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

The Power of Less Video from Leo Babauta on Vimeo.

by Kate James

‘The golden rule is that there are no golden rules.’ George Bernard Shaw

One of the things I’ve noticed about people who maintain a youthful outlook on life is that they avoid making rigid rules for themselves. Instead of narrowing their world by saying no to new experiences and ideas, they keep their lives and their minds open. In turn, they stay young.

I found it interesting to occasionally watch the ‘Grumpy Old Men’ or ‘Grumpy Old Women’ programs that were aired on television this year. Not because I found them riveting viewing but because (as much as I hate to admit it) I could see myself in some of the comments. I too have found it irritating sitting on the train listening to someone else’s second hand iPod music; I find it difficult to concentrate in many of the shops my daughters visit because the music is so loud and (now I’m really going to sound old) I can’t get my head around the low slung pants young guys wear…so low that you see more of their underwear than their jeans. What’s that about?

And then I notice what I’m doing. I’m making judgements based around a set of rules I’ve created in my own mind about what is right and what is wrong. And I’m doing the very thing I couldn’t stand when I was a teenager - behaving like an old person!

Whilst you could argue that the iPod traveller needs to be more considerate of other people’s comfort the reality is that is just one perspective. You could also have the opinion that people like me need to get used to more noise because that’s the way the world is now.

Life is so much richer when we let go of our judgements. When we lighten up and go with the flow and learn to accept that things change and a better way of dealing with change is to resist it less.

Tolerance and open mindedness are two of the most important principles in a world where global barriers are lessening every day. It’s equally important is to consider how we can apply this open minded thinking to ourselves and to the people closest to us. Stop and think about the limitations you set with the rules or the judgements you have created. Some of them you won’t even be aware of until you see yourself reflected in the comments of a grumpy old man or woman.

Next time you start to think ‘People should or shouldn’t do/be/wear/think… (fill in the blank)’ ask yourself ‘why or why not?’.

If you automatically think that you can’t or shouldn’t do or be a certain way, challenge yourself - why not? What’s the worst thing that can happen?

Benjamin Franklin said ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.’

Do something different. Think something different. Be someone different.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

I noticed over the Christmas break that I was laughing much more readily. It struck me that I hadn’t laughed much at all in the previous busy months. I had achieved all of my business goals (and more) but I’d lost something much more essential to my happiness - the ability to relax and be light hearted about life.

Chris and I spent three days with my sister Anna and her husband, Neil at their beach house after Christmas. Anna is younger than me and much less inclined to take herself seriously. She is so much fun to be around. She’s not crazy about the beach but she was happy to come swimming with me because I love it (in the end decided that maybe she could like it too); she doesn’t really enjoy champagne but drank it with me because I do and she is always, always willing to bend (or break) the rules.

We spent New Year’s Eve with Anna and Neil. It was a balmy night, all of our children were away with friends so it was just the four of us for dinner in their beautiful stone room. We danced on the front lawn under the stars and at the end of the night, in her hospitable ‘rule breaking’ way, Anna set us all up with pillows and blankets so we could sleep in the cool under the open sky. What a refreshing, open minded start to the year!

More about the beach house and New Year’s on the blog http://calmcreative.blogspot.com/

‘Kate James is a work life balance coach, writer and speaker. She works with professional people who want to enhance their quality of life by making the right career and life choices. You can find Kate at www.totalbalance.com.au.’

by Fiona Cosgrove

From the moment we wake to the moment we go to bed, many of us have a full “dance card”.  In other words, time allotted for various activities that need to be done in order for our life to run smoothly or to fulfill some other criteria we have set to make our life orderly and purposeful.  Having a purpose to our days is very important, otherwise, why bother getting out of bed in the first place?  The mistake we make is to create a life that is so full of “purposeful activities” that we forget why we’re doing them in the first place and we allow little time for pleasure.

Now purpose and pleasure do not necessarily have to be distinct from each other.  We may exercise for the purpose of maintaining a healthy body, or enjoy getting out on the bike or going for a run -  and they are great time efficient ways of living a happy and satisfying life – or at least for an hour of the day!  But we occasionally forget to take stock of our routine to ensure that we do have a portion of our day spent in pleasurable activities.  Because without pleasure, life becomes one long responsibility and drives us to forgo time where we can lose ourselves in something we enjoy.  It’s the “losing ourselves” that is the important piece.  Activities that allow us to have complete absorption and a loss of sense of time are known as activities that produced “flow”

What is flow?

The term “flow”is usually used in a sporting context, but the definition of flow is “a state of complete absorption in a complex and challenging activity that stretches one’s skills”.  And this can happen anywhere.  Csikszentmihalyi is a world famous researcher on the psychology of optimal experience –what he calls flow.  An essential element of any flow experience is that your perceived abilities match the perceived challenge of the task at hand.  In this balance, we can become truly “engaged” in the activity and some of our peak experiences will occur then.  He explains that flow experiences involve clear goals, effortless yet total concentration, a sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, an altered sense of time – complete absorption.  The more flow experiences we get in our life, the happier we will be.

So what in your life enables you to experience flow?  As a child many activities allowed flow as we discovered the joy in learning and play.  As adults, we may give up our hobbies or interests.   Take a look back at your week and make a note of anything you have done  that you really enjoyed, felt relaxed yet absorbed or challenged in the activity.  Was there something each day?  If not, time to schedule in some “flow-time”.

“Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning.  Whether at work or at home the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable.”  Professor Tal Ben-Shaar from Harvard University.

Where do we find flow activities?

We can experience flow at  work or at home although often other factors affect our experience at work – anxiety, pressure or constant interruptions.

The type of activities that are likely to produce flow are ones that use our strengths.  If we can be creative and find ways to use our strengths and talents then the pleasure we gain from a task will increase.  We need to identify what we are good at and  use those talents.  It is likely that we will get more absorption and engagement when we are doing something that uses our strengths.

Find new flow experiences

If we are not finding our current lifestyle “flow-producing” then time to explore other options or interests.  Look back on what you have enjoyed in the past or take that next step to try something new which may give you what you’re looking for.

Why is flow important?

It can improve:

• Life engagement
• Life satisfaction
• Quality of life
• Positive emotions
• Our resources
• Our self esteem
• Our health!

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 Peter Crocker

Even as January ends, my street is still dotted with discarded Christmas trees, drooping fairy lights and half-deflated Santas. I know how he feels. With the tan faded and toys broken, how can you sustain that holiday feeling?

I’ve never managed to fully achieve it myself, but hope these strategies will make the difference this year:

Plan another holiday.

The fact that we’ve just had Australia Day helps, but I’ve already planned some more time off later in the year. Even though it’s months down the track, just booking it makes me feel better and it’s something to look forward to now the grind’s got going.

Focus on resolution results.

Now’s the time to revisit that overoptimistic list of New Year’s resolutions and start to focus on just a few key results. The year generally starts with lofty ambitions to get super fit and healthy, but by Australia Day, I’ve changed ‘get fit’ to ‘run twice a week’.

In terms of business resolutions, consider picking just two goals you’d like to reach in 2009 and list the specific actions and timings needed to achieve them.

Write it down and pin it up.

I’ve written up a few goals and resolutions and stuck it to my door. It is a constant reminder to help focus my activities and makes me feel organised, too.

Lower the expectations.

I’ve wondered before about whether our desire to always love our work is unrealistic. I like having a distinction between work and holidays. I remember the great feeling of freedom of breaking up from school. If we have no doldrums throughout the year, how do we enjoy the full elation of setting off on holidays?

How do you keep the holiday feeling alive? Is it possible? We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions.

And to the guy across the road, please take down your fading Christmas decorations. They’re an unwelcome reminder that the long break is over for another year.

Peter Crocker is a director of Flying Solo responsible for the areas of marketing and advertising. He is a business copywriter specialising in websites, videos and marketing communications.

For more from Peter Crocker, head to www.flyingsolo.com.au, Australia’s online community for solo and micro business owners.

By Dr. Adam Fraser

Ninety five percent of new years resolutions are never achieved, why are we so terrible at sticking to goals?

In a way achieving goals goes against our natural biological drivers. Our natural program is to avoid and move away from things that cause us stress and discomfort. Unfortunately most types of change and the majority of goals require a certain level of stress and discomfort. Studies have shown that the most common emotions people feel during the goal achievement process are frustration, anxiety, fear, boredom and apathy.

Therefore we have to realise that altering any habit or achieving any goal flies in the face of our normal biological desires and behaviour. Put another way its not going to be easy!! This statement is supported by research, which indicates that 85% of all goals set are never achieved.

The following research is taken from the PhD work of Dr Stephanie Burns an absolute guru in the area of goal achievement. It’s broken up into theory and strategies.

Theory is the background to goal achievement and will help you have a greater understanding of how change comes about.

Action items are things you can practically do to increase your chances of sticking to a goal.

Theory

• The amount of time you have to dedicate to a goal has nothing to do with your chance of achieving it. You can wipe someone’s day completely so they are free and this will not improve their chance of achieving that goal.
• Having a high level of self-esteem does not improve your chance of sticking to a goal. A lot of people who have high self esteem often talk about all the grand things they will do, but don’t do them. The only thing self esteem affected was the size of the goal, the greater your self worth the grander the goal you set.
• The main determinant of goal achievement was frequent and consistent action.
• When people stopped taking action towards their goal they rationalised it by making up a story around why they couldn’t do it. Most of the time they said it was not their fault. They said things like, “I am just not an exercise type person”, “the family is more important and I really need to be there for them”, When analysed their stories were inaccurate and delusional. Also often people who stoped taking action towards their goal, said that they were merely putting it off and would get back to it later, which they never did.
• When they compared themselves to other people who kept working towards their goal, those that quit perceived those that kept going as having a much easier time of it. They saw the other person’s goal as being easier, or their life as being better than theirs, or that the other person liked their goal more than them. None of these things were true. In fact those that stuck to their goals were as challenged, bored, frustrated with their goals as those that quit. They just didn’t see those things as a reason to quit.

Actions:

• Just start! Research shows that once we start the activity, momentum tends to make us keep going. For example to get people to exercise researchers got them just to walk for 10 minutes a day, however once they were out and exercising they continued to walk much longer than 10 minutes.
• Don’t think too much! People that didn’t achieve their goals tended to think about it a lot. For example say their goal was to go to the gym, those that didn’t get there would sit on the lounge and debate over and over again in their heads if they should go or not. Finally they ran out of time and couldn’t go. Those people that did achieve their goal didn’t analyse it too much, when it came time to do their chosen activity, they just did it rather than thinking about doing it. In a way their heads were quieter.
• Most goals are abandoned after 3 weeks. One key to achieving goals is to sustain the action long enough to see a result.
• Consider the little stuff. When people set a goal they only thought about the outcome they will get at the end of it. For example if it was to lose weight they fantasised about how good they will look when they achieve their goal. Unfortunately they have not thought about all the little steps they needed to take along the way and all the little challenges they will have in order to get their goal. For example many people who had the goal to get fit stopped that goal because it was a pain to drive to the gym or they couldn’t get parking near by. It was the little things that they did not even consider that derailed their goal.
• Create tension in your environment. Often children stick to new hobbies or sports because they have a lot of tension in their environment to make them keep going. Tension from parents, coaches, fellow students and teachers. All these sources of tension keep them accountable. Announce your goals to people and set up tension in your environment to keep you accountable to your goals.

“Dr Adam Fraser is one of Australia’s leading educators, researchers and thought leaders in the area of human performance! In this time he has worked with elite level athletes, the armed forces and business professionals of all levels. Check out his websites www.dradamfraser.com & www.theglucoseclub.com.au.”

By Craig Harper

Sixty eight going on thirty three

For those of you who have read my book Fattitude, you have already ‘met’ one of my favourite people; Jan Frazer. Jan is one of my trainers, has worked along side me at Harper’s for about fifteen years and is sixty eight years young. She’s a great trainer, gifted teacher, charismatic communicator, completely lovable chick and funny as hell. And no, she’s not great for a sixty eight year-old; she’s just great. Full stop. Her age is irrelevant. As it should be for all of us. She’s fit, strong, intelligent, driven, compassionate and has amazing people skills. She’s an inspired leader, role model and motivator who consistently produces great results with her clients. I’ve always been fascinated with Jan because she simply doesn’t worry about what someone her age is ‘meant to be doing’ (I hate that term) and she’s always doing things which would leave most thirty year-olds exhausted or intimidated. And no, this is not some feel-good, exaggerated, love-fest to make for an interesting article, it is a completely honest and accurate account of a woman nearing seventy who has a biological age of thirty three (yep, thirty three) and consistently produces incredible results in her world.

Mrs Hard Work

Sometimes when I’m mentoring someone who is hard work, I feel like walking them across the gym floor to meet Jan and saying something like, “Mrs Hard Work, I’d like you to meet Jan; she’s twice your age, fitter, leaner, stronger, never complains, is tough as nails and has an infinitely better attitude that you’ve ever had… so suck it up Princess!!”

Too nasty? Perhaps I should do it anyway.

The Rules

Jan is completely unaffected by the rules. You know the rules; the ‘what is and isn’t appropriate for someone of your age’ rules. I hate those rules. Always have. And don’t think that just because the rules aren’t written anywhere (formally), that they don’t exist; they absolutely do. In fact, they pervade every area of our existence; our culture, our language, our corporations and our collective mindset. I find many of these rules to be destructive, disempowering and completely unwarranted. I could give you countless examples of how we disadvantage our more ‘experienced’ citizens with our stupid thinking, rules, expectations and standards but I don’t want this to turn into an epic that you won’t read. If we were to believe some experts, we might be forgiven for thinking that anyone over fifty should have one of those disabled stickers on their car and be wrapped in cotton wool. Personally, I intend to head back to college when I’m in my sixties to do my Masters and possibly a PhD. Not wishful thinking, a plan. I also hope that Jan will work with me for a least another decade or two.

The Psychology of Aging

Neither is it wishful thinking when I tell you that age (as we experience it in our culture) is more about psychology than it is about physiology. It’s about much more than our body or how many years we’ve been here on the big blue ball; it’s about how we think, act, communicate, work, socialise, recreate and love. That’s why we see ‘young’ people in their seventies and ‘old’ people in their fifties or even forties - because years on the planet is only part of the age equation. Of course there is a physical consequence of time but many of us unnecessarily accelerate the aging process via our programmed ageist thinking, our poor choices, our stupid behaviours, our irresponsible diet, our sedentary lifestyle, our lack of exercise and our propensity to listen to the morons who tell us to grow old gracefully.

F*** that. I’ll grow old disgracefully thanks.

Old Before Our Time

Sadly, many of us will get old before we should. I won’t. And not because I’m genetically gifted but I choose not to get ‘old’ (in the way that many people allow themselves to age, that is). Even the term ‘Acting Your Age’ infers that we must fulfill some kind of pre-determined ‘old’ role. “How old am I? Okay, that’s how ‘old’ I should act. Hmm, exactly what is appropriate behaviour for some my age?” It’s ridiculous that we should somehow feel a need to conform to some standardised set of acceptable (and unacceptable) behaviours based on our chronological age.

Of all the mental barriers that we humans create for ourselves, the age thing has gotta be right up there on the ’stupid list’. The truth is that chronological age isn’t our real problem, how we (the society) think about age (and subsequently behave) is the problem. Of course the years have a physical impact on us (especially when we don’t maximise our genetics) but for the majority of us, age is more of a psychological issue than it is a physiological one.

Craig Harper is a motivational speaker, qualified exercise scientist, author, radio presenter, television personality and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world. Visit Craig’s website motivational speaker for more life lessons.

by Catherine Saxelby

A glass or two of red is proving to be good for you, as many wine buffs have long believed.

Red wine is held responsible for the so - called French Paradox - or why France has the second lowest rate of heart disease in the Western world (after Japan) when they indulge in butter, cream, pate and rich food. Could it be due to the large quantities of red wine the French enjoy?

The link between red wine and heart disease, which stemmed from cross-country comparisons back in the 1970s, has been confirmed by the World Health Organisation.

Countries like France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, where wine is popular, have fewer deaths from heart disease than countries such as Finland, Ireland, the UK, Sweden and Australia, where beer and spirits predominate.

The Copenhagen City Heart Study, which followed the health of over 7000 men and 5000 women for twelve years, reported that moderate wine drinkers had half the risk of heart disease and stroke than those who never drank, while beer drinkers had a modest benefit but spirits very little.

What is it about wine that makes it so beneficial?

1. Wine is generally drunk with a meal, as in France, and biochemicals in food may offset any of the damage caused by excess alcohol. In contrast, beer and spirits are often consumed alone or with a salty, fatty snack.

2. Wine is also preferred by the better-educated and well-off, which in itself is a health advantage.

3. But it’s wine’s long list of polyphenol compounds that researchers believe confer its protective effect.
Over 50 phenolics have been identified in wine, including flavonoids and resveratrol, which are responsible for much of the colour and flavour of wines and for keeping it from going off during years of storage. But from your healths point of view, they:

* function as antioxidants and keep the bad cholesterol from being oxidised

* reduce any thickening of the arteries

* keep the blood unclogged and free-flowing (an effect similar to aspirin).

Red wine, made with the skins and seeds, has about ten times more of these natural chemicals than white wine.

One such grape substance, resveratrol, has attracted much attention.

Resveratrol is produced by the grape to help it fight off fungal infections and in studies from the University of Illinois, has been shown to inhibit tumour growth at three different stages of cancer, preventing the spread of malignant cells.

It too can minimise oxygen damage to tissues, reduce clumping of blood cells and may lower cholesterol.

But it’s not the only one. Other flavonoids such as quercetin, epicatechin and rutin have been tested and found to be even more powerful than resveratrol and are present in higher concentrations.

These heart-protecting substances are also found in grapes, other fruit, tea and onions. A much-quoted Dutch study reported that people who consumed large amounts of tea and onions had the lowest risk of heart problems.

Catherine Saxelby is an accredited nutritionist and author of 9 books including Nutrition for Life. For more tips and ideas, go to her website at www.foodwatch.com.au

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