Cold weather, increased exposure to viruses, and winter eating habits can result in illness, time off work and weight gain.
So how do you include some winter friendly options during the cold weather and maintain your health, when all you feel like doing is hibernating?
Being a devoted exerciser for most of my life, I believe in restructuring my eating and exercise routine according to the seasons.
• Keep active indoors or outdoors: Early morning darkness and cold maybe all it takes to stop you from your regular exercise during the colder weather. With a little planning and lateral thinking, you can adjust your training to maintain your fitness and health over the winter months. If you usually run or walk outdoors, then give a try on a treadmill or a set of stairs. There is a smorgasbord of indoor group exercise classes at your gym or offered by your local city council.
• Have a back-up plan: When it’s cold, dark and wet outside, a plan b is essential for keeping you on track. A back up plan provides flexibility. If morning doesn’t work for exercise, then try lunchtimes or evenings. Keeping pre-prepared meals in the freezer and healthy snacks in your desk drawer can assist you when you are running short on time.
• Avoid dehydration: Cold air can be very drying, which means it can dehydrate the body. Keep drinking during and after exercise as well as throughout the day.
• Enjoy healthy warm foods: Overeating and an increase in comfort foods can easily lead to weight gain during colder months. Look for inspiriting in your favourite cook books for some healthy low fat meal options. Starting your day with ½ cup of oats with skim milk mixed with a sprinkle of nuts and grated apple will keep you going for hours.
• Get support: Staying on track is easier when you communicate to the others about what you are up to. This may also be a perfect time to enlist the experience of a Personal Trainer to hold you accountable. Consider getting a buddy to train and share the experience with.
If you are usually prone to a yearly dose of sickness, then think about getting a flu jab. It is essential to put together an eating plan and exercise routine that suits your lifestyle to greatly enhance your chances of good health over the winter months.
Enjoy fitness, enjoy life.
Chris Bakens
© Healthy Executives 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
5 Reasons you can't lose weight
1. You skip breakfast. - Kick-start your day with a low GI breakfast. A good breakfast will prevent the hunger pangs around 10am; boost your performance and mood for the day. If time is an issue, then prepare the night before and have on the run or when you first get to work. Try ½ cup rolled oats with some skim milk, chopped apple, nuts and cinnamon. Place in the fridge overnight and heat up and enjoy.
2. You don’t realize what kilojoules you are drinking. - Smoothies, energy drinks and soft drinks may give you a quick energy boost but are all loaded with a tonne of excess kilojoules. A typical caffeine drink (like V or red bull) may seem like a good solution to enhance your mood, but it is equivalent to a medium size fries from McDonalds. Even when you think you are buying healthy with a low fat option you can be buying a tonne of kilojoules from the sugar content. A 650ml banana buzz low fat smoothie from Boost Juice is 1995kjs. That is equivalent to over 4 Tim Tams. Cut down on excess kilojoules by watering down your juice or nectar with sparkling water.
3. You don’t know what a serving size is – Most people do not know what an average serving size is. Australian health educator and dietician Allan Borushek says “Food portion size is critical to controlling calorie intake for weight control. Super-sized food servings have become more common when eating out and in the home. This can mean a day’s worth of calories being consumed in one meal, or a snack being equivalent to a full meal.” It may not always be possible to have scales or measuring cups on hand each time you eat. Serving sizes of your protein or carbohydrate foods are no bigger than the size of the palm of your hand. Protein foods (meat, dairy, eggs etc ) Carbohydrate foods (breads, cereals, sweets etc)
4. You put food or drink into your mouth without thinking - Do you constantly nibble while you are cooking, working at your desk or reading a book or magazine? A good rule to use is to only eat from a plate to avoid over-indulging. If the average nibble is 105 kjs (25calories), then the consumption of 4 extra nibbles can mean 420kjs.
5. You blame others or make excuses why you cannot lose weight – List the excuses you have used in the past for not losing weight. Is it procrastination, your health, the weather, your job, your kids or maybe even your friends? Be honest with yourself and look for solutions to any of your excuses. Find the support in the people around you by sharing your goals with them.
©Healthy Executives 2009
2. You don’t realize what kilojoules you are drinking. - Smoothies, energy drinks and soft drinks may give you a quick energy boost but are all loaded with a tonne of excess kilojoules. A typical caffeine drink (like V or red bull) may seem like a good solution to enhance your mood, but it is equivalent to a medium size fries from McDonalds. Even when you think you are buying healthy with a low fat option you can be buying a tonne of kilojoules from the sugar content. A 650ml banana buzz low fat smoothie from Boost Juice is 1995kjs. That is equivalent to over 4 Tim Tams. Cut down on excess kilojoules by watering down your juice or nectar with sparkling water.
3. You don’t know what a serving size is – Most people do not know what an average serving size is. Australian health educator and dietician Allan Borushek says “Food portion size is critical to controlling calorie intake for weight control. Super-sized food servings have become more common when eating out and in the home. This can mean a day’s worth of calories being consumed in one meal, or a snack being equivalent to a full meal.” It may not always be possible to have scales or measuring cups on hand each time you eat. Serving sizes of your protein or carbohydrate foods are no bigger than the size of the palm of your hand. Protein foods (meat, dairy, eggs etc ) Carbohydrate foods (breads, cereals, sweets etc)
4. You put food or drink into your mouth without thinking - Do you constantly nibble while you are cooking, working at your desk or reading a book or magazine? A good rule to use is to only eat from a plate to avoid over-indulging. If the average nibble is 105 kjs (25calories), then the consumption of 4 extra nibbles can mean 420kjs.
5. You blame others or make excuses why you cannot lose weight – List the excuses you have used in the past for not losing weight. Is it procrastination, your health, the weather, your job, your kids or maybe even your friends? Be honest with yourself and look for solutions to any of your excuses. Find the support in the people around you by sharing your goals with them.
©Healthy Executives 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Australia’s Health Review
Right now is the time of year where personally and in business we visit our accountant to take a look at the past financial year, to discover the truth on how much we are really earning and whether we have invested well or over indulged in some areas.
Doing a personal or business health examination is no different. It is like getting an audit of the real story, and not what we imagine it is.
Below are some interesting facts of Australia’s state of health from the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
Alcohol and Obesity
More Australian adults were overweight or obese and more drank alcohol at risky or high risk levels in 2004-5 than in 2001, according to results from the 2004-05.
The proportion of adults classified as overweight or obese increased over the last ten years: for men from 52% to 62% and for women from 37% to 45%.
Medical conditions
2004-05, 77% of the population reported that they had at least one long-term medical condition, similar to the result in 2001.
High or very high levels of psychological distress were recorded for 13% of the adult population, similar to the levels recorded in 2001. Of all those who recorded high to very high levels of distress, 59% were female.
In 2004-05, 12% of Australian adults (approximately 1.6 million people) reported that they had a mental or behavioural problem. A higher proportion of women (13%) reported having mental or behavioural problems than men (10%) and this was the case in each BMI category. Of those classified as overweight or obese, 12% of men and 16% of women reported a mental or behavioural problem.
Nutrition and Exercise
The two most frequently reported lifestyle risk factors among adults were inadequate fruit or vegetable intake (90%) and sedentary or low level exercise (70%), and the most common pattern was to report them both, without also reporting smoking or drinking at risky levels (44%). In comparison to those classified as normal or underweight, adults who were overweight or obese were slightly more likely to report in this way (43% and 44%).
A majority of adults (90%) did not consume the recommended amount of fruit (2 or more serves) or vegetables (5 or more serves). This proportion was similar regardless of body weight.
Overview
Too many of us are crossing our fingers and hoping for the best, rather than accepting responsibility for where our health is at and actually doing something about it.
Making changes to your diet and how much you move does not have to completely change your lifestyle. It is really quite easy to get the recommended 30 minutes per day of exercise. Try breaking it down to 3 x 10 minutes or 2 x 15 minutes of walking.
Look for opportunities to move around the office or while you are on the phone.
Take the dog for a walk, kick a footy around at the park, dust off those tennis racquets or bicycles and head down to the park.
A healthy day of nutrition could look like this:
Breakfast: bowl of oats with milk
Snack: fruit and yoghurt
Lunch: 2 x wholemeal bread with lean meat and salad
Snack: Cottage cheese with crackers
Dinner: Lean meats with vegetables
The upward spiral of Australia’s worsening health status has to stop. It starts with you. Choose to be healthy. The right time to start is now. It is never to too late to have the health you have always dreamed of.
Chris Bakens
Doing a personal or business health examination is no different. It is like getting an audit of the real story, and not what we imagine it is.
Below are some interesting facts of Australia’s state of health from the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
Alcohol and Obesity
More Australian adults were overweight or obese and more drank alcohol at risky or high risk levels in 2004-5 than in 2001, according to results from the 2004-05.
The proportion of adults classified as overweight or obese increased over the last ten years: for men from 52% to 62% and for women from 37% to 45%.
Medical conditions
2004-05, 77% of the population reported that they had at least one long-term medical condition, similar to the result in 2001.
High or very high levels of psychological distress were recorded for 13% of the adult population, similar to the levels recorded in 2001. Of all those who recorded high to very high levels of distress, 59% were female.
In 2004-05, 12% of Australian adults (approximately 1.6 million people) reported that they had a mental or behavioural problem. A higher proportion of women (13%) reported having mental or behavioural problems than men (10%) and this was the case in each BMI category. Of those classified as overweight or obese, 12% of men and 16% of women reported a mental or behavioural problem.
Nutrition and Exercise
The two most frequently reported lifestyle risk factors among adults were inadequate fruit or vegetable intake (90%) and sedentary or low level exercise (70%), and the most common pattern was to report them both, without also reporting smoking or drinking at risky levels (44%). In comparison to those classified as normal or underweight, adults who were overweight or obese were slightly more likely to report in this way (43% and 44%).
A majority of adults (90%) did not consume the recommended amount of fruit (2 or more serves) or vegetables (5 or more serves). This proportion was similar regardless of body weight.
Overview
Too many of us are crossing our fingers and hoping for the best, rather than accepting responsibility for where our health is at and actually doing something about it.
Making changes to your diet and how much you move does not have to completely change your lifestyle. It is really quite easy to get the recommended 30 minutes per day of exercise. Try breaking it down to 3 x 10 minutes or 2 x 15 minutes of walking.
Look for opportunities to move around the office or while you are on the phone.
Take the dog for a walk, kick a footy around at the park, dust off those tennis racquets or bicycles and head down to the park.
A healthy day of nutrition could look like this:
Breakfast: bowl of oats with milk
Snack: fruit and yoghurt
Lunch: 2 x wholemeal bread with lean meat and salad
Snack: Cottage cheese with crackers
Dinner: Lean meats with vegetables
The upward spiral of Australia’s worsening health status has to stop. It starts with you. Choose to be healthy. The right time to start is now. It is never to too late to have the health you have always dreamed of.
Chris Bakens
Monday, June 22, 2009
The best Anti - Aging workouts
“If you don’t use it you will lose it!” is the old saying. As we get older we tend to slow down. Take a look around at the general population and you will notice what an inactive and deskbound existence we lead. Every decade we lose 2 – 5 kilograms of muscle as we age. Combine this with the sedentary lazy lifestyle and it is a recipe for becoming fat, sick, weak and pathetic.
The main 2 reasons for aging and degeneration are loss of muscle and loss of strength, says Tufts University in the USA.
Here are my top 5 tips for staying a spring chicken:
1. Strength Training: Increase strength and function of the body by lifting weights. You must lift weights heavier than what your body can easily do. Major improvements in the way older adults are performing everyday tasks is a significant reason to start strength training. There have been many studies to show the value of lifting weights to help fight the loss of muscle and bone mass. It can also assist with the symptoms of depression, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 2 – 3 days of strength training per week.
2. Cardiovascular Exercise: Want to increase your energy, vitality and the speed of your metabolism? You must do activity to get you huffing and puffing. The get up and go that you may lack from time to time maybe because of the need of huffy puffy exercise. Whether you take a brisk lunchtime walk in the park, on the treadmill at the gym, bike ride around home or swim after work, all that matters is that you get your heart rate up. 30 minutes every day is what is recommended by the world health organization. If time is a constraint, aim for 2 x 15 minutes or 3 x 10 minutes etc per day.
3. Stability Training: Improve balance and stability by including functional type movements in your daily exercise routine. Functional movements are that which imitates everyday activity like bending down to pick up something or carrying uneven loads (child on 1 hip and pushing trolley with the other) Stick to exercises that will improve the everyday function of your personal lifestyle. I have seen allot of strong weaklings who can lift 200kg on the leg press but cannot be stable in a squat with light weights. Doing a squat against a wall with a Swiss ball will not assist your ability to squat down to pick up what you drop, unless you tie the Swiss ball to your back (and have a wall handy nearby) every other minute of the day. Free weight work with dumbbells and barbells can assist greatly. Try throwing and catching a ball while standing on 1 leg, or a squat on 1 leg, or do a push up on a medicine ball. Stability and balance can also be improved with movements such as Tai Chi and Yoga. Both of these disciplines rely purely on body weight and alignment for balance. If you don’t include some stability in your workout, there are businesses out there getting rich from people who need walking sticks and walking frames.
4. Stretch: Increase flexibility of the muscles, joints and connective tissue. With a combination of deskbound activities during work hours and lounge lizards after hours it is no wonder we are seeing a high incidence of lower back and shoulder problems. The body simply does not get the range of movement that it needs to maintain flexibility. The body is not designed to cope with long hours of being relatively inactive. Stretching is vital for improving the blood circulation around the body and enhanced posture. You will also benefit from the alertness and productivity that it brings. Get up and stretch at your desk at regular intervals, stretch before retiring at night and when you first get up in the morning.
5. Nutrition: Boost your immune system with real foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oily fish, oats, and garlic, and eat less processed foods. A good rule of thumb is the 2/3 + 1/3 rule. 2/3 of what you eat should look like it came out of the ground (as above list). 1/3 is the other stuff (this includes meat, dairy, cakes and biscuits and many takeaways). If you are exercising yet still carrying too much body fat, then take an honest look at your portion sizes. As we get older we need to think of quality and not quantity of foods. Carrying excess body weight is aging and is attributed to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, disability, and cancers.
So if your goal is to stay young and not let an old person move into your body, then these top 5 tips are not just a recommendation - but a necessity.
The main 2 reasons for aging and degeneration are loss of muscle and loss of strength, says Tufts University in the USA.
Here are my top 5 tips for staying a spring chicken:
1. Strength Training: Increase strength and function of the body by lifting weights. You must lift weights heavier than what your body can easily do. Major improvements in the way older adults are performing everyday tasks is a significant reason to start strength training. There have been many studies to show the value of lifting weights to help fight the loss of muscle and bone mass. It can also assist with the symptoms of depression, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 2 – 3 days of strength training per week.
2. Cardiovascular Exercise: Want to increase your energy, vitality and the speed of your metabolism? You must do activity to get you huffing and puffing. The get up and go that you may lack from time to time maybe because of the need of huffy puffy exercise. Whether you take a brisk lunchtime walk in the park, on the treadmill at the gym, bike ride around home or swim after work, all that matters is that you get your heart rate up. 30 minutes every day is what is recommended by the world health organization. If time is a constraint, aim for 2 x 15 minutes or 3 x 10 minutes etc per day.
3. Stability Training: Improve balance and stability by including functional type movements in your daily exercise routine. Functional movements are that which imitates everyday activity like bending down to pick up something or carrying uneven loads (child on 1 hip and pushing trolley with the other) Stick to exercises that will improve the everyday function of your personal lifestyle. I have seen allot of strong weaklings who can lift 200kg on the leg press but cannot be stable in a squat with light weights. Doing a squat against a wall with a Swiss ball will not assist your ability to squat down to pick up what you drop, unless you tie the Swiss ball to your back (and have a wall handy nearby) every other minute of the day. Free weight work with dumbbells and barbells can assist greatly. Try throwing and catching a ball while standing on 1 leg, or a squat on 1 leg, or do a push up on a medicine ball. Stability and balance can also be improved with movements such as Tai Chi and Yoga. Both of these disciplines rely purely on body weight and alignment for balance. If you don’t include some stability in your workout, there are businesses out there getting rich from people who need walking sticks and walking frames.
4. Stretch: Increase flexibility of the muscles, joints and connective tissue. With a combination of deskbound activities during work hours and lounge lizards after hours it is no wonder we are seeing a high incidence of lower back and shoulder problems. The body simply does not get the range of movement that it needs to maintain flexibility. The body is not designed to cope with long hours of being relatively inactive. Stretching is vital for improving the blood circulation around the body and enhanced posture. You will also benefit from the alertness and productivity that it brings. Get up and stretch at your desk at regular intervals, stretch before retiring at night and when you first get up in the morning.
5. Nutrition: Boost your immune system with real foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oily fish, oats, and garlic, and eat less processed foods. A good rule of thumb is the 2/3 + 1/3 rule. 2/3 of what you eat should look like it came out of the ground (as above list). 1/3 is the other stuff (this includes meat, dairy, cakes and biscuits and many takeaways). If you are exercising yet still carrying too much body fat, then take an honest look at your portion sizes. As we get older we need to think of quality and not quantity of foods. Carrying excess body weight is aging and is attributed to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, disability, and cancers.
So if your goal is to stay young and not let an old person move into your body, then these top 5 tips are not just a recommendation - but a necessity.
Monday, June 15, 2009
How much activity does it take to burn off those Tim-Tams?
When you are active your body uses energy to work, therefore burning calories from the food that you have eaten.
Losing or gaining weight is simply a matter of energy in versus energy out. If you wish to lose weight then you need to increase your energy output (the activity you do) and decrease your energy input (what goes in your mouth)
As a Performance Coach and Trainer the two questions most asked in this case are...
1. How much energy typically gets used up in my average exercise routine?
2. If I eat those snacks, what do I have to do to burn it off?
This article gives you a short approximate guide to what activity (energy out) you have to do to equal the number of calories/kilojoules consumed.
The chart below shows the energy burned typically by someone at 73kg in weight. The calorie (kilojoules) expenditure will vary depending on the intensity level, body weight, exercise performed, duration and the individual.
Below are some popular snacks and the energy needed to burn it off.
Serving size Snack option Total calories Total Kilojoules Average calories burned for a 73kg person
3 Tim Tams 300cals 1260kjs Bicycle ride (16km p/h) 1 hour
3 Vita wheat (soy and linseed) crackers 60cals 260kjs Walk (3.2km p/h) 20 minutes
1 medium profiterole 120cals 500kjs Walk/ light jog (5.6km p/h) 30 minutes
2 Milk arrowroot biscuits 80cals 320kjs Moderate housework 30 min
1x 50g Cinnamon donut 180cals 760kjs Golf with trolley 1 hour
1 Plain scone 250cals 1045kjs Light gardening 1 hour
1 Low-fat apple, bran and sultana muffin 380cals 1595kjs Tennis 1 hour
1 x 15g Choc. Freddo frog 80cals 330kjs Weight lifting (free weights)20 minutes
1 x 300ml Cafe latte(Gloria Jeans) 170cals 710kjs Low impact group exercise session 30 min
1 Deli Choices Chicken Caesar roll (McDonalds) 610cals 2540kjs Vigorous cycling 1 hour
1 Junior whopper (Hungry Jacks) 400cals 1675kjs Roller blading 1 hour
1 Sweet chilli wrap (KFC) 550cals 2305kjs Step class at the gym 1 hour
1 6”roasted chicken sub*(subway) *Does not include cheese, mayo or oil 305cals 1280kjs Volley ball 1 hour
3 pieces Sushi (average) 140cals 585kjs Moderate Walking 5.8 km p/h 30 min
1x 500ml Iced coffee(99% fat free caffe latte – Classic brand) 360cals 1495kjs Softball or baseball 1 hour
1 650ml Low-fat smoothie (banana buzz – Boost Juice) 475cals 1995kjs Racquet-ball 55min
1 x medium Apple 75cals 310kjs Tai Chi 20 min
1 x medium banana 80cals 335kjs Golf (carrying clubs) 20 mins
30g (25 –30nuts) Raw almonds 175cals 730kjs Water aerobics 1 hour
1 x 35g Apple and cinnamon fruit bar (Go Natural brand) 115cals 490kjs Bowling 30 mins
1 x 32g K-Time cereal bar (Honey nut crunch w. choc) 130cals 550kjs Canoeing 30 mins
Losing or gaining weight is simply a matter of energy in versus energy out. If you wish to lose weight then you need to increase your energy output (the activity you do) and decrease your energy input (what goes in your mouth)
As a Performance Coach and Trainer the two questions most asked in this case are...
1. How much energy typically gets used up in my average exercise routine?
2. If I eat those snacks, what do I have to do to burn it off?
This article gives you a short approximate guide to what activity (energy out) you have to do to equal the number of calories/kilojoules consumed.
The chart below shows the energy burned typically by someone at 73kg in weight. The calorie (kilojoules) expenditure will vary depending on the intensity level, body weight, exercise performed, duration and the individual.
Below are some popular snacks and the energy needed to burn it off.
Serving size Snack option Total calories Total Kilojoules Average calories burned for a 73kg person
3 Tim Tams 300cals 1260kjs Bicycle ride (16km p/h) 1 hour
3 Vita wheat (soy and linseed) crackers 60cals 260kjs Walk (3.2km p/h) 20 minutes
1 medium profiterole 120cals 500kjs Walk/ light jog (5.6km p/h) 30 minutes
2 Milk arrowroot biscuits 80cals 320kjs Moderate housework 30 min
1x 50g Cinnamon donut 180cals 760kjs Golf with trolley 1 hour
1 Plain scone 250cals 1045kjs Light gardening 1 hour
1 Low-fat apple, bran and sultana muffin 380cals 1595kjs Tennis 1 hour
1 x 15g Choc. Freddo frog 80cals 330kjs Weight lifting (free weights)20 minutes
1 x 300ml Cafe latte(Gloria Jeans) 170cals 710kjs Low impact group exercise session 30 min
1 Deli Choices Chicken Caesar roll (McDonalds) 610cals 2540kjs Vigorous cycling 1 hour
1 Junior whopper (Hungry Jacks) 400cals 1675kjs Roller blading 1 hour
1 Sweet chilli wrap (KFC) 550cals 2305kjs Step class at the gym 1 hour
1 6”roasted chicken sub*(subway) *Does not include cheese, mayo or oil 305cals 1280kjs Volley ball 1 hour
3 pieces Sushi (average) 140cals 585kjs Moderate Walking 5.8 km p/h 30 min
1x 500ml Iced coffee(99% fat free caffe latte – Classic brand) 360cals 1495kjs Softball or baseball 1 hour
1 650ml Low-fat smoothie (banana buzz – Boost Juice) 475cals 1995kjs Racquet-ball 55min
1 x medium Apple 75cals 310kjs Tai Chi 20 min
1 x medium banana 80cals 335kjs Golf (carrying clubs) 20 mins
30g (25 –30nuts) Raw almonds 175cals 730kjs Water aerobics 1 hour
1 x 35g Apple and cinnamon fruit bar (Go Natural brand) 115cals 490kjs Bowling 30 mins
1 x 32g K-Time cereal bar (Honey nut crunch w. choc) 130cals 550kjs Canoeing 30 mins
Monday, June 1, 2009
Raising a Fit Kid! How to get your kids to get moving and have FUN!
When most adults think about starting an exercise program, they imagine joining a gym. But for a child it is an opportunity for playing and being physically active. Kids exercise when they are playing tag with their friends, riding their bike or running around at first and second break at school.
The percentage of children who are overweight has more than doubled over the last 30 years. Kids are becoming more sedentary with the average child watching 3 hours of television and 5 1/2 hours on all media combined.
A child who is active will have...
• Stronger muscles and bones
• Have a leaner body because exercise helps control body fat
• Be less likely to be overweight
• Decrease the risk of developing type 2 Diabetes
• Have a better outlook on life
So how much exercise should your child be getting?
• For a child that is school aged, it should be 60 minutes or more per day. It can be broken up into 10 - 15 minute intervals.
• A pre-schooler should have 60 minutes planned physical activity and 60 minutes unstructured physical activity.
• These guidelines are the current recommendations for children according to the American Association for sport and Physical Activity.
Some tips to help you get your kids active
• Work with your child to find something that they like doing.
• If your child is interested in an activity that is not provided at their school; talk to the school principal about starting up a new team.
• Be patient if your child has difficulty choosing or sticking to an activity. It may take several tries before a child feels like something clicks.
• Support your child in their active habits. You will be glad that you did because those active habits can last a lifetime.
• Encourage them to work on a variety of exercises so they can work on the 3 elements of exercise. Endurance, strength, and flexibility.
• Establish a regular schedule for physical activity.
• Keep it fun, so you can count on the child to come back for more.
• Combining regular physical activity with a healthy diet is the key to a healthier lifestyle. By making changes yourself towards being a positive role model for your family.
The percentage of children who are overweight has more than doubled over the last 30 years. Kids are becoming more sedentary with the average child watching 3 hours of television and 5 1/2 hours on all media combined.
A child who is active will have...
• Stronger muscles and bones
• Have a leaner body because exercise helps control body fat
• Be less likely to be overweight
• Decrease the risk of developing type 2 Diabetes
• Have a better outlook on life
So how much exercise should your child be getting?
• For a child that is school aged, it should be 60 minutes or more per day. It can be broken up into 10 - 15 minute intervals.
• A pre-schooler should have 60 minutes planned physical activity and 60 minutes unstructured physical activity.
• These guidelines are the current recommendations for children according to the American Association for sport and Physical Activity.
Some tips to help you get your kids active
• Work with your child to find something that they like doing.
• If your child is interested in an activity that is not provided at their school; talk to the school principal about starting up a new team.
• Be patient if your child has difficulty choosing or sticking to an activity. It may take several tries before a child feels like something clicks.
• Support your child in their active habits. You will be glad that you did because those active habits can last a lifetime.
• Encourage them to work on a variety of exercises so they can work on the 3 elements of exercise. Endurance, strength, and flexibility.
• Establish a regular schedule for physical activity.
• Keep it fun, so you can count on the child to come back for more.
• Combining regular physical activity with a healthy diet is the key to a healthier lifestyle. By making changes yourself towards being a positive role model for your family.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Are you a stress junkie? The stress Junkies survival guide
Stress is one of those things that people have different experiences of.
Symptoms:
You may suffer from such things as headaches, constipation, anger, loss of appetite, withdrawal from life, feeling of helplessness, blaming others, depression, crying, irritability, insomnia, or substance abuse.
Unfortunately most of us are too busy worrying about the demands of our lives that we don’t have time to listen to what our bodies are telling us.
How the stress response works in the body:
The adrenal glands are triangular shaped organs that sit like caps on top of the kidneys and are the system responsible for the coping of stress. They provide adrenalin to the body during the day when you put your body through unusual amounts of physical and emotional exertion.
Stress is not necessarily something bad. In fact, the stress of something that is creative, successful and exhilarating is beneficial to the body. It is the detrimental stress like failure, infection and breakdown (humiliation, complaining etc) that has long term harmful effects on the body such as... irregular heart rhythm, indigestion and heartburn, hardening of the arteries, and a breakdown of the immune system.
Some causes of stress:
Poor time management, lack of exercise, poor diet, over-commitment, no time out, finances, relationship breakdown.
Stress depends a lot on people’s perceptions of a particular situation and their ability to manage and cope with it.
Impacts on your lifestyle:
• No respect for your own needs
• Not eating properly
• No exercise
• No time for yourself
• No time for family and friends
• Lose perspective for what really matters to you
A 7 point management checklist:
• Diet and Nutrition: Eat small nutritious meals and drink plenty of water. Dr. John Tickell says that everything in moderation except sex, laughter, vegetables and fish. If you don’t like sex, then replace it with rice. Not as much fun but it is good for you.
• Lifestyle: Use your weekend as a change of pace. If you are stuck in an office all week, get outdoors on the weekend and do adventuress things. Have your favourite holiday destination as your screen saver.
• Time management: Do unpleasant tasks early in the day. Plan ahead. Don’t let the fuel tank get below one quarter before filling it. Use this same method for pantry items. Be prepared to wait. If you always have a paperback book in your bag, then the waiting line at the post office can be very pleasant. You have an alarm clock to remind you when you should get up right? Well how about one to remind you when to go to bed.
• Take time out: Have the courage to temporarily turn off your phone for an hour. The chances of an emergency happening in an hour are almost nil. Use an answering machine if you need to.
• Explore alternative therapies: Manual healing methods like massage, chiropractic or osteopathic have proven to be beneficial to many people. Other therapies include acupuncture, naturopathy, acupressure or movement strategies like yoga or tai chi.
• Know your stress busters: Paint or decorate your office space with some wild colours, or hang a colourful picture up. Play indoor golf or cricket with your workmates. Use soft balls or tightly rolled up paper. Tell a joke. Buy a pet. Play games with them. Take a kindy nap. Sing your favourite song at the top of your voice. Get up and stretch regularly.
• Medical intervention: Practice preventative maintenance. Your service of your car, home maintenance, health, and even your relationships are less likely to breakdown. If you are suffering from symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, depression or diarrhoea these may be masking other problems.
Summary:
While this article has many stress management techniques, it is meant as a guide only and readers should take the advice of a qualified health professional. Severe stress can cause health problems so if you have any persistent symptoms, please see a suitably qualified health professional.
Symptoms:
You may suffer from such things as headaches, constipation, anger, loss of appetite, withdrawal from life, feeling of helplessness, blaming others, depression, crying, irritability, insomnia, or substance abuse.
Unfortunately most of us are too busy worrying about the demands of our lives that we don’t have time to listen to what our bodies are telling us.
How the stress response works in the body:
The adrenal glands are triangular shaped organs that sit like caps on top of the kidneys and are the system responsible for the coping of stress. They provide adrenalin to the body during the day when you put your body through unusual amounts of physical and emotional exertion.
Stress is not necessarily something bad. In fact, the stress of something that is creative, successful and exhilarating is beneficial to the body. It is the detrimental stress like failure, infection and breakdown (humiliation, complaining etc) that has long term harmful effects on the body such as... irregular heart rhythm, indigestion and heartburn, hardening of the arteries, and a breakdown of the immune system.
Some causes of stress:
Poor time management, lack of exercise, poor diet, over-commitment, no time out, finances, relationship breakdown.
Stress depends a lot on people’s perceptions of a particular situation and their ability to manage and cope with it.
Impacts on your lifestyle:
• No respect for your own needs
• Not eating properly
• No exercise
• No time for yourself
• No time for family and friends
• Lose perspective for what really matters to you
A 7 point management checklist:
• Diet and Nutrition: Eat small nutritious meals and drink plenty of water. Dr. John Tickell says that everything in moderation except sex, laughter, vegetables and fish. If you don’t like sex, then replace it with rice. Not as much fun but it is good for you.
• Lifestyle: Use your weekend as a change of pace. If you are stuck in an office all week, get outdoors on the weekend and do adventuress things. Have your favourite holiday destination as your screen saver.
• Time management: Do unpleasant tasks early in the day. Plan ahead. Don’t let the fuel tank get below one quarter before filling it. Use this same method for pantry items. Be prepared to wait. If you always have a paperback book in your bag, then the waiting line at the post office can be very pleasant. You have an alarm clock to remind you when you should get up right? Well how about one to remind you when to go to bed.
• Take time out: Have the courage to temporarily turn off your phone for an hour. The chances of an emergency happening in an hour are almost nil. Use an answering machine if you need to.
• Explore alternative therapies: Manual healing methods like massage, chiropractic or osteopathic have proven to be beneficial to many people. Other therapies include acupuncture, naturopathy, acupressure or movement strategies like yoga or tai chi.
• Know your stress busters: Paint or decorate your office space with some wild colours, or hang a colourful picture up. Play indoor golf or cricket with your workmates. Use soft balls or tightly rolled up paper. Tell a joke. Buy a pet. Play games with them. Take a kindy nap. Sing your favourite song at the top of your voice. Get up and stretch regularly.
• Medical intervention: Practice preventative maintenance. Your service of your car, home maintenance, health, and even your relationships are less likely to breakdown. If you are suffering from symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, depression or diarrhoea these may be masking other problems.
Summary:
While this article has many stress management techniques, it is meant as a guide only and readers should take the advice of a qualified health professional. Severe stress can cause health problems so if you have any persistent symptoms, please see a suitably qualified health professional.
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