Monthly Archives: March 2011
5 Exercises to Avoid Lower Back Pain
According to the British Medical Journal, most people suffer from lower back pain at some point, and while many people recover, between 10 and 25 percent of people with low back pain have long periods where they’re unable to work. Treatments for back pain include painkillers, physiotherapy, osteopathy or even surgery. But, according to top personal trainer Greg Brookes (http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/) many people can alleviate their pain through practising five simple exercises.
We would like to remind you to consult with a schooled doctor to guide you with your healthcare needs before starting a fitness program.
1. Stretch your Hip Flexors
Your Hip Flexors are a group of muscles responsible for raising your knees to your chest. They are a very active and easily get involved in movements that they are not primary designed to do. The Hip Flexors over activation and lack of stretching often results in a shortening of the muscles. As the muscles shorten they start to pull on the Lumbar Spine and ultimately create a more Lordotic curve in lower back. This posture is easily recognized with the buttocks pushed out at the back and belly protruding out at the front.
Solution: Stretch the Hip Flexors by taking a deep lunge position, rotating your pelvic bone towards your chest and bracing your abs.
2. Lengthen your Hamstrings
Following lengthy periods of sitting with bent knees the Hamstrings shorten. Shortened hamstrings attach to the bottom of your pelvis and prevent correct rotation of the pelvis during forward bending. An inability to rotate at the pelvis results in a compensation in the lower back and ultimately lower back problems.
Solution: Stretch the Hamstrings by sitting with your lower back against a wall and straightening your legs. Keep the chest up and proud.
3. Improve Thoracic Spine Mobility
The Thoracic Spine is situated from the base of the neck to the mid back and is anatomically designed for movement. The Lumbar Spine with its larger vertebrae is designed for stability and lack of movement. Most people due to repetitive seating positions have “locked up” Thoracic Spines resulting in limited movement. The Lumbar spine is then forced to produce movement that it is not anatomically designed to perform and hence lower back issues.
Solution: Mobilise the Thoracic Spine by sitting tall on a backless chair and holding a stick across the shoulders. Brace the abs to lock the lower back and rotate slowly alternating sides.
4. Strengthen the Inner Core
The Inner Core is designed to work as a compression chamber to support the Lower Spine. The Pelvic Floor and Diaphragm are on top and bottom, the Transverse Abdominis goes around the sides and the Multifidus is at the back. An inability, through excess sitting, to activate the inner core leaves the Lumber Spine “Naked” during movement.
Solution: Strengthen the Inner Core by lying face down with the head on the hands. Breathe in deeply and push the belly into the floor, then breathe out deeply and pull the belly off the floor.
5. Use Correct Abdominal Training
The world’s obsession with flat stomachs and 6-pack Abs has resulted in a whole multitude of abdominal exercises. Unfortunately the majority of these exercises go against the true function of the Core muscles and only exacerbate existing problems. The Cores primary role is to provide stabilisation and a strong platform for other muscles to function from. Sit ups and crunches work in the total opposite direction of the Cores true function and only increase excess flexion in the Lumbar Spine. These exercises in turn increase the hunched over desk seated position and further stimulate and shorten the over active Hip Flexors.
Solution: Work on Core Stability by holding a rigid Press Up position while slowly raising one arm and taping the opposite shoulder. The less conditioned can omit the shoulder taps.
You can see videos of all the exercises required to create a strong core to prevent lower back issues by following Greg’s “Core Conditioning Course” here: http://gbptmembers.com/store/products/33
Royal Wedding Memorabilia Fever Hits
With royal wedding fever about to hit an all time high, the tat is coming out in force. Have a look at some of the newest additions. Lakeland Swirly Cupcake stand £10.99
Peacocks Kate Middleton inspired jewellery £4.50 each
B&Q Wedding gnomes £12.98 each or £20 for the pair
B&Q Union Jack Doormat £5.98
Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique Rose and Crown tattoos £1.99
Waitrose wedding shoe shaped gingerbread biscuits £18 for 12
Sex & The Chippy
The truth about why women think a man’s chips are hers
The biggest ever survey of the nation’s chip-eating habits, conducted to coincide with National Chip Week (21-27 February), reveals a fascinating insight into our enduring love affair with the humble fried potato.
Curly or straight, open or wrapped, salt and vinegar or ketchup, The Chip Report, commissioned by Potato Council, maps our chip-eating habits and answers enduring questions such as why do women think it’s OK to ‘share’ their man’s chips? And how many of us really eat chips in bed. Key findings include:
To share or not to share? When it comes to sharing our chips, it clearly depends who’s asking. While most of us are happy to share with a friend or partner if asked (94% and 90%), this falls to 55% if it’s the boss doing the asking. It also seems that women are a bit more charitable, with more women than men thinking it’s OK to share, whoever asks. The exception appears to be on a first date…
Dating dilemmas: The Chip Report reveals an interest divide when it comes to first date etiquette: While 61% of men think it’s acceptable for their date to ‘share’ their chips uninvited, this only applies to 46% of women.
Psychological and dating expert, Phillip Hodson explains the logic of chip-sharing: “Whether they are aware of it or not, many women take a ‘hair shirt’ approach to eating out whilst on a date and don’t order what they want. They believe that punishing themselves and not ordering what really takes their fancy makes them a better person. However, when this does happen, they are likely to just pinch chips from their date’s plate anyway!
“Women are also falling into the trap of believing that men prefer women who don’t have a big appetite. This is simply not true as most men prefer women with whom they can enjoy the simple pleasures in life, including eating food – particularly at a time of economic uncertainty such as the one we are in currently.”
Other findings of The Chip report include:
We have a low ‘chip rustling’ tolerance: We all know that some women would rather pinch chips from their man’s plate than order their own, but just how many do we think is an acceptable number? Half of us (51%) will only tolerate one or two to be pinched from our plates, but when the boot is on the other foot, two-thirds (65%) think it’s OK to pinch a couple from someone else’s. The vast majority of us though (87.5%) will tolerate no more than a handful of chips being ‘liberated’.
The chippy is still king of the take-aways: Despite the many contenders on our high streets – the chip shop is still considered king of the take-aways by most people (73%).
Younger people don’t give a fork: While almost half of us (47%) prefer to eat chips with a knife and fork, this drops to 24% among 16-24 year-olds, who like to get stuck in with their fingers (38% vs 25% for the total population).
We’re going Continental (well, some of us are): While salt and vinegar remain the people’s preferred condiment overall (37%), this appears to be on the wane, with younger generations preferring ketchup or mayonnaise. One in five 25-34 year-olds say mayonnaise is their favourite, while a whopping 40% of 16-24 year-olds plump for tomato ketchup as their first choice. Mayo is also more popular among women, with 15% saying it is their preferred condiment (vs 8% men).
Things are different in London: When it comes to toppings, Londoners buck the national trend as the only region in Britain to prefer ketchup to salt and vinegar.
Anything goes for the youngsters: For 16-24 year olds, it’s a case of anytime, anywhere when it comes to chip eating. This age group is most likely eat them ‘on-the-go’ with 55% regularly eating them while walking down the street and nearly a quarter (22%) enjoying them on their way home from a night out.
Frying tonight: While chip shop chips emerge as the nation’s favourite type overall (a quarter of us like these best), there is clearly a generational divide: Younger people are the most likely to cite long, thin fries as their favourite type of chip, matching chip shop chips in popularity. If you’re 55 or over, however, you are just as likely to enjoy home-made chips as chip shop chips.
Chips under cover: While our love of chips is without question, some of us clearly take it to extremes, with a minority of us (7%) enjoying chips in bed.
Potato Council’s Caroline Evans says: “Each year we eat around 1.7 million tonnes of chips a year in various forms, and thanks to The Chip Report now have a clearer picture of the different ways in which they are enjoyed by different age groups, genders and parts of the country.
“It’s no surprise that we as a nation love chips – they come in so many different forms: from oven chips that are easy straight from the freezer and less than five per cent fat; to homemade; to the nations’ favourite take-away. National Chip Week is a chance to celebrate this great British tradition.”
WORKING WOMEN TAKE FINANCIAL CONTROL – BUT NEGLECT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES
o Nearly half (46%) of working women describe themselves as the main earners in their family
o 44% of all working women state they are responsible for making the family financial decisions and over three in five (61%) raise money discussions in the household
o Yet over two million working females have no savings accounts in place
Almost a century after women asserted their right to vote, a new report from protection specialist, Bright Grey reveals another step forward in equality by highlighting that almost half (46%) of working women currently describe themselves as the main earner in their household. But its not all good news as the Women and Protection report* also suggests that women are actually less likely than men to have financial back-up should they suddenly be unable to work.
The ‘Women and Protection’ report – which examines the financial role of women in the household today – reveals that women are not only increasing their earning power but they are also gaining a stronger financial voice in the home. Over three in five (61%) working women state they are the most likely to raise money discussions in the home, compared to a lower 57% of working men who state they would raise them.
When it comes to crunch time, working women are also just as likely to make the financial decisions in their household with nearly half (44%) of all working female surveyed stating they predominately make the financial decisions in their household – compared to just over half (53%) of working men who state they would make them. Almost three in five (59%) of married couples say they consult each other on all financial issues.
Women are the family financial hub – but fail to financially protect themselves
Multi-tasking continues to remain a skill for women – even if they are at work all the time. In fact nearly three quarters of working women (72%) say they pay the bills, compared to two thirds (66%) of working men. A similar figure (71%) of working women in the UK do general day to day household budgeting, such as sorting home insurance compared to just 59% of working men who state they are responsible for this. Half of working women (50%) say they are responsible for longer-term financial decisions such as buying life insurance or organising a will.
Yet despite females bucking the traditional trend of males being the financial decision-makers it appears they are failing to financially protect themselves as over two million** working women (16%) say they do not have a savings account. Meanwhile, over a third of working females (35%) say they do not currently have a pension in place, compared to 30% of working men.
In terms of protection insurance products, over half (53%) of working women admitted that they have no life insurance cover in place, a product that is aimed at protecting their families in the event of their death. Over four in five (84%) working women do not hold income protection products, while a similar number of working women (78%) do not hold either a critical illness policy or private medical insurance (81%).
Roger Edwards, proposition director at Bright Grey said: “As earnings levels even up and the level of financial responsibility in households is more equally divided, women could be putting themselves at risk by not protecting their income – especially if a household is dependent on their salary.
Taking online accounting classes can be a great first step in really understanding financial matters.
“Bright Grey is calling for women to have adequate financial protection in place for themselves and their families. By buying a protection product that pays out if they are unable to work due to a serious illness or disability, women can ensure they protect both their household income and current lifestyle. There are various affordable protection options in the market, and it is critical that women in the UK who are increasingly running their household finances are protected.”
WORKINGMUMS LIVE EXHIBITION
Mark Your Calendar – Tuesday 8th March 2011
Workingmums Live Exhibition, a brand new exhibition event, gives working parents the opportunity to:
* Meet with family friendly employers face to face including: Deloitte, Coca Cola, Santander and H&M
* Find flexible job opportunities
* Get advice on being self employed, starting a business or setting up a franchise
* Improve their CV and brush up on interview techniques
* Get advice on retraining from the experts
* Attend informative seminars on everything from party planning to tax credits
* Find out about childcare options and business funding
Venue: Business Design Centre, Islington, London.
Time: 10am – 5pm
Nearest Tube Station: Angel
The event is free for all attendees, and you can even bring your little ones as there will be buggy parks, changing stations and crèche facilities to make life that little bit easier.
To register, please visit www.workingmumslive.co.uk.
LAUNCH OF BLUEBELLS & SEASHELLS: ONLINE GUIDE TO ACCOMMODATION ACROSS GREAT BRITAIN
A new comprehensive online accommodation guide for Great Britain which will feature all types of places to stay, from bed & breakfasts, hotels, holiday cottages, yurts, campsites, boats, glampsites and even a converted Shepherds Hut has been launched. The website: www.bluebellsandseashells.co.uk, has been named to represent all that is typical of Great Britain’s beautiful countryside and stretching shorelines.
The advanced search page offers one of the most comprehensive search facilities available ensuring that users of the site are able to find accommodation suitable for their individual requirements, such as with wheelchair access, eco-friendly accommodation, or places that cater specifically for vegetarians. Alternatively, holidaymakers can consider trying something new during their break, by searching for accommodation providers that offer workshops and courses, for example cupcake making classes or crash courses in keeping chickens!
Visitors to the site are also able to view up to ten large images of the accommodation, view feedback from other guests, check availability of holiday cottages and see details of popular local attractions and things to do locally as listed by the property owner rather than advertisers. The news section carried on the www.BluebellsandSeashells.co.uk home page and monthly newsletter also features stories on places to go and things to check out around Great Britain, for example places to take children during the half-term break.
Joanna Thorne, Founder of Bluebells & Seashells commented: “There are 2.9 million bedspaces* available to guests in the UK every night, including hotels, B&B’s, guest houses, through to holiday dwellings and tourist campsites with an average occupancy rate of 55% for all serviced accommodation**, suggesting that the flow of traffic and money into the British tourism industry is still very much alive and open for business. London remains the most popular destination for overseas visitors (14.2 million), who collectively spent over £8bn in 2009, representing 50% of all inbound visitor spending***.”
“We launched this site to counter all of the items we found most frustrating from our own experiences at looking for accommodation and we’re delighted that we already over 1250 properties of all shapes and sizes, atmospheres and locations registered with us. We’ve ensured that images are displayed as large as possible and the search does not limit browsers to select one property type or another unless they choose to, as we all know that when looking for a bed for a night when attending a friend’s wedding for example, choosing a hotel, guest house, B&B, converted mill or boat is not what’s important; but the price, warm welcome, décor, cleanliness and location are.”
“Furthermore, many of the holiday cottage letting companies around Great Britain have been purchased by overseas corporations, and as a result the consumer ends up paying considerably more for their holiday, including the compulsory insurance than cottages owners receive. This is neither fair for the owner, or traveller, but perhaps worst still is that this money is leaving our economy, when it has never needed it more. Bluebells and Seashells is aimed at providing those independent accommodation owners, with an affordable and fair platform to share what they to offer and with Royal Wedding and the 2012 Olympic Games only months away, the outlook for accommodation providers looks extremely prosperous.”
A short marriage, but a longer divorce?
A short marriage often ends with a longer divorce due to differences of opinion over the financial settlement warns Caroline Bourn, solicitor at Buss Murton Law LLP.
Caroline Bourn comments: “This is highlighted by recent media coverage of Katie Price and Alex Reid’s split as reports claim Alex Reid is seeking a £6million divorce settlement, whilst Katie Price is offering £700,000. Couples can have great difficulty in agreeing what is the right settlement when dealing with a short childless marriage where one person brought into the marriage the majority of the wealth.”
“There is no one size fits all approach to any divorce settlement, as each case will depend on its own individual facts and circumstances.”
“In this case, the starting point of any financial agreement will be to identify the “marital acquest”, or more simply, what was built up during the marriage.”
“For example, in Katie Price and Alex Reid’s case this might include the money from the TV shows or magazine deals they were in together. The marital acquest, once identified, is often shared equally, which then leaves the decision as to what should happen to those assets that were bought into the marriage by one party or were inherited or are business assets, which were the result of one party’s effort.”
“In short marriages, contributions made by either party can prove to be decisive; whilst the longer the marriage lasts, the less weight may be given to those contributions made before a marriage.”
“With a short marriage, there is often not the acceptance that the assets will be divided equally, which is often the case in longer marriages.”
“A contested court case will cost thousands of pounds and could take years to conclude and if Katie Price and Alex Reid wish to avoid this, they would be well advised to find a better way of resolving the finances, such as Collaborative Law. This will mean they have to sit down around the same table with their lawyers and thrash the deal out.”
Caroline concludes: “If either party considers remarrying in the future, they would be well advised to draw up a Pre Nuptial Agreement to protect the wealth they bring to the marriage.”