Five exercises tips that will have you maximising your weight loss, stopping bad posture and back pain as well has decreasing your stress while maximising your energy levels everyday. All of the exercises that I have chosen can be done anywhere anytime!!!

1. Best Kick-Starter/All Rounder 

Gentle Burpees

Wakes up your arms, shoulders, chest, trunk, butt and legs. 

This exercise is great because it’s not as high impact as the traditional ‘burpee’, but still works many major muscle groups all at once. Perfect for squeezing into all those spare 5 minutes time slots while you are waiting for the bathroom/ the kettle to boil/ the ad breaks to be over etc…

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Squat down and place your hands on the floor directly in front of your feet. Jump your feet backward and land in a pushup position. Do one pushup, then jump your feet back toward your hands and push back up using your legs to return to standing. Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds. Rest for one minute, then repeat 3 times.

2. Best Butt Blaster

Bridge And Heel Push Up

Works core, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves

This one is very versatile. If you don’t have a fitball, use the edge of a chair/sofa/stack of books or even the footrest on the bottom of a stool instead. 

Lie on your back with your feet on a fit ball which is against a wall. Press your heels into the ball. Raise your hips until they’re aligned with your feet and shoulders. Slowly lower hips back down to the floor and push back up again. Repeat for 12 to 15 reps. To make it harder, raise one leg off the ball. Do three sets, resting for 30 seconds between sets.

3. Best for Summer

Cross Over Crunch

Works Abs

Warm up for summer and remember that these muscles are the ones that get you out of bed in the morning-so they are in there somewhere! 

Lie on your back with your right knee bent so your foot is flat on the floor, your right hand behind your head and your left leg outstretched and raised just off the ground. Use your abs to curl your right elbow up and across at the same time as you use your lower abs to bring your left knee in to meet in the middle as you crunch. Repeat 10 times on each side. 

4. Best Core Exercise- modified

Plank with Leg Lifts 

The Plank is a classic old favorite because it works to hold you in nice and taught. Another great take anywhere, do anytime exercise. To make it a little different and a little harder, try this modified version. 

Hold yourself face down, balancing on toes and forearms. Once the original plank position is achieved by keeping the bum down, tucked under and holding the body in a straight line between the shoulders and toes, attempt to lift one leg a few inches off the ground while keeping the back straight and not allowing the hips to twist or drop. 

5. Best Stretch

Standing Scapular Wall Slide

This is great for posture as well as feeling good. However, you will have to be careful to restrain yourself from the endless opportunities that you will find to do this stretch! 

Stand with your back to a wall a few inches away from you and lean your head, back, and butt against the wall. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and raise them out to the sides so your hands (palms facing out) are at shoulder height. Keeping your arms pressed into the wall, lower your elbows as far as possible. Hold for a second, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then slide your arms up the wall as high as they will go without losing contact with the wall. When you start to lose contact, bring your arms back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 8 to 10.

The principle of specificity is one of the core components of any type of fitness or exercise training. The reason that it is an integral part for any training program is based on our own body’s basis for adaptation. What this means is that the human body will adjust to specific circumstances over a period of time so for benefit. As exercise physiologists we apply this using a simple acronym - S.A.I.D principle. This means that any tissue in the body will eventually alter its properties when undergoing specific adaptations to imposed demands in order to maintain or improve performance. Also what the principle of specificity states is that you cannot obtain the same benefit/improvement in a sports attribute by training in another attribute, for example in order to become a good cyclist you must train on the bike, you cannot obtain the same benefit for cycling by going for runs or swimming. There is some cross benefit; however that aspect is out of the prerogative of this article.
Earlier in the article I mentioned fitness and exercise training, the reason that the principle of specificity is core in the development of exercise programs that are oriented to maximally benefit you as the client. Exercise programs can be designed to be functional – maximise your health and well being in regards to lifestyle and activities of daily living. Or can be sports attribute specific, such as flexibility, strength, power or agility. This means that as exercise physiologist we can develop programs for you that can be specific for one of the above mentioned attributes or any combination, the important factor is that as the client you are clear about your needs/desires and goals so that your exercise program can be designed and tailored to meet your needs or goals.

Strength comes in many forms, but can generally be defined as ‘the extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance (e.g. holding or restraining an object or person)’.

There are different types of strength, but one type of strength that is especially relevant to this particular topic is strength endurance, which can be defined as the ability to be as strong as possible, for as long as possible. Alternatively it is also characterized by being able to perform a movement repeatedly for an extended period of time without being overcome by fatigue or sacrificing form. I’ll leave that one to your imagination.

As an exercise physiologist, one of the basic principles of what we set out to achieve is to optimize a persons’ physical health and fitness, and allow them to achieve their daily tasks a little easier and to greater satisfaction. To this end, it seems we should consider the benefits of strength training and strength endurance in all areas of human performance.

And so it seems only deserving that we take this basic principle and apply it to some basic human physiological needs which, according to Maslow (1970’s psychologist) are the most powerful over any other need in driving motivation (assuming that you are well fed and hydrated) the need is, the need for love, and therefore the physical expression of it.

So in boosting performance, try these exercises:

Reverse Curls-Great for inner thighs, glutes and lower abs
1. Start position: Lie with back on floor with hips flexed at 90° and feet in air holding onto a medicine ball between your knees. Position arms at sides with palms down on floor.
2. Leading with the heels towards the ceiling, raise glutes (butt) off floor.
3. Return to start position.
4. Remember keep legs from swinging to prevent momentum throughout the exercise.
Dips-Works upper arms
1. On the edge of a bench or chair
2. Hands by sides on bench or chair, body close to bench or chair
3. Raise body off of support and dip down and up, bending at elbows
4. Keep shoulders back
5. Ensure elbows bend back, bringing upper arm from vertical to
parallel to floor

Bridge-A feel-good core exercise

1. Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat on floor.
2. Activate core (draw navel down to spine)
3. Push lower back into floor then peel the spine off the floor one vertebrae at a time while you lift the hips.
4. Squeeze glutes at top range to help stabilise hips
5. When you have a straight line body position through the hips-knees-shoulders, hold for 10 seconds then gently begin to lower hips and worm back onto the floor one vertebrae at a time.
6. Repeat 5 times

Push Ups-A great integration between upper body and core strength.
1. On hands and knees
2. Drop hips in so that knees hips and shoulder are in line
3. Do not arch back
4. Draw your abdominals in toward your spine
5. Lower chest down towards floor, bending arms at elbows
6. Push back up to starting position

Wall Sit- Feel it in the quads

1. Standing, leaning back on wall, feet out about 30cm from the wall.
2. Gently slide down the wall using buttocks and thighs to support.
Hips knees and ankles should stay in line with each other.
3. Squat down to 90degrees at knee keeping knees behind toes
4. Hold position for up to 1 minute.

Leg Pumps-Focuses on back, gluts and upper leg

1. On all fours, drop down to elbows
2. Kick one leg up and straight back from the body
3. Aim for height, straightening the leg
4. Alternate legs and repeat

When it comes to performance, we also fulfill the requirements of a great exercise session- exercise that’s fun, exercise that you are motivated to participate in on a regular basis and best of all an exercise that involves someone to do it with!

Enjoy.

With the winter days giving us shorter days and less exposure to sunlight we may be starting to feel the winter blues.  This may leave us more susceptible to manifestations of SAD (seasonal affective disorder).  A condition that can bring the following symptoms:-

•    lethargy
•    increased or decreased appetite
•    lack of motivation
•    Irregular sleeping patterns

But don’t worry help is at hand!!

There are many different strategies that can be employed to prevent or limit this condition:

Eating Healthy foods to boost serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain known to influence the functioning of the cardiovascular, renal, immune, and gastrointestinal systems. It is a transmitter in the modulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality, appetite and metabolism.
There are some serotonin-rich foods that can increase levels serotonin in the body.  Avocadoes, kiwi fruits, pineapples, plums, bananas, walnuts, pecans, butternut squash, eggplant and tomatoes are all serotonin-rich foods.

Exercise away the blues

With cooler days and even colder nights in winter many people find it somewhat of a chore to exercise as frequently as in the warmer months.  Becoming more sedentary in the winter months is another reason why the blues may creep in.
When we exercise endorphins are released into the bloodstream which can cause a ‘high’ known by runners as the ‘runners high’. Exercising for 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week resulting in the release of endorphins can reduce anxiety and depression significantly.

Make your own light show!

Lights that mimic sunlight have been proven to aid in the production of serotonin and reduce many symptoms related to SAD.  Therapeutic full spectrum lights contain at least 10,000 lux (a measurement of the light intensity) and have filtered or eliminated harmful UV rays. These lights range in price from $150 to $300 depending on the manufacturer.
Non-therapeutic Full spectrum lights are available from such stores as IKEA but are not as dramatically effective compared to the therapeutic lights.
In summary, keeping an eye on your eating habits, changing a few light bulbs and exercising regularly are a proven way to beat the winter blues.

GOOD LUCK!!

Over the decade + that I have been helping people boost their health and productivity one of the things I have heard consistently is that very phrase ‘ Maybe Exercise Doesn’t Work for Me?’  I used to think (quietly), oh rubbish, but now I think there may be something in it….

For some people exercise doesn’t work and there are some fundamental reasons why:

1)    History
2)    Goals
3)    Nutrition/Hydration
4)    Stress
5)    Mentality, outlook, mindset

Each point if very much linked, however going through each one it is possible to build a picture that highlights where some people struggle.

1)    History. Okay so the body adapts to its surrounds, it adapts to the stresses and strains you demand of it, equally it adapts if you do nothing and becomes accustomed to sedentary living. If your body has spent 5 years, 10 years, 20 years doing less rather then more physical activity, when you get round to exercising and increasing your activity your body will find it increasingly hard to adapt because, depending on the amount of inactivity you are trying to reverse. Whilst your body is amazing and adapting, the longer your body is required to function in a certain way the more permanent it becomes. So this has two implications.

a.    Firstly, if you are putting off getting active, thinking that you will and you can at anytime, think again. The more you are training yourself to sit on the couch the better at it you are becoming.
b.    If you have spent 30 years not doing any planned exercise, don’t think you will be able to reverse and correct those thirty years in 4 weeks. You are going to need to put sustained effort in for a good period of time to see the results you require.

All is not lost if you are guilty of sustained inactivity. Doing small amounts of exercise will soon see you feeling better, integrating exercise into your daily living will be the best way for you to slowly, and gradually get fitter. Once you build momentum there will be no stopping you but don’t rush it or have unhealthy expectations.

2)    Goals. Following on from where you have been, accurately setting goals can make or break your exercise success. It is very unlikely that you will lose 4.8kgs in one week like the biggest losers contestants. It is very unlikely that you will be able to get up and run everyday until you are fit. Your goals must be planned in relation to where you are at in life, your specific situation and what your needs are. This is quite difficult to do if you are not particularly experienced. Set them wrong, and guess what. You won’t achieve and exercise as far as you are concerned will be a falsehood.

3)    Nutrition/Hydration. Train all you like if you put the wrong stuff in you are going to get the wrong stuff out. Neglect water, the basis of most human function and guess what, you won’t function nearly as well as you should. In fact just a 2% decrease in hydration can lead to a 20% decrease in performance, in work, exercise or sport. So again, get your input wrong and you can exercise all you like, your output won’t have the outcome you are looking for.

4)    Stress. Exercise is a stress on the body that is used as a controlled stress to produce a gain, or improvement, in the body’s ability to handle life. Excessive stress coupled with the stress of exercise will combine to tip the balance and just cause unhealthy stress on the individual. Stress impacts the bodies hormonal system which in turn impacts just about everything else. Get the right amount of stress in your life ‘eustress’ and you will be propelled forward. Over tip the balance and exercise won’t work for you and neither will most other ideas you have. Reportedly stress causes or complicates over 90% of diseases. Seek some stress reduction strategies and maintain balance.

5)    Mindset, outlook, grey matter. The way people approach exercise often determines their success. Some people have sore muscles the next day and think ‘ I won’t do that again it hurts’ others think ‘great I targeted my weaknesses perfectly and must be benefitting’ Some people challenge themselves to work hard in a session knowing that it will be good for them, others will try and avoid work at all costs. Working with people you start to see the signs, you see the mentality of those that really want to succeed, and usually they do, compared to those that want it to happen to them, with little effort or determination. Whether you think you will be successful or whether you think you won’t be, either way you will be right. The statement ‘Exercise doesn’t work’ is absolutely spot on. If you think that exercise won’t work for you in your quest for improved health and fitness, then you are right, it won’t.

So if you hear that exercise doesn’t’ work or you catch yourself saying it. Think about these fundamental pillars of performance have you applied them to your benefit or are you hiding behind them. Exercise won’t work, unless you do.

Making the time to fit a workout session into a busy work/family/social life is not always an easy thing to do. To make the most of the time that you have managed to put aside and maximize the benefits of your exercise session, pay attention to these few things during the course of your workout.

1. Hydration Status

An old classic, and one you’ve probably heard to the point of boredom, but it is so important in so many ways that you just can’t put it off any longer. One thing you may not have realized is that during hydrated exercise, the rate of fat burning potential increases. If you exercise in a suitably hydrated state, you will burn more fat during your workout than if you turn up to your session dehydrated.

It is usually recommended to take in around 1.5L of water daily to be adequately hydrated. This should be achievable if you’re exercising in the afternoon. If you are training in the morning, keep in mind that you have effectively been fasting all night while you’ve been sleeping so it’s even more important to try and take in some fluids. In this case, try to manage at least a few glasses of water when you first get out of bed, and again before your workout. If plain cold water is just not enticing enough, try green tea, hot water with lemon or mint or fruit juice if all else fails.

2. Taking your time

You were late to your session, you have to leave early, you want to finish your session quickly so you get away from the nasty person who makes you exert yourself repeatedly…whatever the reason, there is more harm to be done by rushing through your workout. Not only are you increasing the risk that you will injure yourself, but by rushing through an exercise, you are cheating yourself out of the benefits.
The amount of time that the muscle is contracting determines to an extent how much it will develop and get stronger.
Generally slow and controlled movements are the way to go, making sure that the movements you make are initiated from muscle force, not from the momentum of the prior repetition or from letting the weights fall due to gravity. And don’t forget that movements comprise both an up and down phase, and both of these parts are just as important as the other for keeping your muscle constantly working.

3. Resting 

Rest periods throughout the session are just as important as the weight and type of exercises that your Exercise Physiologist has prescribed for you to do. Without giving the muscle enough time to rest in between sets means that it just gets tired quicker and is less able to do the work in order to get bigger or stronger.
Without rest, substances which are by products of muscle contraction continue to build up and can interfere with the ability of the muscle to continue to work until the muscle is given a chance to recover.

One of the sad facts of life is that none of us are getting any younger. And neither is Australia’s population. Due to low birth rates and longer life expectancies our population is an aging one. 13.1% of our population is comprised of those aged 65 years and older. By the year 2010 it is believed that this will grow to 14.3%. The bearing that this will have on society and the economy is huge.

Since we’re all going to be in this position one day what should we know? What really happens to our body as we age?

♣    There is a reduction in muscle mass which can slow down our metabolism at a frightening rate.
♣    Our bones start to lose density - osteoporosis.
♣    We start to put on more body fat.
♣    Our joints can degenerate which can lead to arthritis.

Arthritis and osteoporosis cost the Australian government $4.6 billion in the 2000 – 2001 financial year. In 2004 – 2005 18% of the population reported suffering from these conditions. Osteoporosis is caused by this loss of bone density. Once our bones reach a certain point of density (or lack thereof) we are classified as having osteoporosis.

What happens to you

The ill effects of osteoporosis can include degeneration of the spine and an increased risk of bone fractures. I’m sure that none of us want to be diagnosed with this in older age.

Older individuals can look very skinny and frail due to the reduction of muscle mass. If measurements were taken, the older individual would have less lean body mass (muscle and bone) than an equally skinny younger person.

Unfortunately all of these processes can start as early as our 30s but come on quite slowly. This is both a blessing and a curse. We don’t wake up one morning unable to do the things we were able to yesterday, but on the other hand we sometimes don’t notice how far we’ve gone until we have slid too far down the slope.

What can we do to stop this?

Appropriate strength and aerobic training programs have been shown to slow down loss of both muscle mass and bone density. There is also evidence out there to suggest that loss of lean muscle mass can actually be reversed through strength training. Increasing our muscle mass will help to raise our metabolism and day to day tasks that require strength will become much easier. Slowing the rate of bone mineral loss will prolong, or even avoid, the onset of osteoporosis and will help us to be more resilient against bone fractures. Appropriate programs can also be designed to help aid balance and reduce the incidence of falls in the elderly. Here’s a scary fact: 24% of those over 50 who break their hip in a fall die within the next year. Isn’t that something that we should take measures to avoid?

So if properly designed exercise programs can help to slow, and in some cases reverse, the aging process; why are you still sitting there reading this? Get out there and start exercising. Your body will thank you for it.

Ever looked at your worn out trainers sitting in the corner and hated the thought of putting them on and going for a run. Ever wished you’d drown rather than look at that incessant black line on the bottom of the pool for one more second. Sounds like your suffering from a serious case of repetitive training.
Continuous training of one sort or another will inevitably become boring eventually resulting in us stopping that activity. The secret is to break up your exercise routine, and try something new that you enjoy. By doing this you will stay interested and break the monotonous cycle that often ends in dropout. Exercise is great for our health and well being, but only if it is continuous.
Summer is a great time to introduce a mix of exercises into your program; instead of jogging on your treadmill in front of the TV, get outdoors and experience some fresh air on one of the many running tracks. As a substitute for pounding the pavement for another 30km this week; take advantage of the improved weather and swim a few laps.
This system of including many different modes of exercise in your program is called Cross Training. The changes you make to your program could be day to day, or minute by minute; you could incorporate some short sprints into your endurance run to keep you on your toes; or do a cardio session instead of pumping iron. Cross Training also allows you to be flexible; if the pool is closed, go for a run.
Not only will Cross Training break the boredom and allow you to be more flexible, it also has its physiological benefits as well.

Cross Training -
Conditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groups.
Reduces the risk of acquiring an overuse injury.
Allows you to work some muscles while others rest and recover.
Allow you to continue training while injured.
Improves your skill, agility and balance.
When you continue exercising in one style your body becomes very efficient at this type of exercise; while this is good for specific competition, it limits just how conditioned you can become and may leave you susceptible to injuries of the joints, bones or muscles. By combining different types of exercise some of your muscles and joints can rest while the others are working.
Making the switch to new forms and intensities of training can be difficult, and the new muscles that are working are more vulnerable. So start out slowly and build into it. Keep the intensity lower and the time shorter for your new exercise than you would for your old one, and give yourself time to learn the new skills or techniques.
All exercises have their good and bad points, so when mixing it up it is important to chop and change your program to suit you at your specific point in time. For example cycling is a non weight bearing activity so it is easy on your joints; however we need weight bearing activities to help build the strength of our bones. Running on a treadmill is good for increasing cardiovascular fitness; but it doesn’t challenge our balance and kinesthetic awareness like running on an uneven path.
It is all well and good to be doing 30 different types of exercise every week, but the key is enjoyment. Try many, find the ones that you enjoy, and integrate these into your training. That way you will be looking forward to your workout every day. It may take some time to find and perfect the right mix, but the hard work will payoff in the form of increased enjoyment, less boredom and results.

Can you be sure you are getting the most out of your life and work?

How can you quantify the impact of poor health?

We have all been in the situation where we are either unwell, a health issue has distracted us from work or even prevented us from doing what we should or would like to be doing.

In Australia it is estimated that poor performance due to poor health will cost business $25.7bn annually in addition to absenteeism, which costs on average 7bn annually. (Medibank 2006)

The phenomenon of poor performance due to poor health is known as presenteeism. Basically the lights are on but nobody is home! On average each employee will lose 6 full working days per year to presenteeism.

The facts are astounding which is why a number of blue chip organisations have been investing in the health of their employees to negate the cost of poor health.

Firstly comes assessment. A number of studies have been conducted over recent years using thousands of employees, linking the cost of certain health conditions and risks with a decrease in worker happiness and productivity.

Through using these tools companies can assess what level of productivity loss they are suffering. Once assessed it is possible to specifically target these areas for attention and decrease the health risks. With a decrease in risk comes a decrease in presenteeism. Decreased presenteeism equals an increase in productivity.

The largest drivers of our medical costs and absenteeism rates are not occupational costs. They are conditions related to the health and wellbeing of the employees. (Adams report Intel 2007)

The biggest commodity is information and second to that is the talent to process the information, if companies want to become more competitive they will need to attract and develop talent combined with creating a culture of productivity.

Life around us is changing and we are changing with it. In the age of information sedentary behaviour is increasing. Sedentary behaviour = health risks. That’s right, sedentary behaviour = health risks. The jury is out on this one the hard facts are everywhere.

You simply can’t have your cake and eat it! With chronic disease growing exponentially in society, negatively impacting the lives of millions. The workplace, a microcosm of society, will almost certainly suffer the same consequences of poor health, unless proactive measures are taken.

Biggest untapped source of improved performance is better functional health (Sullivan 2007, IHPM)

The bottom line is, if you want to be productive, if you want your company to be productive, if you want those around you to be really present, You need good health.
Don’t waste resources, invest in health and make sure that when the light switches on, there is definitely someone home!

JOEM November 2003,The Relationship Between Health Promotion Program Participation and Medical Costs. A Dose Response
JOEM August 2005, Estimating The Return on Investment From Changes in Employee Health Risks on the Dow Chemical Company’s Health Care Costs
The Art of Health Promotion July/Aug 2005 Meta Evaluation of Worksite Health Promotion Economic Return Studies: 2005 Update By Larry S Chapmen

If you didn’t quite stick to your new years resolution and your weight has increased over the winter, it is time to do something about it. The right time to get fit and healthy isn’t next week or next month, it is NOW. We spend every hour of every day in our body; so why not feel good in it year round.

Many of us have tried and succeeded in getting in shape for summer in the past; before falling back to our old habits and repeating the cycle year after year. This article isn’t about trimming those extra kilos so that we look good on the beach this summer. It is about changing our daily habits, so that when bikini season does come around, it hasn’t snuck up on us; instead we have been ready for it all year.

Winter can be a time when we are spending large portions of our day indoors, and either consciously or unconsciously enjoying warm comfort food, often very high in energy. Because we are putting this extra fuel into our body yet staying inside and not burning it off, this fuel gets converted to extra padding around our stomach and hips. Remember, the aim is not to shed those extra pounds before Summer, just to have them return over the colder months. On the journey to achieving and maintaining your healthy lifestyle and body, often the first hurdle is the biggest. Starting.

Start slowly and ease your way into it. When starting or restarting a program you will pull up quite sore on the days following the first few sessions; don’t let this deter you, these aches will subside and the benefits will start to shine through.

It is important that your new program has a balance between the many forms of exercise.

Top 5 Things to Remember:

1. Your program should include:
   • Cardiorespiritory Training
   • Muscular strength, endurance and core stability work.
   • Flexibility Training
2. Try to get some form of exercise in for 30 minutes a day; most if not all days of the week. This can be in the form of walking or running, doing a resistance training program or exercise such as pilates or yoga.
3. If 30 minutes all at once seems to far away, recent research has shown that 3 x 10 minute or 2 x 15 minute sessions can be added together to achieve a similar result. You can start at this intensity and work towards and beyond a 30 minute session; remembering to stretch at the conclusion of each session.
4. Resistance training can be done with equipment such as free weights or using exercises that utilise your bodies own weight as resistance (if you are having trouble coming up with a safe resistance training program that is tailored to your needs, consult a health and fitness professional such as your exercise physiologist).
5. Remember when starting your program vary the exercises that you complete, and have fun with them. This will keep it interesting and improve the chances of adhering to your program in the long run.

Sticking to a simple program like this, as well as watching your diet will have you looking and feeling great this summer and many more to come.