liked was completerunning.com. It suits for all levels of runner (not just ironman or marathon contestants). There is an article on the site about running in the winter, and the author has similar reasons to me as to why he likes it. The author is Canadian, so the winters he talks about are slightly colder and have more snow than us (stay away Irish snow!), but I agree with her that there are far fewer people outside and everything seems a little bit nicer and more still (though living in Dublin city, things never really stop or look THAT nice I guess!). My ultimate favourite reason, though, is that nobody can see you! That keeps me going when I have gone purple, have to stop because I have a stitch or just need a little break, or when I feel like I'm huffing and puffing through every step. I know I shouldn't care, but I do, so I'm going to relish getting back into it now that the evenings are dark...and getting darker :)

Don't look like this guy!

There are varying degrees of added precaution required when running in the dark depending on where you're running though. You don't want to fall over and get hurt, injure yourself unnecessarily or put yourself in danger. Here are some tips on nighttime\ winter running:

• if the route you're planning to run doesn't have adequate public lighting (I wouldn't rely on the moon and stars myself), it is probably best to take a headlamp with you.
• anyone running in the dark should wear high-viz clothes. If you feel there is adequate lighting I would still recommend something - even just a strip down your arms or around your waist that will light up if a vehicle is approaching. You never can be too careful. There are great products available these days.
• it is best not to run on uneven or rocky terrain in the dark for fear of falling over and\ or seriously hurting yourself because you couldn't see where your foot was landing. If possible, it is probably best to stay on even ground - even a local sports ground will do if you don't have the option or desire to run along the streets.
• some people recommend bringing your mobile phone and some ID with you. I have to admit that I never bring either with me. My phone would be too bulky and one of the things I have always liked about running is that you are getting away from texts, calls and emails. I have never even considered taking ID with me - where would I put it? I guess if you're running in a rural area or somewhere you aren't very familiar with, i.e. on holidays, it makes perfect sense.
• wear lots of layers instead of one heavy item and keep your feet and hands well-protected. I hate wearing gloves, but my hands go blue running in the dead of winter; I guess despite the fact that you're moving, your hands aren't doing much.
• if you have asthma, it may not be a good idea to run in the cold as the air can bring on attacks. Speak to your GP before setting out.
• don't think that because you're not dripping in sweat or feeling thirsty, doesn't mean you don't need to stay hydrated. Drink the same amount as you usually would or wouldn't.

Any of you have any other tips to add to my short list above?

I think the only thing left for me to do is to get out and start this running I apparently love so much!! 

Operation Transformation 2013

It's that time of year again - RTÉ is looking for new leaders for Operation Transformation 2013. If you're interested, you can apply here.

I think at the beginning of this blog I admitted to really liking shows such as OT. For me, Operation Transformation has the right idea for a weight-loss show - it is not a competition, but a mutually beneficial experience. So, what exactly is it and how does it work?

The Idea

Operation Transformation is ultimately a health and fitness show, but one with a twist - it endeavours to get the whole country involved. It is broadcast weekly on RTÉ 1 with regular updates on the John Murray Show on Radio 1. There is also an easy-to-follow website as well as a mobile phone app.

How it Works

People who are overweight and\ or have continuous trouble losing weight are asked to apply to become "leaders" on the show. A leader represents a particular section of society, i.e. last year's show featured a woman in her thirties who wanted to give up smoking, but not gain weight as often happens. An initial list is drawn up, then short-listed and, finally, five men or women are chosen to lead the country to its annual transformation live on the radio. 

Once chosen, the leaders are guided by three experts:

• Karl Henry - a personal trainer
• Dr. Eddie Murphy - a clinical psychologist
• Dr. Eva Orsmond - a medical doctor and weight loss expert

The experts guide the leaders through a change to their diets, exercise regimes and lifestyles in general.Often the changes are unremarkable, but effective and often they are very difficult. Leaders often have life-long habits that are, obviously, hard to break. For instance, a contestant the year before last was a busy mother and business owner who skipped breakfast and munched on pastries and cakes at her bakery throughout the day.

The show usually lasts eight weeks and an episode often focuses on a leader who is having a specific difficulty or problem, and how that person is guided on. Each week the leaders take part in an army challenge. This is by far my favourite element of the show. I would love to partake in one of the challenges; they look tough, but I imagine you would feel great afterwards! The challenges not only test physical fitness, they also test mental strength and how the five leaders work together as a team to get through.

Anything Else?

The show has a great website on which you can choose the leader you most relate to, i.e. the smoker mentioned earlier, the young woman who overeats out of boredom, the middle-aged man who has "no time" to eat healthily, etc. and then follow that person. You can monitor his/ her progress, and what exercise regime and diet are followed. You can also log all of your own details and follow your own success as well as get lots of nice recipes and other ideas to live a healthier lifestyle. The mobile phone app offers similar services.

The show also organises walks around the country in conjunction with the John Murray Show and the public are encouraged to participate. The overall message is to just get moving! Change some of your habits and you can make a big difference to your overall health and well-being. The show has, in the past couple of years, culminated in a 5km run. It is amazing to see these five previously extremely overweight contestants actually RUN for 5km straight. I have done the run before and it was a great day out - very well organised and a fantastic way to feel part of the whole experience having watched the show and had your 'favourite' leader, or your favourite episode.

I would recommend to anyone who can give the time to the show to do so. It seems to have a very high success rate with many leaders going on to participate in triathlons, run marathons and all sorts of other activities they would never have dreamt of beforehand. If you can't see yourself on television, but know you have to do something about your weight, you can follow it now. You don't have to wait until the show begins in January; the website is there all the time and all the information is there for you. Don't wait until the new year - do it now!

Who would you like to see on it this year? What type of overweight person hasn't been represented? My inkling is that it will feature someone with Type 2 diabetes. We'll have to wait and see I guess! :)

Has anybody watched the show and taken advise from it? Or has anyone followed the routine and lost weight? I would love to hear from you if you have - thanks!

Dangers of Inactivity

New research in The Lancet has revealed that inactivity can be as bad for health as smoking. The series of articles has been released to coincide with the London Olympic Games this summer. The popular journal has said it isn't trying to ruin the Olympics, nor does it expect exeryone to go out and begin gruelling exercise routines in the gym. Instead, it wanted to move from focusing on the benefits of being active, to pointing out the dangers of inactivity. Those dangers include:

• Increased chance of getting a chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes;
• Increased chances of suffering from depression;
• Increased risk of getting breast, bowel and colon cancer;
• Increased risk of stroke, and
• Higher instance of weak bones (can lead to osteoporosis and arthritis) and muscles.

Experts say that widespread inactivity should be treated as a pandemic with citizens in the richest coutries moving the least. So, how does Ireland fair and what can be done to increase day-to-day activity in all our lives?

Ireland

Amongst 36 countries, Irish people are the seventh worst with 53.2% of us admitting that we do no take the recommended amount of exercise. That breaks down to 58.5% of Irish women and 47.8% of Irish men, which is typical across the board. Our closest neighbours, the UK, are doing even worse with 63.3% not moving enough. The worst in Europe are Malta (71%) and Serbia (68%) while the best are Netherlands, Estonia and Greece.

The Details

The research used World Health Organisation data, which was taken from questionnaires in 122 countries that represent 89% of the world's population. The Lancet now believes that roughly three in 10 people over the age of 15 are not exercising enough.

So, what is exercising 'enough'? The rough-ish guidelines are as follows: 30 minutes moderate activity (such as a good, brisk walk) at least five times a week OR 20 minutes intensive exercise at least three times a week OR a combination of the two.

What can we do?

There have to be simple things that we can do to increase our levels of activity on a daily basis, despite the fact that people are commuting longer distances and for longer periods of time. Here are some things I have come up:

• Start walking! Be it to the corner shop, to a friend's, to school with your kids, it doesn't matter. A good way to keep this habit is to ask a friend to walk with you.
• Get a dog! Personally, I can't stand dogs, but they're very good for getting you out and about. If you have to walk the dog everyday, that means you have to walk everyday! (Unless you're the horrifically lazy person who drives along holding the dog on a lead out the window!)
• Everyone is legally entitiled to a lunch break, so if you REALLY can't make time for exercise during the day (which I don't believe anyway!), use your lunch break.
• Take the stairs instead of any automated devise to go upwards. It sounds clichéd, but there is a reason it is repeatedly quoted - it helps! If for no other reason, it will make you realise how much you rely on these things and hopefully break the habit(s).
• Buy a bike. Make use of the government's Bike to Work Scheme while you can and get pedalling. Or else use Dublin Bikes to get around the city. 
• Walk PART of your commute. Linked public transport is great, but what about not going two stops on the bus or tram? You could walk or cycle it.
• I have mentioned this before when we dicussed excuses people come up with to NOT exercise, but I think it's relevant here - find something you like doing. Swimming and dancing seem to be very popular as things people really enjoy. I can't comment as I can't really do either, but if it's your thing - get out there!
• Clean and garden more - both will definitely get you moving!
• Include the family and get everyone out somewhere safe to walk or cycle together.

Remember that you won't melt in the rain! We are Irish; if there's one thing we're good at, it's how to make the most of rainy conditions! Also, remember that two or three short bursts of exercise in your day make up the recommended half an hour. And finally - you don't have to limit it to half an hour a day :)

Does anybody else have any other ideas as to how to increase activity on a daily basis, without going too far out of your way? If so, please tell us in comments below!

Weight-lifting and women



My little 2kg weights.

Being really busy with college means I had to give up on the boxing for a while. I do miss it, but needs must and I will go back in September. 

So, thinking I should keep some kind of exercise up, I bought myself a set of dumbbells. Half of me thought, "I don't think you'll keep this up after one go." and the other half thought, "No, I will. I can do it quickly when home alone and I will maintain some muscle and feel good." Which thought process do you think won? Yep - the former. Unfortunately!

I was genuinely REALLY enthusiastic about the whole thing. I really believed that I would keep it up and that I would do two work-outs a week - just about 15 - 20 minutes long. I did one. Then I spent all my time and energy stressing about college assignments and the poor dumbbells are gathering dust in a corner of my living room. 

I do like weight-lifting though. It's a great work-out as well as just muscle-strengthening. My poor mother is worried I'm going to turn into a really gross body-builder. This is actually a common mis-conception about weights and women. We women don't naturally have enough testosterone to develop very big muscles. I have tried explaining this to my mother, but the look in her eyes tells me that she doesn't believe me. I was going to do a little bit of research anyway, so thought I may as well share the information on the true facts about women and lifting weights.

1. I will end up looking like a bodybuilder. As mentioned above, women don't naturally have enough testosterone in their bodies to gain huge amounts of muscle. The women we see on television take anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone); that coupled with lifting huge weights daily give them that bodybuilder look they want. Weight training without steroids two or three times a week will give you a toned look and will reduce your body fat.
2. If I stop weight training the muscle will turn to fat. The most important thing to remember is that fat and muscle are completely different types of tissue. What usually happens in reality is that a woman stops training and loses muscle due to inactivity. This is usually coupled with the healthy eating regime going out the window, which results in weight gain. The two are connected, but in a lifestyle way, not a physiological one.
3. Weights will turn fat into muscle. This is similar to the above, or perhaps the reverse of it actually. Weights will help tone your body and increase muscle mass (which in turn, will increase your metabolism). Aerobic exercise (being out of breath!) and eating healthily will decrease your body fat. As mentioned above, the two often happen in tandem - I would imagine this is what leads to this commonly held, but incorrect, belief.
4. Women should only lift very light weights. Many women believe that cardio is enough to get the desired body - this is not the case. No matter how much you walk, jog, cycle, etc. your muscles won't tone up completely. For weights to be effective, they need to be heavy enough so that by your final rep you're hurting. Muscle mass will increase only in response to resistance. This resistance won't happen if you don't lift weights that are heavy to you. Increasing reps with light weights does not achieve the same results. Apply your basic biology class knowledge (and common sense) to your training and you're likely to see better results.
5. Weight lifting is bad for the joints. This couldn't be further from the truth. Lifting weights decreases your chance of getting arthritis and osteoporosis. Lifting weights is less stressful on the joints than the increasingly popular running and as well as strengthening the muscles, it also improves the strength of the ligaments that hold them together. Are we getting the message here? Strength training with weights is good!!

Do I look the part?!

So, there you go - is most of what you thought utter rubbish? Not only does weight training help you look better, improve muscle tone, make you healthier overall but it also increases your physical strength and athletic performance and reduces the risk of all the usual suspects - diabetes, cardiac issues, obesity, etc.

There is more encouraging information in this link and if you fancy starting, here is a very easy beginner's work-out. I would add some push-ups to it. Don't forget to warm up a little beforehand and to stretch afterwards.

I am DEFINITELY going to work-out when I get home this evening. Definitely! Any tips or work-out ideas please let me know - all help needed and appreciated! Thanks!