Tag Archives: gym

The real reason why we don’t want to exercise – school PE lessons

It seems there’s a deep rooted reason why we don’t want to workout and it has nothing to do with being tired and busy – it goes all the way back to our childhood.

Women are being put off exercise for life by their school PE lessons, a study has found.

Secondary school classes are the ones most likely to affect girls and it’s competitive classmates, grubby changing rooms and embarrassment of getting sweaty in front of the boys that leaves us likely to hit the gym.

A survey found that more than half of school age girls said their PE lessons had put them off doing any exercise at all.

Sue Tibballs, of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, which carried out the study, explained to the Mail Online:

“If only activities on offer are competitive sports like netball and hockey you are going to have whole swathes of girls who feel pushed out and don’t want to exercise.

“That continues into their adulthood.”

She also warned that teachers were finding it difficult to get pupils enthused by sport because girls were ‘worried about their hair and nails.’

“It’s also hard because there aren’t many sporting role models for girls. While boys grow up dreaming of playing for England, women’s sports tends to get pushed out.”

During the study, 1,500 school-age boys and girls were questioned about how often they played sport and their attitude to PE lessons.

The results revealed girls tended to become less and less positive about sport as they grew older, with many blaming secondary school PE lessons for putting them off.

Mr Motivator wants us to turn our home into the gym

Finding the time to fit in exercise is difficult sometimes, so why not turn your home into the gym?

Picking up a mop or duster can not only make a contribution to fitness and health, but it can also keep your house spick and span as an added bonus.

The British Science Association has teamed up with legendary fitness guru Mr. Motivator and the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University for National Science & Engineering Week 2012 in March, to help keep the nation fit whilst doing everyday jobs around the home.

Their research shows that doing up to an hour of chores a day can burn off the minimum daily recommendation of 200 kcal of moderate intensity exercise:

The Heptathlon

Time

1. Dusting the house or changing bed linen

60 mins

2. Mopping floors

45 mins

3. Vacuuming carpets

45 mins

4. Going shopping with a basket instead of a trolley, carrying it home and putting it away

45 mins

5. Scrubbing the bathroom

45 mins

6. Gardening

40 mins

7. Mowing the lawn

30 mins

David Stensel, Reader in Exercise Metabolism at Loughborough University says: “Research has shown that some household activities use enough energy to be classified as moderate intensity physical activity. The minimum recommendation for this type of activity is approximately 200 kcals of energy expenditure per day.

“The amount of activity required to burn this will vary depending on age and body mass amongst other factors but for the average UK person aged 35, the calculations in the Housework Heptathlon are a good guideline for a way to expend energy and do something constructive around the home.”

Mr. Motivator, who has provided advice for people to get the most from their household workout, added: “Whether it’s dusting your mantle-piece, cleaning the bath or cutting the grass, putting in some elbow grease around the home can help you work up to the energy levels needed to shed the suggested daily calorie count. Grab your cleaning products and become a Housework Heptathlete now for better health!”

The British Science Association has also come up with a ‘Top of the Mops’ top 10 songs to help boost your exercise during the housework routine:

1. Shine, Take That

2. Car Wash, Rose Royce

3. So Fresh, So Clean, Outkast

4. The Boy Does Nothing,
Alesha Dixon

5. Coming Clean, Greenday

6. Shine On, Kooks

7. Work, Saturdays

8. Beat It, Michael Jackson

9. Do Somethin’, Britney Spears

10. Steam, East 17

Doing more harm than good at the gym?

The chances are you’ve just rejoined the gym or have been partaking in your new celebrity fitness DVD.

But a new survey reveals that while we may set out with good intentions, launching ourselves over-enthusiastically into our New Year health kick could do more harm than good.

The survey of 3,000 men and women with muscular or joint pain, commissioned by ThermaCare HeatWraps, discovered that over two thirds of respondents surveyed who suffer aches and pains go to the gym to keep themselves fit and healthy, however over a third admit they actually end up leaving the gym injured from pushing their body too hard.

Before you hit play on that DVD or if you’re joining the gym for the first time make sure you pay attention to the induction session.  Almost one in five of those surveyed admitted they end up in pain as a result of not doing exercises properly and one in 10 find themselves aching and stiff due to skipping the cool down phase to stretch out their muscles.

“At the beginning of the New Year, many of us join the gym with good intentions, to help lose those extra Christmas pounds. For back pain sufferers, this can be even more daunting as many worry it will make their pain worse. The general rule is – “go for it, but be sensible”, comments Gemma Newell, Lead Physiotherapist at Central Health Physiotherapy.
Gemma shares her New Year exercise plan for back pain sufferers 

· Pacing and balance is key.  If you head off thinking you are still as fit as you were the last time you went and that was 12 months ago, then problems are inevitable.

· A more sedentary lifestyle causes the body to stiffen and weaken, so it’s important to pace our return to exercise and increase our activity sensibly.  Movement allows good blood flow to our muscles, nerves and joints, which helps to keep them healthy.

· Aim to start going to the gym a minimum of twice a week, with rest days in between to allow for recovery.  Spending 5-10 minutes on the cross-trainer,treadmill or bike is a good place to start.  Follow this with some general stretches for the back and legs.

· As you get more confident, try to include some strengthening exercises.

· It’s common for people to feel a few new aches when exercising muscles that haven’t been used for a while, and if you get a little discomfort then it is usually nothing to worry about – it will resolve itself in few days. However, if the pain persists or the level of pain is considerable, you should seek medical help.

· Don’t panic and rest for too long! Next time just be a little less intense, or try a different machine, and then build the exercise up again slowly.

· If you need more specific guidance in starting your New Year exercise plan, or if you are worried about your back pain, then it may be advisable to visit your physiotherapist for further guidance.