In January, the annual Victorian Population Health Survey was released for 2009.  It shows that overall Victorians don’t eat enough vegetables, drink more alcohol than they should and more and more are becoming obese or developing diabetes.

Men... get eating those fresh fruit and veggies!

In some areas Geelong rated better than the state averages but also needed significant improvement in other areas.  Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, it is the men of Geelong who really need the shake up when it comes to taking care of their bodies and developing a fit, healthy lifestyle.

Here are a few statistics of where men in Geelong stand:

• 22.8% are smokers
• 18.8% drink alcohol at weekly high-risk levels
• 42.2% are overweight
• 17.9% are obese
• 6.4% eat enough vegetables
• 49.7% eat enough fruit
• 63.2% do sufficient physical activity

So men, it’s time to take control of your life and your body!  How about adding more fruit and vegetables into your diet, making a conscious effort to smoke and drink less and, of course, get out there and exercise more!

And if you want to learn more about how your body can function at it’s optimal level and the best ways to exercise and manage your nutrition, why not consider doing some study?  You can do your Certificate III or IV in Fitness, or even a Diploma of Fitness, at Geelong’s Gym.

Information sourced from The Geelong Advertiser, Monday 30 January 2012.

Holding a photo of my family at our reunion

Why am I bringing up my family?  There are couple of reasons, but the main reason it came to mind is that we are currently running our hugely popular Family Add On campaign at Geelong’s Gym.  We run this campaign once a year as a way of giving back to our members.  The half price 12 Month Membership is a great way for them to share health and fitness with their immediate family.   One of the reasons I love doing this campaign is because I value my family above all else and I would do anything for them, so it makes me feel good to be able to help my members do something special for their family too.

That's me!

The picture shows me holding a recent family photo that was taken in Canada and it’s my proof that I really do have a massive family.  You see my Dad was the youngest of 13 and my Mum is in the middle of 11.  Not all of those siblings were married,  but I believe 20 of them were and between them they had a lot of kids.  I’m the youngest of 11 myself!

There's Germain!

Of my 23 direct Aunts and Uncles there are  only four who moved to Canada and in this photo are the representatives of those four families.  They would be 330 people in total, but we had around 290 show at our family reunion (including myself and my son, Germain) and there are about 250 of us in these photos.  85 of those are my immediate family with 10 brothers and sisters, counting my Mum and Dad and not counting my grandparents… that’s a big family!

And there's my Mum!

I share all this because it will give you an insight into why Geelong’s Gym is the way it is.  I’m the only member of my family in Australia, aside from my Australian born sons, and because I love being a part of a big family, I’ve made the Geelong’s Gym team and members my family!  Often I hear members say that there’s something unique about Geelong’s Gym and I’d agree with them – it’s the relationships and the equal levels of respect that we offer each other, the greater levels of care and concern we exhibit…  we don’t look at people as numbers but as part of our extended family.

I honestly believe that one of our greatest strengths of Geelong’s Gym is we treat people like we’d like to be treated ourselves and that we’re really just one big, happy family!

So, if you think you’ve got a bigger family than me… I’d love to hear about you and your family.

If you want to feel healthy, well and full of energy... start exercising!

However, even if you don’t see a reduction in your waist measurement after the first few days, there are so many other benefits to exercise.  Here are just a few:

• Working out regularly helps lower your systolic blood pressure just as much as many medications do, which is great news for your heart.
• Your overall risk of developing cancer is reduced just by walking or cycling for an hour a day.
• Worried about how your bones are going to hold up in old age?  A mere 10 minutes of high impact exercise three times a week can boost your bone strength.
• Maintaining an active lifestyle cuts the risk of cognitive decline by around a third and also helps prevent depression.
• Dropping around 5-7% of your body weight can delay, and potentially prevent, Type II Diabetes.
• Exercising for 20-60 minutes three to five times a week can help treat irritable bowel syndrome.

And those are just a few of the health benefits of regular exercise.  So don’t be discouraged and give up if you haven’t seen a dramatic change to your waistline yet… if you keep persevering that will happen and in the meantime you’re doing wonders for the overall health of your body… even if you can’t see it!

Despite the weather, there were smiles on everyone's faces at the Walking Home 2010 event

Walking Home is an event to raise awareness of homelessness in our region and is a 37km walk from Queenscliff to Geelong, which is taking place this Saturday, 12th November.  Not only is Geelong’s Gym a sponsor, but we’re also going to be at the event giving out free leg massages and bottles of water and Gatorade… and of course, encouraging the several hundred (possibly thousand) walkers involved in the event.

But it doesn’t stop there… 10 of my Geelong’s Gym Team are also doing the walk and personally getting involved in this worthy event.

So, I’d like to put it to anyone reading this who is in the Geelong region… get out there on the day and support the walkers.  A friendly face welcoming them into the various pit stops can make all the difference in the world when they’re tired.  Or better yet, join the walk yourself – it’s not too late to register and there are a number of different entry points, so you don’t need to feel daunted by taking on the whole walk.

And if you can’t make it on the day, why not make a donation or buy a T-Shirt from Reception.

Joe Tutone with some Kenyan youngsters

It always makes me feel good to share stories from people who are really trying to make a positive change in the world in whatever way they can.

He then moved on to Nairobi, where he worked in the slums of Kawengwari, before heading off to Jinja in Uganda.

The slums of Kawengwari

This month we were delighted to feature in the On Pako magazine as an example of how Gyms can continue to grow and be innovative in the health and fitness industry.  We thought we’d share the editorial with you, so you can see what we’re up to at the moment…

Tom Trezise in the early days of the Gym.

“When you’ve been around fitness for nearly half a century it can be easy to become complacent.  Not so for Geelong’s Gym, who continue to relish the opportunity to not only provide a great product with fantastic service, but also help the next generation do the same.

Geelong’s Gym has been the leader in providing exercise advice and innovative, creative programming, to the local Geelong community for 47 years.  Originally founded by Tom Trezise in 1964, it was the first Gym of its kind in Geelong.

Percy Cerutty with Tom Trezise

The £30,000 state-of-the-art facilities were described as “surely unique in Australia” by Percy Cerutty, the famous Australian athletics coach.

The Gym has been owned and operated by Gerard Spriet since 1995 and continues to pride itself on its unique approach to health and fitness.  With high levels of customer service, their core values and integrity stand out significantly as a key principle in the business’ method of operations.

So how do they ensure the on-going standard of what they deliver to the community and pass on their passion for the fitness industry?  How do they continue their heritage, whilst looking to the future?

Geelong "Cats" Footballer, John Scarlett, running with Tom Trezise

They educate the next generation of trainers, handing down the values, knowledge and enthusiasm which set Geelong’s Gym apart from other gyms.

That’s why Geelongs Gym was delighted to recently open its new training school, in conjunction with Training Sense.  This in-house school provides the exceptional opportunity to complete Certificate III and IV in Fitness in a fully functional, open to the public gym whose strength is in its personal training program.

So the iconic facility that is Geelong’s Gym is now the place for learning and thinking, as well as fun, friendly fitness.”

I learnt a great life lesson some time ago and it has stuck with me, because of its simplicity and truth: in every part of life you’re either RESULTS or REASONS.

It’s so true; we all have reasons why we didn’t or couldn’t achieve this or that.  But when you cut to the chase those reasons/excuses are really just stories!

A good friend of mine, Dr Marc Dussault from Exponential Programs, sent me a few cartoons for my blog.  I’ve posted a couple today which I’m sure you’re going to love.  In fact, it was either Marc or the great man, Anthony Robbins, who taught me that wonderful life lesson (results or reasons).

I’m sure, like me, you’ve heard bigger people say stuff like “I’m big boned; that’s why I’m a little larger and can’t lose it.”  Let’s great real here, being big boned is BS, it’s simply a reason they have created to justify their body shape.  Sadly, this story they tell is exactly what is keeping them from achieving more.

So be careful of the stories you tell.  If we’re honest, we all create and tell stories of one kind or another, usually to defend or argue a position we’re taking.  Sometimes those stories are quite frankly brilliant, but sometimes they lack ownership and honesty and become our very own ball and chain…

I haven’t got time to exercise… I have an injury which prevents exercise…

Let’s address the age old time excuse.  Out of 168 hours in a week you’ve probably got around about 90 hours you’re awake or 180 half hour blocks… and you can’t find 3 half hour blocks to go and do some exercise??!!  Bullshit!  That’s just the story you tell yourself so you don’t feel guilty about the lack of exercise in your life.

But you can’t afford to not exercise.  We’re made up of three elements – mind, body and spirit.  Show of hands, who doesn’t want to live life to the full?  No one… thought so.  Do you know that the one thing you can do to make sure you have quality of life is to take care of your body.  After all, you  only get one!

And if you really are a bit time-pushed, then you’re probably stressed out too.  In which case, your body, mind and spirit are desperately crying out for some physical activity to relieve the pressure.  And if you’re fitter and healthier then you’ll have more energy to juggle all the things going on in your life.  There’s a saying I have that energy begets energy!

Now, how about the injury excuse.  I strongly recommend you read my post on 19th August, 2011 about why it’s absolutely essential to exercise when you’re injured, so that your body and health don’t deteriorate.

No doubt you think I’m a bit of an extremist and it’s easy for me to say all this when I live and breathe my Gym.  But I have to work at it too.  Recently I had about 7 weeks off exercise to recover from a hernia operation, so I know what it’s like to have minimal energy and very little interest in resuming exercise because it’s going to be a big battle to get fit again.

But here’s the key, no matter what your reason, excuse or story is… take one step at a time, the same way you eat an elephant, one bit at a time.  Start now, don’t overdo it, make your effort sustainable.  For the first month or so keep it easy and then slowly increase so that at 3 months you’re still exercising and you’re fitter, healthier and enjoying a more full life!

But perhaps you use that excuse to avoid the Gym because you’re simply afraid to do anything for fear of doing the wrong thing.  Maybe you’re just not sure where to start.

Don't push yourself so hard that you're crawling through the door!

A few weeks ago I went back home to visit my very large family back in Canada.  While there, I had an interesting experience with one of my relatives who had just started a walking program.  After just a couple of weeks of walking this person’s entire attitude had changed towards exercise.  In fact, his level of self-belief in being able to do it had risen dramatically, to the point that he is now suddenly motivated to pack in a whole lot of extra exercise, like resistance training for toning and conditioning.

I reckon there are heaps of people in the same boat.

The vast majority of people start with the right intention to begin exercising but, as we see so often in the Gym setting, they do too much too early.  It’s like their enthusiasm and motivation kicks into overdrive and they increase the content and length of their workout beyond what is realistically sustainable for a person at their level of fitness.

My advice is start with something manageable, such as an exercise program which you can perform regularly for about 30-40 minutes.  Trust me, working out three times a week for 30-40 minutes is far more effective than pushing yourself beyond your limits with a 1 1/4  hour workout.  Not to mention, you’ll feel tired and exhausted if you try to keep up longer workouts when first starting out and then you’ll just resent the time you’re spending exercising, which could be devoted to something else, and you’ll end up throwing in the towel.

The key to changing your life is to make the change sustainable.  And as time goes on and your fitness improves, along with your energy levels, you’re far more likely to be able to increase the length and frequency of your workout effectively.  By this point you’ll be reaping the benefits of a healthy, fit lifestyle and suddenly exercise becomes more valuable in your life because you’re getting results… so you’ll actually want to spend more time exercising!

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  Eat your way to a flatter tummy!

  Eat Dark Chocolate – we all know we need to eat less rubbish and more good foods, but let’s face it, sometimes you just need a treat!  So instead of the usual block of milk chocolate, chips or ice cream, have a little dark chocolate instead… because it’s actually good for you.  Dark chocolate boosts good HDL cholesterol levels, plus it contains natural substances that help control insulin levels and relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, and it provides important minerals including copper, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron.  What’s not to love – it tastes good and it’s not on the taboo list!

• Add Apples to your shopping list – fresh fruit is a must and apples come high up on the list as they’re packed full of antioxidants, such as quercetin, catechins, phlorizin and chlorogenic acid—powerful antioxidants.  Chop them up with some blueberries and yogurt and you have a delicious summer dessert minus all the calories.  There are also plenty of great varieties in the supermarket at the moment, so go nuts!
• Speaking of Nuts – instead of snacking on biscuits and chips, have a container of nuts and seeds handy for when the munchies hit.  They’re a great source of many key nutrients, including protein, fibre, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, B vitamins and vitamin E.
• Eat more green vegies - I know, I know, this isn’t news to you!  But if you’re really wanting to trim that stomach down, you need to eat less carbs at night and more vegies, especially broccoli which is high in fibre, aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and, best of all, curbs overeating.
• Lean meat is your friend – we all need protein but that’s not an excuse to whack the barbie on and load it full of sausages and burgers.  Instead, go for skinless chicken, which is a great source of protein and low in fat.

But most of all, if you really want to get rid of that tummy fat you need to get moving!  That’s right, exercise is the key to really shifting the fat and getting a fabulous flat and toned stomach.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Great sources of Omega-3

What are they?

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat and are considered an essential fatty acid because they cannot be manufactured by the body. Which means we must obtain omega-3 from foods such as fish, nut and plant-based oils, such as canola oil and sunflower oils.

What are the sources of these Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

• Canola, Soybeans, Walnuts, and Flaxseed
• Oily fishes such as Herring, Mackerel, Salmon, and Sardines

What are the health benefits of Omega-3s?

For a start, they correct imbalances in modern diets that lead to health problems and can help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer, as well as lower “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels, enhancing the elasticity of blood vessels and preventing the build-up of harmful fat deposits in the arteries.

Omega-3s can also aid brain and eye development and can help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

What are they?

Omega-6 fatty acid is also a polyunsaturated fat necessary for human health because it cannot be made in the body. Which means we must obtain omega-6 fatty acids by consuming foods such as meat, poultry and eggs.

What are the sources of Omega-6 Fatty Acids?

• Soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil , peanut oil, cottonseed oil, and rice bran oil
• Peanut oil, meat, eggs, dairy products

What are the health benefits of Omega-6 Fatty Acids?

Most omega-6 fatty acids are consumed in the diet from vegetable oils, such as linoleic acid. However, excessive amounts of linoleic acid can contribute to inflammation and result in heart disease, cancer, asthma, arthritis and depression.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids: Striking the Balance

The important thing is to find a balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet, so that both substances can work together to promote health. An improper balance and excess in omega-6 fatty acids promotes the health problems listed above. So a healthy diet should consist of roughly two to four times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.

Note: a typical diet may contain 11 to 30 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-9 Fatty Acids

What are they?

Omega-9 fatty acids are from a family of unsaturated fats that are commonly found in vegetable and animal fats. These fatty acids are also known as oleic acids or monounsaturated fats and can often be found in canola, sunflower, olive and nut oils. Unlike omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, omega-9 fatty acids are produced by the body, but are still beneficial when they are obtained in food.

What are the sources of Omega-9 Fatty Acids?

• Oleic acid – Canola oil, Sunflower Oil, and Almonds

Specially developed oils for foodservice can reduce key factors that contribute to heart disease and diabetes. Canola, sunflower, olive, and nut oils have significant levels of omega-9 and oils produced from these sources have emerged as healthier, highly functional replacements for partially hydrogenated cooking oils, which are usually laden with unhealthy trans and saturated fats.

What are the health benefits of Omega-9 Fatty Acids?

Omega-9 fatty acids have been found to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Because they have been shown to increase “good” cholesterol and decrease “bad” cholesterol, they aid the elimination of plaque buildup in the arteries, which may cause heart attack or stroke.

How do they add up?

Omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids all serve different functions within the body. Which means to maintain overall heart health and general wellness we need to incorporate balanced proportions of both essential and non-essential fatty acids. In fact, adults should receive 20-35% of their energy from dietary fats, avoiding saturated and trans (”bad”) fats, and increasing omega-3 fatty acids.