Gym from home for free

It seems to be the time of year for fitness kicks, whether that's due to the idea of New Year's resolutions or following having had a bit too much to eat over the Christmas break, there's a bit of a general idea of January as being the time to start getting fit and healthy. Gyms everywhere seem to be advertising membership deals, and healthy foods, and recipes are taking prime position on the shelves (along with all that reduced chocolate!).

If you were aiming to start the year with a bit of a fitness kick but can't quite afford a gym membership, or aren't sure if you'll use it, why not create your own home gym? A great way to trial whether you'll keep up the dedication to fitness, or maybe to work out that a gym membership is what you need to get you motivated, exercising from home can be a great way of saving money, and time.

We've come up with a few top-tips to get you motivated and exercising from home...

• Grab a mat- Exercise mats are pretty cheap to come by, or you could use a towel if you find yourself without. There are a whole range of floor work exercises you can do on a mat, from sit-ups to planks, leg-lifts and crunches, there are hundreds of workout plans online which can provide some great exercise workouts and routines.
• Slightly more active, are the burpees and star jumps. Include them into a workout with some floor work, and get the heart rate rising. Repetition of these sorts of exercises is the way to ensure you get a great workout.
• If you're wanting to include a bit of light weights into the workout, to tone rather than build muscle, grab a couple of cans from the larder and do some bicep curls with them. They should start off feeling pretty light and gradually get heavier the more you use them.
• If you have stairs in your house, set yourself a target number and do some step-ups, either by stepping on and off the bottom step, or walking all the way up and down the staircase. Make your body work harder by adding a bit of weight, by holding carrier bags or again cans of food for a lighter, more subtle weight. Walking up and down the stairs can burn over 500 calories an hour, and the more effort you put in, the greater the outcome will be.
• For a more subtle workout that you won't notice so much, turn up the music and get moving. Dancing around the house at your own pace will burn calories, and as long as you're moving and get get your heart rate raised, it's exercise. 
• Don't panic if you don't think you've got time to exercise, as did you know that housework burns a fair few calories? Not only can you exercise and burn the calories, but you'll also be getting the house clean at the same time. The more effort you put in, the greater the benefit, and it won't only be your body that benefits, but your house too! Hoovering burns over 190 calories per hour, as does mopping floors. If you're after a bit of fresh air as well, then gardening is also a great calorie burner, around 290 calories per hour.
• If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, or just don't have much space in the house, then going for a run, jog or even a brisk walk can get you on the right path to fitness, while enjoying some fresh air too.

National Soup Month

January is the national month for soup, which you can understand why, with the cold weather it's the time of year you're wanting hot meals and snacks, and for those in a January health kick, it's a fairly low-calorie meal.

Soup also has a great importance though, particularly for some in our city. Milton Keynes is home to a number of soup-runs, which not only operate throughout January, but all through the year. Groups of volunteers head to meeting-points across the city, and hand out soup and sandwiches to the homeless people there. With their set stopping places, people in need know when and where to go for some warm soup, and it really is a lifeline to some of those who are sleeping rough on the streets. A number of cafes, coffee shops and restaurants are also involved, donating leftover food at the end of the day to be given to the homeless.

These volunteers head out into the cold to serve those in need, and spend time chatting and listening to those for whom life can often get quite lonely. This January, why not let the fact that it's soup month encourage you to help out, either by donations or by getting involved with the soup run yourself.

Click here to visit the MK Soup Run website for more information.

New Year's resolutions- Take them or leave them?

Happy New Year!

It comes round every year, and every year we're faced with that question: 'What's your New Year's resolution?' If you're anything like me you'll pull out a classic but vague line such as 'eating healthier' or 'doing more exercise', the sort of resolution which you may attempt but won't make any particular effort to keep. Or, if you are more dedicated to your New Year's resolutions, you are probably more likely to make one which you know you will be able to stick to, but how often do you manage to keep it for the whole year?

This year, why not make a resolution to make a difference? There are so many ways you can do this, and maybe having a resolution which will benefit others will encourage you to keep it. If you never normally make New Years resolutions, why not make 2015 your first! 

The small changes are the ones which are easiest to keep and are more likely to stick. Here at the Phonebox magazine we have been a collection point for the local Food Bank. Why not make it your New Year's resolution to drop off as little as one item a week for the Food Bank to your local collection site? It's such a small amount and you can always do more if you like, but even a small amount can make a huge difference. 

The same idea could be adapted to any charity or cause, giving or helping in some way, for example volunteering, can make a huge difference to people's lives. Even making the simplest of resolutions, such as to smile more, or to offer help to a neighbour or friend, can really have a positive impact on those around you... why not spread a little cheer this New Year!

Hello February!

Pinch, punch, it's the first of the month! No returns and all that malarky...

Well, can we believe it- February is here. We've made it though January with no snow days (thank goodness) and we're finally at a point where the spring is in sight, be it in the far distance, but we're getting gradually closer to it that's for sure. Best thing about the first of Feb? It's a Saturday! Let's start the month off with an utterly relaxing lie-in (my apologies if you work weekends, you'll have to delay that slightly)

Hopefully you've received your Phonebox magazine though your door by now and can really get into the feel of February. Take note of some of the local restaurants advertised if you're planning a romantic dinner late in the month (you know the date!)

Back to those famous new years resolutions- if you've given up or didn't get round to making one, why not take the opportunity of the start of a new month to start something new?… It still gives you 11 months to keep at it or you could carry it on until January next year…no excuses now.

Sarah

National Backwards day

Sarah

However you choose to celebrate backward day, I do hope you enjoy it!

You could try talking backwards… !confusing be would that Now

Maybe writing backwards isn't that clever either.

You'd most likely fall over, knock into people and really not get a lot done!

I'm not sure how efficient it would be to propose that you do everything backwards today.

You'll have probably got the the bottom and then had to read it again before you realise, so I apologise!

So you need to read this from the bottom to the top.

Today is backward day.

Fire in Newport Pagnell

January draws to a close and, thank goodness, so far the snow has stayed well away. The same can't be said for the rain though, can it?! We need a nice long spell of sunshine to dry up all those waterlogged fields, but that would be a bit too much to ask for, it seems. How many of you saw the recent fire in Newport Pagnell? While homes temporarily ran out of water while the firefighters tackled the blaze, the surrounding flooded fields seemed somewhat ironic. Thankfully no-one was hurt, and it was eventually under control, despite taking a number of hours.

I heard some people asking how a warehouse of fridges could possibly catch fire, a seeing as they're so cold… well, this is true, they are cold (when switched on!), but it's the large amount of plastic they contain, as well as highly flammable insulation, which causes a fire to spread quickly once starting. In fact, fridges and freezers are the most dangerous household appliance when involved with a fire… so don't let that cool interior fool you!

Let's hope the fire was a one-off, and that February brings us no more fires and some sunny weather! Although Christmas is a distant memory, I still can't quite believe it's almost February… Time sure flies!

Sarah