As leisure centres, spas and gyms are currently closed, staying healthy and trying to keep fit at home can feel like a challenge.
Home comforts such as boxsets and the sofa can lull us into languor during lockdown, but Mallory Court’s personal trainer Kate Swinson believes it’s more important than ever to make some time for exercise. We quiz Kate a little more on the benefits of being active at home…
I decided to change careers four years ago and qualified as a Personal Trainer. After 15 years juggling a full-time career, running a business and organising a hectic family life I was left feeling exhausted. I started to exercise daily and discovered the benefits of an active life and good nutrition.
I became hooked on this new way of living and wanted to help others improve their fitness so they also enjoy their life to the full. I’ve witnessed many times how the impact of investing time and effort in our fitness, health and wellness helps improve many other areas of our life too.
There is research to suggest that exercising before eating breakfast will encourage the body to use fat stores for energy. But some people find they need to eat before a workout in order to have the energy to fuel the exercise. I’d always suggest trying both before deciding which is best.
It’s important to plan movement into our day as spending long periods of time sitting down without a break has been linked to high blood pressure, and can also slow metabolism causing weight gain. It’s also important to consider your posture when working from home
I recommend getting up every 30 minutes and moving around and stretching for 2 to 3 minutes to help keep the spine in line and prevent joints getting stiff and incorporating 20-30 minutes of exercise a day into your home working routine.
Most people can accelerate weight loss, improve strength and increase their fitness by using bodyweight exercises such as lunges, squats and press ups. Add in explosive exercises where you alternate between doing high intensity exercises for short bursts of time with less intense recovery periods before going back to the high intensity exercises.
Why not try out my top five exercises to do in the morning, by following along with my video:
Exercise boosts serotonin (the feel good endorphin) levels in the brain, so taking daily exercise can also help to lift mood, keep us feeling happy and ward off anxiety and depression. And not only that, but if you exercise first thing in the morning, the increased oxygen to the brain can really help to boost energy and improve mental performance for the day ahead
I always create a progressive training plan for a client’s current fitness level and their end goals to ensure that the effort they put into each workout is at the right intensity for them. It helps them feel the progress in an enjoyable way.
Music improves physical performance by delaying fatigue, resulting in higher than expected levels of endurance, power, productivity or strength. I like positive songs with a strong rhythm in my playlists.
This is a playlist from the weekly Freestyle Fitness Class at Elan Spa. I often get asked at the end of the class to share the tracks.
We hope Kate’s great advice has left you feeling motivated and inspired to keep fit at home during lockdown and beyond. If you have any questions for Kate or would like to enquire about online PT Training, please email Kate: kate@mevme.co.uk
Mallory Court Hotel and Spa,
Harbury Lane,
Leamington Spa,
Warwickshire
CV33 9QB
