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Steps To Wellness Articles
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Written by Jason Roberts
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Thursday, 03 February 2011 15:31 |
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It can be difficult finding the time and motivation to exercise which is why many people turn to a personal fitness instructor to help. Anyone can benefit from the services of a personal trainer but it is when clients have special physical needs or help with a particular problem that a trainer can really come into their own. Jason Roberts, founder of Steps to Wellness, and trainer for over 15 years, relates how he made a difference to one client's life and why he loves his job so much.
As a qualified and experienced fitness trainer, I see clients from all backgrounds and one of the things I like most about the job is helping people to get more out of life. One client, who had her own physical challenges but enjoyed archery, was getting frustrated about her low scores despite being motivated and skilled in the sport. By training and working together she lost weight and her progress earned her two medals - fine progress indeed and this is how we did it.
The lady I worked with has diabetes as well as peripheral neuropathy (the attacking and destruction of sensory nerves), her co-ordination is unstable because she suffers lack of feeling in her feet and she has had previous surgery on her knee for an unrelated condition. We started by creating a workout designed specifically for her to increase strength and agility as well as helping to reduce her weight by using a recumbent cycle and lifting weights. By keeping her training in a supported seating position, we allowed her to build strength and therefore stability without putting her at risk and it was not long before she could feel the benefits.
But we weren't just working on the legs, of course: the body functions as a whole and by strengthening specific muscles in the torso and arms, her archery scores soared, winning her medals and making her a very happy client, particularly as she also lost a stone in weight.
I have my own unique understanding of the links between strength, stability and supported training as I have had my own physical challenges over the years, having suffered an aneurism as a child. The thing I love most about being a personal trainer is the individual nature of what I do and the pleasure my clients get from moving forward, whatever their challenges.
My top tips for finding the right personal trainer for you? Word of mouth is always an excellent way, so do some asking around but you can always use a directory like Steps to Wellness to find someone in your area. Always ask to see qualifications and insurance for your own personal safety and think about where you would like the training to take place - some trainers will work outside or at the gym and some at your home. My final tip is not to feel intimidated by someone who is very fit - we do have a bit of a reputation for being muscle bound but we are human too. Communication and sharing is key to the professional service that a trainer provides so it is important that you find someone you can trust and feel comfortable with. I wish you all the best on your journey.
It can be difficult finding the time and motivation to exercise which is why many people turn to a personal fitness instructor to help. Anyone can benefit from the services of a personal trainer but it is when clients have special physical needs or help with a particular problem that a trainer can really come into their own. Jason Roberts, founder of Steps to Wellness, and trainer for over 15 years, relates how he made a difference to one client's life and why he loves his job so much.
As a qualified and experienced fitness trainer, I see clients from all backgrounds and one of the things I like most about the job is helping people to get more out of life. One client, who had her own physical challenges but enjoyed archery, was getting frustrated about her low scores despite being motivated and skilled in the sport. By training and working together she lost weight and her progress earned her two medals - fine progress indeed and this is how we did it.
The lady I worked with has diabetes as well as peripheral neuropathy (the attacking and destruction of sensory nerves), her co-ordination is unstable because she suffers lack of feeling in her feet and she has had previous surgery on her knee for an unrelated condition. We started by creating a workout designed specifically for her to increase strength and agility as well as helping to reduce her weight by using a recumbent cycle and lifting weights. By keeping her training in a supported seating position, we allowed her to build strength and therefore stability without putting her at risk and it was not long before she could feel the benefits.
But we weren't just working on the legs, of course: the body functions as a whole and by strengthening specific muscles in the torso and arms, her archery scores soared, winning her medals and making her a very happy client, particularly as she also lost a stone in weight.
I have my own unique understanding of the links between strength, stability and supported training as I have had my own physical challenges over the years, having suffered an aneurism as a child. The thing I love most about being a personal trainer is the individual nature of what I do and the pleasure my clients get from moving forward, whatever their challenges.
My top tips for finding the right personal trainer for you?
- Word of mouth is always an excellent way, so do some asking around but you can always use a directory like Steps to Wellness to find someone in your area.
- Always ask to see qualifications and insurance for your own personal safety and think about where you would like the training to take place - some trainers will work outside or at the gym and some at your home.
- My final tip is not to feel intimidated by someone who is very fit - we do have a bit of a label of being fitness freaks but we are human too.
Communication and sharing is key to the professional service that a trainer provides so it is important that you find someone you can trust and feel comfortable with. I wish you all the best on your journey.
© Jason Roberts, Steps to Wellness January 2011
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Steps To Wellness Articles
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Written by Pete Graves
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Thursday, 03 February 2011 11:30 |
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To Jason Roberts, whose life has been saved and rebuilt by various types of healthcare since age 12, its importance is so great that his mission now is to give something back. To do this Jason has created www.steptowellness.co.uk, an Internet directory and community for healthcare professionals, practices and related services. “For me it’s not just a business, for me it’s not just an opportunity to make an income...It’s a mission to help people like I was helped, it’s more than a job” says Jason.
A life turned upside down
In 1982, aged 12, Jason fell victim to a brain haemorrhage leaving him in hospital bed for 10 weeks to recover to the point his parents could care for him. His recovery was slow yet significant. With only so much assistance available to him and his family, it fell to Jason’s willpower and determination to provide the means to recovery.
A new direction
As Jason progressed through his teenage years, his battle with the disabilities that he had been left with, even after extensive rehabilitation, led him to take his recovery into his own hands.
At the age of 20, still unsure which direction his life was going to take, Jason decided that he should follow his passion in helping others get well and fit, after ten years of education in this regard he eventually became a fitness specialist. “I soon realised that as an individual I could help few however with a website full of fitness professionals I could indirectly help thousands”.
Steps to Wellness
Over the next 12 years of his life he became a qualified fitness specialist, Jason worked and continues to work with many individuals to help them achieve their physical goals in the way in which he once had. Talking to Jason, whose cheery and upbeat personality instantly puts anyone who meets him at ease; it is easy to spot his passion when he speaks about his latest enterprise.
“Steps to Wellness is an online directory that profiles those to do with wellness and fitness, with a variety of trades including retail. Our mission is to bring people into wellness and fitness and keep them there. We do this by making it easy for people to find the help they need. Our main aim is to provide the most comprehensive directory of complementary therapists and those involved in wellness and fitness in Britain - offering not only a directory of resources but also a community aspect for all those involved.”
“Steps to Wellness is my way of giving back to society what society has given me. Society helped me, it gave me the operation to save my life, it gave me a certain amount of rehabilitation to get me back on my feet and now knowing the extensive therapies available, I am finding other forms to aid in my rehabilitation.”
Businesses with any association to healthcare or complementary therapies including individual practitioners can sign up for a free listing at http://www.stepstowellness.co.uk. You can also upgrade your listing for a small yearly fee to increase the options available in your listing. Peter Graves
Channel Computing
To Jason Roberts, whose life has been saved and rebuilt by various types of healthcare since age 12, its importance is so great that his mission now is to give something back. To do this Jason has created www.steptowellness.co.uk, an Internet directory and community for healthcare professionals, practices and related services. “For me it’s not just a business, for me it’s not just an opportunity to make an income...It’s a mission to help people like I was helped, it’s more than a job” says Jason.
A life turned upside down
In 1982, aged 12, Jason fell victim to a brain haemorrhage leaving him in hospital bed for 10 weeks to recover to the point his parents could care for him. His recovery was slow yet significant. With only so much assistance available to him and his family, it fell to Jason’s willpower and determination to provide the means to recovery.
A new direction
As Jason progressed through his teenage years, his battle with the disabilities that he had been left with, even after extensive rehabilitation, led him to take his recovery into his own hands.
At the age of 20, still unsure which direction his life was going to take, Jason decided that he should follow his passion in helping others get well and fit, after ten years of education in this regard he eventually became a fitness specialist. “I soon realised that as an individual I could help few however with a website full of fitness professionals I could indirectly help thousands”.
Steps to Wellness
Over the next 12 years of his life he became a qualified fitness specialist, Jason worked and continues to work with many individuals to help them achieve their physical goals in the way in which he once had. Talking to Jason, whose cheery and upbeat personality instantly puts anyone who meets him at ease; it is easy to spot his passion when he speaks about his latest enterprise.
“Steps to Wellness is an online directory that profiles those to do with wellness and fitness, with a variety of trades including retail. Our mission is to bring people into wellness and fitness and keep them there. We do this by making it easy for people to find the help they need. Our main aim is to provide the most comprehensive directory of complementary therapists and those involved in wellness and fitness in Britain - offering not only a directory of resources but also a community aspect for all those involved.”
“Steps to Wellness is my way of giving back to society what society has given me. Society helped me, it gave me the operation to save my life, it gave me a certain amount of rehabilitation to get me back on my feet and now knowing the extensive therapies available, I am finding other forms to aid in my rehabilitation.”
Steps to Wellness are presently collaborating with others to create an on line Health Professionals Network so that those with a membership with us can (through better communication) accomplish much more business for themselves as well as provide better health provision throughout the UK, please subscribe to our newsletter to be kept updated (you can subscribe on our home page here).
Businesses with any association to healthcare or complementary therapies including individual practitioners can sign up for a free listing at stepstowellness.co.uk. You can also upgrade your listing for a small yearly fee to increase the options available in your listing.
Peter Graves
Channel Computing
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Steps To Wellness Articles
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Written by Jason Roberts
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Thursday, 03 February 2011 11:03 |
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Lemon and Corriander bulgar wheat pilaf
Serves 4
200g bulgar wheat
1l hot vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 pepper, chopped
1 courgette, chopped
4 or 5 closed cup mushrooms, chopped
juice 1/2 lemon
handful chopped fresh corriander
salt and pepper to season
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. Place olive oil into pan and gently fry onion for a few minutes to soften and then add garlic, peppers, mushrooms, and courgette.
2. Fry until soft and then add bulgar wheat and mix thoroughly.
3. Add to this the hot stock, bring to the boil and allow to simmer gently for 15 minutes but make sure you keep checking the liquid levels as you should not allow it to boil dry.
4. When all the liquid has been absorbed and the grain is soft, add salt and pepper to taste, lemon juice and corriander, mixing well. Allow the corriander leaves to warm through and wilt a little for a minute or so.
Delicious served alone as a vegan dish with a fresh salad or as an interesting and filling side dish with either lean chicken or fish.
For a meaty version, try adding a couple of chopped chicken breasts and a handful of chopped bacon before step 2, frying until the meat is golden and sealed.
Serves 4
200g bulgar wheat
1l hot vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 pepper, chopped
1 courgette, chopped
4 or 5 closed cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 lemonhandful chopped fresh corriander
salt and pepper to season
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. Place olive oil into pan and gently fry onion for a few minutes to soften and then add garlic, peppers, mushrooms, and courgette.
2. Fry until soft and then add bulgar wheat and mix thoroughly.
3. Add to this the hot stock, bring to the boil and allow to simmer gently for 15 minutes but make sure you keep checking the liquid levels as you should not allow it to boil dry.
4. When all the liquid has been absorbed and the grain is soft, add salt and pepper to taste, lemon juice and corriander, mixing well. Allow the corriander leaves to warm through and wilt a little for a minute or so.
Delicious served alone as a vegan dish with a fresh salad or as an interesting and filling side dish with either lean chicken or fish.
For a meaty version, try adding a couple of chopped chicken breasts and a handful of chopped bacon before step 2, frying until the meat is golden and sealed.
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Steps To Wellness Articles
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Written by Jason Roberts
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Tuesday, 01 February 2011 14:53 |
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Visits |
Page views |
Pages/Visit |
Bounce Rate % |
Avg. Time on Site |
% New Visits |
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| Feb |
817 |
2,462 |
3.01 |
54.10 |
00:03:17 |
72.83 |
| Mar |
971 |
2,562 |
2.64 |
57.88 |
00:02:54 |
72.19 |
| April |
952
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2,764
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2.90
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58.40
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00:02:52
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66.49
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Those listed on the directory as of 26/5/2011 are 2,334
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Steps To Wellness Articles
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Written by Jason Roberts
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Tuesday, 01 February 2011 12:32 |
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As the number of NEET (young people Not in Education, Employment or Training) in the UK has unfortunately gone up to more than 1 million, charity BF Adventure has some really good news: About 70% of their clients, who were NEET and attended the Freestyle programme in 2010, have successfully returned to college, started an apprenticeship or engaged in further training.
The figures speak for themselves and show how important these courses are for the future of Cornwall. BF Adventure uses the medium of outdoor activities such as Archery, Rock Climbing, Canoeing and Bush craft to encourage young people to gain more self-esteem, develop life skills and learn to be part of a team whilst working towards individually set goals and nationally recognised accreditations.
The charity is based at a 60 acre site just outside Penryn, Cornwall and uses former granite quarries for their activities. The organisation also offers fully funded short breaks for children with disabilities, and programmes for many other individuals and groups with additional support needs as well as schools, private parties and companies. If you would like to know more, please click here.
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Steps To Wellness Articles
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Written by Amanda
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Friday, 14 January 2011 13:40 |
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The Future of Health and Wellness on the Internet
There is no doubt that the internet is the place where many people go to find out information. Fine for most things like getting the best price on car insurance but in terms of something as important as your health, the internet has come into its own with an enormous amount of information on every topic imaginable. In this article we look at why this is not only good in terms of an holistic approach to health but also possibly the future of healthcare in this country.
The demand for medical information online was highlighted in an article in The Telegraph in October 2010 ('Finding Health Information on the Internet' published 15/10/10). According to the survey quoted, 65 percent of those questioned chose to look online for answers to medical queries, compared with 43 percent who would ask their doctor first, 27 percent who looked to television programmes and just 14 percent who trusted government health information services.
The most influential force is likely to be the UK Government’s intention to overhaul English health provision as set out in the November 2010 White Paper ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People’ . According to the paper ‘centralisation has failed’ and the Government is seeking to create a ‘public health service, not just a national sickness service’.
The aim is to decentralise the healthcare system in England with a view to eliminating negative living environments and poor lifestyle habits and the intention is that this is done locally with the involvement of business and the community. The White Paper does not say how this will be done specifically (details are to be published at a later date) and how well the plan will work remains to be seen but the important point to note is that the Government wants to embrace a notion of holistic care. Political agendas and opinions to one side, it is fair to say that Governmental policy is likely to dictate trends in the wellness and fitness industries.
Where does this leave health on the net? The White Paper does not specifically mention this but considering that the internet is already extensively used by the NHS in providing health care, it is reasonable to suggest that it will become even more pivotal.
At the moment, everything from booking appointments on line to downloading leaflets; sharing research and professional networking to joining support groups can be done via the internet and the more holistic, patient and community centred healthcare that the Government is proposing will only cement the role of IT in healthcare even further.
But with the wealth of information out there, what kind of reassurance is there that the information you are accessing is accurate and safe? According to Streetdoctor Jonty Heaversedge, (quoted in the above Telegraph article) it is best to leave diagnosis up to a professional but that there is a great deal of good that can be gained from people getting involved in their own health by using the internet to maintain their wellbeing and even help improve existing and professionally diagnosed conditions. He went on the say that ‘when used wisely, the internet helps us with what is a shared responsibility: your future health’ and this certainly reflects the Government’s outlined intentions.
The message seems to be that the internet will be used more and more as a springboard to help everyone access reliable face to face healthcare. Of course, checking accreditation and qualifications is essential when contacting a professional but certainly the internet is going to be an essential tool in delivering holistic healthcare into the 21st century.
© Amanda Fearn, Steps to Wellness January 2011
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Steps To Wellness Articles
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Written by Jason Roberts
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Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:44 |
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Treat SAD with light therapy
It is important to know when emotional and physical changes brought on by the change in seasons are more serious than just a passing dislike.
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects many of us. Its symptoms are depression, lethargy and trouble “getting going” during the change of seasons, particularly during this time of year when the days get noticeably shorter and the temperature drops. It can also lead to cravings for certain types of food, such as carbohydrates, which tend to exacerbate the cycle.
The difference between SAD and other forms of depression is that SAD is markedly seasonal. It comes generally in late autumn and often is felt until early spring, at which point it begins to pass.
It should be noted that there is another form of SAD that comes during the spring and lasts through the summer, but the causes and treatments for this rare form are less understood.
The cause of classic fall and winter SAD is believed to be the decrease in sunlight, which leads to lower production of vitamin D –– a topic we covered in last month's column –– which leads to decreased production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates moods and general feelings of well-being.
While taking vitamin D supplements is important for anyone who does not naturally have enough exposure to vitamin D, people with SAD respond best to full-spectrum light therapy. With this therapy, a person can get the light they need to improve their body's delicate balance of serotonin and melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, resulting in greatly diminished effects, or even elimination altogether.
Here is how it works: A full-spectrum light box should ideally be used first thing in the morning for 20 or 30 minutes. A person does not need to sit directly in front of or next to the light box, but it should be within an arm's reach. It can be positioned on a table while a person watches television or reads the newspaper or a book. It can also be placed on a counter during a person's morning grooming routine.
Visitors to our store often tell us they begin to feel better within a week of using the light box. It is important to begin using it early in the season and to be consistent with its use. Turning the light box on every once in a while, even during different hours of the day, will not likely yield the optimal result. Nor will moving around the room while the light box sits on a counter.
Once dismissed by clinicians as the "winter blues," SAD has become a fully accepted condition in the fields of medicine and psychology. The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual defines SAD as a specified, or sub-type, of a major depressive episode.
But the good news is SAD can, in many cases, be treated without the medications that generally are used to treat depression. The answer can be as simple as a light box. And with the newfound acceptance of SAD comes coverage of light box therapy, as long as it is prescribed by a physician. Some major health plans are providing full reimbursement for the light boxes, which can be purchased for under $200.
It is important to note that some people will not fully respond to light box therapy and will require treatments similar to those used in patients with depression, such as talk therapy and antidepressant medication.
However, we see light box therapy working with many patients, who in turn are quick to extol its virtues.
Nobody should feel forced to live with SAD when an effective treatment is so readily available and relatively easy to use. While sitting near a light for 20 to 30 minutes first thing in the morning does require a commitment, it is important to keep in mind that it is a treatment that is pain-free, has none of the side effects of medication and is reasonably inexpensive.
We can't change the weather, but we can improve the way that our bodies respond to it. Like many other illnesses or disorders, the key is to recognize the symptoms and to be willing and ready to act.
Steve Bernardi is a compounding pharmacist and Dr. Gary Kracoff is a registered pharmacist and a naturopathic doctor at Johnson Compounding and Wellness Center in Waltham, Mass.
(www.naturalcompounder.com) Readers with questions about natural or homeopathic medicine, compounded medications, or health in general can e-mail
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 781-893-3870.
It is important to know when emotional and physical changes brought on by the change in seasons are more serious than just a passing dislike.
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects many of us. Its symptoms are depression, lethargy and trouble “getting going” during the change of seasons, particularly during this time of year when the days get noticeably shorter and the temperature drops. It can also lead to cravings for certain types of food, such as carbohydrates, which tend to exacerbate the cycle.
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