Supple September!

Personal trainer (and former chef) Ian Eassom shares his tips on staying fit and healthy, with the occasional treat…

As Autumn approaches, we can look forward to cooler weather and the wonderful colours it brings on the trees around us. Local woodland offers the perfect setting for some late summer/early autumn exercise, and with lockdown arrangements coming and going across the country, they offer accessible spaces free from crowds.

Lincolnshire has some great woods and you can find details on the Forestry Commission website of nearby walks. Willingham Woods is a great spot near Market Rasen, whilst nearer Newark, Stapleford Woods offers some lovely sheltered paths and great greenery to get some power walking in and discover nature.

Today Iʼve chosen the small, beautiful woodland route alongside Branston Hall, which is just two miles from me and my local walk for taking in the refreshing oxygen-rich air from the trees. A power walk is a great exercise to get your heart pumping, and if that leaves you wanting more, how about some high intensity interval training (HIIT). One of my favourite HIIT routines is a push-up with mountain climber, followed by star jumps. This variation burns fat and sculpts muscle all at once.

The classic mountain climber combined with push-up is a great all over body cardio exercise. We start in the plank position (both feet on the floor, body straight, nice tight core propping ourselves up on our hands, around shoulder width apart).

Perform one push-up/press-up, and once you reach the top of your push-up, follow it with four quick mountain climbers. To do this, bring your left knee towards your chest, return to start and then switch legs, creating that running rhythm whilst keeping your hips and spine in a neutral position. Perform 6-10 reps of this, and then without resting, go straight into 10 star jumps. This is performed by jumping to a position of legs spread wide and hands going overhead (add in a little clap) and then returning to a position with your feet together and arms by your sides.

After these two exercises give yourself a 10-20 second breather, before performing the sets again, and repeating 2-6 times. Variations depend on your fitness levels, resting time can vary between 10 seconds to up to a minute, or you can try performing all your sets with no rest period, if you like a challenge. Keep track of your progress; how about adding some crunches or a similar abs exercise into the mix, once youʼve mastered this?

After all that work, a wild salmon veggie bowl will go down well. Succulent salmon resting on a bed of healthy vegetables, packed with protein, low-calorie, gluten free and rich in Omega-3 fats (which is vital for supple joints). I like to buy salmon uncooked and fry in a little olive oil with seasoning, until the skin is crisp, or you can poach it if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS
Salmon steak
2 carrots
Courgette
Red onion
Apple cider vinegar
Fresh chopped parsley
Clove of garlic
Lime (garnish)
Sprig of parsley (garnish)

METHOD
Shred or spiralise the carrots, courgettes and red onion together, crush and add the garlic clove and toss in the apple cider vinegar. Turn this into a dish, placing the freshly cooked salmon steak on top. This can be served hot or cold, garnished with a twist of lime, parsley sprig and an extra splash of apple cider vinegar. This is easy to prepare, gives you a good dietary boost without being heavy, and can be made in advance of your HIIT training! Perfect for a sunny September meal outside.

Thank you for the interesting emails youʼve sent me and I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying my articles. For anyone wanting to book any sessions, please contact me at email@ianeassom.co.uk and mention Lincolnshire Life, for a special offer of 15% off your first booking (whether you book one session or a block). I currently do both online and outdoor face-to-face sessions (in your garden or public space), with full adherence to the current social distancing guidance.

Next month, I want to respond to any questions you might have over health and fitness, whether you’ve got a problem area, general aches and pains, or if youʼre just lacking some exercise inspiration; let me know and Iʼll focus the article on answering them, so get those email requests in to the above address!

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