Determination Fitness

05/07/2023

Is anyone planning to use visiting these rabbit statues as an excuse to get out walking?

04/07/2023

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis

03/07/2023

How long do you rest between sets?

26/06/2023

What barriers stop you doing the exercise you want to do?

A page for tips, advice and links on things health, nutrition and fitness related.

23/06/2023

I often help people deal with unhelpful thoughts that include statements revolving around the word "should".

"I should be doing this", "I should be doing that".
"I shouldn't have to be anxious", "I should be able to do the same as other people".

Now, these thoughts have their place. It's good to be able to express our frustrations, and I personally love a good rant.
But...

If these are our only thoughts, they don't help us. These thoughts don't help us plan or adapt. They don't take into account our strengths. They're not kind to us, to help us where we need it.

These thoughts don't have any effect on reality, and they can be detrimental to our mental health.
Instead, try to shift focus to what you can do in the present moment to move forward. Let's work together to reframe unhelpful thoughts and live our best lives.

20/06/2023

Exercise has been shown to boost endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that make you feel good.

So, if you're feeling down or stuck in a rut, anything that gets you up and moving can make a little difference in the right direction.

18/06/2023

"It's too hot". "I'm tired." "I should have done a workout anyway." "I shouldn't have eaten so much".

A lot of us are quick to criticise ourselves and beat ourselves up. We know this is not helpful; we'd never do it to anyone we cared for.

Remember that being kind to yourself is crucial for your mental health. Don't be too hard on yourself when things don't go as planned. Remember to take care of your mind and body, and treat yourself with the same kindness and compassion you would show to a friend.

17/06/2023

It's great to see so many people hitting the gym and taking their fitness seriously, but with the sun shining bright and summer in full swing, it can be tough to find a quiet spot to work out.
Don't let that discourage you! There are plenty of ways to stay active and healthy, even when the gym is crowded.

Get creative, try new things, and most importantly, keep moving! Just make sure to take more breaks and replenish any fluids.

19/08/2021

Nestle Rolo Mix-in Toffee yoghurt had the highest level of sugar of yoghurts surveyed, with five and a half teaspoons per serve - the equivalent of 16 Malted Milk biscuits.

15/07/2021

Sugar and salt taxes.
Do they change behaviour so people make healthier choices, or do they just disproportionately make life more difficult for those on lower income?

Henry Dimbleby, author of the independent National Food Strategy, has called for action to break the ‘junk food cycle’.

06/12/2020

TL;DR - when setting goals or addressing failure to meet a personal goal, remember that failure to meet them is not the same as failing to improve.

Yesterday I was reading a thematic analysis of how understanding and experience effects self-regulation behavioural change techniques (the sort of thing you do when studying health psychology).
I learned an important lesson (arguably also something you should do when at university), that failure to meet a goal is not the same as failure to improve.
Most of the older or more experienced participants were aware of the negative feelings associated with failing to meet goals, and so were deliberately setting low exercise goals so they would easily meet them. Anything else would be a bonus.
- I admit I've been like this a lot lately, and fear of failure has started to impact my ambition. However the purpose of goal setting is to push yourself a reasonable amount. Not to just set something easily achievable - there's a balance.

However, 64 year old Martin had a much better attitude to goal setting;

"The healthcare assistant was saying, yeah you're doing 30, so where do you want the target? 30-40?
Well, I've been in sales and marketing for 40 years. So you know, if you're gonna go for targets set a reasonable target. If you don't set a reasonable target you have got nothing to aim for. So if I aim for 60 and did 50 then I'm 20 min better off"

Another point; the study was targeted to older people (40-75).
Most of the younger, employed participants were realistically setting goals and planning around their work, whereas the older and retired participants found setting a specific time for exercise too restrictive.
This might be relevant for those of you that are working and need to schedule, compared to those of you with flexible work or more free time that might be better suited to loose exercise schedules.

https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aphw.12243

13/03/2020

Hello everyone.

I am currently conducting a study for my Fourth Year Psychology dissertation. I am asking if people 18 and over in the UK would like to participate.

I am investigating to see if different personalities prefer different types of exercise using a questionnaire, that takes about 15 minutes to complete.

If you are interested in participating, please email me at 1703474@uad.ac.uk or request a link below.

If you can help me even more by sharing this post or recruiting further participants, I would very much appreciate it.