By Maya Anderson

Chronic fatigue is a debilitating feature of illnesses but chronic fatigue syndrome itself is an illness and one that remains highly controversial. Sufferers are often labelled malingerers, while others think they are merely tired from lack of rest. But the major feature of the condition is continual, extreme fatigue that is not relieved with sleep. Other symptoms include sleep disorders, recurrent infection, forgetfulness, muscle soreness, joint pain, swollen lymph glands, confusion, depression and recurrent sore throat and headaches.

Coupled with the fact that many sufferers experience a lack of acceptance of their disease from their colleagues, family and friends, CFS can be severely life-changing, says Don Lewis, founder of the Chronic Fatigue Discovery program in Victoria.

“Not many die from it, although a number take their lives,” Dr Lewis said. “There is no cure for it. One may get better but the propensity for recurrence remains.”

However sufferers can feel in better health through the use of natural aids, says Natureco naturopath Samantha Warner. “Prolonged stress followed by viral infection, which switches off the cell ability to make energy, is best treated with nutrients and herbs for the immune and nervous system, such as vitamin C, zinc, astragalus, Echinacea, St John’s wort, licorice, Korean ginseng and antioxidants like Coenzyme Q10 and lipoic acid,” she said.

Because deficiencies of vitamin B, C and D were often causes of fatigue, taking these vitamins might help increase energy slightly, Ms Warner said.

The natural approach to the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome sometimes involved a long and gentle process to slowly reboost the immune system and purge the body of toxins.

Detoxifying could be aided with herbs which supported kidney and liver function, such as dandelion, milk thistle, lavender and ginseng. A healthcare professional should be consulted first.

Taking a multi-vitamin to supplement lost vitamins could also help. Because many sufferers experience muscle pain and stiffness, magnesium could improve muscle function and might help eliminate soreness.

Establishing a regular bedtime might be of benefit and gentle restorative exercise such as tai chi, swimming, walking and yoga was advised, even though many people may not feel like it. “However anything too vigorous can be counter-productive,” Ms Warner warned.

In some cases, acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, massage and meditation had proved helpful in managing the syndrome. She suggested sufferers could find a picture from when they felt fit and healthy and use it as a positive image for visualisation and gratitude for good health. “It is important to remain hopeful rather than hopeless and fearful,” she said.

And if you don’t have chronic fatigue syndrome, prevention is better than cure. “The factors that will contribute to the recurrence, or the onset, of the illness are infection, excessive physical activity and excessive mental activity,” Dr Lewis said. “Therefore, if you become unwell, allow your body to recover from it.”

Maya Anderson
Email: maya.anderson@hotmail.com

By Fiona Cosgrove

By the way, botox is only in the title because it fits well and let’s face it, it’s a bit of an attention grabber.   Why do you think that is?  Botox is still a controversial treatment and not everyone wants to try it.  But a lot of us are mildly interested in these alternative treatments.  Strangely it does fit the theme of this article because I am writing about trying new things. I have been thinking of all the assumptions we make, how we define ourselves and how easy it is make a judgment with limited information.  The end result – we make our world smaller than it is.  Not to say that a wrinkle-free face would make your world any larger, but who knows?!

The real point of this article is to raise a few questions about how we see ourselves.  If anyone asked you right now, “Who are you?”  What would you answer?  Your name might be a start but you would probably go on to list some roles that you play in life.  For me, I am a mother, a partner, a coach, a speaker, a friend, a daughter, a writer, and high on the list would be a bike-rider.  Because these are all things that I value about myself.   I like to think of myself as an above average bike rider, and possibly even “good for a girl.” High self praise indeed.  Self knowledge is a good thing.  So what if someone asked you “Who are you not that you would like to be?”  How would you respond to that?  Trickier isn’t it?  Possibly a bit uncomfortable too.  After all, we are touching on unfulfilled dreams and goals.

So to play it safe, I might refer to something in the fitness realm that I have failed to accomplish and with a cough I would mutter, “I’m not very flexible”.  Which three months ago would have been true.  Absolutely.  I have spent most of my exercising life moving in a straight line.  Unless I was carrying a hockey stick in which case I would swerve when necessary, but only when necessary. If asked a few years ago, I would have also listed “marathon runner” in my response.  In recent years this sport has had to be replaced with bike-riding.  I am somewhat proud of my limited ability to move quickly – in a straight line but I am aware that it has caused some anatomical problems.  I have tried to stretch - with a trainer, on my own, in a class - but to no avail.  It just didn’t excite me.  Until a few months ago when I was encouraged to try Bikram yoga.

Now for those who don’t know what Bikram yoga is, think of a room the temperature of a hot bread oven, many sweaty near naked bodies of all shapes, sizes and ages and an instructor asking us to get into positions that seem to go against what nature intended.  And there I found myself.  90 minutes later, one word came out of my mouth when I left the class and it wasn’t, “Wonderful!”  But being stubborn I was determined to do at least three classes before giving up.

Now those three classes took me into uncharted territory.  First, I was useless.  Strong legs help but don’t cut it when you’re as inflexible as I am.  My dignity suffered,  My competitive nature was flattened. To simply survive some of those classes required more discipline and tenacity than anything I had done in a while.  I was sharing space with people who seemingly were born with a different anatomical make up to me and I doubted that I was of the same species.  It was humbling.

Three classes ticked off and I was free.  But no, I found myself there again.  And again.  And again!  A few weeks later and my 10 pass needed renewing. I realized that I had done 4 of these 90 minute sessions in 8 days!   I was shocked and wondered if there was some subtly addictive foul play at foot. But no, the reason I kept going back for more was that I felt so amazingly good afterwards.  I slept well, I felt more relaxed than I had in years and lo and behold, getting on the back of the vespa no longer was an embarrassing struggle. I leapt on in one smooth movement.  Inexplicably, I was becoming stronger on the bike.

So what did I learn from this experience?  The fact that we box ourselves in with our own idea of who we are.  We think of what we are rather than what we could be.  As we get older, this gets worse.  Our self esteem and value system are set around our accomplishments.  We stop taking risks that aren’t logical or safe.  We ignore possibilities and narrow our experiences.

The moral of the tale?  Try something new.  Do something you know you won’t excel at and do it for reasons that are bigger than your need to be the best.  I hope that my new found interest will help me live longer, move more freely and provide something in my life that was missing around stillness, calm and  freedom of  movement.  Perhaps it will, perhaps it won’t.  Give yourself chance to explore, be someone new and you too may find the hidden yogi within!  And if you do, chances are you won’t need botox.

Fiona Cosgrove has over 20 years experience in the wellness & fitness industry - owning and managing clubs in Australia and Asia, including No 1 Martin Place, NSW Fitness Centre of the Year, 2006. Fiona is the author of Coach Yourself to Wellness and she regularly runs corporate seminars and workshops in the areas of healthy lifestyle, motivation and wellness.

By Andrew May & Matt O’Neill

When it comes to fitness, Australians love to walk! More than 2.5 million Australians report that walking is their favourite recreational activity. That’s no surprise, considering that walking offers such great health benefits. Even better, it’s free, safe and easy to do for almost everybody. There are no expensive memberships or equipment required, just a sturdy, comfortable pair of shoes and the determination to make a change.

Walking can boost both physical and mental fitness. It’s a proven stress-buster and you don’t have to knock yourself out to get lasting benefits. For example, a comprehensive US study of more than 70,000 American women showed that walking the equivalent of three or more hours per week at a brisk pace was as significant in reducing the effects of coronary heart disease as vigorous exercise, which makes walking a great habit to build into your life, no matter what your age or fitness level.

If you’ve found it difficult to fit more physical activity into your life, you’re not alone. Advances in technology have all but eliminated the need for any of us to move. We use remote controls to open the garage and change channels on the TV, and mobile phones, e-mails and the internet mean we no longer need to get up to answer the telephone, post a letter or do the weekly shopping.

While technology is certainly making some things easier, it’s also contributing to a lack of physical activity, which is causing our waistlines to expand, and leading to more serious health problems such as high blood pressure and adult-onset diabetes. The good news is that relatively small bursts of activity, like making regular walks a part of your day, is enough to replace much of the movement lost thanks to modern technology.

To turn your life around, don’t let modern conveniences do all the work for you. Instead, think about how to make your life more inconvenient! That’s right – make changing your attitude to movement your first positive step towards a more active and healthier lifestyle.

Ten good reasons to walk to health

Here are ten good reasons why walking is the best exercise to put into you day – every day!

1.      You can easily start with small amounts - ten minutes each day.

2.      You can catch up on the latest gossip with a friend.

3.      You don’t have to be co-ordinated to walk.

4.      Walking offers a wide range of health benefits.

5.      It’s low-impact, so there’s less stress on your joints.

6.      There are no excuses with walking - you can do it anytime, anywhere.

7.      It makes you more efficient - you can do errands and get exercise at the same time.

8.      You get to see the sites - walking is the best way to get around on holidays.

9.      You can start walking at any age.

10.    You save the environment when you walk instead of drive.

The health benefits of walking

Fitness

Physically fit people improve the ability of their body to carry oxygen around the blood supply. This translates into more energy and ease of getting though daily tasks like shopping, vacuuming or putting out the garbage.

Stress relief

When you are stressed, your heart rate increases, blood pressure rises and fats are dumped into the blood. Going for a walk is not only a way to get away from the “stressor” (eg: your partner) but can help release mood-elevating chemicals that can help you feel less anxious.

Strong bones

The mechanical loading of weight-bearing exercise helps prevent the loss of bone minerals that leads to osteoporosis later in life, especially for women. While walking doesn’t have as much effect on bone strength as weight training, it’s an important part of keeping weight on your bones. Walking may also help with co-ordination and postural stability that is important to prevent the falls that often break bones in our elderly years.

Immunity

Moderate exercise can enhance the immune processes, so walking may provide some benefits.

Blood Pressure

During a walk, your small blood vessels dilate and take pressure of your arteries. This persists even after you stop moving. Regular walking may help reduce the natural tendency of blood pressure to rise with age.

Diabetes

Walking, like all aerobic activity, improves glucose tolerance by enhancing insulin sensitivity. After a bout of physical activity, insulin sensitivity can be elevated for up to 48 hours. Active people are less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

Cholesterol

Although not a powerful effect, regular walking may cause a small increase in HDL (good cholesterol). Even a small increase in this component of your total cholesterol is associated with a large decrease in the risk of heart disease.

Osteoarthritis

Walking may help build leg muscle strength and increase the range of motion in the knee and hip joints. Just feeling more active can also have a psychological effect. In some cases, walking may aggravate knee pain, so check with your doctor.

Matt O’Neill is a top Australian nutritionist and regular on Channel 7’s Sunrise program. You can subscribe to Matt’s free email newsletter, download useful tools or enrol in a course at his website at www.SmartShape.com.au

By Dr. Tom Buckley

Runners will tell you the energy they derive from running in the spring meadows is powering them on and “fuelling them with energy”. Aromatherapy practitioners will tell you that smell is “the most direct route to the brain”. Certainly that seems true for man’s best friend, the dog, but for us mere humans, is it all just in our heads? Given that it’s reported that 60% of visits to general doctors are stress related, perhaps it’s time we did “wake up and smell the roses”.

I remember reading recently about a study that demonstrated that a group undertaking a maths test in the presence of flowers, compared to another group without the flowers, scored significantly higher in their test scores. Hard to believe, I hear you say, and I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that too! If we believe these results to be scientific fact, then how do we justify them? Most likely, the pleasant looking environment may have resulted in a better sense of wellbeing and consequently contributed to their better performance. We are all the product of our environment - this I can attest to every time I tidy up my office! But is there a body of consistent research supporting the marketing hype around not just looking at the flowers, but smelling them (AKA aromatherapy).

I first became interested in complementary therapies when I was studying for a health science degree in the early 1990’s. At that time, little scientific evidence was available to really convince me that aromatherapies really do influence a person’s physical wellbeing. But then you will struggle to find quality scientific evidence to support about 80% of mainstream health practices. However, emerging scientific evidence today is beginning to support the theory that the scent of certain plants and flowers may have a positive effect on our wellbeing.

Several studies have indicated that essential oils can reduce anxiety and increase alertness. Others have clearly shown that inhalation of lavender or essential oils help with reducing restlessness, with an increase in our peripheral blood circulation for good measure (a bonus effect I say!). In addition, a group of researchers from the University of Lancester, demonstrated in 1995 that lavender may be a good sleep inducer for people with difficulty falling asleep (AKA insomnia). This study, despite a small research sample, did get mention in a very reputable British medical journal and many mainstream healthcare professionals now use lavender therapeutically to induce sleep.

So, given that essential oils and lavender may be the missing ingredient in your busy and stressful life, where should you start? Probably the best place is by taking a visit to a good health food store and seeking advice from the people in the know. Better still, in my opinion, invest in yourself and go straight to the experts themselves by making an appointment with an aromatherapist for a personalised formula. If this takes too much energy to organise, then consider trying what I stumbled upon recently when reviewing the literature:

Mix two drops each of basil, lemongrass and lavender oil with one teaspoon of vodka or full-fat milk in the bath. (mixing the oils with a carrier such as vodka or milk ensures the oils disperse throughout the water)

(published in Natural Health, Sep2004, Vol. 35 Issue 8, p18)

Then all that’s left to do is sit back, relax and prepare for your best night’s sleep and a fresh sun smiling the next day! Oh, and the next time you can’t think at work, sort that office décor out and order some flowers.

Tom Buckley a University lecturer and researcher in the field or Health Sciences whose doctoral studies focused on physiological responses to stress. Author of several peer reviewed publications and supporting author of Flip the Switch, his current research interests are in human factors related to performance and wellbeing

By Rosemary Marchese

You know you should exercise but you can’t be bothered…sound familiar? Well, why should you? If you don’t have any motivation to exercise, I’m sure that will be your answer! Motivation provides purpose and direction to behaviour. If the ‘behaviour’ you want to achieve is exercise, then you better sort out exactly what your purpose and direction will be!

When I speak to people unmotivated to exercise I liken it to a job that they’re stale in…they don’t like what they do every day yet either don’t know how to, or lack the motivation to, change. Imagine continuing on that path for the rest of your life! Do you really want to get to the end and say ‘life’s too short’ or ‘I should have done more with my life’ or ‘I have heart disease and wish I had exercised when I had the chance’? Well, finding the motivation to exercise is in essence no different. It’s time to GET EXCITED about exercise!

Yes, that’s right…get yourself excited about the act of exercise and excited about how you will feel with the results you will achieve! Set yourself daily, weekly or even hourly goals. ‘I will walk for 30 minutes every day’, or ‘I will exercise four times this week’ or ‘I will get up from my desk every hour to move my legs and walk around the office’. You have to find something that suits your lifestyle. As a busy mother I like to aim for four to five workouts per week rather than have strict days each week. With little children I acknowledge that my weeks need to be flexible and fitting in exercise becomes less stressful with this approach.
Next, in order to get excited about it all you have to be confident that you’ll get results. If you’re one of so many people who have committed to exercise before but with little or no results here are some things to consider:

• You can’t spot reduce fat! Just get moving, and then move a little faster so that your intensity rises with your fitness levels. Always challenge yourself - believe me the fat will move!
• You can’t eat what you want and expect to get results just because you exercise. Unfortunately exercising does increase your appetite and many people mistake this to think that they can indulge in some extra calories. While I’m all for some treats and a bit of a relaxed diet with some limitations, if you start over consuming you wont lose weight, in fact you may even put on a few kilos!
• Women don’t bulk up on muscle overnight! Weight training is great for toning muscles and increasing your metabolic rate. You’ll burn more fat at rest as a result – that’s right, imagine being a fat-burning machine while sleeping! The thought of becoming too bulky can be a turn off to weight training for many women but the truth is women don’t carry enough of the male hormone testosterone for this to be a problem. Adding some weights to your exercise sessions can often speed along some of your results.
• You don’t have to spend a fortune to get results. Gym memberships can be hard on the budget, especially at the moment. Try being creative at home and tap into free (but reputable) resources on the Internet to help give you tips and ideas. Check out www.fitforlifeonline.com.au to help you get started. Home exercise DVDs are also worth the investment to add a bit of variety.
• Take care with your choices of low fat food. These foods are often riddled with artificial sweeteners and preservatives – all bad for your health and your health and weight loss campaign. Choose natural and wholesome foods wherever possible, just watch your serving sizes!
• Check in with your doctor and your fitness trainer regularly. Sometimes there are other reasons for not achieving results, such as illness.
• Lack of time is no excuse! Yes, you heard me and I’m happy to argue with you on that one! If the ex-Prime Minister of Australia found time for a daily walk, then you can too! Are you running the country? Is the world going to fall apart if you take a 30-minute break for a walk? I severely doubt it, sorry! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve often used that excuse but I make sure it’s short-term only. I use the threat of what will happen to my body if I don’t exercise, as a motivator during extra-busy periods in my life!
• It’s time to change your attitude, and truly get excited about exercise. Get yourself mesmerised by the changes that can happen to your body and how good your will feel during and after. The results will come; you just have to find the motivation first!

Rosemary Marchese is the Editor of fit for life online www.fitforlifeonline.com.au, a site dedicated to reliable and accessible health, beauty and fitness – a site for everyone; the individual, the family, an expectant mother or an elite kid.

As a registered physiotherapist with over 15 years of experience in the fitness industry Rosemary brings to fit for life online a wealth of health and fitness writing and editing experience.  She has published a best-selling fitness book and is also a former Editor for Ultra Fit magazine.  Rosemary is a fit and healthy mother of two young children dedicated to helping busy mums achieve their health and fitness goals.

by Rosemary Marchese

Are you a regular runner or jogger? Got yourself in an exercise rut? Easy to do. For those of you who have been pounding the pavement regularly but are getting a little stale try making some changes to your routine over the next 28 days. Here are some tips to help you recharge your exercise routine. Pick one of the following options and replace one of your weekly runs (or two if you run more than four to five times per week) with the suggested alternative. The idea is that you will increase the intensity but reduce the length of your workout by about 20 to 30 percent.

1. Add some hill running to your program, particularly if you have been running or walking. You could shorten the length of your workouts but increase the intensity by adding the hills. For example in a 30-minute workout you could add in a 30 second to one minute hill run (depending on your fitness level and the slope of the hill) once every five minutes.

2. Get yourself to the beach if possible…replace one of your weekly runs with a session on the sand (the soft sand if your up to it!).

3. Add stair climbing to one of your weekly runs. Find a set of stairs to challenge your cardiovascular system and coordination and balance. Depending on the height of the stairs you will need to climb one to two stairs at a time. Sprint up the stairs and recover with a slower pace down the stairs taking care to not lose your balance or footing. Replace about 20 percent of your workout with some stair running after a decent warm-up. You could do this in the middle or towards the end of your workout to really challenge yourself.

4. Break up your run with some resistance work in a park. Replace about 10 minutes of your run with 10 exercises – do as many of each in one minute as you can. Rest for the remainder of each minute, for example do as many push ups as you can in one minute…if you can do 30 push ups and it takes you 40 seconds, then rest for the remaining 20 seconds. Here are a list of ten exercises…try them in order so that the upper and lower body get a break between exercises:
i. Push ups (narrow grip)
ii. Squats
iii. Dips
iv. Lunges
v. Chin ups (find a bar in a park)
vi. Calf raises (kids playground equipment can be useful as a step for these)
vii. Air boxing
viii. Running on the spot
ix. Push ups (wide grip)
x. Step ups (using a park bench)

Note: Remember that you will need to seek out a suitably qualified fitness professional to instruct you on the proper technique of each exercise before you start!

Overall, variety is the key but so are the goals you are trying to attain. It is best to have your programmed reviewed regularly to avoid boredom and overuse injuries. We can all get stale and even the fittest runner can plateau. Reducing the length of workouts and increasing the intensity is one of the easiest ways to increase variety and add some spice into your workouts! Best of luck.

Rosemary Marchese is a Director and the Editor of fit for life online www.fitforlifeonline.com.au. As a registered physiotherapist with over 15 years of experience in the fitness industry she brings to fit for life online a wealth of health and fitness writing and editing experience.  She is the co-author of the best-selling book ‘The Essential Guide to Fitness: For the Fitness Instructor’, which was specifically written for those people wanting to start a career in the fitness industry. She is also a former Editor for Ultra Fit magazine and is now writing her second fitness book. Rosemary is a fit and healthy mother of two young children dedicated to helping busy mums achieve their health and fitness goals.

by Kaitlin Walsh

If you’re like the rest of Australia, with the New Year came your resolution to get fit. Unfortunately, the figures are against you: around 80% of such resolutions fail within the first 12 weeks. But there’s no need to become a statistic. SuperLiving asked three fitness experts for their top tips on how to get fit – and stay that way – for life. Here’s what they told us.

First things first, let’s address fitness resolutions, why they so often fail – and what you can do to keep your resolution alive.

Too much too soon

Chris Tzar is an exercise physiologist and director of the Lifestyle Clinic at the University of New South Wales.

According to Chris, one of the major obstacles to resolution success is the ‘more is more’ attitude we adopt as we hurl our tired old bodies into our shiny new fitness programs.

“The major reason for the 80% drop out rate is inappropriate exercise routines with too rapid a progression in terms of intensity, duration or both. In other words, too much too soon,” he explains.

“As you get older and especially if you’ve been sedentary, your body needs time to adjust to new demands. The classic example is getting shin splints from overdoing it – even just walking. This, as with other strain injuries, can cause a person real discomfort with movement and consequently stop their program altogether.”

The moral of the story, according to Chris, is to pace yourself to give your body a chance to adapt to its new routine. He suggests ways to do this below.

Unrealistic weight loss expectations can also cause disincentive, says Chris, causing many people to give up before they give their program a chance to kick in.

“A realistic aim if weight loss is your goal is half a kilo a week. And remember, exercise alone won’t necessarily result in weight loss. Energy in counts just as much as energy out so you need to reduce your intake if weight loss is part of your goal. Remember, the more slowly you lose weight, the more likely it is to remain off in the long term.”

Starting out on the right foot

To help avoid the too much too soon ‘burnout’, Chris suggests that you first take a realistic look at your current general health and activity levels.

As far as health is concerned, Chris and our other experts all stress the importance of having a full health check with your GP before starting on a new exercise regime. If medical issues are identified, seek expert guidance from your GP or an accredited exercise physiologist. But don’t let such issues be a barrier to your fitness aims.

“Nearly all of the most common chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis or other musculoskeletal problems with knees or backs, for example, respond very positively to the right type of exercise. If you are affected it’s all the more reason to get started – with professional help, of course.”

Once you’ve consulted with your GP and are ready to begin, Chris suggests you get an objective picture of your current activity levels.

“This will give you a proper baseline measure both for charting your progress and to help you structure a program that steps you up at an appropriate pace,” he says.

To do this, Chris suggests either keeping a seven-day ‘activity diary’ or wearing a pedometer and keeping a tally of your daily steps for a week. If you choose the diary option, record all your physical activity, from structured walks or gym visits through to ‘incidental’ or everyday movement such as walking up stairs, to the shops, hanging the clothes on the line, gardening, performing basic household chores and so on.

Get with the program

One you’ve established your normal levels of activity, it’s time to work on a program that steps those levels up gradually.

“There are 101 different ways to start a program and all manner of activities that you can include in it,” says Chris.

“But we are aiming for what we call ‘progressive overload’. This means making sure you increase activity in increments – whether in time or intensity – that are not so high as to cause pain or injury, but high enough to have you feeling and seeing benefits over time.”

If you are on a walking program, for example, Chris suggests that a realistic increase might be by around 20% every few weeks. So, if your original activity levels started at 5000 steps on your pedometer, up it by 1000 steps every few weeks. Over time you will be doing the recommended 10,000 steps a day – without fear of overload.

“The value of this approach is that you pace yourself properly and get fitter without injury or burnout. Once you reach a higher level of fitness you may then want to go further, take up a more intensive gym program, perhaps do some running or bike riding and so on,” says Chris. “And if you do choose to go further, the same principle of progressive overload applies.”

Resistance is not futile

By now most of us have heard about the benefits of resistance or weight training. Increased muscle mass achieved through this kind of training can boost your metabolic rate, helping you to burn more energy even while at rest and aids your body’s ability to keep glucose at steady levels. This helps prevent, or reduce the effects of, diabetes and offers cholesterol and blood pressure lowering benefits, too.

In addition, being stronger aids balance and mobility, a real benefit as you get older, helping prevent injury due to falls and enabling you to continue to do all the everyday tasks you need to without relying on outside help.

But what does weight training actually entail? Does it mean hours sweating in the gym with barbells and bodybuilders?

Not at all, says Belinda Parmenter, an accredited exercise physiologist who is currently undertaking a PhD relating to exercise for people with chronic conditions.

“Of course programs vary according to the needs of the person concerned,” she says. “However typically, they will involve movements that are targeted to strengthen the major muscle groups of the body. The weights concerned may be quite light – a kilo or so – or heavy – 20 or 30 kilos or more. We might prescribe eight or more different exercises, in three lots or ‘sets’ of anything from three to 20 repetitions of each, depending on the needs and health of the person concerned.”

Once you are shown the right moves and have the weights at hand, you can work through a program in your own home if the gym does not suit.

One thing Belinda does stress is that while the advantages of increased mobility and balance may come from using lighter weights, to get the metabolic benefits, higher intensity work with heavier weights is required.

Either way, no serious fitness program is complete without its component of resistance training, so factor that in.

A session or two with accredited fitness trainer or exercise physiologist can put you on the right track (see below for contacts).

Never sit still

All three of our experts also pointed to the latest research indicating that the physical activity/benefit equation is more complex than first realised.

Daryl Sadgrove is also an accredited exercise physiologist and director of Movement Medicine, a company based in Wollongong, NSW.

“All the latest evidence is that it’s not simply being physically active that is important for your health. Rather, it’s limiting sedentary behaviour,” he explains.

“It is now increasingly clear that people who are still for lengthy periods – say at a computer or TV – are prone to negative effects due to the release of harmful substances by the body, seemingly in response to these periods of inactivity. So it appears that even if you do your 30 minutes of brisk walking a day, if you also remain immobile for four or more hours a day you are still subject to those ill effects.”

The key, according to all three of our experts, is to increase your everyday activity – you’ve heard it before: take the stairs, not the lift, park further away from your destination, never ride when you can walk and so on. It is all about seeing the need to move as an opportunity, not a chore.

As well, they suggest that you make sure you break up any still hours at work or leisure with some considered movement.

Get up in the ad breaks and do some squats, lunges or star jumps. Take a brisk walk around the block every hour or so while working at the computer. Program activity into your inactive hours.

Daryl also suggests that you use time at home or the office to work on your balance.

“Balance is the quickest thing to improve when it comes to training and it’s so important to help guard against injury and increase your mobility,” he says. “Simply standing on one leg for 30 seconds each leg each day can make a real difference. And that couldn’t be easier to factor into anyone’s day.”

“It really is these smaller, constant everyday movements that make a big difference to your energy expenditure – and the more we are finding out, the bigger the difference appears to be,” agrees Belinda.

Staying the course: list, research and plan for adversity

Once you’ve established your program and have seen some improvements, be on the lookout for flagging motivation and plan for adversity.

Daryl Sadgrove is a big fan of writing lists, keeping diaries, goal setting and other formal ways of keeping on track. He also says that one of the most common causes of people dropping off their fitness program is when something adverse happens – anything from an illness in the family to an injury or having to work unusually long hours.

“Exercise tends to be the first thing to go in these situations,” he says. “I suggest to my clients – and follow this myself – that they plan ahead. Don’t just have one program, have several that are suited to likely events such as rain, illness, excess work and so on.”

For example, Daryl suggests that you might say, what if my knee goes bad again or I have that six-week intensive project at work? Your ‘plan B’ if your knee goes might be to ride your bike or go to aqua aerobics. That’s step one. But more than that, you get your bike serviced and ready and buy a ten-pass to classes at the pool so you are 100% ready to slip into your ‘plan B’ at a moment’s notice.

“Similarly with time management: if you can’t go to the gym or do your walk at your usual time, come up with an alternative: work out an emergency routine you can do at home in front of the TV if it’s raining or in a hotel room if you’re travelling. Don’t give yourself an excuse not to exercise. Instead of the negative ‘I can’t do this’, aim to reinforce all of your good work with positive, do-able alternatives,” says Daryl.

“That way you are most likely to continue and to keep enjoying being fitter, stronger and healthier for as long as you want to.”

Where to find out more

Each of our three experts is an accredited exercise physiologist and member of the Australian Association for Exercise and Sports Science (AAESS). These specialists are trained to help individuals and groups achieve their particular health and fitness aims through movement.

To find an exercise physiologist near you, visit www.aaess.com.au. Under some circumstances, your visit to an exercise physiologist may be covered by Medicare.

To find an accredited fitness trainer and/or gym near you, visit Fitness Australia at www.fitness.org.au

You can also find out about community-based fitness activities through your local council, university, hospital or Area Health Service. You can also ask your GP for information about suitable programs on offer near you.

This is article is courtesy of Super Living. Live and invest with attitude

by Dr. Tom Buckley

Are you getting enough light in your day? Does having restricted exposure to natural light affect your mood and sleep?

Researchers have known for a while that there is a link between light and sleep. While not fully understood, exposure to light appears to trigger our brain and hormones to wake up in the morning. Alertness hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are naturally released in the early hours of the morning but appear to be secreted in larger doses when we are exposed to natural light at this time. An example of the benefits of early morning light was demonstrated in a study conducted in 2004 where 450 research participants found that those who got the most light, particularly in the morning, reported better moods throughout the day and reported better night-time sleep.

So what can we do to in our working day to get a healthy dose of light? Try some of the following:

•    A 30-minute walk or some form of outdoor exercise each morning will help kick start the day. This doesn’t need to be a planned training session but just walking to work, or even the train station. Some researchers believe that combining exercise with morning light exposure may amplify light’s beneficial effects on your mood, night-time sleep, and overall day-time alertness.

•    Eat breakfast near a window or, if possible, out in the garden or balcony. If not possible before you get to work, try having an early morning tea outside the office building.

•    Ensure your bathroom is bright. If you don’t have natural light in the bathroom, ensure you have multiple sources of light, not just one light bulb. Think about painting this room a bright colour next time you are decorating.

•    Avoid bright evening light. Dim your indoor lights after 6pm to prepare your body for sleep later. You production of the hormone melatonin, the main sleep inducing hormone, relies on the reduction of light to be stimulated.

•    Best to avoid your computer after 7pm. If you do have to do later evening computer tasks, soften your computer screen. Reduce the screen brightness. Better still, turn it off.

•    Use the window and drapes. If possible, leave your window drape open a little to allow morning light to seep into your bedroom. Research has consistently shown that the rising sun is the best and most natural alarm clock. Of course in summer, this may be too early so, if possible, open the drapes as soon as your alarm clock goes off and before you drift back into a snooze.

Tom Buckley a University lecturer and researcher in the field or Health Sciences whose doctoral studies focused on physiological responses to stress. Author of several peer reviewed publications and supporting author of Flip the Switch, his current research interests are in human factors related to performance and wellbeing

by Rosemary Marchese

So now do I have your attention? Yes, I did say ‘health and fitness is all about time management’. Have you tried all the weight loss programs, diet pills, milkshakes and other supplements? But overall what has stood the test of time – exercise and healthy eating!

When it comes to achieving a healthy mind and body you may really need to ask yourself: ‘Am I really doing enough?’ Are you working overtime constantly yet never get the most out of that gym membership you’re paying for? It’s time to re-evaluate your position and your goals. Losing weight can happen along with overall health and fitness. First, it’s important to have a medical check-up to eliminate any serious health conditions that could be affecting your ability or motivation to exercise.

Get some sleep!

The first step to overall health and fitness, and also weight loss if that is your goal, is a great night sleep. Quality sleep patterns have helped many people trying to lose weight. Yes, that’s right! Sound sleeping also gives you the energy that you need during the day to exercise, work and play. Try to go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Avoid sleeping in beyond 8am and take a short nap in the afternoon if you feel you need the extra boost.

Exhaustion or relaxation?

The day-to-day ‘must-do’s’ in life seem to keep growing. Many of you may consequently find that you are mistaking pure exhaustion with relaxation time. If you find that the first time you have to yourself all day involves sitting on the lounge to watch whatever is on TV at the time, and then falling asleep in front of the TV, chances are you are not getting the quality sleep that you need. Use exercise as a form of relaxation or time to yourself but also try to get some ‘doing nothing’ time, even if it’s just for fifteen minutes per day.

When planning your day, week or year, try to list all the things you need to achieve and how and when you are going to achieve them. For example schedule specific times to exercise rather than saying ‘I am going to exercise five times this week’. If you have a specific schedule or plan for how things will fit into your life, rather than a long ‘to-do’ list, it may make it less stressful for you.

Make time to exercise

Everyone needs a lunch break so take one! Avoid eating lunch at your desk and integrate exercise into your lunch break. This could be a stroll down to a local park or shop. Intense exercise at lunch-time may help some of you to perk up for a productive afternoon. Others may find that the casual stroll with a friend or a yoga class will help to clear the mind and refresh you for the afternoon ahead.

When planning your exercise routine I always like to recommend trying the morning if it’s possible. This gives you a fresh start to the day and also frees your evenings up to be with family and friends. Most people find that their days get busier as they progress so a morning exercise session ensures that you have prioritized yourself right from the start and excuses can’t get in the way.  If you set the alarm clock and ensure you get out of bed straight away you will give yourself less time to make excuses. If you leave it to the afternoon many other commitments can get in the way. But the best time to exercise is always the time that suits you best and that you can stay committed to. If you can commit to afternoon sessions at the gym or a regular sport then go for it!

Don’t forget sports as an option, especially if you are looking to meet new people. Join a local club and try a few new sports until you find what works for you. If you find that you spend more time driving kids to their sporting commitments than exercising yourself try getting more physically involved in your kids’ sport, such as refereeing. All incidental exercise contributes to your health and fitness.

Plan your eating

Eating well is a fundamental principle of a healthy and fit body and mind. Organise your meals early in the week. Pack your lunch for work when you pack the kids’ lunches – and do it the night before. This will ensure a healthy body and a healthy wallet. Spending money on lunches will often cost you more than a yearly gym membership once you do the figures. If you are working long hours and over-time you may need to evaluate whether the extra hours are costing you money in other ways, such as lunches. Don’t forget to have days or outings where you are more lenient about what you eat. Think of it as a healthy eating plan rather than a diet – everything in moderation.

So…

1.    Take care of number one – you!
2.    Say ‘no’ if you can’t fit in that appointment.
3.    Have a good budget and work out if working extra hours is really worth it at all.
4.    Plan your eating, structured exercise and incidental physical activity.

Rosemary is a registered physiotherapist who has combined her expertise in health with fitness. She has over 15 years of experience teaching and consulting in the fitness industry, including personal training, PUMP and Pilates instructing. She is the co-author of the best-selling book ‘The Essential Guide to Fitness: For the Fitness Instructor’, which was specifically written for those people wanting to start a career in the fitness industry. She is also a former Editor for a fitness magazine and is now writing her second fitness book. Rosemary is a fit and healthy mother of two young children dedicated to helping busy mums achieve their health and fitness goals. www.rosemarymarchese.com

by Fiona Cosgrove

Life coaches, Performance coaches, Wellness coaches, Executive coaches. These are becoming everyday terms. With the increased pressure on us to reach for the stars, achieve our goals, fulfill our potential comes the dilemma of how to structure our lives to allow this success. The demands of daily life have never been greater and in this information age when the choice of services, products, guidelines is enormous, how do we come up with a plan to “be our best”? There is a big difference between consultants, mentors and coaches. The former two roles are more of a “telling” or expert role. They are bringing their often superior knowledge to the relationship and we learn from them. They tend to take responsibility for the learning and teaching process. A coach is quite different.

What a coach will do is:

• Act as a support person and “cheerleader”
• Help you find your own solutions
• Facilitate your path to change
• Let you take the lead
• Be a mirror to reflect your insights and awareness
• Affirm your strengths
• Show empathy and acceptance
• Hold you accountable

A coach is someone who will help you get there. A coach will not:

• Tell you what to do,
• Take on the responsibility
• Constantly offer advice
• Design your plan

Get the picture? If you find the right match for you, a coach can help you climb any mountain. But how do we find a great coach when there are so many people out there claiming to be just that?

A good check list might look something like this:

A great coach will:

• Be passionate and energetic in their commitment to help you be your best
• Be astute enough to recognize what is important to you, not them.
• Walk the talk
• Only offer expert advice at pivotal moments
• Have clear focus and positive and confident outlook
• Believe in you
• Be trained in coach psychology and the area that they are working in

It is a good idea to meet with a potential coach first to find out if you are comfortable with each other and you can connect with that person. Your coach will foster self acceptance and self respect and not hold themselves out to have all the answer. They will have a knack for honing in on our strengths, desires and values. Coaches are great listeners and enjoy our stories. Ask them about how they structure their sessions. A good coach will have a model they follow (but not their own agenda), which will become a vehicle for you to help you move towards your goals. They usually offer a program rather than a one-off session, understanding that change takes time and a methodical approach.

A coach needs to be able to take risks and confront us when necessary, yet at the same time be playful when appropriate and make the sessions fun - not just hard work. A good coach will not rescue us when we hit a difficult place but let us work through the dilemma. They will understand the importance of our journey and help us celebrate each successful step. They will eventually leave us with greater self knowledge, confidence and belief in our own abilities and if all goes according to plan – the ability to live a more fulfilling life.

Fiona Cosgrove has over 20 years experience in the wellness & fitness industry - owning and managing clubs in Australia and Asia, including No 1 Martin Place, NSW Fitness Centre of the Year, 2006. Fiona is the author of Coach Yourself to Wellness and she regularly runs corporate seminars and workshops in the areas of healthy lifestyle, motivation and wellness.