The Optimise Health Blog

The temperature is dropping as we are into autumn and approaching winter. This can have a massive effect on ability to exercise and perform under more challenging conditions. I discovered this the hard way cycling last January and found myself cramping and seizing up at the halfway point.  Knowing I had a further 15 miles cycling to get home I was fortunate to be with a buddy to slipstream and managed to painfully limp home at a snails pace in what became known as "the winter ride of death"! A few factors contributed to my painful demise on this ride - I was inadequately dressed without windproof leggings and inappropriate base layering up top. I also had not eaten that morning and had no food or energy source with me; I found myself to be in poor fitness and my metabolic rate was low after some time avoiding cycling in bad weather and I became cold after sweating up a steep hill and cooling down while resting too long at the top. All this conspired against me to produc...

© Topnews In I saw Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff on the BBC breakfast this morning ( I never watch TV over breakfast) but I am between jobs, doing some temporary work from home and enjoying my baby girl growing up. Flintoff revealed that even star sportsmen and hardmen like Vinnie Jones suffer from depression and mental health problems and around 1 in 10 admit to this. See his recent Sun article here In reality around 1 in 4 of the general population - myself included - suffer from some form of mental problems, ranging from mild seasonal depression to anxiety or more extreme psychoses and psychological phobias which can seriously affect performance. My family has a long history of bipolar disorder or manic depression/mania which is inherited through my Grandfathers line on my fathers side.  Everyone in subsequent generations after him have been affected to a greater or lesser extent and have both highs and lows but also moments of brilliance. In every generation since m...

Image © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited Physical preparation for sustainable exercise activity is key to maintaining and improving your physical health. True fitness is a good balance combining stability, power, stamina/cardio, flexibility and strength. Your exercise goals should include elements of all these areas to keep you on track. If you miss out on one key area its not long before you come unstuck or injured. See the rest of the Guardian article  on physical prep and take a look at my previous post on how to make a start with achievable steps in physical goals. Dr Ben Sinclair Linked In Profile http://www.twitter.com/#!/search/menshealthtips About Sinclair Health Ltd