Blog - Keep Fit With Kelly: Health and Fitness

My Thoughts in this uncertain time

3/13/2020

If you are anything like me you are finding the world a little bit of a scary place at the moment.......I have spent the last few weeks with my head in the sand a little bit...I am very much a carry on as normal person until I absolutely cannot...

I have taken the attitude that it is being sensationalised in the media and that if you are healthy you don't have to worry too much...

But even I in the last few days have started to become a little worried....

I couldn't get pasta or toilet rolls when I went shopping yesterday...I don't get the toilet roll thing...if someone could enlighten me?

But I do feel that as long as we follow the advice being given ....... be vigilant about hand washing etc then I am going to carry on as normally as I can....

One thing it has drawn me towards though is the need to stay as healthy as we can, we know that those with underlying health conditions as well as the elderly are at greater risk

So what can we do to stay as healthy as possible and keep our immune systems good? This article by Arianna Huffington about the healthy habits we can add to our lives...sums it up very well......have a read HERE .

These are always habits we should adopt but even more so at this time.....

We need to

Focus on sleep.....research shows from tests done that people who are tired are more likely to get colds etc..chronic lack of sleep causes a reduction in our immune system

Staying hydrated and avoiding processed foods....avoiding sugar can help us reduce chronic inflammation which contributes to the conditions that put us at greater risk of viruses

Finally avoid stress...this greatly impacts our immune system

So my message today is that I recognise this is an uncertain and worrying time for us all........but I think there is a need to keep calm, follow sensible precautions that we have been given, be vigilant about hand washing etc and try to continue with following a healthy lifestyle as much as possible

As I write this my classes are continuing as normal....people are still attending as normal and just making sure that they wash their hands and be sensible...the need to be healthy has never been greater..

Lots of love

Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

PS: Please drop me a line back and share your feelings around all this...I know it is a testing time for many

Should I do weights if I want to lose weight?

3/11/2020

A question I get asked all the time....the answer is yes definitely!

I believe that having a mix of weight training, cardio and some sort of pilates/yoga style class in your routine is spot on ✅

Women worry that if they lift weights they will be bulky or that as they have heard muscle weighs more than fat they will put weight on which concerns them.....

Here's my opinion.....its hard for most women to bulk, women who want to bulk will work really hard to achieve that...most women doing something like Kettlebells or Body Pump will get a lean toned look.....and yes muscle does weigh more than fat but having more muscle will boost your metabolism and help you lose inches...leaving you looking and feeling better and stronger ✅✅ win win!! Much better to be strong, healthy, looking and feeling great........

As we get older it is really important too.......using weights will improve your muscle tone and also build up your bone density...so there are so many reasons why using weights is a GREAT IDEA....

I have weights based classes on my timetable if you want to try one.....

8pm Tuesday Kettlercise
10am Thursdays 50+ Kettlebells
6.15pm Thursdays Kettlercise

Do you lift weights? Are you concerned about becoming too bulky or it affecting that number on the scales?

Kelly x
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

5 Top Tips for a Healthy March

3/4/2020

5 Top Tips to have a healthy March .......

We are into a new month...which is great..and how great could it be if it was your healthiest month yet??? Here I share my top 5 tips to have a healthy March..
1. Do yourself a food plan and make sure you have the right foods in the cupboard

2. Move your body more...go for walks, try new classes....the nights are getting lighter so let's get more active!

3. Are you drinking enough water? Treat yourself to a new water bottle and some nice herbal teas

4. Have a look at your favourite foods and see how much sugar is in them....you might be surprised where it is hiding

5. And finally get some me time this month.....can you treat yourself to a massage or a lunch out with a friend
Have these tips helped? I really hope they have....let me know if you have any questions...you can watch a video about this over in my FREE Facebook group

Kelly x
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

What does it feel like to walk into one of my classes?

2/11/2020

First of all I want to say that I totally get that it can be a really daunting experience to walk into any fitness class for the first time......so what can you expect in one of mine...

1. To be greeted by me with a welcome and a smile...I am always on the door when you arrive.....to say hello and chat with you if you need to tell me about any injuries or concerns

2. A non intimidating atmosphere...all my venues are church halls or school halls....we do not have mirrors or egos!!!

3. A mix of people......you will find all ages, shapes and sizes exercising together....working at their own level....I encourage and motivate but don't push beyond peoples means

4. You won't find the same thing 2 weeks running, I mix up music and moves so that you hopefully never get bored

5. A good atmosphere..the music is a massive part of my classes...and I believe music can really be used to enhance the mood...whether that is cranking it up in Kettlercise or chilling out in Pilates.

If you want to come and try a class check out my timetable HERE or drop me a message and we can chat about which classes might suit you....

Kelly x
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

Who am I?

12/3/2019

A deep question hey!!!

This has come from a video I did on Facebook this week looking at what sort of coach I am? What sort of women work with me?

Click HERE to have a look at the video..

I also asked the question on social media........if you come to my classes or work with me one to one how would you describe me???

Some lovely words were used to describe me....positive, fun, upbeat, energetic, non judgemental, supportive..and one lady simply said "you care"

How lovely is that.........the purpose of asking the question was so that i could give you an idea in this blog post of what I am like as a coach and hopefully they have summed it up perfectly...

I would also add that I am REALISTIC!!!

I am a real women who eats chocolate and drinks wine..............and the women I work with are real women too...we are not about bulging biceps and rippling abs...we are about being the healthiest and happiest versions of ourselves we can be

I know that over the next few weeks thoughts will be turning to your plans for next year in terms of the exercise you are going to do and maybe the type of eating plan you will follow...give working with me a thought if you are resonating with any of this....

Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

Real life living with a puppy

11/26/2019

So if you follow me regularly you will know that we recently got a cockapoo puppy.....we have had him 3 months now and it has been wonderful but challenging!

I have spoken about this on my social media A LOT...it was really tough...

I have never had a dog...any pet for that matter and so it was a really big shock...many times during those first few weeks I questioned whether I had done the right thing.....it was as hard as having a baby!

But with perseverance.......patience and lots of time we have got a lovely little doggy now.....he is toilet trained and is really getting a character and has certainly become part of the family..it was the sleeping that was the hardest...we had him downstairs in our kitchen and he just really wasn't getting on with it....waking at 4am every day if not more than that during the night and we just couldn't take it anymore.....

But I had always said I didn't want him upstairs...

Eventually we caved and he now sleeps in with my daughter and we have never had a disturbed night since...it seems he was lonely...

So to anyone reading this thinking about getting a puppy, my message would be it is super hard and you need to be prepared for that........it changes your life and you always have to think about the dog going forwards....getting back for him...not leaving him too long..daily walks.....toilet training is tough...you will say he is isn't going in this room or that but they probably will........

BUT

We wouldn't be without him now and I am pleased we got him.....here is Alfie who will be 6 months next week

Are you stressed?

11/11/2019

Today is National Stress Awareness Day..this is something that the charity MIND arranges each year on the first Wednesday in November and it is just to get us talking about stress and what we can do to reduce it..

I did a poll on my Instagram story yesterday and simply asked the question Are you Stressed?

It was a pretty much 50/50 split on answers so that is half of us that are stressed currently.....

I had a great guest on my radio show yesterday to talk about this...Faye is a hypnotherapist and also is an expert in reflexology and massage and she shared her top tips...you can listen back HERE

She advised speaking with your GP as a first point of call but then these pointers may help as well....

1. Get some exercise.......staying active whilst it won't get rid of stress in our life will help us handle it better

2. Spend time with family and friends and talk to them about how you are feeling and don't bottle things up

3. Me time...making time to just do something for you...be that a bath, getting your nails done, meeting a friend for coffee...I chipped in that having a cuppa and watching Loose Women helps me!

4. Challenge yourself...trying a new hobby, doing something new

5, Reducing unhealthy habits, so watching your caffeine and alcohol intake

6. Volunteering apparently is a stress reliever as we are doing things for others

7. Be positive...every day look for the 3 things that have happened that day that have gone well......always look for the positives

I hope that has helped if you are stressed at all.......get in touch and let me know

Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

Do you use a slow cooker?

10/29/2019

Mine is my best friend all year really but especially at this time of the year...

I use it to cook whole joints of meat, stews, curries, chilli......so many different things

It is great if you are busy and don't get home until late some days......what is better than walking in to that delicious smell......

I find if you have people coming home at different times it works well too as you can all just eat from the pot when you need to...

Have you got a slow cooker? What is your favourite thing to make....share your favourite recipe with me and I will send out a few of the favourites on Friday..

Kelly x
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

Should you use weights?

10/23/2019

So many women ask me this question?

They see things written about weight training being good but do not really feel confident or know where to start....

So yes weights are a great addition to your workouts, for women to bulk up it is very difficult, so never worry that you don't want to be muscly, using light weights and high reps will increase your muscle mass, improve your shape and do wonders for your fitness without bulking you up.

Most of us want to look better......so it is best to stop obsessing about the scales and start to think about your body shape and muscle tone...using weights as we get older is brilliant for combatting menopausal weight gain as well

Resistance training with weights or bands can be extremely effective at preserving or even increasing lean muscle mass, which normally declines with hormonal changes and age

So now to getting the confidence.....attending a weights based class or perhaps using a trainer is a great idea as you then know that you are doing things correctly...

I run 3 weights based classes on my timetable if you are near enough to me..

Tuesday - 8pm Kettlercise Coppice School
Thursday -10am 50+ Kettlebells Holy Cross Church Hall Walmley
Thursday - 6.15pm Kettlercise Falcon Lodge Community Centre

Please hit reply and feel free to ask my any questions about working out with weights

Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

Do you wear a bikini?

9/3/2019

Or do you prefer a one piece?

I did a lot of people watching on my holidays last week.....we were in France and there were a lot of French people holidaying in the resort we were at, lots of German, Dutch, Spanish and English....

But it did occur to me how body confident some other nationalities seem to be....not all I am sure but I think on the whole they are really confident to walk around in their bikinis.......a lot sunbath topless....I don't know I just get the feeling that we English sometimes don't have the confidence of other nationalities..

I might be making a sweeping generalisation their but its just something I pick up on when I am away..

Hands up on this for me though...I have always been the one grabbing a cover up if I get up off my sunbed BUT this year I tried really hard to be more confident!

I think their has been a lot in the media in recent times about embracing the way we look and it may have started to rub off on me! I actually walked around without grabbing a cover up...now don't get me wrong I wasn't parading around our campsite in my bikini!!

But I definitely tried to think of my body more positively and tried not to be so covered up all the time...I am 40 and I have had 2 kids...I love a glass of wine and chocolate so I am never going to be rocking a 6 pack...I always want to lose half a stone...I am just like everyone else!

It can be really hard to look at your body in a positive way for some people but we really need to try as we only get one.......

I FEEL THAT AS LONG AS

I eat really well 80% of the time and I exercise.....I need to embrace the body I have been given.....

I would love to hear your thoughts on this........

Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

PS: If you are reading this on holiday....let me know if I inspire you to rock that bikini or swimsuit today........