2011 FESTIVE SEASON FITNESS TIPS

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Christmas is just around the corner, and you know what that means: the holiday season, and for some, holiday weight gain. A lot of numbers are thrown around with regard to how much weight people actually gain. The truth is, the “average” person gains about two to three kilograms during the weeks between Christmas ( Nov / Dec parties) and New Year’s Day.

You might be thinking, “That’s not a lot of weight,” but the trouble is not the weight gain, it’s the weight loss, or lack thereof. The fact is most people don’t lose that weight come January. Instead, it adds up year after year, and “suddenly” you’re heavier, a term researchers call “creeping obesity.”

This year, rather than waiting until 2012 to try to get back on track, why not stay on track through the end of 2011 with these seven tips from nutritionist Christopher R. Mohr. They are a sure fired way to help you avoid dreaded holiday weight gain throughout the holiday season..... and beyond!

❄Make sure you get your exercise in first thing in the morning. During the holidays, you’re going to eat (and probably drink) more calories than usual, so making time for exercise is a must. Think of it like a checkbook that needs to be balanced; don’t go crazy and promise you’ll be more responsible in January.

❄Go for a walk, post meal. After you do the dishes, fight the urge to just collapse on the sofa. Instead, give your metabolism a little boost with some movement and fresh air. Use this holiday time to experiment with a few type of fitness class. Try yoga, pilates, spinning, or simply rejuvinate the mind and body with a long walk along the beach.

❄If you’re preparing the meal, try some slightly healthier alternatives. While you don’t need to revamp the menu to tofu and wheat grass, there are some simple strategies that will go undetected by even the finest of palates. Things like using half the butter and sugar a recipe calls for, and switching from full fat milk to chicken stock for mashed potatoes. Trust me; your guests won’t even blink an eye!

❄Don’t hover over the buffet table. You will eat more when an entire table of food is beckoning. Pick your options, put them on your plate and then step away from the buffet table.

❄Pick your favorite foods and enjoy small portions of them. Focus on foods that are a bit more unique, the ones you may only have once a year and enjoy them (in moderation, of course).

❄Give away any leftovers. Don’t keeping those delicious leftovers around just in case. Do yourself a favor and send each guest home with a care package of leftovers.

❄Get right back on track that evening or the next morning; depending on the time you eat dinner. One meal will never make or break you. Throwing your arms up in the air and claiming defeat will.

❄Remember that Christmas and New Year are really just two days! If you follow these tips, it will be smooth sailing from here to 2012, and your skinny jeans will be waiting to greet you on the other side. Bon appetite!

❄New Year's Resolutions -
If you overdo it these holidays, set a firm New Year date to get back on track, as well as some well defined fitness goals. By setting these you can forget about your indulgences and focus on becoming healthy,happy,fit and fabulous in 2012.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I hope your Christmas is filled with fitness, love, light and peace.
Marg Anderson

QUALITY vs COWBOY PERSONAL TRAINERS

It's always a good idea to ask a few questions prior to signing up for Personal Training.
Check your trainer is qualified (minimum Cert IV Fitness), registered with Fitness Australia and has appropriate insurance cover.
See article below from THE AUSTRALIAN.

COWBOY TRAINERS LOWERING THE BAR


Qualified trainer Nick Woodall with his class in Sydney. Picture: Alan Pryke Source:

The Australian
by: Mitchell Nadin
From: The Australian
November 05, 2011 12:00AM
THEY are daily fixtures at suburban parks and beaches across the country - counting the push-ups, screaming from behind the boxing bag, urging their charges on.

Personal training has become a massive growth area in the past decade, but there are growing concerns that the area is beset with an increasing number of fitness cowboys who aren't properly qualified.

According to 2009 report by Access Economics, more than 40 per cent of Australians participate in some form of gym workout or group exercise, paying upwards of $70 an hour for a beginner personal trainer, and more than $100 for an advanced instructor.

To keep up with extraordinary demand the market has reacted swiftly, with training courses popping up overnight, offering full accreditation in only a few short weeks. Some private institutions offer the minimum certificate in just two weeks.
Free trial

Amid the grab for market share, some health industry observers fear rogue trainers with little or no qualification are putting people's health at risk.

The glaringly obvious holes in the system were highlighted by the Australian Physiotherapy Association, which argued standards were inadequate.

An association spokesman told a Brisbane newspaper it was "very difficult for the public to know who's good enough and who isn't", and the eight-week course to become a qualified personal trainer was not enough.

In the absence of a government regulator, Fitness Australia is the industry watchdog, representing more than 1300 businesses, and 24,000 exercise consultants.

Chief executive Lauretta Stace agrees a consistent government framework would help to eliminate rogue operators.

"At the moment the greatest risk for people is working with exercise professionals who are not registered, and not properly qualified," she said. "To safeguard the community, elements of regulation should be put in place to ensure a robust and enforceable registration scheme, so that consumers can trust their instructor to be qualified with an appropriate level of experience."

Stace says Fitness Australia has made a submission to the COAG Future Regulatory Reform Agenda, in an effort to encourage national conformity.

A Department of Finance and Deregulation spokesman said the minister was "reviewing all the submissions received and evaluating reform proposals put forward by stakeholders".

Industry experts welcome the push for tighter standards.

Simon Margheritini, who has worked in the industry for more than 11 years, says the hunt for a competent personal trainer has created a buyer-beware market.

"I've had numerous clients tell me about previous trainers who were feeding them completely wrong information," he says.

"I'm more worried about the people who make no attempt to gain any credentials, though, and call themselves personal trainers. People who just watch a few YouTube videos or The Biggest Loser and think they know how it's done. If people are going to use a personal trainer, they need to make sure he or she is qualified. In my 11 years, it's disturbing I've never been asked once about my credentials."

Nick Woodall, who operates a fitness company in Sydney's inner-west, says the low entry barriers for the fitness industry mean "cowboy operators" are besmirching the good reputation of properly qualified professionals in the industry.

Woodall says it's time the government takes the fitness industry seriously and set a consistent training standard, with an emphasis on practical experience. "I think the hands-on component of the current courses on offer is really lacking," he said. "In the end we're dealing with people's health and bodies, which need to be taken seriously. There are around 35,000 personal trainers out there, but only two-thirds of those are registered."

A spokesperson for Fitness First advised people to check their trainer's credentials, which can be done online at the Fitness Australia website.

"Make sure that the trainer that you select is registered with Fitness Australia, has a minimum Certificate IV Fitness and they have the appropriate insurance cover," he said.

After giving birth to her second child, Susannah Hardy couldn't wait to get stuck back into her rigorous fitness regime, but said qualifications weren't a deciding factor in choosing who to train with. "I didn't check my trainer's credentials, I went by his reputation and recommendations from friends," she says. Hardy, 42, says the growth in personal training is a result of a time-poor, high-pressure society.

"Whether it's a full-time career or children, people have less time for exercise, and so they want to use that limited time as efficiently as possible," she says.

"It's really good that people are becoming more aware of their health. The amazing growth in the fitness industry has been great, but it's also something we should be constantly aware of."

SEPTEMBER IS YOGA MONTH

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BE A YOGA ENERGY AMBASSADOR!
Through simple participation in the Yoga Energy Activism (YEA) campaign over the next 2 weeks from September 12th - 27th.
The whole Yoga community is being encouraged to unplug, tune in, reduce waste and take responsibility for our energy future by creating awareness in our homes, office and every day life.Every small individual efforts can have a powerful collective effect. 100 participants saves enough energy to power an average household for an entire year!
Help spread the word from Sept. 12th - Sept. 27th through Facebook, Twitter, email or class announcement.

Decide how and what to unplug and for how long. Here are a few ideas:

* Bike instead of drive
* Use solar or candle light for zero electricity use
* Unplug all applicances• turn off cell phones, computers, ipods...(except refrigerator)
* Rest, be with lovers, family, friends, read, reflect, create, play, be quiet, be festive
* Go for zero or as little waste as possible by composting and recycling
* cook less, eat less, waste less
* Reduce water consumption: flush one less time / cut 2-6 minutes off your shower
* Reading
* Journaling
* Longer meditation and yoga practice
* Fasting: eating once or twice a day, or juice fast, or fruit + vegetable fast

PLEASE HELP THE COMMUNITY in making positive contributions to our energy future.   

THE TOP TEN REASONS TO TRY YOGA

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Originating in India thousands of years ago, yoga has become an increasingly popular form of exercise and stress reduction.
The word yoga means to yoke or unite, which refers to the practice of using the mind and body together to achieve balance, flexibility and strength. There are different types of yoga to suit every need, from vigorous to relaxing and everything in between. Here are top 10 reasons to give yoga a try.

• Increased flexibility and reduced risk of injury
Each yoga pose targets specific muscles while also keeping them warm and limber, thereby increasing flexibility and reducing the risk of injury.
• Focused breathing and concentration.
A primary component of yoga is the rhythmic breathing. Taking full, complete breaths makes it easier to relax and center the mind, and is believed to have other therapeutic effects.
• The mind-body connection.
Rather than mindlessly going through the motions, yoga requires you to focus all of your energies on performing each movement precisely. This benefits both the mind and body.
• Greater strength and stamina.
More vigorous forms of yoga, such as vinyasa and ashtanga, promote strength and stamina as well as flexibility and relaxation.
• Fewer muscle imbalances.
Those who are new to yoga may notice muscle and flexibility imbalances throughout the body. Yoga poses are designed to help correct these imbalances over time.
• Better balance and stability.
Balancing poses require you to engage the core stabilizer muscles, which can help improve overall stability.
• Improved posture.
Yoga poses strengthens and opens tight areas such as the shoulders and muscles of the upper back, which is necessary for good posture.
• Greater body awareness.
Yoga requires you to contract and/or relax specific muscles as you stretch into each pose, thereby increasing awareness of the body’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Stress reduction.
Yoga helps soothe the mind and lower stress levels by focusing the mind on the moment and the movements rather than on external distractions.
• Cross-training benefits.
Yoga combines flexibility, strength training and balance to create a mind-body activity that is a perfect addition to any fitness regimen.

As you breathe in cherish yourself. As you breathe out cherish all beings. ~@DalaiLama

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE LATEST DIET?

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I wish I had been given a dollar every time someone has asked me this question!

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring and with it comes a desire to shake off the accumulated winter kilos the fastest way possible. Surely that must mean going on a diet?

The fitness industry is constantly up against the big giants such as television, women’s magazines and social media who promote the next best, most popular, sure to work, amazingly easy, fast, cheap and best way to lose weight. Such is our quick fix, society.

Immediately the word DIET conjures thoughts of painful food restrictions and giving up everything we love in the pursuit of lost kilos. Perhaps it means living on cabbage soup (without friends), protein shakes/bars or lemon juice for several weeks. Well, it really depends if you think this is LIVING. The most miserable people to go out with are those on a DIET! Real living should be with real food and real food should be considered a daily appreciation, celebration and expression to share with family and friends.

Why so many diet options? Surely if we were to obtain the miraculous results a diet promises we would only have one diet, we would all be on it, and we would all be thin and happy. Diets and diet books make big money, a good reason to create a new diet each week or to put a new spin on an old diet, reinvent it and attract more $$$ again.

A more sensible approach to nutrition is called a FOOD PLAN. Yes, we plan our holidays, we plan our finances we plan our houses and décor, we plan our work life balance, so why not our food?

All you have to do to start your food plan is to reassess your pantry and fridge contents. Throw out all the bad, high fat high sugar foods and create a new healthy shopping list for the week ahead.

Type a generic list on the computer so you can simply print it out each week and circle the items you require.
By preparing a list you will have assessed what meals to cook each night, what to take for snacks and lunch each day. You now have all the required essentials for meal preparation and it will eliminate the temptation to wander into the nearest lunch bar, or fast food take away.

This is the start of your plan.

The next step is to shop, BUT ONLY FROM THE LIST, NO EXTRA TEMPTATIONS. We all know how it works when we have no list and simply impulse buy, especially if the kids come along to help.

Try to minimise the purchase of processed food from the isles, these typically contain more salt, sugar and preservatives. Shop specifically from the perimeter of the shop, which is where you will find most fresh produce, a much healthier option.

Being organised will definitely help the plan. Organise your purchased food into daily portions so your food is easy to grab and go for work, even if you sleep through the alarm.
Perhaps take a few hours on the weekend (groan), to prepare and freeze some food for a few easy weeknight meals.

Of course nutrition and food planning is only the start. The other side of the plan relates to exercise, meal timing, portion control, understanding food labels and obtaining a balance of macronutrients from all 5-food groups. That all sounds daunting and far too much work for the average dieter!
So lets take it one small step at a time.

Starting to assess current shopping and eating habits are a good start. Healthy food choices will give you stable blood glucose levels, more energy, better sleep, and an inclination to get out and do exercise. Now you’re starting to win.

See your plan is starting to come together!

Think back to your last quick fix diet. Did it come together for you and provide a change that lasted? What did you learn from it? Truly assess whether you can afford the time, money and health to continue to fool yourself you are going to succeed on your next diet. Break the habit.

Ditch the diet – eat healthy – plan for you and your family’s future and your body will thank you for it!

Full nutritional analysis consultations are available at Regenerate Personal Training. These sessions are designed to educate, motivate and empower clients to create a balanced lifestyle.

"The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years" -Deepak Chopra

WORKING TOWARDS BETTER POSTURE

  WORKING TOWARDS BETTER POSTURE

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We have already addressed the issues of core strength but what about poor posture? How does it develop or how do we inherit it? Some genetic factors may influence our posture, or our ability to perform an exercise with correct technique. This postural condition is known as a structural posture problem and usually the person is born with it.
Some postural problems are functional and this relates to how a person copes with his / her body weight in relation to movement or how they have adapted to a scenario such as back pain. If these scenarios are you, you may need support and education in order to identify these problems.
SOME COMMON POSTURAL PROBLEMS
Flat feet - (over pronation)
Can cause foot, knee, hip or back pain.

Scoliosis - (lateral spinal curvature C or S curve 30d or more)
Symptoms = shoulders at different heights
Raised or prominent hip
Uneven waist
Rib cages at different heights
Leaning of entire body to one side

Hyper kyphosis - (rounding or exaggerated curve in thoracic spine)
Symptoms = shoulder and neck pain.
Tight pecs, hip flexors, h/strings and adductors.
Weak neck & thoracic spine extensors.
Limited shoulder flexion & external rotation

Hyper lordosis - (excessive curve in either cervical or lumbar spine or both)
Symptoms = Neck or lower back pain, weak lower abs (anterior pelvic tilt), neck flexors and extensors. Tight hip flexors, iliopsoas, adductors and iliotibial (ITB) band.

POSTURAL SCREENING
IF you suspect a postural issue, a full postural screen is best performed by a physiotherapist and may include some of these tests-
Posture check / H/string calf flex test (straight leg raise / Adductor (short & long) flex test / Hip flexor flex test / Lumbar spine flex & ext test / Hip rotation prone & supine test / Shoulder flexion and external rotation test / Lower & upper ab strength test / Neck and mid back extensor test / Lower ab strength

A modified version that your personal trainer can adopt may include the following simple checklist
•Ideal posture check –
•Feet - check for supination / pronation
•Knees – even space between, check for knees turned in or out,Standing with locked knees
•Hips – level pelvis, hips raised or lowered
•Scapula – from rear, even space between spine and shoulder
•Shoulders – raised or lowered
•Neck and ears – even
•Head – centered or to one side
•Chin - protrusion

Other simple checks that can be applied relate to muscle bulk
Quads – proportional to leg, even R & L
Erector spinae- even both sides of spine
Trapezius – proportional to back, raised on one side
Calf muscles- overdeveloped, underdeveloped, proportional to legs
You may notice girth measure differences on R & L sides, or notice a dominant side of the body.
Check performance of ab endurance / upper body endurance for weaknesses.

FACTORS EFFECTING POSTURE IN VARYING AGE GROUPS
CHILDREN
Current obesity levels / Lack of physical activity / Mode of transport eg: to & from school / Family issues: lack of quality meals, parents working / Carrying backpacks / Poorly fitted shoes

TEENS
Activity levels / obesity / Sitting for long periods – TV, computers / Fashion – shoes + bare bellies / Bras / Scheuermann’s kyphosis / fast growth issues

MID AGE
Sedentary occupations/ Repetitive manual labourer / Lack of fitness understanding / education / Quick fix / fad generation / Fashion – shoes / Slouching / coach potatoe

ELDERLY
Past history / occupation manual labour, years of repetitive tasks / Physical conditions eg: osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and disease

BASIC EXERCISES TO START YOU ON THE ROAD TO BETTER POSTURE
See previous blog for CORE ACTIVATION EXERCISES
A NATURAL PROGRESSION
Don’t run before you walk with these exercises. Allow for precision, and ensure you are performing them on a daily basis and have progressed accordingly before you take the next step!

STORK POSE – recruits rectus, adductors, abductors & TAs.
•Stand on one leg, place other foot on inner thigh (options floor, heel)
•Tighten opposite buttock, press foot to thigh, thigh back to foot
•Centre weight on whole of standing foot
•Grow tall through crown
•Activate shoulder, and core stabilisation and connect breath.

SITTING ON EXECISE BALL – encourages postural muscle activity through instability.
•Sit on the ball correct height for size
•Buttocks centred
•Shoulders gently retracted
•Keep S curve in spine
•Maintain core activation & breath
•Try to raise one leg off floor slightly
•Maintain pelvic alignment
•Keep postural height

LATERAL STABILITY ON EXERCISE BALL – strengthens shoulders, neck and lower back
•Kneel behind ball and hold fit ball with arms
•Keep neck in neutral position
•Recruit core and raise one knee off the floor slightly, keep toes / foot grounded
•Maintain pelvic alignment
•Alternate knees

PRONE SINGLE LEG / FOOT SLIDE – strengthens erector spinae / multifidus
•Lay face down on floor / head supported on arms
•Draw navel away from floor (imagine - slide a cold sheet of steel under belly)
•Gently slide one foot away from your buttocks, keep toes in contact with the floor,
•Maintain breath
•Buttocks relaxed!
•Alternate feet and repeat

OPPOSITE HAND AND FOOT RAISE SLIDE – strengthens erector spinae / multifidus
•Lay face down on floor, arms extended overhead
•Draw navel away from floor (slide cold sheet of steel under belly)
•Draw chin in
•Extend opposite arm / hand and leg / foot from floor.
•DO NOT aim for height in this exercise. Focus on length of each lever (legs + arms) away from the midline of the body.
•Maintain breath

ALL FOURS / HORSE STANCE – strengthens erector spinae / multifidus, gluteal
•On hands and knees. Hands under shoulders, knees directly under hips, knees hip distance apart
•Distribute weight evenly an all fours
•Draw navel in away from floor – don’t let back arch excessively or buttocks raise, keep body, hip, shoulders square to floor
•Eyes to floor avoid neck hyper extension
•LEVEL ONE – raise one knee or hand off the floor at a time
•LEVEL TWO – raise one leg or arm off the floor at a time
•LEVEL THREE – Raise opposite arm and leg off the floor together, hold 6-8 sec
•MAINTAIN breath,core activation,correct form & alignment at all times.

With a bit of time and patience each day you will start to feel stronger, walk taller and have better posture.

Marg Anderson - Information collated, written and presented for Fitness W.A. ©2011

WELLNESS AND LIFESTYLE COACHING NOW AVAILABLE AT REGENERATE

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WHAT IS WELLNESS COACHING?
Wellness will mean many things to different people, put simply it relates to the best we can be emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Wellness and Lifestyle Coaching looks at the whole person and supports clients to make positives changes or choices in their lives. Coaching can have a huge impact on the transformation of a client’s wellbeing. It can balance your body, mind and spirit, which in turn will improve your quality of life.

WHY DO I NEED WELLNESS AND LIFESTYLE COACHING?
Frequently people go on the latest fad diet to lose weight, or re join the gym as a New Year resolution only to fail over and over again. This seems to be a common scenario.
So…what gets in the way, mostly just life!
Do you really want to make lasting change in your life? Do you really want to lose weight, reduce stress, eat better, and have the ultimate balance of work and play? Life is complex and we don’t always have the tools or time to focus on what it is we need for ourselves. A more holistic approach looking at all aspects of our lives is required be truly ready to make that lasting change.
This is done with the help of your lifestyle and wellness coach by creating a program of choices and strategies that help facilitate achievement through encouragement and accountability. Clients learn to become masters of health and wellbeing for themselves!

WHO BENEFITS FROM LIFESTYLE AND WELLNESS COACHING?

Anyone who wants to improve his or her overall wellbeing and health

Anyone who wants to be his or her best

Anyone who wants to create a new relationship with themselves

Anyone who wants to create lasting change


HOW DOES IT WORK?
Sessions are structured with an initial overall wellness assessment.
From there the sessions commence with a Wellness Vision, then work through the following components - strengths, values obstacles, strategies, goals and plan, confidence and commitment, action plan, steps, rewards and a review of plan.
Sessions can be one on one, face to face, via phone or e-mail. Group sessions can also be organised.

Coaching is a step-by-step process that takes you from where you are now to the health and wellbeing you deserve. It is a process that creates a unique self-plan and brings it to life through commitment and self-belief.

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE!
Marg Anderson
Qualified LEVEL 1 Wellness and Coaching for the Fitness Professional Qualification via Wellness Coaching Australia.
LEVEL 2 course completed assessments and examinations are currently underway.

THE POWER OF PILATES

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Imagine an exercise system that has the ability to empower you with better health, a flatter stomach, increased flexibility, improved posture and mobility, along with an overall feeling of wellbeing!

Many exercise regimes promise this and much more and you have probably tried them all at some stage, but have you tried pilates? Pilates is an exercise system that will deliver amazing results. It does however take practice, patience, routine and time as most other systems do!

From the Hollywood buzz that has surrounded Pilates over recent years, it has evolved into a sound exercise alternative for many people who welcome the many benefits and opportunity to enhance their everyday lives.

What is Pilates?
Pilates is based on a body-conditioning program emphasising the inner core unit (deep abdominals and back muscles).

Historically in 1912, a German physician named Joseph Pilates studied various forms of movement in a wide range of activities ranging from yoga, ballet, martial arts and even animal behaviour. Through this study he developed his own unique conditioning exercise program. Initially his program was used to enhance the performance of dancers and also used in the rehabilitation of back injuries.

Pilates as we know it today has been refined into a safe, effective, user friendly program that caters for the beginner, advanced, elite and rehab participant.

Through a combination of movements pilates creates balance within our bodies.
Emphasis is placed on a series of stretching, strengthening, exercises that will enable you to learn to recruit the deep muscles of the abdominals, and pelvic floor, while maintaining stabilisation in other areas of the body for example the shoulder girdle. Each movement is coached from the core and in turn assists in the development of increased strength.

The Benefits of Pilates
Pilates has the power to help eliminate many postural, habitual or genetic factors that can inhibit our ability to perform every day tasks effectively.
Pilates can assist to decrease the following conditions -

High blood pressure
Heart disease
Diabetes
Weight gain
Depression and anxiety

Over time it will assist in the development of a stonger, more mobile, self-aware system.Pilates will enhance the way you walk, how you perform your work, sport and everyday activities, ultimately leading to an increased overall mental awareness of how your body moves.

Class structure
Class structure is based on simple exercises that focus on a series of sound principles –

Concentration - Teaches us to focus on each muscle as they move and to incorporate a mind, body connection.

Centering - Relates to the centre of your body, ribs to hips, front side and back of your torso (the core).

Breathing - Incorporates the importance of breath while we exercise and teaches us correct breathing during each exercise.

Control - Great control makes the exercise happen – focus on the muscle, incorporate concentration, breath and centering. Control is essential for injury prevention.

Precision - Refers to the correct execution of exercise and encourages individuals to work to their own level with an incorporation of mind and body awareness.

Flowing Movement - Muscular control and fluidity while performing each exercise, enhances every day activities.

Isolation - Working a particular muscle, gaining control of muscles through increased strength. Isolation of muscles increases the precision of each movement.

Routine - Relates to the number of repetitions of each performance. Establishing a weekly routine of pilates equals increased results.

To the novice the ability to incorporate all eight principles in the first instance
may seem daunting!
Broken down, each principle is simple and logical. Slowly mastering one principle
at a time is the key to pilates success. Ultimately you will be able to progress
through the fundamentals and develop skill effectively and accurately.


Pilates classes
Most fitness centres and recreation facilities offer Pilates classes.
Participants need to be able to differentiate what class is suited to their fitness or experience level. Beginners in particular need to look for a class suited to their specific needs, as there is much to learn in the initial phases of the program.

Usually numbers in beginner classes are restricted to cater for a more hands on approach by the instructor. This is a great way to learn the basic fundamentals in a non-threatening environment and sets sound knowledge for the future.
Multi level classes tend not to focus on the need of the newcomer as much and provide options for participants who then have to decide which one to take. Beginners may feel the need to “keep up” with others in the class, resulting in poor technique and possible injury.

As Pilates classes are named and structured differently at each centre, always be sure to speak to an instructor to ensure you are attending the right class for you.

Pilates studios
Pilate’s studios offer a more intimate environment for participants. Whether it be a mat or equipment based class, numbers are much smaller and tend to be more personal which is extremely suitable for the novice or rehabilitation client.
Pilates studios offer clients the ability to meet very specific aims and goals by utilising specialised equipment such as reformers, trapeze, rollers and swiss balls.

Programs can be tailored to meet individual needs and classes are often facilitated within physiotherapy centres.
If services are provided by a qualified physiotherapist check with your health insurer as sessions may be partially rebated depending on your level of cover.

One on One
This service ensures a specialised service either from a physiotherapist or qualified Pilates instructor and is an excellent way to be introduced to the fundamentals of Pilates without distraction.
Similarly, a personalised session on the reformer or swiss ball would be extremely beneficial for either an advanced or rehabilitation client.

What do I look for?
When looking to commence a class you should ensure your instructor is qualified with a nationally recognised training provider to ensure your safety and overall wellbeing.
Your instructor must be able to provide you with a safe learning environment that allows you to set and achieve realistic aims and goals, while you progress over time with your fitness and strength.
This in turn will keep you educated, injury free, motivated and coming back for more of the Power of Pilates!

By Marg Anderson - Pilates Instructor (Pilates Inst Australasia)
(Article written for Focus On Magazine)

THE CORE CONNECTION

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With a great proportion of our community involved in passive desk jobs, or just commencing the road to fitness, exercise programs need to be tailored to meet individual client requirements in order to promote balanced muscle tone.
An ideal program is one that is linked to the client’s aims and goals, as well as strengthening areas that play an important role in injury prevention, musculo-skeletal balance and postural support. All aspects of the client's life work, rest and play should be considered when designing a suitable program.

Daily living and life’s associated activities can place undue demands on our bodies resulting in muscles imbalances. For example, sitting at work stations for long periods of time, repetitive tasks performed at work or at home can create over use syndrome in certain muscles. Most commonly tightness will occur in the frequently overused anterior muscles (chest / pecs), which often leads to poor posture, weakness in the upper and lower back which increases the risk of injury.

Most basic weight programs still focus on the use of the same muscles used in excess every day. For example many seated exercises perpetuate poor posture and compound existing imbalances. Ideally the program should incorporate core strength or stabilisation exercises, reversal exercises and stretching to encourage balance and correction.

Core stabilisation exercises, more commonly known, as functional exercises will help develop the (often forgotten) deeper postural muscles of the abdomen and spine. Functional exercises or FIS (functional isometric stabilisation), lead to greater flexibility, better posture, increased joint mobility and flow of movement. Overall these exercises will enhance the way you move or perform every day tasks.

WHAT AND WHERE ARE OUR DEEP CORE MUSCLES STABILISERS?
The transverse abdominous (holds pelvis together), and the erector spinae & multifidous muscles (keep vertebrae in place), are the deep set postural muscles of the abdomen and spine. These muscles are close to the joints of the spine and continuously work to support and protect the spine.

When activated these muscles help protect the spine from excessive load. We risk injuring or straining the spine each time we arch the back excessively, tilt the pelvis alternately, lift heavy loads incorrectly (eg. unsupported forward flexion) or sit for long periods in a slumped or awkward position.

By adopting good posture via core strength exercises you will avoid strain on joints, muscles and most importantly avoid becoming one of many people with a back injury!
You will become stronger; walk taller, your organs will have more room in order to function normally and your blood will circulate more freely.


NEUTRAL SPINE POSITION
The body performs at it's best when neutral spine is present. What we mean by this term is that when the spine is in neutral, the vertebral discs are not being pushed forward or backward and ligaments are not stretched or shortened. Tight hip flexors or weak core stabilisers will compromise a neutral spine position or the ability to maintain a natural S curve in your spine. Reminder or reinforcement of a neutral spine is vital during exercise. It generates the greatest activation of the deep core muscles and enhances isolation of the muscle you are targeting in each exercise.

This is easier said than done as it requires internal awareness (mind body connection), along with the connection of correct posture, shoulder stabilisation and breath.
Patience in teaching and learning the following techniques is required, and clients need to be aware that it may take several weeks to master this technique. These exercises are great as ‘homework” to be done each evening between PT sessions!

Here are some examples of these exercises. Once mastered in a lying position you can progress to standing,then from a stable base such as the floor, to a series of exercises on the swiss ball!

Method 1. Neutral spine in supine position
*Lay down on the floor on your back, heels a short distance away from you buttocks.
*Slide your hands down the floor towards your feet (encourage space between the ears & shoulders), open your shoulders softly to the floor.
*Place one hand under the small of your back (where natural curve exists)
*Gently draw your navel towards your spine in order to make light contact between your back and your hand. Breathe naturally and hold this contraction for 10 seconds. Relax.
*Repeat this procedure, this time removing the hand under the back if you can. Maintain the contraction and breathe for 10 seconds. Relax.
*Slowly build up this exercise to 10 x 10 contractions whenever you have time during the day.

Method 2. Neutral spine in standing.
*Stand with feet a small distance away from a wall, buttocks, back, shoulders and head against wall. Ensure your head is straight and eyes are focused on the horizon.
*Encourage space between the ears & shoulders by gently retracting scapula.

*Once again place one hand between the wall and the natural lumbar curve of your spine. Gently draw navel in and create contact between your back and hand. Don’t raise or hunch shoulders. Breathe naturally and hold this contraction for 10 seconds. Relax.
*Repeat this procedure, this time removing the hand behind your back. Maintain the contraction and breathe for 10 seconds. Relax.
*Repeat this procedure, this time slowly stepping away from the wall. Walk around the room and maintain your newfound perfect posture!
*Now RELAX & FEEL THE DIFFERENCE!


PELVIC FLOOR CONNECTION
Pelvic floor muscles also play a part in deep core activation. Technically they are not deep core muscles, however, the contraction of the pelvic floor does however help to stabilise the core.


SHOULDER STABILISATION
Shoulder stabilisation will assist in minimising the activation of the upper chest and neck muscles. These muscles are often already overworked and often responsible for poor posture or imbalance.
By stabilising the shoulder girdle we aim to strengthen the muscles that may overcome imbalances (lower traps, serrates anterior, deep neck flexors).


To understand shoulder stabilisation simply -
*Relax, and draw shoulders into a soft V shape down your back.
*Lengthen the back of your neck in standing by growing tall through the crown of your head, create more space between ears and shoulders, and relax jaw. In lying, think about sliding your head up the floor or mat away from feet, slide fingers towards feet and soften face, relax jaw.


BREATH CONNECTION
Incorporation of diaphragmatic breathing will assist in activation of the core muscles. The focus should be on continual regular breathing and on breathing into the lowest ribs, creating a wide full action of the ribcage. The ribcage should move laterally. A good cue or visualisation is to hold their lower ribs with your hands, breath into your hands to feel the lateral movement. Avoid doming of the abs or noticeable rising and falling of the chest, or upward movement of the shoulders.

WAYS TO GET MOVING ON CORE STRENGTH
Repetitive standing position.
Alleviate this by frequent checks of your posture. Draw in the abs slightly, allow natural curve of spine, and bend knees slightly. Alternate feet onto a footrest when standing in one place for long periods of time- this relieves sway back.

Repetitive sitting position.
The ideal sitting position is one that involves varying postures and positions. Changing positions on the chair every 10min or so alleviates excess tissue load, which in turn will alleviate tissue micro trauma.
*Relieve strain by sitting well forward on the chair, tighten abs and cross knees.
*Use a footrest for sway back and keep knees higher than hips.
*Sit on a swiss ball. A swiss ball will create an unstable base of support and naturally utilise and encourage activation of the stabilisers. If this is ergonomically incorrect, have one in the office for use in other tasks eg: answering the phone, reading notes or memos.
*Take time out to stretch back on the swiss ball (counter act tight pecs)
*Use a stability disc on the chair.
*Use a lumbar roll or rolled towel behind your back when sitting to encourage the S curve in your spine instead of slouching.
*GET OUT OF THE CHAIR
*At regular intervals (every hour), simply stand up and get out of the chair. Move around!
*Use a buzzer or timer to remember to stand or change chair position.
*Perform a simple stretch, which involves using the opposite action to the one involved in sitting -
Simply stand in a relaxed manner for 10 – 20 seconds. Allow redistribution of the nucleus and reduce stress.
Inhale deeply and at the same time raise arms slowly overhead and push heel of hands towards ceiling. In doing so you will take your back through a gentle progressive lumbar extension, dispelling the stresses of sitting for long periods.


PAIN AND POSTURE
Injury and associated pain can influence stability and posture. In case of injury or pain always consult and work with a sport medicine specialist or physiotherapist. Repetitive stresses, poor posture, excessive flexion or extension may result in further damage or compression of vertebral discs.

In collaboration with expert advise (sport doctor, physio, rehab specialist or Cert IV personal Trainer), you will be able to identify weaknesses and assist in improving posture, stability and core strength.

By Marg Anderson Regenerate Personal Training (Article written for Focus On Magazine)

TAKE ME AWAY USA- A food sensation

( photo credits _ Carlos Porto)

I don’t normally socially comment on my bog site but my recent time away in America has compelled me to do so. So bear with me and read my mundane travel blog ☺

We started off on the 7th of July with a flight from Perth Western Australia to Sydney (4hrs). We took off 20 min late from Perth and then on arrival at Sydney, bad weather forced us to be held over the city for 30 -40 min. We were already late for our international fight!

We raced without knowledge of where to go from domestic to international terminal via underground train triumphant that we had made it to the United Airlines check in at last, only to be told we were 3 mins late for boarding. We would not be allowed on the plane for our San Francisco destination. This meant a 24hr delay in Sydney. We had to find already checked through luggage, o/night accommodation, phone San Fran hotels, change organised tour dates for Nappa etc etc.

Not a great start to the long awaited holiday!

A few good wines, a reasonable sleep and 24hrs later, we were happily on board our United flight with pretty good seats + leg room, our sights set firmly on San Fran 15hrs away. We were blessed with great travelling companions next to us; one was from the town of Saratoga where we were to spend some of our time so we gained some local information!

5 movies, 2 indigestible meals and 15 hrs of thoughts about how much water we were flying over later, we arrived at SAN FRANSISCO.

We breezed through baggage claim, customs + immigration, walked outside and grabbed a cab immediately. Our first destination hotel Marriott Union Square was only 30min away.

Memories of the main streets of San Fran came flooding back as we were expertly driven (that means holding on for grim death in the back of the cab), though Market, Grant, Sutter + Powell Street.
Our Union Square hotel was in a prime location. Nearby it was easy to hop aboard a cable car or enjoy Union Square people watching, shopping, and is also near popular Nob Hill, Chinatown and minutes from Fisherman’s Warf.
We spent a day in the Nappa Valley tasting great wines and champagne, took the ferry over to Sausalito, revisited Fisherman’s Warf, shopped and generally had a ball there.

Oh, did I mention the shopping (only the third time now). I only succumbed to 6 new pairs of trainers! That should keep me going for at least 2 years or until I retire!

After 4 days in San Fran we took a short fight to Seattle where my real taste sensation began. Actually from here on in until we arrived home, food had never tasted so good.
Meals at the fabulous Hotel 1000 just short walks from the Seattle Warf were outstanding.
The Pike Markets had a full selection of fresh produce both from the earth and the ocean. Punnets of any kind of summer berry for ridiculously cheap prices (these were picked fresh that morning by the way) were being sold for only $2.00US. Fruit was in abundance and soooo cheap. It was good to be able to eat bananas again cheaply. The seafood to die for. The shrimp I saw were bigger than our Aussie King Prawns and again a steal by comparison prices. We made the most of purchasing here.
The next week and a half our time was shared between countryside Seattle and, countryside California. The food taste sensation remained the same…Excellent!

Now finally to my main point. The flavour of the food I tasted, the quality and freshness were unsurpassed. Berries picked that day, apricots and nectarines as large as apples ( aussie sized apples I mean), were delicious. The Washington state apples were also awesome and enormously big. I ate as much Salmon + Dungeness crab as I could. Food had a new flavour and I marvelled at the affect it had on me.

I ate very well and healthily for our entire trip. Not that I don’t normally, but this felt so very different.

Were the new sights and sensations around seducing me? No…I don’t think so. This food was truly amazing, including the food we had served in many restaurants in Seattle and California.

I analysed the differences and upon returning home tried some of the same types of dishes here only to be disappointed. I was back to no flavour, poor presentation and most of all lack of quality service at most restaurants back in Oz.

My first trip back to the supermarket for convenience shopping also proved a disappointment. How much of our food particularly fresh produce is stored for months before it is put out to buy? How is it maintained by the store once placed out for purchase? How often have you bought strawberries for instance only to find the bottom fruit already white and mouldy?
We pay top dollar for our produce only to find quite often it s second rate and we put up with it. The purchase price in America was ridiculously low compared with 100% more quality.

It is in the hands of each and every one of us to shout out about bad service, bad food and supply, after all our wage barely competes with our increased prices at shopping each and every week.
Meanwhile, find alternatives to your regular supplier. Try markets and co-ops, or farmers markets, (they seem to be springing up everywhere, even your local school).

For the next few months I will hold onto the memory of what real food should taste like. I have the choice to make a real effort to find better quality local supplies, be resigned to what we have to put up for convenience sake at the supermarket, or decide to go back and live in the USA!

Marg Anderson

GYMSTICK WORKOUTS

GYMSTICK is a leading international fitness company from Finland and is introducing new and innovative fitness concepts all over the world. Gymsticks fitness collections consist of simple effective tools that anyone can use anywhere, anytime.Gymstick enables you to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle all year round with products suitable for indoor, outdoor and in the water.The fitness range will motivate you to improve your physical condition, sport performance, rehabilitation, weight management and overall wellbeing.

Gymstick Concept and Benefits
Stabilization:
There are 640 skeletal muscles in the human body. The larger prime movers and most familiar groups are the Pects, Lats, Delts, Biceps, Triceps, Traps, Quads, Gluts, Hamstrings, Gastroc's and a few more are the so called major muscles. There is also a lot of smaller muscles which are there for support and preparation for exquisite movement in the body. The ability to sequence motor activity requires a progression of muscular involvement from the very deepest muscles proximally to the surface and most distant muscles distally. The smaller stabilisers are "the King" in the human body. When they are working properly, the entire system will work well. If the smaller and more strategic muscles are slow to react, weak or communicating poorly, the process of degeneration, or sudden injury is imminent. With the help of Gymstick both the major and the minor muscles of the body will be trained and the improved muscular balance will lead to a better muscle control.

Muscular endurance and strength:
Developing strength is critical in the protection of the bones, ligaments, and the organs of the body. Strength is important to overcome the earth's gravity so we can successfully move about. The body maintains a primary and secondary restraint system. The primary restraint system is the muscular system. It's job is to protect the secondary restraint system which is the connective tissue or ligaments that provide stability to the bony system. Rehab training must strengthen and protect the primary system of muscles to avoid risking injury to the secondary system. Gymstick provides resistance training for both Type I and Type II fibres in the muscle, also known as slow twitch (Type I) and fast twitch (Type II).

Cardiovascular fitness endurance:
The ability for a muscle or group to perform accurately over a sustained period of time is critical. Fatigue means breakdown of communication, loss of control, poor response and poor stability. Gymstick works to enhance the muscles to perform more accurately over a longer period of time resulting in better posture and performance.

Balance & flexibility & coordination:
Balance is so important because it is the essence of good strength, endurance and power combined. When you have good balance or control of the body, you also have coordination of movement. The ability of a muscle or group to balance the shortening and lengthening contractions of the body with co-contraction of the joints at just the right time contributes to wellbeing and stability. An elderly person trying to raise him/herself from a chair is more likely to fall due to lack of balance and loss of coordinated movements than due to weakness. The more we can provide instability in training to expand the "inner zone of control", the more we move the outer zone "loss of control" away from us. Gymstick challenges the body to make very rapid and accurate movements to improve the control and functionality of our body.

Power
The training of the muscular system for strength alone is not sufficient. Strength should always be a part of rehabilitation but on its' own it will fall short of the goal. Power is the measure of force and the distance of those forces over time. Speed is the key element when the subject of power is introduced. Gymstick trains the body to react rapidly to external stimuli and communicate accurately and quickly within the neuro-muscular system.

Anthrometry – Fat loss:
Fat loss is one of the most important issues for those who want to lose weight. Gymstick muscle training exercises are one of the most efficient ways to get rid of body fat. Working on the major muscle groups and effecting the total body fitness makes the fat loss evident during the exercises. The long lasting series of movements also contribute the fat loss. A loss of 700 calories has been measured after a one-hour Gymstick workout!

BALLAST BALL WORKOUTS

The Ballast Ball is similar to a swiss ball or fit ball with a few differences. It has dynamic weight inside which creates challenge to the abs and back allowing for more functional core training.

The weight also makes the ball more stable on the ground which is excellent for exercises where you want the ball in place for example in standing to seated exercises such as the squat to ab curl.

The shifting weight inside the ball allows for more challenging exercises. The shifting weight forces you to use your core and stabilizer muscles to keep the body static as the weight pulls you in the opposite direction.

Overall, the Ballast Ball is a great tool offering a unique way to work the core. The Ballast Ball gives workout variety with the ability to target the entire body including the hips, glutes, thighs, abs, back and arms!

TRX SUSPENSION TRAINING

Benefits of Suspension Workouts _ Personal Training Sessions are NOW AVAILABLE with TRX

The TRX allows your body to train utilizing your own weight while your body moves through natural patterns of motion. The TRX provides the ideal mix of support and mobility enabling you to to train strength, endurance, coordination, flexibility, and core stability all at once across a wide range of resistance.

With the TRX, functional training principles can be integrated into the program. It can be used to achieve / enhance sport specific actions for such sports as golf,tennis, football and swimming.

Using the TRX will provide you with improved strength, endurance, coordination, flexibility and core stability which specifically in turn, will increase caloric demand whilst training!

One of the best qualities of Suspension Training is the ability to adapt and apply the training principles to all fitness levels, beginners to the advanced athlete.

The TRX has amazing versatility, provides a fun element for clients and provides an
opportunity to train outdoors for variety

When you use TRX it's all core all the time!

TO MOVE WITH MINDFUL FLUIDITY.
Flow - Yoga is a safe effective user friendly class for all ages and fitness levels. Flow – Yoga is based on ’Hatha Yoga’ principles and has been developed and adapted by 2 leading American physiotherapists / fitness educators
De De Daniels and Denise Klatte who have taken this to the world by educating instructors at international forums.
With the objective of harmonizing mind, body and spirit, Flow - Yoga allows for the connection of thought, breath and posture. By creating gentle movement patterns and poses, energy is expended on a physical level, encouraging a calm mental state and decreased stress levels.
Flow – Yoga will help you develop balance, inner strength, improve posture and flexibility all with the benefit of increased well being!
Marg is a qualified Intermediate Flow-Yoga Instructor and trained with De De and Denise in Queensland Australia.
Flow - Yoga can be incorporated into any one on one personal training session or you can attend a class with Marg at -

NEXT GENERATION SOUTH Bibra Lake 8.30 am every Friday
THE MEETING PLACE SOUTH FREMANTLE - 7 week course commencing throughout 2012 (see recent post)

Move more and eat better in 2011 using these six simple strategies

Hi to everyone and welcome back to a new year of training, better health and wellness. We are already half way through January…how time flies!
We always start our year with positive and good intentions; I personally think this year will be a great one! If you have the same resolve and have already kept your positivism flowing that is great. You may however have already wanned from your New Year resolves? Whatever the case, I have included some healthy tips to help restart the fire or help to keep you on track

Healthy weight is necessary to maintain good health. It is easy to make a New Year resolution regarding losing weight.
However, it is not easy to implement the resolution if you are not realistic about your goals and plans.
Remember it does not make sense to wake on January 1st and say "I will start the day with an hour of exercise, have only fruit salad for breakfast, parboiled vegetables for lunch, an apple and a cup of sugarless tea in the evening and rice cakes for dinner."
1. Mix it up. The big trend in fitness isn't one thing, it's everything. Avoid drudgery, avoid stressing the same muscles and work your entire body by doing a variety of workouts.
"Incorporating several different forms of exercise in a training program can be an excellent way to develop the various components of fitness," according to the American Council on Exercise. If your goal is to lose weight, varying your exercise regimen - walking one day, lifting weights the next, taking a Zumba class after that - keeps your muscles from becoming too efficient at any one exercise and thus burning fewer calories.

2. Find what works. If you don't enjoy it, you won't do it. Think, personal trainers advise, about what you like to do, or what you liked to do in the past. Did you love riding your bike as a kid? A preponderance of fun-to-ride bikes - from the aptly named "comfort" bikes to speedier and more aggressive urban bikes - has flooded the market, and with miles of cycle paths nearby, it's easy for the grown-up you to rekindle your childhood love.
Or maybe you get so caught up in the joy of dance you don't realize you've had a good workout until the following morning. Dance exercise with a Latin zing, is a popular dance options. (Check your instructor’s qualifications)

3. Eat smart, eat simple. It's a paradox, but the more we learn about food, the poorer we seem to eat. In "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual," good-eating advocate and author Michael Pollan writes, "for all the scientific and pseudoscientific food baggage we've taken on in recent years, we still don't know what we should be eating." Pollan, whose "In Defence of Food" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma" were both best-sellers, doesn't claim to have all the answers, but his "Food Rules" offers 64 succinct suggestions for common-sense eating. They range from "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food" to "Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle" (fresh food generally lines the walls, processed foods are in the aisles). Some suggestions are only a sentence; none takes up more than a page.

4. Try the unthinkable. Running, for instance. Few exercises elicit a more visceral negative reaction than running. Yet an increasing number of people who find their metabolism slowing as they pass 40 are turning to running as a way to keep the pounds off. Consider: A 170-pound person who walks three miles in an hour will burn 337 calories; that same person will burn more than twice that many calories (775) running six miles in an hour.
One reason running doesn't seem as arduous anymore: an explosion of walk-to-run programs. A walk-to-run 5K program takes nonrunners and, over the course of 12 weeks, converts their walks into runs to the point that they can run an entire 5K (3.1 miles).

5. It's a lifestyle, not a quick fix. There's a reason programs such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and TOPS have been around so long while the all-grapefruits-all-the-time diet fads quickly fade. Fad diets - promising fast results based on a quick fix - may work in the short term, but once you've dropped that 20 pounds, you're back to your old, bad habits. Programs that focus on changing behaviour have a better chance of helping you lose weight and keep it off. According to WebMD.com, a healthy weight-loss program should include a daily minimum of 1,000 to 1,200 calories for women and 1,200 to 1,600 for men; promote slow, gradual weight loss, generally 1 to 2 pounds a week; offer flexibility in food offerings; and not cut back on your recommended daily allowance of vitamins, minerals and proteins.

6. Persevere. Losing weight, moving more and adopting a healthier lifestyle aren't easy. It won't happen, in a healthy way, overnight. And studies have shown that most resolutions fall by the wayside before January is over. But if you slip up, don't throw in the towel. According to a study by the University of Scranton, 71 percent of people surveyed who achieved their resolution slipped up at least once (and usually early on, in January). So you miss a day at the gym or a seductive slice of cheesecake crushes your vow of no desserts? Look at why you slipped up - maybe five days a week at the gym is too much with your schedule, maybe one dessert a week isn't a bad thing - and adjust if you think it will help you reach your goal, and carry on.