THE THOOSA REVIEW...HEALTH AND FITNESS!

We haven’t reviewed this magazine before, and I admit I only bought it because Tracey Anderson was on the cover. Apparently she can change your body. I wasn’t passing that by.

I’ve heard so so much about “one of the world’s hottest personal trainers”, mainly due to her A list clients such as Madonna, Gwyneth and J-Lo. It was great then to actually read about her. How she refined a technique to help women achieve the ultimate toned, defined body. Her “method” evolved over 13 years and drew from her experience at dance school and her research into how different movements affect different muscle groups and how she could alter her body shape without adding bulk. In addition to the article there are 5 exercises to try at home. And while I’m never quite sure if I’m following the moves correctly, I definitely have thought about investing in her DVDs. Good work for one magazine.

Also, what really stood out from other magazines, were the articles that focussed on the mind as well as exercise. There is a great article just about breathing. It sounds so simple but breathing properly can not only boost your workout, but also relieve stress. In a recent study the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle found that deep breathing can slash stress levels by up to 40% immediately, and keep them at less than 50% for three months after the deep breathing session. The article has a ‘try it yourself’ exercise to beat stress and also ones to boost your workout, crank up your concentration and more. I’ll definitely be giving these simple solutions a try.

Another article talks about the effect of emotional burnout. While this word may be banded around quite a lot the suggestions to beat it, from the psychologist Joan Borysenko, sounded pretty wise. We can all feel as though we suffer from emotional and physical exhaustion, and the guilt of that can sometimes stop you from helping yourself. Try and get a change of scenery, apparently any new experience can re-inspire; a mantra supported by science apparently. And, as someone in search of some zest in life I’m taking the advice!

I really enjoyed this magazine. If you’re looking for a fitness boost/inspiration this month I would definitely recommend it. It also (!) has a little extra magazine called “Running into Shape” There’s nothing that new in this little book, but it great as a handy running aid and has some useful tips. There was a great buying guide “what to remember when you’re choosing your trainers’, definitely worth a read.

Basically we loved this magazine. Good stuff!