9th May 2018 | Nottingham

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Manager’s Welcome

Who doesn’t love May? The weather is getting better, we’re treated to two bank holidays AND to top it all, there’s a Royal Wedding in the middle of it!

We’ve teamed up with the charity Tackle Prostate Cancer whose campaign “Cycle to the moon, Save a dad” has caught our attention. The challenge is to cycle 250 miles in a month which is just 0.1% of the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Information is available in club and within the newsletter or you can speak to Jackie in club. We’ve also got something extra special planned which we know all you cyclists will be on board with so keep your eyes peeled.

Now that the weather is hopefully improving, why not bring the kids down to our new football coaching sessions which take place on a Saturday morning from 9 – 10am. All abilities are welcome and the session is available for 4 to 10 year olds. Contact Canoville Coaching for more information.

We would like thank you for your patience while our changing room refurb continues. We know it hasn’t been plain sailing but hopefully the end result will be worth it.

We’d also like to thank you for your support of the new membership system we’ve had installed. The install has taken place to account for new changes in data protection regulations. We know there has been some concern over why you should present your membership card when making a purchase from our club lounge. The Club Lounge transaction goes through your account, by swiping your card/entering your name, to give you the member purchase price.  We may in future have member and non-member pricing as guests and third party users such as Hot Pod Yoga and non-members who are part of our swim programme, can use the Club Lounge and purchase food and drink but our intention is to provide our members with preferential rights over non-members. 

The new system also gives us exciting future opportunities which will enable us to provide significant member enhancements such as cashless purchases and electronic loyalty cards for additional member benefits. Again, this can only happen when the transactions go through the members account. We have yet to decide what functions we will enable as it is very early into our journey with the new system however we are keen to explore more features than we have been able to do previously and can assure you of the system's safety.

And finally,don't forget to click on the links provided to update your communication preferences with us. In line with new GDPR regulations we are unable to send you this monthly email newsletter from next month unless you opt-in for us to do so. So don't let this be the last newsletter that you receive!

Happy May!                                  

Julie Bowley and the Roko Nottingham Team 

Fitness News

THE CORE COMPARISON
We delve into the nitty gritty of two of the top core training moves...Are you a cruncher or a planker?!

They are the two most popular core training moves, but do they produce the same results? Here the crunch and the plank are put to the test. If you’re keen to find the smartest way to work your abs – and enjoy the increased stability, and lower risk of injury that comes from a strong core – here’s where you’ll find it.

Plank versus crunch
• The crunch is a dynamic movement. It’s a spinal flexion – a forward bend of the spine.
• The plank is a static hold. An isometric contraction of the muscles of the spine.

What muscles do you work?
• Both the crunch and the plank engage the rectus abdominis (the 6 pack muscles) and the obliques (these run down either side of your body, your waist). However, the plank also targets the erector spinae (a big muscle that runs down either side of your spine), the glutes (your bottom), hip flexors, quads (front of the thigh) and deltoids (shoulders).

Why we love these moves
• The crunch is great for isolated conditioning.
• The plank provides increased activation of target muscles and functional strength benefits.

Science shows...
In 2013 the Les Mills research team explored which type of abdominal exercise – isolation or integration – provokes the greater muscle activation. This study highlighted:
• A plank with hand reach gives 20 percent more rectus abdominis activation than a crunch.
• A plank with a knee lift toward the opposite side of the chest increases rectus abdominis activation by 30 percent and external Oblique activation by 20 percent.

THE VERDICT: the plank is the winner

While the humble crunch can work wonders for your core, the plank provides optimal results when it comes to aiding sports performance, rehab and general fitness. So, if you really want to maximize the benefits of your core training the increased muscle activation you get with a plank means it’s the way to go. 

When to choose crunches over the plank
If you have weak wrists or shoulders choosing to challenge your core with crunches may be the best bet.

Technique tips: what to watch out for
During crunches it can be tempting to place your hands behind your head and as a result you can pull forward on your head. This can be avoided if you keep your fingertips at your temples. You should also always keep your chin tucked gently towards your chest.

If, during a plank, your butt is too high in the air the effectiveness of the plank will be reduced. To get the most from this movement you need to keep your body in a long straight line and make sure your butt is down and in line with the shoulders.

The perfect plank prescription
• If you’re new to planking we suggest you start by aiming for three 30 second holds.
• When you’re ready to increase the intensity add knee lifts and hand reaches.

Why not speak to a member of our Fitness Team who can prescribe a host of other exercises to complement your training and fitness goals.

FITNESS FOR CHARITY

Cycle 250 miles for Tackle Prostate Cancer From the 14 May – 11 June

Our gym challenge this summer is all for Charity and to give you a goal for your fitness! If you have the pedal power we want you to commit to raising funds for the charity Tackle Prostate Cancer.

We are asking members to cycle 250 miles in a 4 week period, that’s 62.5 miles per week and .1% of 250,000 miles (the distance between us and the moon!). With the weather getting warmer it can either be on your trusty road, mountain or hybrid bike or on one of the bikes in the gym.  You can even using your CYCLonE class and clock up the miles!

There are two ways in which you can raise money for your event:

Set up a fundraising page on MyDonate. This is just like JustGiving but MyDonate does not take any commission so more of the funds you raise will come to us. You can easily see who has sponsored you and your supporters are automatically thanked. But you can of course thank them personally as well if you want.

Or use a sponsorship form(available from Jackie Cunningham). If you prefer to use a form that people can fill out to support you, then this is the one for you.

Please help us to support this Charity!

Exciting new products coming your way!

Look out over the next few weeks for the Nutramino reps in Club sampling some new products that will shortly be available for you to purchase. We have a number of new and exciting products that are going to be launched

Remember our current range of shakes and bars are available from the vending machine in the club lounge.

Swimming News

The new swim term starts Monday 21st May and if you haven’t already had it, you will soon receive your child's re-enrolment form and recommendations for the coming term. We’ve recently upgraded our membership system in club and we will need to take a few more details than normal from you when registering your child for the new term so if you’re intending to pay before one of your lessons, please allow some extra time for this.

Kid's Activities

EXCLUSIVE ROKO MEMBERS DISCOUNT AVAILABLE
“1st Innings” Little Wickets for Pre-School Girls & Boys from 2 ½
Roko Nottingham on Friday Mornings

More than just learning to bat, bowl and field, Little Wickets sows the seeds for a lifelong passion for sport. ‘The Spirit of Cricket’ is at the heart of everything we do.

Kids have so much fun they don’t even realise the self-confidence & positive life skills they are learning. Fun warm-up games, skill based activities & soft ball cricket games focus on the ‘FUNdamentals of Movement’, to develop the kids hand/eye co-ordination, individual skills, physical fitness, a sense of team work & fair play. The coaches always encourage the kids to join in as independently as possible, but their grown-ups can join in as much or as little as they feel is necessary. Most importantly the emphasis is always on joining in and having fun!

Advance Block Booking Only backed by our Newcomer’s Guarantee

Don’t forget to tell Little Wickets your Roko Membership Number to secure your exclusive Roko Members Discount at the Friday Roko Sessions!

For more info:
E: info@littlewickets.com T: 0115 924 8476
www.littlewickets.com
Be our Friends on Facebook (Little Wickets) and twitter (@littlewickets)

Football Coaching

We’ve teamed up with Canoville Coaching who will be running sessions every Saturday morning during term time. 9 till 10am for ages 4 to 10 yrs
£5 for the hour
Boys & girls of all abilities welcome.

Contact for more information:
Office No. 01158 749719
Email: office@canovillecoaching.com
Website: www.canovillecoaching.com

The Joshua Tree

April was Aveda Earth Month…
A big thank you to all our customers who helped raise Money during April, we are currently finalising our totals. If you would like to contribute a donation, our Aveda Earth month charity is Water Aid and our local charity is Haywood house, you can do so over the next week. Our Raffle will be announced on our Facebook page.

Treatment focus OPI Manicure & Pedicure
Get ready for summer with OPI Infinite Shine nail polish. Here at the Joshua Tree, we use the best of the best, OPI infinite shine is the next best polish to be using this summer! Choose from an array of summer colours.

HotPod News

‘tis the season for the 4 day week, May, how we love you….

If the Roko building is open, then so are we at Hotpod West Bridgford.

Classes are on as usual, it’s only the bank holiday Mondays 7am and 8pm that won’t be running.

Our intro offer for newcomers is a great deal and runs all year long: 

3 classes over 14 days for £13.50

with your Roko member discount.

Message notts@hotpodyoga.com if you haven’t claimed your personal discount code yet.

…. and keep an eye out for our new weekly Instagram draw!

Every Friday, a chance to win a free class for you and a friend to attend that weekend. 

Just tag a friend and we will announce the winner later that day.

Not already following us on Instagram?  We are @hotpodyoganotts

If you want to learn more about our schedule either download our app Hotpod Yoga or head on over to https://hotpodyoga.com/uk/yoga-classes/west-bridgford and if you prefer to talk to a real person, call Sarah on 07958 466 019.

Hope to see you in the pod soon.

Adjust Massage

Have you been affected by hip pain or pain in your buttock? Check out our blog which details how sports massage can help relieve pain and tightness in your hip muscles.

Early Mornings, Late Nights, Weekends - don’t forget our team of qualified therapists have appointments before work, after work and at weekends to suit all schedules! BOOK NOW

Don’t forget that as a Roko member you get 10% off our treatments at Roko as standard.

Get more Active with Biomechanics Testing 

Suffering from persistent pain that is getting in the way of your training or day-to-day life? Then biomechanics testing may just be the answer. Check out our latest biomechanics blog to learn more on how we can help you to move better.

CALLING ALL GOLFERS - we will soon be offering Golf Biomechanics Assessments - watch this space.