All the fun at the fair - The Vitality Show

Last Friday, I was a press guest at London's Vitality Show which was heaving with women . Forget the fitness classes and diet stalls - most women were too busy elbowing each other the way to the freebies on the food stalls. Not that I did of course.
But fitness classes that seemed particularly popular were the Iamsuperchick.com, a boot camp aimed at London women, Wii Fit and Beaucamp Pilateshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif ().
This last I had a go of and let me tell you, it was very good.
This is super charged Pilates on Reformers. Forget the slow breathing and movements of a traditional class. Instead, this works the body in such a way that you get the benefits of old school Pilates - lengthening and toning of muscles - as well as the fatburn. Genius.

Get running girls!

I'm all for anything that helps motivate women to exericise and Nike have hit on a great idea. They've launched the Men vs Women challenge.

Log on to www.nikeplus.com and you can join an official online running challenge using their Nike+ system (This is a small device that fits in your shoe that logs how far you run,£19.99 although you need to plug it into an IPod Nano).

Starting on 13 March and ending 20 April, the world’s largest running club, www.nikeplus.com, will tally the kilometers of men and women who join an official Men vs. Women online running challenge using the Nike+ system, £19.99.

This is a small device that fits into specially adapted Nike+ running shoes and transmits data wirelessly to an iPod nano, an iPod touch or Nike+ SportBand. Information on time, distance, pace and calories burned during a run can then be stored on www.nikeplus.com.

The men vs women's challenge though will seek to see who are the stronger sex by seeing whehter it's women or men who log the most kilometres. Plus, there will be individual champions for the following three categories: total kilometers, average kilometers per runner and the most kilometers run by an individual in a 24-hour period.

“The inspiration for the campaign actually came directly from a consumer who posted the Men vs. Women challenge nearly two years ago,” said Enrico Balleri, Director of Brand Connections, Nike EMEA. “In 2008, it was one of the most popular challenges on Nikeplus.com, with runners contributing nearly 2.5 million kilometers. Nike+ has always been about communicating directly with runners, we are excited that the Men vs. Women concept is born from the nikeplus.com community.”

I've been asked to be part of the challenge in their media corp so I'll let you know how I get on! In the meantime, check out their ad featuring Eva Longoria, Paula Radcliffe and a whole host of names!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLyFlDAikac

The Vitality Show - Kensington Olympia

Fitbitch will be off to The Vitality Show this Friday, although if you fancy a bit of pampering or want the chance to try out some new exercise classes, it runs until Sunday.

AT the Zest Fitness Class, you can try out a dance class or workout, or check in for a massage or reflexology at The Vitality Day Spa.

Tickets cost £14.50 in advance or £17.50 on the door. For all the latest news and information on the show, visit www.thevitalityshow.co.uk or call 0871 230 5569 to book your tickets.


For those who can't make it, I'll be blogging about the show next week.

How to transform your running

Experts who analyse the way the way that your feet and ankles move while running are now a familiar sight in sports shops, with Nike Town and Asics both launching services in their London flagship stores recently. But increasing numbers of sports performance and rehabilitation experts are now offering cutting edge video gait analysis that looks at the entire body.
'It's only when you study the entire kinetic chain, from the feet right up to the top of the head, that you get a true picture of what's going on,' explains sports performance analyst, Mitchell Phillips of StrideUK who works with athletes, every day runners and those undergoing rehabilitation. 'This enables us to provide a complete biomechanical profile, which can pinpoint potential weaknesses and prescribe corrective exercise and shoe wear to transform sports performance and prevent injuries from occurring.'
This all sounds interesting, but is it really any more useful than popping into your local running shop for free advice?
I was interested in finding out as in the last six months alone, I have been recommended three different types of trainers based on advice from running shops. This has ranged from a neutral shoe to motion control trainers. I'd opted for motion control but the niggling knee pain I'd hoped the shoes might help solve persisted.
To start the analysis, I was first marked with small stickers on 26 different places on my body including neck, lower back, hips, knees and ankles. This helps to pinpoint more accurately how the legs, hips and knees track while running.
to help pinpoint more accurately how the body tracks
Then, I was asked to run on a specialised Sprintex treadmill, both barefoot and in my trainers.
Compared to traditional gym treadmills, with a single belt which propels the body forward unnaturally, the Sprintex model has separate slats which recreate the natural motion of running. And because it can work in reverse, you can be filmed running both from the front and back, as well as from the side.
'It's vital to get this three dimensional view to see what is happening to the body, ' explains Mitchell. 'For instance, if you only view someone running from the back you can't see the way their knees track, which is a great way to identify poor hip and core function; if it tracks inwards, it's often the gluete that are the problem.'
After both static and dynamic tests were completed, Mitchell and co-partner Elle Phillips, then took me through the video analysis, as they do with all clients.
'Giving our clients a visual playback of their running technique provides them with a much better understanding of whats going on,' explains Elle. 'And they're more likely to follow the exercises we prescribe as they can see the issues.'
The video analysis involves slowing down the film and being able to see the entire body in action, including the feet and legs on a split screen with and without trainers. This helps you to see whether the type of trainer you are wearing are doing the job of helping to control any unwanted motion.
Thankfully, my running shoes – Asic GT 2130, controlled my pronation at mid foot, as Elle showed by a line digitally drawn on the video from the inside of my heel to ankle.
What was not so good was seeing how my knees almost touched as I ran, particularly on my right side, indicating weak glute muscles. These were failing to control the inward tracking of my knee, helping to explain my pain. And from sa ide view, my heels were failing to kick up high enough – the ideal should be that they from a right angle – which highlighted weak hamstrings.
'Many runners focus on strenghtening their quads – the muscles in the front of the thigh, thinking it is these muscles that propel you forward while running,' explains Mitchell. 'But these are primarily engaged with controlling the downforce of the running motion, and it's the hamstrings which work to accelerate forward movement.'
At the end of the asssessment, I was given an in-depth report, including a series of exercises to help strengthen my muscles and increase flexibility. The report also included a list of recommended running shoes specific to my unique biomechanical blueprint.
Although prices for this kind of service vary around the country, most start at around £100. It may sound steep but if you're serious about your running, or you want to safeguard against injuries that could set back your training or cause serious problems in the future, this service is invaluable.
'Poor running technique is single biggest cause of back and knee injuries, and this analysis can help prevent these injuries developing,' says Mitchell Phillips. 'Plus, if you want to improve your tennis playing or swimming you book a lesson. Why not do the same with your running  as it could help transform your performance.'

for more information about StrikeUK visit www.strideuk.com. Prices start at £75.
Matt Roberts also offers Biomechanical Service, starting at £100. Visit www.mattroberts.co.uk.

Super stair climbing

This morning, 600 runners took part in Britain's first organised race up a London sky scraper. The winner was Rolf Majcen, 42, who travelled from Austria who summited at 4minutes and 57 seconds.
While taking on a high rise building might seem out of your fitness league, running up stairs is an excellent way of challenging your fitness and helping to strengthen - and tone - the legs and bottom.
Start off slowly by trying to run up a flight of stairs a maximum of three times, and work your way up until you can do it ten times without stopping, Try and pump your arms and move your feet as quickly as possible and vary it; go up one at a time the first time, alternated with two steps at a time the next.
Bringing this into your normal training will help challenge your body and it makes it less boring than always going on the same old, long runs. Give it a try.

Could Nordic diet be the secret?

Forget the Mediteranean diet, the latest diet to be touted as the most healthy both nutritionally and for weight loss is the Scandanavian diet.
their native fruits include blueberries, cowberries and cowberries (the names themselves make you want to eat them - like some kind of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory type fruits) which are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. And the high percentage of lean meat and fish, such as elk, reindeer andn herring are high in protein which have been shown to keep you fuller for longer. Might be worth a try if can handle a herring roll mop. What do you think?

Fitbitch Boutique Boot Camps

If you want to get the fittest you've ever been and ensure you have a fabulous beach body by the summer, book in for a Fitbitch Boutique Boot Camp, coming soon to residents of Brighton & Hove.
Unlike other fitness boot camps around, this will be exclusively for women and numbers will be kept to a maximum of 16 to ensure personal attention and a unique, supportive environment.
The camps will run for four weeks, four days a week and will include an optional diet plan, 24/7 text support and and a shared web forum. And by the end of it, you can expect to have lost weight, dropped inches and feel fantastic.
If you're interested in trying out a class before committing and being part of a unique fitness initiative, you can book in for one trial out class on Sunday 5th April, Monday 6th or Tuesday 7th.
Email Rachael at info@bodybalancefitness.co.uk or leave a comment here.

Download your fitness

In an ideal world, we'd all be able to afford a personal trainer to take us through our paces. Sadly, unless you're a Hollywood star that will remain as much of a dream as winning the London Marathon. But now there's a whole range of fitness applications that you can download to your IPhone or Ipod touch, which means you can get the next best thing - a fitness expert at the touch of a finger.

YogaTrainerLite, free
Always wondered how you do a downward dog? Got some spare time in the morning or before bed to do yoga but not quite sure how? This application has a huge variety of postures which are illustrated with pictures, along with written and voice guided instructions.
You can customise your practise by building your own sequence of postures, follow a pre-built sequence or just do a few postures, whatever suits. With sequences for both the beginner to the advanced, this is perfect for someone who doesn't have the time or money to go to a yoga studio regularly but needs guidance.

Ifitness, £1.19

Experts recommend that if you train regularly, you should change your exercise programme every four to six weeks. If you don't, you won't see any improvement in shape or fitness because your body will get used to the stimulus. The best way to do this is to book in with a personal trainer but this application is a great second best. It has a database of over 150 exercises, and it's even divided into muscles that it targets so you can focus on just your bottom or your core if you choose. Alternatively, opt for one of their pre-programmed routines, ranging from strength building to weight loss. You can even track your progress by logging your workout results which is sent automatically to your email.

Ipump Workout, free
To build strength, muscular endurance or simply to lose weight, this application can help. It includes two total body workouts so if you're unsure about how to put an exercise programme together, it's perfect. It includes images and videos of each exercise, as well as audio counting of each repetition. just like a personal trainer so there's no skipping out of doing the correct amount of repetitions. So, much like having a personal trainer on hand, there's no pretending you've forgotten how many you've done. You can also keep a log of the number of sets, repetitions and resistance that you perform which is a perfect way of ensuring that you progress and continue to challenge yourself.

RunKeeper Pro, £5.99
Whether you're new to running or you have started entering races, this is a brilliant application although it's only designed for the 3G Iphone. It uses the phone's inbuilt Global Positioning System so that runners, cyclists and even hikers can track the duration of their workout, pace, distance and even speed. This means, no more having to log on to mapmyrun before you go out for a run to check distance. Simply take your phone and it will do it for you. You can also download it onto your phone's dashboard and share the results with friends – if you dare!

BlueSpark Heart Monitor, £2.39
You can spend anything from £25 to over £200 on a heart rate monitor but now you don't need to with this nifty application. To use this you must have Apple headphones with a microphone or an Iphone 3G with inbuilt microphone. It's this which tracks the sound of your heart beat, either through a wrist or neck pulse, helping to provide your beats per minute as you exercise. Why is this important? If you know your heart rate, you can ensure that you're pushing yourself hard enough, and training in the right heart rate zone for your purpose. Ok, the motivation to push still comes from you but you're far more likely to do it if you can see the results for yourself. The downside is that you need to be somewhere quiet for the microphone to pick up your heartbeat and reviews vary on how accurate it is as you exercise.

Ipump Pilates, £2.99
If you take a Pilates mat class, likelihood is the teacher will gear the class to the weakest member in the group which is frustrating if you feel ready for more. The alternative used to be an expensive studio based class but now this affords another option. It has 63 images, videos and audio coaching and you can play music while you do it. For something so exacting as Pilates where you're trying to overcome years of poor posture or muscular imbalance, this is not the same as having someone watch you but it's a good start for helping you build your core strength.

** For all applications, read the limitations before downloading as some require extra system requirements in order to view videos.


Image by Free-StockPhotos.com

Core exercise four

In gyms and fitness shops up and down the country, Swiss Balls loom. But don't be tempted to even use one until you can do core exercises on the floor. So many times people get on these and do crunches with their feet moving, the ball bouncing up and down all signs that you're exericising incorrectly and using your back or muscles in your hips.
First of all, get the right Swiss ball for your height.
If you sit on the ball, your legs should form a perfecct right angle with the floor - if not, you've got the wrong size.
Now, roll slowly back so that the ball is in the small of your back.
Place your hands behind your head, but don't grasp them together and keep the elbows wide so they're just in the periphery of your vision.
Your feet should be flat on the floor hip width apart - if too difficult, widen them to give yourself a broader space of support.
Now,imagine that there is an apple between your chin and your chest and keep this in your mind as you slowly crunch up, breathing out as you do so and pulling up on your pelvic floor. HOld for a beat, and then return to the start position.
Do three sets of 20 ensuring you do not rock the body up or bounce on the ball.

The Celebrity Cycling Club

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
When the rich and famous aren't working out with their personal trainers, many of them still make sure they lead an active lifestyle and burn the calories even while getting from A-B. Elle MacPherson, Madonna, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Pamela Anderson are just a few of the A-List who use their pedal power.
It's a brilliant way of getting your heart rate up, particularly if you find running difficult but make sure you work at it. Try finding a hill and cycling up it ten times, or cycle 1 minute at a difficulty rating of 6/10 with two minutes at 8/10.
Interval training like this will mean that you're burning calories even once you've stopped working out.
Try Evan's for a bike www.evanscycles.com (ask about their off season bikes for cheaper deals) or if you're after a cruiser like Pamela and Jennifer's, log on to www.nirve.com for a Paul Frank Cruiser. For the ultimate bling bike (not one that you'd ever be able to lock up outside your local supermarket) a Danish company has just created the Aurumania gold Bike Crystal Edition, a 24carat gold bike decorated with 600 Swarovski crystals for £71,987. Useful.

Express lunch

If you've been dieting for ages and never seem to lose any weight, the culprit could be your lunch.
Most people on a diet are good at starting the day on the right footing, and even manage to get the evening meal right.It's lunch times that most people fall down as they don't think they have the time to prepare anything and so grab something from a supermarket or sandwich shop. Little do you realise quite how many calories are lurking in what you pick up, even the so called healthy options.

Do you always manage to start off your day well with oats or cereal and then it all ends in failure come lunchtime? Most of the time it's because you end up starving and you have no choice but to grab something from a sandwich store or supermarket.

Pret Chicken Jalopeno Wrap contains 433 calories - add a coffee and you're looking at over 600.

EAT Ham and Mustard Salad is 363 calories

Starbucks Prawn Mayo sandwich, a shocking 496 calories

I could go on but you get my drift. Have one of these and then the additional hot drink, packet of crisps or even the odd bit of chocolate and you're looking at a vast part of your calorie intake.

Instead, try planning out some lunches during the day. Most people say 'Oh, but I don't have the time.' Truth is, it can take five minutes to make yourself a scrummy salad, or even throw a Convent Garden fresh soup in a pan.

Try this Salmon Salad with Chickpeas and Asparagus

Ingredients
Mixed salad leaves
Tin of pink salmon
50g chickpeas
Few tomatoes
1 spear of cooked asparagus
1/4 avocado (don't go overboard, they're high in fat)
Lemon juice to dress

Basically, bung together, squeeze with lemon juice and you're done. Delicious


Basically, all you nee

Core exercise three - Oblique plank

For the third exercise of the series, place your elbow below your shoulder and ensure your head, neck, hips, knees and ankles are all in line. Then engaging your core, raise up on to your elbow so that your body is in a straight line without dipping from ankles to head. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat three times and change sides.
As a beginner, start on your knees rather than coming up on your feet. To make it harder, come up on to your hand rather than elbow.
If you're pregnant or suffering from lower back pain avoid all of these exercises and see advice from a GP.

Core exericise two - The Plank

This is an exercise that my clients seem equally to love and loathe because it's a killer but it works. Only move on to this exercise once you have mastered the ability to roll down without falling down for ten repetitions.
Try the half plank first, once you can hold this for 3 x 1 minute, go on to the full plank. If your lower back hurts at any point, stop. This is sign that you're not using your core muscles properly and they need to be strengthened.

The Half Plank
Come on to your knees and lean forward, placing your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms flat on the floor. Your neck and hips should be in a diagonal line straight down to your knees without any dip in your lower back. if you're not feeling it anywhere, more your torso further forward and you will fill it in your core. Build up to holding for one minute. Repeat three times.

The Full Plank
Once you have mastered the above, come up on to your toes keeping your body in line as if you are a plank of wood. Keep engaging those core muscles, and keep your neck in line with your body, face down imagining there is a string coming from the crown or your head keeping your neck lengthened.

Pilates core exericise one

One of the most important group of muscles that are often neglected - or completly forgotten about are the core muscles. These are the deep muscles that effectively form a corset around the stomach, helping to flatten the abdomen, strengthen the back and improve your strength in every day life.
Whether you're starting to get fit just to feel a bit healthier, or you're training for a sport or a race, the core is vital. All limbs lead from this power house and if you get it strong, it will transform your life.
Most people find it difficult to activate the core muscles though, mainly because greedy muscles such as those in the bottom, hips and the six pack like to take over. So it's vital to start off slowly and learn to re-activate the connection between your mind and musculature.
Start with this exercise and once you can perform it well, go on to any of the next series that I will be posting.
Pilates Roll down
Sitting up right, feet on the floor about a hand's distance apart, bring both arms up in front of you parallell to the floor. Take a deep, slow inhalation. Now, as you exhale out of your mouth as if blowing slowly through a straw, curl down through the body aiming to curl the pelvis and lower back to the floor and the rest of the spine, one veterbrae at a time.
If you can only go half way without falling backwards or your feet coming off the floor, don't worry, keep practising. Your neck and head should come last as you exhale arms over your head.
Now, take a deep inhalation, roll your arms back over your head paralell with the floor and curl up, one veterbrae at a time from the head, neck all the way through the spine until you are sitting upright. Throughout it, focus on holding the muscles that you clench to stop yourself going to the toilet. The pelvic floor is part of the core muscles so activate this, and the rest will come into play.
Repeat 10 times.
It's vital that you don't progress with the core exercises until you have mastered this. If you're confused, let me know and I will explain more.
Follow this link for a video demonstration of a half roll http://www.videojug.com/film/pilates-half-roll-down

Best Diet Dinner

When it comes to losing weight, the most effective approach is to combine more exercise with a healthier diet. Forget the Atkins Diet, the F Plan, the Maple Syrup and all of those things. Ultimately, you need to eat less calories - around 500 per day to lose 1lb a week.
Talking to most people though, the thing they struggle with most is what to eat at dinner. It's a time when you're tired, your hungry and you end up overeating, either by nibbling when you're cooking or even eating a mini-meal before you've even got to the dinner table.
The best way of avoiding this is to follow these simple rules:
1) Try and plan what you're going to eat the morning before and have the ingredients ready at home so you're not tempted to grab something unhealthy on the way home.
2) Plan to make something simple that will only take 20mins.
3) Most importantly, eat something that don't make you feel like you're on a diet. Instead of thinking that you're depriving yourself by cutting out food, change the way you cook and add spices and herbs. That way, you're adding food not taking away.

I always tend to opt for fish dishes as they're full of protein, which makes you feel fuller for longer and best of all, fish is so incredibly low in calories. Tonight, I made Seabass with clams and mussels in a spicy tomato broth - and that one fillet of fish only contains around 200 calories. It's delicious..


Sea bass with Clams and Mussel Stew

Ingredients

Sea bass fillet
Salt and pepper to season
1/2 lemon, squeezed

Wrap fish in tin foil with squeeze of lemon and place in oven at 200 degrees.It should take around 15mins but you'll know when it's ready once it loses it's translucence and you can see the fish can fall away in big juicy flakes.

The Broth
Garlic
Chilli
Plum tomatoes
1tsp olive oil
Lemon juice
Seafood

Saute the tomatoes, garlic and chilli in the oil and lemon and then turn down on a low heat. keep adding a bit of water as needed until the tomatoes break down into a rich sauce. Add seasoning if needed and plenty more lemon juice. Add mussels and cockles (cleaned and debearded) and put lid on pan. Leave for 2-5mins until the shells open. Discard any that haven't opened and serve the rest.

Watch out next week as I will be posting a new core exercise to do every day.