Lockdown for many is horrible. Really rubbish. Key milestones and events have been removed and there is little to look forward to or anticipate with any certainty. It can feel a bit like an abyss. Even those who felt their lifestyles arguably improved last lockdown with the removal of QOL damaging factors such as troublesome commutes still struggled with the changes. It was no surprise to see pupils struggle with …
Read MoreLet’s use this time of reflection to elevate the importance of physical education above lip service and one liners. Time to stop playing second fiddle to academia…
Read MoreWhen you know someone has an eating disorder it can be quite natural to try to label the problem. By giving it a name it can help us to make sense of it, to partition it as a separate issue. This is not particularly useful for the person involved, and it can be quite dehumanising.
Read MoreSo you've seen some of the warning signs, and you suspect someone might have an eating disorder - but what do you do next? When you think that someone might have an eating disorder, it can be hard to approach them. Knowing what to say, or whether you should say anything at all is hard. After all, catching someone at the wrong time, or saying the wrong thing can make it feel like you've made things worse
Read MoreIf you feel that any of the questions below might be adversely influencing an individual's well-being, then it could be time to speak with them…
Read MoreTalking like a ‘fat person’ can also send mixed messages to those that might be able to help us. When we don’t give people a clear message about our behaviours and expectations, we often permit them to sabotage our attempts too.
Read MoreThe internet is now ready to burst with exercise videos, workouts and live streams to help you make sure your kids ‘stay active’ and ‘keep fit' while at home. While our circumstances have changed, this does not mean we should stop looking for the same outcomes from our physical education lessons as when the kids were in school. That is, creating meaningful, personally significant learning experiences where your child is motivated to keep returning to physical activity.
Read MoreSport has been cancelled and we have been disconnected from our normal routines. Let’s use this opportunity to let go of our collective obsession with training for sport and the emphasis on developing fitness for fitness' sake.
Finally, we have a small, but uninterrupted chance to develop our kids physical literacy!
In coaching, there is a subtle but important difference between a mistake (something someone does through random error from time to time) and a flaw (something that is persistent and needs improvement through coaching). Don’t start trying to fix a problem if it isn't really there.
Read MoreWith social distancing upon us, it reminded me of some research I came across for a previous dissertation on the psychology of extreme environments. Isolation and confinement are part and parcel of space and polar exploration and are well studied…
Read MoreAlmost anyone that has attempted a new diet, or tried to modify the way in which they eat will be familiar with things not quite going to plan. It’s a normal part of the process, and learning how to manage these deviations can be incredibly helpful in establishing beneficial behaviour changes long-term. With this in mind, I’ve put together four tips that might help you to avoid straying too far ‘off piste’!
Read MoreMost people tend to achieve less weight loss than they expect. Perhaps somewhere between ‘acceptable’ and ‘disappointing’. If this is wildly out of line with your expectations, what are the chances you will be motivated to maintain the lifestyle changes you have likely worked hard to install?
Read MoreEach year, approaching Christmas, I receive several enquiries about how best to approach training for a spring marathon. These range from people running their first marathon (who just want to get around), to those who have a little more confidence and want to achieve a certain time.
Read MoreWhat is the bilateral deficit? This is basically the phenomenon whereby the sum of forces produced unilaterally (on a single leg) can exceed the amount of force you can produce bilaterally (on two legs).
Read MoreAre the pathway descriptions for long term athlete development (LTAD) fit for purpose? Can we as a profession do better to engage and inspire those on these pathways?
Read MoreFirst, I would like to state that the purpose of this piece is not to be a scrooge and ‘hate’ on people’s, achievements or positive lifestyle changes. I don’t want to stop people inspiring others or reflecting positively on all the hard work they have put in to achieve a goal. In fact, if the world had more of the above, it might well be a better place.
Read More
