Why Most People Never Start Exercising (Even When They Really Want To)
You Meant to Start… So Why Didn’t You? The Psychology Behind Fitness Inaction
Every week, people make the decision to get fitter.
It’s rarely a casual thought. More often, it’s prompted by something that feels meaningful at the time. A drop in energy. A moment of discomfort in their own body. A photo they don’t quite recognise themselves in. Sometimes it’s something more subtle – just a growing sense that things aren’t where they should be.
That moment leads somewhere. They look into options, explore personal training, maybe even reach out and make an enquiry. And when they do, they’re usually sincere. They mean it when they say they want to change something.
But here’s the part most people don’t see coming:
The majority of people who make that decision never actually start.
Not because they change their minds in any conscious way. More often, it’s because nothing happens quickly enough for the decision to take hold.
What the data quietly tells us
Across the fitness industry, there’s a consistent pattern. When someone enquires about joining a gym or working with a personal trainer, only around 20-40% go on to actually get started. That means the majority – around 60–80%– never take that next step to see a change.
At first glance, that might sound like a sales problem. But when you look more closely, it’s not really about persuasion or pricing. It’s about timing.
Most of the people who do start tend to do so quickly. Within a week of reaching out, sometimes even within 24–48 hours. There’s a natural momentum to their decision, and they move with it.
But when that momentum isn’t used, something else happens. Data from class-based training environments shows that if someone hasn’t attended a first session within roughly 10 to 14 days, the likelihood of them ever starting drops significantly <20%. By the time a month has passed, most of those initial intentions have faded entirely.
So the real question isn’t why people don’t want to start.
It’s why something that felt important just a couple of weeks ago can quietly disappear.
The gap between deciding and doing
In behavioural science, this is known as the intention–action gap; the space between what we say we want to do and what we actually follow through on.
It’s been studied across health behaviours for years, and the findings are remarkably consistent. Around half of people who intend to make a positive change to their health never act on it.
This isn’t about willpower in the way most people think of it. It’s not a question of discipline or character. It’s a reflection of how human behaviour actually works.
Making a decision is a psychological event. Acting on it requires navigating real life – with all its competing demands, distractions, and uncertainties.
And that’s where things begin to drift.
The moment that starts it all
Most decisions to get fit begin with a surge of clarity.
For a short period of time, things feel obvious. The reasons for starting are clear, the benefits feel important, and the barriers seem manageable. This is what psychologists often describe as a motivation spike – a temporary rise in the desire to change.
It’s in this window that people take their first step. They search, they read, they enquire.
But motivation of this kind is not designed to last. It’s a response to a moment, not a permanent state.
If nothing happens next, that clarity begins to soften. Not dramatically, but gradually. Other priorities reassert themselves. The urgency fades. The emotional weight behind their decision becomes less immediate.
Within a few days, the thought shifts from “I’m doing this” to “I’ll look at this later.”
Within a couple of weeks, it often becomes “I just need to find the right time.”
And eventually, it disappears into the background entirely.
Why starting feels harder than it should
So, if your desire is there, why don’t you take action?
Part of the answer lies in something simple: starting something new carries friction.
It requires stepping outside of your normal routine and experiencing a slight discomfort. It involves committing time in a busy schedule that already feels full. It often means entering an environment that feels unfamiliar, even if only briefly. There can be an underlying concern about fitness levels, confidence, or simply not knowing exactly what to expect.
None of these barriers are overwhelming on their own. But together, they create just enough resistance to delay action, and park it for “another time” – which ultimatley rarely arrives.
Delay, in this context, is powerful.
Because the longer something is delayed, the more the brain begins to reframe it. What initially felt like a priority starts to feel optional. What felt urgent starts to feel flexible. And what felt like a decision becomes something that can be revisited later.
The role of human nature
There’s also a deeper psychological force at play.
As humans, we are naturally wired to prioritise what feels immediate. In behavioural economics, this is referred to as present bias – our tendency to favour short-term comfort over long-term benefit.
Exercise sits right in the middle of this conflict.
The effort is immediate. It asks something of you now.
The reward is delayed. It builds gradually over time.
Even when someone genuinely wants the outcome – to feel fitter, stronger, healthier, or more confident – the brain subtly leans towards postponing that feeling of discomfort in favor of immediate comfort.
Not permanently. Just for now.
But the ‘for now’ has a habit of becoming much longer than intended.
The step that changes everything
What’s often misunderstood is where the real difficulty lies.
People assume the hard part is maintaining consistency over weeks and months. They imagine the challenge is staying motivated, pushing through sessions, or sustaining results.
In reality, the most difficult part is much earlier.
The hardest step is the first one.
That first step will always carry a feeling of discomfort, but by taking that first step it removes uncertainty.
Once someone has walked through the door, met a coach, and completed a session, the unknown becomes known. The anticipation – which is often the heaviest part – disappears.
They realise that it’s manageable. That they’re capable of far more than once thought. That the environment is supportive rather than intimidating. That the version of this in their head looked very different, and more difficult than reality.
From that point on, the challenge is no longer about starting. It’s about continuing something that has already begun. You only need to look at Newton’s First Law of Motion aka. The Law of Inertia to appreciate an object in motion will stay in motion, and an object at rest will stay at rest – which are you?
What we see in practice
Working with our members here at Hall Personal Training, there’s a consistent pattern that emerges over time.
The members who go on to make meaningful, lasting progress are not necessarily the most motivated at the start. They’re not always the most confident, and they’re rarely the ones who feel ‘fully ready.’
What sets them apart is something much simpler.
They act while the intention is still fresh.
They don’t wait for the perfect moment, they don’t need to ‘go away to think about’ because they recognise – consciously or not – that the perfect moment tends to pass, and this is something they know they need to do, so what good will waiting do??
And almost without exception, when they look back, they arrive at the same conclusion:
They wish they had started sooner.
Not because the process is effortless, but because the delay was unnecessary.
If this feels familiar
If you’ve found yourself thinking about getting started, but haven’t quite taken that step yet, you’re not alone…
What you’re experiencing is the same pattern we see time and time again – where around half of people who intend to improve their health never act on it, and up to 80% of those who want to get fitter and stronger never actually begin.
They all had a genuine intention, that was soon followed by a gradual loss of momentum as time passed.
The important thing is recognising it while the decision still has some weight behind it.
Because once that initial reason for starting fades, it becomes much harder to return to it – trust us.
A different way to think about it
Starting doesn’t require certainty.
It doesn’t require perfect timing, a perfect plan, or a completely clear path forward.
It simply requires a willingness to take a small step before the moment disappears.
That might be a conversation.
It might be asking a question.
It might be coming in to see what we’re all about.
But it’s that step – taken at the right time – that changes everything that follows.
If you’re considering it
If improving your health, fitness or energy is something that still matters to you, the most valuable thing you can do is act while that intention is still present.
You don’t need to commit to everything.
You just need to begin.
If you’d like to explore what that could look like, you’re always welcome to have a relaxed, no-pressure conversation with us.
Go to the contact page and book a call with me and let’s see how we can help you get started.
We’re here helping the people of Oxfordshire take that step between intention to implementation.
How Many Steps Should I Actually Walk a Day?
Stop Aiming for 10,000 Steps: Here Is Your Ideal Daily Step Target (backed by science)
With the rise in popularity of fitness trackers and wearables such as Garmin, Fitbit, and smart rings, we are becoming much more aware of our health and daily movement patterns. Naturally, one of the most frequently asked questions we receive at Hall Training is: “How many steps should I aim for each day?”
Often, the person asking will quickly follow up with: “Is 10,000 a good number to shoot for?” It is a fantastic question, as it is incredibly easy to adopt the arbitrary ten thousand step target and literally run (or rather walk) with it. Let me peel back the layers of this fitness onion and look at the concrete scientific data to help shape your view on the exact number of steps you actually need.
The Myth of the 10,000 Step Target
A short trip through history reveals that the 10,000-step target was never based on scientific research or recommended by health experts. It was actually born from a highly successful Japanese public relations and marketing campaign leading up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Following the Olympics, a pedometer named Manpo-kei – translating to “10,000-steps meter”- was designed and sold to promote physical activity among the people of Japan. It was also heavily touted that the Japanese character for 10,000 (万) visually resembles a person walking – personally, I can see this.
Whether this was brilliant design or sheer coincidence, the campaign successfully got Japan and the rest of the world on their feet. But does walking 10,000 steps actually optimize our health and lifespan?
The Science of Step Counts and Diminishing Returns
The answer depends entirely on your current baseline level of fitness. You see, the fitter you are the more work and effort you need to apply to further increase your health and fitness; which up to a point you reach a peak and hit a rate of diminishing returns.
The Simple Explanation: If you currently do very little exercise, adding just a small amount of walking (an additional 2,500 steps per day) will drastically improve your health. However, if you are already an athlete who walks 15,000 steps a day, adding another 2,500 steps will barely make a dent in your overall health profile.
The Detailed Explanation: Scientific literature shows a non-linear relationship between step counts and `all-cause mortality` (the risk of dying from any cause). A review in Preventive Medicine found that a person going from 2,500 to 5,000 steps a day could decrease their mortality risk by about a third. That’s an extra 2,500 steps, which equates to roughly 20 additional minutes of walking per day.
Conversely, taking those same additional 2,500 steps when you are already highly active – going from 12,500 to 15,000 steps a day – only yields a marginal health improvement of one to two percent.
Finding Your Ideal Step Target
To help you determine exactly what you should be aiming for, I’ve have broken down the scientific data based on your current activity levels. Sadly, the average UK adult only gets between 3,000 and 5,951 steps per day. If you’re reading the Hall Training blog, you likely have aspirations of wanting to push past being just “simply average.”
If you lead an inactive lifestyle(<5,000 steps per day), then you have two possible options:
Shoot for an additional daily step increase of 2,500 steps – this will reduce your risk of dying by around a third.
Increase this to an additional 4,000 steps a day – taking you above 8,000 steps per day. You’ll soon see the benefits observed in the JAMA study, where participants saw a 51% reduced risk of dying from any caus
For those in the middle – mildly active(5,000-8,000 steps):
A 2019 review of seven different studies found that every increment of 2,000 steps per day (up to 10,000) was associated with a 10% lower cardiovascular event rate.
Furthermore, the study also found individuals with impaired glucose tolerance saw an 8% yearly reduction in cardiovascular disease just by adding 2,000 steps to their baseline (your daily avg.)
If you’re already living an active lifestyle and regularly hitting 10,000 steps, pushing toward 12,000 steps can maximise your longevity benefits, yielding up to a 65% reduction in mortality riskcompared to sedentary individuals. However, whether it’s worth going beyond 12,000 steps remains up for debate. The time-versus-benefit trade-off probably isn’t worth it for your overall health, as you could invest that additional time into other health-promoting practices instead – such as strength training, Pilates, sauna use, cold plunges, meditation, or breathwork.
The Power of Walking in Nature
Where you walk can be just as important as how much you walk. If you live or work close to natural environments, take advantage of them. UK scientists analysing 26 studies on exercise environments concluded that spending time in nature is vastly more beneficial for a range of psychological outcomes compared to urban or indoor settings.
Walking through nature has been shown to increase happiness and energy levels while driving major decreases in anxiety, fatigue, and feelings of hostility. It also supercharges your brain; a widely cited Stanford University study reported an average increase of 60% in creative output for people walking in natural environments.
Final Thoughts: Time to Level Up
If you’re ready to observe dramatic changes in your fitness, energy levels, creativity, mood, and health, there is no magic pill that compares to the power of walking. According to research by Cancer UK, we spend nine times more time seated than we do walking, with almost half (46%) of us working Brits walking for less than an hour every workday. We were born to walk, but more importantly, we were born to walk and carry (heavy) things.
Once you are routinely getting between 8,000 and 12,000 steps per day, it is time to level up. As you’ll soon learn in my follow-up blog post, I’ll dive into why walking with weight is even better. Grab a pack, load some weight, and let’s carry the load!
Until next time – get outside, get walking!
Summary of Key Points
The 10k Myth: The 10,000 step rule was a 1964 marketing stunt (Manpo-kei), not a medical directive.
Diminishing Returns: The greatest health benefits occur when moving from a sedentary lifestyle to a moderately active one (e.g. jumping from 2,500 to 5,000 steps drops mortality risk by 33%).
Target Metrics: Aim for 8,000 to 12,000 steps to maximise longevity and reduce cardiovascular risks.
Environment Matters: Walking in nature boosts creativity by up to 60% and significantly reduces anxiety compared to urban walking.
Next Steps: Once you master your daily step count, adding weight (rucking) is the ultimate way to level up your fitness.
We’re Not for Everyone
Hall Training is built for people who want steady, long‑term change. If you’re after a quick fix, a short‑term challenge, or prefer to wing it on your own, we’re probably not the right fit. We specialise in habit‑based coaching, personalised programmes and consistent accountability – which means we work best with people who are ready to commit a small amount of time each week and want real, lasting results.
You’re looking for a rapid ‘quick fix’.
You’re a semi or pro athlete with sport‑specific high‑performance needs.
You can’t devote roughly 2 hours a week to training and coaching.
You already know everything you need and don’t want coaching.
You love the big‑box gym life and feel completely confident training alone.
You’re chasing short‑term results over long‑term health and consistency.
You prefer to go it alone rather than train with supportive people you’ll come to belong with.
You’re not ready to commit to developing your full potential and health.
Need help? If you’re unsure, that’s okay – book a quick call or come in for our 30‑day accelerator and see if it feels like a place you belong and want to grow. We’ll be honest with you about the best path forward.
Why Women Should Cold Plunge – and the Benefits You’ll See
Why Women Should Cold Plunge: Benefits, Hormones & How to Start Safely
Cold plunging offers unique benefits for women, from supporting energy and mood to helping regulate stress hormones and easing menstrual symptoms. This guide explains why women may respond differently to cold exposure, what science says, and how to start safely as a beginner.
Cold plunging has moved from a niche wellness practice to a mainstream ritual embraced by athletes, entrepreneurs, busy parents, and everyday people looking to reclaim their physical and mental health. But among women, confusion still lingers. Somewhere along the way, claims emerged suggesting that cold exposure might be unsafe, destabilising for hormones, or simply “not meant” for women.
– Women are not only capable of cold plunging, they may actually be physiologically better adapted to thrive in it.
Below, we break down what the research shows, why women respond to the cold in unique and powerful ways, how the menstrual cycle affects the experience, and how to begin safely if it’s something you want to incorporate into your routine.
Women and the Cold: The Physiology Behind It
It’s true that women often feel cold more readily than men. This is mainly due to differences in muscle mass, body size, and the distribution of insulating fat. But feeling cold does not mean weaker resilience. In fact, studies show women have several advantages when it comes to maintaining stability in cold environments.
Women tend to preserve core body temperature more effectively, even when peripheral temperature (hands, feet, skin) drops. This is partly due to a faster and more efficient vasoconstrictive response, where blood vessels narrow to protect vital organs. This mechanism kicks in earlier in women than men, suggesting a built-in survival advantage.
Dr Susanna Søberg – whose Winter Swimming Study helped redefine modern cold-exposure protocols – notes that women often show remarkably quick adaptation when exposed to cold regularly. Their thermal regulation adjusts swiftly within the first few exposures, making the practice increasingly comfortable over time.
There’s also an emotional and neurochemical component where Dr Søberg reports women demonstrate a stronger release of dopamine, noradrenalineand endorphins, during controlled cold exposure, which may contribute to greater improvements in mood, alertness, heightened clarity, and enhanced emotional resilience post-plunge. This aligns with work by Dr Thomas Seager, who studies cold exposure not just as a physiological stressor but as a tool for psychological training and improved emotional self-regulation.
How Cold Plunging Supports Hormonal, Physical and Mental Health
Better Thyroid Function and Metabolic Health One of the most fascinating effects of cold exposure is the activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) – this is a metabolically active type of fat that burns energy to create heat. Activation of BAT improves glucose metabolism, enhances thermogenesis (heat production), and supports thyroid hormone function, which plays a central role in energy production.
For women struggling with low energy, sluggish metabolism or weight fluctuations, this effect can be particularly beneficial. As the body becomes more metabolically flexible, many women experience a boost in daily energy and a reduction in cold intolerance.
Menstrual and Menopausal Symptom Relief Cold plunging has also been linked to improvements in menstrual and menopausal symptoms. A large survey of more than 1,000 female cold-water swimmers published in the BMJ found significant reductions in cramps, mood swings, low mood, irritability, hot flushes, and anxiety.
While cold exposure isn’t a replacement for medical care, its impact on the autonomic nervous system – switching the body from a stressed state to a calmer parasympathetic/relaxed state – can be hugely supportive during times of hormonal fluctuation. Many peri- and post-menopausal women report that cold plunging helps stabilise their mood and reduce intensity of vasomotor symptoms.
Laura Fullerton has spoken widely about the improvements her female MONK clients experience, especially around emotional stability and cycle regulation, and describes cold immersion as a “reset button” for the nervous system. We’re lucky enough to offer MONK ice bath access in our Avantoº Wellness space.
Stronger Bones and Lower Osteoporosis Risk Women are more vulnerable to osteoporosis as they age, largely due to hormonal shifts around menopause, such as decling oestrogen Cold exposure may support bone density indirectly through the release of noradrenaline, which influences bone-remodelling and growth processes.
While cold plunging isn’t a stand-alone solution, anything that stimulates bone turnover and metabolic activity contributes to long-term skeletal health. Paired with strength training – a core pillar here at Hall Training – the benefits are more profound.
Enhanced Mood, Stress Resilience and Mental Health Perhaps the most well-documented benefit of cold exposure is its effect on mental health. A single plunge triggers a rapid rise in noradrenaline and dopamine, sometimes by as much as 250-530%. This chemical profile creates a feeling of elevated mood, sustained energy and improved focus for hours afterwards.
Adrenaline spike → alertness without overstimulation
Stable cortisol → stress reduction rather than stress accumulation
Dr Thomas Seager describes cold immersion as “stress inoculation” a controlled challenge that strengthens psychological resilience. Over time, women often report:
reduced symptoms of depression
greater clarity and focus
enhanced motivation
improved tolerance to everyday stress
a renewed sense of personal strength
This is why so many women (and men) describe cold plunging as empowering, not because it’s easy, but because it trains the mind as much as the body.
Improvements in Metabolism, Insulin Sensitivity and PCOS-Related Symptoms Cold exposure improves insulin sensitivity by increasing glucose uptake into the muscles and BAT.
Screenshot showing the reduction in my blood sugar (7.8 mmol/L to 2.89 mmol/L) after a 3-minute cold plunge.
It also influences leptin, the hormone that regulates appetite and energy expenditure.
For women dealing with PCOS or insulin resistance, these shifts can support better metabolic control and reduce certain symptoms tied to hormonal imbalance. Regular cold exposure may also improve inflammatory markers, which are often elevated in PCOS.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Support There’s growing interest in the ways cold exposure supports reproductive health. Improvements in circulation, inflammation, hormonal regulation, and resilience all contribute to better sexual wellbeing.
Women frequently report increases in libido, greater body confidence, and more consistent energy throughout their cycle. While the research in this area is still emerging, experts like Laura Fullerton and Dr Seager highlight the real-world results seen across thousands of women engaging in regular cold-water practices.
Cold Plunging & the Menstrual Cycle
One of the most common questions women ask is: “Is it safe to cold plunge on your period?”
Short answer: Yes – there is no physiological mechanism that makes cold plunging unsafe on your period. In fact, many women reportreduced cramps and more stable mood when using cold exposure during the early and late phases of the cycle
Follicular Phase (Days 1-14) During this phase, core body temperature is naturally lower, and oestrogen supports better heat distribution. Cold plunging usually feels easier, more uplifting, and more energising. Many women find this is the best time to begin a new routine or push themselves slightly further.
Luteal Phase (Day 15-28)
Progesterone raises core temperature by up to 0.5°C. Even though tolerance stays the same, the cold may feel more intense. This isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s simply hormonal physiology influencing perception. Women often describe the cold as “sharper” or “more confronting” during this phase.
Understanding this pattern helps remove any fear or confusion around fluctuating experiences. Your body isn’t failing you, it’s functioning exactly as it should.
A Beginner’s Guide for Women Starting Cold Plunge
If you’re reading this and think, “I’d really like to give cold plunging a-go” or perhaps you’re new to cold plunging, here’s how to begin safely and confidently:
Start in your follicular phase This is where the cold usually feels most approachable.
Try cold showers 2-4 times per week as preparation
Just 1-2 minutes at the end of your normal shower can build resilience and reduce the likelihood of winter colds.
Start with Time, Not Temperature
Aim for:
• 30–60 seconds for your first session
• Build up gradually to 2-6 minutes
The goal is consistency, not extreme temperatures. The initial cold-shock response peaks in the first minute, this is the most uncomfortable. Once you get over the first minute, your breathing settles, things ease quickly.
Use Your Breath to Stay in Control
Women often respond better to slow exhalation breathing, which calms the vagus nerve and reduces the “cold shock” response.
Try: Inhale 4 seconds → Exhale 6–8 seconds
Breathing out slowly activates the parasympathetic nervous system and keeps the mind calm.
Follow the 2-12-minute weekly guideline
Dr Søberg’s research suggests benefits begin at 2-3 minutes per week and peak at around 12-minutes per week.
Keep Hands & Feet Out (If Needed)
Women often have stronger cold sensitivity in the extremities. Rest them on the edge, out of the water if the cold hits them too intense.
Warm Up Naturally
Avoid jumping into the sauna or hot shower afterwards. Instead, move, walk, shake, or breathe to restore heat and allow the body to rewarm through it natural thermogenesis process – tip: you’ll burn more energy this way.
Remember that thousands of women do this every day
The Bluetits Chill Swimmers – a predominantly female open-water community – grew from 7,000 members to more than 150,000 since 2020. That kind of growth speaks for itself and reflects the genuine, empowering benefits many women experience through cold-water immersion – if cold plunging were unsafe for women, this simply wouldn’t be the case.
Final Thoughts
Cold plunging isn’t something women should be afraid of. It’s something they can fully embrace – with benefits that span mood, metabolism, resilience, hormonal balance, bone health, and overall vitality.
The science supports it. Experts advocate for it. Communities of women swear by it.
And with thoughtful guidance, women like yourself of all ages can safely weave cold exposure into their lifestyle – whether for better energy, emotional balance, physical health, or the simple joy of doing something that makes you feel powerful.
Popular FAQs
Is cold plunging good for women? Yes! Women often experience strong mood, energy, metabolic, and stress-regulation benefits.
Is it safe to cold plunge on your period? Yes! It can even reduce cramps and improve mood.
How long should women stay in an ice bath? Start with 30–60 seconds and build gradually to 2-6 minutes.
Does cold plunging help hormones? Cold exposure supports dopamine, adrenaline balance, menstrual comfort and stress hormones.
Can cold plunging help with Raynaud’s?
Generally no, as the cold is the exact trigger that causes vasospasm, reduced blood flow and pain. Better options that have proven to help, would include infrared sauna, red light therapy, and gentle contrast therapy – which are available to try at Avantoº.
Garlic vs Vampires: The 2025 Scientific Update
Modern Vampires Use Sunscreen Now – Here’s How to Update Your Garlic Defense
Halloween 2025 is upon us once again, and frankly, I’m concerned. Not about the usual suspects – witches have gone digital (they’re now all on TikTok now), zombies are too slow for our fast-paced world – although a case could be made that these are the modern teengage glued to their phones?? and frankly, most monsters seem more interested in social media fame than actual terrorising.
But vampires? They’ve evolved.
We’re no longer dealing with your grandmother’s cape-wearing, castle-dwelling bloodsuckers. Today’s vampires have adapted to modern life through what can only be described as supernatural wellness optimisation. They’ve discovered SPF 50+ sunscreen (apparently the undead are very concerned about UV damage), invested heavily in blue light blocking glasses for all that screen time, and some have even embraced the indoor lifestyle trend that became popular during 2020.
The real game-changer? These technologically-savvy bloodsuckers have figured out that UVA protection allows for limited daylight operations. We’re talking vampires with morning coffee runs, vampires attending brunch (they order the bloody mary, obviously), and vampires who’ve probably got LinkedIn profiles showcasing their centuries of experience in “stakeholder relations.”
They use contactless payment (no more fumbling with ancient coin purses), have mastered Ring doorbell technology to scope out their targets, and worst of all – they’ve discovered vitamin D supplements as a potential workaround for their traditional solar limitations.
This calls for a serious scientific reassessment of our traditional defenses. If vampires can adapt to modern UV protection strategies, clearly our garlic game needs to level up too.
The Original Research: A Brief Retrospective
You may recall our Halloween blog a few years ago that referenced the groundbreaking 1994 leech study (because ethical committees still won’t approve vampire volunteers, typical red tape). The results were shocking: two-thirds of leeches actually preferred garlic-smeared hands, suggesting our beloved bulbous protection might be more like a supernatural dinner bell.
But that was over 30 years ago. Science marches on, vampires adapt, and most importantly, garlic research has exploded.
Breaking: The Allicin Revolution
Recent research has revealed something extraordinary about garlic’s active compound, allicin. Studies show that garlic exhibits “exceptional antibacterial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria” and possesses “powerful antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cardiovascular benefits.”
But here’s where it gets interesting for vampire defense…
Allicin is only released when garlic is crushed or chopped. This means those decorative garlic braids hanging in your kitchen? Completely useless against the undead. You need that fresh, weaponised allicin working for you.
The Modern Vampire Dilemma
Contemporary vampires present unique challenges that traditional folklore never anticipated:
Energy Vampires: They drain your phone battery and WiFi bandwidth
Social Media Vampires: They feed off your engagement metrics and personal data
Subscription Vampires: They auto-renew your services indefinitely
Delivery Vampires: They somehow never need to be invited in, thanks to contactless delivery
2025 Experimental Update: The Smart Home Study
Methodology improved thanks to modern technology
Working with a team of “volunteer researchers”, we conducted a 21st-century vampire defense analysis using:
Garlic-infused essential oils (because aromatherapy vampires are apparently a thing)
Control group: Alexa playing garlic-themed podcasts
The subjects? Since actual vampires still refuse to participate in clinical trials (probably liability issues), we tested on mosquitoes – nature’s tiny vampires that actually do want to suck your blood.
Results That Will Shock You
Plot twist: The 2025 data completely contradicts our 1994 findings!
Fresh garlic paste showed 73% mosquito avoidance
Garlic supplements: 45% effectiveness
Essential oils: 12% effectiveness (mostly because mosquitoes were confused by the spa vibes)
Control group (Alexa method): 2% effectiveness (though participants reported feeling more educated about Italian cuisine)
The Science Behind the Protection
Modern research reveals that allicin’s antimicrobial properties work by disrupting cellular membranes. While vampires technically don’t have traditional cellular structures, they do have supernatural membranes that separate their essence from our reality.
Theoretical vampire vulnerability assessment:
Classic Dracula-types: High susceptibility due to old cellular firmware
Sparkly vampires: Medium susceptibility (glitter provides some protection)
Modern urban vampires: Low susceptibility (they’ve built up resistance through exposure to garlic festivals and foodie culture)
Updated Defense Recommendations for 2025
Based on these findings we can now outline and recommned several protocols (ranked) in effectivenss for maximum protection.
Tier 1 Defense: (maximum protection)
Fresh garlic, crushed within 10 minutes of expected vampire encounter
Smart doorbell with garlic-scented motion sensor alerts
Backup garlic paste in kitchen and bathroom (vampires are clever)
Tier 2 Defense: (practical daily use)
High-quality garlic supplements (look for standardised allicin content)
Garlic-scented hand sanitiser (pandemic habits with vampire benefits)
Italian restaurant takeout menus (psychological warfare)
Economic Impact Analysis
Fun fact: The global garlic market is projected to reach $84.6 billion by 2025. Coincidence? I think not.
Big Garlic clearly understands something about supernatural defense that the rest of us are just catching up to. Their investment in allicin research suspiciously coincides with increased vampire sightings in popular media.
The Verdict: Garlic Redeemed
Unlike our pessimistic 1994 conclusions, 2025 science supports Team Garlic. The key isn’t just having garlic – it’s activating the allicin properly and understanding that different vampire subspecies require different approaches.
Modern vampires may be technologically sophisticated, but they still operate on fundamentally supernatural principles. Allicin’s membrane-disrupting properties combined with its “significant effects on the immune system” create a biochemical supernatural barrier that even Instagram-savvy bloodsuckers can’t hack.
Final Recommendations
As we head into Halloween 2025, remember:
Fresh garlic beats supplements beats powder
Crush it fresh for maximum allicin activation
Layer your defenses (physical garlic & digital vampire blockers)
Stay current with vampire evolution trends
And if all else fails, student loan debt remains the most effective vampire repellent known to science – nothing supernatural wants to get anywhere near that level of financial burden.
Stay safe, stay garlicked, and Happy Halloween 2025!
How Much Is Personal Training at Hall Training? The Complete Cost & Value Guide
How Much Does Personal Training Cost in Oxfordshire?
If you’re searching for personal training in Oxfordshire, you’ve probably typed this into Google: “How much is personal training at [insert gym name]?”
We receive over a hundred enquiries each month from people looking to transform their health, and the first question is always the same: “How much are your personal training sessions?”
The Transparent Answer
One-off personal training sessions: £35 per session (1 hour)
Average monthly investment: £264 per month
At first glance, those numbers may look expensive compared with a traditional gym membership. But price without context is meaningless. What matters is what you get for your investment, and whether it helps you reach your goals faster, safer, and more sustainably.
Why Pricing Feels Confusing In Fitness The industry
The fitness industry hasn’t made it easy to compare like-for-like. Introductory offers, hidden add‑ons, long contracts, and cleverly packaged “deals” blur the line between cost and value. For busy professionals in Oxfordshire, the lack of transparency turns a straightforward decision into guesswork. So let me simplify things and show you what the market actually looks likes, and where Hall Training sits within it.
Understanding Oxfordshire’s Personal Training Market
Our review of other small group personal training (SGPT) options along with traditional gyms across Oxfordshire (as of September 2025) shows a clear pricing spectrum:
Gyms and SGPT providers such as:
PureGym, Anytime Fitness and Bannatynes sit between £25 – £90 per month
LB Fitness at £179
FitLife at £199
BEAT Fitness at £243
with Hall Training at £264
The services at the lower end typically emphasise access – unlimited large-group classes, and gym usage – while services at the upper end include structured small group coaching, regular check‑ins, and varying levels of support. Our most popular package includes 8 small-group personal training sessions each month, unlimited classes, monthly check‑ins, nutrition guidance, fitness app, and flexibility to book across both of our sites.
In short, you’re investing at the premium end of regional pricing because you’re buying a joined‑up coaching system designed to deliver results, not just sessions.
The Hotel Analogy: Why “Cheap” Often Becomes Expensive
Imagine booking a hotel for an important business trip. Hotel A advertises £89 per night, while Hotel B costs £159. The budget option seems obvious (right?!) until you arrive…
The budget option looks appealing until you realise you need to add-on Wi‑Fi, breakfast, parking, and gym access (I love a good hotel gym). Then factor in the lost sleep from a poor bed, the patchy internet during a client call, and the time you spend solving problems you didn’t plan for. The cheaper room ends up costing more – in money, time, and energy. This exact dynamic exists in personal training.
Budget providers might advertise lower session costs, but members often find themselves paying additional fees for nutrition consultations, programme modifications, progress assessments, or supplementary classes needed to achieve their goals.
More critically, inadequate programming or inexperienced coaching leads to plateaus, injuries, or abandonment of your fitness goals entirely. The true cost isn’t just financial, it’s the months or years of missed progress, declining health, and loss of confidence that comes from choosing solely based on price.
Why We’re Proud to Be the Most Expensive
I’ve been in the fitness industry for twenty years now, and I’m proud of our premium positioning – we don’t apologies for our pricing – in fact, we celebrate it. Our pricing isn’t determined by what our competitors are charging or individual budgets, but by the exceptional value we deliver:
What sets us apart is:
A Proven Track Record We were Oxfordshire’s first and original small group personal training studio, pioneering the model that others now follow.
Continuous Investment in Excellence
Every month, we invest significant hours and resources in professional development, attending international seminars, mentorship programs, and advanced certifications.
Global Knowledge Network
We travel worldwide to learn from industry leaders, bringing cutting-edge techniques and methodologies directly to your training sessions.
Comprehensive Approach
Unlike session-only trainers, we provide complete lifestyle coaching, nutrition guidance, habit formation, and long-term success strategies.
The Real Value Equation
When you choose Hall Training, your monthly investment isn’t just another monthly direct debit payment that’s going on eight hours of personal training – it’s funding a system that’s built on twenty years of experience and delivers outcomes.
Ours coach designs and updates a plan around your goals, training age, movement quality, and schedule.
We track meaningful metrics and adjust the programme when your life demands it, not when a calendar says so.
Nutrition guidance is practical and personalised, focused on habits you can sustain rather than rigid rules you’ll abandon.
You train in a space designed for coached sessions, and education around lifting – not queuing for equipment.
You’re supported by a community that pulls you along when motivation dips.
Lastly, you benefit from experienced and knowledgeable professionals in their field, coaches who take the time to know you and know how to progress you quickly without unnecessary risk.
The Expertise Investment: What £264 Actually Gets You
Our pricing reflects a fundamental commitment that cheaper options simply cannot match: continuous professional development and uncompromising expertise.
Ongoing Education
while competitors focus on quantity of sessions, we invest heavily in staying at the forefront of exercise science, nutrition research, and coaching methodology – This isn’t just professional development, it’s insurance for your results. When you’re investing time and money in your health, you need coaches who understand not just today’s best practices, but tomorrow’s emerging research
The Experience Factor Our higher price point also reflects something you can’t quantify in a pricing table: experience working with clients who’ve tried other approaches first. We’ve seen what doesn’t work, why plateaus happen, and how to prevent the frustrations that lead people to abandon their fitness goals.
Comprehensive Systems Approach While many competitors offer individual services, our pricing reflects a comprehensive all-in-one package designed for sustained success. Sessions available every hour and access to both our sites isn’t just convenience, it’s recognition that life is busy, so your schedule demands flexibility. Our integration of nutrition, programming, and progress tracking aren’t three separate services, they’re a unified approach that accelerates results.
This Is Why People Choose Hall Training Over Alternatives
Our members come to us because progress is deliberate, not accidental. They consistently tell us why they choose us over anywhere else:
“The sessions are small enough for genuine individual attention and feedback, yet large enough to create a competitive, supportive energy. The camaraderie is fantastic.”
“The gym is always spotless. Standards are high, coaching is consistent – you know exactly what to expect every time.”
“The support is outstanding. Coaches are there when you need them and give you space when you don’t – they’ve nailed the balance.”
“It’s an incredibly friendly atmosphere. No matter how tough your day has been, seeing the coaches always lifts your mood.”
We’re a personal training buiness that pride ourselves in delivering:
Results-Driven Approach: We focus on measurable outcomes, not just attendance
Personalised Attention: Every session is tailored to your unique needs and progress
Professional Excellence: Our trainers maintain the highest industry standards
Comprehensive Support: We’re partners in your entire wellness journey
Long-Term Success: We teach sustainable habits, not quick fixes
Starting your fitness journey shouldn’t feel like a leap of faith. That’s why we offer our initial 30-day accelerator programme – a carefully structured month designed to help you determine if Hall Training is the right fit for your goals, lifestyle, and preferences.
Over the month you’ll train in our small‑group format, meet the coaching team, experience the community, and see how our sessions fits around your schedule and into your day-to-day life. You’ll also receive practical nutrition guidance and a simple progress framework so you can see what’s changing, and why. At the end of 30 days you’ll know, with evidence, whether the people, the place, and the programmes are the right fit for you! We prefer to earn your trust through outcomes rather than paperwork.
Value Is About Results, Not Just Price
So the question isn’t: “Why does Hall Training cost more?”
It’s:“Does the extra investment give me more progress, more confidence, and more consistency?” If you’re someone who values their time, wants to see results and live a long and healthy life, then the answer is yes!
And so, we don’t compete on price because we compete on outcomes. Our members don’t choose us because we’re the cheapest – they choose us because we consistently deliver the outcomes that justify their investment.
So, the real question you should be asking is: “what’s the cost of another year of mediocre results, wasted time, and unrealised potential?”
The Ultimate Guide to Ice Bath Timing: When Cold Therapy Actually Works (Science-Backed)
The Ultimate Guide to Ice Bath Timing: When Cold Therapy Actually Works (Science-Backed)
Why the “before vs. after” debate misses the point – and how to time your cold exposure for maximum results
I’ll be honest – two years ago, I thought ice baths were just another wellness trend. Fast forward to today, and cold water immersion has completely transformed how I handle stress, recover from workouts, and approach challenges both in and out of the gym.
But here’s where it gets interesting: the timing of your ice bath can make or break your results.
You’ve probably seen the contradictory advice online. “Ice baths are amazing for recovery!” one expert claims. “Ice baths destroy your gains!” another warns. The truth? They’re both right – it just depends on when you use them.
After diving deep into the research – both scientific and anadotal (and experimenting on myself), I’ve put together this comprehensive guide to cut through the confusion. Whether you’re chasing performance gains, faster recovery, or both, here’s everything you need to know about timing your cold exposure.
Your Quick Reference Guide
Just want to skip to the actionable takeaways? Here’s your cheat sheet:
Ice Bath Protocols
For Performance (Pre-Exercise)
30 minutes before training
2-5 minutes in 5-12°C water
Best for: Endurance events, high-intensity & strength sessions, competitions
For Recovery (Post-Exercise)
At least 4 hours after strength training
10-15 minutes in 8-12°C water
Use immediately after only if you have back-to-back sessions
Sauna Protocol
For Performance & Recovery (Post-Exercise)
15-30 minutes post-exercise
50-70° temperature (Infrared sauna) | 70-90° temperature (Finnish sauna)
Enhances rather than blunts training adaptations
Never before intense training sessions
However, you’re like me and want to know more around the scccience and the specifics, then read on – let’s start with the science of heat.
Why Timing Changes Everything
The confusion around ice baths stems from one crucial misunderstanding: cold exposure triggers different physiological responses depending on when you use it.
Post-exercise ice baths excel at reducing inflammation and muscle soreness – perfect for competition recovery. But they also suppress the very proteins your muscles need to grow stronger. Studies show cold water immersion immediately after strength training can blunt muscle protein synthesis for up to 48 hours.
Pre-exercise cooling, however, tells a completely different story.
The Science of Pre-Cooling: Your Secret Performance Weapon
Here’s what most people don’t realise: your body’s ability to perform isn’t just limited by energy – it’s limited by heat.
As the body warms, fatigue sets in, making it harder to sustain pace or output. Energy from muscle contractions is converted into thermal energy, raising core temperature. Heart rate drifts upward, perceived exertion rises, and the body slows us down to prevent overheating. If our body gets too hot, the brain signals us to stop – protecting us from hyperthermia.
Research insight: A study of 23 men showed that those who cooled down fastest after exercise had the greatest cardiovascular fitness levels (Jastrzebska et al., 2022)
Think of it as your body’s built-in safety mechanism. When internal temperature gets too high, your brain essentially says: “Slow down, or we’re in trouble.”
The Stanford Breakthrough: Targeting Your Body’s Cooling Gates
Stanford scientists Dennis Grahn, PhD and Craig Heller, PhD made a game-changing discovery in their research dating back almost 20 years. In a series of experiments, they found that extracting heat from specific body regions could dramatically enhance performance by postponing fatigue. (Grahn et al., 2005)
The secret lies in targeting arterio-venous anastomoses (AVAs) – specialised blood vessels located in:
The palms of your hands
The bottoms of your feet
The upper part of your face
These AVAs act as your body’s primary heat exchange highways. Unlike regular capillaries, AVAs can dilate up to 10 times their normal size, allowing massive amounts of blood flow for rapid heat transfer. When you cool these specific areas, you’re essentially turbo-charging your body’s natural cooling system.
Sustained performance over multiple training sessions
A Practical Solution: Full-Body Immersion
Whilst the Stanford protocol involved targeted cooling devices for palms and feet, this approach isn’t exactly gym-friendly. Enter the ice bath, which is a more accessible solution that targets all your body’s cooling zones simultaneously.
Full-body cold water immersion provides comprehensive cooling that:
Activates at least two (possible all) major arterio-venous anastomoses(AVA) sites at once
Rapidly reduces core body temperature
Provides a more practical gym or home setup
Studies on whole-body pre-cooling consistently show:
Reduced cardiovascular stress during subsequent exercise
The Pre-Cooling Advantage
By starting your workout with a lower baseline temperature, you can:
Delay the onset of heat-related fatigue
Maintain higher power outputs for longer
Push harder before your body’s safety mechanisms engage
Stimulate natural testosterone and luteinising hormone release when combined with exercise (Sakamoto et al., 1991)
One particularly fascinating study from Australia tested cyclists using hot water immersion before exercise and found performance dropped by 15%, reinforcing the protective role of heat-related fatigue. (Dennis et al., 2022)
It’s In Your Head – The Mental Game
Beyond the physiological benefits, pre-exercise ice baths offer a powerful psychological advantage. Cold exposure activates the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) – the brain region associated with willpower, tenacity, and resilience. (Huberman PHD., 2024)
Athletes and long-lived individuals consistently show larger aMCC regions, and the only way to grow this area is through deliberate discomfort –aka. doing hard things. Stepping into an ice bath cold enough to scare you – and staying in just long enough to regain the breath and calm the nervous system – is a powerful way to build aMCC-driven resilience. That 2-4 minutes in ice-cold water? It’s literally training your brain for mental toughness before you even touch a weight.
Post-Exercise Recovery: When Cold Plunging Shines
This is not to say we should write off post-exercise cold plunges entirely. Used strategically, they’re incredibly powerful:
Use Ice Baths Post-Exercise When:
Competing in back-to-back events (same day or within 48 hours)
Prioritising training recovery over muscle growth or strength
Managing high training volumes – 2x per day sessions.
Dealing with excessive inflammation
Avoid Ice Baths Post-Exercise When:
When strength or muscle growth is the primary goal
You’re in a building phase of training
Recovery isn’t immediately critical
The sweet spot? Wait at least 4 hours after strength training to avoid interfering with muscle protein synthesis and the body’s natural repair process, whilst still gaining anti-inflammatory benefits.
The Sauna Solution: Heat That Actually Helps
We’ve talked a lot about the cold and it’s benefits before exercise, inculding strategic cold after exercise, both having their place. But one modailty which oftern get overlloked is the sauna, which consistently delivers post-workout, but like the cold, timing is absolutely critical here.
Why Pre-Exercise Sauna Backfires
Never use sauna before intense training – it’s performance suicide: Heat exposure before exercise creates a perfect storm of performance limitations:
Accelerates time to fatigue by pre-loading your thermal stress
Increases risk of overheating from an already elevated baseline
Shuts down pyruvate dehydrogenase – a key enzyme essential for muscle contraction
Severely limits ATP production, starving your muscles of energy when they need it most
Our Australian research confirms this: athletes subjected to hot water immersion before bicycle sprints saw performance decreases of 15%. When your body is already fighting heat stress, adding exercise intensity becomes an uphill battle your muscles simply can’t win.
Post-Exercise: Where Sauna Shines
Unlike ice baths, saunas enhance rather than blunt exercise adaptations when used post-workout:
Proven Sauna Benefits:
9% improvement in VO₂max (5 minutes of sauna post-exercise increased VO₂ max by 2.6 mL/kg/min) (Earric et al., 2022)
What’s remarkable is, these improvements were in addition to exercise alone, highlighting sauna as a powerful complementary tool (CRF, BP, cholesterol).
10mmHG reduction in systolic blood pressure (over 3 weeks) (Gaynor et al., 2018)
Reduced muscle soreness without impacting muscle and strength gains.
Additionally, a study on endurance runners found that 30 minutes of sauna (3x per week for 3 weeks) increased run time to exhaustion by 32% compared to controls. The effects were linked to increased blood plasma (7.1%), red blood cell count (3.5%), and total blood volume – all of which support nutrient and oxygen delivery to muscles.
The mechanism? Heat stress creates a hormetic response – a controlled stress that makes your body adapt by becoming stronger. The increased blood flow, growth hormone response, and enhanced protein synthesis actually amplify your training stimulus. Post-exercise sauna creates beneficial hypoxic stress for your muscles. As blood vessels dilate to bring blood to the skin for cooling, less oxygen reaches the muscles, creating an additional adaptive stimulus that mimics altitude training effects.
Unlike temperature-based therapies, light therapy – specifically red and near-infrared light (NIR) – can be applied both before and after exercise. Although awareness in the general community is still growing, more than 3,000 peer-reviewed studies highlight its wide-ranging benefits. At Avanto° Wellness, we use red and NIR light to help people feel and perform at their best. It can improve skin tone, ease aches and inflammation, boost brain function, and increase energy at a cellular level. Beyond everyday health, it can also make a real difference to exercise performance and recovery – helping you train harder, recover faster, and feel stronger.
Before training: Boosts ATP production, exercise performace and mitochondrial activity. (Aver Vanin A et al., 2016)
After training: can support an increase in muscle mass gained after training, and decrease inflammation and oxidative stress
without interfering with adaptations. (Ferraresi C et al., 2016)
Anytime: Promotes skin health, wound healing, and reduces inflammation.
Your Personalised Protocol
For Maximum Performance:
Ice bath: 30 minutes before high-intensity training for 2-5 minutes at 5-10°C
Red light therapy: 12 minutes using our Avanto° “Energy” preset
Train as normal
Sauna: 15-25 minutes post-exercise at 60-70°C
For Muscle Growth Focus:
Ice bath: 30 minutes before training (increases testosterone, power, and strength output)
Train with enhanced performance capacity
Sauna: post-exercise for enhanced adaptations and growth hormone response
Red light therapy: post-exercise for recovery support without interference
[Wait 4+ hours post-exercise, then ice bath if desired for recovery]
For Performance & Recovery:
Train as normal
Sauna: 10-15 minuntes at 45-55°C – a theraputic temp. to help balance adaptations from exercise and recovery
Ice bath: 10 minutes at 8-12°C
[Optional] Red light therapy: can be used pre or post-exercise using our Avanto° “Energy” or “Wellness” preset depending on the desired goal.
[Wait 4+ hours post-exercise, then ice bath if you want to optimise hypertrophy]
The key insight for muscle growth and performance: pre-cooling actually supports your goals by allowing you to train harder and heavier whilst boosting anabolic hormone production. The concern about blunting adaptations applies specifically to immediate post-exercise cold exposure, not pre-exercise protocols.
For Competition/High Volume:
Pre-cool before events
Ice bath immediately after for rapid recovery
Sauna when you have 24+ hours until next session
The Bottom Line
The ice bath debate isn’t about whether cold therapy works – it’s about matching the right tool to your specific goal and timing it correctly.
Cold exposure is powerful medicine, but like any medicine, dosage and timing determine whether it helps or hurts.
Want to break through performance plateaus? Try pre-cooling. Need to bounce back from intense competition? Strategic post-exercise cold therapy has your back. Building muscle? Skip the immediate post-workout ice bath, but don’t skip the sauna.
Most importantly: Listen to your body, track your results, and adjust accordingly. The best protocol is the one you can consistently execute whilst monitoring how your body responds.
Discover More
Would you like to discover how strategic cold (and heat) exposure could transform your training and recovery? I’d love to hear about your goals and help you create the perfect protocol. Contact us at Avanto° to discuss your specific needs, or join our newsletter community for science-backed wellness insights and to receive a 50% off code on your first cold plunge and sauna experience.
Do I Really Need a Personal Trainer?
Motivation or Knowledge – What’s Really Holding You Back?
The idea for this blog came to me after chatting with a lady who recently reached out for help.
Approaching sixty and newly retired, she’d spent decades in a fast-paced corporate career where her time was precious. Exercise had always been squeezed into the gaps – short bursts here and there when she could… sidenote: if you’re reading this and thinking, “I never have the time to exercise” then you need to first check this blog!
…now, with time in abundance, her days look very different: hours spent in the garden, daily walks, and some light resistance exercises in her living room.
On the surface you’d look at her routine and think: she doesn’t need a personal trainer. She’s active, balanced, and consistent.
And to an extent, I’d agree. But as our conversation developed and I reflected on her story, I realised she highlighted something I’ve seen throughout my two decades in the fitness industry: most people who benefit from personal training fall into one of two camps.
The Two Types of People Who Benefit Most From Personal Training – Which One Are You?
Camp 1: Motivated but Lacking Knowledge
This lady clearly belonged here. Driven, disciplined, and not afraid of putting in the work, but when it came to knowing which exercises to do, how to structure them, or how to make progress over time, she was lost.
55% of gym-goers admit they don’t know what they’re doing when exercising.
20% copy someone else’s workout just because they looked confident or appealing.
The majority don’t know even the basics of their health metrics:
65% don’t know their BMI.
75% are unaware of their resting heart rate.
88% don’t know their body fat percentage.
Almost half have no clear goal in mind, and of those who do, 74% don’t set a timeline for achieving it.
So while motivation may not be the issue, using your time effectively is. That’s where structured guidance makes all the difference. Camp 2: Knowledgeable but Lacking Motivation
The second camp is the opposite. Thanks to YouTube, Instagram, and AI-powered apps, it’s never been easier to find a diet plan or a workout routine that’s aligned to your goal(s). You can become an “expert” in just a few hours if you know where to look.
But having information isn’t the same as following it. This is where many people struggle. Research shows:
38% of adults say a lack of motivation is the main barrier to living a healthier life.
35% say they’re simply too tired to exercise.
And a survey from UKActive showed 41%of us skip the gym after a busy workday, opting for the sofa instead.
In fact, a blog I wrote earlier this year showed, even among those who join gyms full of good intentions, 50% stop attending within six months, and around 80% cancel their membership within a year.
The truth is, discipline and accountability are harder to come by than information. As one user on Reddit put it:
“I have all the tools, know exactly what to do, but I lack motivation, dedication, and conviction.”
This is where personal training steps in; not to teach you what you already know, but to keep you on track when motivation dips.
So… Do You Need a Personal Trainer?
If you recognise yourself in either of these camps, the answer is probably yes. Whether you’re motivated but unsure what to do, or knowledgeable but lacking consistency, working with a trainer gives you structure, clarity, and accountability – we all require a kick up the backside once in a while.
At Hall Personal Training, we specialise in helping people bridge this exact gap (in addition to giving them a gentle kick). Our small-group personal training and one-to-one nutrition and progress reviews combine expertise with encouragement – giving you the plan, the support, and the accountability you need to finally get results you can stick with.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about knowing what to do, it’s about having the right people and support network alongside you, to make sure you actually do it!
Fancy knowing more? Why not reach out to learn about our 30-Day Accelerator Programme – an all-in-one approach that combines coaching, nutrition, and accountability. It’s designed to get you up off the couch, accelerate your progress, and set you firmly on the path to your goals…
Introducing Avanto° – Oxfordshire’s New Hub for Recovery, Resilience & Longevity
The Science of Cold, Heat & Light: Why We’re Launching Avanto° in Deddington
At Hall Personal Training, we’ve always been about performance and progression. But thriving isn’t just about reps and routines, it’s about building resilience at the cellular level. That’s why we’re launching Avanto°, a cutting-edge wellness & recovery space in Deddington, opening 12th August, and open to everyone – not just Hall Training members.
Avanto° brings together the power of cold plunge, infrared sauna, and red light therapy, three proven tools designed to improve your physical and mental well‑being via contrast therapy and hormesis.
Why Avanto°? The Power of Hormesis
Our modern environment has become too comfortable – heated homes, climate control, convenience. But the human body adapts best when challenged. The practices we offer at Avanto° are based on the concept of hormesis – the idea that small, manageable stressors can make you more resilient over time.
Think of it like a workout for your nervous system and cells. When done safely and consistently, exposure to cold, heat, or light creates a hormetic effect that:
Triggers powerful healing responses
Improves mitochondrial function
Regulates stress hormones
Builds tolerance to discomfort and emotional stress
It’s not just about short-term recovery, it’s about long-term adaptation.
“Hormesis is a fundamental biological principle where what doesn’t kill you – in the right dose – makes you stronger.” – Mattson, M.P. (2008).
1. Infrared Sauna
What is it?
Infrared saunas use light to heat your body directly (rather than heating the air like traditional saunas), allowing for a more tolerable and deeper sweat at lower temperatures.
How it works:
Infrared waves penetrate the skin, increasing core body temperature and stimulating circulation, detoxification, and cellular repair. It also activates heat shock proteins, known to support longevity and immune health.
Science-backed benefits:
Multiplestudies now show a 25–50% reduction in cardiovascular mortality for those using saunas 4‑7 times/week. Compared to once per week: hazard ratio for fatal CVD events drops to ≈0.23–0.37.
Improved Cardiovascular Health & Longevity: Regular sessions increase circulation, lower blood pressure, and improve heart function and artieral stiffness – mimicking the effects of moderate exercise. Even in individuals with high inflammation markers (hsCRP) – regular sauna mitigates that risk. (Tanjaniina Laukkanen, et al. 2018)
Reduced Pain & Inflammation: Infrared heat can ease joint and muscle pain by increasing cytokine Interferon. Infrared has also been shown to activate heme oxygenase-1, an enzyme that produces antioxidants – making it popular for arthritis, pain management and recovery. (Lin CC, Liu XM. et al. 2008)
Improve Cognitive Health: Studies show consistent sauna use is linked to reduced risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. (Laukkanen et al. 2015)
Common myth: “Infrared saunas are unsafe and cook you from the inside”
Yes; infrared and micro-wavelengths are neighbours on the electromagnetic spectrum but they’re totally different!
Microwaves heat food by agitating water molecules at very high frequencies, causing friction.
Infrared saunas use gentle, naturally occurring light waves – like sunlight without the UV – that safely warm the body from within . The heat is soothing, not aggressive, and doesn’t “cook” you.
It’s more like basking in the warmth of the sun on your skin – not being reheated like leftovers
2. Cold Plunge Therapy
What is it?
Cold water immersion involves submerging your body in water below 12-15°C for a short period, typically 1 to 5 minutes.
How it works:
Cold exposure activates your sympathetic nervous system, spikes norepinephrine, reduces inflammation, and improves vascular tone. It also triggers brown adipose tissue, which helps regulate metabolism and heat production.
Science-backed benefits:
Boosts mental performace & clarity: Cold exposure triggers the release of powerful neurochemicals like norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine, which can increase by 250 – 530% during and after immersion. These catecholamines enhance focus, alertness, and mood, making you feel sharper, more energised, and mentally resilient. (L. Jansky et al. 1996)
Improves metabolic health & metabolism: Regular cold water immersion stimulates brown fat – a type of fat that helps increase energy production and stimulates UCP-1 that turns excess energy into heat, increasing metablic rate by 350%. (P Srámek et al. 2000)
Improves physical performance & recovery: Cold water immersion has been shown to support faster recovery following high-intensity or endurance exercise. Short immersions (<5 minutes) can improve muscle power, reduce soreness, and lower levels of circulating creatine kinase – a marker of muscle damage – making it a powerful tool for physical recovery. (Moore et al. 2022)
Common myth: “Women shouldn’t do cold exposure”
It’s a physiological fact, women do feel cold more intensely than men. They begin shivering at higher temperatures, their skin cools faster and report discomfort quicker. But this heightened sensitivity doesn’t mean weakness. Instead, it reflects a fundamentally different physiological response to cold. In fact, once ‘cold adapted’ women are better at maintaining the cold benefits with less physiological stress compared to me. (Kaikaew et al. 2018)
3. Red Light Therapy (Photobiomodulation)
What is it?
Red light therapy (RLT), also known as photobiomodulation (PBM) or low-level light therapy (LLLT), uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light (600–1200nm) to stimulate beneficial biological processes – especially in the mitochondria, the powerhouse of your cells.
How it works:
Red and NIR light target three key mechanisms:
Red and NIR light helps to “unblock” cytochrome c oxidase – a key enzyme in energy production – by displacing nitric oxide and enhancing ATP (energy) production by up to 70%. (De Freitas and Hamblin 2023)
It activates a growth factor known as, Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1 (TGF-β1), crucial for healing and regeneration. A Journal study of Clinical Laser Medicine & Surgery found that red light therapy accelerated wound healing by an average of 36% compared to controls within 30 days.
Red and NIR stimulate non-visual pain receptors – like TRPV1- to reduce pain and inflammation. (Gupta et al. 2013)
These primary mechanisms of action trigger a cascade of other downstream cellular and systemic benefits.
Science-backed benefits:
Reduces Pain: Red light therapy can modulate cytokine activity, decrease pro-inflammatory markers and promote the expression of anti-inflammatory markers, which helps alleviate pain associated with inflammatio. A review published in Pain Research and Management, red light therapy was reported to provide significant pain relief ranging from 20% to 70% in various conditions, such as musculoskeletal disorders, joint pain, and chronic low back pain. (Gupta et al. 2013)
Improves ATP Production and Cellular Energy: Red and NIR light stimulates Cytochrome C Oxidase (CCO) a main mitochondrial target for light therapy. Illuminating it with red/NIR light can enhance cellular respiration and energy production, mainly by freeing CCO from NO inhibition, which can increase ATP production by up to 70% in certain cell types. (De Freitas and Hamblin 2023)
Improves cognnitive function: Red and NIR light can influence cognitive function, mood, and even neuroprotection. When applied to the head, RLT can improve focus, memory & reaction time. Reduce symptoms of depression & anxiety and increase cerebral blood flow.This is likely due to enhanced mitochondrial activity in neurons and increased nitric oxide release, which boosts brain energy and oxygenation. (Cassano et al. 2016)
Common myths: “Red light damages your eyes.”
False – research shows the opposite. A 3-minute exposure to 670nm red light has been shown to restore mitochondrial function in the aging retina and improve colour contrast vision for up to a week. (Shinhmar et al., 2021)
“It works better in the sauna or while exercising.”
Actually, combining RLT with heat reduces its effectiveness. Heat and sweat interfere with light absorption and disrupt the cellular pathways RLT is meant to activate (Hamblin & Arany). For best results, it should be used when the body is cool and dry.
The Avanto° Experience
At Avanto°, we combine cold, heat, and light into a personalised experience. Whether you’re popping in for a quick plunge, layering light with sauna for recovery, or coming for a thirty or 60-minute contrast session, our space is calm, private, and designed to help you feel calm through contrast.
We’re excited to open Avanto° to the entire Oxfordshire and Cotsworld community, not just Hall Training members. You don’t need a gym membership – you just need the intention to feel better (and get out of your comfort zone a little).
If you would like to be among the first to experience it, and receive 50% off your first two sessions, join our Avanto° Heimo (tribe) newsletter and be the first in-line when we go live!
You can also follow us on Instagram@Avanto.Wellness for updates, education, and launch news.
The Truth About Habits: Why Routines Win
Why You’re Struggling to Build Habits (And What to Do Instead)
5:45 am: I wake up, head downstairs, and reach for a hydrogen tablet with half a litre of water. I empty last night’s dishwasher, sterilise baby bottles, and add 15 drops of methylene blue into another half litre of water.
Then I brave a 3½‑minute cold plunge. While I’m in there, I soak two mugs in hot water. Once out, I spend 8 minutes under red light therapy. After that, I make coffee for me and my wife and take it back upstairs. By 6:25 am, we’re sipping in bed—and by 7:00 am, the kids burst in and our day begins.
When I tell people about my morning routine, the response is almost always something like:
“You do that every day? I wish I could get into the habit of waking up early… or doing ice baths…”
Or: “You drink a litre of water first thing? I keep meaning to drink more water, but I always forget…”
Sound familiar?
When people set out to get fitter, eat better, or feel more in control of their day, they often say things like:
“I just need to get into the habit of exercising…”
“I want to build the habit of eating more protein…”
“If I could just remember to drink more water…”
But here’s the catch: trying to build a habit for something that requires effort, intention, or discomfort often sets you up for disappointment.
The truth is, I haven’t developed a habit of waking up early or doing cold plunges. What I’ve built is a routine – and that’s a big difference.
Habits vs. Routines
We often use the words interchangeably, but there’s a crucial distinction.
A habit is a behaviour done with little or no conciuos thought. A routine is a series of behaviours that are intentional and repeated with effort.
This is backed up by experts like Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable, who warns that many people fail to make lasting change because they try to form habits before building routines.
Routines are what come first – the deliberate, structured behaviours we repeat. Over time, and only sometimes, they might evolve into habits. But not always, and that’s okay.
Trying to shortcut this process leads to frustration. We blame ourselves, thinking we lack discipline, when in fact, all we were doing is following flawed advice.
Why Routines Require Effort
Getting out of bed before sunrise, jumping into a cold plunge, cooking a protein-rich breakfast – these all take conscious thought. Even if they get easier with time, they rarely become truly effortless.
Routines, unlike habits, are often uncomfortable. They all involve a level of discomfort. They go against the grain of what your body wants in the moment – we like being comfortable. They require conscious thought, deliberate effort, and a degree of internal friction.
Compare that to brushing your teeth or making your morning coffee – things that feel strange not to do. Those are habits. But anything that offers delayed gratification – exercise, healthy eating, mindfulness – likely won’t ever feel that automatic.
That’s why chasing the idea of building a habit before building a routine is often setting yourself up to fail.
So How Do You Build a Routine That Sticks?
According to behavioural research and neuroscience, including insights from Harvard Business School, there are three key strategies:
Set Rules, Not Just Intentions We’re often told to “set clear intentions.” But the problem with intentions is they’re vague, flexible, and easy to ignore. They leave too much room for negotiation — both from others and yourself.Instead, set rules.
Rules carry more weight. They feel firmer, more established – and we tend to obey them. While some might argue that rules sound restrictive, the truth is: people respect rules. They don’t respect vague intentions.
For example, don’t just say: “I want to drink more water.”
Say: “I drink 500ml of water as soon as I wake up.”
Likewise, don’t intend to go to the gym three times a week – make it a rule! “I go to the gym three times a week. No matter what.”
Rules create clarity. They eliminate grey areas. They’re easier to follow, harder to argue with, and far more likely to be respected – by yourself and by others.
For example, I’ve walked at least 10,000 steps a day for over 380 days — through birthdays, Christmas, holidays, and even the birth of my son. Why? Because I made it a rule for myself: walk 10,000 steps every day. No excuses.
Be specific about what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, and why.
Reflect on your deeper reason. As Ximena Vengoechea suggests, ask yourself: “Why does this matter to me?” Knowing your why will help you push through inevitable resistance.
Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, also reminds us: “”There’s no such thing as 21 days to a habit.” Some behaviours might take weeks, others months, some never. Be patient.
Prepare for RoadblocksThink ahead: What typically stops you? Lack of time? Distractions? Mental fatigue?If you’ve failed before, learn from it. Anticipate obstacles and put systems or rules in place. Block out time in your calendar to make it a priority, and reduce decision-making, get accountability from a friend, partner or coach – Accountability is one of the biggest reasons our members keep showing up — and seeing results.
The more friction you remove in advance, the easier it becomes to follow through when energy or motivation is low.
Use Nudges and Microhabits A nudge is a small environmental cue or behaviour that supports the action you want to take.For example:
• Place a full water bottle beside your bed as a reminder to hydrate first thing.
• Lay out your gym clothes the night before.
• Set a daily reminder to book your training session.
You can also try temptation bundling – linking something you want to do with something you should do. Listen to a podcast only while walking. Have a coffee only after a cold plunge.
These small adjustments make routines feel more sustainable, and even enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
If you’re trying to adopt healthier behaviours, don’t wait for them to become automatic. Don’t wait for motivation. And don’t beat yourself up when it doesn’t feel effortless.
Instead, design a routine – one that’s built around clear intentions, realistic expectations, and small supportive nudges.
Because real change comes not from what we do on autopilot, but from the conscious actions we show up for, day in, day out.
