Category: Other

February 13, 2012 Suzie

As I waited for the starting flames to shoot off the start line like we were going off to war I had butterflies going kamakze in my stomach…what on earth had I signed myself up for? Warrior Dash.

Last year I attended the event as a spectator nursing my injured hip. I took  prime position near the fire logs and mud bath which finished the race. I laughed and guffawed at people trying to get their legs over the fire without getting burnt and doing dive bombs and slipping and sliding in the mud bath. It was a great sight. “Next year you’re doing it” my boyfriend said and I knew there would be no getting out of it.

Fast forward one year and there I was, the girl who doesn’t like getting dirty and is a bit of a scaredy cat all ready to go into the unknown. As the horn blew and the flames shot out there was no turning back, I have to say running in slippery mud is a new experience, trying to stay upright is a battle! I gave Mark a stern warning not to push me in the mud, I was so concerned about him pushing me in I forgot to warn myself and toppled forward into a mixture which i’m sure was pure horse dung!

The obstacles ranged from strength to just plain getting dirty. We climbed over walls, crawled under cargo nets, climbed ladders, ducked under barbed wire and had to get ourselves over some heavy logs in the river. The course had a magnificant way of getting you all disgusting then treating you to jumping into rivers to get clean only to get you disgusting again. Whilst fear did get the better of me on one obstacle I found myself getting more and more pumped to climb, slosh through mud and run through sludge. As we came to the final stretch, we psyched ourselves up to have a running jump over the two lines of fire and then jump into the mud bath, apart from a mouthfull of mud this was a fun way to finish especially in front of people lined up to take photos and laugh at passerbyers.

I have to say I enjoyed the workout. It wasn’t just running, it was balancing, upper body strength, getting low and flexible and problem solving. I will definately train differently for next year and instead of trying to stay clean for as long as possible the fact it, resistance is futile 😉

I felt there was a real sense of being a part of something. It was like every dirty person I passed I felt a bond with, we had all survived and had a great deal of fun!

And whilst i’m still trying to get mud out from beneath my nails, I would definately do it again!

For more information check out http://www.warriordash.com

February 8, 2012 Suzie

“Float like a buttefly, sting like a bee…” or at least just try to keep up and keep breathing!

It had been a while since I had been on the attacking side of boxing. I’ve been receiving punches from clients for a while… I decided it was my turn.

I called up a fellow trainer and friend of mine for a workout. We chose the perfect day – stinking hot and we were out in the park but still loving life! As I followed her commands and got into my groove it brought back fantastic memories of learning to box.

There are MANY benefits of boxing, it is a fantastic workout and definately challenges a range of skills. Firstly though I must say that there is a difference between proper boxing and pad work and boxercise type boxing. I did not learn proper boxing in a fight scenario, I learnt padwork for Personal Trainers to use with their clients and how to teach it. Boxercise is a high volume saturation type of boxing. There’s a little less skill and focus on technique involved, it’s fun, social and incorporates other exercises with it i.e push ups, sit ups, squats, lunges and running.  Whatever it is you’re doing though you’re in for a great workout!

According to Punchfit (where I became accredited) “Boxing is one of the most demanding but also most rewarding forms of exercise training. It conditions your entire body and provides one of the most challenging and enjoyable workouts of any sport. The physiological as well as psychological benefits of boxing are extensive. These include increased self discipline and self confidence, increased agility, speed, coordination, endurance and strength. Unlike most forms of training, reflexes are also improved and skills are learnt.”

“Boxing is a high intensity full-body workout that will make you physically stronger as well as aerobically and anaerobically fitter. It is a complete workout for your cardiovascular and endurance systems as well as training upper body, lower body and core strength. Calorie expenditure and fat burning are very elevated during boxing as it is such a high intensity workout utilizing large muscle groups and constantly keeps you moving. Boxing does not tend to add muscle bulk as much as tone and define muscle because it involves such high repetitions.”

“Boxing is a workout that can accommodate for all levels of strength and fitness and can be enjoyed by beginner to advanced participants. Drills can easily be modified to increase or decrease intensity and complexity of the workout. ”

With benefits like that what are you waiting for?

Some things to keep in mind though, boxing is not recommended for pregnant women. If you have weak wrists it would be a good idea to get wrist supports or strapping and make sure you are well hydrated.

You can get involved at any level. Whether it’s joining a boxing class at a gym or a proper boxing gym, practising with a friend, getting a punching bag or focus pads, enlisting the help of a PT who specialises in boxing or martial arts.  Getting a few lessons in the basics is well worth it, and I highly recommend it. You can then take those skills and workout by yourself or with friends safely.

Had a bad day or week? Feeling a bit frustrated? I guarantee you will feel better after a good boxing workout.  It’s a great stress release and quite theraputic as you picture your antagonizers face on the focus pad as you punch!

So will I be calling upon my friend for another workout? You betcha and i’ll be serving it back to her 😉

 

For more information visit the Punchfit website here

Or maybe read some common questions or fears  here

 

Happy boxing people!

February 6, 2012 Suzie

“They’re all looking at me, I can’t  do it.”

I thought I would share a common problem/excuse/paranoia with you often experienced by some of my female clients.

When giving clients programs I always include strength work, now in some circumstances this can mean mixing with men in the free-weights section of the gym.  I’m not oblivious to the fact that in some gyms men are quite a scary feature. They can be intimidating and I do not deny that. When I first started training by myself pre-trainer days I would either stick to the ladies only section or classes. I walked quickly past the weights areas and kept my head down at busy times (my gym was frequented by some big loud dudes). It was only when I did my PT course that I mixed with free weights and learned what to do properly and gained confidence.  When I started working at the gym I quickly got into the habit of frequenting the free weights section, in peak periods it was swarming with try-hards. All grouping around the same machine or bench for ages and egging each other on, checking themselves out in the mirrors and using far too many dumbbells than they actually needed. I found this extremely frustrating.

Having gone through it myself I understand my client’s fears. But the thing was the more I entered that area the more I became comfortable with it. The fact is I had just as much right to be there as they did and that is what I kept telling myself, I had a program to complete and I was going to do it.

When working at the gym I made a point to always take my female clients in this section, they felt more comfortable with me there and I wanted to make sure they had access to the best equipment and weights. Would they go there by themselves? Some of them no but I did successfully change a few minds.

A common excuse for not performing an exercise at the gym is “they’re all looking at me”. Now I will not insult your intelligence and lie to you, the fact is some people at the gym are watching you, even the trainers. However I will tell you this, most people are so caught up in themselves and what they’re doing they really don’t give a toss what you are doing and the ones that do should get a life.

At the end of the day do you really care what a stranger at the gym thinks of you? Who cares if you are using lighter weights than them or if they are doing more complicated exercises than you? The fact is you’re there improving your body and your health, pat on the back to you for doing it. That is all you should focus on. Focus on what you need to do and don’t let anybody make you feel like you don’t deserve to be there.

Power on ladies!

January 25, 2012 Suzie

It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Michelle, who has volunteered to share with us her journey as she embarks upon Empower – Lifestyle Upgrade. I have worked with Michelle before and when she is determined to do something, she goes above and beyond to get it done. I am excited to see how she goes following the program. I have asked Michelle to be brutally honest with her findings and I thank her for doing so. We will be hearing from Michelle once a week to see how she is progressing. Goodluck Michelle!

 

Hello,

My name is Michelle. I’m 33 years old this coming April, I’ve been married for almost 8 years and am a mother of two (my eldest is 4 & 1/2 years and youngest has just turned 2). I work full time (3 days in the office and 2 days at home).

I am doing the Empower 5 week program to re-focus my goals and energy on to my health and fitness. Why you may ask? Let me start from the beginning……………

During my first pregnancy I had a lot of back trouble – mainly sciatica issues and was in a fair bit of pain most of the time, I also had terrible morning sickness and so exercise wasn’t high on my list of things to do. I put on more weight than I would have liked (20kgs) and I had trouble losing it. I really only lost all my pregnancy weight just prior to getting pregnant with my second child.

I still had horrible morning sickness during my second pregnancy but didn’t have the back issues this time around so managed to get in more exercise and plus being a mother of a two year old at the time – you don’t get a chance to sit down and feel sorry for yourself anyway! So I was a lot more mobile this time around and generally happier!

After giving birth I vowed to myself that I would not let the baby weight hang around this time, but that I wanted to lose the weight sensibly and in a way that was sustainable. I wanted to change my outlook on exercise and eating for life not just in the short term.

I really really love good food – so I wanted to lose weight and not be suffering because I couldn’t eat….. that would just depress me!! I managed to lose all the weight (total pregnancy weight gain was 18kgs) over a period of 12 months. I utilised the help of PT Suzie from Reve Womens Health and Fitness and began exercising more regularly and eating better – cutting out the snacks and treating myself occasionally as opposed to every day.

It can be hard and overwhelming to try and figure out how to fit in exercise with 2 young children but I did it by incorporating all my every day daily activities as part of my exercise…… going up and down the stairs a few more times, doing squats when picking up the kids toys, walking up to the park with the kids more frequently, playing chasing games and doing silly dances to music with the kids….. It was all exercise!!! Also, once I broke out of the habit of treating myself (because that’s what it was – a habit) then it became easy and routine.

I set myself a goal which was to enter the body and soul 9km Sydney Harbour Bridge run in September 2011 and with Suzie I trained to increase my fitness levels to reach my goal! It wasn’t easy at the time with sick kids, work and basically just a hectic life, but I had set my goal and I was determined to stick with it and I achieved it! My aim was to just finish the run – but I was ecstatic when I actually finished the run before the cut off time!

Then things went a little down hill. I had achieved my goal so I started to slack off a bit, my youngest had been quite sick and would continue to be sick on and off for what ended up being close to 8 months! Both my children are pretty terrible sleepers and they were also mucking up at night during this time, my hubby and I got sick a few times, work was crazy….. a combination of lack of sleep and just pure exhaustion led to some bad habits starting up again.

I started treating myself again!

You know, on the odd occasion that I did ever get to watch the Oprah show and they were airing a show about people who have problems with food e.g. emotional eating etc I always thought to myself – I am so lucky I don’t have issues with food! Yeah sure I love my food, but I never ate when I was upset or angry or happy – I didn’t eat to fulfil an emotional need……. Or so I thought…..

I came to the realisation that all my little treats were to reward myself for a hard days work and it was how I relaxed. Finally once the kids had gone to bed and hubby and I had an hour or two by ourselves I would sit down to watch a show on TV and relax and unwind…..and get myself a treat (a packet of chips or bowl of popcorn or a chocolate) to reward myself!

And while this probably isn’t a problem once a week…..lets face it – every day is a hard/busy day so I was rewarding myself every day! To top it off it was then Christmas and New Years which meant lots of dinners and lunches etc etc and I have put back on a couple of the kgs that I had lost.

I have come to the conclusion that I have lost my focus and with the help of Suzie and this program I want to get my focus back on the right track!! My aim is to lose the kgs I have put back on, and more as while I have lost my pregnancy weight, I still have more weight to lose. I want to get back into my healthy eating for life groove and incorporate more exercise back in to my daily routines.

I will be sharing my progress with you over the next 5 weeks and I hope you will enjoy sharing the journey with me.

 

(photo – “I think that I chose this photo as if reminds me of the goal I have already achieved & inspires me to want to achieve more. When I look at it it makes me feel proud & excited of what I achieved!”)

January 23, 2012 Suzie

I was recently asked the question “does running a km burn the same amount of energy as walking a km?”

Well my very first answer was – it depends. Yes I know this phrase gets used a lot but its true, nothing in the world of health and fitness is ever set in concrete as it is always changing.

My next answer was a question – how fast were they going? Running or jogging a km is one thing, but walking with increased pace, intervals, hills is another and can be just as challenging.

Although a little bit frustrating as the answer isn’t black and white the article below takes you through an experiment and explains scientifically what is going on with energy expenditure.

Read me

My favourite way to look at getting the most out of your workout is ask yourself – how does this make me feel? If I could walk for hours at a constant pace then i’m not going very fast or challenging my fitness levels.

Whatever you are doing good on you for moving 🙂 the next step is to get the most out of your efforts!

 

 

(photo credit: iStockphoto/Josef Volavka)

January 20, 2012 Suzie

Nicole’s back, she’s also just come on board for some Personal Training sessions and will be sharing her experiences with you. These are completely Nicole’s words I discovered some compliments throughout the post which are awesome but I haven’t yet truly unleashed my PT self on Nicole yet…. 😉

 

The New Year is the most popular time to make resolutions about health and fitness, and I’m definitely no different.

Late last year I was seriously considering joining a gym, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew that it would be a waste of money. Unless I’m working out with someone else I knew my gym visits would include aimless walking on a treadmill and a couple of half-assed sit ups. I decided that a personal trainer was the way to go, and Suzie was the person to call! I’ll be training with Suzie once a week, and she’ll be monitoring my diet also (goodbye chocolate binges!). I have an amazing dress that I bought months ago (when I was several kilos lighter and several dress sizes smaller) that I’ve never worn. I have a very special event coming up in a couple of months, and I am determined to do that dress justice!

I had my first session with Suzie today and I really enjoyed it (even with nausea – note to self: eating breakfast half an hour before a workout is a no-no). Suzie could sense my fear as soon as she saw me, as I went in thinking that it would be cardio heavy and I wouldn’t be able to keep up, but the session was structured really well. I’ve always thought about my health in terms of ‘fat’ and ‘thin’. I’m guessing I’m not that dissimilar to other women – I feel great when my clothes feel loose, and begin to feel unhealthy when I find myself shopping and buying a dress size up and that’s when alarm bells begin to ring. What amazed me about the session was how little I think about health in terms of how my body works for me. We began with some squats – easy, right? I was amazed to find that Suzie identified that I favour one side of my body over the other. Lunges, which I used to do with minimal trouble, presented the same problem.

Turns out my glutes are extremelyhip flexors are extremely tight (most likely thanks to my office job) and my glutes are weak; one side more than the other. All these factors are affecting the manner in which my body works. Extra muscles in my body have to overcompensate to assist in making me move! As a writer I spend up to eight hours sitting at a desk all day – without regular stretching my body my muscles are tightening as I sit at my desk.

So through my sessions not only will we be working on toning and burning those excess kilos, but Suzie is going to help me correct my muscle imbalances.

I have lots of stretching for homework that will begin to help loosen these up and it’s something I’m going to have to be conscious of when I return to work for the year. It got me thinking how many of us are walking around with easily fixable body problems that are affected by the work we do and just never know because we’re fixated on how our body looks rather than how it works. I guess that’s why we’re lucky to have Suzie to share her wisdom to help us live healthier and happier! Maybe as we get older it’s not about how we look, but how effectively our body works? It might be New Year optimism talking but I’m really excited to make some health and fitness changes!

 

 

January 11, 2012 Suzie

I don’t believe there is enough awareness for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a essentially a hormonal disorder where there is an imbalance in a females sex hormones.

To be quite honest with you until I became a personal trainer I didn’t know a great deal about PCOS. Through my studies we learnt nothing of it, there wasn’t even a great deal of emphasis at all placed on the role hormones played in the body. I think that is silly as hormones can play such a big role in a persons health and their weight.

Without getting too in depth (i’ll save that for the science links below should you wish to know more) we have a very delicate balance of hormones in our bodies, each playing a very important part to the functioning of our bodies. If this delicate balance is shifted in anyway it can cause various health problems and a great deal of frustration to women.

From my knowledge and experience I now know that if there is  a hormonal issue with a client you will have little luck changing their weight or physique unless the hormone issue is dealt with first.  Having too much androgen (male hormone) will not go away by increasing your exercise. I’ve seen clients punish themselves with gruelling workouts only to get frustrated when they hop on the scales and nothing changes. Yet through all the disappointment they refuse to seek medical help and find out the true cause.

This is a generalisation but if you are eating correctly, exercising correctly and have a healthy lifestyle and you are still greatly overweight and nothing changes then there is something else going on. Please trust me when I say your best bet is to go see a doctor or an experienced naturopath (who performs apropriate testing) and find out what is going on in your body.

I had a client a few years  ago who would not lose weight, we upped her exercise changed her eating habits and still nothing would happen. Was my client lying to me? I didn’t believe so, it was only when she saw her doctor for testing that they discovered she had PCOS. After surgery (surgery was needed in her case) she found it easier to lose weight.

Just recently I discovered another client had PCOS. I had my suspicions for some time that something deeper was going on. Over about 6 months her weight increased, coincidently her stress also increased dramatically. We focused on stress management and healthy eating to improve her wellbeing. We improved eating and increased exercise and documented these areas.  Coming close to a year of gradually stacking on weight and unable to control stress I repeatedly asked her to see her doctor for a full blood test. I knew something wasn’t right. Her family doctor refused testing and told her she wasn’t working hard enough. This really ticked me off, I was angry at the backwards and ignorant attitude and insisted she seek another doctor. After proper testing my client was diagnosed with PCOS.

It is important to listen to your body and know when something isn’t right. If you are putting in the effort and the health benefits aren’t being produced seek further advice and medical help. Don’t ever let a doctor dismiss your concerns, if you are not happy find another doctor. The doctor isn’t paying for the testing out of their own pocket so there is no reason they should refuse you and you should not have access to proper testing.

I have had more clients with hormonal issues (not just PCOS) than I have liked, I wish it was as simple to wave a wand and make the hormone levels right. But I will say this, if you have a problem do something about it, there are people and methods which can help you.

For more information on PCOS visit here

For some more sciencey info here you go

 

Please share this article to women you know to increase awareness about PCOS and that there are people to support you and ways to help.

January 4, 2012 Suzie

Want to get fit and healthy this year?

Want to finally reach those goals and feel the best you ever have?

If you are serious about wanting to change your life this year I have an offer for you.

I am putting out the offer for someone to receive my Empower – Lifestyle Upgrade program for FREE. As well as receiving your free book valued at $29.95 you will also receive extra help and motivation from myself to help you succeed.

I am looking for someone who is serious about getting awesome results and improving their life for the better. I am also asking that the person who is following the program share their experience with us. Think of it as a way of being held accountable and inspiring others to change their lives for the better too.

If you are interested please use the contact page to express your interest and tell me why you want to improve. I will fill you in on the details of how we can change your life! The chosen person will be announced at the end of next week.

Happy New Year – let the fun begin!

 

 

December 30, 2011 Suzie

It’s a funny time of year, this time in between  Christmas and New Year. Some people are off work, some people are not, It always feels to me like a waiting period. I get so hyped and excited for Christmas then it’s over, then it’s time for New Years the hype begins again and then it’s time to face getting back to work and reality.

I have to say even though admittedly I get sad when Christmas is over (i know, i’m lame) I really look forward to this in between time zone. It makes me, and i’m sure for a lot of you too, reflect on the year that was. We’re getting busier and time seems to move faster, but lets have a think of all we’ve done this year….  What does your year look like? Think of all the things you achieved. Or is there anything you wish you had done but never got the time to do?

I know it’s anal but I love lists, yes i’m lame but I love goals and to do lists. Some people laugh at me but you know what it’s the best way to get exactly what you want. If  I have a big goal I take that sucker and write it down, I look at it and think ok this is what I want, how am I going to get there. In a previous article on Effective Goal Setting I take you through how to make your goals a reality. I won’t further my lameness by saying something like “you can achieve anything you believe or set your mind to” but you get the picture, if you want something make it happen for yourself.

I got a Christmas card from the Salvation Army as a thank you for our donation and I just wanted to share with you some facts included in that card. The Salvation Army helps over 1 million people every year year. That’s 1 person every 30 seconds. Our support has assisted with the following

  • 150,000 meals for the hungry
  • 2,600 beds for the homeless
  • 9,000 food vouchers
  • 8,000 people with counselling
  • 4,000 elderly people with aged care services
  • $3.75 million of goods to welfare

I really liked reading those facts as it gave me some perspective. I am so lucky. There are so many people in need, I don’t want to get preachy here but I think it’s good to sometimes take a step back and realise how lucky we are and see if we can help in some way.

I would like to thank all of you for following my blog. It means so much that people are out there reading my articles and that I hopefully help in some way. I wish you all a very safe and exciting New Years. I look forward to 2012, I predict it will be a year of adventure, good health, fitness and fun… If we make it so 🙂

 

 

December 21, 2011 Suzie

Shin splints is a common concern that is super annoying to the sufferer.

So what are shin splints?

Shin splints is a common term for medial tibial stress syndrome. It refers to tissue injury and inflammation to the connective tissue and muscles attached to your shin bone (which controls the rolling of the foot).  Shin splints is very common in runners due to the repetitive pounding.

Pain usually develops down the length of the inside of the shin bone (tibia front of lower leg,  running from knee to ankle) during exercise and then ceases when you stop. Because the pain is sometimes mild and always ceases afterwards, people continue training over and over. However as the injury progresses, the pain intensifies and can cause the person to stop the activity. If the problem is not addressed early or the pain gets worse or continues for hours after exercising or causing aching at night, the inflammation and damage can become so severe it causes stress fractures (which would require months of rest – no thank you!)

Why do they occur?

There are several reasons for why shin splints can occur. these range from landing heavily oin the heel, tight calf muscles, being overweight, poor lumbo-pelvic stability and also weak gluteal muscles.

The main reason however is foot biomechanics according to physiotherapist Tim Keely. “As the heel hits the ground during the foot strike you are supposed to land on the outside of your heel and then roll inwards. Then during mid-stance phase, you should roll back outwards and put the weight through the outside of the foot. After which you should push off through the toes.”

“However, people suffering from shin splints, the person most often rolls the heel inwards too much, then during mid stance phase, the front part of the foot drops down and the arch collapses. The body is then unable to hold the foot in a dynamicaly good position during landing or when pushing off onto next step.”

Another factor that can cause shin splints is over-training, where the person is doing too much running without enough rest. This is most common in runners who are increasing their distance and training, their body and muscles just aren’t conditioned for it.

It is very important to make sure you have the right shoes. This includes support, shape and structure suitable for the amount and type of exercise you are doing. Keep in mind also that shoes need to be replaced, they get worn out especially if you are training a lot and should be replaced mroe frequently.

How can you treat shin splints?

Firstly I would recommend seeing a physio* so they can diagnose the problem, find the cause and provide treatment for the injury. Treatment can include:

  • deep tissue massage
  • dry needling
  • kinesio-taping

Stretching the calves will help as well as strengthening the gluteal muscles. If you think you have shin splints, do the check list

  • give yourself apropriate rest from training
  • stretch your calves multiple times every day
  • run on soft surfaces whenever possible i.e grass or sand
  • ensure you are doing strength work for your legs as well as running to keep them in condition.
  • if pain is consistant don’t wait and make it worse get yourself checked out at a physio

 

*when choosing a physio check out their specialities (i.e sports physio) and insist on getting assessed. A good physio will always do an assessment on you. You don’t need a bandaid for your problem you need to find the source and get apropriate treatment.

 

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(image courtesy of fitnessinformation.net)