Websites, magazines, Twitter, blogs, Instagram, the Ten changing rooms – we’re not short of places bombarding us with advice on how to live healthier lifestyles. Following it all would be nigh impossible. So, to coincide with World Health Day and to help you navigate the ocean of health and fitness expertise out there in our first ever #TenfromTen we asked ten (notice the theme yet?) team members the following:
If you could only give one health and fitness tip what would it be?
#1 JERF
Not the name of a new sports supplement or the latest workout craze, Notting Hill trainer Nick D’Amelio’s (@NickDAmelioTen) tip actually stands for Just Eat Real Food (JERF): “I like the analogy of the body as a furnace, and that in order to keep the fire of your metabolism burning you have to fuel it with nutrient dense foods.”
So just eat real, nutrient-dense food. Simple.
#2 Remember Why You Started and How Far You’ve Come
Working at the front of house at our Notting Hill studio Laura Coughlan (@lauraceee_) has the opportunity to evaluate all the best tactics for sticking to a regular exercise regime – her tip for staying consistent and motivated is to remember why you wanted it in the first place and track your progress. So why not try writing down three reasons why you’re committing to three dynamic pilates classes a week or HiiT training every morning and put it somewhere visible?
Then download a fitness-tracking app like Endomondo or buy yourself a beautiful diary you can record your workouts in – there’s a million different ways to track your progress to keep you motivated when energy levels and sheer willpower alone let you down (and they will!).
#3 Today’s Pain is Tomorrow’s Results AKA who said it would be easy?
Sometimes we get so focused on outcomes – a new PB, toned thighs, improved concentration, emerging abs – that we forget about the process. And that process won’t always be easy. Muscles grow by being challenged and so do we, which is why Chiswick Front of House staff member Danny Shaw’s (@Dannyshaw1113) health tip is to always remind himself that today’s pain is tomorrow’s result: who’s ready for one more set?
#4 Be Kind To Yourself
The top piece of health advice from Chiswick trainer Jo Francis (@jofrancis82) sounds like a contradiction to tip number 3 but it’s more of a caveat – there’s a difference between pushing yourself and injuring yourself, mentally and physically. Aiming for perfection will only lead to disappointment and pushing out another rep when your body is screaming in agony rather than fatigue can lead to physical injury. We know because people mistaking ‘pain for gain’ keep our Physiotherapists busy.
So don’t beat yourself up if you couldn’t resist chocolate when it wasn’t a cheat day or if you haven’t progressed as much as you expected… be kind to yourself. Always.
#5 Abs are Made in the Kitchen (and in TenPilates, TenHiiT, TenBarre & TenRX)
We can help you cultivate a great physique in our classes, but if you’re consuming too many calories that great physique is going to stay hidden below layers of winter upholstery. So Head of Personal Training and Notting Hill Studio Manager Adam Cooper’s (@adamctenpilates) top health tip is to remember that abs are made in the kitchen: “There’s only so much fat a TenHiiT or Cardiolates class can burn off – you can’t outrun your fork.”
#6 Get Enough Sleep
A straightforward tip from trainer Andrew Mayers (@AndrewMayers) but one often forgotten in our 21st Century always-on, always-connected lifestyle. Nothing in your body can function without sleep – so make sure you get it. We set ourselves alarms to wake up so why not try an alarm to remind yourself to go to sleep?
#7 Don’t Just Rest – Rest Right
We all know rest days are important but there’s more than one way to recover from an intense workout. Head of Massage Peter Dipple‘s (@therapete) top health tip is to remember that not all types of recovery are equal, a sports massage is going to help you recover a lot quicker than a ten hour Netflix marathon.
#8 Appreciate Your Body
We’re often so focused on what’s wrong with our bodies that we forget what’s right with them. Which is why Hatton Garden and City Studio trainer Erica Foulds‘ tip is to learn to love and appreciate your body, especially when it’s doing well: “Treat and reward it with massages and new gym gear, you never know when your health is going to be taken away.”
#9 Appreciate Your Significant Other’s Body
Less a tip and more a reminder from Sports Massage Therapist Annika Spanggard that men burn on average 100 calories an hour during a between-the-sheets session and women burn a still respectable 69 calories – useful to remember when you’re trying to get some calorie-burning cardio in.
#10 Listen to Your Body
And last but by no means least, top tip from our Founder and Managing Director Jo Matthews (@TenJoanne) could also be called a philosophy by which all other tips can be evaluated. She reminds us that whilst it’s great to heed the advice of the experts there’s one source that you can always rely on, so listen to your body – it’s never wrong.
