A rugged camping and hiking holiday can be a lot of fun but you need to make sure you are well prepared. Not only in terms of your camping gear and first aid equipment but also in terms of what you take with you to eat.

Meal planning

You should plan your meals in advance, think about where you are going and for how long. Are you staying on a campsite, near places to get food every day or are you staying out in the wilderness and need to make sure you have enough freeze-dried food and other supplies to get through your trip?

You should also assess what your access to water is going to be like. Are you near to a source that can be used for drinking and cooking or do you need to bring your own supply with you. This should be a major consideration and something to keep in mind when it comes to planning the route your hiking trip might take.

Breakfast

Your breakfast should set you up for the day. Porridge for example is a great way to warm yourself up in the morning and provides a great source of carbohydrates that can help fuel you until lunchtime.

If you wanted to add a bit of extra flavour and sweetness to your breakfast you could add a handful of dried fruit to your porridge, this helps to not only make it taste even nicer but it also provides extra calories and sugars which can be the perfect pick me up before a day of hiking.

Lunch

Depending on the trip your lunch when you are camping could be a simple picnic, it could be stopping off in a café nearby or it could be a case of you needing to eat on the go.

You might need to reach a campsite by a certain time if you’re on a hiking trip, meaning something that can be eaten on the go to maintain your energy levels is useful.

Nuts, dried fruit and protein bars all make great snacks. A simple sandwich could also suffice, you can prepare them in advance and eat them without having to stop and unpack your cooking equipment meaning you can maintain your momentum on a hike.

Dinner

Your evening meal is crucial. It’s a chance to stop and refuel so you need to make sure you’re having something substantial.

A hearty meal with plenty of protein can help your body to repair itself and start to replenish your energy reserves for the next step of your adventure.

These meals are often the biggest you will have all day. Being out of a kitchen means you might not be able to cook something truly awe inspiring but simple dishes, like pasta, or camp favourites like a chilli are possible.

If you’re on a campsite, and you’re having a much more sedate trip you could have a barbecue, however you need to ensure everything is cooked thoroughly to avoid food poisoning, especially if you are staying on a campsite before setting off on a hiking and camping trip. The middle of nowhere isn’t the best place to feel ill.

Getting your meals right on a trip to the great outdoors is key to having a successful trip, they can help you to recharge after a long day, fuel the next activity or help you to relax and unwind. Finding the right meals for your trip can take a bit of planning but with the right preparation and thinking ahead you can keep hunger at bay and really enjoy your trip.

Crash diets

Weight loss experts will tell you that crash diets are rarely effective when it comes to weight loss and there are some good reasons behind this. In fact, most of these diets are usually very unhealthy and only succeed in helping you achieve rapid loss of weight. They promote loss of muscle weight or water weight which besides being gained back quickly, loosing these weight is potentially very harmful to your overall well- being. And as if this is not enough, you will realise that sticking to these crash diets in the long run is nearly impossible as your body will resist the change naturally. This in turn ends up frustrating your weight loss endeavours to a great extent.

Weight loss is only possible through a radical exercise regime

This is essentially not true as to succeed in weight loss; you will need to make small changes which you can stick to for a relatively long time. Losing weight is only possible if you are able burn much more calories compared to what you are consuming and an exercise regime is only one of the ways to help you achieve this. You will thus need to move more, eat less and best of all, combine both of them.

Slimming pills are the solution for effective weight loss in the long term

This is certainly not true as slimming pills will do you more harm than good in your long-term weight loss efforts. Most importantly, don’t use slimming pills for long term purposes and always ask your physician for a prescription.

Carbohydrates cause weight gain

A common myth is that carbohydrates only succeed in making you put on more weight and this is highly unfounded and certainly not true. When carbohydrates are eaten in the most appropriate quantities, they will certainly not lead to weight gain. It is essential that you eat whole meal and whole grain carbohydrates like whole meal bread and brown ice and you will certainly succeed in your weight loss efforts.

Drinking water helps in weight loss

While drinking water is always very important, keep in mind that it will not help you loose water. Water only makes you stay hydrated and could succeed in helping you snack less. Drinking water is important for your overall wellbeing and good health.

Keeping note of these myths will help you know what works and what don’t work when it comes to weight loss just to be sure that you are on the right track.

It doesn’t have to be this way. You can still look good on your wedding day without starving yourself beforehand. From swapping a drunken L-plate clad night out for adventure hen parties and the traditional slow dance for something that will get the heart racing, we’ve found four creative ways to get in shape for your wedding, and have fun whilst you do it.

1. Adventure stag and hen parties

Your stag and hen party is seen as one last blow out before your big day. Many brides ruin a diet by downing sugary cocktails before gorging on a 4am McDonald’s burger. Instead, why not reject the stereotypical hen party and go for different type of adventure?

There are many stag and hen party adventure packages, from watersports and mountain biking to 5 aside football with ex-pros. If the bride-to-be has a particular hobby, incorporating this is a great way to give the hen party a personal touch and make sure everyone keeps in shape in the process.

Hen party organisers Maximise run a whole host of hen parties, including adventure activities, and combine them with more ‘traditional’ hen party fun. Their Wet & Wild weekend in Edinburgh, for brides willing to battle the Scottish elements by white water rafting, river duckies, river bugs or canyoning before heading out on the town.

2. Exercise together

Working out will not only make you feel better and is a great way to relax during those stressful pre-wedding months, it might actually bring you closer to your other half. It’ll certainly help you look your best for your big day.

Personal trainer to the stars, Jon Denoris lists looking good as one the main benefits of getting fit, he states “fitness training can help us look good and feel good! In addition to the overall look of your fat and muscles, physical activity improves the appearance of your nails, teeth, hair and skin!”

3. Healthy cooking classes

Learn to eat better to look great for the wedding, and keep your new figure afterwards too by going to healthy cooking classes. This is a way to make dieting more fun and can be done with your partner. You may even find that spicing things up in the kitchen results in spicing things up in the bedroom too.

Alternatively, cooking classes can be great fun, especially ones that benefit from a more informal atmosphere and plenty of wine. Cooking classes such as Food at 52 and the Clean Eating Academy could make for a great hen party activity.

Who knows? If the cookery classes are a rip-roaring success you may even end up saving on the catering for the wedding.

4. Practice your first dance

The first dance is the very first thing most of us will do in our married life, but, it is usually the first wrong step many couples make in their marriage. In all seriousness, it can stressful, embarrassing and just not very fun.

However, practicing your first dance by going to dance classes can be both romantic and the perfect tonic to the stressful wedding planning process. By doing away with the formality and swapping the slow dance for something that’s going to get your pulse racing, your first dance as Mr and Mrs will be fun and will help you get in shape.

Of course, you don’t necessarily have to lose any weight at all and a pre-wedding diet should not be stressful. These are ways you can get in shape, and drop those few extra pounds and still have fun during what should be, the best time of your life.

We’ll be hoping Andy Murray can defeat the seemingly unstoppable Novak Djokovic this time round, that’s if he can get past the likes of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka first. In the female competition, Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska are posing a real threat to the once dominant Serena Williams, but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for Heather Watson, Johanna Konta and the rest of the British contingent.

It’s the event all tennis fans look forward to each summer, but it’s not the full story. British tennis enthusiasts play all year round, both indoor and outdoor and on a range of different surfaces. It’s fun, a great way to stay in shape and is accessible across a range of fitness levels and abilities. So, if you fancy following in the footsteps of Wimbledon’s tennis stars, here are some of the ways you can get involved:

Find tennis facilities in your local area

Before you can even consider swinging your racket, you’ll have to find nearby facilities to play. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is a great place to start for any information on playing tennis. The LTA’s mission is to get more people playing tennis in Great Britain and to promote and safeguard the integrity of the sport. Use the LTA’s find a venue feature to discover tennis courts and facilities close to you.

There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved in organising and officiating at tennis competitions. There are many different roles in officiating, including tennis umpires and tennis referees, as well as the courses available to get you started.

Take the plunge in US college sport

College sport scholarships in the USA provide a unique opportunity to play tennis at an elite level while earning an internationally recognised university degree. They also grant access to some of the best playing facilities on the planet and some of the world’s most experienced coaches. Collegiate sport is big business across the pond, involving huge fanbases, massive corporate sponsorship and national television coverage.

John Isner, 18th seed in the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon and the current American number one, started off in US college sport. Isner is perhaps best known for his record breaking duel with Nicolas Mahut which, at a grand total of 11 hours and 5 minutes of play, became the longest professional tennis match in history. Before breaking records at Wimbledon, Isner set the school record for singles and doubles during his time at the University of Georgia.

To follow in Isner’s footsteps and get involved in US college tennis, apply for a US tennis scholarship with a leading collegiate sports agency such as Future Elite Sports or Sporting Chance USA.

Improve your stamina with cardio tennis

If competitive is just not in your nature, why not try out cardio tennis – a fun, sociable, high-energy fitness class that aims to improve both fitness and mental health. Cardio Tennis combines the best features of tennis with cardiovascular exercise, delivering a calorie-burning aerobic workout. Supported by qualified instructors and music, it’s all about building camaraderie and bringing a smile to your face.

A typical 60 minute session is broken into four sections. First, a warm up including dynamic stretching and drills to get your body and mind warmed up before the workout begins. Then, an aerobic section focuses on a range of shots including forehands, backhands, volleys and serves, all combined with fitness activities. Next is the tennis section which involves a variety of team games, before finally finishing with a cool down period of recovery and stretches.

Try out tennis adaptations for a range of disabilities

For the first time in Wimbledon history, 2016 will see a wheelchair singles tournament – adding to the wheelchair doubles which has been held each year since 2005. Wheelchair tennis is played on a regular tennis court without modifications to rackets or balls, meaning it is easy to integrate with the non-disabled game.

Beyond wheelchair tennis, there are an impressive range of adaptations available to those with visual impairments, hearing impairments and learning disabilities. Aside from boosting fitness and coordination, these variations of tennis can help to build social skills, self-esteem and independence.

To get involved with any of these adaptations, the Tennis Foundation cater for wheelchair tennis and offer subsidised camps for learning disability, deaf, and visually-impaired tennis.

1. Understand nutrition

Cyclists are an elite bunch, but there are many who underestimate the importance of good nutrition. You need to eat small, frequent meals with plenty of non-refined carbohydrates throughout the day to help build up glycogen ahead of training. If you need a quick energy boost, a burst of refined energy such as an energy bar or gel can help give you some much-needed power. If you’re riding for longer than two hours, eat every hour to keep you fuelled.

2. Implement strength training

While you need to be careful not to be carrying too much weight, a good weight room program can help you increase speed and power in a way unrivalled by other methods of training. Implementing squats, lunges and deadlifts into your routine can help give you legs like Sir Chris Hoy and increase your pedalling power.

3. Train intervals

Interval style training is the ultimate way to increase your speed and emulate sprints come race day. Repeatedly climbing a hill, slowly cycling down and heading back up again builds up a unique kind of endurance and ability. If you’d like to perform intervals on a longer route, pedal normally for five minutes, then power to top speed for two, back to normal for five and repeat.

4. Improve your posture

A simple trick that is easy to implement, improving your cycling posture is vital for a better, faster ride. Wind resistance drags your speed down and stops you achieving your max potential. Reduce resistance by lowering your body position. Lower your body closer to the bars and tuck your elbows in to increase an aerodynamic form.

5. Hydrate!

One of the most overlooked aspects of cycling is hydration. Cardiovascular activity reduces your blood volume and makes your heart work harder. To combat this, you need to take in plenty of fluids throughout the day. When you’re riding, energy drinks are a good way to get some carbohydrates and liquid. Aim to drink a bottle every hour when pedalling hard.

I wanted to share with you today a great little info-graphic I found from Halfords. It’s called ‘Year Round Essentials For Cycling‘ and it’s perfect for anyone looking to get into cycling.

All the best with your training for 2016!

Torso

While you might have a sleek, tight fitting running t-shirt, it’s probably not going to be ideal here. You’ll be using your arms a lot to balance, especially when doing tricks, so you need to be able to comfortably move them around without your clothes rubbing. Skateboarding can be a surprisingly cardio intensive workout, so you’ll also want to wear something that isn’t going to make you too hot and sweaty. Fabric that wicks away sweat is ideal.

Legs

As with your arms, your legs are going to be moving around in a variety of different directions, so you’ll need some freedom. Tight fitting jeans can make things difficult, and are likely to become uncomfortable quickly, so it’s best to choose something at least a little loose. Don’t go for overly baggy though, or you can end up tripping over yourself. Jeans are a good choice because they are tough; you’ll inevitably fall over, probably each time you go out, and jeans help to prevent small cuts and grazes. Expect to wear these jeans out.

Feet

Socks are probably more important than you might think – don’t choose anything too heavy, as your feet will sweat, and overly thick socks will make things worse. They also need to fit well to avoid rubbing. Skate Hut have plenty to choose from. Shoes come in a variety of styles and types, but all will have some things in common. They need to be durable, comfortable and suited to gripping and moving around on the board. Purchasing cheap trainers is false economy, as they simply won’t last the rigours of scraping against grip tape, metal and concrete.

Head

Once you start getting a little more advanced, using ramps and things like that, you will need to wear a helmet. Falling on your head can be pretty dangerous even from relatively short heights, and it’s not worth the risk. There’s a reason pro skaters wear them. Ensure that your helmet fits well to offer maximum comfort and protection, and bear in mind that it may be compromised if it suffers significant impact at any point.

Stay fit and healthy with cycling

To start with, cycling builds muscle tone and strength. Contrally to the normal perceptions of many, cycling is essentially not really a fitness activity as such but the exercise helps in strength building in a holistic way since the activity involves nearly each and every part of your body. In addition, cycling helps a lot in increasing muscle function as you can exercise easily with less straining. Cycling regularly helps to strengthen your leg muscles and works wonders in enhancing the mobility of your knee joints and hip. Cycling builds stamina and it is greatly effective in this especially due to the fact that it is something that most people really enjoy.

Health experts will also tell you that cycling helps a lot in improving cardiovascular fitness. This is mainly due to the fact that cycling helps a lot in making your heart bead steadily and boosts your cardio vascular fitness in a remarkable way. Since cycling makes use of a large group of muscles in the legs, it is able to raise the heart rate to greatly benefit from fitness and stamina. In addition to this, cycling also eats up calories and it is a perfect way to shed out those unwanted pounds and boosts your metabolism in a major way. And most importantly, cycling reduces stress as well and depression while remarkably improving yourself esteem and well being. Cycling gives you a chance of getting in touch with nature and feeling the breath of earth.

Importance of selecting the correct clothes and footwear for cycling

Wearing cycling specific clothing and footwear makes your ride comfortable, whether you are cycling on the road, commuting to/from work or hitting the trail. Bike styled wear can really help a lot in making you perform much better and also ride longer as well. Checkout Fat Birds for a wide range of bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes & cycling clothing. Cycling also reduces your level of fatigue and improves your stamina while making you engage in the activity for a prolonged time period. If you are using clipless pedals, opt for shoes, which work well with your cleats and then match your cycling style. It is even much better that you seek lightweight shoes with a durable sole to offer you ample tread for gripping the trail when needed. When cycling in a rainy or wet day, consider using shoe covers or toe covers as well.

Thanks for reading,

Supplements

Supplements play a crucial role in promoting enhanced physical strength. There is a wide range available and you can improve your physical strength considerably. Taking the right supplement and at the right time is essential. CNP Professional offers a wide range of supplements that work for physical strength enhancement. The top supplements that you should really be keeping an eye on include the CNP Pro Energy and Rehydration Drink, High Protein Pro Flapjack Snack Bar, Instant Protein Dessert Mix, Post Workout Recovery Drink, Advanced Meal Replacement Drink and Low Fat Meal Replacement for women among others.

Taking these supplements will help you realise your objectives much sooner than you would really imagine. By taking these nutritional supplements both before and after workouts, you will be able to ensure that your body is able to absorb the necessary nutrients for muscle rebuilding and repair. The supplements will help your body metabolise everything efficiently and are a great way towards achieving your ideal health and fitness levels.

Exercises

Engaging in bodybuilding exercises is crucial if you want to enhance your physical strength. Experts advise that you need to perform various body weight exercises, which work your upper body and core. These are essentially referred to as the body weight exercises since no additional equipment is needed when performing them as it is just your body is required. In addition, these exercises are incredibly convenience since you can perform them virtually anywhere and at any time. For best results, it is advisable that you create a good daily regimen whereby you perform a couple of sit ups and push ups before embarking to your daily activities.

Also, to improve your physical strength, it is important that you perform various body weight exercises, which works the lower parts of your body like lunges and squats. The good thing about these exercises is that no extra equipment is needed and you can perform them at any location. In addition, make sure that you also incorporate free weights in your training regimen as well such as weight plates and dumbbells depending on how stronger you are. There are many other physical strength training exercises that you should also consider like flat bar bench presses to work out your arm and chest muscles.

In conclusion, it is possible to improve your physical strength considerably particularly if you pay more attention to supplements and exercises. CNP Professional offers a wide range of products that can help athletes achieve their goals fast and easily.

Super Support

If there’s one thing a bra should provide you with whilst exercising, it’s support. This is both a short and long term benefit. Short term, you won’t need to worry about your breasts jumping about and going on a workout of their own, which can be an uncomfortable and humiliating experience. Over time, the benefits become even greater as, without a proper sports bra, intense physical activity can cause the ligaments surrounding the breast to stretch and eventually tear. This in turn can cause to your breasts to sag and droop – not a look you want to aim for! Because a sports bra will hold your breasts tightly and minimise movement, it will drastically reduce the risk of ligaments around the breast area tearing and therefore minimise the risk of premature sagging and help to maintain your breast shape.

Handy Storage

Did you know that some sports bras now have storage compartments? These allow you to work out without having to worry about carrying your phone, money, keys or MP3 player around the gym or out on your run. You are able to tuck them away, safely out of the sight of others, so you never need to worry about losing those essential items again!

No Sweat

An incredible amount of research and development has gone into the sports bra industry in recent years, and technical advances have led to the development of bras which serve to regulate temperature and minimise sweat. You can now purchase sports bras which are designed to wick away sweat, leaving you without those embarrassing pools of sweat showing through your t-shirt. Plus, there are a number of bras on the market which use lightweight fabric and are designed to encourage and stimulate air flow, allowing you to feel fresh and cool throughout your session.

Optimum Comfort

You’d probably worked out already that all of the above leads to increased comfort, but there’s more to consider too. Sports bras are developed using soft, lightweight fabrics and generally do not contain any under wires. You won’t need to worry about uncomfortable under wires, straps or hooks digging in when you’re wearing a sports bra. They offer wider coverage which means that the breast tissue is distributed more evenly, resulting in a comfortable, even fit.

If you have been regularly exercising without the added protection of a sports bra, you’re sure to notice the difference when you make the change. We recommend that women with breasts sized A-C cup opt for a compression-style sports bra, which will hold your breasts tightly together. Those with a D-cup or larger will be better off choosing an encapsulated sports bra which separates your breasts in moulded cups. Whatever you choose, make sure you purchase the correct size and enjoy your work out!