Endurance training-feet running on treadmillCategoriesPhysiology

BOOST YOUR MOOD WITH EXERCISE

BOOST YOUR MOOD WITH EXERCISE 

We all know that getting out and exercising can make us feel better, giving us that sense of achievement and making our mood improve. But what is the science behind the mood-boost? We chatted to Sport & Fitness Gym Instructor Peter Antonio, who is also a Sport Nutritionist, about the link between mental health and exercise.

It may come as no surprise that moving those different (but wonderful) shaped bodies of ours has many positive effects on our overall wellbeing.

Getting active, raising our heart rate, and putting some force through our muscles are all tried and tested methods of being a sure-fire way of releasing some good old endorphins. These hormones, aside from making us feel great, can aid in reducing pain, increase our self-esteem, reduce anxiety and depression, and enhance our immune system. Incidentally, eating chocolate is also a way to unlock the internal happy hormone safe!

A headshot of Peter Antonio, a Fitness Instructor at Sport & Fitness

We are not designed to be still for long periods of time. Our eyes are made to continually alter the distance of our focus. Blood can pool in our lower legs if we remain standing or sitting for too long. When we don’t move for long periods of time, we can feel even more tired than before we sat down. By not moving, we are telling our bodies that we’re ready for bed. The same is true for not blinking for long periods of time, when reading a book or looking at one of our many screens. This is why, when in situations of long periods of sitting (at work sitting down, travelling or commuting), getting up every now and then to move around and get your blood flowing can be extremely beneficial – reminding your body that it still needs to be active.

student exercising on yoga mat

Exercise can also put us in the blissful state of flow. A flow state is where we are intensely focused on the task in hand, and therefore all other thoughts and emotions are not at the forefront of our minds. We can experience, if only for a moment, psychological freedom from all the to-do lists, internal chatter, or one of the many existential crises we may be going through in our lives. 

If you’ve been inspired to get exercising but don’t know where to start, why not chat to our team, visit us or check out our videos on how to set and achieve your goals? Whatever your motivation, our experts are here to support you and help you feel more you this May, so get in touch today!

CHAT TO OUR TEAM
CategoriesStudent News

ATHLETICS CLUB VS ALTITUDE AT FONT ROMEU

ATHLETICS CLUB VS ALTITUDE: FONT ROMEU 2023

This Easter saw 50 Athletes from the University of Birmingham’s Athletics Club head to the French Pyrenees for an Altitude Training Camp.

The picturesque Font Romeu hosted the group for a three-week training camp with the aim of preparing the squad for the start of the 2023 summer season, which kicked off at the end of April with the BUCS Outdoor Championships. 

Headed by the club’s Endurance Coach Dean Miller, the athletes followed in the trails often tread by Sir Mo Farah and Paula Radcliffe. The natural ‘skinny air’ experienced with training at such high altitudes creates an ideal training camp environment for the group.

 

Dean, having previously trained in the area himself as an athlete, now spear-heads the University team’s coaching programme. With packed-daily schedules for each athlete, Dean was also supported by Simon Eustace and Dave Sheldon from the Sport & Fitness Performance Centre, as well as Mike Gosling (Physio) and coaches Luke Gunn, Jethro McGraw and Sally Straw.

 

The camp is a culmination of months of preparation with the Performance Centre and Athletics coaches. 

 

Athletes undertook a gruelling training regime, which would typically include a morning threshold training session of between five and nine miles, and an evening run or cross-training session up to five miles!

 

Want to find out more about our Athletics and Cross-Country opportunities? Visit the dedicated webpage now!

UOB ATHLETICS AND CROSS COUNTRY WEBSITE
CategoriesEvents Student News

From Pool to Podium: Making history at the British Swimming Championships

From Pool to Podium: Making history at the British Swimming Championships

3 British titles, 7 finals appearances, 8 personal bests, 7 University records and a call-up from the GB team – our Swimming Squad made some strong waves at the British Swimming Championships.

 

 

10 of our swimmers headed up to Pond Forge, Sheffield, from the 4-9 April 2023 to compete in 19 individual events. The outcome was incredible from the very first day, topping it off with our showstopper Scholar Ollie Morgan who made British history! 

 

Read on for a breakdown of the headline performances from across the week. 

 

DAY ONE

The squad didn’t waste any time, heading straight in with some strong swims. Following promising performances in the heats, scholar and sports coaching student Ollie Morgan gave a showstopper swim, becoming the 2nd fastest male in British history in Men’s 50m Backstroke A final with an incredibly rapid time of 24.84, trimming off 0.23s from the heats. As it stands, this makes Ollie the 5th fastest in the world and only the 3rd ever Brit to go sub -25 seconds in his category!

The last time we saw a triple in Backstroke events was Marco Loughran back in 2007.

 

Chemistry student and scholar Lucy Cannavan gave an impressive performance, improving from the heats (32.33) to finals (31.98), claiming 5th place in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke A final with a new personal best. Sam Neeld jumped from 19th in the heats to 2nd place in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke priority Paris final with a brilliant time of 1:03.29, also unlocking a new club record and new personal best!

Ollie Morgan. Credit: BUCS Photography

Lucy Cannavan. Credit: BUCS Photography

DAY Two

 

We saw more University records broken on the second day.  Sam made it to the priority Paris finals for the second time, securing first place in the 50m Breaststroke, completing the swim in 28.42 seconds. Ollie saw his second gold medal of the competition, with a 53.92 swim in Men’s 100m Backstroke.

Sam Neeld. Credit: BUCS Photography

DAY SIX

 

Ollie and Lucy made a splash in their final races, with an exceptional gold finish from Ollie in the Men’s 200m Backstroke ‘A’ Final, and Lucy securing first place in Women’s 100m Breaststroke priority Paris Final. Further University records were broken, raising the bar for our Lions!

 

Lucy shares how her performance exceeded her expectations at the British Championships:

 

‘After having 2 PBS at BUCS, I wasn’t really expecting to go much quicker, but to have 2 PBS from champs was a really good achievement.’

 

The rest of the squad gave an incredible effort and some memorable swims, with Adrian Ting also securing a new personal best for his 50m Butterfly.

Selected to represent Great Britain

 

With the British Swimming Championships playing a key role in the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka in July, Ollie’s powerful performance earned him a well-deserved spot on the GB team. We look forward to seeing him recognised at international level, with the team putting Birmingham firmly on the map!

 

Ollie reflects on his incredible achievements and selection for the world Championships.

 

‘Over the moon! Quite speechless, all the hard work we’ve put in has come together and to be selected for my first British team is quite overwhelming, but I am really excited to get out there.’

 

With this being the team’s 4th successful meet in a row with PB’s lowering consistently across most of the team, Head of Swimming Gary reflects on the teams’ successes.

 

‘I was really impressed, they kept the momentum going in a high-pressure environment, producing some top-class performances. Training was very focused on each individuals’ events, and it transferred really well to the competition’.

To keep up to date with all the action, make sure to follow the dedicated UoB Swimming Squad account.

Find out more about our 50m swimming pool and how you can get involved!

SWIMMING POOL
7 blueberry muffins on a plate dusted with icing sugarCategoriesNutrition

Spring Recipe: Blueberry Oat Muffins

Spring Recipe: Blueberry Oat Muffins 

Need something to satisfy your sweet tooth? These tasty homemade muffins recommended by our Nutritionist are a great balance of sweet and nutritious. They make for the perfect breakfast, snack or desert!

Serving: 12 muffins

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 175ml full fat milk
  • 100ml vegetable oil
  • 75g honey
  • 1 egg
  • 200g plain flour
  • 50g rolled oats
  • 2.5 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Zest of an orange
  • 175g fresh blueberries
fresh blueberry muffins spaced out on a cooling rack

How to make your blueberry oat muffins

 

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180c (fan)

Step 2 

Add all your wet ingredients (milk, honey, oil and egg) to a jug and whisk until combined

Step 3

Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl

Step 4

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until they are fully combined and smooth

Step 5

Put 12 muffin cases into a muffin tin and spoon the mixture into them equally.

Step 6

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden and springy to the touch

Blueberry muffin pulled apart to show the soft inner sponge

RECIPE BENEFITS 

 

MEAL PREP

These muffins are an excellent form of meal prep when made in bulk. Simply grab one on your way out the house or for on the go to keep you energised in your physical activities.

FUEL

This recipe provides good source of carbohydrates to resupply energy after a training session.

ADDITIONS

Want to bump up the nutritional value a little more? Add a protein source such as Greek yoghurt, or a handful of raspberries to really feel the benefits of this sweet treat.

PROTEIN PANCAKE RECIPE