In This Edition
Healthy
Bodies for Women
by Sonja Falvo
Walking As Exercise
By
Tash Hughes
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Welcome...
I hope the first two months of 2005 have been successful and happy for ou all.
I know from experience that one of the the most common resolutions for the New Year is about health and fitness, so I have chosen some articles relating to these areas for this month's newsletter which I hope will motivate and inspire you.
Sonja Falvo talks about Healthy Bodies for Women, with a focus on Strength Training, while Tash Hughes gives some great tips on using Walking as a form of exervise.
If you simply don't have enough time to exercise, perhaps Lifestyle Elements can help. Please don't hesitate to contact me on 08 8234 8657 or 0407 972 694, or drop me an email, and we can set up a FREE 1 hour consultation to discuss how we might work together to find you more time..
Goodluck!
Abbie
Martin
Lifestyle Manager
Healthy Bodies For Women
By Sonja Falvo
Master
Trainer/Diploma Exercise Science and owner of What Women Want Personal
Training – (07) 3216 1234
Don’t
let an old person move into your body!
The latest scientific research, worldwide, is now showing that strength
training is vital for women of all ages because strength training is
the only interaction that is shown to stop the degeneration of, and/or
replace, bone mineral density. Degeneration of bone mineral density
naturally occurs in most women, as they get older, if they do not perform
some type of regular strength training.
As we get older we are also at a higher risk of arthritis, coronary
heart disease, high blood pressure and, of course the dreaded, “middle
age spread” (more on that later!)
Strength training has not only been proven to increase bone mineral
density, it has also been proven to improve heart health and aid in
the reduction of blood pressure. Those suffering from arthritis will
also benefit from strength training because studies have proven a decrease
in the symptoms of arthritis by those who perform strength training
at least 30 minutes per week; this is because strength training increases
the muscle around joints and takes the pressure off the joints that
are effected. Being stronger also means you will have better balance,
coordination and mobility.
Strength training would also benefit anyone who has been diagnosed with
Diabetes or for anyone who may have a high risk of being diagnosed with
adult onset diabetes. This is because, as researchers have indicated,
glucose uptake can be increased by 23% after only 4 months of strength
training.
How to become a Fat Burning Machine
Between the ages of 20-30 the average person would have lost approximately
5lbs of muscle. As each pound of muscle is responsible for burning approximately
50 calories per day, that equates to 250 calories per day that your
body is no longer able to burn – this is more commonly referred
to as ‘middle age spread’ and DOES NOT NEED TO HAPPEN!
By introducing as little as 30 minutes of strength training per week
into your life, you will be able to replace lost muscle tissue and increase
your metabolism (energy expenditure); this means a faster metabolism,
faster fat burning and less chance of getting fat!!!
One myth I would like to dispel - strength training does not make women
bigger! The vast majority of women do not have sufficient quantities
of testosterone (the ‘growth hormone’) in their bodies to
produce the increase in size associated with ‘body builders’
– instead of getting larger muscles, women get tight, toned and
yummy muscles!
So to let you in on a little secret - one gram of FAT is twice the size
as one gram of MUSCLE. So if you have a choice (and you do!), would
you prefer to have more muscle or more fat??
Muscle is smooth, lean, hard and small - Fat is lumpy, flabby, soft
and big!
Lift Weights For Your Bones, Your Muscles - AND YOUR WAISTLINE
Walking As Exercise
By Tash Hughes
Did
you know that you can decrease your risk of mental impairment by 20% just
by walking regularly? And be mentally three younger at the same time?
Activity is important for everyone, regardless of age, and there are many
benefits to living an active life. There are many ways to be active and
get exercise, but walking is one of the best.l, walking is a simple exercise
that can be done anywhere, at any time by pretty much anybody. You don’t
need to pay fees or take classes, you just have to get up and walk!
It is best to wear fitness walking shoes to make it more enjoyable, but
no other equipment is needed to have an effective workout.
Walking doesn’t even have to take very long to get you feeling better.
Loughborough University did a study and found that the fitness improvements
were about the same for women who walked for 30 minutes a day as for women
who walked 10 minutes, three times a day. And, in fact, the women taking
shorter walks lost more weight!
Despite all the fitness fanatics wanting you to jog or run, a long walk
actually burns more calories anyway and has less risk of injury.
So, what are the main benefits of walking? You can benefit physically,
mentally, socially and with your health.
Physically, regular walking can reduce weight, build muscle and tone your
body. Vigorous walking will also tone your arms and upper body, so it’s
not all about the legs. Walking also increase your flexibility and co-ordination,
which makes every day living a bit easier and helps you avoid falls and
spills. A good walk will make it easier to get to sleep, and stay that
way, too.
People who walk regularly are less prone to anxiety and depression. Even
from the first walk you take in an exercise program, you can feel satisfaction
and pride with yourself for getting out there. This builds your self esteem
and confidence, and even develops your self discipline which can influence
other areas of your life as well.
Once you feel better about yourself, you will find it easier to relate
to other people. If you pair up for walking, you gain from the extra personal
interactions as a side bonus.
The best benefits, however, arise from the improved health regular walking
gives you. Regular exercise strengthens your heart, increases the blood
and oxygen flowing through your body, lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol
levels.
Diseases such as insulin dependent diabetes, colon cancer, heart disease
and stroke are less likely in people who are fit and healthy. That’s
enough reason to walk daily, isn’t it?
But there are more reasons!
Walking increases bone density, regardless of how old you are, and we
all know that denser bones keeps osteoporosis at bay. Osteoarthritis is
eased by walking, too.
Exercising correctly works on your posture so that you stand and sit correctly
with less effort and thought. Correct exercise in our case, simply means
walking tall, swinging your arms and not over doing it.
Many studies have been done on exercise and its advantages, even for people
who start exercising later in life. Recent studies showed that women who
walk at least 90 minutes a week have a delayed onset of Alzheimer’s
and dementia by about 20% compared to women who walk for less than 40
minutes per week.
Likewise, men walking more than two miles a day have 20% less chance of
dementia than men walking less than ¼ mile a day. Men walking between
¼ and 1 mile a day have a 70% higher risk.
Remember that walking is simple, and you can do it anywhere at any time.
You can take a child, an elderly person or an unfit person walking. You
can walk alone or in a group. You can walk around the streets admiring
gardens or along a bike track and enjoy the tranquillity.
The important thing is to get out there and walk!
How do you know if you are walking enough? Use common sense and listen
to your body. Don’t push yourself so hard it hurts or you feel strained.
Walk at a comfortable pace. If you can keep up walking and talk to someone,
you’re doing ok. If you can’t talk, maybe slow down a little
until you can.
Keep your walking interesting, or it will get too hard to keep it up.
Keep an eye on changes in local gardens. Set yourself challenges of walking
further in the same time over a month. Walk with a friend. Take different
paths to add variety.
A daily walk is much better than an apple a day to keep that Doctor away!
With so many reasons to walk, why wouldn’t you give it a go?
Tash
Hughes is co-owner of Save Time Online, a free Australian site that aims
to find whatever information you need online as quickly and effortlessly
as possible. Check it out at www.savetimeonline.com.au
