health – Miranda Adams Coaching

Exercise Essentials

Getting started with your training can be the most difficult and challenging time as there is a lot to learn as well as to maintain motivation and get in to good habits.

To help you stay on track I’ve put together some Exercise Essentials videos, of important stretches and ab exercises.

These will help you get started with getting and maintaining correct form so the rest of your training fits together more perfectly.

In training it’s important to get the right combination of cardiovascular, resistance and flexibility training to have the best overall outcome whatever your goal may be. Often some of this can be missing and then the results of lack of endurance or tightness can be felt later on.

If however all the essentials are put in place and maintained then your results will be far more holistic and your goals easier to achieve.

I hope you find the videos useful and more will be added along the way. If you have any specific requests for essential exercise information and instruction please do get in touch. Here’s to your best health 🙏 Miranda

Exercise Essentials to help you get started and keep going!

Why to learn self defence

With it being announced just last week that knife attacks are at their highest in London. It has become even more important to learn self defence.

It can be easy to think something may never happen to us personally, yet isn’t it far more important to feel prepared in what ever situation may occur and more importantly to do your best to be able to prevent any situation from happening at all.

By helping yourself in this area you are also helping those around you that you care for by making sure you are aware of these things and what you can do to help yourself get out of it and by doing so encouraging others to help themselves too.

This is most important for those of us with children as they can be the most vulnerable and will follow our example in what action we take to prevent such situations.

For the above reasons I have an upcoming self defence course for ladies only (this time:). The course will start at the end of the month. If you are interested in learning these life saving skills, please get in touch.

Get in Touch.

Don’t hesitate to reach out for more information and to start learning the important skill of self-defence.

Stay fit for Christmas

Many people wait until January until they decide to get fit for the new year or restart their fitness routine, but why not start now and/or keep your fitness routine going so that you stay ahead.

Here are 3 top reasons why;

Start now and boost you metabolism so that you burn more calories over Christmas overall.
Get ahead of the rush and take advantage of pre-Christmas offers.
Start and/or continue now and new year routines will become much easier as you will already have a habit and more motivation.

If you are not yet at the gym or with a Pt you can find out the latest offers available and beat the rush. Alternatively you can start at home and maintain your routine until you’re ready to do more.

Either way you will feel much better doing so and also be burning more calories and have more energy too.

Therefore why not do something different and give yourself the gift of fitness this year.

For more info and current offers please get in touch via the contact form below.

Wishing you a happy and healthy fitmas 🙂

Fitness Planning

To plan to adapt is to plan to change and progress.
~ M.L Adams

Adapting and changing your training programme is almost as important as the training programme itself. If your training plan stays the same, you will also as you will reach a certain point in your progress and then remain at that point until adaption takes place.

So how, and how often should you change your training plan to ensure you progress?

Here are 5 tips to help you plan for programme adaption and change.

Aim to change every 6wks -3 months, preferably no longer as at this point your body will be used to your current programme.
Get proper guidance from a personal trainer or instructor so you can ensure the programme is right for you.
Make sure you enjoy your programme as well as find it challenging too. It’s important to enjoy yourself as you progress and make exercise a part of your lifestyle.
Try different ways if you haven’t found what works for you. For some people they prefer classes and for others gym, everyone is different so find what works for you. There is something for everyone.
Work on all parts of your fitness to see full and faster progression. Cardio, resistance and flexibility training are all equally important and help you progress easier and quicker when done together.

I hope you find these helpful. Please get in touch with any queries you may have regarding training plans and progress.

5 Top Reasons to get a Personal Trainer

Anyone who has had a personal trainer before can testify to the benefits of having one and the additional progress you make in doing so. For those of you haven’t tried Personal Training or are thinking of doing so again, here are 5 top reasons to get a PT.

Increased Motivation- Having someone there not only guiding you in what to do but also encouraging and supporting you undoubtedly increases your motivation. This is crucial and a huge benefit from PT as lack of motivation is a common reason for people to avoid exercise.
Increased Accountability- Having regular appointments with a personal trainer each week means you are accountable to someone for your exercise plan and this is a huge addition to your motivation and ability to build a positive habit with exercise.
The Correct Training– Personalised to you and your goals. As you and your trainer will have gone through your goals and you training will be set around your needs. Your training will then be suitable and personalised to you, taking all of your needs in to account. This is much better than coming in to the gym and not being sure what to do and you will achieve results much faster and with focus.
Continual Progressions– In addition to the above you will notice that you are always and continually progressing in your sessions and therefore never get bored either :).
Sessions are Adaptable – As you are working with your pt and they get to know you well, they are able to adapt with you and make sure each session is enjoyable and what you need on that day and in that moment.

A lot of people wait until January to get a PT, however now is a great time to consider trying it as you will get ahead of the rush and also build your metabolism up to burn more calories overall in time before Christmas. So why wait..? Discover the benefits of PT and book a session today!

3 Fundamentals of Self Defence

Understanding self defence is something important for every one of us today living in the unpredictability of modern society and the increasing likelihood of unfortunate attacks.

For this reason I have put together the following 3 fundamentals, so that it may be helpful to some in this respect.

Stance – Having a good stance is important for emitting a strength and confidence in yourself. Your positioning projects out a type of energy where attackers may be much less likely to attack when you emit a strong sense of self confidence.

2. Guard – Having a guard is a sense of readiness, where you have a ready and prepared mindset for whatever may occur.

3. Observance– This is a state where you are observant of all the small things around you and what action to take and not to take. It is not wise for example to walk under a dark underpass at night by yourself or be glued to your phone whilst walking along. These small things can make a big difference to the potential of an attack.

Stay on track of these small things and they can make a big difference to your life and safety. Don’t put yourself in difficult situations or allow yourself to stay in those that are harmful in the long term.

Self defence is not just about street attacks it is also about what you allow in your day to day life and communications. Therefore take the best care of your self and put yourself first where you have to.

For more info and training in this area please get in touch.

Top 10 Reasons to Love to Move

With over a third of the population leading sedentary lifestyles, and this having dramatically increased over the last two years during lockdowns. Its important to consider why to Move and potentially find the joy and love to Move.

The importance of movement is far more than just aesthetic reasons. Here are just 10 top reasons to Love to Move.

Improved Mood; Many people have suffered from a lower mood and noticed an increase in anxiety since the lockdowns. Regular movement however will noticeably improve mood and reduces anxiety. A very worthwhile reason to move more and find the joy in moving.
Improved Focus and Concentration; Good Concentration and focus is a skill that can be improved and developing a movement practice can be a very effective way to do so, as you focus on building new skills and have to apply attention in doing so.
Improved Coordination; Good coordination is another skill that can be learnt and improved upon and developing on movement patterns such as boxing, skipping and many more can dramatically help with this.
Self Discovery; As you build on your movement practice you also discover much more about yourself. Where your skills and limitations are and where you can build on and improve.
Adaptability; As you learn about yourself and grow in your practice you also develop your ability to adapt. Your body grows and adapts, and your mind will too as you find new and more innovative ways to move.
Functionality; Good movement is important for everyday functionality. Much more than we give it credit for, often until something goes wrong. Without good movement patterns even everyday tasks can become difficult.
Feel Free and Move Easily; When you build on your movement practice in a holistic way you will begin to notice that everything becomes easier and you move much more freely as your overall strength, fitness and flexibility improve.
Deeper Connection; This can be to yourself, others and even to nature itself. As you begin to move more you connect more with your innate way of being and then become more in touch with your true self, others and nature.
Improve fine dexterity; as you focus more on your movement practice you begin to refine in to smaller movements also. This helps with the more fine dexterity movements as well as more complex patterns.
Energy and Vitality; Developing a vibrance and Vitality for life can have a lasting impact on all areas of life. Improving your overall work and home life as you move more, you will have more natural energy and your possibilities can become endless.

I hope you have found this post useful and it may inspire you or someone you know to move more. For more info or a consultation on how you can improve your overall movement practice, please get in touch.

All the best in Health and Happiness

Miranda 💗

What to do without the gym

How are you finding life in lockdown, Takes a bit of adjusting doesnt it? Hopefully most of you have managed to find a way to workout without the gym, and now the dates for re-opening have been announced we’ve not too much longer to wait. Here are a few tips just in case you are struggling,to keep you going until then.

1.) Workout first thing– Whatever exercise you’re going to do, try to do it first thing. Motivation is highest when we get straight in to it, otherwise other things can distract us and take over the day.

2.) Body weight training – This time can actually be a great opportunity to explore more bodyweight training. This can be as simple as push ups and sit ups and can be adapted to any level. Always warm up and cool-down, and with some simple exercises you can make an easy to follow workout for 20 mins, 3 times a week. This alone can make a lot of difference. For more advice please get in touch.

3.) Get outdoors – This time is also a great opportunity to get back in touch with nature and enjoy all it has to offer. So try to make the most of it while you have the time. Being more in touch with nature has natural calming and mood boosting effects, in addition to those we already get from exercise. This is something we could all do with right now and comes highly recommended.

If at all you are really struggling and need some more support and advice at this time, Then please do get in touch and we will be happy to support. Stay strong and stay healthy.

Miranda

5 ways to cope in difficult times

Life is full of ups and downs and its natural to encounter difficult times, particularly where there are many changes and circumstances are thrust upon us.

Many people have been finding the current time very difficult to cope with due to all the changes and limitations that have come with the lockdowns.

I wanted to reach out and offer some ways that I reccomend for coping better in difficult times.

1.) Help others. Reaching out to others may feel like the last thing you want to do when you feeling low. However it can often be the best thing, by reaching out to others to help and support, it enables you to get out of your own difficulties for a while and you make someone else feel better too. Its win-win, do your best to stay supportive.

2.) Connecting to Nature. Spending time in nature and connecting deeply to nature, is very therapeutic. It has a calming effect on the body and is proven to reduce stress, anxiety, blood pressure as well as many more health benefits. Aim to spend at least 20-30 minutes to really feel the connection and allow nature to reciprocate with you. If done regularly you will begin to really feel the benefits over time.

3.) Find a way of expressing yourself. Art can be one of the best mediums for self-expression and this can also be very therapeutic, as it allows you to transform your feelings in to something new and uniquely you. This can be in many ways, it may be painting, writing, dance or any other form that works for you. This helps best when you become completely immersed in the activity and allow it to take over for you, so you are no longer thinking; simply being.

4.) Exercise. Do whatever exercise you can and again make it work for you. Let it be something you enjoy and feel good from after. There is always something for everyone. Find what you love and then try your best to do at least 30mins to 1 hour, 3 times a week to begin with. This will help to boost your endorphins (feel-good hormones) and so physiologically really help you to start feeling better.

5.) Daily Gratitude. Gratitude really helps us to become more present and focused on the good things in life. This can be for the little things or the big things and even just writing down 5 things we are grateful for everyday can really help make a difference to our outlook. The following video is a beautiful example of the benefits of gratitude and well worth a watch. Enjoy 🙂

https://youtu.be/gXDMoiEkyuQ

I hope you find the above ways of use and can apply them. Please contact us for any more advice and support you may need.

Wishing you all the best in health and happiness ♡

Miranda

Positive Thinking for Life and Health

How can positive thinking help you?

The answer is in every way possible, you can without doubt transform your life by changing your way of thinking.

The difficult part is often recognising the negative thinking cycle in the first place but you can train yourself to recognise this by recognising where you are at with your feelings and responses to situations in your life.

Firstly lets recognise the effect of the opposite, negative thinking.

Negative thinking will cause or contribute to;

Stress
Self- doubt
Worry
Half- hearted attempts
Poor self- confidence
Ill health
Pain
Relationship problems
And More..

One thing positive thinking is not about is being perfect, that as we know is not possible and does not really exist. However it is certain that it will make your life a whole lot better and easier.

How? Well our thoughts affect a lot in our life, some would say everything. As our thoughts affect how we feel and then the actions we take. They also affect how we choose to view others and the world around us, all of this in turn will affect the outcome of our lives.

The list above of the effects of negative thinking can act as indicators of when we are thinking negatively, they are signs that we are thinking negatively often in repetition and also in reaction to events or circumstance and one thing is for certain thinking negatively will not improve any outcome in anyway. As Zig Ziglar stated;

‘Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.’

Nothing could be more true, negative thinking can become a like a spiral that can lead us in to the depths of despair if we do not become aware of it in time. The best defence against it then is to ensure you stay in charge of your mind and feed it with as much positive thinking as you possibly can, once you begin doing this you can be sure that both your life and health will begin to improve because what you focus on you get more of,because it becomes constantly in your awareness. For example if you suffer with any form of chronic pain and you focus on this continually, the pain will fill much worse than if you choose to take your mind off it and focus on something positive. I know this because I have experienced this myself and realised the power of positive thinking over pain. In addition to this feel good hormones (endorphins) are natural painkillers.

Another major advantage is the results you can achieve in your goals through positive thinking. At the very simple level if a part of you is telling you that you cant achieve what you have set for yourself then the out come is likely to be poor because the efforts you make will be in line with your thinking. This as well as to counteract all the problems associated with negative thinking is the reason positive thinking and coaching is used in all of our health programmes. The results you will achieve whilst using positive thinking in line with a healthy lifestyle will far outreach the results you will achieve if you don’t.

For more info on our health programmes, positive thinking and health coaching please email me at info@miralahealth.com

Wishing you all the best in health and happiness, Miranda. L. Adams.

Keep thinking positive, remember; ‘ You, yourself as much as anyone else in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.’ ~Buddha