Category: Helmshore

Children/ Young People and Exercise

Whether it’s healthy eating, exercise, personal hygiene, organising schoolwork or anything else we want to build good habits around for young people – there’s no denying that childhood is a key time to instil practices that will help them develop into happy, healthy and well-rounded adults. Whilst many guidelines remain the same throughout our lives, such as eating plenty of vitamins and minerals, limiting less nutritious foods and keeping active, there are certain specific recommendations for children in order to best support their health and development. This blog covers some of the key guidelines for children and young people and suggests some ways in which they may manage to hit their daily exercise target without it feeling like a chore! You never know, they might even have a positive impact on the adults in their lives and encourage a whole-family approach to health and fitness, as there’s no better way to lead than by setting a good example.

Healthy lifestyle changes – Tracking progress without using the scales

Whilst weight loss is undoubtedly one of the most common health and fitness goals, it is sometimes wrongly viewed as the key determinant of progress when trying to improve our exercise and nutrition habits. One of the most common questions personal trainers gets asked by people who have recently embarked on a new plan is ‘why haven’t I lost much weight?’ There are many possible reasons for this, including the fact that we all lose weight at different rates, you may be building muscle and you could be getting weighed at different times of the day or week and/or using different scales. These are just a few explanations, but the majority (if not all) of the personal trainers I know would urge their clients to explore other ways of measuring progress rather than the often soul-destroying focus of chasing a certain number on the scales. Embarking on a new healthy living plan should leave you feeling energised, proud and encouraged. If the scale is having the opposite effect, consider giving it a break for a while and focusing on other ways of measuring progress such as those below…

Ninja Coffee Company –

Whilst this last year has been difficult for most of us, many small businesses have been the hardest hit by constant lockdown restrictions. Although there are many stories of struggles and strife, this story is of one local business that has managed to adapt to everything thrown at it and truly thrive amidst the chaos. ‘Thriving’ for this company doesn’t just mean financially, but serving it’s local community in ways that have been more needed than ever whilst people have been more isolated than ever. This company has not only adapted operating procedures to allow it to continue serving customers with great quality products and friendly smiles, but it has cemented itself as a truly valuable part of the local community around Rossendale. This business has spent the last year helping to support NHS staff and other key workers as well as those in isolation and unable to see loved ones. It has now extended this work to support the mental health of groups of people in the local area. This is a story of 2 of my very favourite things – coffee and hope. This is the story of Ninja Coffee Company.

Helmshore/Rossendale walks – Helmshore Loop and Robin Hood’s Well/ Ellen Strange Memorial

This week’s local walks are 2 of my favourite yet. Both from the Helmshore/Rossendale area, they offer great views as well as plenty to see along the way. These walks take up to an hour each although if you want to explore further afield, they offer great areas to do that in. You may also spend extra time taking in the wonderful views, taking photographs or splashing in streams and petting animals if you’re lucky. Of course, if you wish to make the walks shorter there are some options for that too.