The importance of sleep

Would you believe me if I said sleep is just as important for your physique as exercise is? In order to achieve your goals and the lifestyle you want to live catching those important z's is a big component to a fit and healthy life.

What is does - 

Sleep enhances your muscular recovery, so in order for your toning or strength workout to take effect you have to hit the pillow! 

Feel Stressed? Sleep gives you time to get away from it all and switch off. Helping you from having any ups and down with your mental health. 

Youthfulness! Get your beauty sleep in.

Sleep release your human growth hormone and restores organs, bones and tissue.

It will keep you more alert through the day, making you more interactive with people.

Ill? Get sleeping, sleep helps your immune system too!

If these reasons aren't enough to get you hitting that pillow I don't know what is!

Struggle sleeping?

Here are my tips to get that maximum sleep,

Try a fairly high intensity workout in a morning, then light exercise at night, such as a power walk around the block. This will make sure you have burnt your energy for the day in order to need a well deserved rest.

Do not drink caffeine or alcohol before bed, the drinks are stimulants try caffeine free herbal teas to relax you. 

Do not oversleep, this might seem odd as I am recommending you to sleep more, but if you oversleep one day it will unsettle your body clock for the following days. 

Please try to avoid sleeping pills as much as possible. 

But what happens if you don't....

If you do not sleep enough your body's immune system may weaken, your energy levels will be low, your blood sugar levels can be effected leading to problems with diabetes, your metabolism may become slower leaving you struggling to lose weight, you will feel an increase in appetite and it can make you VERY moody.

I think it is time to hit the pillow!!!

Richard Taylor Personal Training Club
www.richardtaylorpt.co.uk

"Changing your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition is not easy. But it is definitely a journey with endless rewards that are well worth achieving"

Bad Skin?

Do you feel your skin is starting to lose youthfulness?

Add these anti-age busting foods to your diet and watch those fine lines disappear!

Antioxidants is what you need, they help your skin fight from the suns rays as well as using their vitamins and minerals as a natural boost for speeding up cell turnover (leaving your healthy young skin underneath).

1. Red bell peppers
Get adding Red peppers to your salads for an anti- ageing boost, half a cup of red pepper will give you a 100% of the vitamin C you need.

2. Blueberries
Time to get fruity, blueberries are extremely tasty and contain what you need, it's time to beat free radical damage that we can receive from our atmosphere, free radicals can harm skin cells and reduce collagen, but by eating half a cup of blueberries you can slow down the anti-ageing process.

3. Salmon
Salmon as we know contains Omega-3 this prevents dryness in the skin a key feature in ageing, it also reduces inflammation so bye bye flare ups!

4. Avocado
It's a double hit! Avocado helps dry skin as it is packed with vitamin E but it also helps fight those terrible free radicals. 


5. Onions
Time to make soup, add onions to soup and other dishes for another wrinkle banisher. Onions contain quercetin an antioxidant.

6. Sweet potato
This is definitely my favourite, I use sweet potatoes a lot, whether it is as wedges or baked instead of regular jacket potatoes or even in soups, the possibilities are endless. Sweet potato contain Beta- Carotene which produces Vitamin A, Vitamin A increases cell turnover and protects the integrity of our skin.

7. Whole grains
Whole grains contain polyphenols and carotenoids that fight the ageing process. If you’re choosing whole grain cereal, use soy milk instead of regular milk—it contains isoflavones that may add to the anti-ageing benefits.

Richard Taylor Personal Training Club
www.richardtaylorpt.co.uk

"Changing your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition is not easy. But it is definitely a journey with endless rewards that are well worth achieving"