Personal Best

If you find Christmas Eve a bit mad busy and stressful, why not let Gillian Russell and the Personal Best team help you to chill? This week our gift to you is half an hour of total relaxation ... a chance to escape! Fancy being “in the moment” but no idea how to get there? Jan Barclay from Rejuvenate Your Mind guides us through a Christmas meditation…

To get into the festive spirit, this week Gillian Russell and the Personal Best team are all about giving and receiving … but not necessarily the things in life that can be gift-wrapped! What health and wellbeing gift would you give to others, what would you like to receive yourself … and what gift would you give to your younger self? Photographer Alex Rotas, author and expert on the power of the mind Dr David Hamilton, chef Graeme Pallister and regular listener Susanne Powell discuss their literal and metaphorical gifts – from laughter to good health, from companionship to a night out dancing, from yoga to courage, from time to zany running leggings. With further ideas from Living Street’s Chris Thompson, style consultant Amanda Latham, former GP Juliette McGrattan, psychologist Alan Gow, lecturer Paul Kelly, newbie runner Dawn Nisbet, physiotherapist Elaine Miller and Niall Elliott from Sport Scotland.

Richard Forbes meets members of the LGBT community. The programme kicks off at Whitecraigs Rugby Club where the Glasgow Alphas are warming up for a game. The players explain how taking part in the sport is good for their physical and mental health. Luke Aquilina goes for a run on the streets of the capital with Al Hopkins from the Edinburgh Frontrunners, who says there are things all sports clubs could do to be more inclusive. Meanwhile, down in the Borders, Gina Gordon talks about the challenges of keeping fit and active following her transition. Psychotherapist Alison Wren tells us about the benefits of coming out and why she runs a course to help people through the process. Then we take a trip to Melrose where Margaret Hart shares her story of coming out in middle age. Megan Johnson from the LGBT Health and Wellbeing Centre is doing work to reduce the stigma that older members of the community face. Some folk are finding themselves pushed back into the closet as family and carers have a bigger role in thei

Would you describe yourself as a perfectionist? Admirable high standards or impossible goals? Trying just a bit too hard for that perfect Christmas?! Gillian Russell asks whether the pursuit of perfection can actually be bad for our health and wellbeing… Dr Emily Taylor from the University of Edinburgh, who set up the Perfectionism Laboratory, describes why people strive for perfection and the impact it can have on their lives. Acting coach Mark Westbrook explains why making mistakes and experiencing failure is an important antidote to perfectionism in all walks of life and shares his tips for ensuring it doesn’t become a problem for you. Sports Psychologist Misha Botting talks about the pursuit of perfection in sport and whether it’s a good thing or not. Team GB curling skip Kyle Smith shares his experiences of perfectionism and explains how he’s worked to overcome the emotional rollercoaster it can create when you’re competing. Helen Balfour finds out why perfectionism can become a problem for stude

How important are friendships for our health, our happiness and our wellbeing? Gillian Russell asks whether, in our increasingly busy lives, we should be paying a bit more attention to them? Psychologist Dr Kirsty Miller explains why friendships are important to us as humans, the impact it can have on us if we neglect that part of our lives and how we can address the lifestyle issues that prevent us from prioritising friendships. Richard Forbes visits Befrienders Highland to find out how they help people in the community who are lonely and isolated. Dr Carolyn Parkinson from the University of California describes the research they’ve done into brain similarities amongst friends and what it means in terms of our behaviours. Eric Sinclair shares his experiences of lifelong friendships, especially in times of need. Angelika Love from Oxford University explains why diversity in friendship is important for our development, our wellbeing and our life experiences.

Gillian Russell explores how we can use music for mind, body and soul … as part of our health and fitness toolkit. Gillian visits Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to meet Tom Binns, founder of Glasgow Piano City, and Jackie Sands, Senior Arts & Health Specialist from NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, to find out about the impact “Molly” the piano is having in the hospital environment. Research Fellow Dr Emma Moore from the University of Edinburgh talks about whether music can rewire the brain. Dr Rachel Drury from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland explains how we can use music to express ourselves while colleague Dr Jill Morgan describes the impact music has on our social world and the research she’s done into how mothers and their teenagers share music. Sonia Allori explains what the Lost And Found project is all about and how the music therapy is helping people who have suffered a stroke. Nick Jedrzejewski describes the idea behind Feels FM, the world’s first online emoji-powered jukebox for

How much BALANCE is there in your life? Therapist Jan Barclay tells Gillian Russell how meditation can help us get the balance right between mind, body and soul. Physiotherapist Judith Anderson demonstrates the exercise we can do to keep ourselves balanced while instructor Suzanne Ross describes the idea behind falls prevention classes. Prof Lucy Yardley from the University of Bristol explains the science of balance and how our brains are involved in balance. Psychologist Prof Ewan Gillon talks about why getting the right work-life balance is so important for our mental health and happiness. Personal Trainer Dan Moore demonstrates how we can find a good balance between cardio and strength exercises. Donnie MacLean explains the idea behind his “balanced pizza” as a way for kids to achieve a balanced diet.

How much attention do you pay to your posture? Gillian Russell gathers together a whole heap of advice and inspiration to help us improve everything to do with our posture... Gillian visits physiotherapist Sean Webb at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to find out why good posture is so important and what steps we can take to improve it. Dr Heather Morgan from Aberdeen University talks about the impact high heels can have on our posture. Osteopath Bryan McIlwraith explains why paying attention to the positioning of our car seat, steering wheel and pedals can have a positive effect on our posture. Pierette Melville, a physiotherapist at NHS Fife who specialises in children and young people, describes the impact smart phones are having on our posture. Alexander Technique practitioner Alan Massey demonstrates why so many of us need to unpick bad habits and learn to be more mindful about how we stand and sit. Ross McDonald, President of the Scottish Chiropractic Association, shares his advice on improving our

Heading Into Winter: with the clocks about to change, Gillian Russell asks how we can best prepare mind and body to minimise the impact the long, dark days might have on our mood and our motivation? Nutritionist, author and owner of Food For Fitness Scott Baptie shares his tips on getting our food right in the winter months and demonstrates how to make a simple, nutritious sweet potato and chorizo soup… then shows Gillian what kind of exercises we can easily do at home on the days when it’s too cold and miserable to go outdoors. Author Emma Mitchell explains what immersing ourselves in nature can do for our physical and mental health and why getting creative with nature can have additional benefits. Dr Niall Elliott from Sport Scotland Institute Of Sport offers advice on how best to look after ourselves to minimise the chances of getting colds, ‘flus and other bugs as the seasons change. Judith Leask describes how she copes with Seasonal Affective Disorder at this time of year.

Gillian Russell discovers what we can learn from other cultures’ approaches to health and wellbeing and asks how we might adopt some of it into our own lives? Beth Kempton’s passion for Japan goes back more than 20 years. She explains why she embarked on a personal quest to discover more about Wabi Sabi, what ancient Japanese wisdom can teach us about our own health and wellbeing and how we could apply the gentle principles of Wabi Sabi in our own increasingly stressed lives. Chen Jie and Dai Congrong from the Confucius Institute in Edinburgh talk about the Chinese approach to health and wellbeing and its importance in their lives. Monika Pachla from the Polish community in Inverness explains why the tradition of keeping Sundays clear is important for their happiness. Helen Russell, author of The Atlas Of Happiness, takes us on a round-the-world journey to hear how other countries and cultures approach happiness, health and wellbeing.

Do you long for a good night’s sleep? Worry that you’re not getting enough? And just how much attention do you pay to your sleep hygiene? This week Gillian Russell and the Personal Best team are aiming for a PB in ZZZZZZZZZZZ… James Wilson - aka The Sleep Geek - explains why we need to prioritise sleep more, how the changing seasons can affect our nights and mornings … and offers advice on what we can easily do to improve our sleep habits. Dr Renata Riah, Consultant in Sleep & Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, describes why sleep is so important for both body and brain Chief Executive of Sleep Scotland Jane Ansell talks about the training programme they’ve developed to help teenagers sleep better. Ruth Devlin from Let’s Talk Menopause explains why so many women have sleep issues during menopause and offers some tips on how to combat them. Shift workers share their experiences of how their sleep can be affected by what they do for a living and describe the ways in which they tr

"The thief of human potential” - Gillian Russell discovers why we procrastinate and asks whether we can learn to change our ways? Antony Sammeroff describes the impact procrastination had on his life, how he’s been able to turn things around and why he’s passionate about sharing his techniques with others. Psychologist Dr Kirsty Miller explains what’s going on in our brains when we procrastinate, why we procrastinate about some things but not others and whether the “buzz” of putting something off can ever be a good thing. Student Learning Adviser at Edinburgh University Dr Pamela Docherty talks about the kind of strategies they’re encouraging students to put in place to help them avoid procrastinating over their work. Dr Fuschia Sirois from Sheffield University explains why many of us procrastinate about our fitness and health and what we can do to address it.

“I don’t have time!” is one of the biggest excuses for not exercising, failing to cook from scratch or never getting round to relaxing properly. Gillian Russell and the Personal Best team are on the hunt for a bunch of FIVE MINUTE FIXES for when we’re short of time… Prof Nanette Mutrie from Edinburgh University takes Gillian through a set of strength exercises to do while the kettle is boiling. Chef Graeme Pallister creates a quick one-bowl dish – full of texture, colour and flavour – to inspire you to eat properly when time is against you. If family commitments mean you have no time to exercise, why not copy what the Thurso Mums On The Run do? Have buggy, will travel…! Richard Forbes meets stress coach Eileen Burns to find out how to go about incorporating some bitesize meditation into our busy lives. Stephen Vallance, who teaches time management techniques, explains how we can all go about managing our time better.

Gillian Russell asks whether we should all be climbing more trees and practicing our cartwheels? Fifty-something mum Jo Mosely describes the sheer joy she gets from doing headstands and talks about her passion for inspiring others to revisit childhood fun. Psychiatrist Prof Steve Peters explains what is happening to body and brain when we engage in simple, playful activities. Charlotte Roach talks about why she set up Rabble, a social community that keeps fit by playing fun games. Exercise physiologist Susan Dewhurst explains why playful, childlike activities can boost our fitness, health, balance and dexterity. Johanna Basford describes why she’s on a mission to make the world a happier place through the joy of colouring in. Cartwheel queens Alex, Susanne, Juliet and Nat share their experiences of revisiting childhood fun by attempting some cartwheels over the summer.

How can we leave work happier and healthier than when we arrived? An impossible dream – or achievable with the right systems in place and a shift in attitude? Gillian Russell visits staff at a Glasgow-based firm to hear about the impact a four-day week has had on their work/life balance and speaks to their Operations Director Lorraine Gray about the other measures now in place to ensure a happier, healthier working environment. Denmark regularly comes out top in world happiness surveys so just what is the Danes’ attitude to work? Meik Wiking from the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen describes how they achieve a healthy work/life balance. Prof Cary Cooper from Manchester University explains why a happy, healthy workforce is important and the steps that can be taken to create a workplace wellbeing strategy. John Peebles talks about why they decided to employ a workplace therapist/lifecoach in their business while Suzanne describes the impact a 10-week paid sabbatical has on staff wellbeing. And i

Lots of us spend time worrying out our physical health and our mental wellbeing ... but how much consideration do we give to our digital health? Gillian Russell and the Personal Best team are back, discovering how to create a happier, healthier digital life for young people ... and their parents. Online safety consultant Jess McBeath describes what we mean by digital citizenship, examines the issues young people face in the online world and advises on how we can all be the best guardians of our digital health. Megan Lancaster shares the audio diary she kept for a day which details just what her online habits are like! Maireid, Maya and Ibrahim talk about Young Scot's "5 Rights", young people's rights in the digital world. Tech journalist Carrie Marshall explains the technology that's available to help us be more conscious of the time we spend online. Dave Howard describes the idea behind the BBC's "Own It" initiative which aims to give parents - and their children - help and advice for navigating the onl

Each week on Personal Best we're all about inspiring each other to get the most out of our fitness and health ... but if you're homeless, it's probably pretty low down on your list of priorities. One woman is on a mission to change all that... Gillian Russell and the team meet Michelle Reilly, founder of StreetFit, at one of their boot-camps in Edinburgh to find out about how she's bringing fitness, health and wellbeing to those who are - or have been - homeless. Anthony and Amanda talk about their experiences of homelessness, how difficult it is to access exercise facilities and the difference StreetFit has made to their fitness, mental health, confidence and happiness. Community psychiatric nurse Doneil MacLeod explains how crucial fitness is for those who are homeless and the impact it can have on helping to combat not just fitness and health issues, but social isolation too. Richard Forbes meets Sally Findlay from Edinburgh Community Food to hear about the kind of barriers homeless people face when it

Around a quarter of a million people in Scotland have Type 2 Diabetes and the number is rising. If you've been diagnosed with it and feel the future is bleak, just how can you get the best out of yourself ... and is it possible to actually turn things around? Gillian Russell spends the day with Isobel Murray (and husband Jim) in Largs to hear about her life before and after Type 2 Diabetes - the impact her diagnosis had on her life, why she took part in a research project and how she managed to reverse her condition through losing weight, changing her diet and increasing her exercise. "I've got my life back ..." Mike Lean, Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Glasgow, explains what exactly Type 2 Diabetes is, how much of a problem it is in Scotland and what they've been finding out from their recent study. George Thom, Research Dietitian at the University of Glasgow, shares his top tips for managing Type 2 Diabetes - why it's crucial to lose weight, how to maintain that weight loss and the imp

How much attention do you pay to your pelvic floor? Do you know where it is, what it does and why it matters? Gillian Russell and the team seek the best advice for having a fit and healthy pelvic floor (men and women...) Physiotherapist Kirsteen Ferguson describes what the pelvic floor is, how much it matters and why she decided to create a video aimed at teenage girls. Rhianna, Kimberley, Amy and Catriona from the Nairn Youth Forum take a look at the video and discuss how useful it might be for them. Professor Suzanne Hagen from Glasgow Caledonian University talks about the research she's done into how effective pelvic floor exercises are. Iain Annand describes why he had to start doing pelvic floor exercises and the impact they've had on his health. Comedian and physiotherapist Elaine Miller explains how and why she uses humour to get across the importance of looking after your pelvic floor. And, of course, Gillian and producer Richard just have to get taught exactly how to do pelvic floor exercises p

What makes you angry - bad driving, your computer crashing, rudeness, constantly having to pick up wet towels from the bedroom floors?! This week we're all about managing anger - our own and other people's - so that it doesn't get in the way of us achieving our Personal Best... Prof Ewan Gillon, Clinical Director of First Psychology, talks about the triggers and symptoms of anger, to what extent anger can be bad for our health and the coping mechanisms we can put into place to deal with our own anger. Richard Mullender, corporate trainer and former hostage negotiator, describes the impact other people's anger can have on us and advises on the best ways of dealing with it. Dr Emma Byrne, scientist and author of Swearing Is Good For You, explains how swearing can help when we're angry and the evidence that suggests swearing might actually be good for us. Richard Forbes visits a parenting class at the Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre in Edinburgh to find out how they're trying to promote good behaviour in the