Contraindication is a long word with a simple meaning: a reason you shouldn’t receive a particular treatment, such as a massage. There are local contraindications—things like a small wound—that shouldn’t be massaged directly, but that don’t mean you can’t still get a perfectly good massage on other parts of your body. Then there are general contraindications, or situations in which you shouldn’t get a massage at all.

This is a subject that has been on my radar for a few years now, but it's only started to gather momentum following Blue Planet 2. I really enjoyed watching parts of it, but I am total woose and can only handle so much animal trauma. Those poor bloody penguins!!!

A few weeks ago, I got to thinking about my exercise, and what I do to keep fit, and more importantly, what I enjoy doing to maintain my fitness levels.

Here's a heads up.  Sometimes when it comes to diet and exercise, I do actually have the attention span of a goldfish.

Change is in the air!  Autumn is rolling in, now it's October.  The light gets a little more golden in the afternoon at this time of the year, and Scotland can really show off if she chooses to,  if you take to the hills.

Whatever you are doing, including about to read this... stop and take 5 deep breaths.

Here's what has just happened in your body, Venus (no oxygen) blood has been taken into the right side of your heart, which then fires it onto the lungs to pick up oxygen and become arterial blood (bright red), then the left side of the heart fires it all around the body.