To function in a busy world where demands and challenges, both physically and mentally come from all quarters, it is essential that women create balance for their health and wellbeing. Integrating lifestyle, diet and nutrition and holistic checks and treatments is an important aspect of looking after your whole being.

A bad workman blames his tools, so the saying goes, and when it comes to many aspects of life it is easy to look around for someone to point the finger of failure at than to look closer to home. Think about times when you've started a health and fitness plan and not quite followed through.

Every man on some level would love to be a sporting hero, or rise to a physical challenge and excel above and beyond. The ambitious, competitive, macho streak of single minded determination is lurking in even the most office-bound non-gym type of male.

High intensity training (HIT) was developed as a technique for building strength and potentially size through using weights. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a variation on a theme and designed to really get your cardio system going with short, intense workouts that bring the muscles to the point of fatigue.

Body images of women have changed with fluctuating trends over the years, and amongst the media images and fashions of the day, there are real women considering what they want too. So what do women actually want when it comes to their fitness and their bodies? Is it all about being slim and trim, or more about being toned and improving function? What motivates women to keep fit today?

Exercise Vs Women?

In 1912 Harpers & Bazaar magazine asked women: 'Are Athletics a Menace to Motherhood?' Over the years, this idea of exercise potentially working against women's best interest has been evident, with question marks over fertility and fitness.

Toddlers as young as two, with unhealthy profiles, could have greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) when they're older. So says a large-scale European study which recommends activity guidelines for the under-9s. This latest research adds to the already worrying trend that obesity in children is on the rise and that many youngsters are simply not doing enough.

A great plus point that drives many fitness seekers to the expertise of a personal trainer is the motivation having your very own fitness guru can bring. Having to answer to one other person and have a committed trainer on hand, focusing on you, can definitely transform your body, your mind and your lifestyle.

Any mom knows just how exhausting a new baby can be, so surely pregnancy is a time to put your feet up, isn't it? This is the time when you relax and do as little as possible, making the most of the relative calm before the storm of nappies and sleepless nights.

You're so vain, you probably think this article's about you, don't you? Well, if you do, then perhaps you're one of those men who are glancing back in the mirror and asking, as many women who've gone before them have, "does my behind look big in this?" The problems potentially arise though when concern about how you look turns into a bad body image.

The concept of exercise is not complicated. It involves movement of your body, or physical activity to expend energy and improve your health and fitness. However, what workouts really work and how, is a little more complex. In reality there's a lot of new understanding about exercise that is both exciting and changing the way people keep fit.