New Year New You

Can you believe a year has nearly been and gone already? me neither! with new years at our finger tips we look back over 2015 and the memories it holds and look forward to what 2016 has in store for us all.

for most of us 2016 will start with a detox and a diet, the christmas period is one where we over indulge and the winter nights are still long and arduous, which makes exercising that much more harder when you want to snuggle up to a good film on the sofa. So if you make any resolution which involves losing weight and exercising this forth coming year than make sure it is one which id doable so you don’t join the hundreds that fall out of love with the gym come the following month.

Faddy diets are at large this time of the year and its easy to get sucked into the idea of instant weight loss, but many of them will not give you the energy you need to sustain a good gym session. Real change comes with understanding exercise and nutrition, so a good personal trainer should help give you the guidance and the confidence to make the right decisions inside and outside the gym.

I have not decided on my new years resolution as yet, but if you have any really cool ones i would love to hear from you… May help me find inspiration before the year is up.

If you have any queries about starting exercise or an eating plan in 2016 please feel free to contact Nathan@fashionfitnessspecialists.com .

Id like to wish you all a happy new year and may 2016 be a happy and healthy one…

Hannah x

Let your emotions fuel your Success.

Most Humans are naturally emotional creatures, some more than others but the fact still remains. We spend a good chunk of our lives learning to handle or deal with the emotions we experience along the bumpy road we call life. We let emotions hold us back, we hide them, we ignore them and we let them all come out at once.

It is a known stigma that men handle emotion differently, by that i mean…Hiding it or have an issue showing it (Not all men). But there is a way of channeling it, by no means am i trying to be a therapist, i do not have the qualifications or the knowledge, however i do know what has worked for me in the past and maybe by sharing it can help you.

Exercise is a great way of relieving emotion, a bad break up left me feeling angry so i turned a negative into a positive. I ran on the tread mill and i ran outside until i couldn’t feel my legs or thoughts anymore. When i am upset i box with my business partner and PT Nathan, the same goes when i feel relaxed and i attend a yoga or Pilates class. I can find an exercise for almost every emotion. It deters me from taking it out on the people around me and i know that i am making myself stronger physically and mentally.

At the start of this year i began running a new route, which finished with a really steep hill. At first i could just about make it to the top but could not find it in me to make the last 10 meters followed by steps. For a month i continued to persist because i would not let the hill beat me. I look at that hill the same way i look at my life and career, because i did make it to the top and that’s how you can let your emotions fuel your success.

Thanks for the reading, for further information on exercise you can visit my website http://www.fashionfitnessspecialists.com/

Hannah x

Time for a Change?

Reflecting back on last week it really has been a whirl wind within fitness, my emotions were riding high watching the London marathon on Sunday. It really is inspirational to see so many shapes and sizes, young and old running the length of london supporting some great charities, not forgetting the funky costumes which are always a highlight to the day.

It can not go unnoticed however the storm which has been brewing over the very controversal advert which features a model in a yellow bikini promoting Protein World with the slogan “Are you beach body ready”. Women and men in their thousands are speaking loud and clear in objection and have taken to some extreme measures to getting their point across with the advert being ripped down on many central lines. unfortunately when it comes to marketing “No press is bad press” regardless of the impact it has on the public. However i think it is highlighting an important shift in people’s mindset not to be so tolerant of what we are subjected to having to see, and be made to feel. Because recently this year a similar ad was released of a man exiting the tube naked and yet it did not seem to have the same backlash. It shows that something is changing or shifting, which is a positive step forward especially as the fitness industry is flooded with these adverts. The perfect body is different to each and every one of us despite the stereotype, what is most important is sustaining a healthy lifestyle in a realistic way.

Pioneering the future of fashion

I have always been a big fan of brands that come together to create a unique piece or collection, it’s specially popular amongst sports brands and high-end designers. This can been seen recently with Kanye West latest collection and the recent partnership between Adidas and Y-3 with the new Garros Collection for the French open. Technology is paving the way in fashion and sportswear, it genuinely exciting to see fashion becoming so future forward. For sportswear it means that we “the general public” are available to shop innovative clothing and footwear to maximise our training and workout aswell as track it with our phones, iPads, Apple watches, Fuel wristbands and any other hand-held device on the market.

However design is just as important as the use of the product itself, and sportswear in particular gives us the opportunity to be a little more adventurous in our choices of colours and patterns. And I say why the hell not?  Our sportswear wardrobe is just as important as any other part of our wardrobe. I made the mistake many years ago by neglecting my sports wardrobe and in doing so, used to go running in my leather Converse’s. Thinking about it now I feel pretty stupid, because I suffered from the most awful shin splints that summer, a lesson well and truly learnt that I shall not repeat. Which just goes to show how important proper footwear can be to train in, along with the right support in other areas like the chest and groin.

Although Nike & Adidas amongst other high street retailers are renowned for there sportswear, it does not mean to say there are not other options available, especially online such as fabletics, Boden, Lija & Stella McCartney that have some great collections for spring/summer.

Fitness and Nutrition

A Health /Fitness adviser in 2015 could kill you

Apologies for the alarming title but i wanted to bring to light the danger of health & Fitness advice been given out by “qualified” coaches and trainers in 2015 and why you should be careful when choosing someone for support. I am going to highlight some of the way to make sure you don’t fall victim to dangerous or poor advice which can burn a hole in your pocket fast and leave you worse off than you started.

Due to the large growth in the Health & fitness sector many more people are excited to start a career and help others improve their health and break down the barriers people face day-to-day such as poor nutrition, lack of motivation and improper training techniques.
Health & fitness sector has grown into a 4 billion pound industry excluding many of the areas of coaching and new unregulated jobs have been born.

About me

I indeed share a passion in Health & Fitness and have the utmost respect for anyone wanting to develop a career in such a rewarding industry. I have come across certain choices along my path in higher education and how I would specialise in my education and try to become an expert in my field.

I decided to become a personal trainer and had pride to tell people I could honestly help them address their fitness goals, whether they would like to run a marathon or lose 50 lbs. This was because I learned everything I could in biology at college and with two years through university. I studied hard to understand how the body works and how many factors affect strategizing a plan for a perfect program in exercise.

The threat to us all is education
This explosion in the industry has link directly to multiple platform learning schemes and many short-term course providers attempting to cater for the rise in awareness of the importance of health and social stigmas of beauty (six pack abs). This has lead to a large increase in jobs but drop in professional competence. Very often people are drawn by a passion in health and fitness with a career acquired in a matter of weeks and the promise of charging big money by the hour.
Some of these course providers are accredited and often some are not, the fundamental consistency is with clever marketing “earn 60k a year can in 12 weeks” it can often be an enticing career path. Below are some of the accrediting bodies which approve many great courses but need to be addressed in an industry expanding fast without any real regulators. Many of these courses offer certification in broad areas such as Exercise, Fitness, nutrition and improvement in physical and mental health. These courses should be better used to offer further learning for many qualified professionals and expand their skills set not to produce an entire new job role with less experience and education. The foundation of the health and fitness education system could soon be under permanent threat from payed courses offering the quick option with false promises to individuals looking to get back into work and youngsters looking to start their career.

Wait a minute; what advice can you give me?
I was sent a message by wellbeing coach a few months back who asked me if i wanted any advice on health and nutrition, this was of course not in person , it was through a friends social platform and i have privacy settings on so she was unaware I worked in this sector. My reply was polite and I did inquire further about what she would be offering. To my surprise she was pretty much a guru referencing her skills set to that of a personal trainer, Dietician and therapist all rolled up one. I asked her more information about the wellbeing title and she explained details around her qualification which seemed interesting but with further research suggested she may have been let loose on me within 8 weeks. Surprisingly I did not take her up on the package but it did leave me wondering maybe I should branch out. (Joke)
After I stopped laughing it did settle in that this is a real in danger for people who would take someone’s certificate at face value. With the large growth of jack of all trade type approach to marketing, I am left feeling more worried for the potential client and indeed the practitioner than ever before. We can all remember many cases where a client has prosecuted a health practitioner for negligence and practices that could have been life threatening. I always remember through my education many moments I truly believed I was an expert in nutrition because of large areas covered in training, but I was always aware of the dangers of writing a custom nutrition plans. I was taught great respect for dietitians going through 3 years of university to deliver that safely and effectively.Do you know what these jobs really provide and the experience they have?

Below is a small coaching list which even after years the skill set can surprise. This is not a personal attack on these particular type of coaches but important in highlighting claims of expertise listed by several course providers.Well-being

coach
Claim to advise on

• Holistic weight management
• Role of Food
• Meaning of Success
•  Mindfulness, Meditation and Relaxation
• Reduce health risks
• Managing Stress

Period of training: 5 night residential programme- 38 week online

Life coach

Claim to advise on

• Improve health & get fit
• Building and sustaining motivation
• Designing actions
• Career direction
• Dealing with Procrastination
• Confidence
• Period of training: A Diploma Correspondence Course of 14 Lessons- 7 month online courses

Health coach

Claim to advise on
Different approach for this one I contacted one of the leading training company’s.

“A Health Coach advises clients in Nutrition, but also looks at the big picture; making lifestyle and behavioural changes to compliment dietary changes.”
Quote From an Integrated nutrition advisor

Period: Online year-long

Consequences linked to poor Health & Fitness advice 

To list a few common cases

• Acute injuries
• Deficient minerals and vitamins
• Serious spinal damage and posterior imbalances
• Depression
• Low self esteem
• Body dysmorphia

But surely you get what you pay for?

Often this can be the case but common to misconception a lot of personal trainers also in the industry could have studied from computer based programs for as little as 12 Weeks through fast track courses. My opinion to all potential paying clients is to do your homework on any health professional and find out what you are paying for.

Potential clients should

• Request testimonials
• Ask for qualifications and check accrediting bodies
• If unsure of qualification type Google (boring I know) and do a bit of research on the course
• Keep away from multiple sales offerings (bad sign for confidence in delivering one service)

I am the co-founder alongside my Sister Hannah Drury Ellis of Fashion Fitness Specialists, a lifestyle company that utilises an amazing team of professionals to aid our clients in improving their overall health and image.

Nathan Drury Ellis “Surround yourself with the right people and great things can be achieved”

Stress Relief

My Nan said to me not long ago… “Hannah i would not trade places with you now, it’s a struggle for young people in the 21st century.” And this is coming from a lady who has experienced war and rations. I do not doubt that experiencing a war is far more drastic living situation, however everybody had their place in society. Where as finding your footing in a career and a lifestyle is stressful for the modern-day man and woman, the type of stress is a very different one. One i guess generations before us struggle to understand sometimes because today is very different to 70 years ago. Technology for one has been moving at the speed of light for the past 10 years and in doing so has a massive part to play in our daily lives, but also very much contributes to added stress we all bare.

We all combat stress differently,whether we suppress it, control it, smoke or eat the entire contents of the fridge so as to feel a momentary few minutes of satisfaction and relief from the strain it has put upon us. The bottom line being, Stress if not dealt with is unhealthy and that’s a FACT.

Personally i have a great deal of pressure build up in my back if i am stressed, so i attend a Pilates class to stretch out my muscles, which helps a great deal in releasing it, i also channel stress through running hard if i am upset and that seems to work for me. But there are alternate methods which are proven to help stress such as pad work, high intensity exercise and even trying to get an early night so your body can recover from the day because sleep is just as important to help aid recovery.

If you have some interesting methods of stress relief, id love to hear your thoughts.

Defining Motivation

Motivation… how do we find it? and where the hell does it disappear to sometimes? I find myself wondering this as i am sure do you. Along the bumpy road of success and failure, it is what keeps us going after-all. Usually there comes a point where you take a moment and say “Something has to change.” It’s about choosing a goal and driving towards achieving it, whether that is your health, career, family or financial status etc. The Dictionary definition being:

Motivation

/ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃən/

noun

1.the act or an instance of motivating

2.desire to do; interest or drive

3.incentive or inducement

4.(psychol) the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behaviour.

The Dictionary can only tell you so much because above all MOTIVATION is a state of mind, so those days you wake up and you really do not want to get out of bed, and you are battling a devil on one shoulder saying sleep and an Angel on another saying get up. Well it is those choices that define our motivation. The same way the biggest challenge of working-out is putting on your trainers in the first place.

My Motivation is my business, http://www.fashionfitnessspecialists.com/ driving it forward to help as many people as possible and being the role model needed to represent a fashion,fitness & lifestyle company. My business partner and personal trainer is also a big motivation for me.

So i am going to put the question to you… What keeps you motivated? so we can share great tips and help inspire.

Beware the video attached is powerful!

Creatures of habit

The title of this post probably will give you idea of where this written piece is going, but i do not wish to be a blog that lectures, but instead somewhat helpful in viewing things differently. It is true for many of us that falling into a routine is necessary for the purposes of work and family, to sustain lifestyles to which we become accustomed to. That is not the issue, the issue begins when bad habits start creeping in without anyone being none the wiser to them.

I will be first to put my hands up and say i love sharing a tub of ice cream with my partner or a bar of chocolate (a big one obviously). However it is relatively common knowledge that when we become too comfortable within relationships it can be easy to gain weight. Food is a sociable aspect of our lifestyles in very much the same way drinking is. Combine that with the daily stress of life, lack of sleep, skipping breakfast, grabbing bad food on the go and turning in our trainers for slippers then suddenly we have become a creature of habit.

The answer maybe obvious, just STOP and change, but it is not always easy to see where you are going wrong to begin with. So where do you start? Sometimes it is better to focus on what would be positive to incorporate into your lifestyle instead of focussing on what needs cutting out constantly. For instance if the idea of running is unbearable, try a fitness class local in your area. Small changes, and you may find that other lifestyle hobbits will fall in line. But it is important to stay motivated in creating positive change.

Below you will find a short Video from one of our clients highlighting what he has learned from Fashion Fitness Specialists so far in his lifestyle change.

Dress to be Addressed…

At some point we wake up one morning and start evaluating our life, lifestyle and future and wonder where we are going wrong? Suddenly you are 2 stone heavier than you last remember and the mirror doesn’t seem to like you as much as it once did. It seemed like only yesterday you were a lean machine and somehow it’s slipped away like a fox in the night. You can blame it on age and say that your metabolism has slowed down, you’ve become too comfortable in your relationship or suddenly you don’t have the time like you used to because of X, Y and Z. It is not easy juggling a busy lifestyle and sometimes you just need to admit to yourself that you may just need a little help.

The problem is that how you represent yourself can speak a thousand words, it is just the society we live in where we are often judged before we open our mouth. For example… Usually a gentleman who is well-built and turns up to work in a suit which means business, will show that he has dedication ( because he keeps himself in shape) and is in control of his lifestyle because everything about his image represents that. Especially within industries such as finance, where it is important to show you are in control of your life when you are in control of someones money.

So what does your image say about you? Does it make you stand out for the right reasons in the workplace? or outside the workplace? Does it help people respect you?

Below i have upload some key tips for menswear styling (bare-with me, i usually prefer being behind the camera), however i hope you find it helpful, feel free to contact me if this article applies to you.

Mind over Matter

As we go through life there will always be people we stumble upon who like to reiterate the fact that something cannot be done or it is incredibly difficult to achieve.  There is by no means an issue with a reality check every now and then, we all need those to keep us grounded. However that is not to say your goal cannot be achieved or if you put in the hard work you will not find success.

During my career so far i can relay many instances where what felt like the impossible became achievable through pure determination. My career in fashion began this way as well as my journey to london. After graduating university you are always faced with the big question so much so you get aggravated by hearing it…”So what are you going to do now?” my response being “im going to move to the big city and start my career”. This was always met with a common negative response of “how are you going to afford that?” Being a poor ex student i had no way of affording it to be honest, but i found away around that by becoming a part-time live-in nanny whilst working full-time in editorial to build up my portfolio, rent after all is what burns a hole in your pocket in London.

I find i face the same issue at the gym the same way I’ve faced my career, there will always be someone in your head saying you cannot do this its too hard. Truth be told your body can give so much more than what you think it can, my PT brother & business partner Nathan always used to say.

So when your mind is ready to give up, know that there is always a little left in the tank. Over time you will be able to squash those thoughts like you squash the negative people who say you CAN’T, and its is that determination and motivation which helps you achieve your goals in the gym and in life…