January 10, 2013 Suzie

I know, it feels like i’ve just told you to stay out of the sun with my article on skin cancer checks and here I am telling you to get out into it. This article however has been a while in the making. It started with me noticing a few of my clients (darker skin in origin) had vitamin D deficiency, as it doesn’t have strong symptoms, its easy to forget about and push to the side. Then when I started doing corporate health checks I was seeing an abundance of people and started asking questions about their Vitamin D levels. The increased incidence of Vitamin D deficiency is scary to me. But makes sense. A lot of us work indoors during most sunlight hours and we are staying out of the sun more to avoid skin cancer. I make a point now to ask all clients and all corporate client checks about their Vitamin D levels. It’s like a personal crusade or something of the like, I feel that not everybody really understands just how important it is. So now i’m taking the education to the website and hope you benefit from reading about it.

Slip Slop Slap – we’ve got it drummed into us that we need to cover up and stay out of the sun to reduce risk of skin

Get sunlight - but not too much
Get sunlight – but not too much

cancer. What’s happening though is we forget about the importance of (suitable) sun exposure. There seems to be a very fine balance you have to achieve, we all need sun exposure for Vitamin D but at the same time we need to limit our sun exposure to reduce risk of skin cancer. How do we do it?

Well first off let’s learn a little more about what Vitamin D is and why it is so important…

Vitamin D is vital for good health, growth, strong bones, calcium absorption and immune function.Vitamin D is essential for the normal development and growth of cells, bones and teeth. The sun’s rays are the primary source of Vitamin D but exposure needs to balanced to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency is a common condition in which the body has inadequate stores of vitamin D.
Untreated vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious complications, such as bone fractures and bone deformities, lowered immune function. It has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease, obesity, asthma and heart disease.
Vitamin D deficiency is treatable with supplements and adequate exposure to sunlight. After a simple blood test your doctor will advise treatment through supplementation and/or sunexposure.

Where do we get Vitamin D?

The best source of Vitamin D is UVB radiation from the sun. 90 per cent of our vitamin D is made in the skin with the help of sunshine. UVB sunlight converts cholesterol in the skin into Vitamin D. We need to expose bare skin though to the sun This is confusing considering we need to be careful not to get too much sun in order to avoid skin cancer. Staying out of the sun at the most dangerous time in the middle of the day (10am-2pm) is best especially during summer, but a balanced approach to sun exposure is necessary to avoid the risk of skin cancer and yet get an adequate dose of sunshine.

How much sun exposure we need?

There are many factors you need to think about when calculating how much exposure to the sun you need including, geographical location, the season, time of day, your age and skin type. As a general guide, during summer most people need a few minutes of exposure every day, outside of the hottest times 10am-2pm. In winter, in the south of Australia, you’ll need about two to three hours over a week. In the north of Australia normal outdoor activity should be sufficient.
Most foods contain very little Vitamin D naturally, small amounts however can be obtained through certain foods such as fatty fish, fish liver oil, and eggs.

How it works?

Vitamin D helps calcium and phosphorus in our diet to be absorbed from the gut, these are both essential for the structure and strength of bones. So,Vitamin D is crucial to good bone health and muscle development. Without an adequate supply bones can become brittle, thin or misshapen.

Musculoskeletal conditions that can occur due to Vitamin D deficiency include:

  • Rickets – softening and weakening of the bones in children.
  • Bone and muscle aches and pains.
  • Osteoporosis – thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density and strength.

There is also an increased risk for developing other health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and cognitive dysfunction (brain fog).

Often there are no symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency besides general aches and feeling tired. Which can often be blamed on other things, so easy not to make the connection. In severe deficiencies more obvious symptoms of bone deformities will occur, with severe pain and weakness.

Who does it affect?

  • Elderly people and those who are housebound.
  • People with darker skin require more sun exposure to achieve the same Vitamin D synthesis as the pigment in their skin naturally reduces UV penetration.
  • People with osteoporosis.
  • People who cover their skins due to religious beliefs.
  • Babies whose mothers are Vitamin D deficient.
  • People on medications which interfere with Vitamin D metabolism – eg those who are obese or have coeliac disease (which causes fat malabsorption).

How to treat it

A simple blood test will determine your Vitamin D levels. Depending on your results you may be required to take supplements or advised how to get safe, natural sun exposure. After about a month of treatment you need to be reviewed. People who are at greater risk of Vitamin D deficiency should get regular check ups. Going to the doctor isn’t the best way to spend your time but check ups are simple and essential to good health.  You may not be worried about your Vitamin D levels now, but your future self and body may wish you had done something now. When you get old it’s of great benefit to you to have strong bones and body.

 

If you are getting your levels checked for the first time, I recommend making the most of your appointment. In your blood test request that a full blood count be taken, you can check your cholesterol, iron, glucose, thyroid in a simple blood test. It doesn’t hurt to get checked out! 🙂

 If you are unsure about your Vitamin D levels or have questions please see your doctor or health practitioner. Please help me increase the awareness by simply sharing this post 🙂

 

Extra Info

For more detailed info on Vitamin D deficiency http://www.vitaminddeficiencyguide.com/

From the cancer council http://www.cancer.org.au/preventing-cancer/sun-protection/vitamin-d/

About sun safety http://www.sunsmart.com.au/default.asp

 

 

Image credit :Men’s Health

January 7, 2013 Suzie

I have to say I currently feel very disappointed with the attitude of GP’s towards skin cancer checks. When I went for my annual check up of everything with my GP I told her I was thinking o getting a skin cancer check. I was getting everything else checked why not my skin? I have fair skin with many freckles/moles I wouldn’t be able to tell you without them being in an obvious place whether I get new ones or not and whether they are an odd shape or not. What constitutes an ‘odd’ shape or colour? The doctor responded by telling me that it was too expensive and I shouldn’t worry about it, only to show her if there were any I was worried about. Well as I said I don’t know what I should and shouldn’t be worried about and whether there’s any in a hard to reach/see area.

About 2 months ago I noticed one of my little moles had changed colour and was raised. Is this something I should be worried about I wondered? The ads of ‘Wes’ the

Sun-Safety-image

young man who died from melanoma ran through my head – better get it checked just to be safe.  This time, another doctor, without looking at it all too well decided to have it biopsied and gave me a referral for a dermatologist. Again I asked whether I should have a full body skin check to which she said no, not to worry about it only get something checked if you’re worried. Telling my story to my sister she said that her doctor once told her she was too young to worry about melanoma… really? What about 26 year old Wes?

I wasn’t able to get an appointment with the dermatologist for over 3 months, this didn’t sit well with me, if it was something wouldn’t  an extra 3 months be detrimental? So I began to research skin clinics. I was disappointed to find that there are places which charge quite a bit for skin checks, the doctor was right about that. But then someone referred me to a health specialist clinic which specialised in skin cancer checks. AND they bulk billed.

The appointment was extremely easy. I met with a pleasant, thorough doctor who took a history and was more than happy to answer any of my questions. He looked over my whole body, around my scalp, in between toes, behind the ears – the lot. It didn’t hurt, he used a special bright light and glass and then another tool which was like a small magnifying glass with a light for any moles he needed to double check. For peace of mind he suggested I have the questionable mole out, not because it looked like anything but for own reassurance.  A few days later he cut the mole out himself which was again easy and very little pain. He did a great job and it healed beautifully… no more questionable mole. He was right the results came back and it was nothing, but I felt a sense of relief.

I appreciated that he took the time to explain what I should look out for and be aware of and that if I was every worried about anything to come back and have it checked.  I got my answers, was not left out of pocket and I would recommend them to anyone. In fact after speaking to more people, a few people I know have been to the clinic and had skin cancers removed. Again, peace of mind and reassurance.

It baffled me why GP’s wouldn’t support and encourage people to get their skin checked. According to Cancer Council “Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world. More than 10,300 Australian men and women are diagnosed with a melanoma each year, and an estimated 434,000 people are treated for one or more non-melanoma skin cancers. More than 1850 Australians die from melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer each year.”

Living in a country like Australia I am also surprised that we don’t have more bulk billing skin checks, it took an expert less than 10 minutes to check my whole body, is that such a drain on the system? wouldn’t we save money down the track, better to prevent than treat etc?

Here is what I learned:

  • To be aware of my own skin, to take notice of changes and actually pay attention
  • Changes that I should be suspect of – colour changes to moles and irregular shapes (moles/freckles are usually roundish in shape)
  • Not to always listen to my doctor. If I am worried about something I should pursue it and not settle for anything less. This mole did turn out to be nothing, but better safe than sorry.

Sun exposure is the cause of around 99% of non-melanoma skin cancers and 95% of melanomas in Australia. However, exposure to small amounts of sunlight is also essential to good health. A balance is required between avoiding an increase in the risk of skin cancer by excessive sun exposure and achieving enough exposure to maintain adequate vitamin D levels. We will be exploring the essential role of Vitamin D in an upcoming post.

For more detailed information about skin cancer and prevention please visit http://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-control-policy/position-statements/sun-smart/

The clinic I visited was Health Specialists http://www.healthspecialists.com.au/SkinCancerServices.html

Remember your body and health is up to you, no one can tell you what to do. If you feel like something is wrong, seek answers and never settle for second best. Please help raise the awareness of the importance of getting your skin checked by sharing this post onto others. Happy sun safety! 🙂

December 31, 2012 Suzie

It’s December 31st 2012, New Years Eve…

 

There’s something about this time of year that makes the inner control freak come out to play. Perhaps it was the overindulging on Christmas day – well who am I kidding it’s been indulging week since Christmas I wont lie! Maybe it’s the feeling of saying goodbye to another year and the need to gain control for the start of a new one.  Whatever the reasons the day before New Years I start to unleash the inner Suzie control freak. Last night I made a list of things I needed to do, one thing on that list was to make another list for things I want to achieve in 2013…. I like lists lol

I then proceeded to wash my car this morning, I can’t start the year with a dirty

car, house,bed sheets, or 2 loads ‘dirty’ clothes to wash for that matter. Then there was a whole batch of old plants I felt shouldn’t be there in the New Year and had to be dug up.  I took a glance into my cupboard and made a plan on how to attack and organise it. The Christmas decorations have been taken down and the tree is awaiting it’s departure. I guess i’m saying goodbye to 2012 and making a fresh clean start for 2013. Or i’m quite mad.

As a personal trainer this is an exciting time of year. This is the chance to offer clients a whole new year of possibilities and get them motivated and focused to achieve them.  I don’t call them New Years Resolutions I only call them goals.

I don’t believe in New Years Resolutions as most of the time they usually consist of:

 

  • lose weight
  • be healthier
  • not drink as much alcohol
  • eat only healthy foods
  • quit smoking
  • join a gym
  • exercise everyday

Most people start off with the best intentions throwing themselves in the deep end only to find it too overwhelming and hard and give up. Why would you set yourself up t0 fail?

The best way to achieve your goals is to complete effective goal setting. In this post I gave an example of a client of mine who wanted to lose weight, a common goal. It includes the tools you need to take your goal, break it down and make it an accomplishment. You really do have the power to do anything you put your mind to. It’s not easy, but often the best things in life aren’t.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very safe, healthy and exciting New Year. This is a time to stop, think and take stock of all your blessings. Family, friends and health. Make the most of your life, stay positive and think about the priorities in your life. Life is short, so too should be the list of priorities of what’s most important to you.

See you in 2013! 🙂

 

December 28, 2012 Suzie

Have you ever done a really hard workout or perhaps  a new set of exercises and the next day wake up with some serious muscle pain? Most of us have! Chances are you’ve got DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

DOMS is muscle pain or stiffness experienced in the muscles several hours to days after exercise. Most commonly linked to introducing new exercises to your workout or raising the intensity of your workout. The good news is that it’s normal, it doesn’t mean you’re super unfit or should avoid exercise (the opposite is true really). The fittest of the fit can always be challenged in a new way and pushed, experiencing a degree of DOMS.The most severe cases of DOMS though seem to occur with those new to training, so always make sure you seek advice prior to starting weight/strength training for the first time. There is no shame in asking for help, think of good technique during exercise like ‘pre-hab’. And absolutely do not jump in the deep end and use too much load if you’re not used to it.

Here are my tips for dealing with DOMS

  • Before you finish your workout ensure you complete an appropriate cool down and thoroughly stretch your whole body (for a guide to stretching your whole body click here). This is particularly important if you have done any new exercises or have increased the intensity of your workout.
  • Several hours after your workout, warm up/mobilise your joints and muscles again and complete another set of stretches.
  • If possible I strongly recommend a light walk later in the day (if trained legs) to keep your legs moving and preventing stiffening up.
  • The next day when you wake up you may feel very stiff, the best thing you can do is push through the stiffness with caution and increase your activity. You most likely won’t want to you’ll want to lay down and not do much at all but this is actually the worst thing you can do. Doing nothing will prolong the DOMS experience.
  • Don’t train sore muscles. Now there are various opinions when it comes to this point of view but personally I believe if you have a seriously stiff sore muscle leave it alone, if it has DOMS the muscle has not recovered yet. If you push it you are increasing your risk of injury and you most likely won’t be able to complete the exercise with the correct technique and ROM (range of motion) due to your stiffness so won’t get the full benefits anyway. Also keep in mind that when you exercise your muscles contract and shorten….adding to your stiffness. Don’t use it as an excuse though there are other forms of exercise you can do.
  • I absolutely do recommend light cardio and other forms of exercise when you have DOMS. For instance if your legs are stiff, go for a walk, go swimming, rowing etc. depending on how much of your body has succumbed to DOMS you will be able to challenge other parts of your body and still get a great workout!
  • Coming back from DOMS increase your intensity gradually, if you keep overloading the muscles this will lead to overtraining – a nasty problem we will explore soon.

Remember these tips and above all listen to your body, it will tell you what’s going on. Happy exercising!

If you think someone you know would benefit from learning about DOMS please share the love by using the share buttons. Stay connected with the Reve community and share any ideas, questions or problems with us!

December 20, 2012 Suzie

Below is a section from my ebook Empower – Lifestyle Upgrade. It is important to be aware that we are faced with real health factors and risks, and to understand what each one means. The conditions below are just a sample and it is important to remember that these conditions affect men as well.

If you have any questions or problems regarding your health please seek medical advice.

 

 

 

Health factors and risks facing women
 •    Heart disease – refers to problems and conditions of the heart and arteries
•    Breast cancer  – cancer originating from breast tissue
•    Cervical cancer  – cancer in the cervix uteri or cervical area
•    Polycystic ovary syndrome – characterised by are irregular or absent periods, acne, obesity and excess hair growth. Women with PCOS do not ovulate; they are also at higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer of the uterus and heart disease. Much of the risk can be reversed with exercise and weight loss
•    Thyroid problems – The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones, which regulate the body’s metabolism. These hormones are important in regulating energy, body’s use of other hormones and vitamins, and the growth and maturation of body tissues. Diseases of the thyroid gland result in either the production of too much (overactive thyroid disease or hyperthyroidism), too little (underactive thyroid disease or hypothyroidism)
•    Adrenal fatigue – when the adrenal glands function, but not at their optimal level. Commonly associated with intense or chronic stress, it can also arise during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis or pneumonia. This fatigue is not relieved by sleep. You may look and act normal while experiencing adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, however you may live with a general sense of unwell, tiredness or “dark” feelings.
•    Stress – individual experience. Can be caused by external (e.g. family, work) or internal (putting pressure on oneself) factors. Chronic stress can lead to health problems (i.e. depression, high blood pressure, lethargy etc.)
•    Diabetes – Type I or Type II (high lifestyle risk factors) a disease where you are unable to use your body’s glucose for energy. Insulin is needed to use glucose, diabetes results when insulin is either not produced or cannot be used by the body.
•    High cholesterol – cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by the liver. Some cholesterol is needed for hormone and cell function, but too much can cause clogging in your arteries. Subsequent health problems can include angina, heart attack or stroke
•    High blood pressure – the size and condition of your arteries, combined with the amount of blood pumped by your heart determines your blood pressure. When your arteries are narrow (clogging) the heart has to work that much harder to get the same amount of blood throughout the body. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can overload the heart and blood vessels and speed up the artery clogging process.
•    Obesity– where excess body fat has accumulated to the point of causing health problems.

 

Please help increase the awareness of these health risks by sharing this post using the share buttons  🙂

 

December 17, 2012 Suzie

I love bringing fitness classes to the workplace. It’s a fantastic way to work exercise and ‘you’ time into your day. It’s super convenient, affordable and a LOT of fun!

Move and stretch your body, be motivated, break up your work day, save  your precious personal time by training at work.

For more information on corporate fitness click here 

If you have any questions about how you can bring fitness to your workplace please feel free to send an email via the contact page 

 

 

For some inspiration check out some of my photos from classes via my facebook page here

 

December 11, 2012 Suzie

A lot of you are not going to be happy with this post, I fear I may crush many people’s dreams with it.

So often I’ve heard people tell me they want a 6 pack, it’s one of the most common goals bar weight loss at the gym. The problem is that many will never achieve this goal. Sad but true.

It’s fantastic to have goals to work  towards. Some of you may achieve them easier than others (yes genes do have an impact on some people’s results) but it doesn’t mean give up, just understand that it may take a while!

Firstly let me explain the make up of the core region, it does not only consist of the washboard layer on top.

1. Transverse abdominis – your ‘inner unit’ a band-like muscle which wraps around your stomach through to your back. strengthening this part of the core will increase core strength, stability and have a drawing in effect (yay flat tummy!)

2. Internal & External obliques – these muscles are responsible for all your rotating movements. They run up and down from your ribcage to your pelvis and can be targeted with side exercises i.e side plank/bend

3. Rectus abdominis – your aesthetic part of your ‘6 pack’ region running from your ribs down to your pubic bone. It is the top layer of the core region.

4. Pelvic floor muscles – often overlooked as part of the core it is actually a very important part. a sling like group of muscles from the front of your pubis to the back, responsible for supporting your organs and continence.

Ok so by looking at that you’ll understand that there’s a lot more muscles to consider in the core area. All play a part if you want the 6 pack.

If this is the goal you’re chasing I would highly recommend you start working from the inside out. Figure out what activating your pelvic floor muscles feels like (see my article on pelvic floors) and start here. Then work your way to the transverse abdominis, I rate this as one of the most important set of muscles in the body, it is responsible for a lot more than you realise. You use it more often than you think, you couldn’t stand up without these muscles. They’re working all the time, while you stand, walk, squat, sit upright, bend, pick things up, push things, grab things – you use it all the time! By strengthening these muscles you are not only increasing your ability to do things with ease but you are also flattening your stomach.

Next comes the obliques finally followed by your rectus abdominis. It’s important to strengthen the whole core region, if you were to only work the top layer by doing crunches and sit ups etc. it will create a shortening effect and may affect your posture. Without working the inner core you may only be creating a balloon effect, where you do not flatten your stomach you simply harden what you’ve got and have a puffed out appearance.

Now that you understand the core and how it is made up and how it functions I need to tell you something… The 6 pack is incredibly hard to achieve and maintain. I’m sorry, here is the next blow… it pretty much comes down to diet.

Why? Imagine your body fat on your stomach like a backpack, you can strengthen and feel great but unless you take the back pack off you’re never going to see the muscles underneath.

Now don’t feel defeated, if it is a 6 pack that you want and you are determined to do it, then go for it! Here’s how:

1. Don’t just do core exercises, you are better off by doing big bang for your buck heavy exercises where the core is working hard i.e dead lift, chin up, push ups, than by doing a zillion crunches. These exercises are also condusive to weight loss as you are using more muscles, burning more fat and putting on lean muscle. From there you work on your core from the inside out, starting with the transverse abdominus, internal and external obliques and then finally the rectus abdominus. There are loads of core exercises that target these muscles, you want to focus on quality and in conjunction with bigger exercises.

2. Look at your nutrition. If you want a 6 pack depending on your size and weight and body composition you may need to lose a serious amount of body fat. Notice how I didn’t say weight?? You shouldn’t care about weight you should care about your body fat percentage. I’ve seen slim girls that are over 35% body fat. Good nutrition with structured exercise is key to dropping body fat and revealing your abs.

3. Seek help from a professional. Don’t waste time guessing, get expert advice on how to achieve your goals quickly and safely. It may cost you money but it will help you achieve your goals.

So there you have it. The core is such a cool group of muscles that work without you knowing a lot of the time. The look of a  firm set of abs isn’t bad either 😉 (thank you Ryan Reynolds!!)

 

If you have any questions or a topic you would like explored please send a quick email here

 

December 3, 2012 Suzie

Welcome back Nicole! What a busy year it has been for you, a huge congratulations to you and we can’t wait to follow your journey to ‘wedding body’ -S

I haven’t posted here for quite awhile (sorry Suzie!) because it’s been a busy 2012 – here’s what’s been happening.

I was so incredibly proud to complete my first ever triathlon with Suzie and the Reve team (you can read all about it here). If you’d have told me at the beginning of the year I would be completing a triathlon, I would probably have snorted chocolate milk out of my nose as I laughed hysterically. Yet I guess that’s the power of a great trainer – they’ll believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself!

In one of our pre-race training sessions, Suzie copped the full force of my fear – we’re talking swearing, tears and self-doubt … not my finest hour. As we tackled my first eight kilometres on a bike, and several steep hills (ok, maybe they were just slight inclines), Suzie was beside me every painful pedal, and never let me give up, even though every part of my body was screaming at me to get off that damn bike and just lie down.
To say I was nervous on the day is an understatement, but from the moment I jumped in the pool for the swim leg, my determination to at least finish what I started took over, and that (plus a healthy dose of nervous energy) pushed me all the way to the finish line! Suzie met me as I crossed, and as extremely dorky as it is to admit, I had tears in my eyes. If you’ve had a look at Suzie’s post, and are even just the slightest bit keen to give it a go yourself, I say go for it! There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishing a goal with an awesome group around you, and I reckon you have at least a week (or three) afterwards to brag to everyone you know that you’re now a triathlete! (Thanks family for indulging me!)

In very exciting news, I’m now an engaged woman! My super sneaky BF surprised me with a very romantic proposal on a very special Sunday and I’m over the moon! As talk has turned to all the important questions like where, when and what (will you wear), my inner glowing bride has been at odds with my outer busy, tired and slightly freaked out body. I’m going to be honest – as vain as I feel it is to type, I want to look as good as I can on my wedding day. I’m not talking Miranda-Kerr catwalk best – I’m thinking losing some of my excess weight, working on toning, and generally being fit and healthy – the best me I can be. And I like to think my thinking isn’t that dissimilar to many other brides-to-be. And while I’m being honest, I’m not looking forward to wedding dress shopping just yet. While I feel I’m the fittest I’ve been in a long time, I’m probably also at my heaviest weight wise. I’ve never been the kind of gal to crash diet (have I mentioned my chocolate obsession?) so I turned to Suzie – first to ask her to be in my bridal party (woo hoo!) and then to ask her for help in her official capacity as my trainer.
And so, operation white dress begins!
Because the wedding is over 10 months out, I figure I have plenty of time to make steady losses without giving up the things I love like white wine sangria, Thai food and Cadbury Marvellous Creations chocolate bars. So far I’ve (gasp) limited my chocolate intake to one bar per week, have upped my water intake, cut back on the sugary drinks (one diet coke per day, no fruit juices or ice teas) and I start each day with a bowl of low-gi cereal to fill me up. I eat as “clean” as I can during the week, but if have a dinner out or drinks on the weekend I have whatever meal or beverage I would like.
Pretty easy, right? You bet! And I surprised myself with a weight loss!
Suzie has also sorted me with a fantastic gym program to complete during the week and it’s become one of my faves. Between our training and the extra gym work, I’ve upped my exercise too.
I’ll check in soon and let you know how I’m going with my goal!

November 28, 2012 Suzie

Any client who has ever worked with me will agree that I’m a fan of incidental and a big pusher for it.

What is incidental exercise? Well it’s like the name suggests it is the type of exercise that is part of another activity. It is not so much structured exercise as it is increasing your activity or increasing the intensity of the activity by doing something extra.

Everyone has done the old cliches “use the stairs instead of the lift/escalator, get off at a stop before your usual one etc.”Let me share some of my favourites and throw in some random ones for you.

Instead of incidental exercise I am going to call them opportunities to increase activity/exercise. Let me cover the most obvious ones first

1. Cleaning the house – dynamite opportunity for incidental exercise. Give your house a thorough clean and use all the muscles in your body. I’m talking scrubbing, dusting whilst shaking the booty, polishing and moving the couches to clean under them.

2. Washing the car is one of my favourites. I like to time myself to get that competitive edge. Include lots of squatting, bending, reaching, scrubbing, wiping – it covers your whole body!

Let’s get a little more creative

3. The clothes line booty shaper – Include squats when you are hanging the washing out. Squat down to pick up the item and come onto your toes as you peg to give your calves a wake up call. Try it single legged for extra intensity.

4. The random toilet workout – Now this sounds a little weird but going to the toilet is one of the best opportunities to fit in extra exercise. When you get up to go to the toilet, include a set of squats in the cubicle, nobody can see you or know what you’re doing so no need to feel self conscious at the work place.

5.Sneaky holds – if you’re stuck in a long meeting, or sitting down for a long period of time, start flexing and doing isometric holds of your muscles. These aren’t as obvious as jiggling your legs under the table and making those around you feel anxious. As an example, squeeze your bum really tight, now hold, hold and keep on holding for about 30 seconds or so, let go and repeat. you can do these for your quads, hamstrings, core and nobody will know the difference. These holds are stimulating the muscles and the tension is making them work.

6. Kitchen workout station – When waiting in the kitchen for something to cook,work sets of push ups against the bench into the process. Now of course you have to be careful with whats on the bench, i’m not suggesting you play around near hot surfaces or sharp utensils. hands on the bench, keep straight body, standing on your toes and bringing your chest in towards the bench then push up, keep good posture. To increase intensity go slower and increase repetitions. This one is particularly useful if you are going to the kitchen for a snack or something that isn’t too healthy. Before you have that snack, earn it with some exercise.

7. GET UP! – don’t underestimate the simple task of getting up. If you’re sitting down, especially on the floor it takes effort and a lot of muscles to get your body to an upright position, why not take advantage of that. Get up more often, which will also do your flexibility and muscles wonders and if appropriate sit on the floor.

8. The models walk – Now this is super old school but remember when people used to walk with a book on their head? Well let’s take a trip down memory lane and highlight the benefits. You are improving your posture, your neck muscles, using your core muscles for stability and probably having a laugh or causing other people to have a laugh at your expense. Either way it’s an interesting idea that can be revisited by today’s modern woman. (Right now i’m sitting here writing this post with a womens’ strength training book on my head, I’m certainly sitting up straight but the fact I look down at the keyboard every time I make a spelling error is causing problems!)

9. Improving pelvic floor muscles while you drive – I decided to do this one a couple of years ago, I never really paid much attention to the Pelvic Floor Muscles until I got a stern talking to by a certain physio. Now instead of dedicating valuable workout time to the cause I associate it with doing something else. I do it when I’m driving Every time i’m at a red light or stuck in traffic I make the most of my time and exercise them. Not sure how to do it? Check out my article on the importance of PFM here.

10. Taking away the convenience –  Have a look back through our history as human beings, there were nowhere near as many problems with obesity and disease as there is today. In today’s society everything is so easy, we have gadgets and services that make everything so easy we don’t have lift a finger. Except to press a button on our remotes but i’m sure in the near future technology will take that exhausting burden away from us. If you really want to increase your activity and incidental exercise take some of the easiness away. Think about what you have at home that makes your life so much easier… what can you do to give some effort back to your body and with that increase your mobility, strength and fitness.

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 Photo courtesy of Female First

November 22, 2012 Suzie

Up until two weeks ago i’m embarrassed to say it had been nearly three years since I had done a Pilates class. I have always recommended Pilates and Yoga to my clients as I truly believe they are of great benefit to the body. The only problem for me was I wasn’t good at it.  I’d tried a few classes and DVDs in the past but didn’t commit which I have always regretted.

What is Pilates?

“Pilates (or the Pilates method) is a series of over 500 mat or equipment based exercises inspired by calisthenics, yoga and ballet. Pilates improves flexibility, strength, balance and body awareness. It was introduced into America in the 1920s by physical trainer Joseph Pilates as a way to help injured athletes and dancers safely return to exercise and maintain their fitness. Since then, Pilates has been adapted to suit people in the general community.

Pilates can be an aerobic and non-aerobic form of exercise. It requires concentration and focus, because the body is moved through precise ranges of motion.” – Better Health

I frequently get asked what is the difference between Pilates and Yoga, to some people they are one in the same. This isn’t the case however. Pilates is partly inspired by Yoga but Yoga is a series of static postures (depending on what style you are performing) and Pilates puts you in unstable positions and gets you moving  throughout the exercise to challenge your body, for example in a hold position getting you to move your limbs whilst keeping the core tight and body still.

There are two types of Pilates, mat based – uses gravity and your body weight as resistance and equipment based – uses spring loaded resistance.

Last week I decided to give Pilates a chance, In the past i’d always used my work schedule as an excuse not to commit.  Like any exercise there is always going to be an excuse. I nervously set up my mat at the front of class (yep class nerd) and we started off with breathing and neutral spine positions etc. I thought oh no this is going to be a boring waste of time but then I was proved wrong. My core was challenged in a way I hadn’t pushed it…well…ever. simple exercises proved intense and I appreciated how to do small movements properly. Then all of a sudden we were doing downward dogs and push ups, hang on a second isn’t this Pilates?? Then we were told to grab a barbell and proceeded to do weighted forward squats and sumo’s! When on earth did Pilates include weights??? It was very impressive, I left feeling elongated and all muscles seemed worked out in a balanced way.

As I attended my second class I was expecting the same exercises, but everything was different. My bum muscles were worked out to a point of fist clenching pain and my obliques were rudely shocked by the surprise attack they received. As a trainer i’m always on at my clients about posture and it’s nice to go to a class where someone is telling me the same thing! Our posture is responsible for a lot of problems in our body, it’s worth the effort of getting it right.

Apart from improved posture Pilates offers a range of benefits, some of which include:

  • Improved flexibility.
  • Increased muscle strength, particularly of the abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the ‘core muscles’ of the body).
  • Balanced muscular strength on both sides of the body.
  • Enhanced muscular control of the back and limbs.
  • Improved stabilisation of the spine.
  • Greater awareness of posture.
  • Improved physical coordination and balance.
  • Relaxation of the shoulders, neck and upper back.
  • Safe rehabilitation of joint and spinal injuries.
  • Helps prevent musculoskeletal injuries.

I’m really happy with what i’ve experienced so far and I look forward to continuing with the classes.

Remember to always consult a health practitioner before starting any new fitness program. especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions or have not exercised in a long time

For some Pilates exercises click here

 

Photo courtesy of Act Smart Osteopathy