Will post you all on the next hike.Our hikes are a great way of keeping fit,making new friends.Enjoying the outdoors.

 What is Motivation : motivation is a deep inward decision that one  must  use to conquer a challenge,  to overcome an  obstacle, or to create a life changing event.For years man has used this universal tool to pursue his dreams.To protect himself from  negative forces that stop or hinder his progress  in fitness it is a major inward  resource which every human being can use at their disposal , and if used correctly a person can achieve goals that they never thought were achievable. They can turn their life around and change   their ways for the better.The secret  is to use motivation as a key to unlock doors that  they were afraid to open,because they  felt they  were not good enough.

 In this  we  put it in our own heads that we could not reach the final step without falling back down. If you want something so much and you motivate yourself without denying yourself your goals, it will be achieved .

One of the principle components of any fitness programme for almost any individual whether they be a total beginner or a high class athlete is the core.  Made up of 29 muscles including  abdominal, obliques, , hip flexors  & glutes.It promotes good posture, secures the spine and stabilises the pelvis.

We will say its our centre of gravity,as its supports good safe and efficient exercise.When you see gymnasts,dancers,sports people throughout the globe perform like gladiators   .You may sometimes  wonder how they achieve these  great feats of agility and power.

Truth is.  Its all down to a great core.

No exercise programme is ever fulfilling unless it has a core programme  inserted .So it is so important for each individual to add  core exercises to their fitness regime. To promote a safe and efficient body.There are so many core exercises for you to carry out.So you shouldn’t get so bored. Here’s a starter for you try first exercising  lower back exercises then change over to abb curls then go  into a  plank hold  ,and build up on that.

abdominal curls or crunches first  make sure your back is flat to the floor.place fingers at side of head or slightly behind the ears.Curl yourself upward raising shoulder slightly of the floor,breath out on the up and in on the down.Try slowing down to a tempo of 2 -4    seconds and try doing    2-4 sets.

Back extensions are rarely used in most programmes.And they should always be done when you do your abdominal.leaving back extensions out  can have negative effects on the lower back leading to lower back weakness,stiffness, and other imbalances. To perform a nice safe back extension slowly lie down on your stomach,keep hands at the side and don’t bounce or do sudden movements.slowly draw shoulders up,keep hips to the floor,relaxing the legs as you come up ,keeping eyes forward head neutral.And perform the same reps-sets-tempo as for abdominal curls.

Reverse crunch Lie on your back place  hands at sides elbows relaxed and bent, and bend your knees. Raise your knees toward your head until your hips come up slightly off the floor Keep head flat and shoulders to the ground.
Don’t let legs fall down toward floor,try put emphasis on the lower stomach muscle and keep back to the floor.

The Plank             Knees place on floor or mat ,elbows down, thumbs up.activate the stomach and back .keep the body aligned straight,hold for 10 secs ,rest for 10 secs repeat three  times.Your times will improve with practise.

Exercises to expect  in  boot camp class 

Most people go to a  boot camp class without ever knowing what to expect.This can be off putting to them And they can be  easily  scared  away. Most people going to their first class would  likes to know what sort of exercises they will be carrying out.
lets face it, no one goes into a restaurant and orders without first  seeing whats on the menu. Unless they have been there before.

So here is a list of what to expect from our indoor Boot Camp class:

Lunges are a great exercise for the legs and butts.They are great for balance,  leg strength , and core.They can be done in forward and side movements, on the spot or in motion. Lunges are a quality exercise,which will improve toning in the quads,glut’s,calves and in time they improve balance & co-ordination.

 Squats another total leg workout.Fantastic for toning the butt area, strengthening the  quads muscle and improving muscular endurance.
Squats can be done assisted or with a stability ball,with or without weights.
They are a great exercise to test lower back strength and abnormalities.

Jumping Jack’s       One of the oldest exercises know.Its one of  a group of endurance exercises knows as  calisthenics.  Jack build up strength, endurance and flexibility & speed.A well know exercise used  in the military worldwide. As  well as a principle exercise  in most  sports.Half jacks would be more suitable for beginners and full jacks  for those who have good general fitness

PLANKS         A great exercise for the  abdominal muscles,   the lower back muscles &  the oblique areas.As well as strengthening the shoulders and the forearms.Planks  require a lot of balance and stabilisation.They can be done in different planes.Reverse,static,side.And moving planks for the more advanced.Great for muscular and core endurance

  DIPS              For  a total  tricep workout  triceps dips,or dips for short.Are a great way to tone ,firm & strenghten the back of the upper arm muscles.They can be executed almost anywhere and in any terrain Dips are a great way of tightening  the tricep muscle,or the 3 headed muscle definition ,and over a course of time  they will help condition those  dreaded  bingo wings,  improving  muscle endurance and arm strength.

SQUAT THRUSTS           Another of the calisthenics exercises.These  improve strength,power, and flexibility. Squat thrusts or burpes  are an explosive exercise,so they put  the cardiovascular system to the test.Ideal for sports conditioning,athletes,and rugby players. They are a great  total body exercise. And enhance fat loss. 

Press up           Or push ups as they are also called.Are great for all  levels as they can be easily modified with so many variations.Press ups work the chest,triceps,biceps,shoulders,forearms,and  they help stabilise the core muscles.They are great for muscular endurance, and enhance upper body mechanics.Push ups are great for any fitness class.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Classes for 2012   are now in full flight.

The classes are going great guns.

Everyone is enjoying the class,and the feedback is positive.

So why not come down and try out this great calorie & fat burning class.

I  have been dancing for over 20 years .
I am a former All Ireland champion, have also appeared on TV 21 times, In my opinion and experiences    dancing is not   genetics ,  so anyone can do  it, young or old.
The hardest part of dancing is getting  yourself   over the shyness, and gaining some self confidence in yourself, ie letting yourself go. I have danced in all  Ireland’s ,  on TV , clubs parks, gardens and even my kitchen.
You can do it anywhere, any time , and in  most places.

Dancing improves core strength, flexibility,bone density,fat ,posture,and gives great over all tone.
It is great for weight loss due to  to  the change in  intensity and movements.
Dancing releases positive endorphins, mentally and physically. 

If you are interested whether you a beginner ,or improver.
I can teach you one to one , school or colleges,groups,friends etc.
Giving you the confidence you never had before. I will teach you many forms of Dance.
My experiences-  disco- salsa -hip hop-free style-set-line dance-Break Dance.house 90s & 80s.

The one to one sessions consists of stretching to music, movements to music, and basic routines.

And remember i can call to the privacy of your home, or work place for groups.

I grew up in Dublin in the eighties,and in that  i have noticed  a  huge change in our society  in the last ten years.  mostly in the way we all have in some point  or another neglected our bodies.  Obesity is on the up,our children   are at  a stage in their lives that they dont want to associate with out door activities,only exercising their brains and hands almost 24-7. And latest is 1 in 4 children are obese .

 Most of the foods  that   we eat are convenient  ,to the level that we are losing our cooking skills,and forgetting what our palettes should be experiencing.Mass ammounts of salts,laced with msg,additives, and preservatives are being laced in our foods.We are truly not enjoying our food,we are just keeping our bodies quiet,like shoving sweets into a crying child,thats. the way we are treating our bodies.We  see the programmes on american tv,death by obesity.

We are not far off as a country!

Our medical system is becoming plagued. Doctors are now refering clients for trainers,as an epidemic appears on the shores of our land.Our future generations are going to be affected.Our childrens children.

But their is a solution.Because we live in a country where there is opportunity.we just have to educate ourselves on how we should eat,when we should eat,and more  importantly what we should eat.

                   Weight  loss and  diet  with exercise tips.

To  be active is one of the most  important parts of any weight-loss or fat loss program. When you exercise ,your body starts to use  calories) And when you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight .Heres a pointer 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, that works out about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Because of changes that occur in the body over time, however, calories may need to be decreased further to continue weight loss. As we all hit a plateau,which can last for a few weeks or so.But will  pass.

While diet has a stronger effect on weight loss than physical activity does, physical activity, including exercise, has a stronger effect in preventing weight gain and maintaining weight loss.

• Aerobic activity.  The World health organisation recommends each individual should get 160 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 80 minutes a week of high  aerobic activity .In general at least 20 mins a day . However, to effectively lose or maintain weight, some people may need up to 300 minutes a week of moderate physical activity. You also can do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week, and sessions of activity should be at least 10 minutes in duration.
• Strength training. Doing  strength training exercises at least2- 3 times a week will enable good fat burning. No specific amount of time for each strength training session is included in the guidelines. Strength   training is one of the best if not the best way of losing weight ,protecting  bones and cells. and bone density.

Moderate aerobic exercise includes such activities as brisk walking, swimming . Vigorous aerobic exercise includes such activities as boxing, running and aerobic dancing.

Strength training can include use of weight machines, free weights, or activities such as rock climbing .goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. This chart shows the estimated number of calories burned while doing various exercises for one hour. Specific calorie expenditures vary widely depending on the exercise, intensity level and your individual situation.