Geelong’s Gym

One of the things we love best at Geelong’s Gym is giving our members the chance to learn more about their bodies and how they function.  Bearing this in mind, this year we decided to start a new informational area at the gym which we call the Glass of Knowledge.

Ann Cramp beside the Glass of Knowledge which looked at where men and women store fat

One of our Personal Trainer’s, Ann Cramp, has been heading up this particular area of the gym and she works really hard to find out interesting and informative facts about our bodies so we can learn to better utilise them in a healthy, safe way.

Afterall, the more we know about how our body works, the more we will get out of our workouts at the gym and the more motivated we will be  to strive for greater health and fitness in our life.

The information on this board changes regularly and has lots of different handouts alongside it which Ann has created for members to take away for free.

The current Glass of Knowledge focuses on how the knee works and functions.

The Glass of Knowledge which looks at the function of the Knee

For the second year, a truly worthy event is taking place in Geelong to raise awareness of homelessness – the Walking Home project. Last year, 20 walkers were nominated from various support agencies in Geelong to complete a five day, 189 kilometre walk.  A rigorous training schedule commenced for a 6 month period leading up to the BIG WALK in November 2009.

Walking Home 2009

During the walk, the walkers camped out in the towns along the way and spoke to community groups about the impact of homelessness.

Two amazing outcomes were realized as a result of this event:

• Lots and lots of people wanted to help raise money to assist in buying shoes to give to homeless people.
• Lots and lots of people wanted the opportunity to walk an amazing distance that is way outside their normal activity regime.

This year, the Walking Home project is a one day event being held on Saturday 13^th November 2010…  a 50km walk from Queenscliff to Geelong and it’s open to the public to walk.  As the logistics of putting large numbers of walkers on the open road is too great, the rail trail will be used to the showgrounds and then the last leg of the walk is out on the streets.

There are also options of joining the walk at three alternative stages so you can do 20km, 12km or 5km if you prefer – so why not join the walk for the length which suits you best?!

A small entry fee is involved, as well as an opportunity to have family and friends sponsor your efforts.  Hopefully a lot of much needed money for Homelessness will be generated.

T-shirts are included in the 50km walk entry and also available for sale for people joining the walk at the various points.

And finally, here is your chance to walk and make a difference… not just to this worthwhile cause, but to your health and fitness.  A challenge, a goal to reach.

So put your best foot forward and start on this journey today. See the Walking Home notice board at Geelong’s Gym for the full training schedule and lots of helpful hints, plus registration details.

Geelong’s Gym is proud to be one of the sponsors of the Walking Home project and the training facility for the walkers.

Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, new research pops up to change the way you should eat, drink and cook.  Let’s take a look at some of the old thinking and what the latest is…

• 

  Yes it’s true, you now have permission to chew!

  Eating Fat Makes You Fat.  The Mayo Clinic in the US has found people who increased their intake of monounsaturated fats actually lost weight without decreasing their kilojoules.  Plus, olive oil, nuts, olives and avocados reduce stomach fat.

• Chewing Gum Makes You Hungrier, So You Eat More.  Not so.  A study has found people who chew gym for an hour a day are more likely to eat less kilojoules at lunch, feel less hungry during the day and use 5% more kilojoules.
• Room Temperature Water Is Best For Rehydrating.  A new study says to keep it chilled.  According to Dr Jason Lee, cold water could be the most direct way to reduce core body temperature, therefore taking you longer to heat up and slow down.
• After A Tough Workout Take Nurofen To Offset Soreness.  Popping anti-inflammatories actually reduces production of the chemicals needed for muscle growth and repair.
• Steaming Is The Best Way To Cook Vegies.  These days, the microwave does a much better job of retaining the most recovery-boosting antioxidants.  Put your vegies in a bowl with a small amount of water and cook for 2-3 minutes.

This information was sourced from Australian Women’s Health magazine.

Geelong’s Gym is excited to announce Tommy Hafey will be speaking at an event, organised by Geelong’s Gym, Claridge Naturopathics and Chapman Welsh Financial Services, about his secrets to great health.

Tom Hafey

We figured he was the ideal person for the job because not only does he have a strong connection to the people of Geelong but he also has a pretty spectacular qualifying resume!  Here are just a few highlights:

• He’s coached FOUR AFL teams – Richmond, Collingwood, the Sydney Swans and, of course, Geelong
• He’s coached over 500 VFL/AFL games for a 66% win record – oh and, in that time his teams have made TEN grand finals, resulting in  FOUR Premierships and a tied Grand Final
• In his first year as Collingwood coach the team rose from wooden spooners to be in the Grand Final
• He has never been beaten as a coach of the Victorian State Teams
• Only once in 22 years coaching football did a Hafey-coached team finish lower than seventh

Pretty impressive isn’t it?!

So okay, he’s got the credentials… but I’m not really that interested in hearing how to become more healthy.

Can I be blunt?  Good.  Here’s the thing, if you’re not a bouncing ball of energy who looks a good 10 years younger than you actually are… you need to take a good hard look at your health.

Let me ask you another question.  Does your biological age match your chronological age?  And I’m not just talking about how you look on the outside, although that’s part of it. 

Do you look older than you are?  Do you feel older than you are?

For the majority of Australians, what’s going on inside us is pretty scary and our bodies are actually functioning (or perhaps more accurately, not functioning) at a biological age greater than our chronological age.

That’s pretty alarming – especially if you’re wanting to live a good long life with a body that can keep up with you.  But here’s the good news, your biological age can actually be reversed!

So why not come along and hear Tom Hafey speak.  And while you’re there, you’ll learn how you can utilize the Bioage Program to measure and improve your biological age.

When: Wednesday, 14th July at 7.00pm

Where: Newtown Event Centre, 40 Read Street, Newtown

Entry: Gold coin entry to be donated to Geelong Charity “Our Women, Our Children”

RSVP: By Wednesday, 7th July to Geelong’s Gym

For more information, click here.

Were you going really well with your fitness routine but now you’re stuck in a rut?  Believe me, you’re not alone.  We know it’s frustrating but we’ve got some solutions from Australian Women’s Health magazine for four of the most common reasons your workout regime has gone awry…

1.  The New Job.  It can take quite a lot of time and effort to get up to speed in a new job and that can play havoc with your fitness regime.  To get your mojo back, ask around your workplace and find out who manages to fit regular exercise into their busy work schedule.  Maybe they squeeze in a lunch time visit to the gym or maybe they stop there on their way home.  Whatever they do, find out what their daily routine is and try adopting it for yourself.  And if you need some motivation to get started, why not ask them if you can workout with them.

2.  The Big Move.  No doubt about it, moving house is a big deal and it can take weeks to get everything unpacked and a normal routine reinstated.  Here’s a couple of hints – pack your workout gear last, so it’s easily accessible when you start unpacking.  Before you move, check out where the closest gym is and map out your driving route ahead of time, so you know exactly where you’re going.  Don’t forget, if you keep up your exercise routine you’ll have a whole lot more energy to get through those boxes much faster.

3.  The Injury.  Yep, this one is a killer, especially if you’ve had to sit on the couch for weeks or even months.  Getting back off the couch can be a challenge.  Firstly, set a goal for your fitness level when you can resume exercising – this will help you look beyond your current injury and towards your future fitness.  Secondly, consult with your doctor about what exercise is possible with your injury, so when you’re back on your feet you won’t be starting at the beginning.

4.  The New Baby.  Argh, those extra post-baby kilos and lack of sleep.  Finding time for a workout can be difficult, but if you can squeeze regular exercise in while your partner or mother is looking after the baby, you’ll find you have a whole lot more energy to get through the day and enjoy the new addition to your family.  And ladies, don’t stress yourself out by trying to drop the baby weight in record time.  If you add any exercise at all to your day the weight will come off.

Getting back into regular exercise can be tough once you’ve broken your routine, but don’t give up.  Set yourself a goal, find that thing that got you motivated in the first place and make a start today.

Yes, it’s true.  Geelong’s Gym is contributing to the Australian economy and not just by providing jobs!

I’m sure you know health and fitness is good for you and everybody else, but it’s also good for the economy.  Why?

Well, it has a huge impact on the cost of health care, employment and even our GDP.  Currently, around 1.73 million Australians are estimated to use fitness centres.  That’s a big number, true.  But here’s what Fitness Australia has estimated will be the impact if that figure increased to 10% of the population:

• An additional $204.8 million will be saved in health care costs
• 2609 extra full time employees in the workforce
• As a result of the additional employees mentioned above, an increased GDP of approximately $82 million

Maybe you’re a bit sceptical.  But the simple fact is, improving your health and fitness is the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, your community and your country!

You see, the fitter and healthier you and the rest of Australia are, the more energetic and productive we’ll all be and much more likely to participate in the workforce.  This, of course, is fantastic for the many businesses and industries we are involved in.

Maybe it's time to pull on the exercise gear and start getting fit and healthy

But that’s not the only benefit of health and fitness.  The four main diseases most associated with physical inactivity are:

• Type 2 Diabetes  
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Cancer

Did you know in 2004-05, the direct health care relating to these four diseases was $14.6 billion?

Now imagine the savings if we could reduce the number of obesity-related chronic diseases. Even if just 50% of gym users exercised regularly, the estimated savings in direct health care costs is $71.9 million – $49.8 million of that figure is just the avoided costs of cardiovascular disease.

And it’s really simple to achieve… all you need to do is start getting fit and healthy today!

A new challenge has been issued by the Cancer Council to men, to start looking at their lifestyles and the cancer risks they may be running as a result.

Why men in particular?  Well, according to an article in the Business Review, men are more fatalistic in their approach to health.  Bascially they think when their number’s up, it’s up.  So they don’t really make an effort to change.

But it’s not all bad news.  Smoking rates have been rapidly declining which instills confidence that men can change when they choose to.

Maintaining the correct body weight is a key factor in reducing cancer risk

And change is what men need to do.  Cancer Council research shows that 1 in 3 men’s cancer deaths are preventable through lifestyle choices – an important statistic considering men are 60% more likely to die from cancer than women.

Top 3 Tips For Reducing Cancer Risk:

• Quit smoking permanently
• Achieve and maintain normal body weight, i.e. take a good hard look at your diet and make the necessary changes, then get into a gym and start working on your fitness
• Moderate alcohol intake

No one knows if they’re going to get cancer or not.  So why not start working on your health and fitness now and put yourself in a better position to avoid this deadly disease.

They say that laughter is the best medicine, so in aid of that I’ve got a great post today from Dr Hu, who shares his views on a healthy, fit lifestyle…

Q.  Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life.  Is this true?

A.  Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it… don’t waste on exercise.  Everything wear out eventually.  Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster.  Want to live longer?  Take nap.

Q.  Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A.  You must grasp logistical efficiency.  What does cow eat?  Hay and corn.  And what are these?  Vegetables.  So steak is nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system.  Need grain?  Eat chicken.  Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable).  And pork chop can give you 100% of recommended daily allowance of vegetable product.

Our esteemed Dr Hu

Q.  Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A.  No, not at all.  Wine made from fruit.  Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way.  Beer also made of grain.  Bottom up!

Q.  How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A.. Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one.  If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc.

Q.  What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A.. Can’t think of single one, sorry.  My philosophy is: No pain…good!

Q.  Are fried foods bad for you?

A.  YOU NOT LISTENING!  Food are fried these days in vegetable oil.  In fact, they permeated by it.  How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?

Q.  Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A.  Definitely not!  When you exercise muscle, it get bigger.  You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.

Q.  Is chocolate bad for me?

A.  Are you crazy?!?  HEL-LO-O!!  Cocoa bean!  Another vegetable!  It best feel-good food around!

Q.  Is swimming good for your figure?

A.  If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me…

Q.  Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?

A.  Hey!  ‘Round’ a shape!

Thank you to Dr Hu for his valuable input.  I’m sure we all have a much better understanding of food and diets now!

And don’t forget, life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive, well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Chardonnay in one hand, chocolate in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “Woo Hoo, what a ride!!”

But here’s my final word on nutrition and health…

1.  The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

2.  The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

3.  The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

4.  The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

5.  The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

CONCLUSION:  Eat and Drink what you like.  Speaking English is apparently what kills you!

Are you an older woman and have always thought Strength Training and Weight Lifting is only for strong young men?

While this used to be the way many people thought, studies have now shown that strength training is incredibly beneficial for both men and women, young and old, and particularly for older women.

In fact, older women who do an hour or two of strength training exercises every week can see significant improvements in their cognitive function, particularly in the areas of the brain responsible for planning and executing tasks.

A study, which appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine, has been carried out assigning 155 women aged bewteen 65 and 75 either to strength training once or twice a week or to a comparison group doing balance and toning exercises.

One year on, those who did strength training had improved their performance on tests of executive function by 10.9% to 12.6%.

Those who did the balance and toning exercises actually experienced a slight deterioration of .05%.

The improvement of the first group included an enhanced ability to make decisions and resolve conflicts.

Don't worry Ladies! You won't be expected to hold up a building!

So if you’re an older woman and want your later years to be full of life, joy and activity, maybe it’s time you considered adding some regular strength training into your schedule and reaping the benefits of greater health, fitness and mental alertness.

And if you don’t know where to start, why not consider Personal Training to make sure you get the most benefit in a safe manner from your workout.  Just give us a call at Geelong’s Gym and we’ll set you up with a Personal Trainer who’ll suit your needs.

I read a line in a book the other day that said, “I am a verb! I am alive, dynamic, ever active and moving. I am being a verb”.

We have a knack of taking a verb that is alive and turning it into a dead noun.

For example, I have a gym membership. Woop-de-do!  Doesn’t get you any fitter or healthier does it, just because you have it?  You have a noun… a membership, nothing more.

Try being an active gym member who exercises regularly; it’s got a lot more potential than just saying you have a membership.  The verb of exercising takes you away from the noun into something dynamic and exciting.

Maybe we could all put some more “doing” into our workouts and into our lives.

And no, this isn't what I mean!