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HealthJourneyObesity

Sugar Rush

written by Stephen Morrison

Now that fat is no longer the bogeyman, we have a new villain carrying the can (pun intended) as the main cause of obesity.

Step up sugar and soda drinks. They join bacon on the list of things we love that seemingly hate us and our bodies.

 

 

As someone who has lost 12 stone and who is a Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Ambassador, I applaud Jamie’s efforts to highlight the sugar content in many soft drinks. I think we can all agree that many of us drink too much soda and our waistlines and gum lines are paying the price. A reduction in sugar consumption has shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels and fat in the liver. I cut my sugar drastically and now look younger, have better skin, lowerered my blood sugar and even cured myself of sleep apnoea. Of course, I also cut my calories and lost lots of weight, which might also have contributed to my healthier look. It’s never one thing, as my friend Rannoch will often say.

The idea of introducing a sugar tax and displaying more clearly the sugar content on foods is not a new one and it has been successful in other countries; notably Mexico which saw a 6-12% reduction in soft drink purchasing over two years and up to 17% reduction in lower income households. Some research suggests some simply purchased cheaper brands, but the impact on the soft drink industry in Mexico is real.

Taxation can work. A 20% sugar tax could generate £1 billion each year. Money that our NHS and partners could use to fund health initiatives. Money that could be spent on saving lives and educating future generations.

We constantly read about how much the obese cost the NHS with greater need for larger beds, larger machines and increased treatments. This tax could help to address this burgeoning bill while possibly helping us to trim our waistlines.

What’s not to like about taxing sugar?

 

Well, for a start, it IS a regressive tax. Sugar consumption is greater in poorer communities and obesity is more prevalent in poorer communities. We already heavily tax people’s smoking and drinking habits and simply taxing another unhealthy product shouldn’t be much different. Yet, we are seeing a backlash. People are reading every day that something new is killing them, that something that was killing them is now good for them. They are confused and they feel that they are being told what they can and cannot do and what they can and cannot consume. This is fuelling apathy and mistrust.

Yes, we can shake our heads and our fingers and suggest that they accept some personal responsibility, but I cite my FSEM Lay View that suggests that we need to win both hearts and minds.

Before we rush to demonize sugar, it does have some benefits. Ask any runner how much they love Jelly Babies and sugar has proven to reduce cortisol levels caused by stress. It is never one thing.

We should look beyond the proposed sugar tax and look at the other (less controversial…to consumers, at least) proposals that Public Health England support and call for. Proposals that need to be considered before a sugar tax is implemented.

 

  •  Reducing portion sizes. Am I the only person who buys family sized bags of sweets with the intention of making them last and then races to the bottom of the pack? We could, of course, show some self constraint, but many of us that are obese have a destructive relationship with food. Urging us to eat less does little to reduce our urges to eat more. Increasing a litre of Coke by 20 pence will not necessarily prevent people from still buying it.
  • More regulation of how high sugar goods are marketed, especially to children. For me, cereal manufacturers are almost criminal in their pursuit of young consumers. The shapes, flavours and marketing of breakfast cereals entice children and too many parents associate a bowl of cereal as a greeeeeaaaat way to start the day, not knowing that often a third of the bowl is sugar.
  • Further controls over how high-sugar foods are displayed in stores. In my local Tesco (naming and shaming, but not alone), the end of every aisle has high-sugar foods on promotion. These goods a20140126_121237re heavily discounted to the extent that it is often not much more expensive to buy four of five bars than one. Again, we could criticise people and parents, but does that actually achieve anything? Instead, let’s encourage better promotion of healthier options and motivate and inspire people to make healthier purchases.

Sugar isn’t just found in huge quantities in soft drinks and sweets. It’s hidden everywhere. Ready meals that are so convenient often have up to 40 grams of sugar in each pack; barbecue sauce has as much sugar as a glazed doughnut and often fat free translates to extra sugar. Manufacturers want their foods to both taste better and be preserved for longer. Sugar achieves this.

If we are to reduce the amount of sugar to the recommended level of 5-10% of our daily calorific intake, we need to encourage and enable people to cook simple and wholesome meals. If we are to tax sugar, use some of the proceeds to create nationwide cooking campaigns that bring children and parents together and make learning to cook fun. We need to address the myth that eating healthy is more expensive and we need to look at how our food manufacturers and retailers produce, promote and price food.

The largely ineffective Responsibility Deal provided little incentive to businesses to fulfil their pledges and it has been argued that many of its successes would have happened without it. We cannot rely on food manufacturers to think of anything but their shareholders and, as such, they need to be regulated and given incentives (or penalties for non-compliance) to reduce sugar levels in food.

And finally, let’s move more. Being active doesn’t give you a free ride (well, unless you are cycling) but it can allow you to have a little of the things that we enjoy. Remember, it is never one thing.

 

 

Sugar Rush was last modified: March 11th, 2018 by Stephen Morrison
October 28, 2015 5 comments
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RunningTriathlon

Smells Like Team Shite

written by Stephen Morrison

It’s 5am; Pete Tong is laying down the beats and we are chilling in our seats, with the lights down.

This could have been an average Friday night/ Saturday morning during my twenties, as a night on the town was nearing its end, but instead, it was this weekend and 5am was the beginning of our party.

For Teams Shite Runners 1, Shite Runners Number 2 and Shite Runners 3 were chilling (literally) in a minibus heading towards Jedburgh for the inaugural Jedburgh Three Peaks Ultramarathon Relay.

The clue is probably in our team names, but the majority of us are social runners and although several of us have ran a marathon (have I ever mentioned this??!!), for all but one, an ultramarathon is on our to do (or never to do) list.

The relay is the perfect way to sample the atmosphere of an Ultramarathon. It’s also a great way to get an Ultramarathon medal and t-shirt without having to complete the gruelling 38 miles of the Jedburgh Three Peaks.

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That’s not to say the relay legs were easy. With three peaks (again, the clue is in the name) to climb, woods and muddy trails to navigate (wrongly, but we’ll come back to that later) and the title of the Best Shite Runners to claim, this was going to be a tough run.
On paper, Team 1 were possibly the favourites. Not only because they had Mr Stuart Ainslie, our token ultramarathoner, in their team, but also having within their ranks some international class in the shape of Dimitris and Joseph. But we had a plan to scuttle their chances……mhuahahaha!!

For my team’s vice captain, and one of three Hoka Highland Fling relay veterans in our team, had planted his wife, Sarah, in Stuart’s team. Poor Sarah was due to run the 2nd seven mile leg, but on the morning of the race, after a pretty horrid night, she announced that her cold had ruled her out. Stuart, being both a good guy and a legend, agreed to run her leg and then his leg, consecutively. Even with his experience and training, I don’t think he was envisaging a 7 mile warm up to his climb up the Eildon Peaks.

He did though earn two well deserved finishers’ medals.20151024_155323_HDR

Despite Kirsty’s heroics in leg one (it was pissing with rain) and Andy’s magnificent seven mile leg two, Team Shite Runners 1 had a 15 minute advantage at the handover (or keep goinger, for Stuart). So, imagine our surprise and delight as our Nick came storming home ahead of Stuart at the final exchange of baton, otherwise known as a rubber wristband, and set me on the final leg.

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And I played a blinder. Well, sort of.

Some might see my slow shuffling as a weakness. however my steady gait helped me to avoid a speedy slip into the mire that made the Jedburgh course one of the most challenging I have ever faced. Although the sun had made a late appearance for my leg, it had rained for much of the day and by the time I was running the final 10 miles, the route was thick with mud. A route advertised as flat, but which had a few uppies and doonies for me to walk up (if it’s good enough for ultra runners….).

I am not sure how much running the 18 miles had hindered Stuart, but Joseph overtook me around mile 5 and after a pleasant exchange, he left me for dust or should that be mud? I settled into an even slower pace and enjoyed the route and the scenery. I had fun running over a wobbly bridge and made some friendly chat with a few runners (overtaking me).

My lack of proper training and proper shoes (note to self and everyone else, for that matter: Hi-Tec are not recognised as trail shoes manufacturers for a reason) made the last two miles along the streets of Jedburgh slightly uncomfortable.

That was until I rounded the corner and saw the finish line approaching. I pressed ahead and was literally lifted off of my feet by the cheers of the crowd and fellow runners. I am not sure if it was because I was a Shite Runner giving it my all or if this was simply an illustration of the famed friendliness of the ultra community, but I have honestly never experienced such an noise. I crossed the finishing line feeling like I had I won.

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And in some twist of fate, I almost had.

The route was well marshalled and well marked and the instructions clearly stated that we should keep going unless instructed. That didn’t prevent some of us taking wrong turns and needing to be ushered around by friendly dog walkers or closed gates. Thankfully my own detour lasted all of about one minute of running, before I was set again on the right path.

However, at the finish line, I learned that some had not been so fortunate. Joseph had gotten so far ahead of me that I hadn’t noticed him (honest!) taking a wrong turn along with the other runner who had overtaken me only minutes before.

Joseph ended up running 13 miles and ended up in the losing team, finishing behind me, who also ended up on the losing team. We had forgotten about Shite Runners 3. Sharon, Rachael, Jen and token lad Chris had proven that these girls can and had steamed ahead to the top of the pile of Shite Runners. They hadn’t been a runner down, they hadn’t got lost and they all had ran their hearts out, gaining valuable time at each and every leg.
They thoroughly deserved to be crowned the Best of Shite Runners..facebook_1445898339707

 

And our day hadn’t ended. With Sharon’s partner, Michael at the helm (huge thanks to him for driving us and putting up with us) we made stops at an off-licence and Krispy Kremes. We celebrated our first jaunt to Jedburgh in the way only shite runners can. With donuts, beer and rum.

Huge thanks to the volunteers and organisers of the Jedburgh Three Peaks Ultramarathon; to Dimitris for pictures and to all of my fellow shite runners for making this day anything but shite.

And who knows, maybe next year I’ll look to see howmanymiles I can run.

Smells Like Team Shite was last modified: August 13th, 2016 by Stephen Morrison
October 26, 2015 1 comment
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Health RewardsJourneyPhysical Activity

Health Rewards, Rewarding Health

written by Stephen Morrison

Instead of fat shaming and lamenting the cost of inactivity and obesity, let’s encourage and reward those who are active and those who want to be active. Let’s give them the tools, show them the way and let’s reward the journey.

This is a message that I regularly share via my Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine posts and the reason why I am delighted to be a Brand Ambassador for Health Rewards.

Health Rewards are one of a new breed of businesses who are recognising the need for a different approach. Bounts is another wonderful app that I use and you can read all about it here, at the blog of my friend and fellow National Fitness Day ambassador, Mollie Millington.

But first, let me tell you about Health Rewards and Vitality. As a Brand Ambassador, I will, of course, be proclaiming how good it is (and it is), but I will also share my thoughts on how it could be improved. Yes, this could be the shortest lasting ambassador role ever.

Vitality is a life and health insurance policy that rewards an active and healthy life. It does so by giving free cinema tickets, coffees and iTunes along with substantial discounts on Virgin Active gym membership, running shoes from Sweatshop, bikes from Evans Cycles and even flights with British Airways and Spa weekends. The video below explains more.

I’ve been using the cinema reward for the past few months and I’ve saved several hundred pounds. I have also had to endure Minions, Inside Out and a few Marvel movies with the boys. I say endure, but as a fully-fledged man-child, I am secretly delighted. As are my boys.

To get the cinema tickets, I have to accrue 9 Vitality Points (more about them later) in the previous week and download codes from the Member Zone which I then copy into Cineword’s website. I can get any combination of standard seats for each member of my family, including a double bill of 15 movies, when the boys were away. The process is seamless and the value more than pays for the cost of the policy. If you are a single adult, you get only one ticket each week and you will need to benefit from the other rewards to make the policy pay.

The other reward that I have used, to great effect, is the Sweatshop 50 % discount. You can shop instore, but I simply emailed Sweatshop the product code of the shoes I wanted, along with my Vitality details and they sent me a discount code, which I then used on their site. Another £65 saved (I like expensive running shoes) and with each member of my family getting a pair each year, it’s another chance to save some considerable cash…..which I will no doubt just spend on more running shoes (well, I do have to use my Bounts vouchers).

I have also received monthly iTunes downloads and this has been disappointing. The site says that the rewards vary from a single song download right up to £20 credit. Can you guess what I have received each month, for the past four months? Yep, single song downloads.

Another reward is free Starbucks coffee, in participating Starbucks (always check first). It’s only one per week per adult (no caffeine for the kids) and as I don’t drink coffee I am building up credits. It seems that you can use more one Starbucks credit per visit, so I’m looking forward to sharing my rewards with friends.

I have yet to use the Evans Cycles discount, but I am looking forward to adding to my bike collection as I train to be a triathlete and I will report back on the other rewards as and when I use them. I do like my gadgets and a new Garmin or Polar at 50% off is tempting. The range of trackers and watches are good, but not brilliant and the pre discount RRP is off the current market prices. With a 50% discount you can still get an excellent Garmin Vivofit 2 or Garmin 220 Forerunner for a great price.

And you really have to. To activate most of the rewards you have to earn Vitality Points. You can earn points from getting health checks, stopping smoking, losing weight, running at parkrun (need to get them to add Great Run Local) and recording steps or your heartbeat.

The two latter ways require an activity tracker or a heart rate monitor and you can gain a maximum of 40 points this way each and every week. Given that you can earn 10pts from walking 14,000 steps, I do wish I wasn’t limited to 40 each week as it would mean a quicker rise to the higher levels of Vitality (it goes from Bronze to Platinum) and greater discounts on certain rewards. More importantly, it could encourage people to be active every day.

However, as a Vitality customer, I am more than happy with my policy and I couldn’t think of a better broker to be involved with than Health Rewards.

 

Health Rewards do not just sell insurance policies and they are not just helping me become a triathlete, they also support athletes, sports clubs and communities across the UK and they take extra steps to help you take extra steps. Each day they have personal trainers, nutritionists and psychologists providing advice and answering questions via live video. They are building a community and are investing in their policy holders.

That’s the kind of business I like doing business with.

And, if you want to get rewarded for being active AND get yourself a free Garmin, simply call 0800 881 8666 and quote SM when you take a policy. Get active, get rewarded and get Vitality.

Health Rewards, Rewarding Health was last modified: March 11th, 2018 by Stephen Morrison
August 16, 2015 0 comment
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HealthJourneyMental HealthObesity

Time to Come Clean

written by Stephen Morrison

Recently I haven’t been eating clean. I haven’t been training well. I haven’t been sleeping well and I have struggled to get out of bed, to enjoy any of the activities that normally make me smile or to even shave (currently sporting a poor excuse of a beard).

It hasn’t gone unnoticed at home, where I am more irritable, more grumpy and eating more than I should be. Even as I write this!

I’ve had a bout of sickness and a wee dose of the cold, but the truth is I recognise these symptoms. I have experienced them before. When I was morbidly obese.

Then, as now, I was suffering from depression.  There, I said it.

If you read this blog or follow my tweets or Facebook updates, you will maybe question how I can dare to say that I am depressed. I have a wonderful partner, two smashing boys, an amazing mum and the opportunity to do so many things. I even ask myself what right I have to feel depressed. But, I know I am.

On Facebook and twitter and among friends I have been trying my best to pretend that I am ok, but I’ve probably been dropping hints. I’ve slept in for PT sessions, I’ve struggled to write and complete tasks and I have been (over) reacting to too many posts on obesity by fitness professionals who are anything but professional in their opinion of the obese (but that is another blog).

Ask me what is making me depressed and I might struggle to pinpoint it. Like most people I have regrets, fears and I have stuff going on in my life that I wish wasn’t. I’ve lost friends and seem to be losing my way. As I continue to eat, I think of the Biggest Loser contestants who regained their weight and my old fear, that I too will again become obese, resurfaces. I have began to doubt myself and as my doubts increase, my eating and my weight increases. Self medication and self sabotaging.

It is a vicious cycle and one I must turn around.

I am not wanting medication and I am not wanting sympathy. Writing this and speaking to my girlfriend has been cathartic, even if some may judge me.  But it hasn’t rid me of the dark clouds that hang over me. I guess, like the Black Dog in the video below, I will never be free of them, but I can try and prevent them from clouding my judgement or from preventing me from realising my dreams.

I can find new activities to keep my try athlete life alive and I can clean out my life. I have made a clean break from some people who made me feel low and I need to focus on my goals and on the people who I value and who value me. I can stop seeing and talking about myself as fat.

More importantly, I will use the poly pill of physical activity to make me feel better about life and about myself. Exercise works and it worked for me when I was morbidly obese. Hopefully, it will work again and if needed, I will reach out to professionals.

 

 

 

 

Time to Come Clean was last modified: August 13th, 2016 by Stephen Morrison
January 29, 2015 7 comments
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Try-Athlete

You Take The High Road, And I’ll Take The Paddle Board

written by Stephen Morrison

And I’ll be in er, Loch Lomond before you. “In” being the operative word.

As an active travel champion and try athlete, I like to champion and try new active ways of getting from A to B and, via WILDERNESS SUP, I have discovered another activity that I have added to my “must keep doing” list.

It is Stand Up Paddle (SUP) boarding and it is exactly what it says on the tin. You stand on a board and paddle. Sounds easy.

So when asked by Barry of Wilderness SUP if I wanted a wet-suit, I looked at him incredulously and politely declined. We shared a “we are men” look and headed towards the shoreline with an 8ft inflatable board under my arm.
The instructions were simple. Climb on, stand up and paddle. However, before standing up, Barry encouraged me to get comfortable on the board by paddling on my knees. After a few minutes and several hundred metres into Loch Lomond, I stood up.

And promptly fell off and fell in.

Dunk

If anyone is wondering, Loch Lomond is as far from the warm waters of Hawaii, where SUP hails from, as you can get and at times the water is persishingly cold, but fortunately after about the fourth time I fell in, I no longer felt the coldness seep through me. I’m not sure if had become accustomed to it or if my body had just gone numb, but after a while I did gain more confidence and I spent more time standing up and less time swimming. And yes, this was a “put your hands in the air” moment.

Hand SUP

Hand SUP

Stand Up Paddle boarding is like yoga on water. Equally relaxing and strength sapping. As I skirted amongst the islands of Loch Lomond…ok, as I slowly (and wind assisted) floated around the islands, I realised why they are called the Bonnie Banks and why SUP is one of the fastest growing water sports. It is a magical and beautiful place and paddling with Ben Lomond in the back drop remains one of my favourite pictures.

Bonnie Banks

Bonnie Banks

By the time we had reached Inchconnachan or as it is also known, Wallaby Island (it is actually inhabited by Wallabies) I was in need of a rest and some of the homemade tablet kindly donated by Barry’s mum. If Wilderness SUP does not make him rich, then selling this tablet could.

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You Take The High Road, And I’ll Take The Paddle Board was last modified: June 17th, 2019 by Stephen Morrison
January 28, 2015 2 comments
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HealthJourneyObesity

The Secret to My Success

written by Stephen Morrison

After 4 weeks of Personal Training with Scott Devenney PT and Christine Docherty , weekly classes of Zumba, Metafit and Kettlercise with Southside Metafit and Kettlebells, some active travel, more sleep and healthier food choices, I am starting to see results.

The scales say I have lost 11lbs but this is only half the story.

What encourages me even more is seeing that my arms and legs are in fact bigger (arms are an inch bigger) and my body fat has dropped by over 6% according to my body fat scales. More telling and more pleasing is that, according to my girfriend, I am developing nice hard bumps across my entire body. My jeans and tops are fitting me (again) and I’ve lost inches off my chest, waist and hips. I have more energy and and more determination to continue.  I feel less self conscious, more confident and happy again.

When I was piling on the pounds and not running, not training and overeating, I feared that I was going to be yet another example of huge weight loss followed by huge weight gain.

I had lost my enthusiasm, my spark and my awesomeness (don’t worry, that’s back). I saw no way of climbing out of my spiralling descent back into inactivity and felt like a fraud as I wrote blogs for Spogo and National Fitness Day.

If you are wondering what the secret to my recent success has been, to me getting more active again and putting away the cake, it was the same things that trigger and motivate most successful behavioural changes.

I identified goals (Oz in Dec and Paris Marathon in April) that I wanted to be fit for. I joined several weight loss group (Man V Fat, a FaceBook group and Weigh in at Work) to give me accountability and a little competition.

However, more importantly I was encouraged, supported and joined in my efforts, by my girlfriend, Teresa.

On nights when I’d have happily sat on the couch, she urged me to get up and join her at her local classes, where I might of been one of only two men, but where I was made to feel welcome.

We cannot underestimate the importance of a nurturing environment and supportive social interaction.

Teresa and I train together and we have fun together. We use My Fitness Pal together, we run together at Great Run Local and we compare results together (Teresa’s competitiveness is frightening). Together, we are an awesome team.

Teresa is too modest, but she is experiencing similar results and if anything is looking even better than I am (although she always has, obviously).

The changes we have made aren’t ground breaking.  We’ve cut down on snacking, are reducing our portion sizes and are trying to make better choices, more often. We are doing activities we enjoy (more about them later) and trying to be more active, throughout the day.

There are no magic pills, juices or shakes. No shortcuts and no quick fixes.

It’s unlikely that I’ll have a six pack in 9 weeks (regardless of what certain men’s magazines promise) but I will feel more comfortable in shorts and in the water.

The prospect of “Taps Aff” won’t also fill me with dread.

The Secret to My Success was last modified: August 13th, 2016 by Stephen Morrison
October 16, 2014 2 comments
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Commonwealth Games #Team14DoMore with StrathmorePhysical ActivityTry-Athlete

Do More Child’s Play

written by Stephen Morrison

One of my personal trainers, Scott, asked me about my goals. He may have been expecting me to say that I wanted to be lighter, stronger and faster, but instead I told him that I wanted to be able to climb trees, swing from bars and jump over walls. I wanted to be able to play with my boys and I wanted to be more flexible and supple. This pleased him greatly and over the past few months, I’ve been hanging from bars, practising on rings and crawling on the ground

So, when my friends at Strathmore Water invited me along to their Do More event with Commonwealth Games Gymnastics superstar and Do More Ambassador Dan Keatings, I pictured Dan being overwhelmed by my grace, strength and ability on the apparatus.

What can I say? I have a vivid imagination and an overwhelming amount of self belief.

Plus, look at me on these rings!

A front lever

A front lever. Who said a camera doesn’t lie?

If ever there was a blogger prepared for an event, it was me. What I wasn’t prepared for was the scene I witnessed on my arrival. For one moment, I thought I had arrived at a One Direction event, not one for Dan Keatings. For it was full of screaming and hyper children.

I have often questioned the value of using athletes to promote physical activity to the masses, but seeing how the children responded to Dan, my views have changed (a little). These children were in awe of Dan and in turn, I was in awe of them.

In the waiting area they were jumping up in down, doing cartwheels, splits and various others moves that made me wince. I shared a look of fear and bewilderment with some of the other adults present.

Ross bent over backwards for Dan

Ross bent over backwards for Dan

To get us warmed up, we played a version of Tig. Two youngsters and I were charged with catching every other attendee, making them stop and wait till someone crawled under their legs, before they could resume running

I felt like Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, as I ordered the ten year old on my left and the twelve year old on my right to take the flanks while I assaulted the main body. I also pictured a lion hunting gazelles. I did say I had a vivid imagination.

Ten minutes later, my pride was shattered and I was lying on my back, gasping for breath. I had forgotten how fast and light on their feet, children could be.

I had also forgotten that I had often wondered how gymnasts looked like they did. With cover model physiques and muscles upon muscles. The first training session provided an answer. I was only just recovering from chasing the kids, when we split into three groups, with my group enduring a strength sapping circuit class. The presence of Dan Keating did momentarily give me a boost.

Trio of Tricep Dippers

Trio of Tricep Dippers

As I did planks, press ups, burpees and crunches, my eyes were drawn to the other two groups. One session had the kids focusing on  their floor work and the other had them working on their pummel  skills. Both groups showed more talent than I could ever hope to achieve and my own efforts on the apparatus were met with laughter and even some applause, as I seemed to invent new ways of landing. Most of which involved my backside.

I'd have liked to  have seen them try this with me!

I’d have liked to have seen them try this with me!

Throughout the morning I was amazed and impressed by the skills and attitudes of the kids present. Hidden amongst them might be future champions, but in my eyes they also represented hope. We often read about how inactive the youth of Scotland are, but here were a large group of kids who had honed some impressive skills and who genuinely loved what they were doing and who hung on every word of advice Dan gave them.

Dan holds the floor

Dan holds the floor

However, despite all their hard work, there can only be one, and it was left to Dan Keatings to make the final judgement and decide upon his star pupil:

I spoke to Dan later about his success, his future goals and his training. Like Libby and Robbie before him, he is determined, dedicated and disciplined while also humble and passionate about his sport. With Glasgow hosting the Gymnastic World Championships in 2015, he has another challenging year ahead.

He too spoke about the children, about how impressive they were and how important it is to get them involved and to keep them engaged. His own training started at five years old, as he prepared to follow his family into Thai Boxing and it shows the value of being a Try Athlete at a young age. We can’t predict what sports and activities our children will enjoy, but we can try and let them Do More of them and allow them to discover new talents and their own interests.

Do More Child’s Play was last modified: August 13th, 2016 by Stephen Morrison
October 2, 2014 0 comment
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Physical Activity

Make Exercise Personal

written by Stephen Morrison
Tand Me

T and Me

I started joint Personal Training (PT) sessions with my girlfriend, Teresa, partly  because I wanted to support her and I do enjoy doing activities with her.

We cycle together, we go to classes together and now we even run together via Great Run Local.

It made sense to train together. Especially with our trip to Australia only 11 weeks away (eek). Plus, I enjoy any opportunity to train.

I do my own PT with the brilliant Scott Devenney PT and have great fun crawling around, hanging about and playing with bars and sticks (this is great fun and tough). If you want to improve your movement and feel stronger mentally and physically (and feel like a kid again), I really can’t recommend Scott enough.

My sessions with Teresa are with Christine Docherty and they are different. I absolutely love her Kettlecise class (and Zumba, but don’t tell anyone) and when Teresa said she was doing personal training I didn’t have to be convinced to sign up.

With her, we play with Battle Ropes and Kettlebells. We spar with boxing gloves (Teresa enjoys this, just a little too much), we sprint (oh, the sprints) and we squat.

Whether it is Zumba, Metafit or Kettlecise, it has become clear that Christine likes squats.

She combines these lethally with stair sprints and stair jumps.

Jump

Jump

And it is fantastic. Not just because I’m with Teresa, but because Christine, like Scott, provides a great variety of exercises and knows both our weaknesses and our strengths.

We train in a park and watched classes of people simply sprinting up a hill. Again and again. Yes, it may be effective, but how quickly would you tire (no pun intended) of that?

Having both Scott and Christine encourage and challenge us (especially about our food diaries) is complementing and enhancing what we do throughout the week. It is making us feel fitter and stronger.

And this is the point of my ramblings. I often advocate that we should find and do activities we enjoy. This is still true, but we should also fill our days with a variety of activities.

Personalise how you exercise.

Try not to focus all your efforts on one activity. Be, as I ALWAYS suggest, a Try-Athlete. If possible find others to train with and with whom you can be accountable to.

Blend your approach to exercise and you will have a smoother journey to fitness.

Think not just about classes or running but think about all the little changes you can make to your day. From using stairs more (you don’t have to jump them four at a time) to gardening and investing in a good personal trainer (they DO make a difference), everything you do should make you feel healthier and happier. Do any of us really need more than this?

The Activity Pyramid

The Activity Pyramid

Make Exercise Personal was last modified: September 27th, 2014 by Stephen Morrison
September 27, 2014 0 comment
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Commonwealth Games #Team14DoMore with StrathmoreRunningTriathlonTry-Athlete

Libby’s Guide to Running

written by Stephen Morrison

If you follow my blogs here, at the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine or at Great Run you will know that I like to promote physical activity for all; that I like to run and that I love meeting amazing athletes and participating in exciting events. Every activity I try is fun and every person I meet is inspirational, in their own unique way.

None more so than Libby Clegg. I spent a day with her and Strathmore Water as part of the #DoMore campaign, for which Libby is an Ambassador. A day that has left a lasting impression on me and inspired me to literally do more.

I had returned, after 24 years, to my old school, Hutchesons’ Grammar, to learn this time from Libby Clegg and her team about guided running for the visually impaired. As a runner I appreciated and enjoyed the training session with Lincoln Asquith, Libby’s former guide and step-father to her current guide and fellow gold medalist Mikhail Huggins (watch out Mikail, I’m after your job).

 

Lincoln putting us through our paces

Lincoln putting us through our paces

As a former Team GB sprinter and coach, Lincoln’s advice to increase my cadence (speed of my steps) hasn’t been lost on me, although I am more likely to share with my running buddies how he informed the group that I was strong and fast (he didn’t add, for my size!). Maybe, I am a sprinter after all!?  He put us through shuttle runs and speed drills, focusing on knee drives and using our forefoot to push and propel ourselves forward..

Wait, sorry, I am possibly losing you and confusing you for my Great Run audience. Simply put, Lincoln provided us with some simple tools that we can use to become faster runners. The same tools that have helped Libby Clegg win Silver at London 2012 , World Championships and Gold at Glasgow 2014 and which give her continued hope of realisng her dream of joining the able bodied sprinters at the next Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast and the Rio Olympics  in 2018.

However, here with us, her goal was to share some insight on what it is like to run for those with limited or no sight and to give us an opportunity to experience what it means to be a guide. I’ve watched Libby and Mikail at both the Commonwealth Games and at a British Athletics meeting in Glasgow and marvelled at the synchronicity of both the runners. One of the reasons I run, is because it is simple (once you forget about biometrics). I find it hard to coordinate my own movements, without having to factor in someone else’s.

So I was both honoured and horrified when Libby split the nine attendees into pairs, with the odd man (both psychologically and numerically) me, partnered with Libby, herself!!

The first thing we had to master was walking as a pair. Libby had us use hair bands to tie our hands together and she explained that we would walk as if a mirror was placed between us. Despite my fears, matching stride and arm movements came naturally. After a few practice walks, Libby decided we were ready for blindfolds. Libby is registered blind with Stargardt Mascular Dystrophy leaving only peripheral vision in her left eye , but watching her move around her surrondings, it is easy to forget, so I thought nothing of it when my partner put the blindfold on me. Until, that is, Libby stated that it was the blind leading the blind. Even then I felt confident. We were on  a running track with no obstacles and I had every faith in Libby.

Walking with a blindfold on was a strange experience. You lose track (no pun intended) of time, distance and speed. Despite being assured of the contary, by Libby, I didn’t feel like I was walking in a straight line or close to Libby, even though we were connected at the wrist. You don’t feel in control, but with Libby guiding me, I at least never felt in danger. After a few practice walks, we moved on to running. Slowly to start. And a strange thing happened. Running with a blindfold on felt easier and was more enjoyable than walking. I felt that I was more stable and more confident. Libby helped, by keeping me posted on distance and by telling me to stop.

And then we swapped roles and Libby dropped a bombshell.

Other than Mikail and Lincoln, before him, Libby doesn’t let others guide her……but she WOULD let me! I cannot fully convey how this made me feel. Honoured, trusted and just a little nervous. I shouldn’t have. We set off and as our arms pumped and legs strode in unison, running in tandem seemed the most natural thing in the world. I even felt that my form improved. Even as we increased our pace, our movements mirrored each other.

Running in Sync (told you, Mikhail)

Running in Sync (told you, Mikail)

I have went from running solo to running with my friends at Glasgow Nike Run Club and now to running arm in arm with a Paralympian, Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist and World Champion. Of all the experiences I’ve had, this one has been the most special. Not just because Libby was a great host and sport and praised my efforts, but because it has given me a chance to DoMore. It also helped that she uttered the immortal words, that so many Team Scotland members have now proclaimed:

Again, if you’ve read my blog, you’ll know that I used to be morbidely obese and you might also know that I had mobility problems in my childhood, but aged 19, I also lost my eyesight, albeit only for just over one week, with Optic Neuritis .

Running with Libby has triggered a desire to learn more about guide running, in the hope that I can encourage and support blind runners. I’ve made contact with  Visibility and Scottish Disability Sports and you can too.

Let’s Do More to enable more to Do More!

 

Libby’s Guide to Running was last modified: March 11th, 2018 by Stephen Morrison
September 3, 2014 0 comment
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Commonwealth Games #Team14Try-Athlete

People Made Glasgow 2014

written by Stephen Morrison

It seems so long ago. A time, when the sun was shining, people were smiling, our train journeys were filled with cheers and our streets were filled with Clydes. How quickly have we returned to our normal lives? How much do we miss high-fiving police officers and giving standing ovations to both winners and the guys and girls, who came last, regardless of what country they represented? Glasgow 2014 was special, in so many ways. Record crowds at events. Record medal hauls. Records broken and tales of heroes and heroines breaking through barriers to record magnificent performances. Amateur athletes, many of whom hold down jobs, just like you and I, were made to feel like superstars.

Even HRM Prince Imran stated, for the record, that it was the best ever Games and Pure Dead Brilliant. And so it was, by the way.

Everyone played their part and none more than  the 15,000 strong army of volunteers. The Frontrunners, Baton Bearers and, of course, the Clydesiders. I’ll miss their banter with the crowds, their green hands and their energy and passion. These were a group of people who had travelled from near and far, who had given their time and their hearts to Glasgow. They fulfilled a multitude of duties and without them, Glasgow 2014 would not have been the same.

These are the people who made Glasgow 2014 (well, some of them).

Hazel BartonI’m Hazel Barton and I am Glaswegian through and through. I worked in Athlete Services with badminton at the Emirates. I have so many highlights, but I guess being involved in some of the medal ceremonies on the final day was a golden moment for me. My hopes….well that the legacy comes to fruition…. that this pride, optimism and enthusiastic energy carries forward in our dear green place.

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People Made Glasgow 2014 was last modified: August 13th, 2016 by Stephen Morrison
August 9, 2014 0 comment
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Once 354lbs, I now use physical activity to add years to my life and life to my years

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