The 25th September 2008 is a big day in my life.
I will be turning 30. Although the actual number doesn't bother me, I'm actually looking forward to turning 30, the significance of this milestone in my life is one that has challenged me to achieve as many personal, business, financial, health and adventure goals before that date.
With the help of my friend Dax Moy and his "Magic 100" goal setting programme I have mapped out my path to achieving success in all of the above areas before my 30th birthday.
I have found that over the last year my business has continued to grow and with it my earning potential. This is the area of my life I have focused on a great deal and in some ways to the detriment of others.
I didn't take any time off for the whole of last year and as a result by the time Christmas came round I was completely run down and spent the majority of my Christmas and new year break sipping lemsips and catching up on a years worth of sleep deprivation.
I also let me own fitness slip. It seems ironic that the reason why you enter into an industry is to follow your own passion for health and fitness and yet I could never find the time to get to the gym - even though I have my own one!
Therefore the two biggest things for me to do before I am 30 are to take time off and get myself fit!
This week I have put plans into action to do both...
I have booked a two week holiday with my girlfriend to the Maldives in August which I cannot wait for. 2 weeks away from work is unheard of for me but I know how important it is for me to take time off and relax for a few weeks.
That just leaves the fitness thing. I could do what I usually do which is plan a fitness routine of my own and set appointments to get to the gym at least 3 times per week, but for some reason other events tend to get in the way quite easily for me and I end up working more than I should.
I needed a BIG challenge so I'm doing the London Marathon. It may not be ideal preparation time but this is the perfect challenge for me to achieve before I'm 30. I'll keep you updated on how my training goes from here....
Do you need to set any challenges for yourself? Do you need to take yourself out of your comfort zone and make this year a successful one for you?
Contact me at the studio if you want to talk more.
http://aayou.co.uk/contactus.aspx
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Sunday, 10 February 2008
Look after your heart this Valentine's Day.
Are you stuck for ideas on what to give your loved one this Valentines Day?
It seems that every high street shop has their special promotions planned and heart shaped decorations directed at cashing in on us clueless guys in our attempts to show our love to either our wives or girlfriends or both in some cases!
The beauticians are promoting their pampering products, the flower shop is stocking up on red roses, the confectionary store is crammed full of heart shaped sweet delights and the local restaurant has created a special Valentines menu.
What do you do?
Well here’s a novel suggestion. Instead of just giving a simple gift that will end up being thrown away, used up or eaten why not give something a lot more lasting….. If you really want to give your heart to that special someone then why not give them a very healthy heart?!
Did you know that heart disease still kills more people in the United Kingdom than any other condition? National statistics showed one in five men and around one in six women died from heart disease, including heart attacks, in 2005, and around 2.7 million People are estimated to be living with coronary heart disease in the UK and this number is rising each year.
The majority of us lead a lifestyle which encourages an unhealthy diet, excess alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, a stressful working environment and a serious lack of physical activity. I can almost guarantee that you will have at least one of these factors in your life at the moment.
Unfortunately most people know that they have an unhealthy lifestyle and as a result an unhealthy heart but refuse to change their lifestyle until they are either forced to or it’s too late!
Statistic show that more people than ever are living with coronary heart disease but fewer people are dying from it. So we’ve found medication to slow down the death rate but what quality of life does that leave sufferers with?
Obviously hereditary conditions account for a number of cases but a huge number of cases are self inflicted through poor choices on the individual’s part. Most heart disease is avoidable if we take simple measures to improve our lifestyle. Too many people in the UK are exercising too little, eating diets too high in fat, salt and sugar, and consequently, becoming overweight or obese.
Physical inactivity and unhealthy diets remain a major problem. Only 37% of men and 25% of women take the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times a week. 88% of men and 83% of women consume too much saturated fat and salt intake is excessive in 85% of men and 69% of women.
This all adds up to increasing levels of overweight and obese people. In the last ten years, the percentage of obese adults has increased by more than 50% - from 14% of the population to 22%.
Another huge factor that we allow into our lives to cause damage to our heart is stress. Stress is the way we all react to change. It includes our mental, emotional and physical responses to the pressures of everyday life.
The pace of our lives in the 21st century is getting faster and faster. Consequently it seems to be harder to find the time to exercise or cook well-balanced, healthy meals. We rev our engines with stimulants like caffeine and nicotine but then need depressants like alcohol to slow us down again.
Instead of sitting down to eat fresh fruits and vegetables we stuff ourselves on the go with junk foods that are low in fibre and good fats, but crammed full of refined carbohydrates and saturated fat.
We may be living longer on average than our ancestors, but many of us spend our older years in chronic poor health, taking multiple medications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and keep our blood from clotting.
Change is a natural and normal part of life, and therefore a moderate amount of stress is part of normal living. The problem comes with the way we choose to control and manage our stress, in whether it has a positive or negative effect on us.
Your reaction to acute stress is important to protect your body and improve your performance. For example your stress reaction helps you manoeuvre through a dangerous traffic situation or play well in a competitive game. However, chronic stress can have a harmful effect on your body.
Chronic stress requires you to suppress your natural “fight or flight” reaction over hours, days or even years. It may be triggered by demanding jobs, family problems, marital problems, money worries or feelings of inadequacy or loneliness.
Excess amounts of chronic stress in our lives can narrow your arteries, increase your blood pressure, increase your heart rate, worsen your sleep, affect concentration, cause stomach problems, headaches and back and neck pain.
Stress is also associated with depression and anxiety disorders and can reduce the amount of pleasure you get out of life. Chronic stress can numb you to feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. Eventually, this numbness could have a negative impact on your work and your relationships.
How do we change and create long term health benefits?
The simple answer to long term health is long term practice. Unfortunately as stated earlier we live in a world that runs at 100 miles per hour and we want everything now. Therefore we look for the quickest possible way to achieve our desired results.
These usually include prescription medication. If you listen to the pharmaceutical companies then you will hear that their medication works in reducing blood pressure, blood cholesterol or blood clotting and in theory they do.
What they don’t tell you is that these medications only mask the underlying problems and that every drug has a side effect and a negative impact on the human body, and are you really taking control of your own health by taking a pill? There are other ways to look after your heart that are much more effective, long lasting and enjoyable.
1. Exercise
Even a brief amount of exercise each day will enable your metabolism to start functioning more effectively. It will reduce excess body fat, stabilise blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, strengthen the heart an it is a fantastic way to alleviate stress.
2. Take control of your diet
People talk a lot about reducing the amount of fat in your diet and to an extent this advice has been taken a bit too far. Saturated fats WILL increase the clogging of the arteries but Omega 3 oils and essential fatty acids are crucial for the body to survive a healthy existence.
The big change that needs to be made in the majority of diets is a reduction in the amount of refined carbohydrates. Consuming these types of foods not only causes bloating and poor digestion, they also raise blood sugar levels, which stimulates the production of insulin.
Unfortunately we are extremely misinformed about what we eat. Food companies are allowed to exploit our naivety and as a result consumers are unaware of what foods are actually good for them and those that are actually causing more harm. The key is to eat real foods preferably organic as often as possible.
3. Relax
We need to slow down our body’s adrenal system, turn off the fight or flight response and learn to relax, replenish and recharge. Simple processes such as cutting out the amount of stimulants we consume and learning to breath properly get a higher quality a quantity of sleep and take time to switch off each day.
So this Valentine’s make plans to look after your health and give your loved one a healthy heart for years to come, - but probably go with the flowers as well to avoid ending up in the doghouse!
David Osgathorp - Owner, All About You Performance & Wellbeing. 3 Broadbent Close, Highgate, London, N6 5JW. 020 8348 9706. www.aayou.co.uk
It seems that every high street shop has their special promotions planned and heart shaped decorations directed at cashing in on us clueless guys in our attempts to show our love to either our wives or girlfriends or both in some cases!
The beauticians are promoting their pampering products, the flower shop is stocking up on red roses, the confectionary store is crammed full of heart shaped sweet delights and the local restaurant has created a special Valentines menu.
What do you do?
Well here’s a novel suggestion. Instead of just giving a simple gift that will end up being thrown away, used up or eaten why not give something a lot more lasting….. If you really want to give your heart to that special someone then why not give them a very healthy heart?!
Did you know that heart disease still kills more people in the United Kingdom than any other condition? National statistics showed one in five men and around one in six women died from heart disease, including heart attacks, in 2005, and around 2.7 million People are estimated to be living with coronary heart disease in the UK and this number is rising each year.
The majority of us lead a lifestyle which encourages an unhealthy diet, excess alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, a stressful working environment and a serious lack of physical activity. I can almost guarantee that you will have at least one of these factors in your life at the moment.
Unfortunately most people know that they have an unhealthy lifestyle and as a result an unhealthy heart but refuse to change their lifestyle until they are either forced to or it’s too late!
Statistic show that more people than ever are living with coronary heart disease but fewer people are dying from it. So we’ve found medication to slow down the death rate but what quality of life does that leave sufferers with?
Obviously hereditary conditions account for a number of cases but a huge number of cases are self inflicted through poor choices on the individual’s part. Most heart disease is avoidable if we take simple measures to improve our lifestyle. Too many people in the UK are exercising too little, eating diets too high in fat, salt and sugar, and consequently, becoming overweight or obese.
Physical inactivity and unhealthy diets remain a major problem. Only 37% of men and 25% of women take the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times a week. 88% of men and 83% of women consume too much saturated fat and salt intake is excessive in 85% of men and 69% of women.
This all adds up to increasing levels of overweight and obese people. In the last ten years, the percentage of obese adults has increased by more than 50% - from 14% of the population to 22%.
Another huge factor that we allow into our lives to cause damage to our heart is stress. Stress is the way we all react to change. It includes our mental, emotional and physical responses to the pressures of everyday life.
The pace of our lives in the 21st century is getting faster and faster. Consequently it seems to be harder to find the time to exercise or cook well-balanced, healthy meals. We rev our engines with stimulants like caffeine and nicotine but then need depressants like alcohol to slow us down again.
Instead of sitting down to eat fresh fruits and vegetables we stuff ourselves on the go with junk foods that are low in fibre and good fats, but crammed full of refined carbohydrates and saturated fat.
We may be living longer on average than our ancestors, but many of us spend our older years in chronic poor health, taking multiple medications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and keep our blood from clotting.
Change is a natural and normal part of life, and therefore a moderate amount of stress is part of normal living. The problem comes with the way we choose to control and manage our stress, in whether it has a positive or negative effect on us.
Your reaction to acute stress is important to protect your body and improve your performance. For example your stress reaction helps you manoeuvre through a dangerous traffic situation or play well in a competitive game. However, chronic stress can have a harmful effect on your body.
Chronic stress requires you to suppress your natural “fight or flight” reaction over hours, days or even years. It may be triggered by demanding jobs, family problems, marital problems, money worries or feelings of inadequacy or loneliness.
Excess amounts of chronic stress in our lives can narrow your arteries, increase your blood pressure, increase your heart rate, worsen your sleep, affect concentration, cause stomach problems, headaches and back and neck pain.
Stress is also associated with depression and anxiety disorders and can reduce the amount of pleasure you get out of life. Chronic stress can numb you to feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. Eventually, this numbness could have a negative impact on your work and your relationships.
How do we change and create long term health benefits?
The simple answer to long term health is long term practice. Unfortunately as stated earlier we live in a world that runs at 100 miles per hour and we want everything now. Therefore we look for the quickest possible way to achieve our desired results.
These usually include prescription medication. If you listen to the pharmaceutical companies then you will hear that their medication works in reducing blood pressure, blood cholesterol or blood clotting and in theory they do.
What they don’t tell you is that these medications only mask the underlying problems and that every drug has a side effect and a negative impact on the human body, and are you really taking control of your own health by taking a pill? There are other ways to look after your heart that are much more effective, long lasting and enjoyable.
1. Exercise
Even a brief amount of exercise each day will enable your metabolism to start functioning more effectively. It will reduce excess body fat, stabilise blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, strengthen the heart an it is a fantastic way to alleviate stress.
2. Take control of your diet
People talk a lot about reducing the amount of fat in your diet and to an extent this advice has been taken a bit too far. Saturated fats WILL increase the clogging of the arteries but Omega 3 oils and essential fatty acids are crucial for the body to survive a healthy existence.
The big change that needs to be made in the majority of diets is a reduction in the amount of refined carbohydrates. Consuming these types of foods not only causes bloating and poor digestion, they also raise blood sugar levels, which stimulates the production of insulin.
Unfortunately we are extremely misinformed about what we eat. Food companies are allowed to exploit our naivety and as a result consumers are unaware of what foods are actually good for them and those that are actually causing more harm. The key is to eat real foods preferably organic as often as possible.
3. Relax
We need to slow down our body’s adrenal system, turn off the fight or flight response and learn to relax, replenish and recharge. Simple processes such as cutting out the amount of stimulants we consume and learning to breath properly get a higher quality a quantity of sleep and take time to switch off each day.
So this Valentine’s make plans to look after your health and give your loved one a healthy heart for years to come, - but probably go with the flowers as well to avoid ending up in the doghouse!
David Osgathorp - Owner, All About You Performance & Wellbeing. 3 Broadbent Close, Highgate, London, N6 5JW. 020 8348 9706. www.aayou.co.uk
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
The Highgate Workshop
At this time of the year the newspapers and magazines are full of dieting advice and new exercise machines that “guarantee instant results”.
I briefly watched the news last night and saw a ridiculous product called the joyrider which supposedly simulates the movements involved in horse riding and was stating how amazing results would be achieved through this incredible new invention.
I’m sorry but how can you work on toning your bum when you’re sitting on it??!!
Unfortunately in this day and age the only things that appeal to people with regards to gaining improvements in health and fitness are gimmicks and quick fixes. Everyone wants results NOW and without putting in the hard work.
For those who are prepared to work at it in order to get some long term results they tend to follow misleading instructions and fail to achieve their desired results.
The general public has been seriously misled when it comes to weight loss.
They have been led to believe that in order to lose weight they should either stop eating or turn to processed reduced calorie rubbish, milk shakes, cabbage soup, breakfast cereals or food replacement supplements. Unfortunately the only thing this achieves is making the companies that produce these products a lot of money!
They have also been led to believe that in order to burn away those extra pounds they need to be pounding away for mile after boring low intensity mile on a treadmill. This type of exercise has a negative effect on weight loss and can actually end up improving your bodies ability to store fat.
Something needs to be done!
All we here is how we are becoming a fatter more unhealthy nation, and now the fattest in Europe and we’re not far behind the Americans!
So do you know what, we're going to start to do something about it!
We've teamed up with Face-it beauty salon and Number 35 womens clothing shop in Highgate to present a workshop on changing the way we approach health and beauty matters and provide no nonsense effective advice.
The evening will give you all of the information you need to improve your health, fitness, skin care and approach to dressing.
In order to change our bodies we need to change our approach to diet and exercise. The Art of Effective Change seminar will give you a new approach to eating and exercise that will enable you to achieve your desired results in a fast safe and extremely effective way.
You will receive simple effective use the next day information that will dramatically change your way of thinking on eating and exercise and guarantee results that will last forever.
Interested? Then you can contact us at the studio by clicking on the link below:
http://aayou.co.uk/contactus.aspx
I briefly watched the news last night and saw a ridiculous product called the joyrider which supposedly simulates the movements involved in horse riding and was stating how amazing results would be achieved through this incredible new invention.
I’m sorry but how can you work on toning your bum when you’re sitting on it??!!
Unfortunately in this day and age the only things that appeal to people with regards to gaining improvements in health and fitness are gimmicks and quick fixes. Everyone wants results NOW and without putting in the hard work.
For those who are prepared to work at it in order to get some long term results they tend to follow misleading instructions and fail to achieve their desired results.
The general public has been seriously misled when it comes to weight loss.
They have been led to believe that in order to lose weight they should either stop eating or turn to processed reduced calorie rubbish, milk shakes, cabbage soup, breakfast cereals or food replacement supplements. Unfortunately the only thing this achieves is making the companies that produce these products a lot of money!
They have also been led to believe that in order to burn away those extra pounds they need to be pounding away for mile after boring low intensity mile on a treadmill. This type of exercise has a negative effect on weight loss and can actually end up improving your bodies ability to store fat.
Something needs to be done!
All we here is how we are becoming a fatter more unhealthy nation, and now the fattest in Europe and we’re not far behind the Americans!
So do you know what, we're going to start to do something about it!
We've teamed up with Face-it beauty salon and Number 35 womens clothing shop in Highgate to present a workshop on changing the way we approach health and beauty matters and provide no nonsense effective advice.
The evening will give you all of the information you need to improve your health, fitness, skin care and approach to dressing.
In order to change our bodies we need to change our approach to diet and exercise. The Art of Effective Change seminar will give you a new approach to eating and exercise that will enable you to achieve your desired results in a fast safe and extremely effective way.
You will receive simple effective use the next day information that will dramatically change your way of thinking on eating and exercise and guarantee results that will last forever.
Interested? Then you can contact us at the studio by clicking on the link below:
http://aayou.co.uk/contactus.aspx
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
How to keep those New Years resolutions this year!
I’m sure like most people you’ve made some kind of New Year’s resolution but have you put the right procedure in place to make your new year’s goal a reality?
Did you know that 35% of us will break our new year’s resolutions by the end of January? The main cause of this is because we are not committed enough to the resolutions that we set and we blame our lack of adherence on having too many other things to do.
Unfortunately we live in a world where failure is considered to be the norm and even expected. A lot of people share the belief that if we don’t set any goals or have anything to aim for then we have nothing to lose and therefore nothing to fail at!
Is 2008 going to be the same as the last few years for you or do you really want to make things happen this year?
Whatever your goal may be, whether it’s to lose weight, save money, run a marathon, or spend more time with your family, if you really want to make it happen then read on and follow these rules to guarantee success.
1. Know what you want to achieve.
This may sound ridiculous but most people don’t define WHY they actually want to achieve their goal. During our consultations at the studio we try to probe our clients a bit to determine exactly what they want to achieve and why. If they don’t know exactly what they want then how are we supposed to help them?
By determining exactly why they want to “lose 10lbs of fat” or “run a sub 4 hour marathon” we can then assist them in every way possible by taking them away from their “Pain” or lack of achievement and put them on their path towards “pleasure” or goal achievement.
Take yourself through this process to determine exactly WHY you want to achieve your new years resolution, keep hold of this thought and you will have a HUGE chance of succeeding.
2. Set realistic goals.
I’m a firm believer that you can achieve anything you want in life if you have the courage to believe it the plan to get you there and the determination to follow that plan. If you really want something then you can get it but sometimes you need to take small steps to get to your goal.
Unfortunately a lot of us set huge unrealistic goals and become disheartened when we don’t reach them. I know this has been a big problem of mine in the past. Expecting years of bad habits to just disappear and new amazing things to happen just because it’s January isn’t going to happen. Break down your goal into small achievable steps towards the bigger goal. You will achieve these smaller things a lot easier and your motivation will remain high beyond January and throughout the rest of the year!
3. Tell others about your goal.
Write your goal down and put it somewhere you will see it, maybe stick it on the fridge or keep it by your bedside where you can read it each morning and evening. Just the process of writing your goal down will bring it to life more and reading it each day – ideally aloud with re-affirm exactly what you want to achieve.
Tell others what you intend to achieve. There is nothing like accountability to others or even proving them wrong to increase your motivation levels. If they are a really good friend or a supportive partner they will really want you to succeed and when you’ve got someone else looking out for you your chances of success are improved greatly.
4. Plan
Failing to plan is planning to fail!
As previously stated the reasons why new years resolutions fail are because we are not committed enough to them and we find other more important things to do. If the goal is important to you then make it happen! Put daily steps in place to bring you closer to achieving your goal and TAKE ACTION at every available opportunity.
If you require assistance in your goal setting strategy then contact us at the studio.
http://aayou.co.uk/contactus.aspx
5. It won’t be easy.
Nothing that you really want in life is usually that easy to attain, that’s what makes it even sweeter when we do achieve it. In order to get there we need to learn to deal with the hard times and the stumbling blocks and obstacles that are placed in our way along the journey to success.
In all honesty you will not be able to stick to your plan perfectly throughout this journey. We will always have things that get in our way that can prevent us from reaching our goal. This is not the problem – it’s how we look at the problem. If you look at it and see no hope, you will fail. If you look at these problems and see opportunities to learn and grow then you are far more likely to achieve success.
Stay positive, believe you can achieve and make 2008 an amazing year for you!
Did you know that 35% of us will break our new year’s resolutions by the end of January? The main cause of this is because we are not committed enough to the resolutions that we set and we blame our lack of adherence on having too many other things to do.
Unfortunately we live in a world where failure is considered to be the norm and even expected. A lot of people share the belief that if we don’t set any goals or have anything to aim for then we have nothing to lose and therefore nothing to fail at!
Is 2008 going to be the same as the last few years for you or do you really want to make things happen this year?
Whatever your goal may be, whether it’s to lose weight, save money, run a marathon, or spend more time with your family, if you really want to make it happen then read on and follow these rules to guarantee success.
1. Know what you want to achieve.
This may sound ridiculous but most people don’t define WHY they actually want to achieve their goal. During our consultations at the studio we try to probe our clients a bit to determine exactly what they want to achieve and why. If they don’t know exactly what they want then how are we supposed to help them?
By determining exactly why they want to “lose 10lbs of fat” or “run a sub 4 hour marathon” we can then assist them in every way possible by taking them away from their “Pain” or lack of achievement and put them on their path towards “pleasure” or goal achievement.
Take yourself through this process to determine exactly WHY you want to achieve your new years resolution, keep hold of this thought and you will have a HUGE chance of succeeding.
2. Set realistic goals.
I’m a firm believer that you can achieve anything you want in life if you have the courage to believe it the plan to get you there and the determination to follow that plan. If you really want something then you can get it but sometimes you need to take small steps to get to your goal.
Unfortunately a lot of us set huge unrealistic goals and become disheartened when we don’t reach them. I know this has been a big problem of mine in the past. Expecting years of bad habits to just disappear and new amazing things to happen just because it’s January isn’t going to happen. Break down your goal into small achievable steps towards the bigger goal. You will achieve these smaller things a lot easier and your motivation will remain high beyond January and throughout the rest of the year!
3. Tell others about your goal.
Write your goal down and put it somewhere you will see it, maybe stick it on the fridge or keep it by your bedside where you can read it each morning and evening. Just the process of writing your goal down will bring it to life more and reading it each day – ideally aloud with re-affirm exactly what you want to achieve.
Tell others what you intend to achieve. There is nothing like accountability to others or even proving them wrong to increase your motivation levels. If they are a really good friend or a supportive partner they will really want you to succeed and when you’ve got someone else looking out for you your chances of success are improved greatly.
4. Plan
Failing to plan is planning to fail!
As previously stated the reasons why new years resolutions fail are because we are not committed enough to them and we find other more important things to do. If the goal is important to you then make it happen! Put daily steps in place to bring you closer to achieving your goal and TAKE ACTION at every available opportunity.
If you require assistance in your goal setting strategy then contact us at the studio.
http://aayou.co.uk/contactus.aspx
5. It won’t be easy.
Nothing that you really want in life is usually that easy to attain, that’s what makes it even sweeter when we do achieve it. In order to get there we need to learn to deal with the hard times and the stumbling blocks and obstacles that are placed in our way along the journey to success.
In all honesty you will not be able to stick to your plan perfectly throughout this journey. We will always have things that get in our way that can prevent us from reaching our goal. This is not the problem – it’s how we look at the problem. If you look at it and see no hope, you will fail. If you look at these problems and see opportunities to learn and grow then you are far more likely to achieve success.
Stay positive, believe you can achieve and make 2008 an amazing year for you!
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