Our Latest Newsletter: October 2008

Get your heart pumping

Health studies of late are revealing alarming rises in all health risks. Australia is now one of the worst countries in this respect. Don’t be another statistic. Take action.

With half of all Australians classified as sedentary, similar numbers overweight or obese, heart disease killing 36 percent, half of women and a quarter of men suffering osteoporosis, four out of five having some kind of back pain, a quarter suffering from a form of depression, and one in four with diabetes — and that figure is predicted to rise alarmingly over the coming years — is it any wonder we are considered to be in the midst of a health crisis?

Though it is alarming, you can dramatically decrease all the risk factors and keep yourself out of these statistics with approximately 30-60 minutes of exercise three times a week. On top of that, it will make you look and feel great.

Decreased body fat and improved body image, increased energy levels, improved brain function and increased bone density help promote growth and strength. Then there are the higher levels of endorphins (the happy stuff), the clearing of toxins from the body, reduced anxiety, stress, fatigue, better sleeping, the decrease in the risk of injury, lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and better circulation that come from regular exercise.

The benefits are invigorating and well worth the time taken.

I guess the question on all your lips is “what type of exercise should I participate in”?

The answer is simple — any form of exercise will benefit you.

Each individual form of exercise has unique advantages for your wellbeing and we require a little of each to keep us clear of health risks.

Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise, described as anything that gets your heart pumping at an elevated rate, includes everything from an aerobic class or brisk walk to running and even dancing. Its unique benefits include:

• The most effective heart workout
• Great calorie and body fat burning
• Endurance
• Decreased appetite
• Conditioning, so you can make it up that flight of stairs or dance the night away
• Muscle toning

Resistance training is weight bearing exercise. It ranges from weightlifting and body resistance to static exercises such as yoga and Pilates poses. Some benefits you will achieve with this training are:

• The building of muscle mass, which in turn will decrease body fat
• Toning
• Heart conditioning
• Strength
• Endurance

Stretching is a discipline which lengthens your muscles, connecting your mind with your body and generally rebooting your body’s computer. Most group fitness classes and personal training sessions will have an element of this. Some great examples are yoga, Pilates, meditation and stretch classes. This will help:

• Reduce muscle tension
• Maintain and increase range of movement
• Improve mental alertness
• Decrease the risk of injury
• Postural improvements
• Abdominal and core strength
• Create calmness and eliminate stress
• Tune your mind into your body

So if looking great isn’t enough to get you up and active, get your motivation by thinking of the benefits to your health and your quality of life.

The average Australian spends more than 40 hours a week working so we can afford the things we enjoy in life. Doesn’t it make sense to take three hours a week to work on our bodies to give us the energy and confidence we need for work and play?

So what are you waiting for?

Quick tip!

Did you know? Evidence shows that a modest weight loss of 5-10 percent of your starting weight will result in significant health benefits as well as positive economic and personal outcomes.

Study Finds Exercise can save your BRAIN!

Thought the study focused on dementia and Alzheimer’s patients it is clear evidence that exercise & your Brain health are closely related.

Patients with early Alzheimer's disease who exercised regularly saw less deterioration in the areas of the brain which control memory, according to a study released yesterday at the 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer's disease in Chicago.

Exercise and physical fitness have been shown with Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies to slow down age-related brain cell death in healthy older adults, exercise may help slow brain shrinkage in people with early Alzheimer's disease. It positively affected the hippocampus region of patients' brains, an area that is important for both memory and balance.

The researchers found that patients with early Alzheimer's had a "significant relationship" between the size of key brain areas associated with memory and fitness, unlike healthy older adults. Those patients with better fitness ratings had less brain tissue atrophy and those with worse fitness had more brain damage.

Another report from ICAD 2008 showed that a 12-month home-based exercise program reduced falls and improved balance in patients with dementia.

Exercise & Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a wonderful state of life for women, often people feel the need to wrap them in cotton wool & keep them safe in a bubble. But women & the medical profession are sure that this is not required for most healthy pregnancies.

WHY WOULD I EXERCISE?

• Increased Aerobic Fitness: Can assist in enduring a physically demanding labour& increased demands on body during pregnancy.
• Improved Muscular Tone & Strength: Assists to maintain muscular stregth & support joints.
• Promotes Good Posture: Developing stabiliser muscles supporting joints
• Reducing Fatigue: improving sleep pattern.
• Pelvic Floor Muscle control which is essential in supporting the load of the child & keeping bladder control.
• An easier return to the new demands of life once the baby has arrived.
• My Physical, Mental & Emotional well being

WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE I EXERCISE?

Get Medical Clearance! Discuss your proposed exercise program with you GP or Gynaecologist. Maternal and foetal responses to exercise may vary with fitness level, coexisting medical conditions or pregnancy complications.
For these reasons exercise advice for each person must be done on an individual basis.

What GENERAL guidelines should a pregnant woman follow while exercising?

• Stop exercising and consult a doctor if bleeding, cramping, faintness, dizziness or severe joint pain.
• Women should avoid laying flat on their backs after sixteen weeks. As the uterus grows it can compress a major blood vessel when a woman lies flat on her back. This restricts blood flow back to the mother’s heart and subsequently the blood flow to the baby. Lay on your side.
• It is important to exercise sensibly at a comfortable intensity and do not exercise to exhaustion or at an anaerobic (or breathless) pace.
• Avoid overheating. This is particularly important in the first trimester when the baby is most vulnerable to high temperatures. Wear light comfortable clothing, drink plenty of water, avoid exercising in very hot temperatures and do not exercise during illness or fever.
• Avoid any sport where there is a risk of abdominal blow eg. downhill skiing, horse riding, contact sports
• Avoid holding breath during exercise.
• All exercise should be accompanied by an appropriate warm up and cool down session.
• Ensure you inform your exercise professional about your pregnancy & let them know what your health professional has advised you.

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?

Your GP & gynecologist will have some hand outs available to you & some are on line for you to access immediately.

http://www.ranzcog.edu.au/womenshealth/pdfs/SMAPregnancyStatement.pdf        
http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/assets/pubs/active/pregnancy.pdf  

EXERSICE OF THE MONTH:
Lose those love handles – Side Plank Roll!

Benefits: Strength and stability work for the core

1. From a pushup position or plank position:

• hands under shoulders
• knees under hips
• hips square
• on your toes
• Body weight over the hands

2. option - on knees

3. Draw one knee to the chest, push away with the heel.

picture courtesy:

Overweight Australian Men!

In the age of the metro sexual, men & you would make the assumption that men would have greater concern about their health & appearance. More than 60 percent of men in Australia are clinically overweight but only 36 percent think they are, according to recent research published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. And a recent online survey, found that of those who tried to lose weight, only one-third reached their goal, with even fewer keeping the weight off long term. We find that those who partake in a plan set with a personal trainer or group exercise plan where more likely to achieve their goals.

There is plenty of information in women's magazines about recipe ideas for healthy eating but men who are living on their own just aren't receiving enough of that sort of advice, but of late there is a little more of this surfacing through, “Men’s Health” Magazine & websites.

Diet books and programs on offer might claim to offer a guaranteed solution to weight loss, there is no quick fix. The oldest methods are the best and the right mix of healthy eating and drinking, exercise, a plan and a positive attitude are the best way to shed extra fat. Before starting any new weight-loss or fitness program it is a great idea to consult a doctor.

Before you start, measure your waistline. Knowing where you start can be a great motivator in a few weeks into the process when the differences start to be noticeable. Work out your BMI (available on our website), compare it to the recommended range, and find out how far you are from your target weight. Write this down in your new Daily Health Diary!

Balance is the key word when it comes to eating and drinking. It is important to keep eating a range of different foods so the body gets all the nutrition it needs but here are a few simple rules that should help.

• Try to reduce overall calorie intake.
• Cut down on fatty foods & ensure “FAT FREE” doesn’t mean full of sugar.
• Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• Try to cut down on alcohol and try switching to light or low-calorie beer.
• Snacking between meals can undo the good work. Fruit snacks provide a healthy, low-fat alternative
• You cannot spot reduce, so sit ups won’t help you lose that spare tire. What does burn fat is aerobic or cardio-vascular exercise which gets the heart rate up and gets you sweating. This can be achieved through anything from fast walking to cycling, jogging or a class. Some weight training will build & tone, also increasing your calorie burning during cardio.

Subject to advice from a doctor, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week should be enough to get the belly shrinking. If that seems like too much, start with 10-minute sessions and gradually build it up. Ten to 12 weeks should be soon enough to start to see a noticeable difference.

Routine & your diary are the only other things you will require, bar the positive attitude. Getting a plan & creating a routine that you must abide by are essential to all weight loss. Your diary entries will include you waist measurements & BMI weekly, what you eat & what exercise you partake in. Writing what you plan to do in advance in a different color the week before & ticking it off as you do it.