mywellness appCategoriesYour Membership

What is mywellness and how to download it

DURING LOCKDOWN, WE WILL BE POSTING NEW WORKOUTS EACH MONDAY WITH THREE LEVELS OF DIFFICULTY. THESE WILL APPEAR AT THE TOP OF YOUR MYWELLNESS PROFILE, SO IF YOU HAVEN’T GOT THE APP YET, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.

WHAT IS MYWELLNESS?

The mywellness app is Technogym’s solution to tracking your fitness both indoors and outdoors; it gives you access to a huge library of exercise demonstrations (equipment, body weight, accessories), programmes and the ability to receive personalised programmes from our trainers.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD MYWELLNESS

Mywellness is available to download for free on Apple and Android devices.
Apple Download          Android Download
Step 1: Download the app from the App Store or Google Play
Step 2: Create an account with mywellness
Step 3: Add in your age, height and weight to get more accurate results from your workouts
Step 4: Consent to the Data Protection and Privacy Policies (Technogym)
Step 5: Enable your location and the app will automatically identify when you are in the Sport & Fitness gym in the future
Step 6: Once you have created your account, you will be directed to the mywellness homepage. In the top left, select ‘Find a facility’ and type in ‘University of Birmingham’ and select our facility

mywellness homepageFind UoB Sport Fitness Facility

Step 7: You will now be able to see all of the programmes and the MOVES leaderboard for UoB Sport & Fitness

Step 8: Watch our videos on how to access workouts on mywellness or how to track your workouts with mywellness whether you’re at home, in the gym or going for a run outside

 

WHAT ARE MOVES?

Every physical activity you take part in enables you to collect MOVES. These are units of measurement that you can compare with others members in the club. You can sync other apps such as Fitbit and Map My Run to convert your steps and activities into MOVES.
The app will then keep a record of your MOVES to create reports and analytics so you can see your overall activity status in an easy format.

oranges, apples, limes and bananasCategoriesNutrition

How diet can optimise immunity

You cannot ‘boost’ your immune function through your diet, however your diet can be used to optimise and support the normal functioning of the immune system. Many nutrients are involved in supporting immune function, and therefore a healthy and balanced diet that includes a wide variety of different foods is key. Read on to hear from Nutritionist Caroline about what the role of diet is in optimising immune function.
The following nutrients are of particular importance for the immune system to function optimally, and therefore you should ensure that you incorporate them into your diet:

NUTRIENT FOOD SOURCES
IRON Beef, lamb, eggs, baked beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, tofu, figs, apricots, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, spinach, broccoli, peanut butter, almonds, prawns
VITAMIN C Oranges, orange juice, red and green peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, brussel sprouts, potatoes, kiwifruit, papaya, cauliflower
ZINC Meat, shellfish, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans etc), seeds, nuts, dairy, wholegrains, bread, cereal
VITAMIN D Oily fish, cod liver oil, egg yolk, meat, margarine, fortified cereals/orange juice/milk
COPPER Nuts and seeds, leafy greens, dark chocolate, liver, oysters, shiitake mushrooms, lobster

 
What are some other top tips for helping to maintain immune function, particularly if you are exercising?

  • Ensure you match your energy intake to your energy expenditure so that you do not end up in an energy deficit.
  • Avoid fad diets because they may exclude entire food groups, or particular nutrients that are important.
  • Consume >50% of energy intake as carbohydrate.
  • Ensure that you have an adequate amount of protein in your diet by making sure that you incorporate it into each meal that you eat. Foods high in protein include meat, dairy, fish and nuts.
  • Aim for >7 hours of sleep per night.
  • Have a recovery snack immediately after exercising that contains both carbohydrate and protein, for example a milk based smoothie.
  • Make sure you have eaten a sufficient amount before exercising so that you don’t run out of energy.

 
With limited food in the shops at the moment, how can I make the most of the food that I buy?

  • If there is limited fruit on the shelves, then look in the frozen section instead. Frozen food contains just as many nutrients, if not more, than fresh fruit.
  • Use up fresh ingredients in your fridge first as you don’t want any food to go to waste. Foods with a longer shelf life can be used up at a later date.
  • Looks for fresh foods with a long shelf life, for example potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, onions, squash, beetroot and cabbage.
  • To preserve fresh salad for longer, rinse and drain them, followed by drying them then placing them in a plastic storage tray. Make sure they are covered and kept in the fridge.
  • In terms of cupboard essentials, look for energy dense foods that can be used in a variety of ways. For example, nuts, seeds, peanut butter and oats.
  • Use this time as an opportunity to declutter your cupboards by using up things that you have had for a while.

Get more tips, information and recipes by following the Sport & Fitness Nutrition Instagram page @ubsportnutrition.
31.03.20

Returning to workCategoriesPsychology

The psychology of effectively working from home

Working from home

Working from home and self-isolating can be difficult, but being aware of a few key aspects can help make it easier to deal with, and more positive for your mental health. UoB Sport & Fitness psychologist Chris Pszyk writes about working from home or by yourself, and some different suggestions to help cope with the challenges that it might pose.
With this being a new experience for a lot of people, it is important to consider the impact that being restricted in your freedom of movement will have on your well-being, so that some sense of normality can be maintained. Below are a few aspects that can be helpful when adapted to suit your individual needs. Psychologically, there are a myriad of benefits that can be achieved through routines, mindfulness, and exercise amongst others, with the main ones focused around the release of endorphins, and the reduced output of cortisol, the so-called stress hormone. Managing these two, alongside a variety of other aspects, help us to live healthily and happily, and can therefore help us to manage isolation, and working from home, much more efficiently and positively for our mental health.
Break up work and ‘life’
One of the most important aspects is to separate the different parts of your life, that have now all been brought into the same space. If you have the space, have a dedicated work station that is separate to where you sleep, eat and take time to engage in your hobbies and pastimes. This helps to separate your different activities, and therefore reduces the release of cortisol in relation to your life spaces. In addition, doing small extras like having a morning routine of showering, eating breakfast and ‘getting ready’ for work will be more mentally rewarding, and are positively correlated to self-confidence.
Exercise
Exercising is a huge factor in maintaining wellbeing, and taking the time out of your day to do this is vital. As social distancing and isolation are in full effect, it is a good idea to consider what tools you have available, and make the most of the space that you can use. If you have a treadmill or other equipment that is great, but if you don’t, you can do lots of home workouts, as directed by other staff members, or through online means as well. Not only does exercise help to release endorphins and make us feel better, it can help to break up the monotony of sitting in front of a computer and being alone, as well as helping to maintain good health and improve your quality of sleep.
Be mindful and reflect
Mindfulness is a tool often recommended by psychologists, and given the current situation would be a beneficial habit to start. For those not familiar with it, it focuses on the idea of being present and focusing on the here and now, rather than what might happen and the aspects that you can’t control. In order to help with this, free apps such as HeadSpace or Calm can be really useful to start, and taking time out of your day to reflect and look at all that you have accomplished will help to get through isolation by building your self-esteem.

Look after your space and yourself

There are two parts to this – look after yourself by eating well, drinking plenty of water and sleeping at least 7 hours, but also look after your space. Physically, it is essential that your routine of eating, sleeping and so forth is maintained, and supplementing this by taking the time to prepare food where possible can help to combat boredom and frustration. In addition, keeping your space, house or room tidy, is vital in a time like this, as you will be spending the foreseeable future there, so make sure that it is an area that you are happy in and where you enjoy spending time. This helps by increasing your self-esteem as you feel good about yourself and your space, while also reducing the release of cortisol associated with clutter.
Contact your family, friends and colleagues
Reach out to the people you care about, whether it is a message or a video call, there are lots of apps and formats that are simple to use and great at connecting people. Beyond work and catching up, there are lots of ways to communicate and get involved, whether it is playing an online game together, watching movies simultaneously or conference calling your friends or family for a joint dinner. This helps to maintain your sense of belonging and identity, both of which are closely related to self-esteem and positive mental health as a whole, and can be really powerful to support the people you care about to deal with the same situation.
 
24.03.20