Look After Your Legs

Published on April 16, 2010 in Blog. 0 Comments

I meet many folk with dodgy knees or ankles. It’s a pretty commonplace injury, and something that can often be avoided. Here are my top tips for keeping your legs ship shape:

-         If you go running, wear running shoes. Sounds obvious, but many people run in uncushioned shoes and so the impact from their foot hitting the tarmac reverberates up their leg. You don’t need to wear expensive shoes, but make sure they have adequate cushioning. If you have had sore ankles or knees in the past, you may wish to go to a specialist

running shop to get fitted. Likewise, if you go hill walking, wear proper boots.

-         Build up your distance training slowly. Try not to increase your distance more than 10% in any one week. You should ideally ‘peak’ and be able to cover the distance a few weeks prior to an event. So careful forward planning is essential to avoid injury.

-         Remember to stretch! A basic calf and quadriceps stretch are essential. Ankle circles are also helpful to keep the ankle mobile.

Compression tights, like these pictured, are a comfy way to help your legs recover from running or a long day on your feet.

-         If you feel pain, stop. If it is prolonged, visit a physiotherapist. Don’t try to train through an injury. Sore shins will only get worse unless offered adequate rest. There are other cardio options that may be suitable if you’re recovering from injury (i.e. swimming)

-         If you have ‘clicky’ joints, a fish oil supplement sometimes helps. You will probably know in a week or two of starting them if they will work for you, as your joints may stop ‘clicking’.

-         Try training on different surfaces. Tarmac is not very absorbent to run or walk on, so try training on grass, or even a sandy beach. The inside of Inverleith Park is nearly one mile around and you can do the whole perimeter on a dirt track (which can get quite muddy in the rain). Also the undulating surface can help to strengthen weak ankles.

-         Enjoy different exercises. Too many people do only road running and therefore develop very specific muscle strengths (and weaknesses).

If you need an exercise programme, or running-specific programme, visit www.getfitandenjoyit.com or call Tracy on 07743 741 088. Griffen Fitness has just opened a studio on Leith Walk…

Press Ups – the best upper body exercise…. ever!

Published on April 12, 2010 in Blog. 0 Comments

Press ups are one of my favourite exercises. Seriously. A good press up will tone the chest (very important for the ladies, to maintain a nice torso ‘profile’ – you wouldn’t hang a picture on a crumbling wall, if you get my drift), and also work into the triceps (back of the upper arm aka ‘bingo wings’).

Press ups can be done anywhere, anytime, without any equipment. If you do press ups three times a week, you will make progress steadily. Do them everyday for rapid progress.

There are three levels of press ups – the box press up, intermediate, and full press ups.

Box press up

Beginners version: Box Press Up

The box press up is the beginners version, or for those with little upper body strength.

You start on all fours, as pictured, and slowly bend your elbows to lower your nose to the floor. Breathe in on  the way down and out on the push up. Aim to lower your nose between your hands.

Try three sets of ten repetitions.

Intermediate Press Up

Next level: Intermediate Press Up

The next level up, the Intermediate press up, is suitable for those with some upper body strength, who want to progress and get stronger.

You can see that the back is flat, and body weight is further forward. This effectively means that you are pressing more of your body weight through your arms and chest.

Ensure when you do this press up that you lower your chest all the way down to the floor. This will ensure you are working your chest as well as your triceps.

After you can easily acheive three sets of ten of the intermediate, it’s simply a matter of lifting up your knees for…

Full press up

What to aim for: Full Press Up

The Full Press Up. It is a simple case of lifting your knees from the intermediate press up position to get to this level.

Ensure that your tummy is pulled in and your back straight. Shoulders should be relaxed. If you cannot hold the start position for more than a few seconds, then revert back to the intermediate level and concentrate on your form and abdominal strength.

All full press up should be performed nice and slow, breathing in on the way down and out on the way up. Ensure your chest goes all the way down. If  you can only go halfway down, revert to Intermiediate and practise going all the way down to the floor.

I like to do 3 sets of 10 reps of press ups, ideally everyday. You can build up by doing, say, one set of intermediate, one set of full and then a final set of intermediate. There is absolutely no shame in practising the intermediate level, as it will help you develop good form and a slow speed. If 3 sets of 10 is too easy, builing up to 3 sets of 11, 3 sets of 12 etc etc. Enjoy!

Feeling Fruity

Published on April 2, 2010 in Blog. 0 Comments

It was Andy and my wedding anniversary on Tuesday, fruit and flowers for four years. So to celebrate we went fruit bowl shopping in Edinburgh. We came to the conclusion that there’s a pretty dismal selection of fruit bowls, as not enough fruit is eaten in Scotland. Is it easier to buy a fruit bowl in a warmer country where more fruit is eaten, I wonder? So once we had sourced aforementioned fruit bowl, we decided we had to pile it high with lovely fruit from Tattie Shaws (pictured).

Our full fruit bowl

So all week we have been enjoying fruit smoothies, fruit salad and fruit to snack on. Grapes are a wonderful snack if you’re relaxing in front of a DVD… I also like adding a wedge of lime to water for maximum refreshment.  And weirdly sliced up apple taste better than a whole apple. Why is this?

Speaking of all food healthy, my Healthy Eating Evening at Real Foods on Wednesday was a great success. Thanks to all who came along and made it such a fun evening – there was a lot of culinary exploring going on… I discovered agave nectar, a low GI alternative to sugar, suitable for putting on porridge and cereal and adding to hot drinks. See http://www.groovyfood.co.uk/thingswemake/agavenectar.html for more info.

I’ve been blogging a lot about food lately (as more interesting stuff is coming into season, my interest in cooking has been reignited, so to speak), so next Friday I will blog about three different levels of press ups. Have a fab Easter!

We have Lift Off!

Published on March 26, 2010 in Blog. 1 Comment
Griffen Fitness signage

We have lift off!

It’s been a hectic week for Griffen Fitness – the scaffolding on Balfour Street was removed board by board on Monday, each board removing revealing more sunlight into the studio. On Wednesday, signwriter Robin Abbey (pictured) erected the new signage, hand-painted, complete with seagulls worked into the logo – well, they are the dominant bird species of Leith after all…

On the Fitness front, things are shaping up for spring, with runners and cyclists appearing on the streets of Edinburgh training for the many charity runs in auld reekie. You can find a good listing of runs to participate in at http://www.run4it.com/events/

Next week, spring fever continues (with more evening daylight – yay!), and in addition to training my regular clients, I am holding the inaugural Evening of Healthy Choices at Real Foods. There are still some tickets for this event on Wednesday 31st March, and we are trying to pre-sell them all so we don’t have a massive queue at the door. Drop me a line at getmefit@griffenfitness.com if you’d like to come along – only £5 for an informative tour of the Broughton Street store, £5 off your shopping and lots of tasters and recipes…

That’s it for this week, blog you next Friday!

Healthy Eating for Every Body

Published on March 5, 2010 in Blog. 0 Comments

It’s an exciting time in Edinburgh. The days are getting longer, the days (a bit) milder and exciting food is coming into season. It’s the time of year that many of us start to think about getting out and about and getting in shape. A good exercise programme (calories out) requires the intake of good quality fuel (calories in). The quality of fuel / food consumed can seriously influence an individuals fitness and energy output. An example of this is the Glycaemic Index, or how quickly food is burnt. The less processed the food, the more the body needs to process it, so consequently the steadier the energy release into bloodstream. This is why wholegrains are better than highly processed white fodder.

To find good quality fuel I avoid supermarkets as much as possible and prefer the numerous smaller shops we have locally. A firm favourite of mine has always been Real Foods (Broughton Street and Tollcross). It is still the only place I know in auld reekie that sells tempeh a.k.a. fermented soybean, a staple in Indonesian cooking. Yum! I have spent a fair amount of time in there pondering the advantages of almond butter over cashew. As a Personal Trainer who is often literally on the go for twelve hours a day, the quality of my food is paramount. This is even more applicable if you work in an office environment and are prone to mid afternoon energy dips.

So it is with pleasure that I announce the inaugural Healthy Eating Evening at Real Foods on March 31st. A £5 ticket will get you a guided tour of Real Foods, where I will informally chat to folk about what foods are great for keeping you in shape with natural zing. There will also be tastings, recipe handouts, a free goody bag and £5 off purchases over £30 on the night. Tickets are selling like hot (rice)cakes, so either drop into Real Foods or call me on 07743 741 088 for ticket delivery in your area.

Recipe: Tabbouleh –

Published on February 21, 2010 in Blog. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Here’s a recipe for Tabbouleh that I made for Thursday lunch at boot camp. It was served with felafel, low fat hommous in a wholemeal pita bread.

Tabbouleh –
serves 4

75g bulgur wheat
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ cucumber, peeled and chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
Big handful parsley, finely chopped
Small handful mint leaves, finely chopped
½ lemon, juiced
1 Tab olive oil

- Place bulgur in bowl and cover with 225ml boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes; drain and squeeze out excess water.

- In a mixing bowl, combine the bulgur, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Toss again prior to serving.

Article: The View From 3 Balfour Street

Published on February 17, 2010 in Blog. 0 Comments Tags: .

From The Leither Magazine, February 2010

Having spent the best part of the last five years cycling around Edinburgh to personal training clients, I am now very happy to have my very own ‘fitness base’ on the corner of Balfour Street. It’s a perfect place to people watch…

The view from the front window was the real clincher of the deal. It’s strangely fascinating watching the tidal flow of folk up and down Leith Walk. Weekday mornings most folk are walking up the way, iPods in ears and slightly distracted look on face. Between 5pm and 6pm it’s the opposite flow down the way. iPods are still firmly wedged in ears, but the individual’s stride is more bouncy as they are freed from the constraints of work for another day.

Mr Fitness and I have spent many a summer hour sat outside Vittorias watching folk do the ‘Leith Walk walk’. We even wrote a wee poem about it:

Sitting on the Walk of Leith,
Are people from all walks of life,
Drinking coffee and passing time,
Watching people from all walks of life,
Watching them walking by.

(The poem makes as much sense as the mythical / mystical tramworks).

There’s something about the gradient of Leith Walk that exaggerates any walking eccentricity. If someone has a limp, then they have a double limp getting down the Walk. Walking up Leith Walk is nowhere as much fun as the swagger from the toon doon the way. Now the ice has gone, that is.

Many people are lop-sided, either with a limp, a kicking out foot, heavy handbag on shoulder or babe in arms. It’s fascinating to watch people’s posture as they do the Leith Walk. What’s yours like? Do you always carry your stuff on one shoulder? Try swapping shoulders and feel the difference – it will feel weird to begin with, but your spine will thank you. As for heavy shopping bags, try packing two with an even weight and carrying one in each hand. It’s great that more and more shops are reluctant to supply plastic bags, so do your bit and take along a couple of sturdy shopping bags that you can load up evenly. Greener Leith have produced some retro hessian bags which will also give you a discount at various Leith retailers.

Whilst on the subject of Greener Leith, Ally from Greener Leith informs me that there are exciting long term plans for Leith Links in the pipeline. Think a café / toilets (how novel) and enhanced sporting facilities. This is all in the long term, pending funding. Check out the Greener Leith website at www.greenerleith.org for more information and how you can get involved. They do lots of community gardening, which is great exercise and very rewarding. Just remember to pull in your tummy muscles (“engage your core” in Pilates-speak) as you dig to protect your back and work your front.

I digress, so back to the important subject of people watching. If you’re an avid people watcher, then you definitely must read the essential people watching bible, the 1977 guide ‘Manwatching’ by Desmond Morris. He’s the same guy who penned ‘The Naked Ape’, and ‘Manwatching’ is another classic, especially the daggy pictures of folk in flares. Under the ‘Locomotion’ chapter I found the following excerpt,

“In any typical street scene one can spot strollers, walkers, shufflers and hurriers, all navigating their routes, weaving in and out of one another with great dexterity, and hardly ever colliding.” OK, So perhaps not Leith Walk on a Friday night! He continues,

“It feels so simple to do, and yet it involves limb movements and visual checking actions of great subtlety and complexity.” So there’s so food for thought next time you’re wandering the Walk.

It’s not just pedestrians on the footpaths of Leith Walk – doesn’t the amount of folk cycling on the footpath of Leith Walk indicate that perhaps a cycle lane would be appreciated? There are people out there who would like to cycle, and are just too scared to brave the traffic / pothole / tram work combination. And who can blame them? But cycling on the footpath is definitely not the answer – try the back streets which are a bit quieter traffic-wise and with less pedestrians to dodge…

If you see the vertical blinds twitching at 3 Balfour Street, you know it’s just another people watcher. Come in and say hello!

PS – Did you know that Leith Walk has it’s own Wikipedia entry?

Weekly Digest for February 12th

Published on February 12, 2010 in Tweets. 0 Comments
twitter (feed #2)
Morning! Hula hooping for fitness this morning. Great fun and a brilliant abs workout… [tracygriffen]
twitter (feed #2)
What a busy day, gearing up for WeightShed Boot Camp next week at Stewart Melville’s College – http://www.weightshedbootcamp.com #boot #camp [tracygriffen]

Popular Edinburgh Summer Races

Published on February 9, 2010 in Blog. 1 Comment

The days are getting longer, the weather warmer, and there’s a whole lot of folk emerging from hibernation, blinking, out onto the streets of Edinburgh. Why? Well, it’s nearly race season, and our fine city makes a brilliant backdrop to some inspiring group events. Here are some of the most popular:

Chris Hoy Half Marathon
http://www.edinburgh-half.co.uk
Sunday 18th April

It’s getting close, and this is a favourite race of mine. Running from Meadowbank stadium down along the coast to Portobello for a grandstand finish at Musselburgh Racecourse. It’s a flat route, and if the wind is blowing from the west (which is usually does) you will have a tailwind for 80% of the race.

Edinburgh Marathon
http://www.edinburgh-marathon.com
Sunday 23rd May

Entries for the Edinburgh marathon have now closed, however you still have time (at time of printing) to enter on behalf of a charity. If 26.2 miles seems a bit far, enter the relay with a team of four.

Race for Life
www.raceforlife.org
Sunday 13th June

This is always a popular event, with women of all fitness levels walking, jogging and running a loop of Arthur’s Seat for Cancer Research. If you prefer a longer distance, they also run a 10km on the day. A great entry point if you’ve never done an organised race, the 6,000 strong crowd is frustrating if you’re a seasoned runner and don’t belong to a running club (they get to go at the front). Cancer Research also do a September mixed 10km run at Hopetoun House, a lovely scenic route and most of it off road.

Moonwalk

http://www.walkthewalk.org

Saturday 19th June

Ladies, don decorated bras and walk a marathon through Edinburgh’s streets in the still of the night to raise money for breast cancer. A great sense of achievement, and if you follow the (very good) training plan on the website, you will get in fab shape. You must be prepared to put in the training and buy the right kit, or you might find yourself with nasty blisters or injuries.

The Big Fun Run

http://www.bigfunrun.com/?edinburgh

Sunday 25th July

One of series of 21 different 5km fun runs across UK. The Edinburgh course starts at Holyrood Park and goes around Arthur’s Seat.

Pedal for Scotland
http://www.pedalforscotland.org
Sunday 12th September

Prefer travelling on wheels? Enjoy a virtually traffic free 51 mile route from Glasgow to Edinburgh with a picnic lunch at Linlithgow Palace. You can either do the route as fast as possible or enjoy the family aspect to this massed bike ride.

Need help with your training programme? Have a peek at www.getfitandenjoyit.com for more information on Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen.

Another busy day…

Published on February 8, 2010 in Blog. 0 Comments

Whew! What a busy day it’s been. In the morning I skipped rope in Inverleith Park and power walked through the Botanic Gardens with a client, then ran around it with another one (for a scenic Stockbridge route, see http://gb.mapometer.com/en/running/route_388464.html). Lunch was my favourite lentil soup, which is basically just sauteing an onion and some garlic, tossing in some chopped veg and a cup of red lentils, add a tin of chopped tomatoes and 1L veg stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Easy!

Back out the door in the afternoon for an indoors session at someone’s house,  intervals on her treadmill, then another two indoors session in my wee studio. Circuits, dumbells and good tunes make for two more energetic workouts…

It’s late but I’m still cooking pasta for dinner – I’ll save most of it for my lunch tomorrow.  This lazy recipe involves making a pasta sauce from a leftover salad (sounds disgusting but it’s red onion, red pepper, rocket, sundried tomato and sweetcorn so quite cookable) with a red chilli, olive tapenade and a dash of truffle oil.

Tomorrow promises to be just as hectic with a 6.45am start. So it’s time for a nice long bubble bath and read of the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) magazine -  immersing myself in the joys of business, as it is… I’m looking forward to Boot Camp at Stewart Melville’s College next week  – see www.weightshedbootcamp.com – however it will be weird to be in one place all day!