Jürg Widmer, Author at Jürg Widmer Probst

Top tips for eating healthy

Posted on November 20, 2021December 9, 2021 by Jürg Widmer in Health

Healthy eating really is the best way to boost your health; after all, food and water are our life forces; without either, we simply cannot survive.

These tips to help you eat healthily can help you get on a better track and make realistic positive changes that can last.

Eating healthier is good for your body to work at its optimum level, but when combined with greater energy output can lead to a calorie deficit and inevitably weight loss.

When we consume more than our body needs or calorie dense foods and do not move enough, our body holds that energy and stores it in our fat cells. The opposite can be said for those who eat too little and move too much.

Eating a wide variety of natural foods will provide a nutritional balance of fat, carbs, and protein and ensure you’re getting a plethora of vitamins and minerals because only natural foods can provide the right levels of those our bodies need.

Unfortunately, many adults and children in the UK today are eating far more calories than their body needs and exercising far less than their bodies should. Exercise keeps you fit and strong but also aids in weight loss alongside healthy eating.

Here are the top tips for eating healthily…

Eat more high fibre carbohydrates

Fibrous and starchy carbs should make up a good amount of your daily diet. Ensure you include a good mix of both whole grain and minimally processed white carbs. These will include potatoes, bread (not from a packet!), rice, pasta and cereals.

Higher fibre foods lead to a healthier gut and fewer stomach issues. Grains and vegetables naturally brown tend to contain the most fibre.

Your body needs both types of fibre to help it absorb nutrients, eliminate waste and provide some of your bodies energy needs.

Include more vegetables and fruit in your daily diet

The minimum recommended amount that you eat is five portions of fruit and veg every day. This can include fresh, tinned, frozen and dried. It is also meant to include juiced, but that should be kept to a minimum because it has a more concentrated sugar content!

Including fruit with breakfast and as a snack is one way to ensure you get your daily amount.

Including vegetables within lunch and dinner also ensure you get the daily amount of those.

These foods are especially good for on the go and can help fuel your workout, especially foods like bananas which provide a quick energy hit.

Limit sugar and processed fat intake

Saturated and trans fats are found in processed meats like sausages and bacon, and the latter is found in highly processed foods, including baked goods.

Saturated fats in small quantities will not be harmful if combined with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

Sugar and saturated fats are linked to an increase in cholesterol levels, increasing the chances of disease.

Olive oil, sunflower oils, rapeseed oils, oily fish, seeds, avocado, and natural butter are better fat sources.

Avoiding processed meats and choosing leaner meats such as chicken, turkey and vegetable proteins are the healthier options.

Foods and drinks which are processed with high amounts of sugar are the foods to limit the most, and drinks that contain the same are the ones to limit the most. Alcohol is essentially sugar and one that is extremely detrimental to physical and mental health.

Sugar is found in things like fruit, honey and milk, but these are from natural sources and, when enjoyed within a healthy diet, can provide vitamins, minerals and energy.

Drink plenty of water

Water is in every one of our cells. Drink too little, and you dehydrate, drink too much, and you can drown on the inside (extreme, but true), but drink enough every day, and your body can take on so much more because it has the lubrication it needs to work at its optimum level.

On an average day, you need to have around 2 litres of water. If you’re very active or it’s very hot, probably a little more. Water can also come from foods like fruits and vegetables and can be enjoyed in herbal teas.

Certain drinks cause you to lose water much quicker than is healthy; these drinks are known as diuretics, and alcohol is the main one that can lead to health issues.

Ensuring you drink water alongside any alcohol is a good way to avoid dehydration, and drinking in moderation is a good way to remain healthy.

If you struggle to be mindful about eating healthy and drinking water, you can use handy apps to remind you to drink your water or use a fitness tracker smartwatch that can help you stay optimally hydrated.

Final thoughts

These top tips for eating healthy are essential to provide your body with the nourishment it needs to survive and stay well, but regular exercise is essential too; they go hand in hand to live in a fit and healthy body.

Is the Fitbit Charge 5 a Good Fitness Tracker?

Posted on October 30, 2021November 16, 2021 by Jürg Widmer in Health, Workouts

If you’re looking for the next best thing in fitness watches, look no further than the Fitbit Charge 5 fitness tracker which went on sale late September 2021.

The performance of this fitness tracker is excellent and is tipped to be a serious rival for all the other wearables which monitor health stats and activity levels. Sleep tracking accuracy has been lacking in many of the other brands, and Fitbit Charge 5 has stepped up its game to ensure the latest tech offering doesn’t disappoint.

This affordable fitness tracker can hold its own against ones that are twice the price with highly accurate heart rate tracking. Some call this the best fitness tracker on the market so far, which is a bold statement considering the number of smart wearables available.

The global fitness tracker market size was valued at USD 34.6 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.9% from 2021 to 2028.

The Fitbit Charge 4 stepped up the game by introducing onboard GPS, but the latest model has fine tuned what’s under the sleek interface and taken the accuracy of the tech to a whole new level.

The introduction of the inside GPS turned avid runners onto the Fitbit Charge as a serious contender for other fitness trackers. Those who previously avoided Fitbit because it lacked this capability that other brands had as standard were now interested in this alternative fitness watch. While the Charge 4 was showing promise and reaching new audiences, it wasn’t yet ready to take on the fitness trackers used by serious athletes and fitness fanatics.

Is the Fitbit Charge 5 a Good Fitness Tracker?

One of the areas the Charge 4 was lacking was the monochrome low resolution display. While the watch was functional, it had limited capabilities in terms of the information it could display, making it less impressive.

Thankfully, the Charge 5 looks set to transform all that and impress us all with its bright and punchy colour display more in line with the Fitbit Luxe, which is a significant upgrade from what it was.

The new look fitness tracker comes in Black/Graphite, Steel Blue/Platinum and Lunar White/Gold. The design is very similar to the Luxe model, but the Fitbit Charge 5 has a soft infinity band, and the case sits flush with the band rather than having a strap with a buckle.

An important aspect of a fitness tracker is comfort, and this is where the Charge 4 needed to make improvements, and indeed Fitbit has. The Charge 5 design is more practical and is now an excellent choice for workouts and also wearing every day to monitor steps and stress levels.

The Fitbit Charge release price was $179.95, including a 6 month membership to Fitbit Premium, which helps you get more from your fitness tracker and smartwatch.

The paid for Premium membership provides a service to complement your Fitbit. It holds all of your data to deliver a personalised and actionable coaching service to enhance your fitness and health to achieve your goals. If you want to get a six pack, the coaching could come in very handy.

The Premium membership service provides additional features, such as a Health Metrics dashboard, guided video and audio workouts, and sleep and mindfulness tools.,

The Fitbit Charge 5 is similar to the Sense in that it provides a personalised score called the Daily Readiness, which collates data from your activity level, sleep quality and heart rate variability to understand if your body is primed for a workout or would benefit from a recovery day.

As standard, the Charge 5 has Bluetooth connectivity, in-built GPS, Fitbit Pay and all the usual fitness tracking benefits such as steps and flights.

One of the best features on so many new fitness trackers and the Charge 5 is the stress alert.

We all know that too much stress can increase your cortisol, and too much cortisol can increase hunger and fat storage! The handy stress monitor lets you know when your heart rate is peaking, and your body is in a stress state with the electrodermal activity (EDA) and electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors.

Is the Fitbit Charge the best fitness tracker available in 2021?

I certainly think so. As an avid fitness fan, I think it’s a serious contender and worth a look for a mid-range activity smartwatch.

The Best Way to Get a Six Pack

Posted on September 25, 2021October 14, 2021 by Jürg Widmer in Workouts

One of the most asked questions in fitness is the best way to get a six pack. Everyone wants to look fit and strong, and a six pack certainly gives the appearance of that. But what does it really take to get that look, and can anyone do it?

Surely the way to a six pack is simply through doing lots of sit-ups and crunches?

While core exercises are vitally important for a strong core and body, doing daily crunches can actually lead to a distended stomach appearance which is the opposite of what anyone wants when trying to get a six pack.

Many people believe you can spot reduce fat and by doing lots of abdominal crunches that will help to ‘burn’ and eliminate stomach fat and allow the hard work to show through. Unfortunately, the human body doesn’t work that way, if only it did!

So, what is the best way to get a six pack?

The first place to help a six pack show on the outside is to clean up your diet and trim down body fat. This doesn’t need to be dramatic and should be done over a period of time so that the results are gradual and will, therefore, last longer. Changing habits is the safest way to do this rather than dramatically cutting foods out.

It’s all about balance, consistency and determination.

The dedication and discipline this effort takes are considerable, and why so few of us tend to have a ripped six pack to show off.

Why is diet so important to get a six pack?

Diet alone won’t keep your body strong, fit and healthy. Exercise and a poor diet will help you build some level of fitness but won’t generally mean you’re healthy. Combining the two elements is a recipe for health and fitness success. The level of effort, consistency and patients are what will help you get a six pack.

20% exercise and 80% nutrition is the optimum effort level.

Nutrition first, exercises second. Overeating or eating foods high in sugar, salt and processed fats alongside not enough movement will lead to weight gain. A balance of these two will result in maintenance of current weight. Eating natural foods in balanced quantities and increasing energy output will lead to losing weight and body fat.

A diet rich in healthy proteins, whole grain carbohydrates including vegetables and fruits and reducing sugar laden foods will help to reduce any unwanted body fat around your middle. While many people still believe that fats and carbs like bread are to blame for extra body fat, it’s most often caused by processed fats, too much salt and carbs in the form of sugary products.

Water, fibre and natural foods are all essential elements for anyone who wants to get a six pack. These all help with digestion and reduce bloating and inflammation within the body, adding to a firm torso.

Mindful eating and intuitive eating can also play a part in helping to ensure you make lasting, sensible and balanced decisions where your nutrition is concerned.

Aren’t crunches the best way to get a six pack?

Unless you have received proper and specific training on how to perform a sit-up safely, many people do not perform them with the correct form and that way; it creates weakness, pressure and strain in other areas, including the spine and neck. Performing exercises with correct form the get you better results and ensure they keep your body safe.

To get a six pack, you need to do a combination of exercises, including mobility, cardio, strength training and abdominal. This can be achieved through bodyweight training alone but is equally effective using equipment such as medicine balls, slam balls, swizz balls and weights.

The ab workout exercises you perform need to hit all the angles of the abs to develop balance strength and the look required. Do exercises that work on the top, middle, sides and bottom sections of your abs.

Hanging Knee Raise
V-Sits
Bicycle Crunches
Russian Twists
Sit-Ups
Pike Plank
Lying Leg Raise
Leg Up Crunch
Plank (with variations for increasing difficulty)
Mountain Climbers

Make friends with the plank abs exercise.

The forearm plank is one of the best exercises you can do for your abs but will also help keep your entire core strong, including your whole torso and glutes. A strong core is the foundation of a fit body.

Forward planks and side planks will help hit all areas. Start with just 20 seconds a day and then build up to as long as you can hold it. Remember to rest when needed but getting a six pack requires determination and dedication. Keep the tension out of your shoulders, neck and jaw.

These tips are the best way to get six pack abs.

Consider a complete lifestyle overhaul too. Sleep, relaxation techniques and active rest are all important tools to help ensure fat isn’t stored instead of utilised for energy.

The venture is not for the faint hearted. It will take time, but the effort is always worth the reward. If you embark on this journey, remember to take photos every few weeks to document your progress and consider keeping a diary to monitor your progress on what’s working and what’s not so you can make tweaks.

Fitness Trends for Summer 2021

Posted on August 20, 2021September 15, 2021 by Jürg Widmer in Health

The fitness industry has had to evolve in the last few months due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed in different countries worldwide. But, when it comes to the fitness and health industry, they don’t just lay down their dumbbells and give up; they evolve and create new fitness trends to help people stay fit and healthy whether on a lockdown at home or embracing a whole new way of working out.

Being restricted seems to have positively impacted many people who perhaps hadn’t ever felt good about the gym environment and took to exercising more at home and outdoors. With gym and exercise studios closed for so long and restricting numbers when they did reopen, those already into their fitness and health had to find alternative ways to exercise.

The pandemic was a golden opportunity for industry leaders to pivot and capture new customers attention with online offerings and gave those businesses new to the fitness industry the opportunity to capitalise on the growing need for online and digital exercise platforms and APPs.

Jürg Widmer Probst takes a look at the fitness trends for summer 2021 to see which ones are likely to be here to stay.

Wearable Fitness Trackers and Tech

Wearable tech has soared in popularity so much that there is now a computer chip shortage for digital products! Wearable tech was gaining in popularity before but more so now, mainly because they help people stay motivated by tracking steps, calories burnt, distance covered, and levels climbed, to name just a few benefits. According to Coach Mag, these are the best fitness trackers of 2021.

Virtual Fitness Challenges

So many in-person events had to change to online virtual events in 2020 and 2021. Even the London Marathon was held as an online virtual event this year. Those who enjoy taking part in these big occasion events will miss the atmosphere of so many people competing and cheering together. But there is another audience who may felt compelled to try an online challenge where they wouldn’t if it was an in-person one.

Fitness enthusiasts and those with a competitive streak can revel in the rewards of virtual fitness challenges because many will send you a medal or t-shirt for completing the challenge. The Strava exercise tracking APP grew from 42 million users in 2019 to 76 million users in 2021, and according to them, their currently having 2 million users download their tech every month. So, it seems clear people are more than up for the virtual fitness challenge, and this fitness trend will remain for summer 2021 and beyond.

Walking Back to Fitness

Speaking of competition. None of us knew we had a competitive streak when it came to walking, but lockdown turned us into walking maniacs keen to outdo the step count on our fitness trackers and outdo the distance covered by our friends. Being asked to remain inside for long periods made us all hungry for the fresh air and nature. Walking can have profound long term health benefits, too, and when coupled with a little more rigorous cardio and some strength training, it’s a great way to stay in shape. Far from a trend now, our love of walking seems likely to continue, especially through the summer months and with APPs like Strata and wearables like Fitbit helping keep us motivated and competitive, there’s no stopping us now.

Online Workouts

Whether you’re into yoga (LISS – low-intensity steady-state), HIIT (high-intensity interval training) or AMRAP (as many reps as possible), there’s something online for you, and while this trend started during the lockdown, it’s set to continue through summer 2021 and beyond. There are several reasons why online workouts have become so popular. It’s convenient not having to go back and forth to a gym and even get changed out of your PJ’s if you don’t want to. You can join in a group or enjoy one to one training, and you need little to no equipment. The workouts can be 5 minutes or an hour. Joe Wicks HIIT sessions and his PE with Joe were a massive hit on YouTube.

The AMRAP is performing as many reps of an exercise within a set timeframe. This exercise is for those who like to get their sweat on and go a bit beast mode. Just like HIIT and Crossfit, these types of movements create an afterburn that helps keep your heart healthy, builds endurance and increases physical strength.

These fitness trends for summer 2021 will help keep everyone physically and mentally fit and healthy this year and for many years to come. The most important thing is to find something that you enjoy enough to do it consistently, and then you guarantee it will be beneficial to body and mind.

Everything You Need to Know About the Instagram Tyre Workout

Posted on July 20, 2021August 13, 2021 by Jürg Widmer in Health

It’s difficult keeping up with all of the trends that come with social media. This seems to be the case even more recently as thanks to the global pandemic and people been unable to leave their home, the amount of individuals who are taking to social media as a form of entertainment has multiplied ten-fold. That being said, whilst some dances and challenges might just make you roll your eyes, some of these workouts are actually incredibly beneficial.

One in particular is the recent tyre workout that has been taking Instagram by storm. After what seems like an endless amount of walking around parks during lockdowns, as gyms are welcomed back with open arms, people are looking for something to get themselves back into the swing of things.

The tyre workout, which, no prizes for guessing, involves using a car tyre, is actually an incredibly effective full body workout. Gym goers find themselves drenched in sweat, body aching and blood flowing after a stint with the tyre, which is just how they like it.

How Does It Work?

The best place to start is at your local garage where you will need to ask to purchase one of their tyres. Chances are they’ll give you one for free but if you have to pay this shouldn’t come too much. Have a feel of them before you pick them as it has to be the perfect weight for you. Most regular car tyres usually weigh around 10kgs but if you get something from a much more heavy-duty vehicle such as a truck or a tractor, these could come to around 80kgs. There isn’t a strict formula to follow when choosing, just have a feel and pick whichever feels right for you.

Once you’ve got the tyre home, you’ll be surprised just how much of an effective home gym it can be as you have the ability to use it to practice lunges, squats and swings presses. Also, if you are walking it outside you can use it to do kettle bell swings, clean press it or even walk with it whilst flipping the tyre.

The Benefits of the Tyre Workout

The good thing about the tyre workout is the fact that by doing it you are targeting your entire body, including your legs, bum, arms and shoulders. It’s great for building muscle as a result but can also be used for weight loss as you will burn around 400 to 1000 calories per session. It’s also less intense than other high calorie burning workouts as you can go at your own pace.

It is not a HIIT workout, which a lot of people if new to exercising can find a bit too intense. Instead, the workout focuses predominantly on strength and conditioning, with results becoming apparent after a few sessions. You will be able to burn fat, tone your body and have an incredibly satisfying workout as a result.

How Will You Feel After a Tyre Workout?

The feeling is pretty universal. After a tyre workout class, people tend to leave incredibly satisfied and cathartic. Not only will you get a good work out in but it also tends to be great for relieving both stress and tension as people walk out the door afterwards with feelings of calmness and relaxation. All in all, you will have taken part in an incredibly effective full body workout that will leave you feeling empowered.

Conclusion

No matter what your level of fitness is, whether you are just starting out, have some practice or are a vet at reps, the tyre workout could be a great addition to your current routine. It is relatively low cost, not too intense and incredibly effective for both building muscle and losing fat.

The trend was initially seen on Instagram and has since been incorporated across the world as an alternative lockdown workout; however, there is nothing to suggest this is a workout that can be forgotten in a post-pandemic world. There have been plenty of new ways to stay fit birthed from lockdown and as such, if you want to stay up to date with these new trends, you should consider following a blog such as our blog for updates on all the key information in the fitness world.

Explaining the differences and similarities between mindful eating and intuitive eating

Posted on May 20, 2021May 17, 2021 by Jürg Widmer in Health

Both mindful eating and intuitive eating are concepts that have evolved from the idea that the diet culture that advocates restriction and denial is damaging. Many nutritionists and experts say that restricting calories or measuring meals can lead to unhealthy relationships with food, and don’t help to keep weight off in the long-term.

And while both mindful and intuitive eating work together, there are differences between them. Understanding both approaches can be the key to maintaining a healthy weight and repairing your relationship with food. It’s all about balance and being kind to yourself to achieve your true state of health.

What is mindful eating?

According to the Centre for Mindful Eating (TCME), mindful eating is:

When you allow yourself to respect your inner wisdom when selecting and preparing food.
When you use every sense to choose the food that your body needs for nourishment.
When you allow yourself to acknowledge and feel your responses to different foods without judging yourself.
Learning about physical hunger and the cues that tell you that your body is satiated so that you can use these to make good food decisions.
Being present, aware and non-judgemental throughout the experience of choosing, preparing and eating food.

While older research on the approach of mindful eating assumes that the reason for weight gain must therefore be ‘mindless eating’, this is not the case. We know so much more about people’s bodies and it is widely accepted that there are many factors combining to affect people’s weight.

These vary from chronic illness to hormonal imbalances, and from genetic influencers to gut health. It’s not as simple as ‘calories in, calories out’. Furthermore, the idea that people ‘eat mindlessly’ only propagates the idea that eating is something that must be restricted or controlled.

Mindful eating is about listening to, learning to trust and fully respecting your internal wisdom about eating and food.

What is intuitive eating?

Intuitive eating is a separate concept from mindful eating. Devised by two nutritionists and dieticians Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, intuitive eating stemmed for their research on eating disorders. There are ten principles of intuitive eating as follows:

Reject the whole concept of going on a diet or restricting food.
Honour and listen to your hunger – you need carbs and energy.
Make peace with food and give yourself permission to eat when you need to.
Don’t label foods good or bad – challenge the ‘food police’.
Allow yourself to experience the satisfaction of feeling full.
Listen to your body’s signals to work out when you are no longer truly hungry.
Be kind to yourself and recognise your struggles with food and weight.
Respect yourself and your genetic body.
Learn to enjoy movement and activity rather than punish yourself with strict exercise regimes.
Be gentle with your nutrition rules – you don’t have to be perfect to be healthy. Look for progress not perfection.

As you can see, this framework is about acceptance and achieving health by combining knowledge about foods and nutrition with internal wisdom.

Differences between these two approaches to food and eating

As you can see, there are definite overlaps between the two approaches to food and eating. There is no prescribed diet plan or rules to follow in either approach. Instead, they talk about nurturing inner wisdom about what is right for you and your body and your nutritional needs.

So, neither intuitive nor mindful eating are about restricting the amount of food you eat or removing entire food groups from your meals. Instead, it’s about focusing on how you interact with food, how it feels to you and what your experiences say about your approach to nutrition.

Crucially, both of these approaches are considered weight neutral. This means that they work for everyone, no matter your size and losing weight is not the overall goal of following them. These are not diets, but the chances are if you are overweight and you begin to eat mindfully or intuitively, you may find that you naturally drop excess weight.

As for differences between the two, there are a number worth mentioning. Mindful eating concerns the present moment of preparing food and ingesting it. It advocates remaining truly present and aware of the process. Intuitive eating, on the other hand, provides a wider framework covering more than just the eating process. It’s about encouraging people to reject damaging diet culture and harmful messages of restriction and denial. It’s about changing their relationship to eating and food in a positive and nurturing way.

9 exercise trends to take us through lockdown and beyond

Posted on March 15, 2021March 26, 2021 by Jürg Widmer in Health

Last year was a time of change and transformation across work, leisure and pretty much every aspect of our lives. And for the health and fitness industry it was no different.

With gyms, fitness classes and personal trainer sessions all abruptly cancelled due to lockdown, we all had to get online. Studios began to offer virtual fitness classes, personal trainers became acquainted with Zoom and virtual marathons replaced the likes of the London Marathon.

Exercise trends such as running became hugely popular during lockdown

With little to do but work at home and exercise, running became very popular. Between March and June 2020, the NHS app ‘Couch to 5k’ was downloaded more than 850,000 times. Joe Wickes became the family favourite with his online PE lessons and home fitness equipment sold out everywhere.

In March 2021, we’re still in lockdown in the UK and the virus is still very much with us. And while there is some light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the vaccination rollout and the potential of lockdown easing completely by mid-June, how exactly is this impacting fitness trends?

We’ve all tested our resilience throughout 2020 and, whatever happens, we know that we can find new ways to exercise and keep fit regardless of lockdown or the pandemic. Here are some of the fitness trends that I think will become this year’s favourites.

9 favourite exercise trends that will only get more popular in 2021

Exercising outside

Whether you’re walking, jogging, running, cycling or swimming, chances are you’ll be doing it outside in nature. Enforced lockdowns with restrictions on outdoor exercise have shown us all just how important it is to our mental and physical health to immerse ourselves in nature regularly.

Try new hiking routes or head to the coast for a bit of sea swimming (if it’s in your local vicinity of course), or just head out for a long walk. Even if you only exercise outdoors for half an hour every day, this will help to make you feel less stressed and improve your general wellbeing.

Even bigger virtual challenges

Online fitness challenges are perfect to get you motivated. I think more people will hurl themselves into all kinds of virtual races. From running a 5km to a marathon or cycling longer distances. There are also much smaller online challenges you can easily incorporate into your routine, such as those based on sit-ups or pull-ups.

If you don’t fancy a formal online challenge, just set your own. Decide that you’re going to beat your personal best at the 10k, for example. Or that you’ll run 50 miles a week. Whatever it is, a challenge can help you focus and keep fit.

Flexible fitness classes mixed with virtual training

Working out online is probably very familiar to you by now. So, it’s time to step it up. Plan your own programme using whatever apps, online plans and personal trainers you like. Now we know how it all works, we can craft the ideal fitness plan for our personal needs. Apps like FIIT can help you create personalised workouts, for example. Many of these apps offer all kinds of coaching, training, community support and ways to monitor your growing fitness.

One-on-one personal training via Zoom

Personal trainers of all descriptions are now offering comprehensive training over Zoom. They’re all set up to help you either begin your fitness journey or get to the next level. Book a consultation and see how well it can work for you.

Practising digital mindfulness

We all live online now. And while working, socialising and even seeing your doctor online has become the norm, we must now take steps to be mindful of our digital life. Create new tech habits and ensure that you take time away from the screen. We must increase our presence in the offline world as much as the virtual world. Incorporate offline time into your daily schedule in a mindful and purposeful way.

Virtual therapy sessions for mental fitness

Anxiety and depression levels have soared during the pandemic. And we all know it’s just important to keep mentally heathy as well as physically fit. Counsellors and therapists have moved online, and virtual therapy is now accessible and often more affordable. Talking therapy is hugely beneficial if you are suffering from anxiety, a low mood, are struggling to deal with a specific trauma or for many other reasons.

Trying natural anxiety remedies

Many people are dealing with higher levels of anxiety right now. Exercising regularly is a good way to keep it under control, but there are also plenty of natural treatments available too. These range from CBD products to nootropics and all kinds of natural remedies.

Global exercise classes

For those of us who lived for the gym and enjoyed the social aspect of fitness classes, pandemic isolation is difficult to deal with. Luckily, this year offers even more virtual reality and AI-based ways to join others in your quest for fitness. For example, you can join in online HIIT classes in Australia or use BitGym to transport you to other virtual worlds.

Practising micro meditation

Meditation and mindfulness are nothing new, but if you’ve never practiced before they can seem daunting. Micro-meditation is a different way to approach mindfulness. By incorporating mini meditations throughout your day, you will reap the benefits. Start with a 20 minute fully mindful walk in the morning, breathing mindfully while showering and taking regular breaks to check in with yourself throughout the working day.

Jürg Widmer Probst - evolution of home fitness

Looking at the evolution of home fitness from the 19th century to the time of COVID-19

Posted on January 15, 2021January 27, 2021 by Jürg Widmer in Health

Home fitness has never been more popular than in the time of COVID-19. This is largely due to lockdown changing people’s fitness regimes and moving them inside. The closure of gyms and sporting facilities in the UK means we’re all looking for an alternative.

For example, during the first lockdown in March 2020, celebrity trainer Joe Wicks became a focus for schoolchildren and families with his online daily PE lessons. Meanwhile, hardcore gym goers are finding apps, home equipment and alternatives to their usual regime.

The evolution of home fitness starts in Victorian times

From the explosion of aerobics in the 80s to fitness VHS tapes and DVDs in the 90s and 2000s, the cult of home fitness has always been with us. Depending on your age, your first memory of home fitness may have been something like the Jane Fonda workout, or the Green Goddess on breakfast TV.

Or, for younger people, it could be Davina McCall’s fitness empire or the rowing machine your parents bought for the home. So, while home fitness has taken on a new importance during COVID-19, it has been around for a long time. Here’s a quick look through its evolution over the years.

Exercise in various forms has always been part of human life. Yoga, for example, has been around for thousands of years. But ‘fitness’ in the way we think of it today is a much more recent concept. An early example of this can be seen in this Victorian fitness manual, which was printed in 1861. The concept of a daily exercise regime originated with an orthopedic machinist called Gustav Ernst. He essentially invented the home gym using his equipment.

People, of course, walked a lot more back then and gyms as we know them simply didn’t exist. Not long after World War 2, technological innovation boosted the idea of home fitness.

TV and advertising created the home fitness industry

In the US, the trend was for new tech and homes equipped with all mod cons. People had more leisure time and the obsession with staying healthy and fit began. Because women usually didn’t work, it was natural that home fitness was initially aimed at them through TV shows. There was also pressure from the fitness industry to maintain a slim figure. Jack LaLanne was the first presenter on an exercise TV show aimed at housewives in 1951. Advertising quickly followed and it became more mainstream.

All kinds of equipment were quickly on the market, from ‘sauna suits’ to vibrating belts – all sold as weight loss and fitness aids. In 1958, the hula hoop was launched as a fitness device and within six months more than 100 million units were sold. Over the next 20 or so years, personal fitness trends turned towards running and jogging.

Along with this trend, gyms began to open all over the place. Just as this became the norm, fitness changed again due to technology. VHS workout tapes became popular, kickstarted by the likes of Jane Fonda in 1982. By 1992, her first tape sold more than 17 million copies worldwide. This was the start of on-demand fitness in the home environment.

Following celebrity fitness regimes on video, DVD and online

Hundreds of celebrities jumped on this trend, with Mr Motivator becoming mainstream in the UK, while supermodels like Cindy Crawford released their ‘fitness secrets’ to convince women they could look the same by exercising at home. The home gym was next with increasingly expensive machines ranging from rowing machines to treadmills, bikes and ellipticals entering people’s homes.

All of this meant people were taking home fitness much more seriously, and by the time the Internet became popular, it moved online. Fitness influencers on every social media platform you can think of sell their form of home fitness, often including products, diets and supplements as well as physical exercise. This has transformed into what we now call the wellness industry.

Exercise is now inextricably linked with self-help, beauty, self-worth and bettering ourselves. This inevitably led to much more complex home exercise offerings that include everything from yoga to mindfulness in addition to luxury gym chains with swimming pools and creches.

Home fitness trends for COVID-hit households

Finally we get to the age of COVID-19. Gyms are, for the most part, closed and outdoor exercise restricted. As soon as the first lockdown was instigated Zoom and YouTube became ubiquitous. People are ordering more home exercise equipment thane ever before. For example, sales of fitness equipment in the US between January and March 2020 increased by more than 55%.

Online classes are now live, with instructors across every kind of exercise regime offering regular sessions. If you don’t fancy that, then there are endless fitness apps offering the same. And while many of these classes need basic equipment, there are plenty of home exercise lessons that don’t.

Whether home fitness is booming right now solely because of lockdown remains to be seen. It’s unlikely that people won’t flood back to the gym just as soon as they can, as these are now much more than places to exercise. Gym culture means that these facilities are social connections and offer a community. People are missing social contact and will want to recapture the human connections gyms and outdoor organised exercise offers.

Jürg Widmer Probst - fitness influencers

Be careful how you choose fitness influencers to use as inspiration

Posted on November 20, 2020December 8, 2020 by Jürg Widmer in Health

Millions of people turn to online fitness influencers to help them get on track with diet and exercise. But on every platform, from Instagram to TikTok, there are many different kinds of fitness influencers.

For every knowledgeable fitness trainer or accomplished athlete, there is someone trying to sell a product. Not every fitness influencer is a professional worth listening to, so for anyone routinely checking out Instagram or YouTube for health and fitness advice, here are a few tips.

How do you find the best fitness influencers online?

The first thing you should look at is whether they are obviously trying to sell a specific range of products. While fitness influencers will rarely spell out that if people buy their product, they will automatically become fit and slim, it is usually heavily implied.

Any fitness expert worth listening to will have been practicing a healthy lifestyle long before they started to be an online influencer. And no-one with a very obviously toned or muscle-bound physique achieved it through buying a product. Fitness and health take discipline, hard work and dedication.

So, while it’s tempting to take a fitness influencer’s impressively lean body on face value and hope that you can get the same by buying their diet shake, deep down you know this isn’t true.

Some fitness experts online are anything but

Just as being bombarded with pictures of someone with the perfect lean physique can leave you hoping for a miracle, the same applies with fitness influencers who show off big muscle gains.

It is worth remembering that steroid use is common among competitive athletes in certain sports. And of course, there are many fitness influencers who are not bound by competition rules as they aren’t competing at all. They can achieve muscles in any way they want and present something else as the truth online.

Perhaps the best advice would be: ‘don’t believe everything you see’. Fitness influencers have a strong vested interest in appearing to show subscribers and fans a beautiful, perfect body. Their next aim is to convince people that they too can look like this if they just sign up for this expensive exercise regime and protein shake.

Photoshop also comes into play here. These days, photo editing is so accessible and easy to do that pretty much everyone has some kind of filter on their pictures. And for those making money from fitness accounts, the added impetus on appearing perfect is clear. Many fitness influencers routinely use FaceTune, Photoshop or any other software to make themselves look leaner, more built or curvier, depending on what they’re selling.

How to choose a worthwhile fitness influencer

Given the pitfalls of online fitness influencers outlined above, here are some tips to help you choose one that’s worth following. Finding a fitness influencer or expert to follow is a useful way of keeping motivation levels up and can help you reach your goal.

Are they accredited by any official body?

Look beyond their pictures to find out whether they are actually an accredited trainer or nutritionist. Steer away from anyone clearly selling any kind of multi-level marketing (MLM) product and look instead for fitness influencers who are backed with some kind of certification.

Not every professional fitness instructor will come with formal credentials, but you should easily be able to find evidence of past clients or success stories. Google the name of the influencer and find out about their background and experience before you decide to follow their advice.

Are they a nutritionist?

Most fitness influencers include diet in their advice and instruction. Exercise and nutrition are not the same, and they require different levels of expertise. Don’t just follow an influencer who purports to have the answers without finding out whether they are a registered dietician first.

Remember that anyone can say they’re a nutritionist as in many countries there is no legal definition of the term. However, registered dieticians have provable expertise, years of training and something useful to say.

Is their message consistent?

Beware of any influencer who chops and changes their fitness and nutrition advice. If they constantly offer different products or all of their posts are sponsored, then skip them. Like most aspects of health and fitness, there is no easy answer but there is a simple one.

If you want to lose weight you must eat less. If you want to increase muscle, you need to lift weights. If you want to become an athlete or seriously improve your fitness, you must stick at it. This kind of consistent advice and instruction is what you need to make true changes to your health and fitness.

Worthwhile fitness influencers on Instagram or any other platform aren’t afraid to push this message of consistency. They will include it in their instruction, rather than offering a product that promises to be the answer. Look for those who share success stories with before and after pictures, or proof of how they improved over the years.

Reset, recharge, regenerate – how to manage a complete lifestyle overhaul

Posted on September 15, 2020October 12, 2020 by Jürg Widmer in Health

This year has been profoundly stressful for most of us. Dealing with the existential threat of a global pandemic while also keeping our jobs, children, schooling and health on track has taken its toll.

Whether you’re still in lockdown or not, it could be worth taking some time to consider a lifestyle overhaul.

Do you need a lifestyle overhaul?

Particularly relevant for people who are suffering from panic attacks or anxiety, whether due to COVID-19 or not, a total reset could be the best thing you ever do. It takes commitment and drive, but the results could change your life.

And while you could go the whole way, ditch your job and material possessions and move countries, this is obviously not practical for most people. We all have responsibilities that are impossible to abandon. Furthermore, most of us don’t want to restart everything from scratch.

Having said that, having a clear out and getting rid of excess possession is a great way to start your lifestyle overhaul. It’s something that everyone can do, and always has a positively cathartic effect on your mindset. Clearing physical space and creating calm surroundings will positively impact on your mental health too. It will create emotional and physical space, which is a great starting point to change your lifestyle.

How happy are you in these areas of your life?

There is no single formula for rebooting your life, but below you’ll find ideas that could help you change your life in a way that will make you feel calmer, more in control and happier.

Think of this list as starting points across different spheres of your life. Of course, you may find that you’re happy with some of these spheres, and only want to change specifics. Or you may feel the need to change pretty much everything. It’s up to you.

Are you happy in your job?

Your career is a huge part of your life, whether you want it to be or not. If you love your job, then this contentment is likely to cross into all parts of your life. And if hate it, the same happens. If you are fulfilled in your career then you will be happier in every way.

Not only does it mean your daily life is happier on a personal basis, but you will be a better partner, friend, colleague and parent. You will be emotionally present and communicate in more meaningful ways. It’s automatically easier to look after people and contribute to your family or friend group. In short, it permeates everything. And this is true if you hate your job. This will end up with you feeling exhausted, out of kilter with your friends and family, disconnected, depressed and generally down. Chances are this will affect your home life, and everything will be more difficult.

It is possible to have a fulfilling career that fulfils you emotionally. It may not be easy to attain, but you are allowed to follow the career path that you really want to do. If you are unhappy with your work, consider whether you can retrain, change path or alter your role to make better use of your talents and natural gifts. If you are feeling depressed or anxious, look to your career first. And change it if you need to.

Are you happy with your friends?

Another piece of the puzzle of your emotional happiness and mental health is who you spend time with. While you can’t necessarily choose your colleagues or boss, you can choose who you surround yourself with.

If you’re a social butterfly but have few deep connections, it could be time to review your social circle and make some changes. Conversely, if you spend too much time alone, you may need to widen your friendships. Either way, choose carefully and look at who you spend time with. Do they lift you up or bring you down? Do they have personality traits you admire and want to emulate?

You always have a choice over who you surround yourself with. It’s better to take time out of the social scene and spend time by yourself than continue to surround yourself with people who make you unhappy. Search for truly meaningful connections, set boundaries and be the caring, attentive friend you want to have.

Are you happy with your partner?

If you have a gut feeling you’re not in the happiest relationship, then it’s time to listen to it. All healthy relationships involve intimacy, of course, and you may be happily single. But if you are in a partnership, whether that’s a spouse, lover, close friend or any other, and it’s not bringing you joy it could be time to move on.

Being in an unaligned intimate relationship is draining. It takes away from your emotional and mental resources and affects your whole life. If you don’t feel supported, seen, nurtured and loved and your gut is warning you that you’re in the wrong partnership, think hard about making a drastic change.

Are you happy with your health?

Every one of these life spheres affects your physical and mental health in some way. But your diet, exercise and general lifestyle may also need an overhaul. If you drink too much caffeine, eat too much refined sugar, take drugs, drink too much alcohol, sleep badly and don’t exercise, you’re going to feel pretty bad.

This gets worse the older you get, and you could very well end up with low energy, depression and anxiety, all curable by changing your diet. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise can improve your life in every way. Drink more water, cut down on caffeine and alcohol, ditch cigarettes and recreational drugs and eat more nutritionally balanced food.

Stay offline for as long as possible every day and resist the temptation to stare at screens in your spare time. Take the time to rest, to read, to just be. Try meditation and mindfulness, and make your bed your favourite, peaceful place to be.