As the change of season in Edinburgh brings shorter, colder days, the idea of swapping the morning run or evening gym session with an extra half hour in bed or a night in front of the becomes even more tempting. But as we find out from city centre based personal trainer Amy Macgregor some simple changes to your daily fitness and diet can keep you fit and healthy over the winter period.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I have always been involved and interested in sport since a very young age (winning my first gold medal at 4 yrs old at a Highland Games event). I gained a Sports Science Degree and a Human Nutrition Diploma. I believe this to be the perfect combination to work effectively with my clients to help them achieve their goals.
When did your love of health and fitness begin? Was there a specific moment you realised you wanted to make a career out of it?
My desire has always been to work with people and to be active in my job role. After university I began work as a nutritionist, running a slimming clinic, but quickly learned that I wanted to physically train my clients as well as educate them.
Winter is pretty much here in Edinburgh and with the bad weather, people are often put off working out. Can you give us your top tips to staying fit and motivated in the colder months?
Winter is just around the corner which can always give way to a myriad of excuses and reasons not to workout. I always say there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. So my tips to staying fit over the colder months are:
- Layer up with hat/gloves etc and get outdoors. Exercising in the fresh, cool air will energise you and get the blood pumping which in turn will warm you up.
- Find a training buddy or get a Personal Trainer to motivate you over the winter.
- Set yourself a goal! This could be to take part in a 5/10k or do your first triathlon or climb a munro. Having goals is always a great motivator.
- Everyone wants to look good in the Christmas photos or that little black dress. Remember, Summer bodies are made in the Winter. Stay focused.
What about nutrition – with all those tasty festive treats on the go it’s hard to stay healthy! Do you have any pro tips to enjoying the festive season without completely ruining a good diet?
It’s easy to go off the rails with the abundance of festive treats on offer. Staying healthy is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. There are lots of healthy snacks available that can be a great substitute to processed choccies and treats that are everywhere at this time of year.
- * Try making your own treats then you know exactly what’s gone into them. I have posted many yummy recipes on my Facebook and Instagram page so check them out!
- Eat in moderation. Christmas is only 1 day and you don’t want to spend 3 months of your New Year trying to undo all the Christmas indulgence.
- Keep protein intake high. Protein keeps you feeling fuller and therefore less likely to over indulge.
- Make a tasty, homemade soup. This keeps your calorie intake controlled and also keeps you warm. Vary your recipes and ingredients.
- Try to keep alcohol to a minimum – sip slowly and enjoy. It’s just empty calories.
- Eat mints or chew gum after a meal to avoid reaching for excess, unnecessary sugars.
Do you have any basic exercises tips people can complete at home to stay healthy over winter?
You can workout anywhere. If you get stuck at home and can’t make it to the gym or it’s too icy to train outside then push your coffee table aside and use your body weight to complete an effective fun home workout. Use your surroundings like stairs or benches. Use your phone to set a timer so you don’t rest for too long in between sets.
I post weekly workouts on my Facebook and Instagram page so follow me to get some inspiration. Have fun with it and get a sweat on.
Where can people find you in the city and what services do you offer? – if you can talk about your personal training sessions and bootcamp!
If you want to train with me you can find me at The Old Town Chambers gym located on Warristons Step in centre of Edinburgh. The gym is private and fully equipped. There are no shortcuts to getting and keeping fit. The key is consistency to regular training and eating a balanced diet.
I offer 1:1 PT sessions and you can train as regularly as required. I also offer small group training sessions throughout the week. Group training is a great tool for those who share similar goals and want to train in a fun, motivational and social environment.
I also offer a 6 hour day Bootcamp. These are run for groups of up to 6 people and held throughout the year. They can also be bespoke for private corporate team building, bridal groups or birthday parties. Contact me directly if you wish more info.
