by thinkmarsh | Jan 2, 2019 | books, exercise, fitness, virtual training group
|
| My book is now available on Amazon. |
I am thrilled to say that my first book, 52 Weekend Challenges: Cultivating Health & Happiness, is now available for purchase Amazon. I actually started it in 2013, but my fear of technology and fear of failing held me back from completing it. This year, I decided to finally commit and, with the help of my friends and family, couldn’t be happier with the result.
If you are as excited as I am, click here to buy the book in the UK or here for the USA. Otherwise, check you local Amazon site as it is available in several countries, both as an e-book or paperback.
What is the book about?
The book provides weekend challenges, designed to nudge you outside your comfort zone in a range of areas (fitness, food, health and well-being). You only need to use the book three days a week, which makes it very achievable. Hopefully, as you progress through the year, you will want to start incorporating the things you have learned into your every day life. Challenges range from trying a new food to checking your blood pressure to stretching to setting SMART goals.
Can I get a paper copy rather than electronic version?
Yes, paperbacks are now available! Turns out colour printing is very expensive though for print-on-demand. Thanks for understanding.
What if I need more support?
First, there is a closed Facebook group which you can ask to join after purchasing the book. We are building a community to support each other as we spend a year going through the book, using #Challenge52 to find each other on social media.
Another option is my virtual training group (VTG). This is limited to ten people and begins with a 15 minute consultation call with myself. The group then emails each other once a week to report on the three SMART goals we set at the start. It runs for nine weeks (one week for goal setting, followed by eight weeks of accountability) and is a £75 investment. Each week you receive a newsletter that includes healthy recipes, relevant wellness news, and motivational graphics to hang around the home. The next session starts 14 January 2019. Click here to sign up. You will need email access for this support group.
The third option is one-to-one digital coaching via an app. We can work together no matter where in the world you live, as long as you have Smartphone and internet access. I can monitor your activities, sleep, food intake, and holistic goals from anywhere in the world. I will cheer you on to get you across your finish line, whatever it may be. This service is perfect for busy people who don’t have time to hire a personal trainer.
The investment is £65-85 per month depending on how much interaction we have via the app. Accountability can make all the difference when you are debating about whether to skip your workout.
Free beginner’s run club in London
Wednesday mornings at 7am (yes, I know it is early it ensures everyone has time to travel and shower before work starts at 9am), I lead a run club from St Pancras station area. We have up to 60 minutes to run 5K along the towpath, primarily away from the roads. We run at a social pace and have a very friendly group. It is lovely being near the water and a great way to start your day. It is organized through MyCrew, a new app that allows you to lead and/or join runs near by. Sign up for MyCrew here and then register for my runs.
Train with me in Central London
I am available for 1-2-1 client sessions in your home or outdoors. You can fill out this form to book a complimentary consultation consultation where we can discuss your goals and how I can help. Rates vary depending on location. Sixty minute sessions start at £65.
I wish all the happiness and joy for you in 2019. If you need my help to achieve this, please get in touch with the form below.
by Mollie Millington | Jan 2, 2019 | books, exercise, fitness, virtual training group
|
| My book is now available on Amazon. |
I am thrilled to say that my first book, 52 Weekend Challenges: Cultivating Health & Happiness, is now available for purchase Amazon. I actually started it in 2013, but my fear of technology and fear of failing held me back from completing it. This year, I decided to finally commit and, with the help of my friends and family, couldn’t be happier with the result.
If you are as excited as I am, click here to buy the book in the UK or here for the USA. Otherwise, check you local Amazon site as it is available in several countries, both as an e-book or paperback.
What is the book about?
The book provides weekend challenges, designed to nudge you outside your comfort zone in a range of areas (fitness, food, health and well-being). You only need to use the book three days a week, which makes it very achievable. Hopefully, as you progress through the year, you will want to start incorporating the things you have learned into your every day life. Challenges range from trying a new food to checking your blood pressure to stretching to setting SMART goals.
Can I get a paper copy rather than electronic version?
Yes, paperbacks are now available! Turns out colour printing is very expensive though for print-on-demand. Thanks for understanding.
What if I need more support?
First, there is a closed Facebook group which you can ask to join after purchasing the book. We are building a community to support each other as we spend a year going through the book, using #Challenge52 to find each other on social media.
Another option is my virtual training group (VTG). This is limited to ten people and begins with a 15 minute consultation call with myself. The group then emails each other once a week to report on the three SMART goals we set at the start. It runs for nine weeks (one week for goal setting, followed by eight weeks of accountability) and is a £75 investment. Each week you receive a newsletter that includes healthy recipes, relevant wellness news, and motivational graphics to hang around the home. The next session starts 14 January 2019. Click here to sign up. You will need email access for this support group.
The third option is one-to-one digital coaching via an app. We can work together no matter where in the world you live, as long as you have Smartphone and internet access. I can monitor your activities, sleep, food intake, and holistic goals from anywhere in the world. I will cheer you on to get you across your finish line, whatever it may be. This service is perfect for busy people who don’t have time to hire a personal trainer.
The investment is £65-85 per month depending on how much interaction we have via the app. Accountability can make all the difference when you are debating about whether to skip your workout.
Free beginner’s run club in London
Wednesday mornings at 7am (yes, I know it is early it ensures everyone has time to travel and shower before work starts at 9am), I lead a run club from St Pancras station area. We have up to 60 minutes to run 5K along the towpath, primarily away from the roads. We run at a social pace and have a very friendly group. It is lovely being near the water and a great way to start your day. It is organized through MyCrew, a new app that allows you to lead and/or join runs near by. Sign up for MyCrew here and then register for my runs.
Train with me in Central London
I am available for 1-2-1 client sessions in your home or outdoors. You can fill out this form to book a complimentary consultation consultation where we can discuss your goals and how I can help. Rates vary depending on location. Sixty minute sessions start at £65.
I wish all the happiness and joy for you in 2019. If you need my help to achieve this, please get in touch with the form below.
by thinkmarsh | Jun 11, 2018 | exercise, relax, travel, water sports
I have been lucky enough to visit seven countries in the last six months. Holidays are a great time to explore an alternative side to the local culture and see how they stay active and healthy. In Thailand, the sun was shining every day, which instantly made me feel a bit more cheery. Although it was way too hot and humid to run, I was able to use a few hotel fitness rooms to complete my corrective exercise homework from Function360. But I really wanted to spend time doing activities that I couldn’t do at home (when in Rome and all that!) so I booked in for several unique Thai experiences.
|
| Feeling tough and super sweaty |
Muay Thai
The first was Muay Thai boxing, of course. Via Trip Advisor and Google, I found Master Toddy’s Muay Thai Academy which is Bangkok. The location didn’t seem too far from our hotel but the public transport and traffic in Bangkok is a bit nuts so I took a taxi there and back. When I arrived, I was greeted by a gym member who was originally from America. He asked me what my experience in Muay Thai was and if I spoke Thai. I replied I have none with either. My instructor’s name was Korn, and my new friend told me Korn didn’t speak much English. I expected this and wasn’t too worried. As long as I could copy the movements he made, I thought I would be able to learn the technique. After changing into my workout clothes, I grabbed my water bottle and headed into the ring with Korn.
 |
| Perfecting those pesky front kicks |
We started off with a warm up and stretching. Korn could count to 10 in English which was really handy. The lesson was private, which meant I always had a clear view of him and he was watching what I was doing. After the warm up, we went through basic punching and kicking positions in slow motion and without pads. Finally, he go out the long pieces of cloth, wrapped my hands and chose my gloves. I was ready to fight.
Playing in the background was a recording of about 20 three minute rounds. My guess is that there was about 60 seconds rest between bouts. We started off by working on the basic punches and getting power into the pads Korn was holding. Then we worked on the kicks and sorting out what my natural range of motion was. Once he was happy with the my technique, he designed various kicking and punching combinations for me to complete during the bouts. The gym was a large fenced in garage so the temperature and humidity was the same in the ring as it was outside. I had brought 2L of water with me and made sure to take sips when I could. Korn had to help a bit because the boxing gloves limited my ability to open and handle the bottle.
 |
| Korn and I in the ring |
Front kicks were probably my worst skill as I just couldn’t get any power behind them. I was pretty good at a side kick though and my hook is killer. The session was two hours long which was probably better suited for a couple or group. Towards the end, Korn took me out of the ring and had me practice on punching bags in the workout area. The humidity made them a little slick but I was able to work repeatedly on one move at a time. I think I would have preferred to start with the bags and then build my way up to the rings. Although I have a certificate saying I now know the fundamental basics of Muay Thai, I didn’t feel very confident after my lesson. I am really glad I had my first lesson where Muay Thai originated though. If you are interested in taking lessons, Master Toddy offers accomidation for those registere in his intensive training program.
 |
| Selfie while wearing my Subea mask |
Snorkeling
I am lucky enough to be able to called myself a marine biologist (yes I have seen the Sinfield episode). I spent as much time as I could in the water while in Thailand. True, there are many places off over the world where you can snorkel, but rarely do we visit those places. James and I did a full day snorkeling trip from Kkao Lak, and then I did a separate excursion to Coral Island on my own. We snorkeled a few times at the Khao Lak hotel, and the bride and groom arranged a day-long boat trip with the wedding guests too. My bum totally got sunburned and my hair was salty but my heart was oh-so-happy. Using the Decathlon Subea face mask, it so easy to see everything around us and not have to worry about clearing the snorkel. Our masks didn’t fog up and were easy to fit without any leaks (James and I had different sizes).
 |
| These fish were everywhere and would swim right over to you. |
My G-Eye 900 action camera accompanied me on every dive. I took both photos and videos to help me remember what we saw. There is so much video to go through! I am not very good with Latin names but could pick out general groups of fish (such as trigger, damsel, parrot, etc). Sadly, the guides on our trips didn’t know what any of the fish were so I couldn’t ask them too many questions. I was thrilled to see a puffer fish and some small cuttlefish. Sadly, we didn’t see any turtles in the wild but did visit a rescue and rehabilitation facility near Khao Lak. If I go back, I will try to go when the sea turtle nest on the beach. How cool would that be?
If you go to Thailand, bring your bathing suit, cover up, water shoes and lots of sunscreen. Being on the water totally calms me. You don’t have to get in but something about being on a boat is so relaxing. The fish come right over to you so you will see lots of different critters while you are in the shallow water. Try not to step on the rocks and coral because you could injury yourself and the coral is very delicate. I wore my Keen sandals the entire time, which were a bit heavy but really helpful when I got caught in a current and needed to swim to shore for a rest.
 |
| Parrotfish in the center. |
Thai Massage
My brother-in-law’s wife (now my sister-in-law?) invited me to a spa day with the bridal party. I booked myself in for a Thai massage and honestly had no idea what to expect. Every massage I have ever had, you undress, lay flat on a table and are rubbbed with oil or lotion. But for a Thai massage, you put on these pajama-like scrubs and have your feet washed before you start. You then lay on a table and the fun begins.
 |
| All treatments start with a foot bath, even the manicures! |
Thai massage combines pressing on the body (rather than rubbing) with yoga-like body positions. My massage did have some traditional massage movements, but also a lot of stretching, pulling and body movement. I tried to stay as relaxed as possible as the women bent me in all sorts of directions. I even had to sit up at the end while she stood behind me to crack my back somehow.
I was more bemused than anything by the end but also felt a little lighter and taller. There were massage parlors everywhere in Thailand so if you want one, it isn’t hard to find. I even got a foot massage in the international terminal in the Bangkok airport before we left for home. It was really peaceful and relaxing, which helped me sleep on the overnight flight back to London.
 |
| Bride-to-be and I had our treatments in the same room. That was another first for me. |
If you have been to Thailand, what other activities would you recomend? Leave a comment below and let me know.
All the photos in this post were taken with my G-Eye 900. Some were actual photos and the others are screenshots of videos. Anyone have tips on how to make videos into photos? I would greatly appreciate some advice.
Decathlon graciously gave me the Subea masks and G-Eye 900 to review. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 11, 2018 | exercise, relax, travel, water sports
I have been lucky enough to visit seven countries in the last six months. Holidays are a great time to explore an alternative side to the local culture and see how they stay active and healthy. In Thailand, the sun was shining every day, which instantly made me feel a bit more cheery. Although it was way too hot and humid to run, I was able to use a few hotel fitness rooms to complete my corrective exercise homework from Function360. But I really wanted to spend time doing activities that I couldn’t do at home (when in Rome and all that!) so I booked in for several unique Thai experiences.
|
| Feeling tough and super sweaty |
Muay Thai
The first was Muay Thai boxing, of course. Via Trip Advisor and Google, I found Master Toddy’s Muay Thai Academy which is Bangkok. The location didn’t seem too far from our hotel but the public transport and traffic in Bangkok is a bit nuts so I took a taxi there and back. When I arrived, I was greeted by a gym member who was originally from America. He asked me what my experience in Muay Thai was and if I spoke Thai. I replied I have none with either. My instructor’s name was Korn, and my new friend told me Korn didn’t speak much English. I expected this and wasn’t too worried. As long as I could copy the movements he made, I thought I would be able to learn the technique. After changing into my workout clothes, I grabbed my water bottle and headed into the ring with Korn.
|
| Perfecting those pesky front kicks |
We started off with a warm up and stretching. Korn could count to 10 in English which was really handy. The lesson was private, which meant I always had a clear view of him and he was watching what I was doing. After the warm up, we went through basic punching and kicking positions in slow motion and without pads. Finally, he go out the long pieces of cloth, wrapped my hands and chose my gloves. I was ready to fight.
Playing in the background was a recording of about 20 three minute rounds. My guess is that there was about 60 seconds rest between bouts. We started off by working on the basic punches and getting power into the pads Korn was holding. Then we worked on the kicks and sorting out what my natural range of motion was. Once he was happy with the my technique, he designed various kicking and punching combinations for me to complete during the bouts. The gym was a large fenced in garage so the temperature and humidity was the same in the ring as it was outside. I had brought 2L of water with me and made sure to take sips when I could. Korn had to help a bit because the boxing gloves limited my ability to open and handle the bottle.
|
| Korn and I in the ring |
Front kicks were probably my worst skill as I just couldn’t get any power behind them. I was pretty good at a side kick though and my hook is killer. The session was two hours long which was probably better suited for a couple or group. Towards the end, Korn took me out of the ring and had me practice on punching bags in the workout area. The humidity made them a little slick but I was able to work repeatedly on one move at a time. I think I would have preferred to start with the bags and then build my way up to the rings. Although I have a certificate saying I now know the fundamental basics of Muay Thai, I didn’t feel very confident after my lesson. I am really glad I had my first lesson where Muay Thai originated though. If you are interested in taking lessons, Master Toddy offers accomidation for those registere in his intensive training program.
|
| Selfie while wearing my Subea mask |
Snorkeling
I am lucky enough to be able to called myself a marine biologist (yes I have seen the Sinfield episode). I spent as much time as I could in the water while in Thailand. True, there are many places off over the world where you can snorkel, but rarely do we visit those places. James and I did a full day snorkeling trip from Kkao Lak, and then I did a separate excursion to Coral Island on my own. We snorkeled a few times at the Khao Lak hotel, and the bride and groom arranged a day-long boat trip with the wedding guests too. My bum totally got sunburned and my hair was salty but my heart was oh-so-happy. Using the Decathlon Subea face mask, it so easy to see everything around us and not have to worry about clearing the snorkel. Our masks didn’t fog up and were easy to fit without any leaks (James and I had different sizes).
|
| These fish were everywhere and would swim right over to you. |
My G-Eye 900 action camera accompanied me on every dive. I took both photos and videos to help me remember what we saw. There is so much video to go through! I am not very good with Latin names but could pick out general groups of fish (such as trigger, damsel, parrot, etc). Sadly, the guides on our trips didn’t know what any of the fish were so I couldn’t ask them too many questions. I was thrilled to see a puffer fish and some small cuttlefish. Sadly, we didn’t see any turtles in the wild but did visit a rescue and rehabilitation facility near Khao Lak. If I go back, I will try to go when the sea turtle nest on the beach. How cool would that be?
If you go to Thailand, bring your bathing suit, cover up, water shoes and lots of sunscreen. Being on the water totally calms me. You don’t have to get in but something about being on a boat is so relaxing. The fish come right over to you so you will see lots of different critters while you are in the shallow water. Try not to step on the rocks and coral because you could injury yourself and the coral is very delicate. I wore my Keen sandals the entire time, which were a bit heavy but really helpful when I got caught in a current and needed to swim to shore for a rest.
|
| Parrotfish in the center. |
Thai Massage
My brother-in-law’s wife (now my sister-in-law?) invited me to a spa day with the bridal party. I booked myself in for a Thai massage and honestly had no idea what to expect. Every massage I have ever had, you undress, lay flat on a table and are rubbbed with oil or lotion. But for a Thai massage, you put on these pajama-like scrubs and have your feet washed before you start. You then lay on a table and the fun begins.
|
| All treatments start with a foot bath, even the manicures! |
Thai massage combines pressing on the body (rather than rubbing) with yoga-like body positions. My massage did have some traditional massage movements, but also a lot of stretching, pulling and body movement. I tried to stay as relaxed as possible as the women bent me in all sorts of directions. I even had to sit up at the end while she stood behind me to crack my back somehow.
I was more bemused than anything by the end but also felt a little lighter and taller. There were massage parlors everywhere in Thailand so if you want one, it isn’t hard to find. I even got a foot massage in the international terminal in the Bangkok airport before we left for home. It was really peaceful and relaxing, which helped me sleep on the overnight flight back to London.
|
| Bride-to-be and I had our treatments in the same room. That was another first for me. |
If you have been to Thailand, what other activities would you recomend? Leave a comment below and let me know.
All the photos in this post were taken with my G-Eye 900. Some were actual photos and the others are screenshots of videos. Anyone have tips on how to make videos into photos? I would greatly appreciate some advice.
Decathlon graciously gave me the Subea masks and G-Eye 900 to review. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Feb 26, 2018 | exercise, Kilimanjaro, product review
One of the biggest concerns I have had is how to get my body ready for climbing Kilimanjaro. I can buy every item on the shopping list but the actual hiking is up to me. People usually assume that because I run marathons and am a personal trainer, I am pretty fit. Fit is one of those things that is hard to define. Can I run a 5K or 10K? Yes. Can I do a burpee? Kinda. Can I do a pull up? No.
My current exercise regime is teaching a 45 min indoor cycling class on Monday nights and doing a solo track session on Tuesdays. I try to go to Parkrun on Saturday mornings too. I also have been working on my running technique via corrective exercise at Function360. At least four times a week, I go on 20-30 minute dog walks in the park too. I always have good intentions of doing yoga at home, lifting weights, doing my homework from Function360 but it is hard to fit everything in around work and life (as I am sure you can relate to).
Luckily for me, there is a place in London that specializes in altitude training. The Altitude Centre, located near Bank station, offers a hypoxic training environment where the percent oxygen is 15%. At sea level, air contains 20.9% oxygen (You can read more about oxygen at high elevation here). As the amount of oxygen decreases, the heart will have to work a little harder. Breathing will feel tougher too. Time will tell how I feel when I am also carrying a rucksack and 3 liters of water.
The Altitude Centre offers an initial mountaineering consultation to help ascertain how susceptible to altitude sickness. Over 60 minutes, you review your current blood pressure, heart rate, fitness levels and try breathing the air simulated at 5000m. After my review, I learned I am average at my potential risk of altitude sickness. One red flag is that I had a poor result in the hypoxia test for both the time to recover (Tr) and time to descend (Td). Both of these measurements suggest that I would benefit from hypoxic training. My breathe hold indicated that I have a good tolerance for carbon dioxide. My Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) was mildly restricted but I have always had this result with testing for work too.
 |
| Enjoying the POD before going to work |
Based on my results, it was recommended that I attend three POD sessions a week and one fitness session. POD sessions are passive training, where you sit and breathe with an oxygen mask on for five minutes at a time at a setting the trainer selects based on previous data collected about you. During the five minutes with the mask off, the air is at 15% oxygen. You wear a monitor on your finger to record your heart rate and SpO2 (blood oxygen level), which is also graphed and recorded into your profile. I like these sessions as I don’t have to shower afterwards and can do work during the session (yeah for multi-tasking!). Another option is for passive training while you sleep but renting a chamber that goes around your bed.
 |
| Selfie on the bike. It was hard to take because I was breathing so hard. |
The fitness classes are high intensity intervals and can be done on a bicycle, rowing machine, circuits or treadmill. You can also book in solo sessions where you create your own session plan. During the session, you wear a heart rate monitor which helps measure your effort through the session and can provide an estimated SpO2. Here is the graph from one of my HIIT cycle sessions. We did variable sprints/recoveries over 30 minutes. I recommend warming up before your session starts and then cooling down and stretching in the exercise room across the hall.
The team at Altitude Centre have all climbed Kilimanjaro and have answered all of my crazy questions about peeing outside, how many snacks to bring, what the temperature was like, and how much to tip porters. They also let me know during all my POD sessions how my training was going and send me reports with my heart rate and SpO2.
I am allergic to Diamox, the medication that most people take to to help prevent altitude sickness, so am really counting on this training to help me. My GP from Walk-In Clinic recommended daily ibuprofen as an alternative from research she did in peer-reviewed literature. The Altitude Centre developed Alti-Vit, as a supplement to help people tolerate the altitude. Ingredients include Siberian Ginseng, Vitamin C, Reishi Mushroom Extract and Ginkgo Biloba. A small-scale study published in 2013 concluded that Alti-Vit improved exercise performance and helped reduce the occurrence altitude sickness in the hypoxic chamber where the experiment took place.
 |
| Sign for the summit. Let’s go girls! |
Even if you are not training to climb a mountain like I am, training at the Altitude Centre can also help you lose weight faster and improves your athletic performance as the cardiovascular system is overloaded. It will improve your circulation and immune system too. I wish I was marathon training too to reap the benefit in my running ability too. After I get back from Tanzania, I plan on signing up for my next race. Hopefully, I can continue my hypoxic training when I get back to London as I chase down my Boston Qualifying time.
Thanks to the Altitude Centre for providing me with complimentary sessions at their facility. All opinions are honest and my own.
by thinkmarsh | Feb 26, 2018 | exercise, Kilimanjaro, product review
One of the biggest concerns I have had is how to get my body ready for climbing Kilimanjaro. I can buy every item on the shopping list but the actual hiking is up to me. People usually assume that because I run marathons and am a personal trainer, I am pretty fit. Fit is one of those things that is hard to define. Can I run a 5K or 10K? Yes. Can I do a burpee? Kinda. Can I do a pull up? No.
My current exercise regime is teaching a 45 min indoor cycling class on Monday nights and doing a solo track session on Tuesdays. I try to go to Parkrun on Saturday mornings too. I also have been working on my running technique via corrective exercise at Function360. At least four times a week, I go on 20-30 minute dog walks in the park too. I always have good intentions of doing yoga at home, lifting weights, doing my homework from Function360 but it is hard to fit everything in around work and life (as I am sure you can relate to).
Luckily for me, there is a place in London that specializes in altitude training. The Altitude Centre, located near Bank station, offers a hypoxic training environment where the percent oxygen is 15%. At sea level, air contains 20.9% oxygen (You can read more about oxygen at high elevation here). As the amount of oxygen decreases, the heart will have to work a little harder. Breathing will feel tougher too. Time will tell how I feel when I am also carrying a rucksack and 3 liters of water.
The Altitude Centre offers an initial mountaineering consultation to help ascertain how susceptible to altitude sickness. Over 60 minutes, you review your current blood pressure, heart rate, fitness levels and try breathing the air simulated at 5000m. After my review, I learned I am average at my potential risk of altitude sickness. One red flag is that I had a poor result in the hypoxia test for both the time to recover (Tr) and time to descend (Td). Both of these measurements suggest that I would benefit from hypoxic training. My breathe hold indicated that I have a good tolerance for carbon dioxide. My Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) was mildly restricted but I have always had this result with testing for work too.
|
| Enjoying the POD before going to work |
Based on my results, it was recommended that I attend three POD sessions a week and one fitness session. POD sessions are passive training, where you sit and breathe with an oxygen mask on for five minutes at a time at a setting the trainer selects based on previous data collected about you. During the five minutes with the mask off, the air is at 15% oxygen. You wear a monitor on your finger to record your heart rate and SpO2 (blood oxygen level), which is also graphed and recorded into your profile. I like these sessions as I don’t have to shower afterwards and can do work during the session (yeah for multi-tasking!). Another option is for passive training while you sleep but renting a chamber that goes around your bed.
|
| Selfie on the bike. It was hard to take because I was breathing so hard. |
The fitness classes are high intensity intervals and can be done on a bicycle, rowing machine, circuits or treadmill. You can also book in solo sessions where you create your own session plan. During the session, you wear a heart rate monitor which helps measure your effort through the session and can provide an estimated SpO2. Here is the graph from one of my HIIT cycle sessions. We did variable sprints/recoveries over 30 minutes. I recommend warming up before your session starts and then cooling down and stretching in the exercise room across the hall.
The team at Altitude Centre have all climbed Kilimanjaro and have answered all of my crazy questions about peeing outside, how many snacks to bring, what the temperature was like, and how much to tip porters. They also let me know during all my POD sessions how my training was going and send me reports with my heart rate and SpO2.
I am allergic to Diamox, the medication that most people take to to help prevent altitude sickness, so am really counting on this training to help me. My GP from Walk-In Clinic recommended daily ibuprofen as an alternative from research she did in peer-reviewed literature. The Altitude Centre developed Alti-Vit, as a supplement to help people tolerate the altitude. Ingredients include Siberian Ginseng, Vitamin C, Reishi Mushroom Extract and Ginkgo Biloba. A small-scale study published in 2013 concluded that Alti-Vit improved exercise performance and helped reduce the occurrence altitude sickness in the hypoxic chamber where the experiment took place.
|
| Sign for the summit. Let’s go girls! |
Even if you are not training to climb a mountain like I am, training at the Altitude Centre can also help you lose weight faster and improves your athletic performance as the cardiovascular system is overloaded. It will improve your circulation and immune system too. I wish I was marathon training too to reap the benefit in my running ability too. After I get back from Tanzania, I plan on signing up for my next race. Hopefully, I can continue my hypoxic training when I get back to London as I chase down my Boston Qualifying time.
Thanks to the Altitude Centre for providing me with complimentary sessions at their facility. All opinions are honest and my own.
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