5minutes2wellness

A complete exercise routine includes both cardiovascular, resistance, balance, core strength and flexibility training. Including all of these elements each week can help maintain a healthy weight and waist size to lower your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Including all elements in your weekly workout what ever…

Physical fitness encompasses not just cardiovascular exercise but balance, flexibility and muscular strength and endurance. Balance training is important for all of us young and old. Sports people and runners are prone to ankle and knee injuries. Performing a few minutes balance training twice a week may help reduce the risk of injury. This could…

What is cardiovascular exercise and are you doing enough? Any movement or exercise that increases your heart rate for a short or prolonged period of time helps to strengthen your heart and lungs (the cardiovascular system). The recommendations are 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise such as a brisk walk or 75 minutes vigorous…

Red fruit and vegetables have an abundance of vitamins and minerals important for your health and wellbeing. They have high levels of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Lycopene is the coloured pigment in red fruits and vegetables which has been found to help reduce the risk…

Ensuring our diet is high in green coloured foods helps boost iron, magnesium, vitamin C , calcium and folic acid. All important micronutrients to help boost energy if you are feeling fatigued this January. Including spinach, kale, and broccoli every day may help to boost energy levels, improve skin and hair and reduce the risk…

This Monday is typically called blue Monday with many people people noticing their are lower in mood after Christmas. Everyone is different and there may be many reasons why we may feel low mood. If it is persistant throughout the year seeking advice from your GP and or counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy may help.…

The muscles that support the abdomen and pelvis are known as your core stability muscles. They comprise of of 5 deep abdominal, waist and lower back muscles that help to stabilise the spine and pelvis to reduce the risk of back pain long term. Pilates, Yoga and tai chi are mindful forms of exercise focusing…

Did you know your gut is called your second brain? Our gut stores high levels of serotonin a chemical messenger that helps us feel good. What we think and feel affects our gut health. Poor gut health also impacts our brain function and how we may view things. Following a diet high in vegetables, whole…

We can switch on our brakes and reduce the amount of times our alarm bell rings within a minute (longer if you have the time)! Noticing why we are getting, stressed, anxious, angry or irritated and turning our attention to our breathing helps us to come out of automatic pilot and be consciously aware of…

Our brains have an internal alarm bell called the amygdala. When we feel stressed or anxious this sets of our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response). This alarm and reaction phase is useful historically to run it right lions and tigers. However our 21st lives means work, traffic, bill’s, family, almost anything might set…