Geelong’s Gym

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!

As Valentines Day is just around the corner it leads me to think about love and the impact it can have on your health and fitness.

Did you know that Scientists consider love to be a drug that is good for your heart and your brain?

That’s right.  There’s more to love than soppy doe eyes and syrupy poetry.  So let’s look a bit more closely at this concept of love…

Love is more than just the quiet moments...

The first spark of attraction comes from the brain, which releases a neuro-transmitter chemical called dopamine.  From this there’s a chain reaction that leads to the heart pounding three times faster than normal.  This extra gush of blood makes its way to the cheeks and sexual organs.

This sudden blood diversion causes your stomach to feel a bit empty, thus creating the feeling of butterflies in the stomach and causing your hands and legs to get a diminished supply of blood which results in the palms getting cold and a slight shiver setting in.  Sound familiar?

And of course, love tends to lead to sexual activity!  Making love is actually good aerobic exercise which improves the circulation and can do wonders for the heart.  So love, in its round about way, does in fact lead to improved fitness.

But let’s not forget the added benefit of weight loss!  Intercourse can actually burn around 200 calories in just a few minutes.

Then there are the added health benefits… when making love the body releases endorphins, which can help lessen chronic back pain, arthritis and migraines.  On top of that, there has been some research to suggest frequent love making can boost levels of important immune cells which can help fights colds and other infections.

So this Valentines Day, spare a moment for just how lucky you are to be in love and what a blessing that person beside you is.  And if you’re not in love, maybe this will inspire you to keep a look out for that special someone, because they could be just around the corner.

Did you know that stretching your body properly can give you better health and performance?

It’s true.  Most people have a huge misconception when it comes to stretching.  Some people don’t do it at all, while others do a couple of token stretches and figure they’re set.  But what if you could virtually eliminate the muscle pain after a workout?  Just by stretching?

It’s true!  And we can also eliminate the pain on your wallet.  Buy the Stretching Handbook and you’ll receive a 100% money back guarantee!  That’s right.  If you’re a member at Geelong’s Gym we’ll take the cost of the book off your membership payments.  If you’re not a member, we’ll take the cost of the book off off your new membership when you sign up.  All you need to do is bring in your proof of purchase.  But back to the stretching…

A regular stretching program can lengthen your muscles and make your daily activities so much easier.  Just think, no more easing yourself down, centimetre by centimetre, onto the couch after that run you went for or that step class.

Stretching is something anyone of any age can do and the best thing is, you can do it while watching the TV, working on the computer or getting ready for bed.

A good stretch before your exercise will do wonders for your workout!

Here are just a few of the incredible benefits you’ll receive from regular stretching:

• Reducing muscle tension
• Increased range of movement in the joints
• Enhanced muscular coordination
• Increased blood circulation
• Increased energy levels

And if you really want to know about a full range of stretches for every part of your body, complete with step by step photos to walk you through each stretch, then I cannot recommend highly enough The Stretching Handbook.

There’s an old Chinese proverb which says, “Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.”

In the case of green tea, this is actually true.  The Chinese have known of the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times and used it to sure anything from headaches to depression!

Green Tea - could it be the cure for many illnesses?

In fact, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, green tea has been found to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by almost 60%!

That’s pretty impressive, don’t you think?  But it gets better…

Green tea is reputed to be helpful in:

• lowering total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol
• rhumatoid arthritis
• cardiovascular disease
• impaired immune function

And all you have to do is boil the kettle, stick a green tea bag in your cup and pour the water.  Not much effort for so great a benefit!!!

Continuing on from our last post, let’s look at some other ways that the Twelve Days of Christmas can remind us of some gifts we can give our bodies.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a-swimming…

Did you know that the swan is considered to be the Bird of Light?  Light reminds me of the sun and the importance of Vitamin D to a healthy body and the maintenance of strong bones, musces and teeth.  Our bodies only store enough Vitamin D to last between 30 and 60 days, so it’s really important that we get outside (being sun smart of course) throughout the year.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight maids a-milking…

I’m sure you know where I’m going to go with this one.  Diets rich in milk and milk products help build and maintain bone mass throughout the life cycle.  This is especially important during childhood and adolescense when bone mass is being built.  And for those who are approaching the older years, strong bone mass may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.  This doesn’t have to be full cream milk either, low-fat or fat free options are just as good for your bone mass. 

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing…

Nine Ladies Dacing

Many people when they think of dancing immediately think of ballet and girls in tutus.  But believe me, that’s not all dance is about these days.  There are many different forms of dance, most of which provide a fantastic way of staying fit and healthy, while still having fun.  If you don’t believe me, come along and try a Geelong’s Gym Body Jam class and discover the amazing workout that a variety of dance genres will give you.  Trust me, you’ll break a sweat and have fun doing it!

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten lords a-leaping…

Have you ever watched kids jumping and leaping around on a trampoline?  It looks so easy but it’s actually a great form of exercise.  Jumping with a jump rope is a fantastic way to increase your heart rate and get your blood pumping.  Or take a leaf out of the kids’ book and get on a trampoline.  Ten minutes of jumping is the equivilent of 30 minutes of running!  Yes, you did read that right!  So is anyone adding a trampoline to the Christmas list?

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping…

Did you know that the Scots used to carry bagpipes into battle with them?  In fact, there is strong evidence to suggest that bagpipes were present at the great Battle of Bannockburn back in the 14th century.  I can imagine that the pipers came together just before the battle started and played played a rousing, stirring rendition of songs such as Scotland the Brave.  I’m sure that there was nothing more motivating or inspiring to propel them into fierce battle.  If you need that extra bit of motivation when you’re working out, try loading some strong songs with a good beat onto your ipod and see what a difference it makes.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming…

In many cultures drums are a symbol of power and if you’ve ever been at a concert where the drummer has done a solo I’m sure you would agree with that, because you can feel every beat reverberate through your body.  If you’re struggling with your workouts, put some music on with a strong drum beat in it, listen for a moment and let the power of the drumming flow through your body.  Then let that power come out in your workout, let it motivate you to push harder and stronger than you ever have before.  Remember, having a good workout is 90% about having the right mindset.  If you’re thinking power, then you’ll produce power!

As we rapidly approach Christmas, have a good break but don’t forget to take care of the health and well-being of your body – you’ll have a better Christmas for it. 

All the team at Geelong’s Gym would like to wish you a safe, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

We all know that exercise is the key to greater fitness and losing those few extra pounds or gaining that muscle mass you’re looking for.

But did you know that exercise actually decreases the risk of some major health issues?

I’m not talking the common cold here, I’m talking about some major health concerns.  Here are just a few that exercise can make a huge difference to…

Hands up who would like to avoid these!

Exercise decreases the risk of a Heart Attack - exercising regularly, combined with healthy changes in your diet, lowers your cholesterol and blood pressure which greatly reduces the chances of having a heart attack.

Exercise decreases the risk of Osteoporosis – exercising regularly, especially weight-bearing exercise, greatly diminishes the risk of osteoporosis and can even reverse it by building bone tissue!  That’s pretty good incentive to start getting fit and healthy.

Exercise can reduce the risk of developing Breast Cancer by up to 60% – sounds far fetched right?  But estradiol and progesterone, the two ovarian hormones linked to breast cancer tumor production, are lowered in the body by… you guessed it, exercise!  This is because a woman’s body is most susceptible to these hormones between ovulation and menstruation, but habitual exercise can delay ovulation until later in the menstrual cycle, thereby reducing the time a woman must fight these hormones.

Not only that, but fat is a catalyst in the production of estrogen (estradiol) and, as we know, regular exercise burns body fat, thus decreasing the rate of estrogen production.

There are so many other types of illness that exercise helps reduce or prevent, so how about adding some regular exercise into your routine.  After all a long, happy and HEALTHY life is what we’d all love to have.

Have you heard about the Strong Project yet?

Ann Cramp, one of the trainers on the Strong Project, has been doing a fantastic job of keeping us updated with what’s happening in the project and I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve observed and some of the feedback I’ve had.

To date the Strong Project has been a phenomenal success!  Our Type II Diabetes candidates have taken huge strides in their health, fitness and general well-being.  And it’s great to see the big smiles on their faces when they arrive at the gym.  And guess what?  They’re still smiling at the end of their workouts and telling their friends what a difference it’s making in their lives!

Many of them have reported that they feel stronger, more stable, more flexible and their quality of life has improved drastically.  And, on top of that, they are feeling fitter than they have felt for a long time.

Wouldn’t you like to feel that way too?
Wouldn’t you like to feel fit, strong and energized every day – even on the days that you’re not exercising?

Well, you can.  Health and fitness is essential to a long and happy life.  But the good news is, it’s not difficult to achieve.

Just ask any one of the Strong participants and I’m sure they will tell you that they wish they’d started on this journey years ago!

So stop procrastinating.  It doesn’t matter what shape your body is in; it doesn’t matter that you haven’t exercised for years; it doesn’t matter that you have been battling a condition like Type II Diabetes…

You can start making some positive changes to your lifestyle, general health, fitness and strength TODAY!

So what’s stopping you?

Have you ever had the “What If’s?”

You know…what if this happened?  What if that happened?

Have the “What If’s” ever stopped you from doing or starting something?

For the participants in the STRONG study, this was their biggest hurdle to getting started.

What if I’m the only one who can’t do the exercise?
What if my heart rate goes too high?
What if I hurt myself?
What if I’m the fattest person in the group?

All participants know that the study is backed by research and fact.
All participants know the trainers have been specifically trained to work with those with, or at risk of, Type II Diabetes.

Tackling the “What If’s” can be tricky but as one participant shared with me…
Imagine if we replaced the words “WHAT IF” with “IF” and “THEN”!

So instead of saying “WHAT IF this happens”, change it to “IF this happens, THEN I’ll deal with it”.

A great lesson in attitude for all of us.

www.GeelongsGym.com.au

Welcome to Geelong’s Gym’s Blog!

How cool is it to have a blog dedicated specifically to you?!?

I know I’m  excited about being a contributing author – with a focus on “The Mindset Of A Champion” you may or may not know my personal story, but I learnt to play and became a squash addict when I moved to Australia in 2000.

Last year, I competed in the World Masters Squash Championships, placing in the ‘Top 50’ in the world and in February, I won a Silver Medal at the Australian Masters Games right here in Geelong!

You can read more about me by clicking on the hyperlinks – but this blog is all about YOU.

I just wanted to give you a quick overview so you know where I’m coming from as a mature ‘elite’ athlete… I have some biases that you need to be aware of… such as.

I know you can always do better. That doesn’t mean you’re not good, it just means we, and I include myself in this, need to keep stretching as I say “onward and upward!”

That’s what this blog is all about. I will be joined by other authors who will be contributing their expertise, experience, know how and HUMOUR to keep it fun and entertaining.

So why don’t we get to the fun part right off the bat?!?! Take a look at this YouTube video that I posted on one of my blogs a while back. It’s a classic.

You’ll want to bookmark it the next time you’re running a negative pattern that doesn’t support you…

Click here -→ to learn how to Stop it!

If you come across a funny or informative video, please post a comment on this blog and share it with other members…

If you come across a blog post, whitepaper or other valuable information – let us know.

T  ogether
E  veryone
A  chieves
M  ore!