A Mini Workout

I am a firm believer that there is no excuse to not exercise. However, it is also a reality that we have busy lives and sometimes it is difficult to fit everything in. This page will show a 5 minute exercise, to be used when we are really struggling to fit in a workout. Everyone can spare five minutes! This routine requires nothing but our own body weight, and so can be done anywhere. No excuses. 

Five exercise - five minutes

1 minute of jumping jacks (star jumps)

1 minute of push-ups (press ups; for more info, click here)

1 minute of squats

1 minute plank (for more info, click here)

1 minute of lunges

That's it. 

Remember, this is not to replace regular exercise, this is merely for when we are really short of time. Use sparingly!

Leave me your thoughts. 

The Most Important Thing About Exercise

We all know that exercise is an important aspect of our lives. It helps fight disease, keep our brains ticking over and keeps our body in tip top shape. But what are the most important parts of exercise? This blog entry will look into just that, examining what are the most important things to consider when we are exercising.

Form

Practicing correct form is such an important element to our training regimes. Whatever the exercise is, it is vital that we perform it correctly. Simply put, if we perform it right we are less likely to get injured and more likely to get something out of it. Proper form is a must for all exercise.

Continual growth

It is also crucial that we aim to progress constantly. If we can run for 5 miles, then we need to go for 6. If not, we are just training the body to do what it can already do. Continual growth will help us to see the best results. This means gradually increasing resistance and distance!

Mixing it up

By doing the same thing, over and over again, our bodies get used to it, and we are no longer able to grow. Therefore it is vital that we change the exercises we are doing regularly.

The Most Important Thing About Exercise

However, the one thing that trumps everything else mentioned is enjoying exercise. Once we enjoy the exercise we are doing, the rest will fall into place. When we enjoy exercising we will put 100% effort into it. It will become easier for us. We will be more likely to practice correct form. We will want to continually progress and grow. We will be able to mix things up a bit and keep ourselves interested. 

Easy Salad Dressings - Part 2

This is the second part of my blog posts on simple, yet affordable, salad dressings.

Note: These recipes were not created by me, but are adapted from Jamie’s Ministry of Food

Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Lemon
• Seas salt and black pepper

To create the dressing, we put the oil and the salt and pepper into a jar. We then squeeze in the lemon juice (all of it!) and mix together well. Easy!

Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and black pepper

All we need to do is put all the ingredients into a jar and mix well. Simple, tasty and cheap. 

Each of the salad dressings in the two blog posts are simple and taste great. They are also far more affordable than what you buy in the shops.

Leave your comments and let me know what you think of each of the dressings!

Easy Salad Dressings - Part 1

When buying foods from the supermarket it is very important to look at what ingredients are in them. Many foods contain things that should not be in them, preservatives and the like, as well as other ingredients that just add to the calories.  With that in mind, this blog entry will show two different recipes for easy and cheap, but healthier, salad dressings. Another two recipes will follow next week in the second part of my Easy Salad Dressings. 

Note: These recipes were not created by me, but are adapted from Jamie’s Ministry of Food

French Dressing

This is an easy French dressing recipe.

Ingredients:

• ¼ of a clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Seas salt and black pepper

To create the dressing, we peel and finely chop the garlic. Then, we put the garlic, mustard, vinegar and oil into a jar with a pinch of salt and the black pepper. Simply mix this together for a tasty salad accompaniment.

Yoghurt Dressing

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of natural yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper

As with the French dressing, all we need to do is put all the ingredients into a jar and mix well.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think of the dressings.