January 2020 newsletter
- Happy 2020!
- Easy Seasonal Recipe: Freeze Your Veg
- Article: Not About Australian Fitness Trends
- And Finally…. How to Use a Gymnasium [clip]
Hello healthy people,
Happy 2020! It’s the time of year many of us make resolutions, only to break them, so how about a new year’s intention? Mine is to embrace that which scares me (including dragons, see photo).
We’re just back from a memorable trip to Australia to visit family and friends (my last long-haul flight for awhile). Climate change is real, and the bushfires there are currently out of control. It can be overwhelming to think of what we can do, but like with fitness, even small but consistent changes can make a difference in the long run.
Well-Being in the West End Festival
The new year is always a good time to investigate new things and you’ll find a whole lot of variety this weekend in the West End. Buy a wristband for the whole weekend and enjoy talks and classes over five venues.
As part of the festival this Sunday at 2pm, at Roots Deli, I’ll be presenting a brand new talk: Confessions of a Personal Trainer – how to survive and thrive in the fitness and wellness industry. I’ve got two free places for this talk, let me know if you’d like to come along.
Easy Seasonal Recipe: Freeze Your Veg
Reducing food waste is important, and vegetables are often ditched when they’re getting a little old. Instead, try par-boiling veg and freezing them for later use.
It’s best to use non starchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots or green beans. Cut into chunks and plunge into a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and cool immediately to stop the cooking process.
Place in a single layer in a freezer bag or container and freeze immediately.
Article: Not About Australian Fitness Trends
I planned on writing about Aussie fitness trends, but it was so hot (up to 45 degrees) and tinder dry, we saw very few people exercising outdoors. The smokiness from bushfires was so chronic in Sydney and Newcastle that it burned the throat and in fact people were discouraged from inhaling deeply. I ended up with a cough, and some pedestrians were wearing surgical face masks.
We did a few runs, but not as many as usual, so I had to content myself with a simple strength workout that I did every day, indoors:
20 push-ups
20 tricep dips
20 squats
30 second plank
That’s it! Done in 5 minutes, even from a motel room.
The hot weather in Australia means that most people get about in air-conditioned cars, even for short journeys. Cyclists face even faster traffic (and bigger cars) than here, and in the suburbs, people rarely walk. I love the fact that the British climate is perfect for a brisk walk, cycle or run.
So Aussie trends then? Big mega gyms and small fitness boutiques co-existing on the High Street, higher profiles for professional sportswomen, Instagram-everything, fermented foods taking mainshelf in supermarkets. Yoga, yoga, yoga.
And Finally…. How to Use a Gymnasium
Local hero Danny MacAskill has been taking his bike everywhere over the last decade, and this YouTube clip (with Proclaimers soundtrack) shows us his way of using a gym. Make yourself a cuppa and enjoy!
Have a happy and healthy start to the decade,
Tracy 🙂