Month: December 2023

There are many things that spring to mind when Christmas is mentioned – family, friends, food, festivities. Yes, it can be an indulgent time of year and many people find that exercise isn’t top of the priority list and that is definitely ok. In fact, why not take a look at your fitness/life balance and make a conscious decision to give yourself a break. Now you don’t have to go cold turkey but a week or two of reduced exercise isn’t going to break your fitness gains and it might just set you up for a great start to a refreshed 2024. Read on to find out the importance of taking a break at this time of year. 

We have all heard of work/life balance but how many of you have thought about your fitness/life balance? Your exercise and your fitness are a lifelong habit and a lifestyle you have chosen which is amazing. That said, it is equally important that it doesn’t overly impact time with family and friends, that it doesn’t diminish our enjoyment of events and doesn’t impair our ability to relax. A healthy and balanced mindset is what we aim for here, we can certainly appreciate that a good diet and regular exercise are vital for our long-term mental and physical health, but also realise that taking a break and indulging has its own set of benefits as well, and Christmas is a prime time for this. 

If you saw my recent blog on rest days then you will be fully aware of just how important it is to have days to let your body recover from previous workouts. If you plan some rest days around Christmas (and allow a few more than normal) you can relax and make the most of this time. In terms of mental benefits, a break from exercise around Christmas can be an excellent decision for your well-being and overall state of mind. This gives you time to enjoy yourself and make the most of the break without worrying about when and how you’ll next workout. You don’t have to go cold turkey, of course. You could switch up a heavy weights session for an express workout, a full body stretch or yoga. Another great way to get moving during Christmas is to go on long walks with the family. Dancing counts, too! 

Christmas is known to be stressful though & we must remember that exercise def helps with that. If time allows and it isn’t adding an extra pressure to the to do list then then a short sharp sweaty workout could make all the difference. Why not rope in the rest of the family and all have a go together for 15 minutes? 

My one key take-away from all of this is that If you feel like you need a rest this Christmas, take it. The most important thing is that you find a balance that works for you and allows you to enjoy Christmas.. You might just find you come back with added motivation for January following a lovely festive break and your body will be ready and recharged.

The short winter darker days with cold winds and rain certainly test the motivational levels and make it much more challenging to step outside and do the exercise. I have compiled my top tips for making it through the winter months and emerging into spring with your fitness intact! 

Whilst I love training outside on sunny, crisp, cold winter mornings (my TRX always is my go to if I’m outside at the mo) I equally enjoy a weights workout from the comfort of my living room without braving the elements! Whichever you go for there are a few things you can do to make winter training successful:

First up, the warm up – anyone who does my classes will know I never start a workout without a thorough warm up. This is even more important when the outside temperatures are in the single digits or minus figures. The body takes longer to warm up in winter so it is vital to invest time in warming the muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments up before getting stuck into the main part of your session. The same goes for the cool down. Gradually bring your body back to its pre-exercise state. These two combined will greatly reduce your risk of injury and muscle soreness to allow you to keep training consistently throughout winter.

Try to get those sessions in first thing if you can – I understand that this might not be possible for everyone but with a long to-do list at this time of year there are more chances you will get your workout in! Also if you are training outside this is not only the warmest part of the day but the sun is positioned optimally to give you an extra vitamin D dose.

Keep an eye on your breathing. The colder the air, the greater the stimulus to the bronchi, lungs and mucous membranes. The cold forces the bronchial tubes to narrow, while also reduces the capacity of mucous membranes to stay moist. You may notice a burning or irritation of the throat when you inhale cold air. You can adjust your breathing to mitigate this by inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Breathing like this gives air a longer route to the lungs and so more time to be moistened and heated through the nasal mucosa and mouth.  The air that passes through the mouth is moistened and heated during exhalation, enabling efficient breathing through this channel when necessary. 

Hydration – this might sound a bit mad when you think you might not be getting as sweaty but it is vital to keep on top of your hydration in winter. Remember you will still be sweating and losing water through breathing in colder weather as well so you need to keep taking fluids on board. 

Nutrition – you must make sure you are getting enough protein, vitamins, minerals and energy from your diet. Make sure you are having enough fruit and veg over winter and focus on cooking those winter warmers. Many winter meals lend themselves to big batch cooking which is not only cost effective but also will save you time down the line. So get planning and batch cooking!

Clothing. Dress dry, not just warm. Getting wet, be that through getting sweaty or getting caught in a cold winter downpour, will make you cold. Think about waterproof layers and warm, wicking underlayers which will allow you to reduce layers as you warm up and layer back up post workout as you cool down again. Now is not the time to be wearing cotton which will soak up sweat and external moisture, opt for quick drying synthetic layers. 

Whilst you might love your chic black workout wear, winter is a time to sport those bright colours. Not only are they great for visibility in dull winter light but they definitely lift your mood!

Finally there are those days where the weather is just too bad to contemplate an outdoors workout. My advice here is to jump online and do a home workout from the comfort of your living room. You’ll definitely get a sweat on, tick a session off the list and you and jump into your warm shower straight afterwards!

Let me know how you navigate those winter months? If you’re looking for a rainy day home workout why not try one of my free trial workouts here.

Caroline x

Christmas and all of the build up can be particularly challenging if you’re in a consistent fitness routine, whether you’re working towards a specific goal or just trying to stay on track. I often get asked how do you keep up all your workouts and stay motivated when there’s so much else going on? The simple answer is I try to see this stage as a time for management rather than a time for PBs – remember doing something is better than doing nothing, even if it is 10 minutes. I think that it’s also a great time to remember how far you’ve come this year and how much you have achieved and to enjoy this time now with family and friends and celebrate. However in saying this you also don’t need to forget about your fitness completely esp if you have an end of the year target in sight. My advice is to find your balance and do what you can. So, ensure you get the rest you need, enjoy the festivities and here’s a few tips to ensure you keep on track with your fitness should you need them:

1. Try to choose small, specific, achievable goals which boost morale. Try to not think too long term – now probably isn’t the time to take up running or take on an ironman! Commit to the things you know you can achieve if you put your mind to it and plan. If its in the diary you are more likely to do them. Think about the best way to achieve this maybe it’s booking into a yoga class, joining a quick online HIIT session. Can you commit to 3 short classes per week or getting out daily for a walk and some fresh air? Now that sounds much more achievable. Can you combine this with seeing a friend at the same time and walking/exercising together?
2. Hydration is key in party season! It will help with the digestion of the rich foods, as well as improving concentration, focus and performance. If you’re having that glass of bubbles it’s great to alternate an alcoholic drink with a large glass of water. 
3. Vary your workouts – your normal routine is probably hard to follow this month so why not mix up your training too?! Try that new class, do the free trial and see what you think. We are much more likely to stick with an exercise routine that we enjoy. Keep your workouts short when you are pushed for time in the busy period (maybe try a quick hiit 20. min blast) and try to get them done first thing in the morning before the busy day begins.
4. On that note, set an early alarm – it sounds mad, you’re probably out later than normal some nights but getting up early, getting out for a walk and seizing the day can massively help concentration and productivity and put you in the right mindset. A Christmas Day early walk is an amazing energizer!
5. Don’t forget to prioritise your sleep this month! SO SO KEY. Not only will you feel more inclined to workout but you will also make better food choices, be more focussed, boost your immune system etc to keep you going through December!
6. Remember finally it’s all about balance this month: try to keep your diet in check with vitamins and nutrient rich foods in your meals to replenish those energy stores and boost immunity! But also enjoy those festive treats!

So are you looking for a quick class to fit into your busy week or a new programme to shake up your training and boost motivation? Why not try my In Ten series or the 15 minute express workouts? There’s a free class for you to try here. Let me know how you get on!

Caroline x

It’s that time of year where it feels like you are constantly fighting off a cold and there are so many bugs going around. We need to be doing everything we can to help our bodies and immune system this winter. So, I have put together my little winter survival guide with my top tips and favourite things that help me stay healthy and well during cold and flu season. 

My number one non-negotiable is exercise!

I am, of course, a huge advocate of exercise and its many mental and physical health benefits, but I am always impressed by the science behind exercise and its ability to boost immunity. Did you know that exercising increases the number of white blood cells? White blood cells are responsible for fighting infection. When we exercise we increase blood flow around the body so not only does it increase the number of these infection fighting cells but also helps to circulate these cells around the body more quickly and effectively. 

When we exercise we increase our breathing rate and how deeply we breathe. This 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%. 

As we age our immune system becomes less effective and we are more prone to coughs, colds and other illnesses than we were in our 20s and 30s. Exercise helps to mitigate this age-related decline in your immune system. 

Finally, exercise has been shown to slow down the release of stress hormones. This is great for our immunity as research has 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. 

Next up in my survival guide is sleep.

We have recently discussed in another blog the key benefits of good quality sleep and how to help your body hit the sleep target – you can read more on this here. But when it comes to immunity, sleep provides essential support to your body’s immune system & this really must be seen as a priority when helping our bodies fight these infections effectively. 

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, avoiding using your phone before and in bed and dodging the caffeine and alcohol can make it easier to get a good night’s sleep. Don’t forget to take a look at the recent blog on eating your way to good sleep for more top sleep tips. 

That leads me nicely onto my next point – eating for immunity.  

A well balanced, healthy diet is key to success here. Your immune system cannot function to its full potential if it is not fuelled correctly to fight off the infections! In the same way it is vital to refuel after workouts, you need to feed your body for winter. In the winter months especially, we need to make sure we are getting adequate fruit and vegetables to get our vitamins and minerals. 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.

Finally, I have a couple of key supplements which I swear by for helping my immune system.

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!

As mentioned above Vitamin D is key over winter in the UK as we don’t get enough from the sunshine so I make sure I have a daily supplement of this to help my bone strength and immune system. 

Ashwagandha – this has been dubbed the miracle herb and for good reason! It has been shown to regulate mood by increasing the body’s ability to manage stress. Ashwagandha is thought to control mediators of stress such as heat shock proteins, cortisol and other stress markers. Reducing stress levels on the body can help boost the immune system and allow the body to deal with the infections presented without additional stress. Ashwagandha is a root herb so not the easiest to incorporate into your regular diet and meals so I take the Wild Nutrition supplement which you can find here .

What are your go-to immune boosting products?

Caroline x

This is an ad for Turmeric Co & Wild Nutrition.