Yoga or Pilates?

Definitions

Yoga: An ancient practice from Northern India, focusing on the physical and mental wellbeing, incorporating posture, breathing, healthy diet relaxation and meditation.

Pilates: A physical fitness system in the early 20^th century focusing on core strength and development that keep the body balanced and give support to the spine.

The area of focus

Yoga: The bringing together of the physical and spiritual, yoga is a life style approach rather than just an exercise method, aiming at flexibility and to be therapeutic, has been around some 5000 years. 

Pilates: Focus on core strength and movement based exercise, aiming towards physical strength and toning and allowing the lengthening of the spine and building strength within supporting postural muscles, has been widely practised for over 80 years.

Which to choose?

Obviously you can try both, but for a little more information this may help.

Yoga: For those focusing on flexibility and wanting a method to relieve stress and enjoy an inner peace.

Pilates: For those wanting to exercise and improve flexibility as well as strength and muscular toning. Especially within the core muscles.

Resolutions one month on

2014 a new year a new you, January has been and gone, how are those resolutions looking one month later? Are you sticking to your word and starting to see the gains, or are you feeling the strain and starting to slip? In this blog we will look at some resolutions made at Breadsall Priory and simple ways to keep to those resolutions.

Now some resolutions made by members were pretty simple, increase their training by one day, some enjoy classes and looked to try two new classes and stick to them, this is fantastic thinking, find something you enjoy, if your training is fun and you enjoy it you are much more likely to stick to it and look forward to it. It has to challenge you to change you, but it has to please you for you to come back for more. 2014 has seen an increase in classes giving more variation to an already great class time table, there is Legs, bums and tums (LBT), total body burn (TBB), early morning HIIT (high intensity interval training), with more new classes to come including METAFIT and our Technique clinics.  Another good method is to find likeminded members who enjoy their training, we are seeing great fitness groups forming, all which are very welcoming, we have strong groups for Pump Fx and Kettlercise, a rough tough bunch of Bootcampers and highly functional trainers in our circuits and TBB classes. Stick to those resolutions by joining a group.

Another method to stick to the resolutions is to take part in gym challenges. We have a year long 550 kettle bell challenge! A six week super hero team challenge which has 100 members taking part in the first week alone! Then later in the year we will see our first ever online challenge that you can do anywhere and post your achievements on our ever growing Facebook page!

Finally a great way to stick to and celebrate those resolutions is to treat yourself! Every month that goes by treat yourself to something you enjoy, new clothes, cinema trips, gigs or games. If you have that reward and incentive at the end you will be much more likely to keep with it.

So how is your new year going and what resolutions are you sticking to? We’d love to know.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breadsall-Priory-Leisure-Club-a-Marriott-Hotel-Country-Club/126910624084898?ref=hl

WHY ARE MY HAMSTRINGS ALWAYS TIGHT?

Many people speak of tight hamstrings after running. The description has become a bit of a throw-away line when talking about one of the most common aches and pains we feel from the rigours of our training.

Many people in fact fail to maintain a neutral pelvic position as they move. This is most likely due to a lack of core strength, and Hip flexor tightness. The pelvis tilting anteriorly (forward) increases the distance between hamstring origin and insertion, lengthening the hamstring muscles and increasing tension.

It’s quite possible that your hamstrings aren't tight because they’re chronically short, it’s far more likely that the feeling of tightness is there because the hamstrings are being held in a lengthened position due to poor Pelvic position and Core weakness.

Before you spend ages performing static stretches for your hamstrings, be smart and work on building Core Strength and achieving and maintaining proper pelvic position as you move. Taking part in our technique clinic classes, pilates and yoga classes are a great way to asses posture, muscular imbalances and range of movement. 
The below link provides a video in relation to hamstring tightness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iW3C4q4QmWk

Why join a leisure club in September?

It gets towards Christmas and many people stop thinking about them and start to pout their focus on Christmas, others and quite often partying.  Their thoughts about their health, losing weight, getting fit go out the window with a thought in the back of their heads that it will be OK because they "will give it ago in the New Year"

We suggest this is entirely the wrong approach for a number of key reasons:

1) It is common knowledge (as we have all tried it) New Year resolutions don't work!  The clock strikes 12 midnight, we all sing and dance and then make a pledge "I'm going to be healthy, eat well, train and get fit". Sometime you can add give up smoking & drink less alcohol but by mid January the large majority have given up on the quests and fallen back into their normal ways.
2) A lifestyle change is not a gimmick so don’t start a program with that mind-set.  A healthy lifestyle is not a fad diet!! If set out with the aim of making short term fixes you will end very short of your goal.  A healthier body has to be a fundamental lifestyle change in the way you think.  It may only involve small changes but you have to think big.
3) There is less pressure on you to achieve if you start now.  If everyone is doing it as with January there is more pressure on you to get results, you are pitting yourself against everyone else in the same boat as you.   

5) Everyone is in the gym in January, so if you are a bit nervous and unsure the gym is likely to be quite an intimidating place.  The fact that a large majority of those there with you are feeling the same won't register.  Join when its quieter and you will be a seasoned pro by January.
5) Imagine how good you will feel in your party dress or suit for those Christmas parties - EVERYONE would be commenting how good you look.  Just think, all those people you havn't see since last Christmas that you could show off your new found figure to!
6) Its a great way to counter all those additional calories you are about to consume over the next 2 months, better lose them straight away before they hit the hips?

FINALLY

You never know you might also enjoy it? Radical thought we know but some people actually do.