In this week’s blog our guest blogger, freelance journalist, Stacey Mensah, asks the question: ‘Are you getting enough exercise?’ and explores the barriers to exercise.

A poll has estimated that Britons spend twice as long on the toilet every week as they do exercising. With adults clocking up an average of three hours and nine minutes on their loos every week. This is serious business! Now to some this isn’t really going to mean anything and others frankly would not want to know. However, the reason why we’re making this comparison is to show the stark differences between the two activities and why we should be doing one of them for a lot longer. With the NHS recommending we perform 150 minutes’ worth of exercise each week, it makes me wonder what could be the possible barriers towards reaching this goal and if it in fact is enough.

Having lived in a cosmopolitan city for the majority of my years I can say with ease that exercising for 30 minutes a day is more than probable. And just remember that this is coming from a person who would choose the escalator over the stairs every single time! When the NHS is talking about moderate exercise this includes brisk walking – can I get a hallelujah! That sprint to catch the train, the light jog to the meeting and even the walk to pub for after work drinks’ count. But here is the dose of reality – the office treats, the regular intake of alcohol and your hate for vegetables isn’t doing you any favours. For those of us that like to indulge in the naughtier items on the menu we should also be willing to increase our doses of daily exercise.

But let’s be real that doesn’t always happen! UKactive has found that one of the biggest barriers to exercise were busy working lives which was followed by family commitments. At certain phases in my life I have found myself several days into my week without having worked out or done any significant bouts of exercise. When the delivery driver, waitress or restaurant manager knows me by name and order the I know it’s time to switch a few things up.

According to the organisation, a lack of exercise claims over 30,000 lives each year and costs the UK £20 billion. I know to some working professionals working out in groups or having someone to be accountable to helps them to stick to their goals. A personal trainer, a nutritionist or even just an active Instagram feed bulging with fitness pictures is enough for some. And it seems as though 41%* of 18 to 24-year-olds prefer using social media as a source of motivation, as it encourages them to head down to the gym.

Although there has been much attention in regards to young people and exercise, chief knowledge officer to the NHS, professor Sir Muir Gray offers a sentiment that we all need to be reminded of: “People often think exercise is only for young people, but older adults are the people who stand to gain most from the mental, social and physical benefits of being active”.

How many hours of exercise do you get every week? What challenges do you face? We would love to hear from you…

Croydon CCG in collaboration with Croydon Council are hosting a Healthy Weight workshop on July 26^th at 11am to 1pm.

It is being held at Bernard Weatherill  House on the Ground Floor in the Community Space rooms with lunch and refreshments provided.

The aim of the workshop is to raise awareness about healthy weight topics within Croydon and to invite stakeholders, patients, clinicians and front line staff, to talk about how we can build the best services for Croydon residents.

The workshop aims to cover the following topics;

• Healthy weight within Croydon
• Identify priorities to promote healthy weight
• Raising awareness of healthy weight initiatives within the community
• Gain feedback from Patients and Clinicians on current services and how we can improve them

You can book a place on EventBrite or by emailing mark.darocha@croydonccg.nhs.uk

The University of Northumbria would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part in their survey. The survey is now closed and they are no longer collecting data.

Researchers from the Northumbria University are conducting a new piece of research that will investigate the advice that cancer patients are receiving about physical activity after their diagnosis. They will explore whether the advice given to patients is appropriate for them and their needs. The findings from this work will help inform the development of future interventions to try to optimise the nature of physical activity advice being given to people after a cancer diagnosis.

If you have experience with cancer, you can take part in this important piece of work by completing an online survey. The survey asks participants about their current health, their physical activity habits and about any physical activity advice they received. Most of the questions have multiple choice answers with only a couple asking for further details.

This research has been approved by an institutional research ethics committee. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary, and all answers people provide will be kept anonymous and so no one can be identified from any information they provide.

You can complete the survey here: https://goo.gl/forms/GaAK81TJVu877Tj93  and if you have any questions or would like any additional information please email us and we will contact the researchers on your behalf.

On Wednesday 10th May, we attended the second annual Elevate conference, an event that aimed to tackle the issue of inactivity in the UK and provide a forum for cross-sector debate on physical activity, health and wellbeing.

This conference included seminars, a tech lab, a stage area showcasing interesting projects and products, and there was also an exhibition area.

The seminar programme was divided into four streams: Physical Activity for Health and Wellbeing; Inclusivity – Creating an Active Nation;  Future Performance; and The Business of Physical Activity.

Inclusivity

We attended the sessions in the inclusivity stream which started with a keynote debate ‘Tackling Inactivity: What are the priorities?  On the panel of this debate was: Steve Gray, the Chief Executive of Nuffield Health, Steven Ward, Executive Director of UK Active, Professor Robert Copeland, from Sheffield Hallam University and Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of Cycling UK.

This was a very interesting discussion with the panellists giving their view on where we need to focus our attention if we are to ensure that exercise is more inclusive.

Steve Gray from Nuffield Health  provided some good background stating that  1 in 3 people in the UK are inactive, 1 out of every  10 deaths  in the UK is linked to an inactive lifestyle and inactivity costs the NHS £1Billion. He also explained that we have more people living in urban areas and most people are very much dependent on technology which has led to a more sedentary lifestyle.

He explained that there is no single solution to address this issue but felt that firstly everyone needs to take accountability and that includes the government, businesses and individuals. He also explored the fact that exercise needs to be more accessible practically (made more affordable, easy to fit into a person’s day) and emotionally (everyone needs to feel that they can do it). Finally he also discussed the fact that we need to look at new approaches that are bespoke, suit the individual and are holistic, so they go beyond just the physical.

It was also interesting to hear from Steve Ward from UK Active who explained that their work focuses on communicating the message that it doesn’t matter how long you move for just as long as you move. This is a simple message that makes exercise less daunting.

One of their main priorities is getting more children and young people active as we currently have the most inactive children compared to  previous  generations.

One area they are working on is making sure that children keep active during the summer holidays. He explained that during term time children tend to be very active but once they go on holiday all physical activity ceases.

Another focus area for them is targeting workplaces and ensuring that businesses have a health and wellbeing offer for their staff.

Paul Tuohy also provided some useful insight explaining that 90% of people in the UK own a bike but only 2% of people commute to work or school regularly. The challenge is how to get people from good intentions to action. He also explained that exercise needs to be made simple and people need to get away from the artificial idea that to be fit they need to be a member of the gym. With regards to cycling, he felt that there was a need to normalise cycling rather than feeding the idea that it is an elite sport. People need to see cycling as fun and something they can do everyday.

Engaging with the  least active

We also really found the seminar session on addressing the least active very interesting. This focused on projects that have explored the motivations, attitudes and lifestyles of the most inactive people.

We first heard from Barry Horn from the English Federation of Disability Sport. He spoke about their project Get Out Get Active which is a sport and active recreation project for people with a disability. He explained the need for the project – people with a disability are the single most inactive people in the nation. He stated that their project looked at reaching inactive groups through outreach, engagement and effective marketing and a major priority for them was ensuring sustainability – making disabled people active for life.

As part of their project they explored what disabled people wanted from an exercise program and 64% wanted to take part in physical activity and sport with non-disabled people, they didn’t want to be excluded.

They have also developed some key principles for getting people active – drive awareness, engage the audience and offer support and reassurance.

In this session we also heard from Age UK about how they are getting the elderly more active and the Women’s Sport Trust on the work they’re doing with girls and women.  We were particularly interested in the presentation by Anun King from Sporting Equals about exercise and ethnicity.  He showed data that looked a physical activity and participation in different ethnic groups and this suggested that black and Asian women were the least active.  He explained that some of the barriers to participation were cultural, attitudes to exercise,  socio-economic and organisational.  To address this Sporting Equals have implemented a number of project including a faith centre model. This focused on people from an Asian background. Anun explained there were a number of benefits of working with faith based organisations, these include their large footfall and they have indoor and outdoor facilities. He discussed other projects which included their cultural events model, community sport zones and ethnic minority media work.

Great day out

This was a really busy day that we thoroughly enjoyed it. We attended so many presentations but just wanted to highlight a few interesting ones in this blog. Other projects that you may find interesting that we learnt about at Elevate were:

• Working with disadvantage communities to remove barriers to participation and get children and young people active
• WHO HEAT Tool
• Tackling inequalities and behaviour change in Birmingham

You can find out more about Elevate on their website and look out for the next event in May 2018.

 

With more than 20 million people in the UK reported to be physically inactive and thus not getting enough exercise, there is a need to find fun innovative ways to get people moving. With that in mind, last month we attended the Fitness Blastoff BASH, an event that we were really excited about as we loved the idea of a fitness party.

The Fitness Blastoff is an urban fitness dance party experience for men and women based in the UK. They work with a variety of aerobics instructors to create unique, fresh and lively workouts but with a party-like feel to it.

So on the 1^st April, with a sense of excitement, we ventured to their BASH, we arrived late and as we walked through the door of the venue we were met with a huge number of people dancing to music blaring through the speakers as the DJ on the stage created a fantastic party atmosphere. It really did feel like a club, it was dark with a great vibe and some club lights too.  What struck me as I walked around was the diversity in the room (young, old, black, white and all shapes and sizes) and the smiles – everybody was having a good time in their trainers, gym wear and with water bottles in hand.

As we tried to find a bit of space in the hall we suddenly heard the DJ say: “Are you ready for your 5 hour workout!??” Fear then set in as we all looked at each other and thought: “ I don’t think we’ll last 5 hours!”

After a few minutes of throwing our hands in the air and singing along with the rest of the crowd we were introduced to the first instructor, Alicja Blachut, for a 30 minute Jamaican Dancehall session called Mash It Up, this was a fast- paced, fun session where we learnt a routine to Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. The time flew by and before we knew it, the 30 minutes was over and it was time for a 5 minute water break. This was followed by the sessions below, each with a 5 minute break afterwards:

• Old Skool Hip Hop with Ameila Aramu
• Afrobeats with Kwaku Agyemang of Azonto Fitness
• UK Garage with Karla Richards
• Bashment with Shallahni Rose
• Jungle with Faye Edwards of I.T Academy
• House with Kassidy Chaplin of Shuffle in Shape
• Soca with Andre Chacha of Addicted to Fitness

Believe it or not, we were having so much fun that the 5 hours flew by so quickly and at the end of the event we didn’t want to leave!

It was a very tiring day, but because it was so much fun, we didn’t actually feel it in the same way we have done when we’ve taken part in other fitness events where we’d be counting down the time to the end of the session.

The sessions we enjoyed the most were the Afrobeat, Jungle, Hip Hop and House sessions. The instructors were very engaging and had put a lot of thought into their sessions, making them easy to follow but very energetic.

The event was a massive success for so many reasons. Firstly, the variety of workouts, each session being so different made for an interesting and fun day; Secondly, the DJ. He was very good, he set the tone of the day creating a fun atmosphere, getting the crowd going and in between sessions got us dancing, waving our hands and doing various dances (loved it!); the organisation of the event. The event was really well organised, there was plenty of water on hand and lots of attention paid to the safety of attendees.

We applaud the team behind the Fitness Blastoff for their approach to getting people active. This was a creative and fun way to encourage people to take part in exercise and, from the variety of people in the room, we think it attracted a lot of people that running, cycling and traditional exercise wouldn’t appeal to, giving them an option that suits them. Plus I don’t think you could get a lot of people to exercise for 5 hours and still be smiling at the end of it, like this event did. The fact that people had so much fun meant they were motivated to keep going.

We’re so glad we attended the Fitness Blastoff Bash, we didn’t know what to expect and were pleasantly surprised, we had a wonderful time and most importantly we got a fantastic workout.

The Fitness Blastoff team’s next event, the Afrobeats vs Dancehall Fitness Pop-up Party, is on Saturday 27^th May at 1pm and you can book your tickets here

 

Earlier tonight, we were so excited to host our second fibroids Twitter chat. We were joined by special guests Dr Sydney Dillard, CEO of Fighting Fibroids, Leah Salmon, Founder of The Naturally You Coach and Candice Bryan, Founder and CEO of Noire Wellness.

Over the course of the Twitter chat we discussed fibroids, diet and exercise. If you missed it you can check out our conversation below.

Hello all, it's @AbiBegho here and it's my pleasure to welcome you to The Lake Foundation's #fibroids #Twitter chat. #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Today we’ll be discussing #fibroids, #diet and exercise and we’ll be putting questions to our special guests. #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

We’re delighted to introduce our first guest, @DrSydneyjd. Please tell us a bit about who you are and what you do. #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Thank! I am an Asst. Professor of Communication @CMNDePaul Univ. Health campaign developer. Wife, mother, daughter! #FibroidsChat

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

Next we have Leah Salmon, @naturalyoucoach, please tell our Twitter family a bit about yourself. #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Hi everyone, I'm a bestselling author, speaker, nutritionist, life coach, homeschooling mum of 6, thanks #fibroidschat

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

Finally, we have @KandiceBryan from @noirewellness. Please tell our Twitter audience about who are and what you do. #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Thank you @TheLakeFound for invitation to join great panel of experts @DrSydneyjd @naturalyoucoach #FibroidsChat 1/2

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

Mother, partner & sister to many! Sports development, wellness & fitness specialist. Founder @NoireWellness #FibroidsChat 2/2

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

Let’s start with #fibroids and #diet (1/2) #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

@DrSydneyjd and @natrualyoucoach, are there specific foods that increase risk of developing fibroids? If so, which foods? #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat soya soya soya soya soya soya soya soya and did I mention soya

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

Great question! New studies show decreasing the intake of foods high in estrogen is a start #fibroidschat 1/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

Can you explain why soya is so bad when it comes to #fibroids? #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Can you explain why soya is so bad when it comes to #fibroids? #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat soya has isoflavones that may mimics the hormone oestrogen in your body, high oestrogen is linked to fibroids growth

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat soya's also linked to hormone disruption which is also linked to the development and growth of fibroids

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

What types of foods contain high levels of oestrogen? #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

That's a toughy, because there are so many & I want to be careful to not simply approaches to foods w/estrogen vs. without #fibroidschat 1/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

Still foods high in estrogen include wheat, barley, plums, rice. Still I point to meat as the first step to lowering estrogen #fibroidschat

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

Ok, great. So no red meat and avoid #soya @DrSydneyjd and @naturalyoucoach. Anything else? #fibroidschat https://t.co/N5LsJrzaLh

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat the liver helps eliminate excess oestrogen from the body so we want to avoid foods that stress or overload the liver 1/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat so limit your consumption of alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, sugar to ease the burden on the liver 2/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat if you are going to eat animal products ensure they are free range, organic, grassfed and haven't been fed horomes 1/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat or you'll be eating the hormones they're injected with to build their muscle, which will further disrupt your hormones 2/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

Are there foods out there that may reduce risk of developing fibroids? If so what are these? @DrSydneyjd @naturalyoucoach #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

If you lead a particularly busy lifestyle I suggest starting with snacks such as bananas, walnuts, pineapples. Each help. #fibroidschat 1/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

Walnuts for instance contain lignans that help the body balance excessive estrogen and progesterone #fibroidschat 2/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat helping foods inc Garlic which inhibits tumour cell growth & it's an antioxidant to help ur immunity, which fibroids can lower

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat I love the overall healing effect of Irish moss & seaweeds in remineralising & strengthening the body 1/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat plus Irish moss has brilliant levels of iron which is lost in the heavy menstrual flow associated with fibroids 2/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

@fibroidforum #fibroidschat avoiding gluten helps everything

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

I'm going to bring in @KandiceBryan to start a discussion on #exercise. #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

If a woman already has fibroids, can a change in diet help with her symptoms & size of fibroids? @DrSydneyjd @naturalyoucoach #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Yes and no. Due to the many factors that influence fibroid development, each situation is unique, but it's worth trying #fibroidschat

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

Can #exercise reduce a women’s risk of developing fibroids? If so, do we know why exercise reduces risk @KandiceBryan #fibroidschat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

It can boost happy hormones (endorphins), improve cardio vascular system & prevent hormone controlled diseases #FibroidsChat 1/2

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

With increased estrogen assisting growth & development of fibroids – it can reduce amount of hormone circulating in body #FibroidsChat 2/2

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

Generally regular exercise & maintenance of healthy weight may reduce chances of developing fibroids #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

To add it's important to note that exercise circulates blood away from the uterus and helps stops feeding the fibroids #fibroidschat

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat exercise also helps your body to absorb more if the nutrients you eat, to strengthen your body more

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

Aerobic exercise can stabilise insulin levels (from sugars & carbs) helps prevent feasting environment for hormonal imbalances #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

How often would they need to exercise to get the prevention benefits? @KandiceBryan #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Current @PHE_uk “guidelines” suggest 30 mins of moderate intensity 5 days a week. Try to incorporate it into daily 1/2 #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

into daily activities E.g. Taking children to the park. Make this your workout whilst children have fun get moving 2/2 #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

For women who already have fibroids, can exercise help with their symptoms? @KandiceBryan #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Excess weight, especially around abdominal can signal excess estrogen. Losing weight can help reduce estrogen… 1/2 #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

But don’t always guarantee existing fibroids will reduce in size. Each person will have differect outcomes 2/2. #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat well said @KandiceBryan , those tummy fat cells aren't just sitting there, they're full of hormones

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

had a friend who died of cancerous Fibroids – does that exist? #maternity counselling

— Your Comforter (@YourComforter) February 15, 2017

Her Fibroids got bigger then cancerous #maternity counselling #fibroidschat

— Your Comforter (@YourComforter) February 15, 2017

@YourComforter #fibroidschat from the research I've done it's very rare that fibroids are cancerous, but they can become malignant

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

So sorry for your loss. This is a rarity, however cancerous fibroids do exist on rare occasions. These are the types #fibroidschat 1/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

of fibroids are call leiomyosarcoma and they are generally found in approx. 1 out of every 1000 cases (in the US) #fibroidschat 2/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

She passed 20 yrs ago and we went to a hospital on the Fulham Rd. She looked 6mths pregnant #maternity counselling #fibroidschat

— Your Comforter (@YourComforter) February 15, 2017

may she rise in power sis @YourComforter #fibroidschat, sorry I should have said that first as the good @DrSydneyjd did

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

Sorry for your loss. I have not heard of #Fibroids becoming cancerous and have read that it is extremely rare. #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

Women with fibroids may have symptoms that stop them from exercising. Can you recommend some gentle exercises? #FibroidsChat @KandiceBryan

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Firstly, I would always say that women are the experts of their own bodies and likely to know how their fibroids behave! #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

Would recommend low-impact exercises like brisk-walking, cycling, dance fitness, swimming, aqua fitness & afrikan yoga. #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

Are there any other lifestyle factors that are linked to fibroids? @naturalyoucoach, @DrSydneyjd, @KandiceBryan #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat stress relief and management is crucial for recovery, a stress body becomes depleted of nutrients 1/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat which makes you more susceptible to developing any imbalance, especial hormonal imbalances, which can lead to fibroids 2/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

Personal experience with endometriosis & women community battling fibroids seems to have common theme of high STRESS levels #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

I think its very important to take time to start having conversations with women in your circle to see the connections #fibroidschat 1/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

High blood pressure and dancing hormones aren’t helpful. Exploring ways to release that STRESS is so important #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

STRESS! Really look at ways to reduce it. Spend time on YOU #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat as women we hold a lot of emotions in our womb, negative, painful and traumatic experiences with significant males 1/2

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat males in our life can be associated with the onset of womb health problems, releasing this energy can help release 2/3

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat release the health challenge also, women are very absorbant & have to be mindful what we absorb 3/3

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

@TheLakeFound #FibroidsChat Vitamin D was found to be low in women with fibroids.Adding more Vitamin D in the diet & sun exposure could help

— Fibroid Network UK (@fibroidsupport) February 15, 2017

What would be your take home message about lifestyle changes regarding #fibroids. @DrSydneyjd @naturalyoucoach @KandiceBryan #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Explore a holistic approach to YOU. Move more -yes! But meditation, herbal treatments, aromatherapy, sister circles & 1/2 #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

getting specialist support from health coaches like @naturalyoucoach and professionals like @DrSydneyjd 2/2 #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat in closing, ladies, please be assured that if you are suffering with the health challenge of fibroids 1/3

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat there is sooooo much you can do naturally and non invasively, with your foods, exercise, lifestyle, mind and emotions 2/3

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat to help your body rebalance, shrink and release these tumours for good, your body is amazing 3/3

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

Reach out for help! Talk, talk, talk. Listen to your body and learn. If looking for where to start contact me @DrSydneyjd #FibroidsChat 1/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

or any of the other guests from today. We all want the best for each of us. Check out https://t.co/MrTGm2sTLQ for details.#fibroidschat 1/2

— Dr. Sydney Dillard (@DrSydneyjd) February 15, 2017

How can people find out more about your work? @DrSydneyjd, @naturalyoucoach and @KandiceBryan. #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Currently leading weekly sessions for adults with disabilities,outdoor fitness sessions & spring wellness hub coming soon #FibroidsChat

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat for private nutrition & life coaching, books, articles, videos & more, you can find me at https://t.co/4Aso03A0rL

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

Join the journey @NoireWellness New website coming soon info@noirewellness.com subscribe to mailing list! #FibroidsChat #ThankYou #BeWell💚

— Candice Bryan (@KandiceBryan) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat I also have a new book coming out soon called "30 days to better periods & womb health", very exciting times

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat you get a free recipe book when you join my mailing list on my site also at https://t.co/4Aso03A0rL

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#fibroidschat thanks for the invitation & professional supportive arrangement of this event @TheLakeFound

— Leah Salmon (@naturalyoucoach) February 15, 2017

#FibroidsChat @naturalyoucoach @DrSydneyjd @KandiceBryan @TheLakeFound THANK YOU all so much for you time and #fibroids expertise

— thefibroidforum (@fibroidforum) February 15, 2017

This has been such a fantastic discussion. Really informative. #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

Thank you to our speical guests @KandiceBryan, @naturalyoucoach and @DrSydneyjd for joining us. you've been great. #FibroidsChat

— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) February 15, 2017

It can be really hard fitting in the recommended amount of physical activity (150 minutes a week) into our day-to-day routine and even when we do manage to find the time, let’s be honest, exercise can be really dull!

Many times we start exercising with great intentions, but alas we lose motivation within a few weeks as it’s just not fun. For any kind of exercise plan to be effective, we have to commit to it, be persistent and push through the pain, but this can only be achieved if we’re enjoying the activity we’re taking part in. An exercise routine that’s fun has a better chance of long-term success, particularly if it is group exercise. Fun and a sense of camaraderie gets you through the pain, cold mornings and rainy days that may stop you from achieving your physical activity goals.

If you want to get fit and active this year, the key is to find something that you love doing. Now, we all  like a good party, so if you can combine exercise with a party feel, then you’ll definitely commit to that, right?

So, today we decided to test out a class on your behalf (AfroFit) and we are so sure you’re going to love it. AfroFit is a new class at the Eve and Grace Wellness Centre in Battersea.

The class was led by the very elegant and friendly Rebecca Adebiyi from Afrofit and Afrotales, a new organisation that has two elements to it: African-inspired cardio workouts for adults and children and African-inspired story and drama sessions for children aged 2 to 6.

Today was the launch of the class and we started with getting ourselves familiar with Afro Beat music and moves. For 60 minutes we worked our way through a dance routine that worked every part of our body. We got our hips moving,  arms waving, legs tapping, necks popping and bodies waving,  and we were smiling for the entire 60 minutes (it was fuuun!!). There was also a freestyle session where we got to show off our favourite moves, in our own unique style.

Rebecca was a great, patient teacher and by the end of the session we were looking like professional dancers :-),  but importantly we got a good full-body workout. It was wonderful to attend a class that uses African culture to get us active in a fun way that we could truly relate to.

If you’re looking to get more active this year, then we highly recommend this class. AfoFit takes place every Saturday at 1:30pm.

You can find out more about this class on the Eve and Grace Wellness Centre’s website. Whilst on their website you can check out all the other great classes at the centre.  We’re sure you’ll find a number of classes that you’ll like. Next we’ll be trying out the Mash It Up Dancercise class, an authentic Jamaican dancehall and fitness class.

The UK’s Change For Life programme has once again teamed up with Disney for the 10 Minute Shake Up campaign. This campaign aims to get children active over the summer by encouraging them to do 10 minute bursts of moderate to vigorous activity throughout the day every day, so they meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity that children need.

The 10 Minute Shake Up was launched in July 2014 and is back this year. The campaign is inspired by Disney Pixar’s Finding Dory and it uses Disney characters like to get kids involved in a range of fun activities such as swimming,  dancing and ball games.

To find out more visit their website here and for resources to get you started click here

A new report has highlighted that today’s children are not active enough. Children as young as two spend much more time playing with ipads, computers and similar gadgets than exercising. UK guidelines recommend that children under 5 years of age should be physically active for a minimum of 3 hours a day. Those between 5 and 15 should be active for a minimum of one hour each day.

The report notes that over 80% of pre-school children do not exercise for  even an hour a day. Some of the reasons for the lack of activity include parents using ipads as modern-day dummies (to keep children entertained).  Children also do less walking and are more likely to be driven between locations. 

The health implications linked with low physical activity in children are numerous. It can affect brain, bone and muscle development. It is also associated with higher rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes.  Children who develop good exercise habits are more likely to maintain these into adulthood and therefore reduce their risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is of particular importance to people of African and African-Caribbean descent who already exhibit high rates of these conditions.  

Parents can encourage physical activity in their children in a variety of ways including short walks and playing traditional physical games.

You can read more about this report and gain tips for increasing physical activity in children here.

From 7^th November 2015 a new fun, holistic fitness classes will be held at the Salvation Army every Saturday morning at 7:15am and 9am.

During each session not only will you take part in a group fitness session but you’ll be given nutritional advice, a health assessment and 1 on 1 personal training.
All fitness levels and age groups are welcome.

For more information and to book your place please contact Eunice Adu Appiah (euniceaduappiah@yahoo.co.uk, 07943 460 522)

All details can be found on the flyer which you can download below.