With the Greater Manchester Marathon happening soon, here are some preparation and exercise tips to incorporate in your training and help you fully utilise your local gyms. Manchester has many great gyms on offer so there’s no excuse to add a gym visit to your regular weekly training schedule.

If you’re planning on taking part in the Greater Manchester Marathon at the end of April, or another long distance running event, you’re probably aware of the importance of having to, and sticking to, a good training plan. This will involve running regularly, and gradually increasing the distance you run. However, have you considered the benefits a visit to the gym could give you as well as this traditional type of training plan?

Most gyms will offer a variety of cardiovascular machines, helping with your general fitness and stamina. Of course, the treadmill is the ultimate machine for running preparation, but by using different machines and equipment, different muscles will be worked. This cross-training is vital for all round strength and fitness. By using machines in the gym, you also have the ability to closely monitor your heart rate, keeping it at its optimum level, and can therefore adjust your workout accordingly. In addition, the machines can help you monitor progress, and workouts can be varied by changing speed, mileage and incline. And of course the rain won’t affect those training inside the gyms; Manchester isn’t exactly known for its sunny climate!

Strength training is often neglected in preparation for long distance running. Improving your overall strength will significantly help your body to cope with the rigours of running. The key is improving muscular endurance as opposed to adding bulk; achieved by lifting light weights, but with high numbers of repetitions. Strength training can be undertaken in three phases. Start by increasing flexibility and stability by focusing on core exercises for the abs and lower back. For example, crunches, sit-ups, and lateral pull-ups. During the second phase you can increase strength and power, and focus on legs, shoulders and chest. Squats and lunges will work wonders for your legs, leg curls will strengthen hamstrings, and bench presses will strengthen shoulders and chest. The final phase is maintaining the strength goals already achieved as you re-focus on running and cardio activity.

And finally, don’t be scared or intimated and remember to keep it fun! Most people at the gym will be focused on their own goals, leaving you to get on with yours. If you’re unfamiliar with some of the exercises mentioned here, or don’t know where to start, most gyms will have a trainer who should be at hand to help. And with many gyms offering pay as you go entry fees, you can try out different ones and find one that you’re most comfortable with.

If you want to utilise the great gyms Manchester has to offer as part of your marathon training, go to www.payasugym.com to find one that suits you.

For a sizzling new way to sweat it out, make your way to a Bikram ‘hot’ yoga class. With its many health claims and celebrity practitioners, its popularity is growing in UK gyms. In London particularly, there are plenty of venues raising the temperature!

A typical class

During a 90 minute class students move though a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises in a room which is 105 degrees Fahrenheit . The extreme heat is said to promote superior muscle stretching, detoxification and heal the mind and body.

The sequence of poses remain the same each class and are copyrighted to the founder, Bikram Choudhury. All teachers of Bikram yoga have to be specifically trained by Choudhury himself in California. Any gyms in London which offer Bikram yoga are therefore licensed.

Hot health benefits

The health claims are extensive and include:

• Limiting the signs of ageing
• Deeper stretching
• Improved blood circulation
• Deep beneficial twisting of internal organs.
• Calming the mind

Origins

Bikram yoga was created by Bikram Choudhury in India by in the 1960s. After becoming the All India Yoga Champion at the age of 17, Choudbury had a terrible knee injury which doctors believed to be untreatable. However, he was healed by his yoga teacher and he then used the same approach to devise his series of 26 moves based on hatha yoga.

Who can do it?

Although it is suitable for most people and complete beginners, Bikram Yoga is more physically challenging than normal yoga. It is therefore not advised to do during pregnancy . However, the intensity is actually what attracts many people to it, and there are even classes for children.

Many celebrities are keen attendees of Bikram yoga including Jennifer Anniston, Madonna and David Beckham . Lady gaga caught the media’s attention in 2010 when she attended a class dressed in a pair of red lace knickers! Some dancers find they benefit from hot yoga classes, gaining increased flexibility and improved breathing, although some question the safety of the extended muscle stretches.

Safe stretching

To prevent dehydration, practitioners of hot yoga have to ensure they drink plenty of fluids during the class. As the body warms up, hyperextension of the limbs is a possibility if you stretch too far. The high temperature could also cause the body to overheat leading to hyperthermia, so caution should always be taken.

Hotting up the competition

Bikram yoga is not the only form of hot yoga available. Alternatives are:
• Hot Power Yoga – offered by several gyms in London, this is a general description of many classes which utilise heat but do not adhere to any particular school of thought.
• Moksha – some gyms in London have offered this yoga to at-risk young people
• Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga – claims to offer a ‘ true immersion into your physical and mental self’
• Barkan Method – simulating the hot climate of Calcutta, this includes postures from many yoga approaches to suit all abilities.

Where can I find Bikram Yoga in London?
Easy! There are plenty of places including Camden, Canary Wharf, the City, Soho and Kilburn Lane.

Yoga has never been so hot. To find out which gyms in London will raise the temperature in your life, visit www.payasugym.com.

Cheap gyms are incredibly popular at the moment as we seek out affordable ways of living an active lifestyle. But have you considered all the aspects of your everyday environment that could fulfil the function of substitute gyms? From the office desk to your living room, you have countless opportunities to build fitness into your daily life.

There is an enormous market for cheap gyms at the moment. There are three factors at work here: First, we’re more aware than ever of the importance of taking care of our health and living fit, active lifestyles. Secondly, the parameters of our lifestyles – sedentary jobs, often with long commutes by car or train at either end of the day – means that gyms fulfil an important role in providing the opportunity to get active. Finally, we’re more cash-strapped than ever. It’s no wonder that cheap gyms and fantastic deals on gym membership are springing up everywhere.

That’s all very well, and cheap gyms certainly have their place. But broaden your concept of what constitutes cheap gyms and you’ll have a lot more options to choose from. Here are some ideas for venues and activities that you may not have thought about in terms of health and fitness at all, but which can all function in the role of your very own cheap gyms:

Your bed
If you’re not getting your eight hours or so of restful sleep a night, chances are that it’s having serious effects on your health, including your fitness regime. Start your daily workout by getting a good night’s kip beforehand. It costs nothing at all, and whilst it doesn’t exactly constitute exercise in itself, it’s an important part of your fitness. Think of it as a pre-warm-up.

The daily commute
Whether you’re in the train or in the car (especially if you’re stuck in traffic), there are lots of little muscle tightening exercises that you can do. Small movements, such as tightening and untightening your buttocks or stomach muscles, or even good old-fashioned fidgeting, all burn off calories. If you’re worried about looking a bit odd on the commuter train, try daydreaming about exercising instead. Recent studies have found that thinking about exercise activates the same areas of the brain as actually doing exercise, and may have similar benefits. Just keep your mind focused on those push-ups!

Your desk
Much like your commute, your desk provides as space for small-scale exercises. You may have a bit more scope for some simple stretches as well, depending on how your office is set up. But one of the best ways of making your desk part of your fitness routine is by leaving it. Have just one bin in the office and place it so that you have to get up and go to it to throw anything away. Offer to do tea/coffee runs. Get up and talk to a colleague rather than sending an email.

Your living room
After a hard day’s work, going out to exercise might be the last thing on your mind. But you can up your daily exercise quota from the comfort of your living room. Exercise DVDs are one option. Getting on an exercise machine to watch the television is another. Or there’s the general fidgeting and daydreaming strategies already described.

Although they are no substitute for a proper workout, these areas of everyday life can all function as cheap gyms if you make use of them to make your lifestyle as active as possible.

To find out more about gyms that you can visit on a pay as you go basis, visit www.payasugym.com