Bucks examiner July 2000

Bucks Examiner articles

Training 007 style

Christianne wolff works as a personal trainer and aerobics instructor for Topnotch health club, the prestigious 'Harbour Club', and 'Pineapple dance studios', covent garden.

She was recently assigned to train some of the crew during filming of the latest bond movie'The world is not enough'.

While the film was being made, Christianne spent 5 months at 'Pinewood Studios', training her clients in a gym created for Sean Connery, during his filming of entrapment.

The assistant producers were put through their paces, using a variety of techniques from Power or relaxation Yoga, to resistant training, circuits, aerobics and body sculpt. They also ran regulary in the beautiful black park, where some of the film was set.

"I try to make my workouts as varied as possible, to keep my clients stimulated and to constantly challenge their bodies and mind".

Christianne has many clients who have had remarkable results from fat loss to reducing blood pressure and will assess everyone's own individual needs.

Jane brand who has been a regular client for the last 2months says;

" I see Chris once a week and work out on my own twice a week. She has made the workout a lot harder than I would managed on my own, but this has helped me lose 4 1/2 percent body fat and half a stone. This has boosted my confidence and made me healthier and fitter. She also makes it fun to workout.''

Her latest project is working as a personal trainer in a unique private gym, at 'Pineapple dance studios', covent Garden.

Christianne advises to take plenty of supplements during your winter workouts or try Aloe vera , which is packed with vitamins and minerals, to get you through those colds, aches and pains

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Chrsitianne Wolff Aerobics insrtuctor and personal trainer at Topnotch Health Club gives monthly advice on exercise and nutrition. This month she talks about Yoga and Pilates within your own exercise routine.

The latest workouts sweeping across many Gym's have gone from the manic 'no pain no gain' workouts, to more placid exercises such as Pilates and Yoga, so what are these new crazes and how can you use them for your own workouts?

Yes, you can lose weight and get a leaner body through Yoga and Pilates.

Yoga; works by using a mixture of visualisation techniques and postures, in which you use breathing to co-ordinate movement and mental focus, beneficial for relaxing and de-stressing

Its origins trace back 5ooo years and according to 'The British Wheel of Yoga' 500 000 people practice it.

Hatha Yoga is most widely known in the West and means balance, which combines postures and breathing techniques, allowing energy flow through the body.

Breathing properly is optimum for health benefits; it is not just a matter of the oxygen passing into the blood but is also crucial to how the muscles and chest are used and the changes of pressure in the abdomen, hence affecting the digestion.

If you are growing tired of endless diets and lack of weight loss, Yoga could be the solution. It may hold the key to weight loss by eliminating negative emotions and encouraging self-control, teaching you the art of moderation.

The saying in Yoga is 'Breath is life and life is breath'

Yoga also reduces stress, helps build up resistance against illness and can burn up to 220 cals an hour.

Pilates promotes strength and flexibility, through a series of slow controlled movements. It particularly works on the core of your body and focuses on lengthening the limbs. Usually when you go through your 50 reps of abdominal crunches you contract the abdominal muscles, which shortens the distance between your ribs and hips. This can lead to a rounded stomach.

In every Pilates exercise, whether you are working your arms, bottom or legs, you will always be working the abdominal muscles (stomach). Your deep abdominal muscles are isolated and controlled. After just four weeks you will notice a significant difference practicing twice a week. The emphasis is on quality on quantity.

Pilates is used among many celebrities working deep postural muscles, whether you have a back problem or are an athlete it is beneficial.

Joseph Pilates devised Pilates and taught to the likes of Gregory Peck and Lauren Beckall. Now Pat Cash, Sophie Dal and leading Rugby teams are among the many to use it and so can you. Most health clubs now feature a Pilates and Yoga class or try a personal trainer who is able to teach these movements.

To be creative and use the moves yourself try it within your own workout. Many people are now seeing the benefits of using stretches between their normal routine in the Gym or other. It elongates the muscles giving a longer leaner look and prevents damage occurring.

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Christianne Wolff, Personal Trainer and Aerobics instructor, writes monthly articles on health and nutrition. This month she tells you about the miracles of the healing plant, Aloe Vera.

Aloe Vera is a word that seems to be on everyone's lips recently, so what is it and how can it be of use to us.

Aloe Vera, often called the natural healing plant, has benefited mankind for 4000 years. Although there are over 200 species, aloe Vera Barbadenisis is the most potent. It is related to the lily family and contains over 75 substances which meet the body's needs in maintaining health and vitality.

Vitamins A, B1 B2 B3 B6 B12 ,C, E

Minerals such as calcium for building bones

Amino acids for protein building

Enzymes use in the digestive system

Sugars including some important polysaccharides to boost the immune system

It also contains natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents.

The gel can be taken as a liquid dietary food supplement or as a cream on the skin.

The last four years have witnessed the boom in research on Aloe Vera, and its applications for humans and animals. Professor of physiology,

( University of Texas ) and chief of the research laboratory of North Texas, Ivan Danhof, showed ( 1984 ) that the application of aloe gel to the skin accelerates fibroblasts. Fibroblasts aid in the manufacture of collagen, which is the protein which controls the ageing process of the skin, and wrinkling ( as one ages, collagen starts to disappear from the skin, causing slackening and wrinkling ). Aloe gel helps to protect the outer layer of the skin, by assisting it to reorganise skin cells. Skin also absorbs moisture from aloe gel three to four times faster than water.

One report ( "Clinical Review" 1987 ) shows that a compound acemannon found in Aloe Vera seems to have some remarkable anti-viral properties. Of course, how the aloe drink is processed is a determining factor in the degree of potential benefit. If you buy the aloe drinking gel beware of claims of 100% aloe, as by law they can still water it down, and call it 100%. The way to test this is to look at the thickness of the drink. It should be gel like. To get good quality the gel also must be extracted from freshly harvested leaves, and the ingredients should not include the rind.

Doctor Lee Cowden, ( Dallas, Texas ) observed that the following conditions would be benefited by taking oral consumption of Aloe Vera. They include irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, esophagitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, mouth lesions, and sore throats.

Aloe is also known to help unblock the receptors inside the lining of the intestines, facilitating the absorption of vitamins and other nutrients.

Personally, I have benefited from drinking the gel, and using it on my skin. My four-year-old psoriasis problem has cleared up, my skin and hair are in much better condition, and I have more energy for training. You may be interested in trying some of these products from a company which freshly harvest their leaves, and produce 95% Aloe Vera. check out her website at

members.tripod.com/christianne.wolff/

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Christianne wolff, personal trainer, and aerobics instructor, is giving you monthly advice on how to stay healthy and fit for the new century.

This month she writes on simple ways to detoxify your system after the festive celebrations.

In an ideal world our bodies would detoxify themselves with out any help from us, after all bodies are naturally designed to deal with bacteria and virus's, but in the modern world we have extra pollution to cope with, which our bodies exell in sweat, exhalation, urine and stools. The new toxins our bodies are put through are pesticides, food additives, drugs and chemicals.

Symptoms of your body not coping to well with these added pressures are; puffiness, frequent colds, dark circles, cellulite, bloating, indigestion, wind, clogged sinuses, strong smelling urine, bad odour, black heads and white heads, and others.

How to cleanse.

(1) Water is the easiest way to begin, it is crucial to cleanse the gut. You also need it to aid in the digestion of food, lack of water can lead to constipation which will allow the toxins to enter the system.

You should drink between 8-10 glasses of water a day. Not all liquids are sufficient. Caffeine in tea and coffee and alcohol has a diuretic effect, which makes you urinate more and lose the liquid in the drink.

Freshen your system.

(2) Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, processed and dried foods,

Try eating lots of fruit and vegetables.

(3) If you like saunas or steam baths and have access to one they are a great tool in a detox programme. They help eliminate toxins through perspiring. As well as that they speed up elimination process and increase circulation.

(Please note you should not use these if you have high blood pressure)

(4) If you feel you want to help your body further try skin brushing.

It is a simple way to detox and is very effective, stimulating the lymphatic system, encouraging the expulsion of toxins. It moves sluggish lymph and can break down cellulite. Do this five minutes before a bath in the morning or evening.

Start from your feet up, brushing toward your heart. You can find these skin brushes in a chemist or health store.

Please be aware you may have side effects while detoxing due to the poisons coming through your system.The side effects could be headaches, bad odour, constipation, rashes etc. Try and drink as much water as possible and allow your body to go through the process. You may want to try a supplement such as aloe vera which detoxifies and also boosts your immune system.

Do not detox if you are pregnant or breast feeding.

Taking medication or are being treated for any condition.

Have blood glucose problems.

Are unwell or recovering.

Please consult your doctor if you are unsure.

To add a boost to the new you, try exercising three times a week and focus on relaxation at the end of your sessions.