Here we are once more ... at the start of another year. Where has time gone? The older or should I say “BIGGER” we become, the faster time flies by. Instead of picking a resolution for the year why not try what I do, pick a motto...a mental bumper sticker that will exemplify  how you will move through the world in the next 12 months, last year (as most of you know!) my motto was "Feel Good, Look Good, Do Good!" this year it is "How to WOW!"

Whatever is happening in your life right now, remember that nothing lasts forever and that nothing stays the same. We are all evolving each and every day of our lives and none of us can escape this fact, so it’s time to be resolute in your fitness, decision-making and future thinking. 2019 is going to be a WOW year!

In today’s Health & Fitness world, success requires an edge – a factor that sets you apart from the crowd. Who needs the Wow Factor? Overweight parents & children, executives seeking to reinvent themselves, mother’s and father’s who need “ME” time, people who are mentally exhausted, lethargic, stressed out, athletes who are bored with their routines, people restless in retirement or anyone who has been downsized, outsourced, or simply blindsided by harsh economic realities...Big Matters & Wow Fitness ensures that your Fitness & Life skills gain and remain...giving you the confidence to WOW anyone and everything in your Life!
2019 is most definitely going to be WOW...                     
WinOn Wellness...
WinOnWeightloss...
WeightOffWorkouts...

Working Out Walking
Want a whole-body workout in your locality or mountainous terrain? Try Nordic Walking.
What you'll need are a set of aluminium, rubber-tipped poles and a good pair of hiking shoes/trainers.
Using the poles allows you to involve the upper body in activity that normally works mainly the legs and buttocks, you move with quicker, smaller steps, your arms are pumping and it's almost like race-walking, the upper body motion really gets the heart rate going. It's a great way to add some intensity to your walking.

This is also great for a beginner because using the poles reduces stress on the knees and distributes the body's weight more evenly.
Why not try walking fast for a specific amount of time e.g. 3-10mins, rest then repeat, this is an excellent way to build up your fitness and see if you can challenge yourself. Repeat this 3-10 times and you've got yourself a nice workout.


Remember, start walking with strong, bold steps and then walk down slow for recovery,
A great way to enjoy activities as a family or with friends…
Before you know it, you're exercising and burning calories. WOW!

“Above all, challenge yourself.  You may well surprise yourself at what strengths you have, what you can accomplish.”
Love Sonia x

It is always best to consult your doctor before commencing an exercise routine particularly if you have been unactive for a while or have any health problems.

Sonia and Paul are independant Fitness Consultants

I have a genuine passion for working with people who need help to change their lifestyles, as there comes a point in everyone’s lives when they say to themselves ‘enough is enough’, is today your day? you just have to start!

I am going to set a plan for the next 14 days for people who want to make that change and want to create a new life for themselves. It will involve following basic exercise procedures and taking a step back and evaluating YOUR nutrition habits. We all know the backbone behind any exercise programme that is set to shed weight is a change in your nutrition. The aim by the end of the 14 days is to get you up and walking, increasing your mobility and shedding some excess weight. Another goal to keep in mind is ‘confidence’, I want you to feel good by the end of the 14 days, I want you to feel like this is just the start of what’s to come, I want you to start looking at other avenues of continuing to exercise and losing more weight, I want you to become that person that overcomes their physiological barriers and fear of exercising and continue to push and work hard to create not only a healthier you, but a happier you.

14 Day Plan To Get You Moving
All you will need is a comfortable upright chair, small weights if any are laying around (not necessary if not), and plenty of determination.

Day 1-3.
Let’s take it easy, don’t go jumping any hurdles to soon, we want basic movement functions for upper and lower body, these are going to form our foundations for every day for at least 20 minutes per day.

Sitting upright on the chair we need;

20x knee flexion and extensions (at the point of extension I want you to hold for 3-5 seconds before lowing back down).
20x arm lateral lifts (start with arms by your side; lift them out and up horizontally until they meet above your head, then lower back down).
10x stand up and sit down’s (go slow and steady on this exercise, be sure to stand up straight and lock knees out before returning to the seat).
20x arm frontal flexion (start with arms by your side; lift them out in front of your body until they finish above the head, lower back down the same route).
20x arm curls to overhead press (start with arm by your side, flex at the elbow so hands are by your shoulders, then press vertically above your head, then repeat).

Repeat these exercises three to four times through from start to finish, relying on only short rest periods but making sure all exercises are done to the best of your ability and slow controlled movements. 

 
Day 4-7

You should now be comfortable with the circuit so if you haven’t already add some external weights to your upper body exercises (small weights 1,2 or 3kg or a bag of rice/tins). I want you to continue on with this throughout, gaining more confidence in the movements. From day 4 onwards I now want you to be thinking about your own mobility, do you relay on a power chair, wheel chair or stay sedentary for long periods of time? Let’s get some basic mobility going, for every hour you are sat in a chair or at a desk, set an alarm to get you up and about for 10 minutes. I would like to see 10 minutes on your feet for at least 6 hours of the day (6 hours – 10 minutes per hour = 1 hour on your feet per day). This could be moving around the office/house, completing general house chores or office work, just spend those 10 minutes being up and about moving around the best you can.

Day 7-10

Like a snowball effect I still expect you to be completing the circuit day by day (also look at increasing the repetitions per exercise, increase by 10 if comfortable), up-taking the 10 minute challenge of being on your feet for every hour, and now I want you to be thinking of a short walk you think you could complete. This could be down you local street, through a park, around your house and grounds. Where ever you chose I want you to feel comfortable doing it. The walk should be planned and aimed for 20 minutes in duration, taking any walking aid with you and someone to keep you company. At any stage if you feel short of breathe take a rest, but try to continue on after the break.
  

Day 11-14

Final stages of the 14 day plan, if you have stuck to it throughout give yourself a massive pat on the back. However, the hard work isn’t over just yet, from here on I want you to be thinking about increasing your walk distance. Your confidence in your body and ability should be at a all time high now, take a look back from where you were to where you are now! I want you to think of walking routes that will take you at least 40-60 minutes to complete, that’s right, on top of everything else I want a 40-60 minute workout out of you at this stage, you can do it. Again take into consideration your route, plan it and take any walking aid plus water with you and don’t forget someone to keep you company. Take those rests as you feel you need them but push on for the 40-60 minutes.

Congratulations on completing the 14 day get you moving plan, you made it. I hope it has helped to make a difference in your lives. If you have stuck to the plan you should have seen a significant weight loss from where you started. This should be your staring point for the new you, have a look in your communities for exercise groups or gyms you could attend, swimming groups or classes, there should be plenty to try. Don’t be scared, if there is one bit of advice I could give to you as I do my own clients is don’t give up, work hard now and you wont look back. Although we haven’t touch on nutrition throughout I would like you to think about what you are consuming throughout your average day, calorie counting is one way to keep track; men should be consuming no more than 2500kcals per day and women 2000kcals per day. Remember to consume whole foods, proteins, carbohydrates, natural fats, vegetables and fruit. Steer clear of processed, fried, sugary rich foods and snacks. This will all aid in your weightless while doing these exercises over 14 days. For more advice on nutrition don’t hesitate to ask.

We get hundreds of requests from people wanting the help of TV shows to get them fitter and lose weight. We have all seen shows such as Obese - A Year To Save My Life and the Biggest Loser. So heres a little inspiration from the trainers you know and love -Chris Powell and Jessie Pavelka

Don't feel you cant get fit without a trainer - if you don't have access to one the biggest route to success is motivation and persistance and that should come from yourself. If you need guidance email Sonia on fitness @bigmatters.co.uk

Being active needs to be part of a lifetstyle so find something that fits into your life and is fun. Yes it will be hard when you start but it will get easier and you will feel stronger and fitter.Get your family involved too - Believe in yourself.

Sport at school

Are you happy about the amount of sport your child does at school? It can be hard to change children’s attitudes at home and some people have limited areas where they feel happy for their children to play outdoors, but with the schools encouragement it can make them fitter as well as perhaps open new opportunities to experience new sports.

DfES/QCA guidance recommends that at least 75 minutes per week at Key Stages 1 and 2 and 90 minutes per week at Key Stage 3 are need to effectively cover the PE programme of study. No guidance has been issued for Key Stage 4 where the emphasis is on health, fitness and well being *

Do you think that enough is being done – what will get you and your children more active? We know sports in schools is an area that is being addressed and as received funds - the websites below will give you more on what plans there are in place but if you feel more needs to be done…write to your MP or send your letters to us and we will present them for you.

If you want to see more on schools sports initiatives you can go to http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/pe. or http://www.culture.gov.uk/sport/default.htm *Source teachernet.gov.uk

Still hesitant?

Maybe some ideas from a personal trainer will get you motivated….

Thinking of getting fit ?

Have you ever thought about starting a fitness routine, then started it and then given up?

If that’s the case, rest assured, you are not alone.

So here are a few tips before you start:

Exercise should be fun – so try and find something you enjoy doing…walking, skating, swimming, classes, pilates, tennis – it will be easier to keep it up

Social or independent exerciser? Think about whether you prefer to exercise in a social environment – in which case how about a class at the local gym or start playing a team sport like netball or football? or do you prefer to exercise independently - in which case a gym might be more appropriate

Routine building - people keep to their programme better when it becomes a part of their routine – so try and allocate yourself some time to exercise and stick to it – this may mean planning your time, but it’s always possible.

Little & often - it doesn’t have to be a long routine. To get you going, try to set aside 30 minutes each day to be physically active. In addition, try to be as active as possible throughout the day – take the stairs rather than the lift at work, get off the bus a stop earlier and walk the rest, walk to the shops rather than jump in the car for a 5 minute journey

Buddies - if you are going to join a gym, persuade a buddy to join with you – give each other an incentive to go each time. If no one is up for it, talk to the instructors at the gym and ask them to buddy you up with someone already there – if they are keen for you to achieve your goals, they will be pleased to help you

Goals - set some short-term goals, write them down and revisit them on a regular basis. These can start small – your first goal may be to take 4 30-minute walks for the first 2 weeks. Give yourself a pat on the back when you achieve it

Gyms – before joining a gym, go and see it and talk to the instructors and other members. Visit at the time you plan to exercise so you can see how busy it is, whether you like the sort of music being played and the atmosphere created. Many gyms will have a different feel at different times of the day. Find out how much support the instructors give, whether they will design a programme specifically for you and how often they will review it.

So…go for it…don’t put it off until tomorrow…take some action now!! the sooner you start, the sooner you will see results.

Our thanks go to Amanda - personal trainer, pilates & fitness instructor for her contribution