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New Year Resolutions: Don’t Fail this year

New Year Resolutions: Don’t Fail this year

On January 1st, millions of people began the annual ritual of New Year’s Resolutions. Memberships at health clubs and diet programs soar, whilst sales of chocolate and alcohol decline. People take a long, hard look at their spending habits as they sort through the January bills.

Here in Barcelona, the number of people booking onto my wellness and detox retreats rocket, as do bookings for my fitness and sport holidays. Also, people are signing up to my PilatesEVO online training with excited enthusiasm.

Now we a few days into the New Year and despite all this good intention, most people (hopefully not my clients of course!)  will fail at their resolutions. Come February, most New Year’s resolutions will be a dim memory. How can such apparently strong determination fizzle out so quickly? What can we do to increase the likelihood that our desire for change will translate into permanent positive change?

New Year Resolutions: Don’t Fail this year
Let’s first examine the psychology of the New Year’s Resolution. During the month of December people tend to overindulge in eating, drinking, spending money and neglecting exercise. Rather than moderate these behaviours, we promise ourselves that after the holiday season is over, we will definitely take control. In the meantime, we give ourselves permission to overindulge without guilt. Our resolve is at its peak when we feel full, drunk, or broke. It’s easy to think about going on a diet as we groan from a bloating holiday meal. It’s no problem to plan to quit smoking when we’ve just had a cigarette and replenished our nicotine level. At this point we feel confident about our New Year’s resolutions because we have not yet confronted any prolonged physical deprivation or discomfort.

Chocolate_4

In early January, we are often so sick of rich food and drinks, and feeling so sluggish from lack of vigorous physical activity that it’s not difficult to abstain from overindulgence. In fact, some people look forward to more structure and discipline in their lives. However, a few weeks into the new discipline, our appetites have returned, and we start to feel deprived. It is at this point that we are most at risk for reverting back to old behaviours.

Soon we start rationalizing that this is not a good time of year, what with cold weather and our numerous obligations. When spring comes, we’ll really get into shape. Thus, we make another promise to ourselves, and, now free of guilt, put off habit change for another few months. Chances are that when spring arrives, we will have another temporary surge of motivation, only to abandon it within a few weeks.

time_to_exercise

So why do people abandon their resolutions? One reason is that we become discouraged when results don’t come quickly enough, or when we find that we are not necessarily happier because of them. Behavioural change requires sustained effort and commitment. It is also typically accompanied by physical discomfort. For example, reducing food, alcohol or nicotine intake from a level to which you have become accustomed, results in cravings. Forcing yourself to get off your cosy chair to exercise is often difficult when you’re tired. And of course, it’s easy to procrastinate until tomorrow, so that you can rationalise not disciplining yourself today.

Therefore, if you are going to try to keep your New Year’s resolutions this year, be sure you are ready for the challenge. My experience has shown me time and time again that it possible if you know how. Here are some tips to maximize your success that I use at the PilatesEVO School and at my retreats in Barcelona and also in my online training for clients. My experience is that they really work:

1. Examine your motivation for change
Are you just feeling full and bloated at this moment? Do you have a hangover from last night? Did your last cigarette give you have a hacking cough? Or is there a more enduring reason for your desire to change? If you can’t think of a better reason than the fact that you’re uncomfortable at this moment, then you’re better off not making promises to yourself that you probably won’t keep. However, if you are realistic and accept the responsibility of discipline required for change, your motivation will be sustained long after the discomfort from over-indulgence has passed.

2. Set realistic goals
Habits and behaviours that are changed gradually have a greater chance of success.

3. Focus on the behavioural change more than on the goal
For example, if you decide to control your eating, your goal for the day is not to lose a specific number of pounds, but to stick to your program. Such focus on your behaviour will help you feel in control of your life. You will gain satisfaction from making sensible choices several times throughout the day.

4. Learn to redefine physical sensations of discomfort
Whenever we restrict ourselves, we have both physical and mental reactions. For example, a smoker feels bodily sensations when his nicotine level drops. However, he has a choice as to how he interprets these symptoms. He can define them as extremely unpleasant, or alternatively he can interpret them as his body cleansing itself of the drug.

5. Make tasks non-negotiable
People who are most successful at implementing such changes are those who make their tasks non-negotiable. For example, if you debate with yourself at 5:30 a.m. whether you feel like getting up to exercise, you will probably opt for staying in bed for another half hour. But if getting up for exercise is no more negotiable than getting up for work, then you’ll do it regardless of how you feel about it. The same goes for organising your closet or taking charge of your finances. One can almost always find an excuse not to do these things. However, if you make a non-negotiable decision that’s based on a sound logical reason rather than on how you feel at the moment, you will be successful.

6. Allow for imperfection.
No one is exactly on target all the time. In fact you should expect to falter every now and then. If you give in to temptation, do not use this as an excuse to abandon the whole program. Learn from your mistake and move on.

7. Do it now.
If you’re waiting for a more convenient time to begin behavioural change, it won’t happen. It’s almost never convenient to change ingrained habits. Now is just as convenient as any time.

I hope in this blog New Year Resolutions: Don’t Fail this year I have give you some (low fat) food for thought! I could say good luck, but we all know that it has very little to do with luck. It has everything to do with commitment and planning. If you want some help with that then contact me about online support and training, and also my retreats in Barcelona and Ibiza. I am very happy to give free advice because I know how hard it can be to make a lasting change. But everything is possible. How much do you want it?

Chris Hunt PilatesEVO

Chris Hunt is an international consultant and Pilates/functional training presenter and educator based in London and Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, a revolutionary system that uses NLP, mindfulness, meridains and traditional Pilates and kundalini to create a deep practise. He is also the creator of bodyFUNC©, educations that teach how to incorporate old and new practises into any fitness training regime to increase results. He also created Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. Based at the PilatesEVO School in Barcelona, he organises Pilates events, retreats, fitness holidays and sports holidays in Barcelona and Ibiza. For more information about training with Chris in Barcelona or online, please click on PilatesEVO or Barcelona Bienestar. You can also subscribe by completing the form on the this BLOG to receive articles and special offers straight to your inbox.

Chris pays all profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners.
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Seja o melhor que você pode ser: Corpo e mente são vias de mão única

Pilates EVO

Seja o melhor que você pode ser: Corpo e mente são vias de mão única – Por Chris Hunt

www.pilatesevo.com

Neste artigo quero falar sobre o ligação entre nossa mente e corpo. Sempre tive muito interesse nesse assunto e meu interesse aumentou quando meu pai faleceu devido à complicações do Alzheimer.

É comum pensarmos que nossa mente está no controle dizendo ao nosso corpo o que fazer. Mas há inúmeras evidências científicas que mostram que comunicações entre mente e corpo acorrem e o corpo é parte integral de como pensamos.

Em meus cursos de PilatesEVO e BodyFUNC (método de treinamento functional), eu incentivo meus alunos a abrirem suas mentes ao fato de que mente e corpo têm as mesmas intenções e propostas e trabalham juntos. Uma parte significante do curso é sobre o nível psicológico, visto que percebo que a grande maioria dos treinamentos focam somente na parte física o que, na minha opinião, é um grande erro. Então, dou a meus alunos ferramentas e técnicas que possam usar todos os dias em seus próprios treinos e no treino de seus clientes. Como Joseph Pilates disse “O Método Pilates de Condicionamento do Corpo é a completa combinação de corpo, mente e espírito”.

Até que aceitemos esse fato, acredito que não poderemos ser melhores instrutores. Há ainda muitas pessoas que se preocupam apenas com o nível físico. Hoje, há um crescimento muito grande de evidências científicas que vão de encontro ao meu pensamento indicando que pensar nesse todo indivisível, podemos atingir de maneira impactante os resultados que queremos, psicológica e fisicamente.

Movimentos e a atividades físicas envolvem a todos, começando com bebês e crianças pequenas. Crianças que se movem, atingem marcos cognitivos mais rápidos. Usar fraldas por muito tempo e andadores por exemplo, pode limitar a capacidade da criança pequena a interagir com o mundo e dificultar o processo de aprendizagem do andar. Quanto mais rápido as crianças aprendem a andar e explorar, mais rápido e melhor se desenvolve a parte cognitiva.

Trazer a atividade física em várias matérias pode ajudar as crianças na escola. Não podemos apenas confinar nossos alunos em suas cadeiras – devemos fazê-los levanter e se movimentar! Quando a matéria for matemática ou física, trazer os alunos para experiências físicas, pode mudar como seus cérebros processam as informações e pode trazer um melhor desempenho em uma prova, por exemplo. O movimento também ajuda a explicar a conexão entre a música e a matemática. Por que as crianças tendem a se destacar e ambas matérias? Porque as áreas do cérebro que controlam a destreza dos dedos e números tendem a se sobrepor em grande parte delas.
Uma área de especial interesse para mim é a ideia de que o exercício pode ajudar na saúde mental, bem como no desempenho acadêmico.

PilatesEVO

Pesquisas mostram que manter crianças em atividade física é importante não só para o seu bem-estar físico, mas para o seu bem-estar mental. O exercício é igualmente importante para os adultos mais velhos pois, pode promover o envelhecimento saudável mental e fisico. Existem diferenças claras na saúde do cérebro de idosos que praticam alguma atividade física, em comparação com os idosos mais sedentários, principalmente nos aspectos de pensamento, raciocínio e memória. Sabemos que o exercício aeróbico pode alterar a estrutura e funcionamento do cérebro, sendo então a chave para melhorar a saúde mental. Atividades como nadar, correr , andar de bicicleta, caminhar ou até mesmo fazer as tarefas domésticas em um ritmo vigoroso pode beneficiar o cérebro, além de manter o corpo em forma.

Aqui estão algumas idéias simples que você pode utilizar em suas aulas e em sua própria vida diária:
-Faça pausas durante o trabalho ou durante algum problema inquietante para dar chance ao seu cérebro de se “reagrupar” e “reiniciar”. Caminhar para longe do problema com pausas envolvendo atividades físicas te ajudam a resolvê-lo.
-A postura do seu corpo e as expressões não são apenas reflexos de sua mente – elas podem influenciar em seu humor. Fique em pé para dar confiança a você mesmo e esteja consciente de suas expressões faciais. Seu cérebro usa suas expressões como pistas para sentir as emoções. Sorrir pode realmente te fazer sentir mais feliz.
-Pratique em reais condições em que você terá que realizar – mesmo se for falar em público, uma prova ou um encontro importante. Também é bom praticar em frente à outras pessoas então quando todos os olhos estão em você, não é nada novo.
-Escreva, “coloque para fora”. Transferir o que sente para o papel pode te ajudar a lidar com o stress de um teste ou preocupações do dia-à-dia. Colocar preocupações no papel, te ajuda a reduzir stress e o quanto ele pode afetar sua saúde.
-Passe um tempo no meio da natureza com a maior frequência que puder e encontre tempo para meditar. A ciência mostra que caminhar no meio de um bosque rejuvenece nossas mentes e melhora nossa habilidade de prestar atenção e a focar em objetivos. Meditação por alguns minutos durante o dia pode ajudar a aliviar a ansiedade e a dor crônica. Também melhora o auto-controle ajudando-nos no trabalho e a quebrar hábitos ruins, como fumar.
Pequenas coisas que fazemos podem trazer grandes efeitos positivos. Não temos que gastar horas tentando melhorar nossa saúde física e mental mas, aplicando técnicas simples, podemos começar a fazer mudanças importantes em nossas vidas e nas vidas dos nossos alunos!

Chris Hunt PilatesEVO

Chris Hunt – Nascido em Londres/Criador do Método PilatesEVO que utiliza movimentos mais funcionais, PNL, meridianos e meditação (utilizado por muitos instrutores de Pilates em vários países incluindo Russia e toda a Europa, chegando agora no Brasil!).Trabalha com Pilates há 25 anos. Parceiro da MR3 – Sport/Training/Nutrição em São Paulo (com Marcelo Capella). Cursos no Brasil (São Paulo, dias 19, 20, 21 e 22 de Maio). Contato: educations@pilatesevo.com

Traduzido pela fisioterapeuta Dra. Renata Barros dos Santos (MR3 – Sport/Training/Nutrição)

Stormy Barcelona Cathederal

 

Cathederal in the rain

www.chrishuntwellness.com

It’s a stormy morning in Barcelona today, but I like to walk and run in the cool summer rain. We have to accept and see the beauty in rain and storms, and the sun is never far behind.

Chris is an international Pilates presenter and educator based in Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also organises Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. For more information about Pilates with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway?

Barcelona: A runner’s dream

The Streets 1

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“I see drawings and pictures in the dirtiest of corners”: Van Gogh

Everytime I run around Barcelona, it gives me so many photo opportunities. For such a small city, it’s jam-packed with beauty.

Chris is an international Pilates presenter and educator based in Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also organises Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. For more information about Pilates with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway?

 

 

Chris Hunt Blog is moving!

So, after having so much fun with my blog over the past few months, the limitations of having it on the free WordPress hosting have become just too unbearable. So today my blog will be moved to the new domain address of www.chrishuntblog.com.

This move should be seamless, and the new domain hosting should be up and running by this evening, but if there are any problems then please let me know because I do not want to lose any of my valued subscribers or readers.

So here’s to a brave new world. Well, it’s not so new. And it isn’t really brave either.

Chris is an international Pilates presenter and educator based in Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also organises Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. For more information about Pilates with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway?

 

Free Pilates Session: The more we give, the more we recieve

Chris Hunt Pilates

You want a free Pilates session with Chris Hunt? Tweet “I want Chris Hunt Pilates” with the hashtags #chp, #pilates and #barcelona and you can win!

www.chrishuntwellness.com

I talk a lot about being Buddhist and about giving. In these times of austerity, maybe we do not have as much money to give away, but no matter what our financial situation, we can always give away our time and our expertise. And I have absolutely no doubt that the more we give, the more we receive.

So, as I am someone who practises what I preach, I will be giving away a free Pilates session with me every week. You can have the session in person if you are in Barcelona, we can arrange to meet if I will be travelling to your country soon, or you can have the session online.

All you have to do is follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/thechrishunt and tweet “I want Chris Hunt Pilates” with the hashtags #chp, #pilates and #Barcelona. Simple.  You can enter each week as many times as you want to and I will announce the winner every Friday. So good luck, and I hope to see you soon for a private Pilates session!

Chris is an international Pilates presenter and educator based in Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also organises Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. For more information about Pilates with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway?

 

Sugar Ray and Pilates for the over 50’s

Sugar Ray Leonard

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Anyone who reads my blogs regularly will know that there is nothing I love more than a good Pilates story about men doing Pilates. One of my aims in life is to get more men doing Pilates, to convince more men of the benefits of Pilates, and to dispel the myth that still perpetuates that Pilates is only for girls.

So what better example than one of the most famous boxers alive today?

Sugar Ray Leonard, the five-world champion, is now 57, but he needs to exercise and eat like a champ. He still describes himself as “vain” and still a “disciplined athlete,” which is a combination that inspires him to exercise and practice moderation in all things. Health and fitness after 50 he says is about attitude, fortitude and being realistic about what your body can do. His advice? “Check your ego at the door” and “use what you can.” This is an excellent attitude for the over 50’s. It’s about balance. Sugar Ray again speaks wisdom when he says “People say ‘Oh God, I can’t do anything, also, they try to maintain what they were doing when they were 20 or 30”.

As a professional boxer, Leonard’s typical workout consisted of a 5-mile run, hundreds of sit-ups and push-ups and hours pounding bags at the gym. Today, he recommends an age-appropriate variation on that intense training: a half-hour on an elliptical machine because it’s easier on the knees, combined with bicep curls and 10 to 20 squats, sit-ups and push-ups.  But back trouble, arthritic knees and a torn rotator cuff signal the wear and tear of aging. Two years ago, he experienced pain and tingling in his back, arm and chest. He was told that he had an issue with his back because of all the punching he did.

To address this, he started Pilates. Did he find it hard? “(Bleep) yeah! I said, ‘I can’t do this’ — because I turned 50, and I hadn’t used those kind of muscles. I’d been a fighter like this for 40 years. So, now I look in the mirror and straighten it up … and I incorporate all those (exercises) into my training.”

So like many people, Sugar Ray came to Pilates because of an issue with his body. It’s a shame he didn’t know about Pilates all those years ago because it would’ve no doubt helped to improve his performance and condition. I work with many athletes via my business www.sportcorestrength.com and the improvements that even an Olympic athlete can make are nothing short of astounding.

But the moral of my story is that it is never too late. In his own words “It’s all about dreaming. If you don’t dream, you get old. You have to dream.”

If you want more information about Pilates for sport, rehabilitation or anything else, then please contact me via my website, Facebook or the form below.

Chris is an international Pilates presenter and educator. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also organises Pilates Carnivals, Pilates conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. Read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway? for more.

 

Exercise is only one part of “Total Fitness”

Woman Running

www.chrishuntwellness.com

Regular readers of my blog will know that I have written before about Alzheimer’s and mental conditions, as this is a very personal issue for me (see Dementia: I lost my father, don’t lose yours, Mental health and exercise and Let’s talk about depression).

So as a fitness professional and a Pilates and functional training presenter,  I am very interested by studies that link exercise with mental health and brain function, and I am convinced that this link exists and should influence us as trainers and the public in general.

All Pilates teachers will be very familiar with the mind and body link, but in my opinion every trainer should also consider this. I am  happy to report to you about a recent study in the US that suggests that aerobic exercise in your 20s may protect the brain in middle age. Activities that maintain cardio fitness such as running, swimming and cycling, led to better thinking skills and memory 20 years on.

Scientists say the research adds to evidence the brain benefits from good heart health. As fitness professionals will know, cardio fitness is a measure of how well the body absorbs oxygen during exercise and transports it to the muscles. Researchers at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, tested almost 3,000 healthy people with an average age of 25. They underwent treadmill tests of cardiovascular fitness during the first year of the study and again 20 years later. They were asked to run for as long as possible before they became exhausted or short of breath.

Cognitive tests taken 25 years after the start of the study measured memory and thinking skills. People who ran for longer on the treadmill performed better at tests of memory and thinking skills 25 years on, even after adjusting for factors such as smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol. People who had smaller time differences in their treadmill test 20 years later were more likely to perform better on the executive function test than those who had bigger differences.

“Many studies show the benefits to the brain of good heart health,” said study author Dr David Jacobs. “This is one more important study that should remind young adults of the brain health benefits of cardio fitness activities such as running, swimming, biking or cardio fitness classes.” Dr Jacobs said a concept was emerging of total fitness, incorporating social, physical and mental aspects of health. “It’s really a total package of how your body is and the linkage of that entire package of performance – that’s related to cognitive function many years later and in mid-life,”

Dr Simon Ridley, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “A growing body of evidence suggests exercise may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and much research has shown a link between healthy habits in mid-life and better health in old age. Investment in research is vital to better understand how we can protect our brains as we age.”

So this information, taken in conjunction with previous studies detailed in my previous blogs, continues to add weight to the body of evidence that suggests our physical and our mental state are inextricably linked. The concept of “total fitness”, meaning that all trainers should be thinking about advising their clients of the social and mental aspects of their health as well as the physical aspects, is something that I incorporated into my Pilates EVO© and my bodyFUNC© systems several years ago.

If we want to get the best results for our clients, and give the best possible service, it is not enough to simply give them a training problem for their gym sessions. Our advice must go much further and much deeper.

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“What is twerking?” Google has all the answers

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Twerking

Google have released the details of the most common searches from the UK during 2013, and there are a few surprises.

Facebook remains the most common search, but with 800 million users world-wide (I cannot help but wonder if clearly these people have access to a computer and the internet, why they do who actually doesn’t know what Facebook is?) “how to lose weight” is another common question, and it is encouraging to know that a lot of people are at least asking this question, let’s hope that they a good answer: exercise and diet with a big helping of Pilates EVO ;). The list provided by Google is a good guide to the “buzz” words of the previous year, so it’s no surprise that Twerking features so prominently. I’m thinking of releasing the next new fitness crazy as part of my bodyFUNC© franchise, bodyFUNC Twerk-fit. You heard it here first folks! So no one need doubt Ms Cyrus’ game-plan as it is clearly working.

The fastest rising personality was Paul Walker, due to his tragic and untimely death. Gone too soon… Margaret Thatcher also was popular as was Nelson Mandela so in death this world-leaders at least keep their legacy and the public’s interest alive. The late great Lou Reed also featured highly, so again it’s nice to think that a new generation of music fans will keep his memory alive.

Social and political trends are also clear. Rightmove, the housing website grew in popularity in line with rising house prices, and Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London was the most popular political search. Other interesting seasonal searches included “how to make pancakes”, “how to play guitar”, “how to get a flat stomach”, and “how to reset an iPod”. I am very proud to say that I did not feel the need to use any of these search terms. It doesn’t take much to make me proud clearly, but you can be sure that I can cook a mean pancake and keep my flat stomach!

It will come as no surprise that no only are pornographic searches excluded from these figure, but that they would feature at the top of most categories. Some things never change, but whilst the internet in general and Google in particular are much maligned, they are of course here to stay and give us an interesting insight as to how the minds of people work.

Here is the full list of “most searched”:

Facebook
YouTube
Google
Hotmail
eBay
BBC News
Amazon
Daily Mail
Argos
Yahoo

Chris Hunt bodyFUNC TRX training

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bodyFUNC TRX workout
bodyFUNC TRX workout

Chris Hunt bodyFUNC TRX training

Here is a little look at me training. I’m using some of the training techniques I use when teaching my system bodyFUNC, a system designed to be functional and of course fun!