Finding a fitter, healthier and happier 2021 with Raquel Holgado
Fitness trainer Raquel Holgado wants you to start the day the cold way. Find out why an icy blast in the morning could help kick those extra COVID kilos.
Property
Don't miss out on the headlines from Property. Followed categories will be added to My News.
First take a cold shower. No? Well, Raquel Holgado – a loose-limbed, perpetually upbeat and hyper-energetic Eastern Suburbs personal fitness trainer – is about to explain why you should consider it.
Raquel’s tips for Wentworth Courier readers on how to become fitter, healthier and happier in a global pandemic come on the first anniversary of the Federal Government’s COVID-related announcements shutting down gyms and indoor sporting venues, banning boot camps and limiting public gatherings to two people.
Twelve months ago, pubs, clubs, cafes and cinemas across Sydney were also ordered to close their doors.
However, at the same time, locals took advantage of regulations allowing them to exercise away from their homes.
According to Fitness Australia, the industry’s peak body, data shows COVID prompted more frequent participation in physical activity, with people choosing to be more active from April 2020, with the highest spike in under-35s.
The organisation says the top motivators for more frequent exercise over the past year were physical health/fitness, mental health and social reasons: “People who were finding it easier to keep fit and active during COVID-19 reported feeling more optimistic and connected, with greater wellbeing.”
Commenting on the rewards of outdoor exercise, Grace McKeon, Exercise Physiologist at the Black Dog Institute, says research by the Institute shows even an hour’s worth of exercise a week can help prevent future depression and offers mental health benefits regardless of age or gender.
“By doing your exercise outside it can help you to get away from locations which can feel stressful, distract you from unwanted thoughts, enable you to enjoy nature and teach you to be mindful of the smaller joys of life such as a sandy beach or a pretty bird in a park,” Grace says.
That’s settled then. So, it’s time to hop in that cold shower. Not yet ready? Shortly Raquel will outline the logic behind a blast of chilly water. Oh, and she’ll be suggesting you don’t wear your sleepwear during the day.
If you’re up for it, she’s also ready to lead you on one of her favourite runs – from Bondi to Maroubra, stopping for quick swims at beaches along the route.
There’s also the opportunity to turn around and run back to Bondi. Or, frankly, you could walk around your home when you talk to people on the phone.
Your choice. Raquel just wants you to move.
For someone so patently healthy – everything shines: her hair, teeth and tan – Madrid-raised Raquel is remarkably non-judgemental.
Although she doesn’t drink alcohol, she’s no wowser. “I simply prefer to eat my calories rather than drink them,” the 39-year-old says in lilting, Spanish-accented English.
“My reward for waking up each day at 5:15am – sometimes I think ‘Oh my God’ – is knowing that I’ll be seeing a lot of people who are very grateful, very happy for the training sessions we do together making them healthier, fitter. That makes me happy too.”
Raquel moved to Sydney more than seven years ago, primarily to enhance her English language skills (“You need to practice to improve.”) and for “a very different life experience”.
After Europe, being able to exercise outdoors all year round was a revelation.
On a recent morning, looking out across the sweep of Bronte Beach before heading to a client training session, Raquel sips water and recalls her decision on arriving here to train mainly outdoors.
“I can feel a difference – in my personality and in my everyday happiness. Open space makes you feel better. You see and experience something different each day, for example the changes in the weather, and your brain is working.”
Restrictions on international travel because of the COVID pandemic have temporarily stymied her plans to continue competing in overseas marathons.
She has already run in six including one atop the Great Wall of China (“The most exciting marathon I’ve ever done.”) As a consolation, there are local triathlons and marathons to compete in.
Wait. Before you start feeling even more inadequate, Raquel reveals one of the secrets to improving your fitness and health is to take it “little by little”.
For example, even if you’re not a triathlon-standard swimmer she recommends going to the beach and immersing your whole body in the water for five minutes.
“It’ll make you feel so much better.”
For Raquel, the mind plays a crucial part in a healthy lifestyle. Assisting people with mental health issues has also been an ongoing interest.
For several months as a volunteer in Sydney, she trained people suffering with mental health challenges.
“Some were bipolar, some depressed and I knew how exercise could help them. But it is important not to focus only on the exercises but to ensure people are having a great time, enjoying what they’re doing. It means chatting to them, motivating them, showing them the benefits of exercise.”
The social aspects of exercising are another consideration.
When COVID shutdowns came into force a year ago, Raquel recalls how her group training sessions had to be cancelled and her clients began contacting her saying how much they missed catching up with the other participants.
“Although they weren’t necessarily friends, they still wanted to socialise while they did their weekly training. When restrictions were eased, one of the first things I did was organise a dinner with everyone.”
Today more people are seeking out personal trainers.
“My business is up about 20 per cent over the past year,” says Raquel.
Among the newcomers are families. “Although most clients are adults, I do get families who want to train together.”
If you’re planning to lift your game while on a family activity, Raquel’s suggestions include dividing into pairs to do sit-ups together and clapping each other’s hands before repeating the exercise: “Make it fun.”
On the subject of not necessarily having fun: a cold shower.
Here’s Raquel’s take on it: “I like baths but afterwards I feel like sleeping, which is fine if it’s at night. But if someone is struggling to get motivated to go out of the home to exercise, a good thing to do is have a cold shower. Start with warm water and gradually make it colder. It wakes you up and your brain feels the benefits.”
As for ditching sleepwear in daylight: “People may think that because they’re staying at home, why should they bother to change out of the clothes they slept in? Don’t do it. Get into fresh clothes, get out of the house, get moving for, say, 20 or 40 minutes. While you’re out, look for steps to climb or a hill or an incline.”
Weighing in at 60 kilos (remarkably constant over 10 years), the 175 centimetre Raquel is currently in the planning phase of writing two books – one on running, the other on “creating good habits”. In the meantime, she has these Top Tips for Wentworth Courier readers:
How to feel better during COVID: get nourished, get dressed, get out
- Commit to a short walk with a neighbour before getting busy. Example: do two laps around the block. You’ll go because someone will be waiting for you. Spending time outdoors such as going for a walk is good both for the mind and your health
- Meet friends for a walk or another outdoor activity instead of having breakfast or lunch with them
- If you’re working from home, set an alarm for every two or three hours to remind you to move. Do an easy routine such as one or two minutes of stretching
- Walk around your home while you’re on a work phone call
- Invest extra time to do more home cooking. Prepare healthy food in advance so you have it to hand when you don’t have time to cook
- Order less takeaway food and try to avoid fried food, cakes, processed food, butter, sugary foods and drinks
- Don’t buy on impulse when shopping for food, take a list and stick to it. Buy quality products
- Don’t buy the wrong foods. If they’re at home, you’re tempted to eat them
- Eat smaller amounts more often so you are not starving and prompted to overeat
- Avoid unhealthy snacks. Eat nutrients that feed your body
Outdoor exercise ideas:
- Walking up hills or up and down stairs can potentially get your heart rate higher than jogging
- Body weight workouts such as squats don’t require equipment so use your own body weight when doing a circuit of strength and aerobic exercises. Example: lunges, push-ups, sit-ups and crunches
- Remember: gradually increase frequency, intensity and duration of exercises to avoid injuries and when something hurts, stop doing it
For those with a sweet tooth:
- A bit of dark chocolate – not less than 80% cocoa. Raquel likes 85% or 90% dark chocolate
- Egg omelette with half a banana plus a pinch of cinnamon
- Frozen banana (slice the banana into small pieces and keep in the freezer)
For snacking:
- Smoked salmon with two or three rice crackers
- Almonds (14-16 almonds is enough)
- The white of a boiled egg. The yolk has protein but also calories
- 95g tin of tuna and half an avocado
Right. Now. Where’s that cold water tap?
Information on the Black Dog Institute – a medical research institute – can be found at www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
Auction blog: Home sells for seven times what owner paid
The hot pre-Easter weekend auction action kicked off with a cottage selling for seven times what its owner paid, one of more than dozens of homes set to change hands today as strong demand continues across South East Queensland.
Warnie’s home trend that’s taking over Australia
Shane Warne was ahead of his time on the cricket field and he was ahead of the curve when it came to relaxing away from the game too.