Importance of hydration Hydration is important whether we are working, at leisure or exercising and dehydration can be minimised by frequently drinking cool water in small volumes during the day (rather than tea, coffee or carbonated drinks) to compensate for water and metabolite losses due to sweating. Ideally, we want to avoid feeling thirsty as this is an indication that we are starting to suffer from the effects of dehydration, which may result in headaches, fatigue and dizziness. Tips for staying well hydrated: Make sure that you are hydrated before exercise by drinking 500ml of fluid two hours before exercise. Start drinking early and regularly during exercise - aim for 125-250ml every 10-20 minutes. Water is a suitable fluid replacement for low/moderate intensity exercise lasting less than one hour. Fitness & Wellness Hydration matters LEISURE LIFE NEWSLETTER Lifestyle, Arts, Fitness & Wellness TOP NEWS Hydration matters Amey Theatre - Live screenings and events August 2022 / Vol. 3 Animal instinct Don't wait to use weights abingdon.org.uk/sports-and-leisure 1 Activities are run by Abingdon School Enterprises Limited on behalf of Abingdon School. Company No.04442429 For intensive exercise lasting up to an hour, a sports drink can speed up absorption, provide additional fuel, delay fatigue and improve performance. Measure yourself before and after exercise and aim to replace any body weight deficit by 150%. Alcohol before exercise has a negative effect on strength, endurance, coordination, power and speed, increasing risk of injury. Sources: Health and Safety Executive, ‘Sports Nutrition’ (Anita Bean). Amey Theatre - Live screenings and events Exercise of the month
An Abingdon Sports and Leisure Club membership includes access to our gym, squash courts and a variety of weekly spinning and exercise classes during our public opening times. You must be 16+ years of age to become a member. Want to try before you buy? We offer a 7-day trial for only £9.99. This allows you to try out all of our membership activities for 7days (including access to the gym, squash courts and exercise classes) If you need some convincing that using weights is beneficial, research published in Runners World (June 2021) may give you an incentive. Research suggests that one 20-minute strength workout a week can result in major improvements. Participants followed a training programme called Fit20, six exercises performed once a week on exercise machines: chest press, pulldown, leg press, abdominal flexion, back extension and either hip abduction or adduction. For each exercise, they did one set with a weight chosen so that they could do no more than six reps. The reps were performed slowly (10 secs up, 10 secs down), without locking the limbs or resting at the top or the bottom, and there was minimal rest (20 secs between moves). After a year, each participant had increased their overall strength by, on average, 30 percent! abingdon.org.uk/sports-and-leisure 2 Join the Abingdon Sports and Leisure Club From only £16.99 per month Increase your strength by 30% with just 20-minutes per week. Don’t wait to use weights Fitness Activities are run by Abingdon School Enterprises Limited on behalf of Abingdon School. Company No.04442429
WR I T T EN BY N I CK L LOYD ( AMEY THEATRE MANAGER ) Amey Theatre Live screenings and events Arts The Amey Theatre presents National Theatre Live, Royal Shakespeare Company Live and Royal Opera House Live screenings, available to the community. The perfect alternative if you’d like to do something local rather than having to travel to London - and at a fraction of the price! NT Live: Jack Absolute Flies Again Thursday 6 October 2022, 7pm A rollicking new comedy by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) and Oliver Chris (Twelfth Night), based on Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals. After an aerial dog fight, Pilot Officer Jack Absolute flies home to win the heart of his old flame, Lydia Languish. Back on British soil, Jack’s advances soon turn to anarchy when the young heiress demands to be loved on her own, very particular, terms. Emily Burns directs this spectacularly entertaining new version of Sheridan’s The Rivals. Featuring a cast including Caroline Quentin, Laurie Davidson, Natalie Simpson and Kelvin Fletcher. abingdon.org.uk/sports-and-leisure 3 Activities are run by Abingdon School Enterprises Limited on behalf of Abingdon School. Company No.04442429
As part of the warm ups for my classes, I usually do a series of animal moves (sound effects optional!) in addition to jogging and dynamic stretching. This is usually met by a series of groans and eye rolls but all of my class regulars are now getting rather good (and speedier) at them. These exercises come with a plethora of benefits and are used as a staple of the athletic development of top level athletes, most notably fighters, who demand high levels of strength, balance and athleticism. First and foremost, they are functional. They use a multitude of planes of motion that improve flexibility, mobility, range of motion and proprioception (awareness of the position and movement of the body). They build strength. For many of the moves, you are required to support your whole bodyweight whilst in motion (with someone chasing you, if we’re doing it ‘my way’). For example in the ‘Crab’ one must have a strong core, abs and back in order to maintain the correct position. They improve cardio conditioning. They are a great way of switching from ‘standard’ forms of cardio such as running in a way that is challenging, varied and engaging. They can be done anywhere. Whether it’s in the garden, the park or at the beach, these moves require no equipment (unless you wish to use a weighted belt to make it even harder). Strangers may give you some funny looks, but you know that you are doing something to improve your fitness and functionality, so maybe even encourage them to try it! You can get fitter with Tom's 'Body Conditioning' exercise class every Thursday evening at 6.20pm. Pictured: Tom Phillips (Fitness Instructor) WR I T T EN BY TOM PH I L L I PS ( F I TNESS I NSTRUCTOR ) Animal instinct Fitness abingdon.org.uk/sports-and-leisure 4 Activities are run by Abingdon School Enterprises Limited on behalf of Abingdon School. Company No.04442429 The Bear Crawl The Rabbit The Frog The Crab
Exercise of the month - How to squat To start, stand up with your feet hip width apart. Keep your spine neutral, back straight and shoulders up. As you squat, breathe in and imitate the sitting position with your hips slightly lower than your knee (if you don’t have any problems with your knees). Then exhale as you stand. Aim to keep your knees behind your toes so that your knees don’t cave in. If you are new to squats, it’s best to give your body time to adjust so you start off with just a few a day. You may feel some muscle soreness after a couple of days if you are not used to doing repetitions, but don’t be put off, this is normal and will soon wear off. Squats will gradually become easier and the muscle soreness will reduce. Once you are comfortable with them, you can aim for three sets of 12-15 repetitions and then add a few more each week to continue your progress. For most people, squats are an everyday activity that we do naturally by standing up and sitting down. Exercise squats are just an extension of this movement. When we develop this into an exercise routine, there are some great benefits for our lower body and core. And you can do this simple exercise almost anywhere. Squats use every leg muscle and they strengthen ligaments, calves, hamstrings, glutes and quadriceps. This helps with balance and mobility and this is particularly important as we get older. This exercise engages abs and core and by strengthening muscles, also burns calories. Lifestyle abingdon.org.uk/sports-and-leisure 5 Activities are run by Abingdon School Enterprises Limited on behalf of Abingdon School. Company No.04442429
Squat Jumps - Once you are comfortable with the movement and your leg muscles have adapted to squats, you can add a squat jump - just push up off your feet when you’re on the way up and repeat for the same number of repetitions. Sumo Squat - This is an excellent way of targeting the glutes. Make your stance slightly wider than shoulder width, toes pointed slightly outwards and hands out in front of you. Wall Squat - If you have knee or hip problems, a wall squat can give you extra support. Stand with your back against the wall and your feet about 12 inches from the wall. Bend your knees, dropping to a squat while keeping you back against the wall. Lower until your knees are parallel to the ground and then push up through the heels. Side Squat - When you squat, step out to the side with your right leg and then lower to the normal squatting position. Raise your arms out in front of you. Alternate between legs. Pulse Squat - Drop down to a basic squat position but instead of fully extending back up, rise up halfway and then drop back down again. Squat hold - Hold the squat position for 30 seconds on your final repetition and hold your arms out in front of you to give your legs and arms an extra workout. Pictured: Tom Phillips (Fitness Instructor) abingdon.org.uk/sports-and-leisure 6 Activities are run by Abingdon School Enterprises Limited on behalf of Abingdon School. Company No.04442429 The Wall Squat The Side Squat The Sumo Squat The Squat Hold The Pulse Squat Add some variations to get even more out of this exercise
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