We have all heard the phrase use it or lose it. This applies predominantly to our physical fitness. As you will be aware to maintain a healthy body weight it is essential to combine a healthy diet with an active lifestyle.

But what sort of exercise is appropriate for you?

The best type of exercise for weight management is cardiovascular exercise. This activity increases your heart rate and exercises muscles.

An exercise regime of three or more times per week should enable you to fit you fitness programme into a busy lifestyle and achieve your goals of maintaining fitness levels important for both mind and body.

Effective exercising should make you feel slightly out of breath but do avoid pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion especially if this is at the beginning of your new exercise regime. It is best to start slowly and build up the time and intensity of your workout so you slowly increase your fitness levels. Once you have increased these levels, exercise will become easier and more enjoyable.

Opinions differ on how frequently exercise should take place but perceived wisdom is that a minimum of 30 minutes per session will have an impact on helping you achieve your goals. If you are able to exercise for longer then the goals will be achieved and maintained more quickly.

Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. Any activity that keeps your heart rate elevated will be worthwhile and this will include most team sports such as rugby, cricket, football and basketball  among others, as well as individual sports such as tennis, squash, and badminton which are also brilliant exercise.

Swimming, dancing, jogging, walking, aerobics, cycling and just generally being active will all contribute to achieving the goals that you desire for both your health and fitness.

One cautionary note, if you are over the age of 35 and you are beginning a new fitness regime then it would be wise to see your doctor if you have had a number of years of secondary lifestyle. The doctor will advise on the best and most effective means of easing you into increased activity and you should not hesitate to seek the advice.

Remember, Mayfair we care

Nowadays many of us live a life in a way that is not really natural for either our bodies, or in many cases, our mental state. Of course, we are tough and many will adapt sooner or later.

However, there are negative side effects that many of us have to deal with and severe fatigue is definitely one of those side effects.    

The pace of an average person's life has increased significantly over the past two decades. And even at primary school, we all have countless pressures and often too much to deal with.

Important Note:   Severe fatigue can be a side effect of countless diseases and mental illnesses, and as such it is extremely important to visit your personal doctor as soon as possible if you are facing constantly weary.        

What is Severe Fatigue?     

The severity of fatigue is rather hard to determine as we all deal with fatigue in different ways. What might be an extreme case for one person may be just tiredness for someone else and if you are simply tired, or even exhausted, by the end of a tough and long day, you are not facing severe fatigue. The term severe fatigue is used when one is constantly tired.

When one must deal with very low energy levels all day every  day for then you've probably got severe fatigue on your hands and should definitely schedule an appointment with your doctor to check your physical and mental health.

How to Fight Severe Fatigue?     

Once you have determined that the cause of severe fatigue doesn't actually lie in health issues, then it is time to take the matter in your own hands. For a healthy person to be facing severe fatigue, it absolutely means s/he is doing quite a few things wrong and that s/he should make some lifestyle changes ASAP.    

Understanding that modern-day pace of life can result in many perfectly healthy individuals facing severe fatigue too often. For those, we offer the following hints and tips to get your energy levels back to normal.     

Get more sleep    

Many of us deal with the crazy pace of work and life in general by creating longer days and cutting down on sleep hours to work longer or fit in some leisure time. Keep in mind that we all need to get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is basically recovery time and we just can't function properly without getting enough of it.    

Change your dietary habits    

Just as sleep is the recovery time, the food we consume is the fuel. If the fuel is of poor quality, it is just not providing our body with the nutrients it needs. Our body needs enough minerals, vitamins, healthy fats, fibre, proteins, and complex carbs. As such proper diet is as equally important as sleep. Examine the possibility of having a well balanced diet and try cutting out or reducing the amount of fast and processed food intake.   

Exercise      

It might sound strange to deal with severe fatigue by exercising, but a human body is built to move. You should aim to get at least 30 minutes of some sort of exercise performed daily. Walking is one of the healthiest choices. Also add some straight exercises, such as push-ups, squats, and lunges.

When we exercise our bodies produce hormones that will elevate your energy level and help you cope with severe fatigue.    

Everyone needs a relaxation    

If we are mentally exhausted, our physical state won't be any different. As such it is important to treat yourselves with some sort of relaxation that best suits you on a daily basis.

Meditation and Yoga (which will at the same time cover the above point) tend to be the most effective ones, but it can be anything you like that helps you relax and clear your mind; reading, or a hobby you enjoy are other alternatives to help you switch of from the daily grind.

In summary

If you believe you are dealing with severe fatigue, first schedule an appointment with your doctor. If you are physically and mentally healthy, you should change your lifestyle by improving all four aspects that affect your energy levels the most - SLEEP, DIET, EXERCISE, and RELAXATION.         

Good luck!

Mayfair, we care.

List of sources: 

https://www.healthline.com/health/fatigue#causes   https://www.webmd.com/balance/how-tired-is-too-tired#1   https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/fatigue/basics/causes/sym-20050894   https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248002.php

Research indicates that people who exercise on a regular basis have better mental health and emotional well-being. So why are you sitting there?!

Exercise, as we know, is great for our physical health. It helps to keep our hearts in good shape and our weight under control. In general, we are lowering the overall risk of heart disease. However, being active has a knock on affect that is often overlooked as it is also a powerful mood booster and stress buster.

Working out doesn’t only exercise the body it also lowers the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn helps relieve feelings of anxiety. It encourages the brain to release endorphins and serotonin which are often referred to as the bodies’ feel-good chemicals because of the positive impact on mental health. So it is easy to see how exercise is not only helping you keep physically fit but also having a positive effect on your mental health.

Sleep

By exercising regularly the likelihood is that you will sleep better. Poor sleep quality and mood disorders have been closely linked. Sleeping well boosts cognition because your body works to support healthy brain function while you sleep.

Self-esteem

People who are active often report feeling a sense of achievement which in turn increases their self-esteem. When we make new year’s resolutions and stick to them this gives us a sense of empowerment and control over our lives with an increased ability to cope.

Social benefits

Not only does exercise give you the chance to try new experiences such as walking, gym, cycling and dance classes, it provides the perfect opportunity to socialise and meet new friends. When meeting new people and experiencing new situations, the mood is enhanced accordingly.

Energy boost.

Being more active increases your fitness and your energy levels and this also has the positive impact on your mental well-being.

Don’t be put off.

When you think of exercise you probably have a vision of working out in the sweaty gym toiling away! However, research has indicated that just 30 minutes of moderate to intensive working out each day can provide significant benefits to overall well-being. So forget the gym, put on the walking shoes and go for a quarter of an hours walk at lunchtime, and a quarter of an hours walk in the evening - whatever suits you!

The brain loves exercise.

There is a benefit to taking your first walk of the day before you go to work. Exercise pumps blood to the brain which increases your ability to think clearly. This will have clear benefits when you arrive at your place of work with a clear mind and an action plan.

In conclusion, regular exercise is a no-brainer, it is simply a matter of making it part of your daily routine because the benefits are enormous.

Remember Mayfair, we care.

Are you a morning person or an evening person?

Morning people can spring out of bed ready for an early start and they are likely to live by the maxim that “the early bird catches the worm “. They will undertake their exercises before going to work and feel a certain self-satisfaction for having done so. They will also feel ready for the day ahead.

For others, leaping out of bed and going for exercise is something that is alien to them. They need that first coffee of the day before they feel human! So, for them, exercising at lunchtime or in the evening is more realistic and more likely to happen.

But does it matter? Are there advantages to exercising in the morning as opposed to the evening? We looked into it:

Morning people.

Those who exercise in the morning believes that it is an easier discipline to maintain. Making it the first task of the means that it is done, out of the way and they can move on Events of the day can often lead to a work out, or gym visit being put off – or so they believed.

There is research that suggests that early morning exercise is a great way to fire up the brain and increase alertness, and interestingly, reduced the potential for depression.

There is a simple reason for this – Endorphins.

Endorphins are a natural drug produced by the body during exercise that trigger a positive feeling in the body producing a more optimistic and energetic belief about yourself

There are those that will say that early morning exercise such as this kickstarts their day and makes them feel ready to take on anything that the day may throw at them – a positivity that will make the individual more productive.

Non-morning people

If you are not one of those who can cope with the thought of a run, a visit to the gym, or a bike ride first thing in the morning then don’t despair.

Did you know that muscle tone and body temperature begin to rise from 3 o’clock onwards? This makes afternoon the best time for strength training of vigourous exercise such as intense indoor cycling.

The afternoon is also when reaction time and flexibility are at a peak and this reduces the risk of injury.

However, be aware that exercise raises our core temperature, so exercise taken within four hours of bedtime could potentially make getting to sleep more difficult.

However different people experience different reactions therefore our conclusion would be that the best time to exercise is when it suits you, and when you feel you get the best out of the time spent exercising

Mayfair we care.

Every one of us has probably heard countless times that exercise and a full body check-up is good for us in more than one ways.

Maintaining a well-balanced lifestyle is one of the most challenging tasks in our modern lives. There are so many pressures from our profession, social lives, personal, family issues and others.

These matters are something all of us have to deal with on a daily basis. Sometimes it can get difficult trying to find a good balance between all these equally important aspects of our lives. While others are good at finding a balance, some will struggle throughout their entire lives. 

For those who struggle a lot, there is the possibility of mental stress which may lead to mental health issues at a later stage in their lives. In dealing with this problem, many health professionals have recommended the use of exercising as a major mechanism for dealing with stressful life and ultimately improving your mental capacity in dealing with the pressures of life.

Exercising is onerous at times when we just don’t feel like it, but it has numerous benefits besides building muscles and burning fat because it can be the most effective way of eliminating stress and improving your mood. 

Making it a habit

Getting regular exercise can help your body produce brain chemicals called endorphins that are known to improve mood. You don't even need to participate in an intense exercise, a brisk 20-minute walk should be enough to help your body produce these feel-good chemicals.

The best way of making the most of exercise is to find one that you enjoy and that you will carry out regularly to help maintain your fitness levels as well as your mood. This will also improve your overall health, which is another thing to feel good about. 

Keeping a consistent exercising routine will help improve your mental health and will, in turn, increase your capacity to juggle between your profession, family, social and all the important activities that make life worth living.

While this benefit is quite obvious, many people do not have the discipline to carry it through for a consistent period of time.  Statistics made available by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that people suffering from mental problems such as depression, amounts to about 300 million.

That is a huge and shocking number by all standards.

Fortunately, this is a problem that can easily be avoided if people took matters into their own hands. (http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression)  By exercising, a person is able to improve his or her mood, reduce symptoms of stress, anger, and depression, and ease anxiety and reduce cognitive decline.

Endorphins are hormones in the body that help improve your mood when the body inactive. Exercises such as running, jogging or walking are a few routines that can help you increase your endorphins.  Another form of hormones that improve your mental alertness is neutrophils and monoamines. This is related to the white blood cells. The white blood cells improve on your immune system with assistance from the neutrophils and monoamines.

Mayfair, we care.