Fitness & Nutrition articles

Blog posts, articles and recipes from PT and author Tracy Griffen. She is a prolific writer - a regular columnist for the Scotsman newspaper, Bite magazine, Leither magazine and Trinity and Stockbridge Spotlight magazines. Tracy has written for Women’s Running, Fitnorama, PT Today and Ultra-Fit magazines, and is the author of two books: Healthy Living Yearbook and Get Fit & Enjoy It: Learn Effective Exercise from Home.

She has appeared on the BBC Scotland Radio Kaye Adams show, and even taught host Kaye how to do a press-up, live on radio!

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25 Reasons to Run

Do you need some motivation to get out for a run? Read this and enjoy getting out there! The only equipment you need is a comfy pair of shoes…

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Fitness with Found Objects

My latest Leither magazine article is all about getting seriously creative with fitness solutions over lockdown. What ‘found objects’ can you use as fitness equipment? Find out more!

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Easy Red Lentil Soup Recipe

My favourite soup recipe is cheap, simple, quick and has a good whack of protein for busy days. Add whatever vegetables you have languishing in your fridge. Delicious served with crusty sourdough bread.

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An Honest Review of JustEat Cycles

Cycling is an obvious solution to getting around a small bustling city. The wind in your hair, the freedom to to move, the simplicity of the machine. On the hottest day of 2019 I had a city bike adventure on the (then) new ‘Just Eat’ hire bikes.

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10 Running Routes from Leith

Over lockdown I mapped my ten favourite runs that leave from Griffen Fitness, Balfour Street, Leith, and return to same point (postcode EH6 5BY). All runs are 5km to 10km and as off-road as possible. I drew the routes on an old Spokes map of Edinburgh, it looks a bit like the tube map of London.

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Energiser Workout Now on YouTube

Here’s a video of my warm-up ‘Energiser’ routine. Easy-to-follow with no equipment required, just put on your favourite music and get your body moving. It’s seven minutes long, and is perfect as a morning stretch, or as a warm-up. Enjoy!

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Try a Microhabit

Start small and see big successes. The trick is to do something regularly, and the easier it is, the more likely you are to do it. This is microhabit forming.

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Easy Healthy Recipe: Roasted Walnuts

Walnuts go rancid very quickly, so if you have some lurking at the back of a cupboard, try this recipe for making them edible, actually delicious. They are wonderful sprinkled on salad or crumbled into breakfast.

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Breakfast Oat Jar Recipe

A breakfast jar is a tasty treat for breakfast on the go. It involves layers of fruit, oats and yoghurt. Because it’s made in a jar it’s portable, so you can take it with you.

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What is Functional Fitness?

Learn about what functional fitness is, and why we all need to do it. How you can incorporate useful exercise into your everyday life and benefit ADL’s (Activities of Daily Life).

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Chair Workout

A simple chair workout that can be done from a seated position. Exercise ideas suitable for all fitness levels. You can still get a good workout sitting down!

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Why Turbo Train?

Learn about Turbo Training: using a ‘Turbo Trainer’ (piece of equipment) to turn your road bike into a stationery exercise bike.

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Buy the book(s)

A published author, Tracy Griffen’s books are available from selected independent Edinburgh bookshops, or buy online from our shop.