HOW CAN YOU CHALLENGE YOURSELF?

Summer and the Olympics are just around the corner. Many of you will be thinking about getting fit or to be sportier than ever. That’s great. But we'd like to suggest a new way of thinking about your goals. Instead of setting a weight loss goal, why not set yourself a fitness challenge? If you focus solely on weight loss, you will neglect the other benefits that come with exercising such as feeling happier and healthier and of enjoying yourself.

Of course there's nothing wrong with feeling confident and motivated by a specific weight target. But why not set a fitness goal such as "I want to run five miles". Completing a marathon is a great personal achievement that requires months of dedicated training and the exhilaration you’ll feel when crossing the line will be incredible. Challenging yourself is also important for your personal growth – even if it means changing your daily routine and stepping out of your comfort zone.

It doesn't mean making life difficult for yourself – but doing something differently is exhilarating and energising. Where's the challenge if your routine never changes or if your behaviour goes unchallenged. Take yourself out of the box... and do something different. 

Fitness presents you with a host of challenges. Ask your personal trainer for some ideas. You could introduce the use of a Swiss ball, train with more weights, set yourself a running time or undertake training with a specific goal in mind such as climbing a mountain. If fear takes over, start small and set yourself small challenges and move onto more ambitious goals. Who knows where they will take you?

If you’ve set yourself some personal challenges, why not spread the message and let your enthusiasm rub off on others? Whatever your goals, you can also help encourage others to set their own. They might even join you on some of the challenges you've set yourself resulting in you acting as a source of encouragement to each another. You could even make it your own personal challenge to encourage others to set their own challenges. Trust us, enthusiasm is contagious! 

http://www.integrated-training.co.uk/challenge.html

IS IT GOOD TO EXERCISE WHEN YOU HAVE A COLD?

Nowadays, our lives are packed full of work, activities and chores and often, you feel ill but are well enough to go to work. But should you carry on exercising when you have a cold? It's difficult to tell whether exercising will make you feel better or worse, but there are signs that will help you make the right decision.

Exercising when you have a fever can cause your body temperature to rise even higher, potentially leading to heatstroke, according to sports-medicine specialist Lewis G. Maharam, M.D. A fever is a sign that your body is fighting a virus and exercise may cause that virus to invade the heart muscle or pericardium, the sac around the heart. When your body temperature is above normal, fluids are diminished by 5 to 10%, increasing the risk of dehydration and subsequent complications connected to the original illness. Therefore, always drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and don't try to cut back on food when you're ill and can't exercise. Having a fever requires more calories, not less.

Read article: http://www.integrated-training.co.uk/cold.html