Month: November 2022

With cold and flu season firmly upon us and the drop in temperatures making it easier for viruses to spread, it’s time to think about what we can do to boost our immune systems. Top of the list would be good sleep habits, a nutritious diet, regular exercise and a couple of key high-quality supplements. Here is my go-to winter survival guide! 

Exercise

It is well known that exercise is good for us and there are endless health benefits to being active but did you know that exercise can also help to boost immunity? So how exactly does exercise benefit your immune system? 

Exercise helps increase the number of white blood cells that deal with infections and to circulate these cells more rapidly. Exercise helps to flush the bacteria out of lungs & airways – this may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu or other illness by 40-50%. In addition the rise in body temperature during and after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing.

Persistent inflammation is linked to multiple illnesses and exercise helps to reduce inflammation (although this is most profound when also linked to weight loss). 

Exercise helps to mitigate the age-related decline in your immune system. 

Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones – it’s been shown that stress increases the chance of illness and lowers immunity.

So, what is the best exercise for immunity? Well, the answer is a mixture. Incorporating walking, running, cycling or swimming for cardiovascular benefits combined with some higher intensity workouts such as strength, weight training and HIIT to give you the biggest immunity boost. (And always remember that overtraining impairs immunity so get that balance just right!) Going outside for a walk in the sun for just 30 minutes can really boost our VItamin D levels too – Vit D can help decrease the risk of getting a virus, improving our immune cell production. 

Sleep 

Sleep provides essential support to the immune system & must be seen as a priority – without adequate, quality sleep our bodies suffer especially our immune system.  Getting enough hours of high-quality uninterrupted sleep gives us strong innate (our immediate response to infection) and adaptive (long-term adaptive response) immunity. Research has found that during our nightly sleep some components of our immune system wake up and do their work. In the same way that sleep helps to consolidate learning and memory, it does the same for immunity – sleep reinforces the immune system’s ability to remember how to recognise and react to pathogens (infections, viruses etc.). 

Improving sleep often starts by focusing on our habits, routines, sleeping environment, and even whether we have the best mattress. Collectively, this is known as sleep hygiene, and even straightforward steps, such as having a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding using your phone before and in bed, can make it easier to get a good night’s sleep. 

If you are looking for ways to enhance your sleep and help you boost your sleep quality, I always recommend Lizzie Loves’ amazing be Sleepy sachets as well as Be Well for immunity – you can grab yours here. Use the code caroline20.

Nutrition 

A well balanced, healthy diet is key to success here. You must fuel your body correctly to fight off the infections as well as giving it all the right tools to recover after your workouts! In the winter months especially, we need to make sure we are getting adequate fruit and vegetables to get our vitamins and minerals. If you are stuck for ideas Lizzie Loves has some amazing recipes – take a look here. Given the shorter days and lacking sunlight in the UK in the winter it is recommended to supplement your diet with Vitamin D through the winter months.

Supplements

Those of you who know me will know that I am a huge advocate of turmeric shots from The Turmeric Co. Do you know about the amazing benefits of taking turmeric? It boosts energy, flights infection, supports your immune system and is a powerful antioxidant not to mention it is rich in vitamins. I take two daily shots of Turmeric Vitamin C/D from The Turmeric Co. Use my code caroline10 to shop their range – the turmeric and ginger ones are my favourite!

If you are looking for ways to enhance your sleep and help you boost your sleep quality, I always recommend Lizzie Loves’ amazing be Sleepy sachets. In addition there are the Be Well Elderberry sachets for immunity, fantastic for children too  – you can grab yours here. Use the code caroline20.

Now a bit about Caroline’s Circuits – I have long since been an advocate of strength training, particularly for women, and with this in mind I built my platform – Caroline’s Circuits. My workouts are 4 times a week for just 30 minutes. They focus on strength-based circuits which work different muscle groups and challenge the body, keeping the heart rate moderate to high with passive or active rest – they give the perfect mix of strength and cardio for the best results.

The workouts are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (they are all recorded and available to you on demand within an hour of the session if you can’t make the live) and are available worldwide. Classes have been specifically designed to suit all fitness levels and create fitness habits which last & which produce results.

Intrigued to know more or have a go? Try a class for free here or read more about the platform here.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

For more workout ideas and to find out more about me check out my Instagram or the website,

Caroline x

This is an ad for The Turmeric Co.

So darker in the mornings/early evenings and chillier temperatures – there is definitely a turn in the seasons. However there are still things you can be doing to keep motivation levels up and remember that regular exercise will strengthen your immune system during flu/cold season.

Here are my top tips to stay on track with training and keep your energy levels high in these winter months. 

1. Hydration – just because you might not get as sweaty as in the height of summer it doesn’t mean we can neglect our hydration. Make sure you keep hydrated as our bodies use water to help maintain our core body temperature as well as improving memory, mood, focus etc. 
2. Time of day – if you’re a morning person, set that alarm, have your kit laid out the night before and avoid that snooze button! If you’re not a morning person then make sure you have your gym kit to hand to squeeze that workout into your lunch break or the minute you finish work.
3. Nutrition – yes we are less inclined to want summer salads but we can now embrace soup season. Who doesn’t love a hearty soup on these cold winter days. More on this coming to you in January so watch this space! Also regular exercise during these months where we tend to eat more comfort food will help stabilise our weight and encourage healthier food choices.
4. Getting outside is still great for the soul – ask yourself truthfully is the weather really too bad to get outside? Fresh air, even if it is cold or wet,  does wonders for our mental health and staying positive. And if the sun is shining it’s the perfect time to get a dose of Vitamin D which will help keep our immune system strong. 
5. Find a buddy – make yourself accountable by working out with a friend and suddenly it becomes much more fun than working out alone! 
6. Finally – working out from home has a much bigger draw in these cold, wet months so come and join us at Caroline’s Circuits for 3 live classes a week that you can do with minimal equipment from the comfort of your own home! No need for gym membership fees and no need to commute to the gym plus you can jump straight in your own shower afterwards!

Now a bit about Caroline’s Circuits – I have long since been an advocate of strength training, particularly for women, and with this in mind I built my platform – Caroline’s Circuits. My workouts are 3 times a week for just 30 minutes. They focus on strength-based circuits which work different muscle groups and challenge the body, keeping the heart rate moderate to high with passive or active rest – they give the perfect mix of strength and cardio for the best results.

The workouts are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am (they are all recorded and available to you on demand within an hour of the session if you can’t make the live) and are available worldwide. Classes have been specifically designed to suit all fitness levels and create fitness habits which last & which produce results.

Intrigued to know more or have a go? Try a class for free here or read more about the platform here.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

For more workout ideas and to find out more about me check out my Instagram or the website,

Caroline x

Exercise at any age has amazing benefits both mentally and physically but exercise for anti-ageing – is it really a thing? Whilst I am a big believer in embracing the ageing process there are definitely many benefits to different types of exercise that can help you to feel stronger and fitter for longer and keep you healthy inside and out.

Ageing is a natural process and one we should all embrace but there are certainly some aspects to getting older that I for one would like to help my body combat. This week I will go through just some of the best exercises for anti-ageing that you can do.

Firstly, one of the best (and most cost-effective) ways to stay fit and healthy is to walk. Regular brisk walking can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes not to mention the wonders a good walk can do for your mind.

Next up running – this can be a little controversial as it is relatively high impact and therefore carries a slightly higher injury risk but the benefits are huge. Running is a weight bearing so is good for bone strength (providing you aren’t at risk of osteoporosis – see more about this here).  Running is great for heart health, maintaining a healthy weight and again the mental benefits are huge. My advice here is if you are a running – keep doing it and if you’re thinking about taking up running then be sensible, build up gradually to reduce the risk of injury. If you are worried about injury risk with running or running just isn’t for you cycling and swimming are excellent cardio alternatives.

Yoga and Pilates – these are brilliant as they offer conditioning for your muscles as well as flexibility and balance work without any impact. So incorporating a yoga or Pilates session into your weekly schedule is an excellent idea and I would highly recommend.

Resistance or strength training – anyone who knows me will be well aware that I am a huge advocate of strength training and here is why. From the age of 35 both muscle mass and bone density begin to decline and we become more at risk of osteoporosis. Strength training can play a significant role in not only maintaining the condition of our muscles & keeping physically strong but also encouraging new bone cell growth and therefore preventing bone fractures/osteoporosis risks. The drop in oestrogen in menopause exacerbates the loss of bone density – it is estimated on average women lose up to 10% of their bone mass in the first five years after menopause. Using resistance-based exercises has been proven to help significantly with this and I have had personal training clients whose bone scans have been reflective of this.

So what would my recommendation look like as your week’s exercise? I would recommend 3x a week of strength training workouts (just 30 minutes is perfect) alongside 2 of cardio – which can be just a brisk walk or a cycle as well as a yoga or Pilates class if you can or a good stretch session at home. Always take rest days to allow the body to refuel and recharge – this is key to success and long-term health. 

Intrigued to know more about Caroline’s Circuits? I run 3 online classes a week all based on strength on my fitness platform. They are all recorded so if you cannot make them live you can do them at a time that suits you.

Try a class for free here or read more about the platform here.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

For more workout inspo and to find out a bit more about me check out my Instagram.

Caroline x

Getting started isn’t always the problem when it comes to health, fitness and exercise. Often we start a new programme, join a new gym or set new goals but actually sticking with it can be problematic. So how do you stay motivated and stay on track when life is busy, the weather isn’t great or you’re not really feeling like it? 

Here are my top tips on how to stay motivated, on track and keep your fitness going long term:

1. Find your why – Your reason for starting exercise has a huge impact on whether you will sustain it. Vague goals of “I want to get fit” or “I want to lose weight” won’t keep you at it long term – give yourself an achievable goal such as “I want to run 5k by Christmas” or “I want to do 3 workouts a week” You will also be much more successful at sticking with it if you can see or feel tangible, immediate benefits such as positive feelings of stress reduction, increased energy, better sleep etc. The best way to prioritise exercise and be sure it will happen is if it delivers a benefit that is truly compelling and valuable to your life. So you just need to find out what that is for you, and it might be different for everyone. 
2. Be realistic – Don’t set out with unattainable goals such as “I will workout everyday, I will eat healthily, stop drinking and run 5 times per week”, not only will you lose motivation pretty quickly when you can’t do it but you’ll risk injury and leave yourself feeling pretty rubbish. Instead try committing to three workouts per week and have 4/5 alcohol free nights per week – when you achieve this over a period of time you can then build on these goals – set yourself up for success.
3. Plan and prioritise – For many people time is precious, but so is your health. Plan your week on a Sunday, work out exactly where you can definitely fit in your exercise and stick to it. Maybe organise a plan together with a friend. Sometimes it is also helpful to have a contingency plan for if work or family life throws the schedule out of the window! 
4. Keep it short and sweet – you don’t need to exercise for hours – 30 minutes three times per week for strength work is perfect. Often, people think that they need to spend hours and hours at the gym each week to make it worthwhile – this is a myth! 
5. Work out your best time – if you’re not a morning person don’t commit to a 7am workout, if you know you flag in the evenings make sure you get it done before lunchtime. There’s no right time, just the right time for you.

I have long since been an advocate of strength training, particularly for women, and with this in mind I built my platform – Caroline’s Circuits. My workouts are 3 times a week for just 30 minutes. They focus on strength-based circuits which work different muscle groups and challenge the body, keeping the heart rate moderate to high with passive or active rest – they give the perfect mix of strength and cardio for the best results.

The workouts are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am (they are all recorded and available to you on demand within an hour of the session if you can’t make the live). Classes have been specifically designed to suit all fitness levels and create fitness habits which last & which produce results.

Intrigued to know more or have a go? Try a class for free here or read more about the platform here.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

For more workout ideas and to find out a bit more about me check out my Instagram.

Caroline x