A NEW holistic health and fitness course called Isle of Man Body 4 Life will launch into action next month.
Body 4 Life is the brainchild of fitness coach Sam Patmore and nutrition expert Kathryn Sentance, both of Ramsey.
Lasting eight weeks, with two evening sessions a week, the course starts on Monday, April 8 and will take you on a journey towards a slimmer, more balanced and healthier you.
Instead of counting calories and gruelling gym sessions, this bespoke course will look at nutrition, hormones, stress levels, circadian rhythms (sleep patterns) and bio chemistry - and how they all have an affect on each of our individual bodies.
The 90-minute sessions will take place at 6pm or 6.45pm on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Isle of Man Tennis Academy in Kensington Road, Douglas.
‘A big part is helping people become aware of their health and to find a long term focus rather than just turning up – they will be really engaging in the changes they are making,’ said Sam who has worked in the fitness industry since leaving school. ‘It isn’t just about a desire to lose weight and get into smaller trousers. It’s more about changing your health and how you feel about yourself rather than pure aesthetics. It’s an education in understanding yourself and your body.’
Sam is a qualified personal trainer who led Isle of Man Fitness Camps. He has just returned from studying in London with one of the world’s top holistic health coaches Dax Moy.
He explained: ‘In the modern world people are completely out of touch with their bodies. The more we are moving into the technological age the more people move, sleep or even breathe incorrectly. ‘In the past we would sleep when the sun goes down and get up when it rises but now, with electricity, people are up all hours and it’s playing havoc with our bodies.’
‘On the course, we will look at posture and rebalancing,’ said Sam, ‘Just getting people to move more naturally again rather than shout at them and get them to do press ups. We’ll have lots of people working in offices who have massive muscle imbalances.’
He added: ‘We will look at each participant individually - everyone’s digestive system, metabolic system, muscular and skeletal make up and even organ size is as unique as their fingerprints so we look at what works for each person.’
Meanwhile, Kathryn leads a cookery school in Ramsey and runs the nutrition programme at the Institute of Sport at the NSC.
‘People try lots of different diets and systems to improve their health but they only really touch the surface of it,’ she explained. ‘We are trying to educate people so they can make informed choices and really understand their bodies. People often have no idea why they feel the way they do – low energy, headaches, tense muscles.’
She added: ‘When you look at people’s shopping baskets they are so out of touch with natural diets. So for the first month of the course everyone will be on the same eating plan – a natural, wholefood diet with no processed foods – and after that people will adapt it to suit their own needs. It will be strict but afterwards they will feel so good and it’ll be hard for them to go back to eating rubbish again.’
‘We’ll also be looking at the effects of stress on the body,’ she said, ‘It can make you tired, fat and lose muscle mass. And we’ll be teaching biology but in layman’s terms so everyone can understand it. Everyone will see how the theory works as they make the changes.’
Adults of all ages, fitness levels and body shapes will benefit from the course. ‘Anyone will take a lot away from it whether they are an athlete or fairly inactive,’ said Sam. ‘Everyone will feel more energetic, more confident and as a by-product will lose fat or reach a healthier weight. About 80 per cent of people who come will be after fat loss but we are hoping they will also realise there is more to it than that – that they can feel amazing.’
Each evening session will include both theory and practical exercises, plus homework. The course is for over 16s only. It costs £197 but can be paid in three monthly installments of £75. For more information call 219501, email info@iombody4life.com or visit www.iombody4life.com