Mike shows you how to do the PIlates spine stretch exercise.

So I guess you're wondering what was said to me by the spiritualist at the weekend.

Well if you're reading this, I guess you are at least a little curious.

You can come to your own conclusion when I tell you.

We were down at the temple of Holistic fitness yesterday morning for our Kettlebell Fit & firm session.

It was a busy session.

In the run up to Christmas and the new year the session numbers were a little light.

People tend to get a little ‘distracted’ in December.

So what’s it going to be? More of the same or some thing new?

This questions’ often gets asked as we come to the end of the year.

Come the end of December nostalgia and reflection set in and people begin to rehearse their new years resolutions, you may have done this yourself, I know I have.

As I mentioned in part one, improving your posture is not just about standing or sitting up straight. It starts with raising your awareness and your understanding of what it really is.

Regardless of age or current condition you can begin to improve you posture and the......

As you are about to read this post I’d like you to do  something for me.

Assess the way you are sitting , standing or lying this very second……

Next….

So, it’s 4.54pm it’s nearly time to go home from work. You look outside the office window and its raining and cold. The day at work has been ok, no real dramas which is a good thing.

Now you’re ready for home, you have one more decision to make. It’s been at the back of your mind all day, bugging you like a stone in your shoe.

So In part 1 I mentioned the importance of knowing your body composition and understand where you currently stand with your body fat percentage/ distribution and also the dangers of being over fat. Having this understanding is key to moving toward ideal health & Fitness. Being overweight is one thing but being over fat or carrying too........

It’s a statement that I have been trying to explain to my clients recently and it seems to have sparked a good a debate.

Can you be fit and fat?

What is it to be Fit?  The word fit is an adjective, a word used to describe a level of suitability for a task or event. Within the health & Fitness industry we usual use the word in a simple black and.....

The late summer sunshine is still here but the temperature has dropped big style!

I think it's fair to say that winter is almost upon us. Long dark nights and wet and windy weather are all the rage this time of the year.

Now I personally don't mind the autumn season, the low sunlight, and the beautiful array of colours in the trees, the evening nights in front of the fire, all these things I enjoy, however what comes next I do have issue with.... Winter!

It was my first school run this week with my youngest Rowen.

He was so excited to be going to "big school" as he called it.

After his first day, when I wen to collected him, I asked him “ how was it?”

He went on to say he made a new friend called Hasheem (I think that’s how you spell it) and hes’ going to be his best friend!

On the flip side, I also spoke with my eldest who started school in Ibiza this week. When I spoke to him, he was

Shall we say…

I was looking through some old documents yesterday when I found some old notes from a course I attended a couple of years back. The notes listed things that we had to ask the client, when holing a consultation, in order to help us gather information about them.

It got me thinking, Lists are good for making information digestible and easy to take on board. So in true Mike fashion, I’ve listed something’s for you......

It’s been around 10 days since I started back with my new exercise regime, and it’s been going well…kind of.

I’ve been out running 2 times a week and doing 1 kettlebell class a week with my super group of clients (they are doing a great job to keep me on track). I’ve also made some small adjustment to my eating...... 

I was read an article the other day reporting that children new more exercise, the study found that most children in the UK don’t do enough exercise- especially girls.

This got me thinking about the whole exercise thing and why we get involve and in some cases don’t get.......

The larger percentage of the Optimum Health client base is of female orientation over the age of 38 so I’m looking at starting a blog exclusively for that population. I’ll be telling you more about that in due course but in the mean time, I’ve go 3 great simple tips for all women who would.....

How to do the Pilates Swan Dive

It’s always interesting to me when I go shopping to the local supermarket. I always seem to  bump into a client or a former client. It always follows a set sequence of steps. Firstly it’s the courteous “ hello! How you doing?” then the update on recent events and holidays and work politics. Then there is the quick glance down into my basket to asses what an 'Exercise coach' eats, this is then followed by the 2 minute explanation and......

How to do the Pilates side bend

Carla demonstrates how to do the Pilates side bend also know as the side bridge. This Pilates exercise is good for improving your oblique strength and shoulder stability.

As some of you will know, that for the last 8 months or so I’ve been sharing with you a range of new supplement products I have had the benefit of using. I often get asked about what is the best form of supplementation and as an exercise coach what do I recommend. I was not always a big fan of supplementation. My mind set was, if your eating correctly, then why do you need to supplement your diet? Well I’ve since grown to understand that even if you are.........

Some of you may know that I've started doing Yoga and Pilates. These types of classes offer a different challenge from your typical kettlebell workout or weight training session, but still give huge benenfits to those who participate in these classes on a regular basis. For those clever people who have been doing Pilates for a while now, you'll know about the benefits i've listed below. For those of you who don't currently do PIlates, read on and see..........

It was around September 2011. I was looking forward to my Personal training session with Richard who I see every month for a new program. Richard had recently become semi-retired and was a keen golfer and tennis player. The exercise programs we designed for him to work on, helped improve......

Blessings to you.

This we saw the start of our summer shape up challenge. Over the next 6 weeks we are going to see some real changes in the participant look and feel- I’ll keep you posted on the progress.It was nice to have a......

How’s your week been? The last few days have certainly raised the mood of the nation as we have been blessed with some fantastic sunshine. I just hope it’s around for the weekend. I have a short story I would like to share with you but before I jump into that, let me remind you that........