Muscle Monday – Wrist flexor

I didn’t realise it was the 3rd May last time I posted! Muscle Monday is continuing but there was a bank holiday and then I went on holiday (fab time, thanks!).

Unlike the biceps or the chest muscles, this isn’t seen as a very sexy muscle (not many photos of men flexing their wrists around)  but the wrist flexor (flexor carpui radialis) is very important as it allows the wrist to be flexed and therefore is in charge of all gripping movements and is also involved in any movement involving forward bending of the wrist.  Research has shown that grip strength can collerate with life expectancy!

Better news is this muscle can be exercised whilst sitting in front of the TV.

1. Grab a can of beans, pint of milk i.e. something you can grip easily in your hand but has a weight to it.

2. Whilst seated with your forearm resting on your thigh.  Your hand should be palm up and off the edge of your knee.

3. Bend your wrist towards you as far as possible and hold for 5 seconds.

4. Work up to 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.

Erm sorry about the music, it was either add that or leave the theme to Peppa Pig in the background.

Before starting any new exercise program please check with your doctor and clear any exercise changes with them.

I hope you have found this article informative. If you have any questions on this article, or any questions about exercise please post a comment. By subscribing to this blog you will be informed of any new articles. You will not receive any spam email.

For more information on Personal Training please go here Whole Life Fitness, Personal Training for the over 50s. This will open a new browser window.

Pork chops with pak choi, carrots and brown rice.

I am not going to give particularly in-depth nutritonal information in this blog, as part of the personal trainer qualification you do a nutrition module, case study and exam but if you want true knowledge you need to talk to a dietitian.

I believe that different methods work for different people for example some thrive on low-fat diets, some thrive on low-carb diets and others just like a little of everything in moderation. It depends not only on your body but your willpower and what foods tickle your fancy!

Saying all that I picked up a delicious and healthy recipe the other day I thought I would share.

Pork chops with pak choi and carrots served with brown rice.

For 2 people.
Brown rice
2 pork chops (or 4 if you are cooking for my husband)
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons of honey
1 pak choi pulled apart
2 carrots chopped quite small
Chopped up chilli (or if you are lazy like me chilli from a jar!)

1. Put brown rice on to cook as it usually takes about 25minutes
2. Mix together in bowl the honey, 1 clove of the garlic crushed & ginger.
3. Slather half the mixture on one side of the chops and put under the grill.
4. When the pork chop is cooked on one side then turn over and smear on the rest of the mixture, put them back under the grill.
5. Heat a (tiny bit) of oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the chilli and another crushed garlic clove. Add pak choi and carrots, stir fry for about 5minutes (it will still all be quite crunchy at this stage so cook for longer if you like it more wilted)
6. When pork chops are cooked thru (and make sure they are) then serve with rice, pak choi and carrots.

So why brown rice?  Well most importantly brown rice tastes nicer! It has a lovely nutty flavour which works well in this dish. Not only that but for health reasons brown rice is better. For example a cup of brown rice contains 84 mg of magnesium compared to 19 mg in white rice. For a great factsheet for why magnesium is important then read here. There is also ongoing research that replacing white rice with brown rice may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

As for the accompanying vegetables pak choi and carrots are a veritable feast of vitamins and minerals  especially when it comes to vitamin A which is needed for

• strengthening immunity against infections
• helping vision in dim light
• keeping skin and the linings of some parts of the body, such as the nose, health

(list courtesy of NHS factsheet linked to above)

I hope you find the recipe as tasty as I did.

I hope you have found this article informative. If you have any questions on this article, or any questions about exercise please post a comment. By subscribing to this blog you will be informed of any new articles. You will not receive any spam email.

For more information on Personal Training please go here Whole Life Fitness, Personal Training for the over 50s. This will open a new browser window.