Geelong’s Gym

Did you know that Diet Soft Drinks make you fat?

Horrifying thought, isn’t it?  But unfortunately zero calories doesn’t mean that your body won’t turn the other ingredients in diet drinks to fat.

At Geelong’s Gym we know how hard people work to keep their bodies fit and healthy so when we find out information that will help them stay that way, we like to pass it on.

You see, the pH levels in your food have a huge impact on your health and how hard your body has to work to keep itself at the ideal pH level.  All foods have a pH level which determines where they fit on the Acid/Alkaline scale, which in turn determines how our body reacts to them.

I’m sure at times you’ve felt that it’s all a bit too hard trying to figure out what to eat, what not to eat etc.  Am I right?

To make things a little easier for you, we’ve included this video which explains in a fun way why Diet Soft Drink makes you fat and how you can have a balanced pH.

And if you need a little help getting creative with Alkaline foods we have a fantastic Alkaline Cook Book which will make it seem like child’s play.

How many pregnant women out there have wanted to actively do something to ensure a trouble free pregnancy while at the same time promoting the health and well being of your baby?

One of the Yoga Instructors at Geelong’s Gym, Monique Gharios, explains how this is possible.

I’m sure we all know that pregnancy is a time of pure joy but is also full of changes and challenges.  This is because the physical body is shifting and adapting to the needs of the growing fetus.

Some women find themselves overwhelmed by emotions, confused by the changes and lost in the middle of this life-altering time.  As a result, some aspects of pregnancy can be perceived as negative.  Add to this the weight gain, morning sickness and decreased sexuality – many women find themselves battling with Continue reading ‘Yoga and Pregnancy’

Did you know that happiness is a state of mind? That’s right. And what is the mind supported by? The body, of course.

Monique Gharios, one of Geelong’s Gym’s talented Yoga Instructors, tells us more about how Yoga can make us not only healthier, but also happier.

It only stands to reason that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Because without physical health you can’t be completely happy. And the flip side is, without happiness you can’t be completely healthy.

Did you know that health is a positive state and not just the absence of a negative state? Health is not just about the absence of disease. Traditional Western medicine treats illness as a disease, but in reality it is often nothing more than an imbalance in the natural harmony of body and mind.

True healing means restoring that balance and true health means keeping it.

So how does Yoga fit into this? Yoga means “to unify” and is a holistic approach to all aspects of life: physical, mental and spiritual. What Yoga does is view the person as a whole, as in a unique combination of body, mind and soul, and then uses techniques to maintain that body-mind-soul harmony.

I’m sure we’d all agree that preventing an illness is much better than having to cure one. So it’s important to live a life that prevents illness from developing in the first place. We want to be healthy and stay that way.

BOO!!! Did we scare you?

It’s Halloween; the time to scare people, young and old.

We thought long and hard about what to scare you with, and guess what we came up with… nothing!  That’s right – nada, zilch, a big fat zero.

Why?  Because if you’re not looking after your health and fitness then you should be plenty scared enough without us adding to it.

Did you know that people can die from fear?  They can also die from health related issues resulting directly from obesity, stress and a sedentary lifestyle.  Now that’s something to be scared about.

So why not make this Halloween a happy one where you make some positive changes to your lifestyle.

How about giving us a call at Geelong’s Gym on 5221 1126 to find out how we can take the fear out of this Halloween and start you on your journey towards greater health, fitness and well being.

Linda Newman, one of the Yoga Instructors at Geelong’s Gym, explains how Yoga has made its journey from the Ancient East to modern day Western culture.

Although Yoga’s appearance in the west is rather recent, it can be traced to mid–nineteenth century America, where it was initially embraced for its spiritual elements by a small and elite portion of the American population.

However, Yoga did not emerge as a fitness option until the 1950’s and even then, its health benefits were appreciated by only a few people for another 25 to 30 years.

So how did it become so popular?

Yoga’s current status reflects the growing interest in the mind-body connection.  Research in both the medical and fitness communities supports the important role the mind plays in promoting wellness, reducing stress and combating disease. Yoga techniques provide both a blueprint for stress management and a system for physical fitness. There is also a therapeutic aspect to the practice.  This area deals with specific breathing techniques, poses and meditations to help various structural, physiological and psychological conditions.

Fitness experts once paid little attention to what Yoga had to offer, but leaders in the field now recognise its value as a viable fitness choice.

While not all styles of Yoga cover all essential aspects of a fitness regime – aerobic, strength and flexibility training – many do. At the very least yoga can provide a balanced strength and flexibility workout that can be supplemented with a cardiovascular routine.

Linda has more than 20 years teaching experience in the UK, USA, Asia and Australia. She came from a sports and fitness background and became interested in yoga after spending many years living in Asia. In 2005 Linda studied Ashtanga Primary Series with David Swenson in Singapore, and has also studied Ashtanga yoga with Graeme and Leonie Northfield, Dena Kingsbury and John Scott to name a few. She has studied meditation, yoga philosophy and asana (1 month intensive) with Nicky Knoff. Over the past few years Linda has completed many training workshops with Simon Borg-Olivier.

Linda currently teaches yoga and Pilates, she lectures for the Victorian Fitness Academy (VFA) and is course director and teacher trainer for mat Pilates. She is also registered with Yoga Alliance, ACE (USA) PIA (AUS) and Kinect Australia.

Geelong’s Gym – changing the face of men’s health!

How exactly are we doing that?

Starting on 1st November, the brave men around the gym will be starting off with a clean shaven face and that’s the only day all month a blade will be touching their moustache.  That’s right, the boys will be growing mos all month long.

So, if you want a good laugh, come on down to check out their progress and see who can grow the best mo of all in Movember.  In years gone by it has looked like Magnum P.I. has taken over the gym!

Why not grow a mo too and support the cause.  Or you can make a donation online, sponsor the Geelong’s Gym team and help change the face of men’s health.

Hi all…for those who don’t know…I’m walking from Warrnambool to Geelong over a five day period in November. It’s 187km so quite a hike to say the least. I’ve been in training, along with 17 others to make sure we’re leg ready.

The Walking Home walk is to raise awareness of homelessness in regional communities and to help bring the communities together. The walkers will be sleeping out each night in our swags, hosting civic activities at each town along the way. It’s going to be a huge week!

We also want to raise a few funds for the purchase of shoes for homeless people. Try going to an Op shop and finding shoes that fit properly!

If you want to find out more and make an on-line donation, simply click here.

You can also leave any donation at Geelong’s Gym.

Thanks everyone for your support,

Annie. xxxx

I think we’ve pretty much all heard of Yoga, but has anyone ever wondered where it came from?

One of Geelong’s Gym’s pre-eminent Yoga Instructors, Linda Newman, shares with us the evolution of Yoga practice.

Yoga is believed to be a 5,000 year old philosophy which was orally passed on from teacher to student. The Indian sage Patanjali is said to have put this tradition in to writing about 2,000 years ago in his classic work The Yoga Sutras.  The writings give direction concerning all levels of human potential: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. They even provide guidance on personal development that includes standards for ethical and moral conduct.

Hatha yoga, initially created to prepare the body for meditation, is an important part of this process. This technique includes exercises designed to strengthen the body and nervous system, creating a state for a higher level of consciousness. The repertoire consists of postures, movements, breathing and relaxation techniques, which affect every system of the body, bringing about health and well-being.

Yoga is not a religion – however its philosophy has been embraced by religious traditions in India and elsewhere.

I’m sure that most, if not all, of you have noticed that Yoga is suddenly everywhere you turn.  Why is this?  Well, the short answer is that it has so many different benefits for your body and your mind.  No wonder it’s so popular.

Linda Newman, one of Geelong’s Gym’s Yoga Intructors is here to tell you a bit more about why Yoga has suddenly sprung up everywhere.

Yoga as an exercise activity has become a permanent fixture in the fitness arena. Long recognised as an effective stress-management technique and a great way to improve flexibility, Yoga has more recently become known for what it can do for building strength and stamina. This popularity has been a contributing factor to the growth of mind-body exercise, which continues to be an increasingly important part of the industry.

Yoga classes are now a standard feature of the class schedule at Geelong’s Gym.  And they’re so popular that we’ve had to add extra classes to the timetable.  So there are now more Yoga classes at Geelong’s Gym than ever before!

Yoga, however, is much more than just another form of exercise. It is part of an extensive ancient East Indian philosophical tradition. What we refer to as “yoga” – the exercise activity – is really hatha yoga, the physical aspect of this philosophy. There are many different ways in which hatha may be practised. Guidelines govern the practice and reflect the basic principles of yoga regardless of style. Yoga techniques provide both a blueprint for stress management and a system for physical fitness.

To find out more, tune in again for our next Yoga blog.

On Sunday 4th October, our very own Adam Ryan (Membership Coordinator, Class Instructor and Personal Trainer at Geelong’s Gym) competed in the Bankwest Tower Stair Climb in Perth.

Adam completed the climb in just 6 minutes and 23 seconds, breaking the record and winning the race. In fact, he had time up his sleeve since he accidentally took a wrong turn and had to back track!

There’s something seriously wrong with this guy – for example, he moved to Canberra for a year just so he could climb mountains and condition his body for the brutal assault it would be receiving in future stair climbing events.

But Adam’s all about doing the out of the ordinary.  His body isn’t physiologically made to climb stairs but he believes in pushing boundaries and challenging himself to break the mould.  It’s taken a lot of determination, countless hours of training and buckets of sweat but it’s all worth it for Adam, who firmly advocates developing a new mindset to reach greater health and fitness goals in your life.

So what’s the next challenge? Adam plans to run up Eureka Tower in Melbourne so he can qualify for the pinnacle of stair climbing events, the run up the Empire State Building in New York. We’re all right behind you Adam, in thought if not in action!

Check out this You Tube video of a few contestants running up the Empire State Building – you gotta want it bad, this is one crazy sport!

To find out more about Stair Climbing as a sport simply click here.