Category Archives: Fitness

Have you ever thought about why so many people go to the gym?

I have, the gym is a safe place for people to work out their stress from the day and clear their mind. While going you become stronger physically and it also helps your mind become stronger which is a hidden side effect. It can help you if you are a student working on essays or if you have a job and working and need some mental rest and the gym can be your sanctuary.

The hidden bonus of the gym

When we first think about the gym you think about like bodybuilders or influencers. While these are great outlooks for going there are other benefits to going to the gym.

There are physical benefits that get attention and noticeable to others, but the mental health benefits need attention as well, because this gets overlooked.

When exercising you brain is working to the same level you are. According to Dr Wendy Suzuki “Exercise is the most transformative thing you can do for your brain today”. Dr Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist at New York University.

In a world where anxiety and burnout are on the rise. The gym has now become more than just a place to build muscles, it is becoming a tool for mental clarity, and daily stress relief. When you become stronger so does your mind.

Personal experience

So, my own personal experience in the gym was that when I was younger, I chased the gym to get fitter and personally look better, so was chasing a better look and not a better mental state. Then after a few weeks of going to the gym I was able to sleep better, my mental clarity was better and when in a stress environment like exams I was able to think clearer. This was a huge help when it was in exam season with all of the stress of grades and getting into university or getting into 6 forms.

Now gym for me personal has now become less able achieving abs but feeling strong mentally and physically whilst looking better.

Why it all works – The science behind the sweat

So, the reasoning and science behind how it make us feel so good is that it goes down to the fundamentals like the brain chemistry and biology.

Research

According to different clinical research it shows that a 30 minute exercise 3 times a week can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. That would lead to helping improve mental strength.

A psychiatry study has found that if you exercise regularly it can reduce you bad mental health days by 43%.

The endorphins and chemicals

When exercising the brain realises natural chemicals which effect the body in a positive way. The hormones that are released are dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is also knowns as noradrenaline. These are all neurotransmitters that affect the body mood, attention span and its motivation.

Minimising stress hormones

The main stress hormone is cortisol, and when you do any physical activity, it helps minimise it. So regular workouts means that it trains your body to be more effective at handling any pressure or stress that you endure.

Growing your brain

Sound impossible right? To grow more brain cells but it is completely possible. To achieve this all that is needed to do is aerobic exercises. Examples of this is cycling, running, swimming these are only a few examples that will help grow some new brain cells within the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is part of the brain that controls the memory and learning.

There are also some studies that show that regular workouts can improve memory and cognitive function over time.

The way it makes you sleep better

Sleep and your mental state are closely related, because when you sleep it processes your memories from the short term to the long-term storage.

Working out is one of the most effective way of getting the best sleep naturally. This would mean that deeper sleep and better-quality rest would mean clearer thinking and a better mood. The best rest would also lead to not burning out.

Boots focus and eliminates brain fog

After a workout you get a post-workout clarity, or I personally do.

When exercising it increases your heart rate which elevates blood flow, this leads to more blood flow around the brain which increases your focus and will improves your reaction time.

All of these would improve your ability to make decisions which especially helps in high pressure situations like work deadlines and exams.

Video

Below is a video on more for the brain chemistry and how exercise will help your mental well being.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFbeFLLJbWo

Challenge yourself

You have now read some science of it, you have heard my story, so now it is your turn. It doesn’t matter if you have never been to the gym or getting back into the routine of the gym. Just what you need to remember and keep in mind everything you do regardless of if it is running or weights is investing in your mental heal and mental strength, and not just your muscles.

So, just start with half an hour a few times a week, even just walking for 30 minutes. After than you will definitely notice how you sleep, think, feel, and act different. Remember you don’t have to train for perfection just improvements.

Your brain will thank you in the end remember.

Summarise

To summarise this blog the gym isn’t just for muscles it’s a tool to increase your mind. Then regular exercise releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and dopamine, reduces stress, and increases new brain cell growth. It improves your sleep which makes your memory increase and boost your mental health and wellbeing. So regardless of why you’re going to the gym whether you’re dealing with stress, brain fog, movement is going to be your medicine.

Make your goal feel strong mentally and physically.

Please leave a comment below about your thoughts of the blog, and if any of it helped.

Fitness

Attention Athletes! Real Life Super Soldier Serum?

6th May 2025 awheatleyLeave a comment

Make sure to leave a comment at the end!

How athletes can produce super human performances:

Source: Dreamstime

What if I told you there’s a legal super soldier serum for athletes? You’d probably think it’s a steroid or some made-up scam, right? But actually, there’s a supplement—heavily tested and already naturally made in your body—that boosts performance… just by drinking more water! Sounds good, right? Keep reading to learn more.

So, what is the secret?

The wait is over—say hello to creatine! It’s a natural compound your body makes in small doses to fuel your muscles during intense workouts or heavy lifting. You can get a bit from fish and red meat but for peak performance, supplements are best. It’s actually “One of the most heavily researched supplements around” so there is no need to stress about side effects. Creatine’s job is to help your body make more adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—the stuff your cells use for energy. When you’re doing short, explosive exercise, your ATP runs out quickly and that’s when you feel fatigued. Taking creatine boosts your phosphocreatine stores, letting you hold more ATP and regain it faster. I’ve used it in my own training, in boxing and weightlifting lifting and it’s helped me build strength and size without the unwanted fat. The recommended dosage is 20g a day for 4–7 days to load up, then 3g daily to keep levels steady. Since creatine pulls water into your muscles, it’s important to drink more water to stay hydrated and avoid cramps or bloating. Creatine also comes in the form of gummies and tablets for convenience. If you’re into the good science stuff like amino acids and formulas then check this out: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/586.

Source: Unsplash.com

Benefits

Creatine is most popular for building muscle strength and size so athletes and lifters who use it can gain between 5% and 30% more strength and muscle than those who don’t. It’s great for bodybuilding and powerlifting, but it’s not just for those sports, creatine also boosts performance in Sprinting, CrossFit, and any sports with short bursts of energy. Plus, research shows it helps reduce muscle damage after workouts, speeding up recovery and lowering the risk of injury. But creatine isn’t just for muscles—it’s good for the brain too. Since the brain also needs ATP, creatine can help with mental fatigue, sleep deprivation, and interestingly to support brain health in conditions like Parkinson’s.

Source: Shopify.com Source: Unsplash.com

Any risks?

There are no medical risks for healthy individuals taking creatine. Individuals with kidney problems should consult a doctor before taking the supplement as they should before taking any supplements. The only real drawback of creatine for athletes is the temporary increase in weight which can be an issue in sports with weight categories.

Source: Unsplash.com

Conclusion

I think a great new idea to experiment with creatine is in its delivery system. Developing a wearable patch that delivers micro-doses in response to your bodies needs would be great for athletes performances and eliminate risks such as forgetting to take the supplement. What do you think to this idea? Let me know in the comments!

To end, if you are looking to easily improve your athletic performance, creatine is the super soldier serum for you! Try it now!

Attention Athletes! Real Life Super Soldier Serum?

So, what is the secret?

Benefits

Any risks?

Conclusion

Fitness, Nutrition

Healthy Weight Loss After 40: Without Paying £199 per month!

5th May 2025 abrookesLeave a comment

Losing weight in your 40s and beyond isn’t the same as it was in your 20s or 30s. Even if you’re eating well and exercising regularly, your body responds differently due to natural age related changes but we don’t think you need to pay for it!

The UK has seen over 500,000 starting weight loss drugs and around 95% are paying for them privately (WeightMatters, 2025). A recent poll found that 1 in 5 would start weight loss drugs if they were available on the NHS (Campbell, 2024).

Boots UK charges £199 per month for weight loss drugs (online doctor.boots.com, n.d.), that’s £2,388 a year!

The good news is with a few small changes healthy weight loss is achievable and sustainable! In this blog post we will better understand our bodies and how to fuel them in the right ways. This means you don’t need to spend thousands on weight loss!

Why is weight loss harder after 40?

Here’s three reasons why losing weight becomes more difficult and what you can do about it!

1. Slower Metabolism (The “Metabolic Slowdown”)

What happens: Your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the calories your body burns while resting, declines by about 1–2% per decade after age 30 (www.fao.org, n.d.). This is due to muscle loss (sarcopenia) and reduced cellular activity.

The impact: You burn fewer calories doing the same activities, meaning old eating habits now lead to weight gain.

The Solution:

Strength training to preserve muscle, this can maintain your BMR.
Higher protein intake to combat muscle loss.
Avoid drastic calorie cuts, which further slow metabolism.

2. Hormonal Shifts

For women (Perimenopause & Menopause):

Women often see a decline in Estrogen which leads to increased belly fat storage and harder to lose weight. As well as a rise in Cortisol (stress hormone) sensitivity, making stress related weight gain more likely (Health, 2024) .

For men:

Is it common for Testosterone to drop gradually in men which reduces muscle mass and increases fat storage. Also Insulin resistance becomes more common making carbs harder to process (Krans, 2018).

The Solution:

Prioritize sleep (7–9 hours) to regulate hunger hormones (ghrelin & leptin).
Manage stress with mindfulness, walking, or resistance training.
Focus on fibre & healthy fats to balance blood sugar.

3. Busy Lifestyles (Less Time, More Stress)

Career, family, and responsibilities leave little energy for meal prep or exercise coupled with convenience foods becoming quick and easy options, it is common to gain weight once we hit 40.

Solution:

Batch cook simple meals for the week
Fit exercise during work! Walk while on calls, take stairs, park farther away.
Short and efficient workouts lasting 20-30 can fit in exercise while keeping it enjoyable

Did you know that people eating home cooked meals more than five times a week were 28% less likely to be overweight (BBC, 2024).

Understanding Your Calorie Needs

Why it matters: Weight loss still hinges on calories in vs calories out, even though our bodies have changed.

Understanding what your body burns at complete rest just to keep your heart, brain, and organs functioning ensures you are keeping your body and mind healthy!

Using the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation is best for this as it is the most accurate for adults over 40. The equation differs slightly for men and women, but it is straightforward.

Step 1: Calculate your BMR

For Men:

(10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5 = BMR

For Women:

(10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161 = BMR

Example:

50-year-old woman, 170 lbs (77 kg), 5’6” (168 cm)

BMR = (10 × 77) + (6.25 × 168) – (5 × 50) – 161

BMR = 770 + 1,050 – 250 – 161 = 1,409 kcal/day

Step 2: Adjust for Activity Level (TDEE)

Multiply your BMR by an activity factor to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) the additional calories you burn in a day.

Activity Level	Multiplier	Description
Sedentary	X 1.2	Little/no exercise, desk job
Lightly Active	X 1.375	Light exercise 1–3 days/week
Moderately Active	X 1.55	Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week
Very Active	X 1.725	Hard exercise 6–7 days/week
Athlete	X 1.9	Physical job + intense training

Example (Same Woman, Lightly Active):

1,409 (BMR) × 1.375 = 1,937 kcal/day – These would be her maintenance calories, the amount required to maintain her current weight.

Step 3: Determine Your Weight Loss Calories

The final step is to reduce your maintenance calories to start losing weight. A modest deficit, 300–500 kcal/day, is recommended as it leads to 1–2 lbs of fat loss per week (Hennessy, 2023).

This level of weight loss is sustainable, aggressive deficits, 500 kcal or above, risk muscle loss, metabolic slowdown, and rebound hunger, this is likely to lead to weight gain over losing weight!

There are many free tools for calculating BMR, we would recommend this one

Volume Eating: To Feel Full While Losing Weight

Why it matters: Hunger is a major reason people quit diets. Volume eating is filling up on low calorie, high fibre, high water foods (like veggies, fruits, and lean proteins) to feel full while consuming fewer calories. This helps you eat more and reduces your hunger while losing weight.

Best foods for volume eating:

Non-starchy veggies (spinach, broccoli, zucchini)
Lean proteins (chicken breast, fish, tofu)
High fibre foods (berries, legumes, oats)

Move More: Exercise for Weight Loss & Health

Why it matters: Exercise preserves muscle, boosts metabolism, and improves insulin sensitivity all are key for weight loss past 40!

We want to focus on sustainable exercise, ensuring you can fit it into your week is vital. The key is to focus on low impact exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling. Starting fitness classes can be too intensive causing injuries or reducing enjoyment as well as increasing hunger.

The key for sustainable change is consistency small, daily habits matter more than occasional intense workouts.

Conclusion

Losing weight after 40 may come with challenges, but it’s entirely achievable with the right approach and without the costly weight loss drugs.

By understanding your changing metabolism, adding some light exercise, being aware of your calories and adopting practical strategies like volume eating you can achieve sustainable results while saving £199 a month!

Remember, small, daily habits like batch cooking or short workouts, add up over time. Avoid drastic measures; instead, focus on gradual progress that supports long term health.

Ready to take the next step? Start by calculating your BMR today and make one small change this week, whether it’s adding more veggies to your plate or a 20-minute walk.

Share your weight loss tips and tricks in the comments below!

Fitness, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Uncategorized, Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing and how to keep it healthy.

1st May 2025 TomLeave a comment

In this article we will be exploring what mental wellbeing is and ways that you can keep it healthy.

What is Mental wellbeing?

Mental wellbeing is our internal positive view that we are coping well psychologically with the everyday stresses of life and can work productively and fruitfully. Good mental health means we can realise and reach our full potential , feel safe and secure and thrive in everyday life. It is especially important to care for your mental wellbeing while in university.

Here are 10 ways that you can help manage your mental wellbeing:

Regular exercise

Yes! most of us hate the idea of exercise, but study have shown that it is one of the most beneficial ways to maintain a healthy mental state. Exercise is a powerful way to improve your mental welling for various reasons, it encourages all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation. new activity patterns can promote feelings of calmness and well-being. it also releases endorphins in your brain and can also count as a distraction from life stresses. Not sure where to start? click here to start your fitness journey.

2. Get enough sleep

Adequate sleep is crucial for emotional regulation and resilience. We spend approximately a third of our lives asleep, it is an essential and involuntary process which allows us to function correctly. getting roughly 8 hours of sleep each night is important, some benefits include:

get sick less often
stay at a healthy weight
lowers your risk of health problems
reduced stress and improved mood
clear thinking

3. connect with others

Meeting new people and connecting with friends is important, not only to maintain your social life but to also improve your mental wellbeing. Keeping in touch With others can help create feelings of belonging and being loved, cared for and valued. Being connected with others amazingly helps to protect agains serious illness and disease as people with stronger social bonds are more likely to live longer, healthier lives. Meeting new people is definitely easier said than done, introverted people who struggle with socialising with others may find this more challenging. If this is you then check out this video.

4. Practice mindfulness or meditation

Mindfulness allows us to pay attention to what is going on inside and outside ourselves. Sometimes we spend so much time focusing on everything around us that we forget to ground ourselves and look within. Meditation is a great way to improve wellbeing as it allows us to easily:

reduce stress
controls anxiety
supports emotional health
enhances self-awareness
lengthens attention span
reduces age-related memory loss
generates kindness
ease addiction
improve sleep
reduce pain

what’s even better about meditation is that unlike exercise, where you may need special equipment or large spaces, you can do meditation from the comfort of your bed.

5. Eat a healthy balanced diet

What you eat doesn’t just dictate how you look on the outside it also plays a significant role in how your mental health functions. Check out this article on how to establish a healthy diet, doing so will protect you among many noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. eating a variety of foods and consuming less sugars, salts and saturated fats are essential to step into a healthier diet.

6. Reduce alcohol and avoid drugs

Alcohol and drugs may be viewed as something that can help mental well being, when in fact they do the complete opposite. They can increase stress, anxiety and cause a myriad of health problems. Recreational drugs can even lead to long-term mental health problems such as depression and schizophrenia. Instead, consider some healthier options that will benefit you in the long run rather than harm you and learn about the harm here.

7. set realistic goals

Setting realistic goals is important because it helps to create a sense of purpose through structure and achievement. When you set goals that are achievable they build confidence and motivate you to achieve your best. If you set unrealistic goals they can lead to frustration, burnout and make you feel like you’ve failed. When setting goals for yourself use the SMART acronym to allow yourself to set realistic and achievable goals to improve your life.

8. Do things you enjoy

Participating in your favourite hobbies can be an amazing way to reconnect with yourself and greatly contributes to a better mood and overall wellbeing. Hobbies not only prevent feelings of stress, but they also provide an effective outlet in which to project anxiety and worries through mental and physical stimulation. Also, learning a new hobby can create a sense of accomplishment which therefore promotes feelings of confidence and increased self-esteem. let us know your favourite hobbies!

9. Keep a journal

Journaling is a powerful tool for managing stress, anxiety, and depression. By writing down your thoughts and feelings in a journal can help you to process complex thoughts and feelings. As you journal you can notice any patterns or triggers which can lead to improved self-awareness and allow your to regulate your emotions better. Expressive writing helps to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression by allowing individuals to confront and make sense of their experiences.

10. Seeking professional help

If all else fails, being able to recognise when you need to seek professional help is crucial for mental wellbeing. Mental health professionals such as therapists an councillors are trained to help you navigate though these challenges. Early interventions can prevent issues from escalating and provide you with effective coping strategies. In the UK, organisations like Mind offer resources and helplines to assist those in need. There are also many other resources for help such as NHS services. It is important to remember that seeking help is a sign of strength.

Taking care of your mental wellbeing is an ongoing journey and may not be a one-time fix. Take some of the suggestions above and incorporate them into your daily life, experiment with which ones work for you and which don’t. Through your journey you will build resilience and improve your overall quality of life to result in a better you.

Let us know your thoughts below and let us know what worked for you!

Digital Marketing Management – Student Blogs

Category Archives: Fitness

Stronger mind stronger body, the power of the gym.

Have you ever thought about why so many people go to the gym?

The hidden bonus of the gym

Personal experience

Why it all works – The science behind the sweat

Research

The endorphins and chemicals

Minimising stress hormones

Growing your brain

The way it makes you sleep better

Boots focus and eliminates brain fog

Video

Challenge yourself

Summarise

Attention Athletes! Real Life Super Soldier Serum?

Healthy Weight Loss After 40: Without Paying £199 per month!

Why is weight loss harder after 40?

1. Slower Metabolism (The “Metabolic Slowdown”)

2. Hormonal Shifts

3. Busy Lifestyles (Less Time, More Stress)

Understanding Your Calorie Needs

Volume Eating: To Feel Full While Losing Weight

Move More: Exercise for Weight Loss & Health

Conclusion

Mental wellbeing and how to keep it healthy.

Blogging platform for Digital Marketing students