Steve Haywood Health & Fitness

I have been an avid reader of running magazines and articles for a long time and have seen trends and fashions come and go and even be re born. For a while now the phrase “junk miles” has cropped up now and again, inferring that some miles that are run are in fact useless miles. [...]

Salt is a vital part of our diets. It helps us to absorb nutrients and regulate the water in our blood stream. However the majority of people eat two and a half times more salt than they need to. Excessive sodium levels are linked to excessive fluid absorption and high blood pressure. Hypertension can lead [...]

I have just been watching another programme about the “obesity time bomb”, this time with teenagers who are demanding gastric by-pass surgery. There appears to be a problem with someone spelling out some simple facts. If you eat more calories than you burn (particularly the wrong kind of calories) and do not exercise you will [...]

The Innocent Railway is a disused railway which has been converted into a cycle path. It runs underneath part of Holyrood Park through a tunnel and then skirts Arthur’s Seat, Duddingston Loch, runs alongside the A1 to Milton link and then carries on for the beach at Musselburgh using Brunstane Road. The path is even [...]

This workout is great if you’re a bit bored of the same old routine. Mix it up a bit by gambling on your exercises. Will it be a sit up? or will it be press-up? Let the cards decide. First get changed for a bit of a workout. Next get your pack of cards. You [...]

I have trained many people to prepare them either for their first skiing adventure or a return to their beloved sport after a lay off. Equally as important, I have trained people as part of their rehabilitation after some quite nasty injuries. By far the most common injury is to the ligaments of the knee, [...]

Of all the weird and sometimes not so wonderful inventions that find their way into the gym and home environment the humble ball stands out unchallenged as the most versatile and useful piece of kit. It has various trademarks but is probably best known as the Fitball, but can also be called Gymball and Swissball [...]

As a Personal trainer I have found the Garminâ„¢ has added a new dimension to training my clients. I can now give accurate measurements of distance, running speed, heart rate and much more if required. Data can be downloaded to your computer to give a full analysis of your training sessions which can then also [...]

For those embarking on a personal training program, it is useful for both the trainer, the client and, sometimes, associated medical professionals to have the following information. Fill this form in and take it along with you to your first training session.

Generally speaking, BMR uses 11 calories for every 500g of a woman’s body weight and 12 calories per 500g of a man’s. For example, the BMR for a 60kg woman would be as follows: (60 x 2) x 11 =1320 kcal. PAL levels are as follows: Mostly inactive or sedentary (mainly sitting): 1.2 Fairly active [...]