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After reading through the draft of my autobiography, my daughter Dawn believes everyone should write their life story, irrespective of whether or not it might ever be published.
My mother wrote her memoir for our family which turned out to be really useful as I was wracking my brain for clues to help me remember my childhood, some of which, of course, I was too young to recall.
I started writing Through Thick and Thin in 2016, after trawling through endless boxes of archive files, photographs and press cuttings. Six years on, it will finally be published next week on Thursday, 18th August.
My story tells of the challenges I have faced in my life as well as the extraordinary experiences I have loved on my journey.
The Daily Express summed up my life like this:
- ‘A sickly child not expected to survive, a chubby teenager and a binge-eating bride? The unlikely beginnings of a health and fitness legend’ – Daily Express
Often, in our Newsletter, Mary encourages us to try something new. Well, for the first time in my life, I have recorded an audio version of a book. My goodness, what a different experience that has turned out to be! I have written, proof-read and re-read this book several times but it is amazing how different it is to read it out loud with intonation, energy and emotion. It is SO much more challenging and I found myself with tears falling on my script as I recalled certain occasions or situations – something I really wasn’t expecting.
Recording an audiobook requires intense concentration as one’s own personality inevitably comes out in the story. Fortunately, I enlisted the help of Dave Andrews, a friend who has worked for BBC Radio Leicester for many years and has experience of recording and producing audiobooks. As it turned out, I couldn’t have done it without him. Dave followed the script meticulously whilst listening to every syllable and sentence I spoke, correcting me as necessary. Whilst it was quite exhausting, it was also exhilarating! I am so glad I did it.
You can imagine the feeling when the actual hardback paper version of the book arrived for the first time and I could actually hold it. This is the biggest writing project I have ever undertaken and I really want it to succeed as all my royalties from the book are going to Steps Conductive Education Centre, a charity of which I am Patron.
The book is now available in our online Shop at a specially discounted price as a hardback book and in time we will be adding the eBook and Audio Book versions. I am very happy to sign the books and write a personal message if you include the details when you place your order.
As the motivational guru, Richard Denny, said: Success is having a goal, sharing it with someone, and that what we do makes a difference. I really hope that my story will do that.
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If you would like to order a copy for delivery on the publication date just click on the banner above to go to my online shop.
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As with any new book, the publicity trail commences. The book has already been serialised in the Express and requests for interviews on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines are coming in thick and fast. Yesterday, 11th August, I was a guest on ITV’s Loose Women, and on this Sunday (14th) I will be interviewed on Good Morning Sunday at 8.15am on BBC Radio 2. The following week, (Sunday, 21st August) I will be appearing on TV again on Sunday Morning Live which starts at 10.00am on BBC One. Next week, I'm also doing the rounds of the BBC local radio stations and you can catch me on-air at the following times:
- Monday 15th
- 2.30pm TRE (Talk Radio Europe) with Selina Mackenzie
- Tuesday 16th
- 10:40am Rutland & Stamford Sounds with Rob Persani
- 11.15am BBC Radio Derby with Ian Skye
- 12.15pm BBC Radio Shropshire with Clare Ashford
- 1.15pm BBC Radio Northampton with Bernie Keith
- Thursday 18th August
- 11.40am BBC Radio London with Qasa Alom
- 12.10pm BBC Radio Guernsey with Claire Cathcart
- 2.10pm BBC Radio Leicester with Ben Jackson
Fortunately, I am able to broadcast live into the radio stations from my studio at home so I won't be tearing around the country trying to visit them all in person. I'm also pre-recording interviews for BBC Radio Stoke, Hereford & Worcester, Newcastle and Guernsey for them to broadcast over the coming week.
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Serves one. (multiply ingredients to serve more)
Per serving: 100 Calories (Approx.)
Prep time 20 mins
¼ red pepper finely sliced
2 red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 carrot peeled and finely grated
2 tablespoons canned sweetcorn
¼ yellow pepper finely sliced
1 small courgette coarsely grated including skin
Fresh garden peas from three pods
½ inch slice of cucumber, chopped
1 medium raw beetroot, peeled and grated
5 button mushrooms, chopped
- Place the prepared salad vegetables carefully in lines down a rectangular plate to create a rainbow effect. Keep similar coloured vegetables together.
- Serve with soy sauce.
- Optional: Add prawns, tuna or smoked mackerel; or cottage cheese or a hard-boiled egg; or chopped chicken or lean ham or beef; or quinoa or other grains. (The calories for these protein foods are not included)
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Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
I am still reeling from the success of the women's England football team recently. It reminds me of a lecture I used to give on a training course in the early ‘90s, when we used to bemoan the fact that there was non-existent coverage in the media of women's team sports. Football, rugby and cricket, despite having had women participating in those sports for many years (and with exceptional talent I might say), were just not seen as being important enough to be shown on television. How the world can change in just a couple of decades! Well done girls!
When the goal-scorer removed her top, I took a very deep breath but was relieved to see that she was wearing a perfectly respectable sports bra that retained a sense of decency! This got me thinking about the importance of the need for good support for all of us who are keeping up an active lifestyle. As we age it is even more important, as we lose almost all of our breast tissue, leaving us with a higher proportion of fat, which lends us no support at all.
On our recent trip to Austria, when teaching my aerobics class, one of our lovely ladies decided her bra was too uncomfortable and in the middle of class promptly removed it completely! I have to say in all my 50 years of teaching exercise this had never happened to me before, and it took a while before I could speak, as I found it totally hilarious. It was clear to see that it was not a sports bra and hence the main reason, to my mind, for her discomfort. Be assured that these specialist bras are very comfortable and well designed, and do a grand job of supporting the breast, no matter what size we are.
 There are tiny ligaments that run down the breast area called Cooper’s ligaments and they are vital in helping to maintain the shape of the breast. They lie just underneath the skin of the breast and in front of the pectoral muscles (commonly referred to as the chest muscles). As we get older this ligament can become lax causing the breasts to sag. But with the support of a specialist sports bra that fits well and by regularly doing exercises that target the chest muscles you can reduce the extent to which the breasts sag considerably!
Keeping a good posture will also help to maintain the strength of these ligaments and we have some good advice on the importance of good posture on our website. In addition, many of our exercise routines always include specific exercises that target your posture muscles. We all know that poor posture is very ageing so it is worth working on.
How to Maintain the Strength of the Cooper’s Ligament
- Press Ups. I have always rated this exercise as being the best of the bunch for upper body strength and now you know how important they are for the Cooper’s ligament you have even more reason to do them. They are included in the exercise workouts for The 28-Day Immunity Plan. Repeat in sets of 10.
- Chest Press. You will need some hand-weights for this and preferably around 2 - 3 kg in weight. Lie on your back with knees bent and a weight in each hand. Your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle and in line with your shoulders. Now push the weights up without locking the elbows and slowly lower to the start position. Breathe out to lift and in to lower. Repeat in sets of 10.
- Chest Flies. Still on your back with knees bent hold your weights above the chest with arms positioned as if hugging a large tree. Now open the arms out in line with the shoulders, breathing in, and as you lift the weights back to the start position, breathe out. Repeat in sets of 10.
A final point to make here is to try to reach and maintain your correct weight as there is no doubt that age brings on an increase in the size and make-up of the breast and being the ideal weight will help to keep that in check.
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This Week's Fitness Challenge
- On your usual daily 30-minute walk find an opportunity to do 2 sets of 10 press ups, either against a wall or on a park bench and again before you do your post-walk stretches.
- Do the Floor Weights Workout 3 times this week and add the Chest Press and the Chest Flies as described above.
- For a more relaxing workout always go to the Stretch Programme or Pilates on the website and you will be achieving what is referred to as 'Total Fitness'.
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 Did you know...
Women throughout history have used a variety of garments and devices to support, cover, restrain, reveal, or modify the appearance of their breasts.
Bra or bikini-like garments are depicted in the art of female athletes of the Minoan civilization as early as the 14th century BC! By the 14th century AD the proto-bra was in development in Europe and from approximately the 16th century AD onward,  the undergarments of wealthier women in the Western world were dominated by the corset, which supported the breasts by transferring their weight to the rib cage.
In the latter part of the 19th century, women experimented with various alternatives such as splitting the corset into a girdle-like shaping device for the lower torso and transferring the upper part to devices suspended from the shoulder.
By the early 20th century, garments more closely resembling contemporary bras had emerged, although large-scale commercial production did not occur until the 1930s. The metal shortages of World War I encouraged the end of the corset. By the time the war ended, most fashion-conscious women in Europe and North America were wearing bras.
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And finally...
I love the fact that we can all learn about our ageing body and up until reading Mary’s contribution to this Newsletter I had no idea about Cooper’s ligaments. I hope you found it as interesting as I did.
Have a fabulous week if you do decide to read my book, I hope you enjoy it.
With love and best wishes,
Rosemary Conley CBE DL
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LIVE LONGER | LIVE HEALTHIER | LIVE HAPPIER
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