2012- TERM TWO YOGA CLASSES

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Why not join me for a stress free start to 2012? TERM TWO FLOW YOGA courses will be held May - June at the newly refurbished Hilton Pageant Street Centre, Hilton.
7 week Flow Yoga Course FRIDAY MORNING 10.30AM COMMENCING May 4th
Please bring along water and a towel to the class, yoga mats are provided.

Enrolments can be made in person at The Meeting Place, South Terrace, South Fremantle or call the Meeting Place for more information on 9335 3394.
Flow - Yoga is a safe effective user friendly YOGA class for the beginner to intermediate.
Flow – Yoga is based on ’Hatha Yoga’ principles and has been developed and adapted with the objective of harmonising the mind, body and spirit.
Flow-Yoga allows for a connection of thought and breath, helps to improve posture, core and inner strength, develops balance and flexibility, all with the added benefit of increased well being!




Marg Anderson

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