Gloucestershire gym raises £1k for Great Western Air Ambulance
A group of fitness enthusiasts have raised £1,000 for a lifesaving charity by lifting the equivalent weight of 37 air ambulances.Members of CrossFit Paratus in Gloucester lifted 118,700lbs (53,835kg) to thank Great Western Air Ambulance for funding a public access defibrillator installed outside their gym.Participants also cycled, rowed or skied the equivalent of 80 rugby pitches (37,795ft or 11,520m), while learning CPR and how to use the defibrillator to save a life.It comes after gym owners Dan Smart and Sarah Blandford's elderly parents joined the CrossFit sessions and they wanted to implement extra precautions.
The pair said they wanted to ensure as many people as possible knew how to use the defibrillator in the event of an emergency."My parents are both in their 70s and, when they started doing CrossFit with us, we knew there was an importance to have something nearby," said Ms Blandford. "What we do is high intensity, so we wanted to make sure we're protected if anything does happen, but hopefully we never need to use it."CrossFit workouts typically consist of functional movements such as rowing, running, cycling, with added elements including gymnastics or weightlifting.The oldest participant to take part in the challenge was Ms Blandford's father Dave, aged 76, with the youngest being just five-years-old.
Ms Blandford explained the gym runs an over-50s fitness class, but emphasised that a cardiac arrest could can happen to anyone. In the UK, cardiac arrest kills 12 fit and healthy young people aged between 14 and 35 every week, according to the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC).If a defibrillator is used within the first three to five minutes to restore a normal heartbeat, survival rates jump from 6% to 74%.
On average, each mission costs around £2,200 for GWAAC's critical care team to attend, which is financed through donations and fundraising. Emma Fawcett, supporter engagement coordinator for the GWAAC said: "As a charity entirely reliant on our local community to keep providing our service, we are delighted that Paratus has chosen to support GWAAC in this challenge. "To also have the opportunity to train more local people how to save a life is an added bonus and helps us towards improving health outcomes for everyone in our community."
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The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
I tried swapping the gym for Pilates – and I was impressed with the results
Variety is the spice of life, and this applies to your exercise routine too. As a fitness writer, I like to think I practice what I preach here, but of late I've been training hard for a Hyrox and it's made my exercise plans a bit one-dimensional. So when I had the chance to add a Pilates class into my usual cocktail of lifting weights and running, I was excited to see what it had to offer. By the end of the hour-long session, I was impressed. Despite never lifting anything heavy and moving at a snail's pace throughout, my muscles had been recruited in a way my usual workouts overlooked. As a result, my aching abs and I were eager to have another go. In the months since, I've kept up Pilates classes once per week (albeit via an app) and found my body feels all the better for it – particularly my spine and hips. I've also been able to learn a few things from the practice, and apply these to my regular training to change it for the better. Below, I've attempted to distil my favourite takeaways so you can benefit from them too. The class A typical week for me is pretty active. I train at a CrossFit gym most days, covering strength training, gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting and HIIT-style workouts. Then I'll squeeze in a few runs, whatever other sports I can manage and umpteen dog walks around this. For the most part, the common denominator is intensity. I like things that challenge me and send my heart rate soaring, but tend to struggle to slow down – previous attempts at meditation and yin yoga have proved less than successful, with my first Pilates class also marking a departure from the norm. The 60-minute mat-based class was provided by Reform Wellness studio on the Isle of Man, a short drive away from where Joseph Pilates created the practice of Pilates while being held at an internment camp during the First World War. I'd visited the island on my first wellness retreat keen to find out more about the birthplace of the method currently trending at the top of the fitness charts. The class catered to beginners with a mixture of exercises including variations of crunches, planks, boat pose, roll-ups and more. We worked our way slowly through each one, focussing on posture, control and time under tension. Throughout, the instructor provided clear cues on how to tweak our technique to get the most out of each move. Lesson one: Sweat isn't a sure-fire sign of a good workout As a fitness writer and coach, I've found people tend to conflate sweaty workouts with successful workouts – completing a circuit session that leaves you struggling to climb the stairs is often worn as a badge of honour. But rather than wondering if a workout is good, it's usually more appropriate to ask: 'Good for what?' My brow remained largely dry during this Pilates class, but it was still effective. This is because it wasn't designed to challenge my heart and lungs, but rather targeted improvements in other attributes such as my coordination, balance and mobility, as well as developing strength in smaller muscles around my joints and core. Take the Pilates roll-up for example – the act of moving from lying flat on your back to sitting upright. Unlike the sit-ups I might see in my usual workouts, where you power your torso forward to sit up quickly, I was instead asked to lift one vertebrae at a time away from my yoga mat over the course of a few seconds. Very soon, the abdominal muscles on the front of my stomach (the rectus abdominis) were shaking, and felt far more involved than they do during standard sit-ups. This trend continued throughout the class. By tasking my body to access a range of positions and exhibit control in each one, Pilates helped me develop usable strength which will translate nicely to both sport and everyday life, leading to improved performance and a reduced risk of injury. Lesson two: Move your body in a range of ways The body moves in three planes of motion. These are sagittal (up, down, forwards and backwards), frontal (side-to-side) and transverse (rotational). It also operates on a rough use it or lose it basis. The problem here is that most movements we do, both in and out of the gym, are heavily sagittal-dominant – think squats, press-ups and deadlifts. When we ignore the other two planes of motion, the nervous system sees them as surplus to requirements, allowing the strength of the muscles and other tissues involved to fade away. Then, when we do have to quickly twist to shut a door or grab something from a supermarket shelf, we at best feel tight, and at worst risk injury. My Pilates instructor sprinkled a healthy dose of bending and twisting movements into the class. Smaller supporting muscles which are often overlooked in the gym were given a starring role, and by the end my body felt strong and limber. Of course, it takes more than a one-off session for long-term physical effects to settle in: with any sort of training, consistency is key. But I was so impressed that I've since committed to regular online Pilates classes, and can subjectively say that my hips and spine appear to be reaping the rewards. Lesson three: A good workout doesn't need to be expensive One of the biggest barriers to entry for exercise is money, particularly when the modality is in vogue. This is currently the case with Pilates, and I've seen people report being priced out of (particularly reformer) classes which cost £50 or more. There needs to be a balance; a qualified instructor should value their product, while also considering the cost of expensive equipment such as reformer machines. However, I'm also a big proponent for the democratisation of fitness, and think fun, effective exercise should be accessible for all. The mat-based class I attended is available for £12, which felt reasonable to me. It didn't require me to own any specialist equipment either – the t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms I turned up in served me just fine. However, there are cheaper ways to try Pilates still. A decade ago, as a skint student, I found a guy on YouTube who did free follow-along videos from various fields. Sessions would take anywhere from 10 to 50 minutes, and he would allow me a much-needed breather whenever his dog interrupted an exercise – it was great, it was accessible, it was affordable, and it left my joints feeling enjoyably strong and mobile. But there's one major downside to this. Lesson four: In-person coaching elevates the experience I've actually done forms of Pilates on and off for the last 10 years, but never in a class setting. Instead, it's always been via apps, YouTube and online routines. There are some fantastic (and often free) resources out there, but they all share the same flaw: a lack of individualised feedback. During my first in-person class, the instructor was able to appraise my movements first-hand and suggest subtle technique tweaks which upped their effectiveness. Her physical and verbal cues were catered specifically to me, and if one of these didn't quite land then she would go back to the drawing board and try another one until I was performing a move correctly. Contrastingly, in a follow-along online class, all you can do is copy the instructor's form and try to take their verbal cues on board. If these miss the mark, you'll be left doing the move wrong for the foreseeable future, with no one to intervene or suggest otherwise. For this reason, I would always recommend beginners attend a class if they can. Here, you can be taught the foundational movements and principles of the practice, then apply these to online classes later down the line as a more cost-effective option if needs be. Even for more advanced exercisers, assuming a permanent student mindset is never a bad idea. Seek out top coaches, experience as many activities as you can, learn from each one, then use this knowledge to further your own fitness horizons. Lesson five: Betray your tribe The fitness world can be oddly tribal. This makes sense, given the importance of a sense of belonging and connection in forging an identity, as well as combatting conditions such as loneliness. Runners will only run, belittling the benefits of other aerobic activities, while ardent gym-goers claim there's no other effective way to build muscle. But I can't help feeling this is a somewhat limiting approach. Not only can opening up your exercise routine to new activities challenge you to move in different ways, paving the way for unexpected fitness perks, but it's also incredibly enjoyable. As long as you're steadily progressing the activities you're doing over time, good things are sure to follow. This was certainly something I found during the Pilates class. Swapping my usual Sunday CrossFit workout left me feeling fresh as I moved into the new week, and trying something new was undeniably fun. The verdict Nowadays, thanks in no small part to social media, everything and everyone in the fitness world has a label. This might be the proverbial 'Pilates princess', who spends their day wearing head-to-toe activewear while seeking out the latest wellness trends, or the 'hybrid athlete' with their uniform of running sunglasses, hydration vest and gels stashed in every pocket. I'm all for this – if you've found something you're passionate about, by all means pursue it. But I also want to point out that it's not the only way to exercise – something this Pilates class brought home to me. Did it persuade me to drop my beloved dumbbells, ditch strength training and sign up to seven sessions per week? No. But it did broaden my training horizons, provide an enjoyable alternative form of exercise and teach me lessons I can use in my wider exercise plans. Since the class, I've incorporated Pilates into my weekly routine. The resulting improvements in strength, stability and mobility around my hips and shoulders have improved my performance in other sports I enjoy like padel and Olympic weightlifting, and I find I now look forward to the change of pace once per week. Which leads me on to my two main takeaways. One: The best exercise routine is the one you enjoy, rather than one that fits a certain identity. Fun is the factor that will keep you coming back for more, and doing an activity consistently is the key to getting better at it. And two: Variety is, indeed, the spice of life. A varied exercise routine can not only boost enjoyment and keep you on your toes, but also blend the benefits of multiple activities to deliver some bonus mental and physical perks too.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots Gladiator star reveals bizarre fan request that left her gobsmacked
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NOW the pugil sticks and the Travelator are packed away following another huge series of Gladiators, star Sabre is back to the day job as fitness instructor Sheli McCoy. The reboot, hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh on BBC One, drew in millions for its second season, so a third series is looking inevitable. 5 Sheli as Sabre from BBC smash Gladiators. 5 Sheli in the day job as co-owner of the Sweat Box gym in Dundee. Credit: MICHAEL SCHOFIELD 5 Cheeky Sheli gives the peace sign while Sun man Matt struggles to keep up. Credit: MICHAEL SCHOFIELD 5 Sun man Matt is full of smiles after he rings the bell following his first ever pull-up. Credit: MICHAEL SCHOFIELD Sheli has not quit her day job, where for the past six years she has been the co-owner of gym Sweatbox Dundee in her home — but the show has a funny way of following her back there. Sheli says: 'I get sent cards and posters that kids have drawn for me, which is really nice. They're just addressed to, 'Sabre, Sweatbox, Dundee'. 'But the most common thing is wives messaging me for signed pictures for their partners, saying things like, 'My husband absolutely loves you'. 'They don't seem to mind and say things like, 'I'm fine he has a crush on you because I actually think you're really nice too'. 'But one wife wanted to create an entire wall of images of me in her husband's office. She even asked if there were life-size cardboard cut-outs of me. 'I was like, 'Woah, this is intense'.' Raised in Fife, Sheli, 36, has a master's degree in health science from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. But 'overweight' for her 5ft 7in frame, she then decided to get fit — really fit. She explains: 'Right now I am 68kilos (10st 10lbs) which is my competitive weight. 'But I was a size 16 and weighed the back end of 80kilos (12st 8lbs). Physically and mentally I feel a totally different person. I was a shadow of who I am now.' Gladiator Sabre's 'steamy' moment with Apollo in locker room Sweatbox is affiliated with CrossFit, which combines gymnastics, weightlifting and varied exercises performed at high intensity to build strength and endurance. It is why Sheli is the only female Gladiator to tackle 'contenders' across every obstacle course, including Duel and Powerball. She says: 'The amazing thing about CrossFit is that it trains every single muscle group. 'It focuses on the ten components of fitness from strength, speed, agility, balance, cardiovascular and muscular, basically to build the perfect human. 'I like to think of it as the Vitruvian man. CrossFit asks you to be good in every direction and with every force. 'So when Gladiators came up and we did our fitness tests, I scored really highly because there were 12 fitness tests, all totally varied, which is just CrossFit. 'On the show I can tell which contenders are CrossFit athletes as they withstand the games far better than the rest. Amanda Wah, who won the women's competition this year, is a CrossFit athlete.' Sabre has become a firm favourite with viewers and even cheekily gave winner Amanda a wink before pummelling her with the pugil sticks. But she says that is Sabre, not Sheli, explaining: 'We were to bring our personality, but turn it way up, and stick some bells and whistles on it. 'So the competitive element of Sabre is actually me. Obstacles like The Edge are so exhilarating. It's high. It's scary. It's rickety and when I get up there, my adrenaline is flowing. SHELI JOINS THE SCOTTISH SUN SHELI McCoy will be writing a new wellness and fitness column exclusively online for The Scottish Sun from this weekend. The gym owner promises to offer tips and suggestions for people of all ages and from all walks of life to help them: 'Live stronger, live longer.' Sheli says: 'I am so glad I have been given this opportunity to write for The Scottish Sun. 'My column is going to be helpful, with useful hints and tips on health, fitness and wellness. 'I'm really looking forward to offering my Health Science education and experience to help you.' 'When I come for you up there you better be ready to fly off The Edge because if I'm going down, you're coming with me.' She adds: 'But ultimately, I feel like my biggest gift is to encourage you to bring your best self for your own good. 'If you beat me, I am so happy for you, because that's not an easy thing to do — it doesn't happen very often.' Back at home, her gym is a far cry from the Gladiators arena. On the day Sheli invited The Scottish Sun along, a young mum was working out beside a pram with her sleeping baby, while a middle-aged bloke in old beach wear was weightlifting. She says: 'You may notice that there are no mirrors in here, which is unusual for a gym. 'That's because we're not here to be looking at ourselves or posing like that old gym culture where everyone thinks their sports kit has to match and they have to look a certain way. 'This is a training space where you should just be able to sweat terribly, probably not looking your best and feel comfortable doing that.' SHELI GIVES MATT A GLADIATOR WORKOUT SHELI may be a fearsome sight for contestants as Sabre, but in her gym she's a totally different person. For starters Sheli says we're not here to compete with each other, because 'You would only lose' - of that I have no doubt. Instead she wants me to leave Sweatbox having achieved something I have never done before. She chooses pull-ups for me, which builds upper body strength in the back, shoulders and arms using nothing but your own bodyweight and a bar. Sheli says: 'The perfect shape for a man is a Dorito - wide shoulders, narrow waist.' I'm more of a Hula Hoop around the middle thanks to hitting my fattening fifties. After an extensive warm-up with rubber bands then some stretches, Sheli shows me how it's done. She powders her hands then uses an overhand grip to lift her lean frame effortlessly until her chin is well above the bar, repeating the process several times. Sheli says: 'My record is 21 in a row.' which is no surprise looking at her bulging forearms and biceps. I attempt to mimic her, but no matter how hard I try, I cannot raise my chin above that bloody bar. 'Just give it more beans,' Sheli says with gentle encouragement. With one last mighty pull, my chin finally clears the bar, with Sheli shouting, 'You've done it - now go ring the bell.' I do as told and everyone in the gym claps. Sure, I won't be competing on Gladiators any time soon, but just as Sheli promised, I did leave having achieved something new. Earlier this year, Sheli proved she had brains as well as brawn, winning a Gladiators special of BBC quiz The Weakest Link, hosted by Romesh Ranganathan. And she is in hot demand for other shows, recently filming an episode of Robson Green's Weekend Escapes, where she went paddleboarding on the River Tay with the Soldier Soldier star. She says: 'I've also had the opportunity to go on The Wheel with Michael McIntyre. 'I'm also doing House Of Games with Richard Osman and Bridge Of Lies with Ross Kemp which comes out soon.' And Sheli is determined to use her new platform for the greater good and to help people get fitter. She says: 'I'm now the patron of Women's Aid in Dundee and I do a lot of work with schools and colleges. 'So while it's great I get to do some really cool TV stuff it has allowed me to be a big sister to help people. 'Our ethos at Sweatbox is 'Live stronger, live longer' and maybe get fitter and lose a little weight in the process, just like I did. 'It was the graft that the overweight Sheli put in which has given me all these amazing opportunities today. 'If I can do it, anyone can.' *For more information on Sheli's gym go to
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Three air ambulances attend serious crash on A36 in Wiltshire
A main road has been closed and three air ambulances are at the scene of a serious crash in services were called to the A36 at Heytesbury, near Warminster, at about 10:30 BST on Saturday. The road has been closed in both directions from Heytesbury to Deptford and would remain closed for several hours, police said. Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and Great Western Air Ambulance are currently all at the scene. Drivers have been advised to seek alternative routes and avoid the area.
