Sun… Good or bad?

You’ve heard it enough.. sunburns and skin cancer are very much real threats. So yes, whack that SPF on kids.

However, there are also so many positive effects of sun exposure. Soaking up some sunlight and catching some rays can do wonders for you.

Here are four key benefits that the sun can do for your mental and physical health almost instantly.

1. Get your dose of VitD

The sun is the best natural source of this vitamin, which is also very hard to come by in natural food sources. It only takes 5-15 minutes of sunlight a few times a week to notice a difference. Get outside and expose yourself to direct sun on your arms and face to soak up this necessary vitamin. Vitamin D promotes reduced inflammation and modulates cell growth. It’s needed for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth as it helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus. As well as this, it helps support the proper functioning of muscles. Just remember to use sunscreen.

2. Lower Blood Pressure

Heard of Nitric Oxide? Well, this helps brings down blood pressure and improves heart health. Once that sunlight hits, our body releases Nitric Oxide. Maintaining healthy blood pressure can reduce your risks of cardiac disease and stroke. Feelings of relaxation may also naturally bring down blood pressure, so boosting your happiness by soaking up rays also aids in keeping your pressure down kids.

3. An Instant Mood Changer

Researchers at BYU found more mental health distress in people during seasons with little sun exposure. On the contrary, days with plenty of sunshine were associated with better mental health. The availability of sunshine has more effect on mood than rainfall, temperature, or any other environmental factor.

Feel SAD? Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Getting some sun increases your serotonin and helps people with anxiety and depression, especially in combination with other treatments.

4. Higher Quality Sleep

That mood improver hormone we were just talking about? Serotonin does more than boost your mood. It might also help you get more restful sleep at night. Another key hormone that works hand in hand with serotonin to help promote sleep function is melatonin. The sun also helps your body produce this hormone too! Who would have thought aye!

Suffering from insomnia? Try to stick to traditionally light and dark cycles, getting sunlight during the day so you can catch some zzz’s at night.

Soo Soak up that Sun Safely

Stephie x

Hey Kids, 

It’s been a while – but I am back on it with the blog posts!

With the craziness of the last year and a half, and things FINALLY starting to settle down, I thought it was about time I spoke to you all again to explain exactly what has been going down at STRNGRL. 

So when lockdown hit back in March last year, I had to realign my strategy completely, everything had to be online, and this was something I had never done before, but I gave it my best shot. 

I was still busy, considering the situation we were in. I was lucky enough to be still working a few days a week with a handful of clients, preparing and posting my online content, and also resting a lot more than normal. 

However, fast forward a year and a half, and I am the BUSIEST I have ever been! I am so proud to say I am now at full capacity with my 1-2-1 clients, the demand for my semi-private weights and boxing classes is HUGE, and our latest BOOTYCAMP is at full capacity with 35 ladies smashing it every week, getting super fit and strong! 

I am extremely grateful to be so busy, but I have to admit I have struggled getting back to normality. I am forever chasing my tail and creating endless to-do lists every day. I think the hardest part is that 4 months ago I was watching a whole Netflix series in a week!

Has anyone else been finding it difficult? Maybe it’s getting back into a new routine after such a long time off? Maybe it’s going back to work full time, and trying to juggle travel, a social life and getting to the gym 3-4 times a week?

So, how do we manage this? I am guilty of not giving myself enough time off, infact twiddling my thumbs throughout lockdown was not what I would call fun. I love being busy and working full days – but with this comes a lot of organisation and TIME OUT needed – this is so important!

In the whirlwind rush of getting back to a ‘normal’ life, please don’t forget YOUR time, you need time to yourself to recover and refresh. Going from 0 to 100 in such a short space of time, is never going to end well. So, here I am, telling you from experience, TAKE YOUR REST and thank me later. 

This is soo important for many reasons.

Heal your body – The human body is built to thrive in a series of short sprints. This is why taking a break, even only for a few minutes, can offer you the refresh you need to persevere through your day.

Decrease Stress levels – During stress, your body experiences fight or flight, heightening your senses due to perceived danger. You may experience an increased heart rate and blood pressure during this state, slowed digestive functioning, increased hormone levels and other responses. 

Resting activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system, which is the flight-or-fight response, to help calm senses.

Boosts Creativity – When you take time to rest and relax, you are naturally more creative. Time off helps you refill your reserves. 

Improves Productivity – Similar to other muscles, your brain is less functional when it’s fatigued. You’re always more productive after a restful period.

Please keep checking back here for more updates on my blog, I am going to be writing a lot more content for you all to enjoy and hopefully learn from. 

Speak to you all soon. Stephie x 

This week I posted in our StrongGirl community group on Facebook about why we attend the gym. From health reasons to socialising, physical ideals to mental stimulation – the list is long, but fundamentally, we all have an overarching goal as to why we attend gyms.

More importantly, we can all agree that it has a profound impact on us psychologically. That hour or so we spend within those four sweaty walls becomes our haven to switch off, escape from everyday stress, and focus on just yourself.

It’s the sweet release from normality and boy, do we miss it.

However, just because the gym is closed, doesn’t mean your ‘you time’ has to evaporate. Little ones may follow you to the toilet, washing may be piling up, you may be inundated with Zoom calls but that ‘you time’ is still reachable (and doable), and here is how you can escape the insane:

The perfect spot: Find an area in the house, garden or shed that you can swing your arms around freely and without beheading anyone in the process. This will become your ‘you time’ spot so make it count.

Timing: Choose a time that you can stick to. Easier said than done? Think about when the house is the busiest and the quietest, when you feel ready to jump and ready to mong. Your body will soon adapt to the routine – all you need to do is choose the time!

Play that tune: Music is the key to the heart. From ear pods to Alexa speakers, put on your favourite tune, rock out the oldies, and watch your motivation peak a hundred-fold. Why not try creating a playlist of those all-time gym classics!

Circle time: Children are curious. Always will be. So why not make them a part of your routine. They’ll laugh, they’ll fall over, they’ll jump to their own beat – make it a time for bonding and crazy videos that you can speed up afterwards – a memory you’ll love to reminisce over.

Flour & sugar: Great weights believe it or not (put them in a bag to save your house from becoming misty!). The home has a fantastic collection of wannabe weights – use what you have and have fun with them.

Be creative: Make your daily outing an opportunity to do military style running (knees up, left and right movements), fast and slow walking, and not forgetting walking lunges – also a great way to bring a smile to a stranger’s face!

Distractions: Embrace them and change them to work for you. From the fridge to work schedules, children to nagging spouses, think about how they can help you get your ‘you-time’. Talk to them, set yourself reward goals, schedule work calls for a set period of time – make your distractions work for you.

Something different: Make ‘you time’ a chance to do something different. From an online class to a 90s hip hop video, 20 minutes of yoga to twerk classes; exercise to a different rhythm – you never know what gems you’ll uncover in the process.

These surreal times may be difficult to adapt too but they are not impossible. We work with what we have, we support each other, we laugh together, and we find ways to make the most of the time we have together and collectively.

We may be isolated, but it doesn’t mean we cannot have fun in the process (and get that psychological haven gyms give us!).

Keep going ladies, now is your time to develop a routine that works for you!

Positivity – focus on what you can control, rather then what you cannot.
Why invest our thoughts, emotion and time on something we cannot control? Instead, let’s try to focus on our mindset, our health and fitness; the things we do have control over.
Focus on the positive.
To keep you going, below are 4 tips to stay active in self isolation:

Create your own workout space
Fortunately, a workout can make use of any environment and space no matter the circumstances. From press ups using a wall, to band work in the garden; star jumps on the landing to a full workout in your spare room – whatever the need, space is always available!

Pick up from gym equipment essentials
Own the time to get motivated. YouTube is a fantastic platform for inspiration. From full workouts to 15 minute exercise blasts, aerobics to Zumba, Pilates to yoga – it has every exercise move you need. Better still, it offers tutorials for using ‘home-based’ exercise equipment. My favourite is kettlebells!

Stay in touch with your Trainer
This will help you stay accountable, on track and guided by a professional who will know when to push and when to be at ease. We’re here to make sure you get the most out of your workouts with the equipment you have access to.

Stick to a schedule.
When you’re in your home environment, around your family, pets, children and/or house mates, it’s easy to get distracted. Stick to a schedule just like you did when you were attending gym. It can be as easy or as complex as you have time for! Routine, routine, routine!

It’s very easy to fall into a trap of becoming fatigued, napping all day, snacking and quite bluntly, enjoying the LAZY train! We’ve all done it, but let’s try to avoid that happening with our current situation in the world.

Here’s are a few ideas to fight the ‘Lazy Phase’ and find motivation in the smallest of tasks:

Remember that it’s a job
When someone asked what you’ve been up to, instead of replying ‘nothing but surfing Netflix’, try stimulating your thought process by outlining even the most mundane of tasks such as ‘I’ve been working out’, ‘I’ve managed the house’, ‘I’ve tried cooking a new dish’, I’ve competed a workout and ‘I’ve found a new way to entertain the kids’. You’ll be amazed how much you will have to say that doesn’t involve the word ‘virus’ in the conversation!

Start each day with a similar routine
Whether it is working out, reading a book, going for a walk, or simply showering and getting dressed, find a routine to separate out the days!  Try to isolate the weekend as a time to work out, entertain, play, or even, relax – this will keep that ‘weekend feeling’ rolling no matter the circumstance.

​Find inspiration
Inspiration can be found in the smallest of spaces. From a motivational podcast to that new book that has gathered dust on your bookshelf, a YouTube video to an inspirational quote, utilise the resources that you have easy access to!

Don’t get discouraged
It’s easy to become demotivated when you spend hours scrolling through ‘Instagram influencers’ that make you realise how far away you are. Don’t be fooled. You do you! That’s their job. Put Instagram down. Step away from social and instead use your Search Engines to find tips for exercising and motivating yourself at home.

Together, we’ve got this!

Good for your body, great for your mind
Who says exercise must be stationary and confined to a gym? By combining your favourite workout with an exciting destination not only alleviates stress from everyday life but radically invigorates your body and mind.

From running a home to raising children, work demands to life in general, just managing everyday life can be exhausting. Needing that escapism or that time to hand over control to another can be the most self-gratifying experience you never knew you needed.

And what better way to do this then kick-starting those serotonin hormones in your body that controls your mental state of mind, and in a location that evokes motivation and stimulation.

From trekking in one of the UK’s glorious country-sides to running on an American beach time wonders; exploring a yoga retreat for the weekend to a six-day swim safari in Crete, expand your options and hit 2020 with motivation and inspiration by your side.

Trekking

You may think of walking holidays as gentle strolls through the rolling countryside but include the word ‘trekking’ and it will blow your mind with opportunities.

From Novice to Pro, Machu Picchu to Kilimanjaro, there is a trek for everyone, and the sights are endless. Climb thousands of meters, push through the strong winds, and have a cheeky pit stop at the local, challenge yourself this year with gentle to extreme trekking trips that will combine adventure with your ambling.

Find your inner adventurer and check out these 37 top destinations to trek to at Wanderlust

Swimming

For a low impact activity that packs a multitude of mental and physical health benefits, you can’t do much better than take a swim. It’s also an activity that is accessible to a broad range of age groups and requires the minimum of kit to participate.

Whether you’re looking for a sea ‘safari’ of wildlife exploration to wild swimming experiences in the fjords of Oman, here is a tantalising selection of swimming holidays to pique your water bravery:

Click Here for more

Beach yoga

No longer the sole preserve of well-tanned Californians, beachside yoga is enjoying special popularity among travellers, day-trippers and globe-trotters alike. Perhaps it’s the soothing lull of those waves crashing against the shoreline or the bliss gained from relaxing under a golden sun- beach yoga is the ultimate in wellbeing experiences to savour on your travels.

Feel bendy? Get your retreat fantasy here: (and… breathe).

Running

What better way to see the true colours of your destination than to go running to explore your location? Running abroad can be a very budget-friendly way of touring and finding your bearings.

Whether you’re looking for a race experience, or just to immerse yourself into the local culture, the endorphins you’ll generate through this more strenuous form of exercise will be a reward in themselves. However, you will also definitely be able to justify that extra-large ice-cream at the end of it without a sign of guilt!

Trainers sorted? All you need to do is choose your running fave: Click Here

At Strong Girl Fitness, we help women gain confidence through fitness education and empowerment. Extend your capabilities with Strong Girl Fitness today and get in touch on 07795 264495.

Or why not, explore our 5-day retreat in Ibiza. Click here and register your interest for this Autumn dream retreat.