All posts by Jo

Postnatal Yoga Re-starts 20th January 2016

After rather a long break for Christmas, due to events taking place at the Astor Theatre where the class is held, we will be starting back on the 20th January for a 4 week block.

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More details can be found on the Classes page.

Newcomers are welcome to try the class for £10 and then just pay the balance for the block if you like it  – simple!  Drop me an email at jo@vibrantpt.co.uk if you’d like to come along as places are limited

Save £80 New Year Offer!!

Larger lady run with weightsIf you’re looking to improve your health and fitness this year, why not consider investing in the support of a personal trainer?  As a personal trainer I can:

  • help you create realistic goals – ones you can achieve!
  • work out ways to help you reach those goals that suit your lifestyle – small changes can reap big rewards if you’re careful about what you change and how
  • support and motivate you to stay on track so you DO reach your target
  • help you make additional changes along the way when you reach the inevitable plateau.

If this sounds like the sort of support you need, I’m offering new clients £80 off 3 months of personal training sessions.

The offer includes:

  • a review of your current lifestyle, diet, activity and fitness level (as appropriate/required)
  • establishing and continued review of health and fitness goals
  • 12 personal training sessions based on the type of work-outs you like and are suitable for you (e.g. indoor/outdoor cardio, weight training, body-weight toning, core strength, pilates or flexibility and posture improving exercises).  These sessions can be taken once or twice per week at mutually convenient times but must be used within a period of 4 months from initial consultation
  • additional exercise prescription outside of the personal training sessions (i.e. other activities suitable for reaching your goals)
  • recommendations and advice for healthy eating
  • on-going monitoring and support by email, text or phone call (as appropriate)

Offer price of £350 valid until 31st January 2016.  Limited places available.  To take advantage of this offer simply email me via the contacts page HERE to book your initial consultation.

Antenatal Yoga Starts September!

Having finally found a venue, these classes will start on Friday 25th September and will run from the new Studio 18 in Hope Road, Deal.

The classes are designed to help strengthen the body for pregnancy and labour, improve posture and relieve some of the discomforts that happen during pregnancy, as well as highlight some relaxation techniques that may help during labour.  All equipment is provided for the class and places are limited for the comfort of everyone in the class.

The classes are suitable for pregnant ladies in their second trimester onward.

The classes run between 7-8.30pm and cost £10.50 per session.   Classes can be booked in blocks of 4 weeks and will be filled on a first come first served basis.  Contact me by email for more information and booking details.

Feedback from Lucie

“Jo is an highly motivating, friendly and approachable personal trainer who clearly loves her job. She listens to what her clients want to achieve and tailors the programmes to individual needs, making changes as your fitness progresses. She pushes you beyond your comfort limits but in a friendly and supportive way which makes you want to do better. Highly recommended for all aspects of training including more specialist training for races and competitions. “

Feedback from Kevin

In December 2013, at the age of 46, I decided that I had to do something to stop the lurch in middle age spread. I am time poor and lazy and will always look for a reason not to do something. I contacted Jo and have not looked back. She organised a program and is still coming to me twice a week to keep me in check. It is no exaggeration to say that my life has been transformed. By taking regular exercise I feel so much better and am much happier. Jo is a taskmaster however she is adaptable and thankfully always comes up with new ideas so it is never boring. Don’t put it off, do it!

Picky Eaters New Year Special!

January can be a challenging time of year.  The excitement of Christmas seems long gone but the prospect of holidays and nice weather is still far away.  Perhaps the holidays brought with it a few too many ‘celebrations’ and now it feels like an up-hill struggle to get back to healthy eating?

So to help, I’ve put together a 15-day Picky Eater Challenge to help get you and your family back on track!  Follow the daily tasks and challenges that are designed to help encourage the more fussy and faddy ones in the family to eat healthily too.

For day by day details on the challenge follow me on facebook here

Pick Eaters 15-Day Challenge Grid

* For more details on these specific challenges see facebook posts on days 4, 6, 10 and 13!

Tips for success

  • If you don’t have unhealthy food in the house, you can’t eat it!
  • Children are more likely to participate in healthy meals if they’ve been included in the decision-making – give choice and encourage variety
  • Encourage your child to eat just 1 piece of vegetable or salad at each meal
  • Get together with the friends you spend most time with and make a pact to all try to eat better in 2015
  • Limit snacking 2 hours before main meals to encourage them to eat their veg
  • Encourage a bit of exercise before meals to help build up an appetite.

‘Core Strength and Stretch’ class is back!

Sally and I are very excited to announce our core strength and stretch class is re-starting on 18th September!!

As before, the class will take place at Walmer Parish Hall on the Dover Road (just next the petrol station) and starts at 6pm for 45 minutes (ish).

As a reminder, this class focusses on strengthening the core muscles (abdominals, obliques and the back) as well as stretching muscles that get tight from either exercise or just the daily routine!

The class is open to all and is suitable for all abilities, male or female and any age.  All exercises are demonstrated with options to increase or decrease the difficulty.

No special clothing is required, just comfy clothes that allow you to move freely.  You will need an exercise mat but we have one or two spare that we can lend out until you get your own.

If you have any questions please drop me an email at jo@vibrantpt.co.uk

Feeback from Sam

I booked five 2-hour training sessions with Jo over the school summer holidays, for myself and 2 teenage children.  I can honestly say that on completion of the sessions my stomach was flatter (my main objective) and I felt much stronger and fitter.  My children also felt the benefits and it was lovely to exercise with them and have a professional on board who was able to encourage them.  Thank you Jo

Does your lunch pack a punch?

We know we should provide a healthy lunch for our children and ourselves.  Studies on school children have shown that a healthy, nutritious and balanced lunch has a positive effect on concentration and behaviour, so it really does make a difference!

What should a good lunch include?

  • Complex carbohydrates – wholemeal or wholegrain breads, pasta or rice
  • Lean protein – chicken, hummus, fish
  • Vegetables – salad counts!
  • A small amount of fat – usually found in protein or from seeds and nuts
  • Fruit – fresh, tinned or dried
  • Water or milk to drink

What should you avoid?

Simple sugars include foods like white bread or rice, cakes, biscuits, sweets, chocolate and sugary drinks.  These will give only a quick sugar fix and may make you feel tired or low in energy in the afternoon.  Also try to avoid processed or fatty foods as these often contain a high amount of salt and/or additives and preservatives that the body is not designed to process easily.

Why is this important?

Eating complex carbohydrates and lean sources of protein will provide longer lasting energy to fuel you throughout the day and help keep you feeling fuller for longer.  This means choosing wholegrain breads, crackers, pasta or rice rather than the refined ‘white’ varieties.  Including vegetables at lunchtime will help you reach your ‘5-a-day’, provide the vitamins and minerals to help your body function more effectively and the fibre is vital for good digestion.

There are lots of great alternatives to boring white bread sandwiches so try to get creative!

Some healthy lunch ideas

  1. Grated cheese and carrot filled wholemeal roll, cherry tomatoes, carrot and cucumber sticks, a small pot of chopped apple and kiwi and some Greek yoghurt
  2. Wholemeal pitta slices with a pot of hummus dip, veggie medley of blanched broccoli, orange/red peppers, a handful natural popcorn sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a small natural yoghurt with blueberries
  3. Seeded bagel with peanut butter and banana, mini salad box with shredded lettuce, halved grapes and raisins, chicken ‘fingers’ with yoghurt and paprika dip and a Satsuma

 Tips for making children’s lunches

  • Freeze different types of wholemeal/seeded breads, rolls, pitas, crackers, wraps or bagels individually so you have choice throughout the week
  • Vary what you offer and keep trying out new foods – sometimes children need to try things up to ten times before they get used to the taste
  • If your child is very fussy try a ‘give it as try’ day and offer a reward (not sweets!) for just trying something new
  • Invest in small screw/snap top pots to use for dips and seeds/nuts/dried fruit
  • Cut veggies and fruit into bite sized pieces to encourage little fingers to give them a try and don’t make too much fuss if things don’t get eaten
  • Avoid using sweets, chocolate, biscuits, cake, puddings etc as a reward – children will associate them with being ‘better’ than healthy food

Sandwich filler ideas and alternatives

  • Mashed sardines with a bit of ketchup
  • Egg mayonnaise with shredded lettuce and finely chopped spring onion
  • Grated cheese and carrot
  • Cream cheese and chopped peppers
  • Ham and tomato
  • Cream cheese and chives or chopped spring onion
  • Whole-wheat or tricolour pasta with a light salad dressing
  • Cous cous with roasted veggies and feta cubes
  • Pitta with dips (rather than filled)
  • Wholegrain rice salads with chopped veggies
  • Home-made sweetcorn and potato rostis or falafels (make ahead and freeze)
  • Try tinned salmon or mackerel instead of your usual tuna fish
  • Hearty soups are a great lunch time option in the winter with a chunk of wholegrain bread

One of the keys to success for getting a healthy and nutritious lunch each day is to plan ahead and do a little preparation.  This way you can have a variety of nutritious options through the week.  Even if you’re not that adventurous with your fillings, trying more healthy breads and sandwich alternatives should help you get through the day with a little more va-va-voom!