Park View Fitness

Park View Fitness is in Bodyfit magazine!

lorraine — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:49:06 +0000

Here’s Park View Fitness founder Lorraine Thurlow being featured in Bodyfit magazine, talking about how a back injury led to a new career teaching Pilates, her fitness business and the wellbeing charity she volunteers for, Climb Your Mountain – http://www.ClimbYourMountain.org

We’re currently running a special offer – have your first 1-2-1 session or private group class (five people max) at the Park View Fitness studio in Sutton for just £25, with all money raised going to Climb Your Mountain.

So you’ll be saving yourself up to £35 and helping a great charity at the same time.

Just mention the “Climb Your Mountain Offer” when booking. Visit the Park View Fitness website for our contact details.

Park View Fitness is Surrey and South West London’s premier Pilates and personal training company.

The Park View Fitness studio is located in Sutton (SM1 3RR), Surrey, within easy of Purley, Croydon, Sanderstead, Woodcote, Wallington, Chipstead, Coulsdon, Carshalton, Cheam, Epsom, Ewell, Banstead, Kingswood, Caterham, Burgh Heath, Tadworth, Morden, Merton, Wimbledon, Wandsworth, Raynes Park, Belmont and Epsom Downs.

Pilates in Sutton

lorraine — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:21:01 +0000

Pilates classes in Sutton!

Looking for mixed ability Pilates classes in Sutton? We already run private group classes at the Park View Fitness studio in Sutton, Surrey, but we’re now adding open classes to our timetable.

The classes are small (four people max) so you will get amazing attention and more benefit from each class. The first class will be running between 7pm and 8pm every Thursday. Start date TBC but if you’re interested in joining the class, please email info@ParkViewFitness.co.uk

Classes cost £15 each, payable in advance in four-week blocks.

Extra classes will be added at some point (both mixed ability classes and beginners courses) so if you are interested in joining a class, let us know about which days/times are good for you and we will do our best to accomodate you.

We also run private classes and 1-2-1 sessions. These can take place at our Sutton studio, or at a location of your choice, such as your home or workplace.

For more info, visit the Park View Fitness website, http://www.ParkViewFitness.co.uk

The Park View Fitness Pilates studio is located in Benhill Road, Sutton, SM1 3RR, within easy reach of many locations in Surrey and South West London including Banstead, Carshalton, Wallington, Belmont, Cheam, Ewell, Worcester Park, Hackbridge, Beddington, Woodcote, Coulsdon, Chipstead, Raynes Park, Wimbledon, Morden, Merton, Thornton Heath, Epsom, Woodmansterne, Kenley, Epsom, Epsom Downs, Tattenham, Kingswood, Burgh Heath and Tadworth.

What makes up one of your 5 a day?

lorraine — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:16:51 +0000

We all know we’re supposed to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. That’s easy when the fruit is an apple or banana, which comes in its own portion. But what about smaller fruit and veg? Here’s a rough guide to what makes up one portion…

1 150ml glass of orange juice

3 heaped tablespoons of peas

1 handful of grapes

1 cereal bowl of salad

7-8 strawberries

4 broccoli florets

½ an avocado

3 heaped tablespoons of carrots

14 cherries

2 kiwi fruit

3 whole dried apricots

Did you know pulses and beans can be included in your five-a-day? But only a maximum of one of your five-a-day, no matter how much you eat.

Potatoes, yam and plantain don’t count as vegetables in this context, due to their starchy content.

Source http://www.bhf.org.uk

FREE PILATES

lorraine — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:55:15 +0000

Fancy a FREE 1-2-1 Pilates session at the Park View Fitness studio in Sutton, Surrey? Follow us on Twitter. This month one follower will win a free 1-2-1 session or private group class for themselves and up to four friends – worth £60.

Find us on Twitter @ParkViewFitness

Park View Fitness is Surrey and South West London’s premier Pilates & Personal Training company. To find out more, visit http://www.ParkViewFitness.co.uk

Pilates in Purley

lorraine — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:51:29 +0000

Looking for Pilates classes in or around Purley?

We run regular Pilates classes at Laleham Lea School in Purley every Tuesday and Thursday evening. Our classes include…

Mixed Ability Pilates, suitable for all levels

Pilates for Backs, where the emphasis is on strengthening back and core muscles, improving spinal mobility and increasing flexibility to help alleviate backpain

Beginners Pilates. Our next beginners course starts Thursday 8 March

Visit the Park View Fitness website for more details.

Laleham Lea School is at 29 Peaks Hill, Purley, Surrey CR8 3JJ. The location is great for people living in Purley, Croydon, Wallington, Woodcote, Carshalton, Sutton, Beddington, Sanderstead, Banstead, Chipstead, Caterham, Coulsdon.

Park View Fitness is Surrey and South West London’s premier Pilates and Personal Training company, specialising in fitness for health and wellbeing. Founder Lorraine Thurlow is a Level 4 Personal Trainer and Pilates instructor, specialising in Lower Back Pain Management.

Park View Fitness’ Lower Back Pain Management Services

lorraine — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:40:15 +0000

Exercise for bad backs

We specialise in helping people with back pain. It is a particular passion of Park View Fitness founder Lorraine Thurlow, who has suffered from back and neck pain since the age of 20, when she injured her back in a car crash. Wanting to help people manage their back pain is the main reason why she decided to retrain for a career in the fitness industry. She is a Level 4 trainer in the Exercise Management of Lower Back Pain and a Pilates and core stability specialist.

“Unless you’ve experienced problems with your back it’s hard to understand how debilitating they can be and how they affect every aspect of your life. But I have been there. I’ve cried at the physical pain, know the frustration of being unable to do even simple things such open a jar, felt the anger of having to cancel yet another social/work event due to my back ‘playing up’, and had the financial impact of not being able to do my job properly. And I know that all of these things have a huge impact on your mood.

“But I also know that exercise can help – both physically and emotionally.

“I can’t promise you a magic cure, but for many back issues, exercise has huge benefits. It can strengthen muscles to help support your spine, correct muscle imbalances that can be the cause of some back pain, improve your posture and raise your mood.

“Exercise helped me. Let it help you, too.”

Lorraine xx

If you experience back pain, we always recommend first consulting with your GP. There are some spinal conditions, such as osteoporosis, where certain moves/exercises can prove detrimental. If your doctor (or other medical professional, such as a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist) recommends exercise, we can help.

Please contact us via email or by phone (whichever you are most comfortable with) to discuss your exercise options. Then, if you’d like, we can offer a free face-to-face consultation where we can go into more detail.

We offer 1-2-1 sessions but if you need to reduce costs, we can train you with one or more friends. We would, if we could, train people with back pain for free. Sadly, until we win the lottery that is not possible, but Lorraine knows the financial implications having a bad back can cause so we will, if needed, come up with options to help you keep the costs as low as possible. Click here for prices.

For more info, visit http://www.ParkViewFitness.co.uk

Common Myths About Pilates

lorraine — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:31:58 +0000

Common Myths About Pilates

As Pilates specialists, we come across lots of misconceptions about Pilates and excuses why people think it’s not for them. So we thought we’d lay to rest some of those myths….

“It’s only for women.” It’s not. Pilates is for everybody, of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels. Men and women have the same muscles and they all need working. And remember, Pilates was invented BY a man, Joseph Pilates, not Josephine.

“It’s only for people with injuries.” While Pilates is fantastic for helping to rehabilitate injuries, it’s also good for strengthening muscles, improving joint mobility and increasing flexibility, all of which can help PREVENT injuries.

“It’s only for old people.” It’s not. Are Pippa Middleton and David Beckham old? No, and they’re both Pilates addicts.

“You need to be flexible to do Pilates.” Nonsense! If you’re not very flexible, that’s even more reason why you SHOULD do Pilates. Every Pilates class includes a mixture of strengthening work, exercises to improve joint mobility and stability, and also stretching to increase muscle flexibility.

“It’s not challenging enough.” In Pilates, you work to your own abilities and limitations. There are progressions and adaptations for all exercises and you do the version that’s best for you. So in any Pilates class you could have somebody new to exercise right next to a professional athlete, and they will each get the Pilates workout that’s perfect for them. You push yourself as much as you want to. If you ever find an exercise too easy, ask your instructor to check if you’re doing it correctly and your posture is spot on. If everything’s OK, ask for a progression.

“It’s just waving your arms and legs around.” If you view a Pilates class through the studio window, that’s what it might look like. But when you add the ‘drawing in’ factor of Pilates, the correct posture and the controlled lateral breathing, even floating your arms up to shoulder height becomes a strong exercise that works the mid-section. The better your ‘drawing in’, posture and lateral breathing, the more you’ll feel the core strengthening benefits of each exercise.

Park View Fitness is Surrey and South West London’s premier Pilates and Personal Training company. We offer open group classes, 1-2-1 training and private classes. Visit our website for more info.

Areas we cover include Sutton, Carshalton, Wallington, Croydon, Purley, Beddington, Woodcote, Belmont, Banstead, Epsom, Ewell, Surbiton, Kingston, Twickenham, Tolworth, Chessington, Hook, Ashtead, Tadworth, Kingswood.

We also run corporate classes. If you would like exercise classes at your Surrey or London workplace before/after work or during lunchtime, please email info@ParkViewFitness.co.uk

How much exercise should I be doing each week?

lorraine — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:25:44 +0000

Do you know how much exercise you should be doing each week? Here are the official guidelines…

Cardiorespiratory Exercise

Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).

One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise.

Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk.

People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity.

Resistance Exercise

Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.

Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.

Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.

For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.

Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.

Flexibility Exercise

Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion.

Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.

Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.

Static, dynamic, ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective.

Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching.

Neuromotor Exercise

Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended for two or three days per week.

Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.

20-30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.

Source: http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/news-releases/2011/08/01/acsm-issues-new-recommendations-on-quantity-and-quality-of-exercise

If you are looking to start a new exercise programme, we can help. Park View Fitness is the premier Personal Training and Pilates company in Surrey and South West London. We specialise in fitness for health and well-being. We offer personal training, private group training and open classes.

We can work with you at your home or workplace, at a local park of your choice or, in the case of Pilates, at our Pilates studio in Sutton, Surrey.

If you are a company who would like to put on exercise classes for your staff before/after work or during lunchtime, we can help. We offer aerobics, Zumba, Pilates, circuit training and bootcamps. Contact us to discuss your options.

Visit us at http://www.ParkViewFitness.co.uk

Exercise in Disguise part 2

lorraine — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:42:54 +0000

Here are some more ways of exercising without realising it – and the calories you’ll burn up while doing so.

Food shopping – 243 calories an hour.

Brushing your teeth – 5.7 calories per two mins (the recommended brushing time).

Dusting – 160 calories an hour (If your house isn’t that dusty, find a slobby friend’s home that is!)

Ironing – 153 calories per hour.

Painting – 342 calories per hour (that’s DIY painting, not slopping oils on a canvas).

Mopping the floor – 306 calories per hour.

Mowing the lawn – 324 calories per hour.

Moving furniture – 504 calories per hour.

Vacuuming – 162 calories per hour.

Washing the car – 306 calories per hour (although you’ll need a very big or dirty car to be cleaning it for that long!).

(Note: Calories are based on a 150-pound person. A heavier person will burn more calories; a lighter person less.)

Source: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/information/12-sports-and-recreational-activities-and-the-calories-they-burn.htm

And remember, if you contract your pelvic floor and transversus abdominis at the same time, you can get a simultaneous Pilates workout. Those muscle contractions will also help protect your back during the more arduous tasks!

lorraine — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:01:14 +0000

Thinking about joining a gym. Here are some (very tongue in cheek) rules and advice we found and thought we’d share with you.

1. A gym is not designed to make you feel instantly better about yourself. If a gym wanted to make you feel instantly better about yourself, it would be a bar.

2. Give yourself a goal. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds. Maybe you want to quarterback the New York Jets into the playoffs. But be warned: Losing 10 pounds is hard.

3. Develop a gym routine. Try to go at least three times a week. Do a mix of strength training and cardiovascular conditioning. After the third week, stop carrying around that satchel of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

4. No one in the history of gyms has ever lost a pound while reading “The New Yorker” and slowly pedaling a recumbent bicycle. No one.

5. Bring your iPod. Don’t borrow the disgusting gym headphones, or use the sad plastic radio attachment on the treadmill, which always sounds like it’s playing Kenny Loggins from a sewer.

6. Don’t fall for gimmicks. The only tried-and-true method to lose 10 pounds in 48 hours is food poisoning.

7. Yes, every gym has an overenthusiastic spinning instructor who hasn’t bought a record since “Walking on Sunshine.”

8. There’s also the Strange Guy Who is Always at the Gym. Just when you think he isn’t here today…there he is, lurking by the barbells.

9. ”Great job!” is trainer-speak for “It’s not polite for me to laugh at you.”

10. Beware a hip gym with a Wilco step class.

11. Gyms have two types of members: Members who wipe down the machines after using them, and the worst people in the universe.

12. Nope, that’s not a “recovery energy bar with antioxidant dark chocolate.” That’s a chocolate bar.

13. Avoid Unsolicited Advice Guy, who, for the small fee of boring you to death, will explain the proper method for any exercise in 45 minutes or longer.

14. You can take 10 Minute Abs, 20 Minute Abs, and 30 Minute Abs. There is also Stop Eating Pizza and Eating Sheet Cake Abs—but that’s super tough!

15. If you’re motivated to buy an expensive home exercise machine, consider a “wooden coat rack.” It costs $40, uses no electricity and does the exact same thing.

16. There’s the yoga instructor everyone loves, and the yoga instructor everyone hates. Memorize who they are.

17. If you see an indoor rock climbing wall, you’re either in a really cool gym or a romantic comedy starring Kate Hudson.

18. Be cautious about any class with the words “sunrise,” “hell,” or “Moby.”

19. If a gym class is going to be effective, it’s hard. If you’re relaxed and enjoying yourself, you’re at brunch.

20. If you need to bring your children, just let them loose in the silent meditation class. Nobody minds, and kids love candles.

21. Don’t buy $150 sneakers, $100 yoga pants, and $4 water. Muscle shirts are for people with muscles, and rhythm guitarists.

22. Fancy gyms can be seductive, but once you get past the modern couches and fresh flowers and the water with lemon slices, you’re basically paying for a boutique hotel with B.O.

23. Everyone sees you secretly racing the old people in the pool.

24. If you’re at the point where you’ve bought biking shoes for the spinning class, you may as well go ahead and buy an actual bike. It’s way more fun and it doesn’t make you listen to C+C Music Factory.

25. Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0 and 0 calories.

26. A successful gym membership is like a marriage: If it’s good, you show up committed and ready for hard work. If it’s not good, you show up in sweatpants and watch a lot of bad TV.

27. There is no secret. Exercise and lay off the fries. The end.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203471004577140900388728374.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

If you want some real fitness advice, Park View Fitness are here to help. We are Surrey and South West London’s premier Pilates and Personal Training company. Visit us for more info.

Areas we cover include Sutton (where are Pilates studio is based), Croydon, Purley, Wallington, Carshalton, Banstead, Epsom, Cheam, Ewell, Epsom, Morden, Ashtead, Oxted, Twickenham, Kingston, Surbiton, Tolworth, Stoneleigh, Chessington, Raynes Park, Wimbledon and Kingswood.