It’s been really positive doing these Q&A sessions, and I’ve had some great feedback. Most people are too embarrassed the ask questions that they think are silly – but the only silly question is the one that you don’t ask! If you have a question, please get in touch, and I can guarantee that someone out there has wanted to ask the same thing.

I’m finally getting towards the end of the list of questions, so I need some more from you guys to help me out.

I crave sweets after a workout – why does that happen, and what can I do about it?

Craving sugar basically means that your body has been burning glucose to get the energy for your workout (glucose is another name for sugar). Once you finish, your body’s natural reaction is to try and replenish the glucose stores, through sweet stuff.

By eating a balanced meal – or at least a good snack – afterwards, you can get your blood sugar level back to where it needs to be and stop yourself from giving in to temptation.

You can have a piece of fruit to get some naturally occurring sugar, and make sure you have a good source of protein too.

If you do decide to indulge yourself, just don’t get into the habit – my favourite is a fun-size bag of gummy bears!

What causes a bad run? I recently went out and had cramps, felt exhausted and ended up walking – why?

Unfortunately, there are so many reasons for a bad run or a bad workout but don’t let it knock your confidence.

Firstly, I’d look at the amount of training you’re doing – are you overtraining? Making sure you get enough rest and recovery is so important. Think about the food and drink you had in the days leading up to the bad run, as this can effect how well your training goes.

It’s important to stay hydrated and make sure you get enough sleep, although this isn’t always possible.

Remember, you’re only human and these things will occur. Try and forget about it as much as possible, and treat each workout as a new day. If you have a few bad runs in a short period of time, think about taking a few days off training completely and let your body recover – although it feels weird, it’ll help out in the long-run.

How important are recovery days in my programme?

I can’t stress enough how important recovery is.

If you have a pre-written programme, the recovery days are put in there for a reason. Make sure you enjoy them, and then train at the right intensity for the other sessions. If your programme involves weight training, your muscles need sufficient rest to make sure you get the most out of your session – the muscles get damaged through training, and the rest period (coupled with protein and adequate hydration) encourage the muscles to repair themselves.

It might feel weird not training at all, so why not try going for a long walk or a swim? These are low impact and can help you relax as well.

If you have any more questions, or need any more information please feel free to get in touch via email or Facebook.