On Sunday 27th November 100 people participated in the body combat marathon to raise funds for Breast Cancer Care organised by trainer Chris Cerclay of Alexandra Fitness and Fist and Feather. The event raised almost £2,000.

7 body combat instructors entertained the crowd with their high energy, punchy routines and an invigorating dance mix. Amongst the instructors was Veronique, who beat breast cancer and is now pregnant with her baby due in January. Her uplifting story was shared at the start of the event to put things into perspective and remind participants about the cause we are raising money for.

The body combat marathon took place at Compton School in Finchley which boasts an impressive  success rate in sport and academic achievements and actively encourages pupils to follow healthy eating guidelines.

The benefits of massage with my day job!

My job as a self-employed personal trainer is very full on working across London one of the most stressful cities on the planet. Days can start as early as 5.30am and finish at 10pm whilst carrying a heavy bag of equipment all day. You then have a series of clients where by you are training them to reach their goals so are doing a LOT of exercise each day. This puts a huge strain on the body causing tight muscles and can affect posture meaning that performance levels are reduced.

I therefore get regular full body massages to help combat this problem and it certainly works. As my muscles get very tight I have a deep tissue massage to relieve any tension that tends to circulate mainly in my calves, traps (upper back) and IT band that runs up the side of the leg. Having these regularly helps increase blood flow to the areas, improve my flexibility, improve my posture and in general makes you feel a whole lot better. I also train myself and having tight muscles and knots can restrict blood flow to the muscles so having massage improves my training performance by allowing the body to get a good supply of blood and oxygen.

I would certainly recommend massage to anyone especially if you exercise regularly or even work in a stressful job as they can help with all these.

Anthony Mayatt  Personal Trainer Breathe Fitness