The Team Valley Wellness Centre

30/12/2025

A timely reminder from a really 'cool' guy 😉 And let's face it, it hasn't been too savagely cold yet anyway has it? Move well, and enjoy the up coming New Year!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1291751052999108&set=a.632190695621817

Seasonal reminder to get outside as much as you can despite the cold weather. Cold is pretty easy to deal with thanks to modern technology, but moving in the cold will also keep you warm.

The real enemy during winter is sedentary behavior. It’s staying inside. It’s fearing the cold. It’s retreating into comfort and coziness. If you’re going to get cozy, you need to earn it. I’m not a big “no pain no gain” guy, but staying under blankets with the heat on in winter has to be balanced with outside cold air activity.

And yes, I know the joke. “You live in Miami, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” I grew up in Maine in a small fishing village on the coast where I wasn’t allowed to be inside sitting around. I played outside all day long in every season. I shoveled snow for money. I went on outdoor excursions in rain and shine with friends.

So I know cold. As long as you get out and start moving—whether it’s snowshoeing, snowboarding, sledding, cross country skiing, or snowball fights—you’ll warm up faster than you think.

And you still need natural light. Natural light becomes even more important in winter when it’s scarce. A lot of winter depression isn’t because of cold weather. It’s due to lack of sunlight. Bundle up as much as you need to, but get outside.

This is a far gentler and, in my opinion, more beneficial form of cold exposure than ice baths. Spending 30-60 minutes in cold temperatures in as little clothing as you can safely manage will help you burn fat and convert metabolically inert fat into metabolically active brown fat. And then after you’ve done your exercise or walk or snow sports, you get to come inside, sit next to the fire, take a hot bath, drink something warm, and know that you’ve earned it.

It’ll be far more satisfying than if you’d skipped the outside part entirely.

05/12/2025

15/11/2025

We talk a lot about wellbeing and healthy living in our practice. Here is a great podcast Ive listened to recently on the importance of protein in your diet, and I highly recommend it, cheers

“High protein” has turned into a bit of a marketing buzzword. I’m seeing it plastered on everything from snack bars to cereals and even crisps. Is this actually necessary?

07/10/2025

It pays to be wise and listen to your body.

07/09/2025

A recent reminder... hang onto your lean muscle mass, and keep moving no matter what your age!!

A very interesting new study* just came out. It involved patients with sarcopenia, which means they had low muscle mass, who were going in for liver surgery. A very serious procedure.

One group of the patients underwent a prehab program. For 6 weeks prior to surgery, they walked 7 days a week and lifted weights twice a week. They also got nutritional consulting and took amino acid supplements.

The other group, the control group, did nothing. They just waited for their surgery to happen and then got surgery. Then the authors compared the complication rate for each group.

Almost 50% of the control group had postoperative complications.

Just 10% of the prehab group had complications. They had much better results.

Prehab is a novel concept in the conventional medical world. Yet, of course, here in the Primal world and other adjacent communities, we have always talked about getting ahead of problems before they occur.

What’s funny is this so-called prehab program is very similar to what anyone should be doing on a regular basis just to be healthy: walking every day, lifting heavy things twice a week, eating plenty of protein and a nutrient-dense diet. That is the bare minimum. That is what our genes expect from us.

And it turns out that that is so shockingly physiologically normal, so in line with what our bodies expect from us that, you can take unhealthy people who need serious liver surgery, have them do a basic program for six weeks, and almost eliminate their risk of serious complications from high-risk surgery. That is how fundamental it is.

That is how quickly we can make a difference in our lives—or in the lives of those around us who might not have all the knowledge we do—just by making a few minor changes to our diet and exercise.

Living this way makes you more robust in the face of anything that might affect you.

*doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2025.3102

03/09/2025

I’m using this rainy Wednesday to put together an updated information page on the benefits of Omega 3 fish oil supplements for the clinic website. Bear is helping… 😁

26/08/2025

Here's a great article on some of the many benefits of walking.... Have you managed to get out for a walk today?

By the time you've finished reading this, you'll almost certainly want to get out of your seat!

02/08/2025

Catching up with Lockie and Mike for a Friday night tune up to help ensure the guys are firing on all cylinders ahead of the Tyne Tees Tigers’ big knockout final against the Glasgow Sharks tomorrow.

Light it up guys, and ‘Carn the Tiges!’

24/07/2025

Yep, we love a good push up.

It often seems like exercise strategies can get a little over complicated, when in fact some of the simple tried and tested things we can all do at home deliver fantastic results. Happy 'Push - Upping'!

Push-ups are one of the simplest, most effective full-body movements you can do. They build strength in your chest, shoulders, triceps, core and even your glutes if you’re doing them right. No gym, no gear, just you and the ground. It’s a timeless exercise that delivers, no matter your age.

23/07/2025

Just sharing a little perspective on life following Mr Singh's death last week...

After a life shaped by grief and resilience, Singh began running at 89 and became an icon of endurance and joy

15/07/2025

Some of you will be aware that we have a slide celebrating Mr Singh's marathon achievements despite being aged 100 at the time.

We are saddened to hear of his passing, and salute someone who epitomised the concept of ageing well. Vale.

Singh’s east London running club confirms death in India of athlete thought to be first centenarian to run a marathon