As we enter the last week of January I can honestly say that it has been the best start ever for Gail Abbey Fitness. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with my clients and from individual fat loss results of 10 lb’s in the first month to beginner runners who are participating on my running course already achieving running their first 3 miles in 3 weeks.

I have many other clients cracking ahead with  training for the London,Edinburgh, Paris marathon and Stafford half marathons backing the training up with strength and flexibility programs to maximise health.. The fun is just going to continue through the spring.

Yoga Intro and Level 1 started last week. Lynny, Clare and I have finally got together to record some resource dvd’s to accompany the Intro course. Take a look below to view some of the seated forward,twists and restorative postures we have been covering during the course.

The Beginners Running Course  launch has been AMAZING so many of you guys asking when I am going to run another. I have decided to kick off another shorter 8 week beginner course very soon. So mail me for details.

Don’t forget my April Detox Break in Rhodes (Check out under the SoSpa heading) if you are still trying to crack those bad habits it maybe just the thing you need.

WOW, Mad January just got madder!

What a great start to the year though, everyone motivated to push on with goals. Fat loss going well with clean eating 6lb, 5lb, 4lb big losses in week 1 and many with smaller targets dropping 1 and 2 lbs all looking good.

The running course has today completed week 2 and it was great to hear the newbies saying how already by following the running plans they were feeling benefits and running was becoming easier making them want to even run for longer!

Tomorrow sees the start of the new Intro and level 1 Yoga courses, which is why I am on here late Sunday pm preparing for another fun fitness week and trying to edit the Yoga dvd to go with the course. Me who used to be a techno phobe if I can do it anyone can!

Once they are up and running I am pushing forward on my on line fat loss and training courses . which I hope to be ready to go February.

Also sourcing a venue for a spring time fitness weekend retreat in the UK. It’s all so exciting!

Have a fab fun week and  why not break the mould this week and have a go at something new.

See you soon

Gail x

I feel compelled to write this blog as this first week into the new year the amount of can’t sleep.com posts on twitter and facebook are astonishing!So lets take a look how we can get ourselves a good nights sleep.

Reasons that may be upsetting your sleep pattern are:

*Irregular sleep patterns over the holiday. Going to bed later,waking later.

*Drinking more alcohol over the festive period.- Alcohol disrupts the body’s natural rhythms so even though you may have started your detox your body is still not registering its normal pattern.

*Back to work- After a break from work your mind has just started to unwind and with all thoughts of goals and targets for the new year you may be taking these thoughts to bed and the adrenalin is pumping to get action on them.

Sleep Action Plan
Exercise briskly,and make sure you finish at least four hours before bed time.

Eat a low Gi snack a small bowl of porridge, or a couple of slices of turkey. Beef, ham eggs, anchovies and quorn.Mixed seeds or soy beans.
This stimulates the release of insulin , which can help an amino acid called trytophan to cross the blood brain barrier and create melatonin.A hormone that is massively important to maintain balanced sleep patterns.

Make sure you are eating magnesium- rich foods, bananas, dried apricots, avocados ,almonds,cashews and beans as insomnia can be a symptom of magnesium deficiency.

Drink Chamomile or passion flower tea which aids restful sleep.

Avoid caffeine and check for caffeine in any food/ drink you may be taking without knowing.

Establish a routine, bath,book ( no computer, phone or tv for at least an hour before sleep.) Light snack,I enjoyed a piece of rye with peanut butter and that did the trick for me.

Good Luck, X

Spaces left Monday 7 pm Intro to Yoga with Gail,  Come our friendly group with Gail, Lynny and Clare

After the success of our semi Private tuition (4 to 1) Yoga sessions. We are pleased to announce new dates and sessions for our New Year Intro to Yoga and Level 2 Yoga Flow Classes.

The SoSpa Team presents

YOGA FLOW PART 1
INTRODUCTION TO YOGA 8 WEEK COURSE

The Intro Sessions will take place

Monday at 10 – 11 a.m with Lynny Jennings   1 place left
ALSO
Monday at 7 pm till 8pm with Gail Abbey      SPACES AVAILABLE

Beginning on Monday January 16th 2012 for 8 weeks

Personal Tuition 4 to 1 Sessions to help clients to understand the basic breathing, relaxation techniques and postures.
Price per course for 8 weeks £96.00

Following on from the Successful Intro Courses previously ran we now offer

YOGA FLOW LEVEL 2 INTERMEDIATE
4 to 1 private tuition with Clare Whitehouse    FULLY BOOKED

Beginning Thursday 19th Jan 2012 at 7pm to 8pm for 8 weeks
Price per 8 week course is £120.00 *
Personal 4 to 1 tuition covering Intermediate postures and moving into Asanas,Breathing,Meditation and Cleansing.

*If clients have completed a SoSpa Intro to Yoga Course. Level 2 will be offered for £96.00 per course.

Becky Farnworth Quotes of Level 1 Intro to Yoga Flow 2011
“I have really enjoyed the intimacy of the group, which allows confidence and learning to build without feeling too much of a novice.
Having the time to understand the theory and practice of Yoga is clearer for me now.I feel completely calm and in control following a session.
I would urge all athletes to have some form of Yoga within their training routine.”

Gail Founded The SoSpa company in 2008

SoSpa, Fitness breaks to re-energise you mentally and physically restore balance to your lives.

SoSpa all-inclusive health and fitness holidays.
Perfect location training for yoga, cycling, power walking, hiking and many more outdoor activities.
Nutrition advice and delicious healthy cuisine.

New Lindos Rhodes Greece – Group Fitness Holiday 2012 Dates now available.

SoSpa Fitness holiday Dates are:

SATURDAY 5th MAY TO SATURDAY 12TH MAY 2012 £2260.p/p £2460 single occupancy

WEDNESDAY 16TH MAY TO WEDNESDAY 23RD MAY (BESPOKE NOW FULLY BOOKED)

WEDNESDAY 13TH JUNE TO WEDNESDAY 20TH JUNE 2012 £2373.00 P/P £2573 Single Person Occupancy

SATURDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER TO SATURDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2012 £2399.00P/P £2599.00 Single Person Occupancy

WEDNESDAY 10TH OCTOBER TO WEDNESDAY 24TH OCTOBER BESPOKE FULLY BOOKED

* Group bookings of 4 persons or more receive a 10% discount
* For bookings outside of the UK prices differ. Mail me for information.

All inclusive accommodation and Flight from the UK
* 3 meals a day plus snacks SoSpa recommended
* Airport transfers on arrival and departure to resort
* 2 – 3 group training/skills sessions per day based on natural movement e.g. running,Power walking, boxing, aqua Fitness, swimming, circuits, Yoga, Pilates
* Group sessions to enhance joint mobility/flexibility
* 5 workshops covering movement, metabolism, nutrition & how to continue what you learn at home
* Initial movement assessment and one-on-one follow up discussion
* One-on-one reassessment at the end of the course

An exercise Dvd for you to refer to on return.

For more information mail me at gail@sospagreece.com

If you like to give a gift with a difference, then these Vagina weights are definitely it!
Kegel8 Exercise Cones £24.99
clinically proven to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles with results in just weeks! Vaginal Cones were recently featured on C4′s Embarrassing Bodies and were rated top with a 60% improvement in pelvic strength. The Kegel8 Exercise Cones Pelvic Floor Toning System is designed for all women who need, or want a more effective method of strengthening their PC muscles quickly and easily. Kegel8 Exercise Cones has 3 toners of varying size and weight that allow effective progress to suit you, enabling you to choose the heavier toner as your pelvic floor exercises start to improve your control. Kegel8 Exercise Cones feature a unique indicator to tell you when you are exercising your PC muscles correctly. By strengthening your pelvic floor muscles you’ll help prevent pelvic weakness, bladder weakness and loss of intimate sensation. By using the Kegel8 Exercise Cones you can perform pelvic floor exercises easily and effectively in just minutes a day.
They come complete with a training plan!

‘One day I want to run a marathon’, ‘I would love to be able to run but was never any good at it at school so have no chance now’

2012 Is going to be a MASSIVE year for the UK and sport and If you have  ever had the thoughts above in your head then you are so going to be saying it out loud come July when you are watching the Olympics.

Well, we ourselves set our own limitations and now is the time for you to get up and have a go.

From January the 8th for 12 weeks I am going to run a BEGINNERS running course, this is also open to those who have been unable to run for some time due to lack of motivation,injury or those who wish to be stripped right back,forgetting all things they already know for the 12 weeks of my course.

Every body will start from a clean running card and follow my advice throughout the program. When the program is complete you will want to run faster,further and more often.

FAQ
Q Will I be able to keep up?
A Yes, as I am pulling everyone back to a walk /run program to start and will be giving a running program out for all to follow at the slow pace I recommend. I am building strong foundations and after the course you can take the information and move to whatever level you wish.

Q Why are you holding people back if they can already run and what is the object of the program?
A Training many clients over the years I see that their running programs lack structure, progression,variation and all of this diminishes motivation, produces lethargic running and often incurs injury.

Runners who have reached great heights and become injured often forget or don’t want to go back to building foundations as they feel they will be  taking steps backwards. When really they have forgotten WHY they began running..for fitness,fun and relaxation.
I want to put back those key elements and take away the ‘self competetitive pressure’ to enjoy the scenery, company and freedom that walking/jogging/running allows.
New runners very quickly feel the runners high and forget that the legs,core need strengthening and flexibility, both by running and with a fitness program to compliment the sport.The eagerness to do too much speed and or distance without good foundations then also leads to injury, creates problems,leading to low self belief and eventually motivation wanes.

During the 12 weeks I will cover the following

*Technique and equipment
*Common injuries and why
*Programming and exercise to prevent injury
*Hill running
*Road Running
*Cross Country
*Picking up the distance
*Speed Interval sessions
*Q and A how is the training going
*A 5/10k Fun Run
*Fartlek training
*Take you from Run/Walk 3 mile to jogging 8 mile over 12 weeks

*The sessions will be 75 minutes. 8.45 am SUNDAYS. Meeting From Muckley Corner Lichfield WS14 0BL
Fee £36.00 for 4 weeks in Advance. Renewing for following 4 weeks.

Can You Do It – Yes You Can Move forward in 2012. Feel free to call to discuss any queries.
Gail 07818 492578 e mail gail@sospagreece.com

I know there are a lot of you cardio junkies out there who love to be out in the fresh air cycling and running and really struggle to do any other form of training other than the part you love. Tough! I love gym work but know for my heart and lungs I need to get out there and get breathless and you know once you have a good program and see the progression you actually start to enjoy it especially if it is improving overall perfomance.
So reviewing cycling: Long periods of time spent in the hunched- over cycling posture results in prolonged back flexion and muscle pain for the untrained lower back.The lower back region houses the main muscle group responsible for producing power and bicycle movement control. Having an unconditioned back with inflexible muscles will result in strain, fatigue, and eventually, pain.

The relation between the bicycle’s virtual top tube length and the quantity of spinal flexion the cyclist’s back is subjected to is one of the keys to determining how back pain develops. Excessively low handlebars will cause too much lordosis or flexion of the back, which in turn puts stress on the lumbar spine. On the other hand, a very short top tube length will result in flexing of the sacral spine, subjecting the intervertebral disks to additional pressure. By making correct measurements of the top tube length in relation to the height of the handlebars will lower the incidence of back pain, as explained below.

A cyclist also has to consider the position of their pelvis. An incorrect pelvic position can strain the back muscles and result in pain. Without the proper conditioning, tight quadriceps can cause the pelvis to tilt forward, while tight hamstrings slant the pelvis backward. The amount of flexibility of the hip flexors can be determined by the Thomas test,find a trainer or Physio to check you over with the Thomas test.

The effort in pedalling, particularly uphill, is the reason for fatigue in the muscle group of the glutes and hamstrings. This causes a backward sloping of the pelvis, thereby straining the back muscles, again resulting to pain. It is essential to maintain strong stomach muscles for a more stable pelvic bearing. To achieve this, a combination of strength training for the core muscle group, and stretching of the legs,calves and ankles will not only aid in pelvic stability, but also produce a more efficient cycling ability.

I will be posting a flexibility and core strengthening program in the New Year to help with these issues.