As most of us know, exercise can help with many things such as improving blood pressure and cholesterol, managing weight, improve pain and increasing strength. Additionally, exercise can also help improve your ability to perform every day activities, self-confidence, well-being, happiness and functional tasks.

As an exercise physiologist nothing beats hearing the positive feedback about the benefits my clients have gained from their exercise and lifestyle changes so I thought I would share a bit of what they have had to say.

This week I have had amazing feedback from a few clients who have set goals around upcoming holidays, events as well as their overall health. These are the type of goals that are important. Your goals need to mean something to you and not just reflect a number on a scale. When you start exercising it is important to know why you are doing it and what you want to get out of it.

Here is some of the feedback and comments I have received recently:

• I don’t want to weigh myself as I am feeling great and at the end of the day it’s how I feel not how much I weigh.

• I received an email from a client who is on a big trip through Europe who has reported the walking and hiking have been doing is much easier than they expected. To their surprise when faced with squat toilets they stated that at first they were a bit nervous about getting up and down but did it with ease as they felt their legs were strong enough.

• Another client who set goals around being stronger for their holiday let me know that they were able to complete a bike ride through Europe with little pain and felt great doing it.

Having a goals that you value can change your whole outlook on exercise. Today we are surrounded by what people think we should be, look and feel but at the end of the day my goal is to encourage a love for exercise to achieve what is relevant to you.

Emma

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Five ways movement and physical activity can improve your health:

1. Regular exercise can help control your blood pressure and increases blood flow around the body.
2. Resistance training can increase the strength in your muscles to support your joints and reduce pain as well as reducing the risk of falling.
3. Physical activity helps control your blood sugar levels to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes.
4. Exercise can help with mental health conditions such as depression by increasing the good chemicals in your brain to promote an improvement in mood.
5. For those with respiratory conditions, exercise such as walking can help reduce breathlessness during daily activities.

Often working physical activity into your lifestyle and seeking help is a challenge. Due to the increased awareness around the benefits of physical activity, more and more men are starting to increase their activity levels. The important part is finding an activity you enjoy and surrounding yourself with people who can guide you to move in a safe and appropriate way.

If you would like more advice about starting physical activity speak to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP). AEPs specialise in prescribing exercise to people with chronic and complex conditions. To find an AEP in your local area visit the Exercise and Sports Science Australia website www.essa.org.au or for more information about exercise and men’s health visit http://realmenmove.org.au/ or http://exerciseright.com.au/

References:

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: AIHW 2015.Australian Burden of Disease Study: fatal burden of disease 2010. Cat. no. BOD 1. Canberra: AIHW.
2. http://.realmenmove.org.au
3. http://exerciseright.com.au

EL

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And it’s critical for your heart health.

Keeping the body hydrated helps the heart more easily pump blood through the blood vessels to the muscles. And, it helps the muscles work efficiently.

“If you’re well hydrated, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard,” said John Batson, M.D, a sports medicine physician with Lowcountry Spine & Sport in Hilton Head Island, S.C., and an American Heart Association volunteer.

Dehydration can be a serious condition that can lead to problems ranging from swollen feet or a headache to life-threatening illnesses such as heat stroke.

How much water do you need?

What does being well hydrated mean? The amount of water a person needs depends on climatic conditions, clothing worn and exercise intensity and duration, Batson said.

A person who perspires heavily will need to drink more than someone who doesn’t. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, may also mean you need to drink more water. People with cystic fibrosis have high concentrations of sodium in their sweat and also need to use caution to avoid dehydration. And some medications can act as diuretics, causing the body to lose more fluid.

Thirst isn’t the best indicator that you need to drink. “If you get thirsty, you’re already dehydrated,” Batson said.

Batson said the easiest thing to do is pay attention to the color of your urine. Pale and clear means you’re well hydrated. If it’s dark, drink more fluids.

If you want to know exactly how much fluid you need, Batson recommends weighing yourself before and after exercise, to see how much you’ve lost through perspiration. It’s a particular good guide for athletes training in the hot summer months.

“For every pound of sweat you lose, that’s a pint of water you’ll need to replenish,” Batson said, adding that it’s not unusual for a high school football player, wearing pads and running through drills, to lose 5 pounds or more of sweat during a summer practice.

Not sweating during vigorous physical activity can be a red flag that you’re dehydrated to the point of developing heat exhaustion.

Water is best.

For most people, water is the best thing to drink to stay hydrated. Sources of water also include foods, such fruits and vegetables which contain a high percentage of water. Sports drinks with electrolytes, may be useful for people doing high intensity, vigorous exercise in very hot weather, though they tend to be high in added sugars and calories.

“It’s healthier to drink water while you’re exercising, and then when you’re done, eat a healthy snack like orange slices, bananas or a small handful of unsalted nuts ,” Batson said.

He cautioned against fruit juices or sugary drinks, such as soda. “They can be hard on your stomach if you’re dehydrated,” he said.

It’s also best to avoid drinks containing caffeine, which acts as a diuretic and causes you to lose more fluids.

Batson says drinking water before you exercise or go out into the sun is an important first step.

“Drinking water before is much more important,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re playing catch-up and your heart is straining.”

Not just for athletes or exercise.

Hydration isn’t just important during physical activity. Sitting in the sun on a hot or humid day, even if you aren’t exercising, can also cause your body to need more fluids.

People who have a heart condition, are older than 50 or overweight may also have to take extra precautions.

It’s also a good thing to keep tabs on your hydration if you’re traveling.

“You might sweat differently if you’re in a different climate,” Batson said.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/Staying-Hydrated—Staying-Healthy_UCM_441180_Article.jsp#.VkhanvkrLIU

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The current thoughts behind the way exercise can improve mental health are:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters, endorphins and endocannabinoids)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

How does physical activity help my mental health?

• Improve your mood
• Reduce stress and anxiety levels
• Increases in confidence
• Increase self-efficacy and self-esteem
• Improves your sleep
• Increase mental alertness
• Reduces tension
• Sense of achievement
• Provides a focus and motivation
• It can be used as a social activity

Tips on how to get started:

• Begin slowly, split your physical activity up throughout your day – 10mins, 10 mins, 10mins.
• Find something you enjoy – eg. walking, riding a bike, dancing.
• Set realistic goals.
• Organise to meet up with a friend.
• Plan your activity for the week.
• Seek advice from an exercise physiologist about what is the best exercise for you.

Some movement is better than nothing!

If you need some help on where to start with your physical activity please contact us or find a local exercise physiologist at www.essa.org.au

Where to get help:

• Your doctor
• Community health centre
• Beyondblue Support Service 1300 224 636 www.beyondblue.org.au
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline 1800 551 800

Morgan AJ, Parker AG, Alvarez-Jimenez M, Jorm AF. Exercise and Mental Health: An Exercise and Sports Science Australia Commissioned Review. JEPonline 2013;16(4):64-73.

Sharma A, Madaan V, Petty FD. Exercise for Mental Health. Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2006;8(2):106.

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A new study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research suggests that doing 15 minutes or more of high-intensity interval training on a bike has the ability to make you faster on your feet. The U.K.-based research team believes the improvement stems from the increased heart rate experienced during a shortened rest period between intervals, forcing their muscles to adapt faster to their workout routine.

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Does a 6 pack mean you have a healthier life?

The waist has for many years been one of the key attributes for a gorgeous or handsome physique, yet many of us may not know it is also one of the most powerful tool we have to predict ones health over the next few years.

Now, I am not saying that the person with the 12 pack is healthier than the muffin top, or they don’t need to worry about their health because they do! But there is a relationship to what is happening on the outer level of your gut and at a deeper level……….inside you.

Our abdominal cavities contain some of our essential organs – our digestive tract, intestines, stomach, bowel, spleen and spine, all of which assist you on a daily basis to keep you alive and well.

What is the big deal about waist fat?

Well, these organs like anything else need a great environment to thrive and keep healthy in, so when we add a few kilo’s here and a few there, those organs get covered in what is called visceral fat – or organ fat . It both pushes the organs out of their home but also makes us a lot more sensitive to T2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke, Amputations and illness.

So what causes fat to be stored around the abdominal area? age, beer, menopause, food, stress….

Most of us have come to expect that as we age, that is what happens – the dreaded middle aged spread – but in reality this is not something we must endure, and if we find ourselves there now,  then this is something you can change, quite simply.

Food does play an important part of this fat accumulation and research says that while the popular sugar does contribute to this, the main reason is still our intake of saturated fats – Hard animal based fats. So by simply changing from saturated to more unsaturated (vegetable based) fats – olive, avocado, or sesame, we can assist with waist reduction.

Menopause or hormonal change. Yes this can increase our waist circumference. Being young and being a premenopausal women keeps you healthier and lowers your risk so as we change hormonally with age our risk increases, causing our bodies to store more fat around the middle. Those foods that you were able to eat when young now can have a bigger impact on your health.

PCOS is another hormonal condition that can cause increase the weight around the waist, and so patients with PCOS need to be more disciplined with their food choices and reducing their saturated fat intake from an earlier age.

Stress effects abdominal fat greatly – lack of sleep, shift working or financial and family stress increase your levels of blood cortisol (a hormone) that makes your body store more fat around the middle. So yes while we are all waiting to win lotto this week – ask yourself “if this is my life situation as it is now, then how can I respond better to this , or what can I do to change how I feel about this?” Often you cannot change the stress itself!

Stress is not just what is happening around us or to us, but how we respond to this – so maybe try walking – to deal with the day, a boxing class – to get rid of frustration, yoga – to calm yourself down, or a spa – to relax. There are many ways that could you can reduce the impact of stress on you health.

The good new is that with the correct diet and exercise regime you can reduce your waist fat and therefore reduce your risk for ill health.

Some great guidelines for waist measurements and risk are:

MEN:

Increased risk: 94cm

Greatly increased risk: 102cm

WOMEN:

Increased risk: 80 cm

Greatly increased risk: 88 cm

The best place to measure your waist is around the belly button – not where you usually wear your pants!

Measure your waist with the above guidelines and then you can easily aim to reduce your waist by simply changing your food, your activity and your response to stress.

We encourage you to go ahead and take small steps to change your health, and if you need any help, advise or motivation then please call us to make a time for us to help.

We love to see you a more happier and healthier version of you!

RR

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Where:  Meet at 306 Bay Street

When: Wednesday’s 7am starting 2nd September

What to wear: Workout Gear

What to bring: Towel, Water bottle, great smile

Cost: $15

To register your interest please either email:     info@fitphysio.com.au

or call Emma on 0403867729

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I had read that exercise would help but I needed someone to decide what sort of exercise I should do. I have always been a walker but that didn’t help. After finding an Exercise Physiologist near my home and making an appointment, I kept changing the appointment for a variety of reasons. It took me a number of weeks before actually getting there. I’m not sure why I did that but I guess I wasn’t sure about what I was getting in to. I shouldn’t have put it off.

When I finally got there it was a very positive experience. With regular appointments and “at home” strength exercises she helped me to understand how much exercise my body needed, made me feel good about myself and reminded me that consistent exercise will improve my metabolism. It must have, because the symptoms associated with menopause were quickly forgotten. Flabby upper arms previously covered are now proudly exposed (no longer flabby) during the summer months.

A problem with my left knee has been an issue for a while. I did do the special exercises to strengthen the muscles around it occasionally but with recent encouragement to do them much more consistently – almost every day – there does not seem to be a problem anymore.

Due to a change in circumstance I now visit a different Exercise Physiologist every 3 months for reassessment and monitoring of my home exercises. Of course I don’t do as many repetitions or as often as suggested but it still works and I show improvement with most things whenever I go back. I don’t pay gym membership and can do my exercises whenever I feel like it. Every little bit I do, helps and it is the encouragement of the Exercise Physiologist that keeps me motivated to improve my strength and flexibility.

– Helen S

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They have a nice handout with picture and descriptions to ensure that you get all your nutritional need everyday, and they are simple and easy to follow.

We use these Guidelines in our clinic and hope that these may come in useful to you and your family.

HEALTHY EATING FOR CHILDREN

HEALTHY EATING FOR ADULTS

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