Category: Uncategorized

  Mid-way through a recent group exercise class, the teacher lost me.  She didn’t lose me because of some complicated step sequence or insanely long set of burpees; I mentally checked out because of a few words she kept saying over and over.  “Come on!  Get that body ready for your winter beach vacation!  Think […]

1) Beet juice for stamina Recent research shows that this ruby red root veggie may be more effective at boosting energy than caffeine, or nearly anything you’ll find in the supplement aisle. When UK researchers asked male athletes to down either 16 ounces of organic beetroot juice or a placebo, those who gulped the real […]

Having made the decision to start running, it is extremely easy to make a series of mistakes that could put you off the sport for life. So read on to make sure you don’t fall off the running bandwagon before you’ve even really got on it. Wrong shoes Despite the very good advice on offer […]

       by Mariane Wray   Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”,serif; border:none;} Those of you who have been to Luang Prubang before know that it is a UNESCO […]

by  Mariane Wray Those of you who have been to Luang Prubang before know that it is a UNESCO World Heritage area on the banks of the Mekong River, with many beautiful temples and the ritual giving of alms to the monks every morning. It is well worth a visit. This time, my second visit […]

“Boot Camp”….. someone answered when asked what they did for exercise. It immediately evoked images from my younger years in Northern Ireland during the ‘troubles’.  Images of army training near my home which appeared to involve running up and down the Mourne  mountains in all weathers dressed in full fatigues and weighed down with back […]

Consistency is the key for long-term health and fitness, says Karen Coghlan.  Spot reduction refers to the belief that fat can be targeted for reduction from a specific area of the body. For example, we are led to believe: ? If you have stubborn belly fat, you need to do more sit-ups ? If you […]

By Mariane Wray – WBC Coach (Adapted from the American Council on Exercise Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Manual) Life has changed since I was young. No longer do kids roam the neighbourhood for hours on end with their friends, and turn up at someone’s house when they get hungry. No, now we live in […]

Your mother was right — good posture is important! According to the American Chiropractic Association, good posture helps us stand, walk, sit and lie in positions that place the least strain on our muscles and ligaments. Poor posture can lead muscle strain and uneven muscle development and can make you more prone to injury and […]