Want to get fit? Don’t have the time, the money or the inclination to get all hot and sweaty? Then let P+HS’s resident personal trainer help.
 

Try these simple exercises to get your new year’s resolution kick started.  ‘The Five Tibetan Rites’ are a series of five yoga postures that are purported to, amongst other things, increase your energy levels, improve your strength and flexibility, help weight loss and be the secret elixir of youth.  I can’t comment on the last but I have anecdotal evidence of the first three effects.  They take only 10 minutes each morning and you even get a little lie down at the end.
 

Repeat each of the following exercises a maximum of 21 times (start off substantially lower) before continuing on to the next.  Throughout each exercise pull in your navel and tense your perineum (as if stopping yourself going to the toilet)

The first exercise is a little strange but is a vital part of the routine. 

• Stand tall with arms outstretched at shoulder height and palms facing down. 
• Spin as fast (or slow) as is comfortable in a clockwise direction for the desired number of repetitions.

• Lie on your back with your hands by your sides.
• Breathe in lifting your legs as straight as possible up to 90 degrees whilst lifting your head so that your chin touches your chest (the pulling in of the navel is particularly important here to help protect the back and prevent doming of the abdominals).
• Breathe out, returning to the start position.

• Kneel upright (thighs at 90 degrees to the floor) with hands resting on your buttocks and chin touching your chest.
• Breathe in, arching back whilst tipping your head back and squeezing your elbows together.
• Breathe out, returning to the start position. 
• After completing your repetitions curl yourself into a ball with your forehead touching the floor to briefly stretch your back. 

• Sit upright with your legs outstretched in front of you with your hands, palms down and fingers forward, by your hips and your chin touching your chest.
• Breathe in lifting your hips in the air, whilst bending your knees so that you end up in a ’tabletop’ position with your head tipped back.
• Tense all your muscles momentarily.
• Breathe out, returning to the start position. 

• Start in a lowered press-up position with your hands by your chest and elbows by your side (if you can’t hold your whole body off the floor then rest on your knees).
• Breathe in whilst rolling your chest forward and up through your arms so that you are arching your back whilst looking at the ceiling (‘upward dog’).
• Breathing out raise your hips to the ceiling so that you are in an inverted ‘V’ position looking between your legs (‘downward dog).
• Whilst momentarily in this position straighten your legs and arms, push your heels to the floor and raise those hips trying to straighten your back.
• Still on the outward breath bend your arms, lowering yourself down to the starting position flowing into the next repetition. 

At the end of all five exercises take a moment to lie down and relax slightly before continuing your day.  Try this meditation technique.

• Lie on your back with your hands by your sides, palms facing up and your eyes closed.
• Take time to feel all of your muscles sinking into the floor as they relax. 
• Once relaxed focus on the following points in turn for at least five breaths each (the longer the better) trying to imagine a localised point of energy.  If your mind drifts or you get distracted don’t worry simply return your focus to the point again: Perineum, Navel, Solar Plexus, Breastbone, Throat, Behind Eyes, Top of Head.
• Now feel the energy flow around your body in a ‘Ready Brek’ glow kind of way.
• Rub your hands together as if washing them, ‘wash’ your face, open your eyes and slowly get up.

Try to do this routine at least five days a week, ideally in the morning for maximum effect.  Enjoy

Ok, so we may have adapted the coolwall idea from a certain BBC motoring show, but the BD has also pinched the concept. Keep up to date and have your say!

have a look  

A ‘living draft’ of new planning guidance on managing flood risk has been published as a support document to PPS 25 (Development and Flood Risk), which was released in December. The new document is presented as both interim guidance and a consultation on the final guidance note.

The Communities Department says it is planning a series of regional workshops in partnership with the RTPI to help planners understand how PPS25 should work in practice. It seems that the government’s decision to produce PPS statements in a much slimmer format then the old PPGs is creating a need for additional explanation. The Practice Guide, which is mainly concerned with flood risk assessment, is here.

The Welsh Assembly has dramatically upped the sustainability stakes by setting a zero carbon target for all new buildings by 2011 – five years ahead of the UK government’s recently-announced target for zero carbon homes.

Despite reports of scepticism from some quarters, failure would prove a major embarrassment for the assembly, which has made high performance buildings the headlining policy of its emerging climate change strategy.

First of all, the assembly needs to take responsibility for its own Building Regulations, currently set by Whitehall. Environment minister Carwyn Jones says the assembly is in the process of opening discussions with the UK government over devolution of the regulatory framework.

‘Once these regulations are devolved, it will allow us to move further and faster on achieving zero carbon on all new buildings in Wales,’ Jones said.

Architects working in Wales will see the effect of the new policy stance immediately, however. As a first step, the assembly has decided that all new buildings funded by the devolved government must be built to the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard, the highest benchmark currently available. This is set to become a core condition of all new projects within six months.

The assembly’s zero carbon ambition is all the more challenging because it applies to all new buildings, not just new homes. The UK government has so far committed to a series of Part L revisions for housing – starting with a 25% improvement in 2010 – but has not given any parallel commitments to offices and workplaces.

[RIBA Practice Bulletin No. 386]

View from 1st Floor ward into Therapy Garden and Multi-Faith Space

Artwork in the central cafe combines colours used in each of the hospital wards, creating exciting and easy wayfinding around the building.

  I wanted my first blog post to be something positive but this eye-wateringly ugly image from the front cover of today’s BD magazine has provoked me into type.  The arrogance of this ’distinctive contemporary design’ is startling.  I can’t believe that many architects think this building has sufficient merit to be on the front cover of a national publication either but it does prove the value of a good PR firm.

de Blacam + Meagher’s Cork Institute of Technology

Source: Architecture Today, Issue 175 Feb 2007