The JTX Blog:  Bringing you all the latest fitness and health advice and news

Have yourself a guilt free Easter

March 28, 2013

Surprisingly, the Easter holidays can often turn into a more indulgent time than the Christmas holidays. At least at Christmas you can actively avoid the chocolate and take your mind off it with your new gifts. At Easter the gifts are the chocolate – so there’s no escape!

If your usual strategy for Easter is to eat your eggs super quick so that they are gobbled up as soon as possible to prevent long term chocolate guilt, then why not take note of some of our top tips for not going chocolate crazy this Easter.

1. Smash your Easter egg and wrap small pieces in cling film so you don’t eat a whole egg in one go – not only is this fun but will help you portion control
2. If you like cold chocolate (like I do) put it in the bottom draws of your fridge as well as the additional chocolate bars you normally get.
3. Move all fruit, veg and salad that were in the drawers to the shelves. This way the healthy stuff is in sight and the sweet stuff is sort of out of sight.
4. ALLOW yourself your portioned chocolate at least every other day (or even everyday if you think you deserve it). The more you tell yourself you are not allowed something the more you want it and you are likely to binge on it. Work it in to your daily calorie allowance and its pretty much guilt free
5. Last but not least… Chocolate is not a guilty pleasure it’s a necessary pleasure. So try and fit in some exercise to stop it being a guilty pleasure!

Our resident fitness advisor, Simon has given us some guidance on exactly how much exercise you will need to do to burn off a typical Easter Egg (we are using a Cadbury’s Crème egg as an example which is 880 calories).

880 Calories = (based on person weighing 155lbs or 11 stone)

1 hour treadmill running at 7.5mph (8minute miles)

1 hour of very vigorous cycling on an stationary exercise bike or 2 hours of moderate cycling on a stationary exercise bike

1 1/2 hours of moderate intensity cross training

So, good luck this Easter. Remember, everything in moderation will help you enjoy the Easter holidays without going cold turkey or feeling guilty.

Our top Marathon training tips

March 14, 2013

We know many of you are currently in training for a marathon this year, and using a JTX treadmill to get yourself in tip top condition for the big day. Whether you are running for charity, to get fit or just for the buzz of it, it takes a lot of motivation to keep up with the regular training needed (unless of course you are Forest Gump…run Forest, run).

We don’t have a magic wand to get you fit and ready for the 26 miles, and we can’t lie to you, it will be hard work, but we do have some good advice which will improve your chances of reaching the finish line in one piece.

  • Create a marathon training schedule
  • Ensure you have the right kit – shoes, socks, running top, shorts etc.
  • Increase your efforts week-on-week
  • Vary your distances over each week
  • Eat sensibly
  • Mimic the course

And for the day itself, our top tips are

  • Eat your usual breakfast and have a snack around an hour before the start
  • Write your name on your vest to make sure you get plenty of support
  • Drink little and often
  • Pace yourself, you don’t want to burn yourself out
  • Don’t count the miles
  • Have small targets and praise yourself
  • Conserve your energy, you will need plenty of it throughout the run
  • Coat your feet in nappy rash cream or a lubricant like petroleum jelly to avoid the dreaded blisters
  • And finally….enjoy it! You’ve been training for months so enjoy the atmosphere

5 Ways to Add Intensity to a Workout

November 12, 2012

Guest Post

Doing the same workout can get boring fairly quickly.  If you’re finding yourself doing the same routine day after day, it may be time to add more intensity to your workout.  If you don’t know where to start, I wanted to give you five tips that I use every time I workout:

#1 Take Small Breaks

Try to push yourself to the limit, but make sure that you take small breaks in between to catch up.  So let’s say that you run 6 mph on the treadmill but your limit is 10.  If you can run that 10 mph for five minutes and take a few minutes off in between, you can find yourself really pushing the limits and the workout will make you feel a lot better at the end.

So a great schedule could look like this – 10 minutes at 10 mph, 3 minutes at 4 mph and another 5 at 10 mph.

#2 Don’t Forget the Power

If you’re just working on cardio, you have to remember that power is just as important.  Even if you just work out of the house, you can try power moves such as jumping jacks, squats, pushups and lunges.  So the next time you jump on the treadmill, try to stretch and power up before you jump into your normal routine.  Don’t forget that you have to add that protein too if you’re looking to build muscle!

#3 No Strength?  Go Higher!

If you’re lifting weights month after month but you’re not seeing any differences, it may be time to start lifting heavier weights.  Don’t lift by yourself, though.  Instead, make sure that you have a spotter and lift at a gradual pace.  You should know when you’re pushing yourself too hard. When you lift, the very last rep should be extremely  hard but enough for you to lift it.

#4 Combine your Workouts

Hopping on the treadmill and running for 30 minutes every day can get boring pretty fast.  Instead of treating your workouts like a job, try to mix things up every week.  One day work the cardio, while the next day you work on the power.  Remember, you don’t want to stick to the same routine because your body is going to get used to it fairly fast!

#5 Slow Things Down

Getting disappointed with your workout can often lead to not working out at all.  If you’re having a hard time keeping the tempo going with your workout, you may want to work at a slower pace.  By working too fast, you may find yourself too fatigued when working out.  So, the next time you work out, try to lift slower or alternate your speeds.

Adding intensity to your workout is a great way to keep yourself going and not get bored every week.  By following some of the tips mentioned above and applying them, there’s no reason that you can’t have a successful workout routine the next time you hit the gym.

Kathy Cady works for the website HowMuchIsIt. Find the prices on anything from A to Z.

Post Pregnancy Vibration Training Put To The Test

October 30, 2012

Case study; Vibration training is recognised by the health and fitness industry as a really useful way of toning up and losing the baby weight after birth. I will be reporting back regularly with how I’m getting on.

I’m finally on maternity leave and hoping to have a baby any day now. I have worked for JTX Fitness for the past year. Most my colleagues regularly use the gym equipment in the showroom but because I’ve been pregnant I’ve been limited to a bit of walking on the treadmill and the cross trainer.  I used to be pretty fit but despite the advice I have done very little exercise whilst pregnant. I have put on a lot of weight over the last 4 months (lots of toast and cereal at 4am are to blame!) but I’m really just looking forward to getting fit again and feeling like my old self.  I’m told by the fitness experts at JTX not to use vibration plates for 6 weeks after the birth but will report back asap… wish me luck! viv

Join the JTX Fitness team!

October 19, 2012

JTX Fitness are recruiting for the role of Technical Sales Advisor. If you would like to join our fast growing home fitness equipment company based on Shoreham beach, just outside Brighton, we’d love to hear from you.

We are looking for a bright, positive person with excellent communication skills and a passion for sales who has the ambition to develop and grow with our company. The position is most likely to suit someone with graduate level skills and/or 4 years relevant experience.

The job will involve:

• Responding to customer enquiries via email, phone and face to face in our Shoreham showroom.

• Technical support and after-sales customer service.

• Assisting with order processing and dispatch.

 

It is essential that you have:

• An aptitude for sales and a friendly, positive approach to life.

• A friendly and engaging phone manner.

• Excellent written communication skills.

• An interest in the technical aspect of our fitness equipment. Technophobes should not apply!

• Initiative and a positive approach to problem solving.

• IT literacy

One or more of the following would be beneficial:

• An interest in fitness or experience of working within the industry.

• A reasonable level of numeracy

• A UK driving license

Hours: 9-5.30, Monday to Friday.

Salary: £18-£25K based on experience.

Holiday: 25 days per year plus statutory.

Deadline: 29th October 2012

Please send your CV and a cover letter to recruitment@jtxfitness.com. We look forward to hearing from you!