Surrey Hills Training

Surrey Hills Training updated their website address.

Surrey Hills Training updated their website address.

8 Minutes of Walking Per Day Could Change Your Life

Getting moving to improve your physical and mental wellbeing needn't take long or involve anything intimidating. The study referenced in the article found "the minimum threshold of exercise that best predicted disability-free status from immobility over a four-year period is 56 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week. This dose-response equates to exactly eight minutes per day, seven days a week." Just 8 minutes a day to predict a disability-free life for the over 49 year olds. What's stopping you?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201904/8-minutes-walking-day-could-change-your-life

psychologytoday.com New research shows that 56 minutes of MVPA a week reduces risk of disability.

Everyone can be a winner: The benefits of competing in organized races for recreational runners

I may be biased but I have always known running is one of the greatest displays of positive psychological interventions one can make. Now there is even more evidence to add to the already overwhelming bank in existence to show the contribution of running towards well-being. Nearly 250 recreational runners were monitored by completing online diaries over a period of 3 months (the average length of a training plan). Unsurprisingly, their well-being (measured in terms of self-esteem, life satisfaction, self-efficacy, meaning in life, and affect) was positively related to how many days and how far they ran each week. Furthermore, satisfaction with one’s progress mediated relationships between well-being and the amount of running, i.e. increases in running lead to increases in satisfaction with progress, which lead to increased well-being.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2018.1557244

tandfonline.com (2018). Everyone can be a winner: The benefits of competing in organized races for recreational runners. The Journal of Positive Psychology. Ahead of Print.

Competition time!

🚨GIVEAWAY TIME🚨
🎉CAPTION CONTEST 🎉
We are celebrating by giving away 5 pairs of tickets to DogFest South (Knebworth) or West (Bristol) 2019!

For a chance to win:
🐾 be sure you’re following us
🐾 like this post
🐾 tell us what Coco is thinking 💬

UK only. Contest open until 9am on Friday 12th April, we’ll announce the five winners on Sunday 14th April here and on Instagram.
The randomly picked winners will need to get in contact by 5pm on Wednesday 17th April, detailing whether Knebworth or Bristol is your preferred destination.
GOOD LUCK 🤞🏻

This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

DogFit

It’s January so what better time to set a good intention to start moving more this year? Read on for more details on the growing sport of canicross. You can be as competitive or relaxed as you like. All that matters is making it work for you and your dog.

We know how mind-boggling taking up a new sport can be, but be reassured that is a fun & social sport and with a few key pieces of equipment, the adventures can start.
A Beginners Guide to Canicross details all you need to know.
ow.ly/XWts30nanMA

Your Tired Ankles Are Slowing You Down

Eleven weeks and 1 day after ankle surgery, I am (finally!) able to walk crutch-free. As the hard work to rehab the ankle begins, this article caught my eye. Most runners tend to ignore stability work ("it's so boring!"), possibly only doing some if they have suffered an ankle injury or started running on trails, but having had two ankle surgeries, I am slightly obsessed with ankle work.

The study by the German Sport University Cologne suggests that the ankles have a far larger role than keeping you upright in running. Participants of varying ages ran 10K on a treadmill and (this is the important bit) exhibited a decrease in ankle strength that was more pronounced than the loss of power shown by the knees and hips. Eh? I've got your attention now I bet.

Moreover, the data showed an interesting difference according to age: "the power produced from the ankles declined steadily with increasing age. The ankles, with relatively small muscles forced to work near their maximum capacity, are the “weakest link” as age-related muscle loss starts to kick in."

To summarise, rather excitingly, the secret to staying young isn't to stop drinking alcohol, get more sleep, eat more kale and meditate, but to work on strengthening those ankles (especially, or particularly, if you are a runner).

https://www.outsideonline.com/2343861/how-strengthen-your-ankles-and-run-faster

outsideonline.com New research zeroes in on an unlikely culprit for why running gets less efficient as you fatigue.

DogFit

Whilst warmer days means getting out earlier to canicross - there are so many health and wellbeing benefits for you and your dog :-)

What does running do to your brain?

It is no secret to regular runners that "running can be a form of moving mindfulness meditation". Now more data backing this up has been published, giving you even more reasons to lace up your trainers and get out there.

theguardian.com Neuroscientists have studied treadmill runners, ultramarathon athletes – and a number of lab animals – to investigate the effects of running on grey matter

Today sees the end of Mental Health Awareness Week and marks the start of a new week, Clean Sport Week. (I like how you can find an intention out there for each week 😀) This is my view as I work on finishing my article for Fast Running. This includes areas that cover both mental health and doping in sport, and is something that more of us need to be aware of, whether you are an athlete, coach, or parent.

DogFit

It's mental health awareness week. This is by a very special lady and I hope it helps some of you realise, you are not alone.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week we have a very special My Story for you all.

We were approached by Cat Burchell who wanted to share her experience of living with depression and anxiety and the role canicross has played in helping her cope through some particularly tough periods.

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. Even if you are not one of those people, you can no doubt still relate to the positive impact canicross has on mental as well as physical well-being.

Thank you for reading Cat's story...



http://blog.dogfit.co.uk/2018/05/2001/

The Stress Continuum | BrainLine

It’s mental health awareness week. The focus is on stress. Of my two dogs, the female is prone to stress while the male is exceptionally chilled. I therefore make sure I monitor her in potentially stressful settings to watch for signs of anxiousness (licking her lips, whites of eyes showing, yawning, stiffening of her body etc). Research suggests that two-thirds of us will suffer with mental ill-health and that stress is closely linked.
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Did you know the US Navy & Marine Corps uses a stress continuum model to monitor stress levels in members? This model provides a useful way of monitoring stress levels so you can take action before it is too late and mental illness is triggered. If we all tried to look at it this way instead of battling on, stress would be less likely to contribute to mental ill-health.
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This is a useful article on the stress continuum which shows how it colour codes the levels of stress.
www.brainline.org/article/stress-continuum
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If you feel like your stress levels are rising out of control, speak to somebody. A parent, a partner, a sibling, a friend, a teacher, a coach, a mentor. Anybody. Just don’t bottle it up. There is always someone willing to listen. And if you want to do so anonymously, there are lots of charities who will have a friendly, non-judgmental person at the end of the phone line. The Samaritans is just one of those who can be contacted on 116 124. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
#

brainline.org The Stress Continuum is a model that identifies how Sailors and Marines react under stressful situations and what to do to help.

Another hot day means more woodland walking to keep the dogs from overheating. Total immersion in the trees is always good for the heart and soul. The Japanese have long known this and developed the art of forest bathing (or “shinrin-yoku”) so that people could benefit both physically and mentally from being in forest settings.

More recently, researchers who conducted a long-term study published last year found that modest amounts of low-intensity physical activity were found to protect against depression. Conducted in Norway using an impressive sample size of nearly 34,000 participants over an 11 year period, the researchers investigated whether those who participated in regular exercise were less likely to develop anxiety and depression. The results of the study showed that taking part in just an hour of exercise *a week* acted as a prophylaxis against the development of depression (although not anxiety).

Going for a walk in the woods could, therefore, be the simplest universal strategy for the prevention of depression as a public health measure.



https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16111223?journalCode=ajp

An Elite State of Mind

A great article on the elite runner's mindset. You could substitute "elite attitude" with "contented and mindful runner" here too.

"4 Keys to An Elite Attitude

1 - Don't treat training runs or race times as indications of your self-worth

2 - Value every runner's efforts, success and potential

3 - Don't beat yourself up in training or in evaluating your workouts and racing

4 - Recognize that your running ability is a result of many factors, not just how serious you are or how hard you push".

runnersworld.com Learning Humility from the Fastest Runners in the World

When it’s 29 degrees on a bank holiday Monday, the only place to take the dogs for their walk is the woods. It's too hot to run with them on days like this. Dogs can’t sweat and can only cool down through panting. If they’re too hot and unable to reduce their body temperature, they can develop heat stroke which is life threatening. Dogs with thick coats or brachycephalic breeds (the ones with very short fat faces, such as pugs or bulldogs) are more prone to heat stroke. If your dog has a high body temperature (more than 40 degrees) and is panting excessively, move to a cool shaded area immediately. Cool them with cool (not ice cold) water by draping a wet towel over them and get them to drink water. Heat stroke can be avoided by keeping out of the daytime sun if the temperature exceeds 25 degrees. Consider an early morning or evening walk instead. Stick to shaded areas and never, ever leave your dogs unattended in a car where the temperature can rise rapidly.

Week 1 of Getting Stronger to Go Longer for this group of clients. They’re developing their conditioning so their bodies can take the additional demands they ask of them when they go longer and faster. They’ve asked that I get them ready for 10K and possibly more, with some keen beans wanting to push their pace. Running for a longer duration, at a quicker clip, can quickly lead to injuries if there’s a weakness in the chassis, so it’s a good idea to find these spots now and address them. They’re also focusing on cadence now so that they move around the optimum of 180 steps per minute from the beginning. It’s easier to ingrain a good habit at the start than iron out a bad one later on. Start as you mean to go on.

RUN UNITE-7K Razorback Run- lululemon Guildford

Spring has finally arrived and with it comes lots of opportunities for fun outdoors, including this lululemon event. Meet at the shop in Tunsgate, Guildford on Sunday 27th May from 4:30pm for a 5:00pm start. Come prepared for a social paced 7K run through the Chantry Woods. Afterwards, you can indulge in refreshments and shopping with 20% discount in store. Sign up on eventbrite and secure yourself a spot before they all go.

eventbrite.co.uk Join lululemon on a glorious Run through the Chantries of guildford. 4:30pm Guildford 7km round trip Lead by Wendy Roberts and David Corrie, united we run together and celebrate our incredible surroundings. Snacks, social and 20%off after the run at the Guildford store.

Fast Running

parkrun is for everyone... even the fast runners.

Kerry Sutton - Perpetual Motion

You have to move it, to lose it. Here’s the reason why.

Interesting... never thought about where fat goes when you loose it!!!!

Periods: the barometer to hormone health

The discourse is changing and for the better. Traditionally, the accepted narrative has been to accept a loss of periods as part of training hard to develop as an endurance athlete. Common in many sports where a slender aesthetic is ideal, the damage it can cause often isn’t addressed until it is too late. Then, difficulty in conceiving and poor bone density, giving the frame of a person decades older, become a reality. The current trend for clean eating can be as harmful as it can be helpful in the pursuit of health. The discussion around RED-S therefore provides a welcome shift in the perception of what it means to train and race as an endurance athlete, and how to run strong for long.

fastrunning.com Following the class of 2018 post “the P word” Anna Boniface spoke to Dr Nicky Keay to learn from her expertise on periods, athlete hormones and the role of the contraceptive pill. Dr Nicky Keay is no stranger to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). The sports endocrinologist has extensiv...