THE BUZZ OF EXERCISE - BRITISH MILITARY FITNESS TRAINING AT NIGHT!

I can't say it's easy but getting up and running around with some other like-minded people is great fun.

It's been two months since I decided to try out British Military Fitness Training - exercise that gets you superfit very quickly if you stick at it. In my case a knee injury prevented me from going to every session and at times Iwondered if all the aches and pains were worth it.

Then I got on my bike which I hadn't used properly for a couple of months and discovered that the hills in London (and there are some big hills in London) were a piece of cake! It seemed like my muscles has taken on a life of their own and actually enjoyed going uphill. So it really does work. I have lost weight, my stomach has shrunk and I just feel a lot fitter and stronger.

The next hurdle for me is exercising in the colder winter months and in the dark. So I was looking forward to my latest session on Hampstead Heath with some intrepidation.

But the session last Tuesday evening was the busiest one I have particpated in. There was so many of us blues (beginners) what we were split into two groups. How do you see in the dark you may ask? Well unbelievably Hampstead Heath is not dark at all - it is illuminated by all the lights of the big City and you can see everything in lights - from the Post Office Tower to the huge office blocks. It's quite an exhilarating sight. And of course you are not alone - the trainers keep a close eye on everybody to make sure no stragglers get left behind.

Our trainers all have torches and lights on their backpacks and although we don't stick to the footpaths, the roughest terrain is avoided - but still no mercy on the exercise! After the warm up which includes running, press ups, squats, star jumps etc - we run through the heath to Parliament Hill...its not cold at all, there was a light breeze and it's a bit of a buzz seeing London from this view.

Not far down below there were some guys playing football in a floodlit court and we did some real army exercise nearby - crab walking for one and crawling through the grass - I confess at this point I decided to do lunges instead. But I promise I will do it next time....

Then is was running back on the footpaths back to the car park at Downshire Hill, off Hampsead High Street.

I can't wait for the snow!

If you want to try British Military Fitness - the first session is free, just fill out your health questionnaire it's on the web site - and bring it with you. Don't worry if you don't feel like coming alone - someone always chats to you! You can find out about the classes at http://www.britmilfit.com/.

There are also some winter training tips on line at http://www.britmilfit.com/winter_training.aspx

ANTI-AGEING LAUGHTER - CARTOON BY MIKE FLANAGAN

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ANNE BUTCHER'S DIARY OF HER DEKA SMARTXIDE NON-SURGICAL FACELIFT

Earlier this year Anne Butcher underwent the new Deka Smartxide laser skin rejuvenation.

She has kindly given us permission to publish her diary and to show the pictures of her treatment. Her diary and pictures take you through the treatment, which was carried out by Dr Aamer Khan at the Harley Street Medical Skin Clinic, and shows how lovely she looks afterwards.

Anne: Friday 29th January at 1.15pm the anaesthetic cream was applied to my face, and pain killers were given to me.

Its now 2pm and my skin is cleansed. The treatment is started. Its a hot sensation but not unbearable. After the treatment my face is covered withsun protection. By 2.45pm its all finished and I am sitting back in waiting room.

My face is going hot and cold and starting to swell slightly.By 4.00pm I am in the car on the way home and the hot feeling has stopped.

Here is a picture of Anne shortly after her treatment:

Day of SmartXide Dot laser

During the evening I cleansed my face with wipes, my face was feeling very weepy and tender, I then washed it with vinegar water as I had been instructed, and put on a cream with a paraffin base which protects your skin, it made my skin feel very comfortable.

Saturday 31st January 7.00am – Woke up eyes almost shut, face very swollen, cleansed my face vinegar water, you would think this would sting but it did not, infact it stopped my face from weeping. Then applied more of the protective cream. I have not had to take any pain killers. By midday my skin was feeling very tight and weepy, again cleansed with vinegar water followed with the cream. Eyes almost closed I slept a lot as I could not focus properly to read or watch the TV. All through the day and evening I cleansed my face every 2 hours with the vinegar water, then applied protective cream.






Sunday 1st February 6.15am – Woke up and went and washed my face with vinegar water and applied cream, went back to bed, still very swollen.

12 noon - Got up washed with vinegar water and cream, swelling has gone down quite a lot, eyes not so tight, not weeping so much feel a lot better, no pain. Just tender when cleansing my face, I am now looking lobster red my skin has started to peel today. By the evening I stopped using vinegar water as I was peeling so much, face just feels tender, much less swelling. Cleansing with wipes, still applying cream regularly.






Monday 2nd February Looking a lot better! But still extremely red, peeling excessively.

Used wipes to gently cleanse my face. I am still using the paraffin based cream. As the day progressed my eyes felt a lot better not so tender and no weeping, I am improving all the time and the redness starting to tone down slightly.

Tuesday 3rd February Looking even better still rather red.
Peeling like mad, cleansing and applying cream. Still slightly swollen.

Wednesday 4th February Peeling an awful lot kept on applying cream every two hours. Still red but starting to see signs of redness calming down.


Thursday 5th February Much better today started to use CCLIft serum & B’Time cream. Put some make up on my eyes, started to feel like myself, still peeling like mad.



Friday 6th February A week today – still very red at times but can make up my eyes and use mineral make up. I still need to cleanse and I am applying the B’time cream and the CCLift serum, although they are not really sinking in just laying on top, but still not bad for only one week.


Saturday 7th February Went out of the first time, still putting creams on every 4 hours, near enough back to normal but still covering up the redness. I am very impressed with the results so far, I really do look like I have had a face lift.

Only 7 days after her treatment - Anne's face is firmer and lifted - and by the way is Anne is not smiling for the sake of consistency in the photographs!

Pictures courtesy of The Harley Street Medical Skin Clinic, 96 Harley Street, London W1. www.harleystreetskin.co.uk Laser resurfacing costs from £1,200

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HOW I TOOK TEN YEARS OFF MY SKIN AGE WITH THE NEW DEKA SMARTXIDE DOT LASER

Two months ago I underwent a laser facial rejuvenation treatment with the new DEKA SmartXide Dot Laser.

This was not a treatment that I undertook lightly as lasers skin resurfacing is a very painful treatment and usually requires at weeks off work while the skin heals.

But the Harley Street Skin Clinic’s new generation machine, operated by the very skilled Dr Aamer Khan, achieves the same result without the downtime in less than a week.

In this treatment the skin is “pixilated” with the laser – but skin rejuvenation is just as good as the lasers which completely resurface the skin with the benefits of less pain and less downtime.

Although my skin was in relatively good condition but the sags and jowls were beginning and the overall appearance of my skin was deteriorating with my pores getting larger.

First of all Dr Khan examined the current state and condition of my skin using a machine which measures the underlying damage – I had quite a lot from the sun which was evident as masses of freckle-like blotches beneath the skin. He told me that the treatment would reduce the sun damage, shrink my pores and generally rejuvenate the collagen.

The surface of my skin was treated with a topical gel aesthetic and also several pain-killing injections before the laser treatment which lasted about an hour. It was painful – a bit like sun burn. But the worst was over by the next day. There was some swelling but no bleeding or weeping which you can get with the deeper lasers. And I didn't need to take the painkillers I had been given.

Day by day my skin improved with the redness fading by day three.

Its been two months now and my skin is looking better every day – the regeneration of the underlying collagen continues for several months, I am told. My skin is tighter and firmer around the jawline and the photo analysis shows that the underlying sun damage has been virtually eradicated and the pore size has shrunk by two thirds. Everything has lifted – even my sagging upper eyes.

But I let my friends be the judge. “Your skin looks amazing!" Is what they are saying.” I am so pleased that I could get this effect without surgery – my face is the same – just a lot younger.

Now all I need to do is get the body to go with the face!

Laser resurfacing at The Harley Street Skin Clinic costs from £1,200

Dr Aamer Khan at the Harley Street Skin Clinic, www.harleystreetskin.co.uk For nationwide availability of Deka SmartXide Dot contact: 0207 514 5104

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