Mar 09, 2016
It’s easy to sell personal training when a prospect approaches you, cheque-in-hand and committed to making a positive change in his or her life. The most effective (and well-paid) trainers, however, can approach any member in the facility or stranger in line at the grocery store and within minutes have that person seriously considering personal training.
Mastering the art of the casual conversation
can mean the difference between barely
getting by in the career you love and
always having a backlog of clients. It’s not
something that comes naturally to everyone,
but creating conversations is a skill that
can be learned.
But initiating a conversation should not
be thought of as selling. You are, rather,
expressing a genuine interest in another
human being. Isn’t this one of our roles
in personal training, anyways? We take
interest in our clients and throughout a
workout can easily make small talk.
Creating an authentic, casual conversation
with a stranger is no different.
Don’t Be Afraid, Here’s What To DoFor many, starting a conversation with
someone you know nothing about can
seem scary. You don’t know if you will
be ignored or what reaction your words
will get. By following a few of the following
tips and practising whenever possible,
you’ll move through the intimidation phase
of breaking the ice, and soon, chatting it
up with anybody, anywhere will become
second nature.
If you have talked for more than a minute, you’re talking too much. When meeting someone new, the
conversation should resemble a tennis
match, with each participant taking a
quick swing before sending it back to the
other person. Too many trainers treat a
conversation more like golf, where they
keep hitting their own golf ball over and over
again.
Pay attention to how you participate in the conversation. The potential client is learning a lot about
you. In face-to-face dialog, the other person
first sees you then hears the tone of your
voice, and only then do they listen
A survey by Harris Interactive in 2007 revealed what personal information prospects are most comfortable sharing.
71% were comfortable discussing their age.
18% were comfortable giving their email address.
4% were comfortable giving their home address.
3% were most comfortable sharing their mobile and/or home or business phone number.
Pack a punch with Teresa Cutter’s high-powered protein recipes to build muscle and create a strong healthy body.
Your body needs protein power to provide us with the 22 amino acids needed to
build and repair muscle tissue, make hormones and enable our cells to maintain
and repair themselves.
Glutathione is a potent antioxidant made by the amino acids l-cystine, glutamic acid
and l-glycine which come from eating protein. Without it, your body would collapse
from oxidation and you would have little resistance to bacteria, viruses and cancer.
Glutathione levels decrease as we age and as a result of stress, illness, fatigue and
overexercising, so it’s important to eat at least 3 serves of protein a day to maintain
good levels in the body and a healthy immune system.
Good sources are: fish, beans, organic lean meat and chicken, organic or free
range eggs and egg whites, low fat milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, unsalted nuts,
tofu and WPI (whey protein isolate). The aim is to include these amazing power
foods into your daily chow and combine them with low-GI carbs which will
keep your blood sugars steady and give all hardcore movers and shakers
heaps of energy. Your required amount of protein depends on your age,
weight and activity level. Usually 1.5 - 2g x your bodyweight will give you
a good base indication. Here are some of my favourite protein-packed
meals to keep you in power mode for the rest of your busy day.
ULTRA FIT MEAL PLANNER BY TERESA CUTTER - the healthy chef
www.teresacutter.comwww.thehealthychef.com.au
Want to feel sensational, be full of life and energy?
With adrenalin pumping and butterflies in my stomach, I feel the lactic acid developing in my body, yet I have not even performed one rep of the CrossFit Workout of the Day – 50 Pull Ups, 50 Push Ups, 100 Body Weight Squats… 3 rounds, for time.
As Rage Against the Machine blares
through the stereo speakers, the
Workout of the Day (WOD) begins,
and so does my first CrossFit group
session. Within minutes, I struggle
and get tangled up in the body-size
rubber band I use to aid me in my
pull-ups, and I glance across the
maze of bodies and pull-up bars to
see Special Services Commando
Steve Willis performing pull-ups as
if gravity does not exist on his side
of the gym.
The gym reeks of intensity, with
bodies pulling, pushing and squatting
with various degrees of power,
strength and speed…and when the
whistle blows at the 40th minute, my
first WOD ends with me in the foetal
position, shaking uncontrollably and
in a mental daze pondering how I will
manage one month in the mosh pit of
fitness, better known as CrossFit.
CrossFit – What is it?It is the latest rage in sport and fitness
– from the local group of policemen
to Mixed Martial Arts fighters to your
everyday businessman, people are
stepping up to perform the ultimate
workout - CrossFit. The average
gym user may have heard a bit
about it…the intensity, the myths, the
heavy metal-esque culture…but the
principles of CrossFit lie much deeper
in developing the ultimate, functional
athlete.
CrossFit’s principles and workouts
are designed to test ten general skills
of fitness: cardiovascular/respiratory
endurance, stamina, strength,
flexibility, power, coordination, agility,
balance and accuracy.
A CrossFit athlete does not master
one discipline as a weightlifter,
marathon runner or gymnast might,
but rather develops skills across a
broad range of disciplines. The goal
of CrossFit is to test the body’s three
metabolic pathways:
Phosphagen – high-powered •activities that last less than about
ten seconds;
Glycolytic – moderate-powered •activities that last up to a few
minutes; and
Oxidative – low-powered •activities that last in excess of
several minutes.
The Mosh Pit of FitnessCrossFit
BY MICHAEL JAROSKY
By testing the ten general skills across each metabolic pathway, CrossFit strives to produce total fitness and the ultimate athlete.
CrossFit’s founder, Greg Glassman, opened
his first gym in California in the mid-1990s.
The rise in popularity of CrossFit as a sport
and fitness regime has led to over 1,000
CrossFit affiliates throughout the world. A
CrossFit gym is the antithesis of the popular
fitness brands growing across Australia.
There are no Britney Spears videos on
LCDs, no stair-masters, no ab-rollers, and
no tanning booths…there are no free soap
giveaways from corporate partners, no neon
lights, and no smoothie bars. A CrossFit
gym contains free weights, skipping ropes,
rowing machines in a warehouse-space
fit to perform high-intensity, fully functional
workouts.
There are 32 CrossFit Affiliates across
Australia, with members typically following
the WOD posted daily on the CrossFit
affiliate’s website. CrossFit Effects (CFX),
located in Kogarah, NSW develops a
12-day macro training cycle of 3 days
on, 1 day of rest. Workouts are designed
to include one or more elements from
metabolic conditioning (cardio), gymnastics
(body weight exercises), and weight/power/
Olympics lifting.
CrossFit – Transforming Workouts into Sport
Is CrossFit a sport? Or is it just a new fitness regime? It is both.
CrossFit as a sport is simple: perform a
series of movements while being timed,
and the individual who performs those
movements in the shortest period of time
wins. However, not everybody at a CrossFit
session is competing, with many simply
enjoying the variety of the workouts and
body toning/weight loss results it delivers.
To some, the clock provides a measurement
of how well they competed a CrossFit WOD
as a sport, to others that same clock is a
mere reminder to keep moving efficiently in
order to perform a solid workout.
A CrossFit athlete is functionally strong, fast,
flexible, and is at the top of the food chain
when it comes to athletic competence.
The fitness elite just competed at the 3rd
Annual CrossFit Games in San Jose,
California, where 126 men and women
from around the globe competed in a series
of 8 WODs over a 2-day period that can
only be described as unique-yet-torturous.
Crowned ‘The World’s Fittest Man and
Woman’, the 2009 champions are Mikko
Salo (Finland) and Tanya Wagner (USA).
Steve Willis from Sydney, Australia finished
in 4th place and his Ultra Fit interview is on
Page 48-49.
CrossFit Myths
Some fitness experts point to the ‘CrossFit
dangers exposed’ as evidenced on
YouTube, where a culture of Jackass-
wannabes (the Johnny Knoxville kind) post
their WODs exhibiting poor form, and at
such an intensity and heavy load create
serious physical risk and harm.
But just as every poorly executed golf swing
cannot be monitored and corrected by a
golf pro, not every CrossFit squat thruster,
deadlift, and push-up can be monitored
CrossFit CrossFit Workout # 1 – By Mick Shaw 15-12-9 Repetitions
Squat Thrusters 40kg,
Kettlebell Swing 24kg,
Pull Ups
Run 400m
MS: This workout has some of the foundation skills used at CFX. In this workout we are using a cross spectrum of the modalities ie: Weights with the Thruster (front squat and press) and Kettlebell swings. Within the gymnastics modality, at CFX we allow the kipping pull-up which recruits more muscles of the body to pull oneself over the bar. This creates momentum but increases work capacity.
Finally, the run is used for metabolic conditioning. With mixed modality workouts we have highly competent clients/athletes that are coordinated, flexible and agile and continue to build speed, strength, power, endurance, stamina, balance and accuracy.
10
w w w. t a n i t a a u s t r a l i a . c o m . a u
By Michael Henry
Nutritio
n
Race
Body
Pro
fessio
nal
Section Title Pages
P.34 Golden Girl Emma Snowsill talks with Michael JaroskyP.44 Eating for recovery. By Andrew Hamilton P.48 Muscle Elasticity By Andrew Read. P.52 Hard Core Pilates. By Dav CohenP.54 Get a Beach Body with Brooke DunlopP.58 Full body functional strength workout with Brad ShepherdP.61 Training on an exercise bike by Ben FazioP.66 Adjusting to pregnancy and fitness by Grace McClureP.70 Naturopathy for good health P.72 Deconstruction series: Liz Nelson looks at the Squat and how to get it right.P.76 Making change for 2009, By Jason ChapmanP.78 Get Energized for 2009 with Nathan Page’s guide to success.P.81 Paul Chek looks at 10 shoulder lifts
P.86 How to compete in your first Ocean Swim Race by Michael HenryP.90 Swim to a Fijian Island, Race review by Michael HenryP.94 Competitor Profile John Jacoby. Meet a legend by Rosemary Marchese
P.96 Business review Fit2Date get fit and get out-there! P.98 Are you Mentally Tough? Find out with Chad TimmermanP.101 Rat Race event review by Aroc SportP.102 New Year New Career. P.106 The truth about becoming a Personal Trainer. P.108 Ultra Fit’s CEC Quiz P.110 Subscribe for great prizes in this issueP.114 Meet Tiger G a fitness powerhouse
P.16 Diabetes and the GI Diet. By Shane BilsboroughP.20 Diabetes profile success story. P.22 Summer low fat meal planner By Teresa Cutter. P.26 Fitness Transformation by Ronda Puckey. P.28 Beta Alanine By Dr. Gary Slater. P.30 Whey Protein tried and tested by Shane BilsboroughP.32 Amino Chelates Benefits for athletes
Some Ocean Swimming event tips
As with running, there are different levels of swimming. Luckily in Australia most of us learn to swim at an early age and our schools now run programs to aid a child’s grasp of this great sport. My daughters now also attend at their schools regular surf safety classes which equip them with a basic understanding and experience of waves, rips and sandbanks. The next level of experience most of us have is pool swimming and competing against classmates at the annual school carnival. Beyond this, many adults pretty much fall off the tracks and reserve swimming for the occasional bodysurf or backyard pool paddle.
However, if you live anywhere near the coast in Australia, you
will not have been able to escape the onslaught of semi-
clad people all keen to try an ocean swim. Australia has the
most organised ocean swimming season in the world. It lasts
from October to March and major events attract up to 3,000
competitors. There is no telling where this great sport will end
up. Let’s face it, it’s very low cost to train and compete, easily
accessible and is very social.
The sport itself is demanding and should not be taken
too lightly. A good ocean swimmer will have excellent
cardiovascular endurance and the ability to keep focused on
technique despite unpredictable currents and other conditions.
In comparison to pool swimming an ocean swimmer is
exposed to swell, chop, wind, rips, marine life and other
competitive swimmers. (Trust me, it’s the other swimmers that
pose the greatest challenge. Chatting to some of the pros,
what goes on out of view in the front pack of some swims is
alarming – thankfully, for most of us this is not an issue!)
So let’s assume you are a competent swimmer and have
swum up to 2km in a pool environment. You have trained and
built up the endurance you need, and now it’s time to try your
first ocean swim event. Here are some handy tips to get you
on your way.
Pre Race.1.
We recommend you have a buddy to swim with first
time out. Make sure you follow all rules laid out by the
organisers. Get there early, warm up and even swim out
prior to racing, to about 50 metres from the shore. Stop
in the water to gauge if there is a current or drift that will
affect your swim. Also, take into view landforms that might
help with navigation. If it is a long race don’t be afraid to
apply Vaseline to areas of your body that might chafe -
armpits, inside the thighs, chin, around your swim suit
straps etc. HINT - don’t get the Vaso on your goggles. It’s
impossible to get off just before a race.
The start.2.
Most swims are beach starts with a dash from the sand
directly into the surf. We suggest you run out as far as
you can, lifting your legs high to get over waves, until it is
too deep. ‘Dolphining’ is also good, meaning, diving and
running out until it is deep enough that you have to swim.
If the surf is big, go under the waves every time, it’s the
most efficient and safest way. If you are not confident to
do this, don’t do the race. (Once, I should have pulled
out of a race, but did not and I regretted it. It was a very
unpleasant race and I race to enjoy myself, not to be a
hero.) Also, once a wave passes over you be on the
By Ben Fazio: Exercise Physiologist, Director of Melbourne Health Training Services. www.mhts.com.au
Theory
A multi gym or home gym allows you to increase muscle strength in a safe, well controlled, convenient and ef-fective manner by placing a load or weight to pull back against the con-traction of the working muscles.
This is often called weightlifting, resistance training or strength
training. When these exercises are done repetitively, your muscle
increases in length and width.
A multi stack multi gym consists of blocks or discs of weights at-
tached to a lever or pulley system. Changing the amount you lift is
easy, just move a pin in the weight stack or add another plate in
plate-loading models.
Using a weight-stack gym machine has several advantages. It looks
and feels more like models you find in gyms, a definite plus for those
who have lifted in the health club setting. Weight stacks give you
a point of reference; non-weight-stack models may turn them off
because of their different feel.
Forces vary at a joint as the angle of the bones change through its
range of motion. This can make it difficult to move through cer-
tain phases of the movement. The Nautilus system uses a cam
designed to compensate for these variations in strength, automati-
cally increasing or reducing the resistance to correspond to your
muscle’s potential strength capacity. If you are familiar with these
machines you might consider them in your purchase.
The Right Multi Gym Features For YouBuying the right home multi gym for your needs, within your price
range, can be very difficult. A wide range of products of varying
quality confronts you. Two seemingly similar multi gyms can be very
different from one another when you begin looking at them closely.
You need to appreciate your wants and test the machine to ensure it
meets them before making your final decision.
Make sure you can use it. Some machines
literally do not fit their users. Many gyms are designed for people be-
tween 170 cm and 185 cm in height; shorter or taller people could
be in trouble, unless it has an adjustable seat. Other machines are
too narrow for larger individuals to fit between the bars. Depending
upon your body size and shape you may need a multi gym that has
adjustable positions. Adjustments include seat and back position-
ing as well as positioning of the lifting bar or arm. Still others don’t
fit the human body at all. Look for a multi gym with people-friendly
angles rather than boxy, straight lines. Cast iron weight stacks offer
a smoother range of motion.
The Construction. As with any piece of equipment,
quality materials cost more but will last longer and require less
maintenance. A multi gym has a steel frame, pulleys, cables, and
weights. Most US-manufactured frames are made from 11 or 12
gauge steel. These frames are structurally stronger compared to
13 or 14 gauge found in some Asian manufactured frames. Always
check the welds and finish of the steel. Welds that do not cover the
full extent of a joint may weaken and uneven finishes often show
early signs of rust.
The Biomechanics. The design of each exercise station
on a multi gym should promote proper lifting position and technique.
While you may not be an expert in exercise, one rule of thumb that
you should employ is that ‘If it doesn’t feel right/good/comfortable/
natural, it’s probably not right’. You should try out several different
stations with light weights to test their comfort.
Number of Stations. The number of stations and/
or exercises that can be performed on a multi gym can vary from
10 to 15 to several dozen. Each exercise is designed to work dif-
ferent muscles. If you don’t know whether a particular exercise is
important, discuss it with a qualified personal trainer and have them
explain how the exercise is done, and what muscles are worked.
The most important factor about the design of the stations is their
usability. Ask to be shown how to operate a station then try it your-
self. A multi gym that has a design that is not easily used will quickly
become one that is unused. And worse than wasting your money,
you could become discouraged with strength training altogether.
The resistance should fit. The settings should
include weights light enough for the beginner to train on and heavy
enough to challenge the strongest lifter. It is recommended that you
look for a machine with at least a 120 kg stack with a 2.5 kg starting
weight.
Floor space. Manufacturers have refined the pulley and
cable systems to reduce noise and improve smoothness. They have
tried to reduce the floor space multi gyms occupy without compro-
mising the number of features. You will need at least this amount of
floor space for a multi gym: 112cm L x 193 cm W x 203 cm H plus
room to move around the gym.
Features vary greatly, and you need to make sure they fit you as
well. A good multi gym should allow you to do 12 or more different
exercises without having to change the configuration.
Safety Considerations
Physically shake any multi gym you are thinking about purchasing: if it moves or wobbles easily, then choose another one. You don’t want to worry about the multi gym moving in the middle of a workout. Look for heavy gauge steel tubing to eliminate flexing and improve movement quality.
If you’ve decided on a weight-stack multi gym, be aware that open
stacks pose the safety hazard of weights crushing someone’s (es-
pecially little children’s) hands.
Finally, examine the cables. They should be strong enough that
they won’t break when you lift heavy weights and have a quiet and
smooth motion rather than a dragging, noisy one. Buy models with
covered cables as this will prolong the life by up to 5 times.
The following multi gyms represent a sample of designs available.
They have been reviewed to give you an idea of their features and
prices. Many other good machines are available for you to pur-
chase.
Whether you are a professional athlete or just
enjoy physical activity for its health benefits,
there are a plethora of methods we can
use to make our bodies stronger, faster,
fitter, bigger, tougher, etc. So what if
we could train our minds to match the
strength and power of our bodies??
What if I told you about an area of the
brain that can be trained? This area is
known as our reticular activating system
(RAS). It is believed to be the centre of
arousal and motivation in mammals.
Anthony Robbins, well known author,
speaker and self-help guru, gives
his explanation of our RAS in his
1991 classic book Awaken the
Giant Within:
“This shift in mental posture aligns you more precisely with your goals. Once you decide that
something is a priority, you give it tremendous emotional intensity, and by continually focusing on it, any resource that
supports its attainment will eventually become clear.”
(p. 288)
Simply put, the RAS works because when we focus on a question or
problem our mind becomes engaged to find the solution.
Genius! So why aren’t we out there kicking butt and achieving our goals?
Well, some of you probably are. But for some of us, our RAS may
appear to be malfunctioning. Our RAS acts as a filter between our
conscious mind and our subconscious mind. It takes its orders from
your conscious mind and passes them to your subconscious mind.
For example, your conscious mind might send the order that you are
a bad driver, simply as the result of a joke ushered by a well-meaning
friend. So as you move through your day, your subconscious mind
is on alert for evidence to present to your conscious mind that you
are indeed a bad driver. “I forgot to indicate, see, I am a bad driver”;
“It just took me 5 attempts to reverse park, see, I am a bad driver”; “I
didn’t see that stop sign, see, I am a bad driver.”
With your RAS working away diligently for you, I would suggest
that within a very short time, you will struggle to find an insurance
company who will represent you!
One of the best examples I can give you of how our RAS is
functioning 24/7 is when we buy a car. Sure, we know what we
want and set off to test drive it. But it’s not until after the deal is
done and you’re driving home in your new car that you begin to
notice that make and model everywhere. So why is it you didn’t
notice them before? Perhaps because your conscious mind has
now passed the information as relevant to your subconscious
mind….
So how can we use this as a training tool for our minds? Well,
rather than rely on just your physical strength to get you to the finish
line, the strategies below, when practised, will deliberately program
your RAS to search for the evidence it needs to believe, to reach the
goal you have set. It will begin to show you opportunities that may
previously have passed unnoticed.
Talk about your goals in the past tense, as if they have •
already happened. Eg I have crossed the finish line in my
first full marathon.
Visualise the outcome in a positive way. In your mind’s •
eye, see yourself crossing the finish line. Hear the cheers
from the crowd, feel the jubilation inside you, see your
loved ones embracing you.
Write it down. Journal your success. Put on paper your •
excitement at achieving your goals.
Record your own voice verbalising your goals in a positive •
tense. Play this in the car, on your MP3, any chance you
can - listen to the power of your own words.
Daydream often. Upon waking, before falling asleep, •
every quiet moment you can to see your goals achieved.
One of the truly great things about our RAS is that it cannot
distinguish the difference between reality and fantasy. This means
that positive self talk and visualisation are powerful strategies to use
to strengthen our minds. By just taking a few seconds everyday to
see and hear yourself describing your goal achievement will have
your RAS working to find course-corrections to any obstacles.
Dr Maxwell Maltz, who by the way was not a psychologist by training
but was a medical doctor and plastic surgeon, wrote the classic
1960 self-help book Psycho-Cybernetics (Prentice Hall, 1960).
In this book Dr Maltz refers to the idea of the human brain as an
automatic guidance system. This human “servomechanism” can
be either a success mechanism or a failure mechanism. Dr Maltz
is essentially describing in his theories (that formulated during the
1930s and 1940s) the basis of our RAS.
THE POWER TO USE YOUR OWN IMAGINATION TO CREATE THE BEST POSSIBLE VERSION OF YOURSELF IS WITHIN US ALL. IT’S SIMPLY A MATTER OF “OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW”.
Remember your present self-image is not based on reality but what
you imagine to be reality. If you are told often enough that you are
a certain way, then that is what your self-image reality will become.
However, this image can be changed by you at any time.
Acting as if you are already a success and your goals have been
achieved will simultaneously plant the notion in your RAS that this is
your current reality and guess what, so it shall be……..
So what is holding you back? What is stopping you from achieving
your goals? Do you recognise the ‘road blocks’? Perhaps you are
responsible for the obstacles that keep blocking your path? In the
next issue of UFM we will explore these questions and offer some
‘dynamite’ that could ‘blow up the blockages’ and ‘bust down the
obstacles’ that may be feeding your RAS a false reality.
BioJen Forster
is the founder of Goal Power Mind and Body Coaching.
As a Life Coach and Qualified Fitness Professional, Jen’s focus
is developing minds so that the impossible becomes possible.
Jennifer Forster
Mind and Body Coach
Goal Power Mind and Body Coaching
www.goalpower.com.au
Reference:
Dr Maxwell Maltz, Psycho Cybernetics, 1960 by Prentice Hall, Inc.
Bobbe Sommer, PhD. with Mark Falstein, Psycho-cybernetics 2000,
1993 by Prentice Hall, Inc. UFM
16ULTRA F IT ISSUE [119]
From individuals exercising for general wellbeing, through social groups, to elite athletes, running is one of the leading participation sports in Australia (Exercise, Recreation & Sport Survey 2006 Annual Report). Along with sports like basketball, volleyball, netball, tennis and some aerobics, running is classified as a ‘high impact activity’ - in that it requires both feet to leave the ground simultaneously.
As with all high impact sports, running has
a broad range of associated health benefits
including:
1) Increasing fitness, endurance, agility and
co-ordination
2) Building bone strength
3) Increasing muscle strength
4) Increased feeling of personal wellbeing
However, while running is undoubtedly one
of the best and most convenient ways to
keep fit, its ‘high impact’ nature has the
potential to make it the cause of a wide
range of injuries.
Running and Injury
The most common types of running injuries
can be classified into two broad categories:
1) Start-Up Injuries
2) Overuse/Accumulative Injuries
Start-Up Injuries
Put simply, running start-up injuries involve
going too far, too fast, too soon. For the
beginner (or returning runner) it is very
important to allow ample time to increase
both your physiological (heart, lung etc)
and physical (muscles, joints) capacity
gradually. A common mistake for the new
runner is to try to run through pain they are
experiencing, rather than recognising that
the pain may be their body’s early warning
system of an imminent injury!
Preventing Running Injury
A common mistake for the new runner is to try to run through pain they are experiencing, rather than recognising that the pain may be their body’s early warning system of an imminent injury!
Overuse/Accumulative InjuriesThere are three common reasons for runners to get these: overtraining; failing to allow
adequate recovery time between runs; and ignoring small, niggling pains. Statistics
released by Smartplay (Victoria, 2007) indicate that in a 12-month period up to 70% of
recreational and competitive runners will sustain an overuse injury. Of these, 42% will be
of the knee, 17% to the foot/ankle, 13% to the lower leg and 11% to the hip/pelvis.
Getting The Most From Your Running! A large number of running injuries are preventable. Here are some simple guidelines that
can help you maximise the health benefits of running, whilst minimising the chance of
injury.
Essential Assessment1. — Prior to commencing any running programme it is
very important that you consult a suitably qualified health professional, such as a
physiotherapist, in order to identify any musculoskeletal or health problems that may
contribute to injury. Knowing your body’s strengths and limitations will greatly assist
in tailoring a running programme that minimises the change of injury whilst also
meeting your health and fitness needs.
Warm Up and Warm Down 2. — A thorough warm-up and warm-down (including a
range of dynamic and static stretches) should be undertaken each time you run.
Allow Time for Rest and Recovery 3. — Appropriate rest is critical to performance
gains and injury prevention.
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration4. — Drink plenty of water (or a sports drink)
before, during, and after your runs.
Don’t Ignore Pain 5. — Listen to your body and if you are experiencing pain in your
joints or muscles while running - stop and walk. Consider seeking professional
help for the pain — the solution may simply be a matter of adding some additional
strengthening or flexibility exercises to your running routine!
Remember Your Feet 6. — Healthy feet are your key to running performance, and
essential to protecting your feet are high quality running shoes. Many different
factors will affect what type of running shoe is best for you and how often you
will need to change your running shoe. Consider seeking professional advice in
choosing and updating your shoes.
Vary Your Routine7. — Consider the use of low impact ‘cross training’ activities such
as cycling or swimming to give your joints a rest between running days.
Running Surface8. — Wherever possible, run on a clear, smooth, even, and
relatively forgiving surface. UFM
At BRP — It’s All About You!
As a specialised musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice, Baroona Road
Physiotherapy will work with you in order to provide targeted, expert advice in relation
to sports performance enhancement, injury prevention and injury rehabilitation
issues. If you have a query or would like to make an appointment please visit our
website www.baroonaphysio.com.au or call us on (07) 3368 4029.
Preventing RunningInjury
17 ULTRA F IT ISSUE [119]
Some people are afraid to change. They are afraid of what change means. It’s the fear of what’s on the other side of change. It’s getting out of a comfort zone and moving in to the unknown. Others are afraid to accept where they are really at with their circumstances. They are in denial and they bury their head in the sand. The situation just gets worse.
If you are someone who is ready and would like to make some changes in your life, following are some very useful tips to MAKE IT HAPPEN!
DECIDEFirst of all you have to decide what is it you would like to change or achieve with your life?? You need an action plan! We all have an idea of what we need to change. It’s about listening to yourself. Listen to what your heart is saying. Make your own personal action plan. Write it down!
OK, so now we know what we want, the next step is how do we make it happen? How do we make these changes?? How do we go about achieving this?
“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.“ ~Confucius
ENERGYWhen you make changes usually you will come across some very challenging times, tough times. It may get extremely hard for you. This is where you need to tap into some extra energy. Something you can think about that will propel you forward. Write down 2-3 things that you can think about in these times that will keep you going.
I know whenever I have a tough time in my life and things can’t get much worse (or so I think) I think about my brother who 2 weeks before his 16th birthday had a rugby league accident and ended up a quadriplegic. Now 20 years later even though he has not been able to move his legs or parts of his arms he is still living a successful life. He is married, has his own miracle baby boy and keeps going. I think about him, it drives me to get through the challenge.
TO TAKE RESPONSIBIL ITY!I believe the most important thing to remember about change is to take personal responsibility for the things that happen in your life. You are where you are at right now because of what you have done. There is no point blaming something or someone else. You have made your life what it is today.
BEL IEVEThe first belief we must have about change is that we can all change in an instant. The past does not equal the future. Today is the first
At certain times in our life we get to the point where we feel like “I can’t go on any further, something has to give, I’m losing control, I need to change”. Whether it’s your health, fitness, occupation or your relationship.
AChange for the Better!
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day of the rest of your life. Get excited about life and how you are in control. You don’t have to continue down this path any longer. CHANGE NOW THIS INSTANT!
“Do not wait to strike til the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”William B. Sprague
The second belief we need If we are going to create long term change is we have to acknowledge that we are responsible for our own change not anybody else! It’s ok to have trainers and coaches etc, they are there to help us along and motivate us. I highly recommend using these services. However, if we don’t take full responsibility for the change IT WON’T HAPPEN!
MAKE IT A MUST!Believe something must change, not it should, or could. It must. There needs to be enough pain or urgency for the change to take effect. I often hear clients say,”I need to do this, I want to do this, I will try and do this” and it never happens. The magic word that is said when change happens is “Jason, I have to do this I must do it. I have no other option that will make a difference” As far as change goes this is music to a trainer’s ears.
I CANYou must believe that it must change and “I can change it!”YOU HAVE TO BE THE SOURCE OF YOUR CHANGE Then circumstances surrounding you and your decision will help you change.
10 Steps to creating Change1) Decide what you really want to change in your life right now!Write it out and make your personal plan.
2) What’s preventing you from Having it right Now?Write it out and work out how you can prevent these things from hindering your change.
3) Create massive pain to NOT Changing now and massive pleasure to the experience of having the change right now! Anyone who has ever had a heart attack, then decided to get healthy, is good at remembering the pain of not changing.
4) Make it urgent. The only way you are going to change now is to create a sense of urgency that’s so intense that you are compelled to follow through.
5) Use mental energy! Remember the thoughts that drive you forward in tough times. As sure as day turns in to night you will always have obstacles, people and circumstances preventing you from change. Always go back to these and draw energy from them to keep you going.
6) Use LeverageUse pain that comes from the inside. The pain of knowing you are not living up to your standards. Knowing you don’t look like you know you could. I find that my children are good leverage to stay healthy and lead by example. If you don’t change how will you look in 5 – 10 years? How will your life be?
7) Interrupt the old habits and Identify vulnerable momentsWhen are they? Write them down. Then work out what else you could do at these times. One of my clients had trouble not drinking wine between the hours of 4 – 6pm every day. Parents will know this time. It’s happy hour with the children. They get restless and hungry and it can be quite stressful. It’s enough to drive you to drink. So once this time is identified as a weakness we can do something about it. In her case hubby started work earlier so he could come home and help in this stressful time which meant my client no longer needed the drink to survive.
8) Open your mind to new ideasRemember you are where you are because of the decisions you have made in the past. Maybe you need to look at some other options. See if you can find someone who has already been through what you are going through now and come out of the situation exactly how you want to.
9) Create a new Empowering AlternativeWho else has made this change? Why do people drink alcohol? Instead of going for a beer with your mates how about a surf or mountain bike?? Instead of reaching for the chocolate cake because you are bored or emotional try yoga??
10) Take the 21 day challenge Do it for 21 days and make it a habit.
“Our only security is our ability to change”.
~John Lilly UFM
Jason Chapman is a leading fitness coach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. He also runs health and fitness retreats. Visit www.firsttraining.com.au for more ideas on making changes in your life and the best way to optimum health and fitness.
I will never forget the feeling of bathing in warm
volcanic springs hidden deep within the tropical
mountains of Hawaii, there was an unexplainable
sacredness which touched my soul. It was an
incredible healing experience as I dived down,
loving the sensation of water around me. I
wanted to stay beneath the surface forever, if
only I had gills! In the tranquil stillness, only a
slight vibration warmed the waters, a tiny warm
bubbling was emanating upwards from within the
volcanic rock… amazing! The moment was pure
bliss, yet it wasn’t until afterward that I noticed
that the tension and stress I had been carrying
from the five hour triathlon the day before and
the hot, frustrating, five hour drive to this special
place (with many misdirections!) had left my
body. I was now clean, alive, alert and with a
timeless sense of tranquillity. So what was the
magic of that water? Can it be scientifically
described? What about water and hydration at
a physical level and water in our environment? Is
it possible that water could even respond at an
emotional level to the way we speak to it? Most
importantly, for Ultra-Fit readers, how can we use
some answers to these questions in a practical,
simple way to help ourselves, our clients and
those around us to reduce stress and be more
vital, fit, healthy and strong, every day. Every
dawn is a new beginning, make changes now!
Hydration – A few more reasons to drink up
“It is chronic water shortage in the body that causes most diseases of the human body.” Dr Fereydoon Batmaghelidj (Your Body’s Many Cries For Water).
Dr Batmaghelidj has devoted years of research
and investigation into why water works so well
in keeping us healthy and pain-free. Personally,
I believe it is important to remember that there
are many other factors besides water involved
in a person’s health, however Dr. B’s pioneering
work shows that what he calls Unintentional
Chronic Dehydration (UCD), contributes and
even produces pain and many degenerative
diseases that can be prevented and treated. Put
simply, dehydration causes stress in our physical
systems, we don’t work efficiently on all levels
and the information transmission is scrambled.
A human can survive around 3 weeks without
food yet only 3 days without water! For athletes
focused on results, where every increment
of performance is analysed, best practice
hydration is even more paramount. Even mild
dehydration can result in increased heart rate,
increased lactic acid in muscles, increased
body temperature, increased fatigue, decreased
strength, decreases in mental cognition, more
Water
– the Elixir of life……Some small simple changes for some big differences!By Grace McClure
stress and impaired judgement (are you shrivelling up and reaching
for your water bottle yet!). Keep in mind it is also important for those
losing a lot of fluid through exercise to replace fluid and minerals/
electrolytes such as potassium, sodium and calcium, as water can
be insufficient.
So listen to your body (see below how to hear your body is asking
for water) and drink at least eight glasses-plus to two litres-plus
of good quality water per day (depending on an individual, their
exertion and their environment).
This miracle cure is actually the way our bodies are designed to
function, straight from nature and plain common sense.
Hydration and how to hear your body asking for water
Thirst is the most obvious sign yet this often comes too •
late (when you are already dehydrated) so be mindful to
sip water frequently before extreme thirst.
Many confuse thirst for hunger and eat more than they •
need to. So if you are hungry, try having a glass of water
first.
Ideally, your body will produce clear colourless urine – this •
is the sign of good hydration. A somewhat dehydrated
body produces yellow urine and a severely dehydrated
body produces orange or dark coloured urine (your body
is crying out for water; so drink up).
A few tips on staying hydrated
Make water easily accessible and available, it can be that •
simple
Always keep a large water bottle with you and sip regularly •
(on your desk, at home, in your workplace, in your car or
by your bed)
Drink water, as well as other beverages if you are eating •
out
Be prepared and be mindful of your own circumstances •
and start to regulate how much water YOU need,
everyone is different according to body size, type, amount
of daily physical exertion and their environment, start
paying attention and prepare accordingly
During exercise, plan your water/fluid/electrolyte intake •
before and prepare to have it available
Limit caffeine intake (coffee, coke, some teas) as this is •
dehydrating
Drink herbal non-caffeinated teas•
Water – a closer look
Apart from well-known hydration, what is really interesting is the
powerful effect of water at a quantum level, at an emotional level and
also the positive effect that simply being in a negative ion charged
environment (beach, waterfall, rainforest) can have on your body.
Negative ions
Have you ever wondered why it is you feel so good being near the
ocean, how refreshed you feel after taking a cold shower or about
the crisp clarity which invigorates you walking through a rainforest
and after a thunderstorm and fresh rain? The answer is largely
due to negative ion particles. Ions are small bits of charged matter
floating around in the air and scientists will tell you that some ions
are charged negatively, and some are charged positively. Negative
ions are atoms that have gained an electron. Oxygen ions are in
such beautifully abundant supply near fresh, flowing water such as
rivers, streams, seas and waterfalls.
Negative ions are at their most plentiful in natural, outdoor settings.
In fact, scientists have measured the air around natural water
settings such as waterfalls and found that each cubic centimetre
can contain 95,000 to 450,000 negative ions. The typical office, on
the other hand, tends to contain a few hundred negative ions per
cc, and sometimes none. This becomes scary when you see just
what negative ions do, and the damage that not enough negative
ions will take on our bodies.
Did you know that time spent indoors can rob you of an ideal exposure to negative ions and cause fatigue, poor motivation, aches and pains, poor moods, and an overall sense of being unwell?
Why negative ions can be positively healthy!
“Positive ions, (ie the bad ones) which occur in high levels in many indoor environments, inhibit the body’s ability to prevent pollutants/contaminants from entering the vulnerable areas of the respiratory tract. However, an overdose of negative ions has proven to provide counteraction to this effect” (Kreuger, 1974; Soyka, 1991; Tchijewski, 1960).
Countless studies prove the benefits of negative ions on health
and well-being, including improved sleep, immunity and respiratory
function – while positive ions can make us feel tired, depressed and
irritable. Unfortunately for us, our modern indoor, internet, electronic
lifestyles tip the balance downwards for our health, as fluorescent
lighting, electrical and electronic equipment, television screens and
static producing, man-made fibres in carpets, clothes and upholstery
all reduce the level of negative ions and increase the positive ones.