As a personal trainer in Brighton and Hove, I am excited that the Rugby World Cup 2019 has started in Japan! Over the next 6 weeks, 20 nations will go head-to-head to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. I can’t believe it is 4 years ago since the tournament was held here.
Indeed, will anyone stop New Zealand making it three in a row, despite their form? Can the home nations, in the form of Ireland or Wales, live up to their expectations and make it to their first final? Will England put the disappointment of the home 2015 World Cup behind them? And will Scotland rekindle their stunning form of 1991?
Being a personal trainer in Brighton and Hove, there are 2 types of professional sportspeople that I particularly admire. These are gymnasts and rugby players. For me, the ability to combine so many forms of fitness into one package is remarkable. Both sets of athletes manage to hold a high degree of muscle, and so have a strong shape, but also have the power, speed and endurance to match. As much as I admire marathon runners, I do believe that the muscle wastage caused by long distance running is not optimal as we all age and naturally lose muscle mass. This is why a strength training programme is so important to maintain muscle. In turn, the more lean muscle we hold, the greater is our resting metabolic rate, which boosts fat burning, even as you sleep!
But what can a hooligans’ game played by gentlemen teach us about health and fitness in Brighton and Hove?
Like all of us aspiring to becoming fitter and stronger for daily life, working on the different elements of fitness is key. For example, in addition to the weights in the gym and running, rugby players at the World Cup 2019 in Japan have focussed as much attention on flexibility and agility training in the build up. The England players certainly did this during training camps at Waterhall in Brighton.
I would recommend thinking about how to incorporate more flexibility and agility into your training, rather than just ‘hitting the gym’ or ‘going out for a run’. This will keep you well rounded in all aspects of fitness in the long term. This will also keep it interesting and fun which is the key to keeping fit!
Best wishes,
Anthony
