We all make good NY resolutions each year, but how many of them do we actually keep? This list is easier and simpler and will still make your year healthier:

1. HAVE FUN! Yes this is one of the easiest of all, take the time to have some fun. Laughter really is the best medicine and can help relieve stress, exercise your heart and joy is one of the reasons we are all here.
2. Drink a little wine. There’s nothing wrong with a little wine particularly red wine full of antioxidants, but please stop at one.
3. Challenge yourself mentally. Doing puzzles and learning something new every day keeps your brain sharp and your neurons firing this will help keep you younger all over.
4. MOVE ON A DAILY BASIS. Yes make sure that you move your body every day, and by move I mean walk with free swinging arms, dance, get on your vibration platform, do yoga, or some form of exercise every day. More than anything else this will keep you feeling young and delay most if not all the signs of aging.
5. Check your bed and your office chair are ergonomically sound to prevent wear and tear on your tendons, muscles and joints.
6. Brush your teeth. Medical scientists have found that oral hygiene is linked to overall health.
7. Get 15 minutes of sunshine every day. We are all lacking in vitamin D because we are working indoors and avoiding the sun too much now, so get out in the sun before 10am or after 3pm and allow your skin to get at least 15 minutes of direct sunshine a day.
8. Eat more vegetables. Yes I know this is an old one, but a goodie and we all know why. Diabetes and metabolic syndromes are a world wide epidemic and eating more vegetables is one way to avoid this decline.
9. Sleep well. Sleeping well actually helps us lose weight, energises our body and brain and keeps us younger.
10. BREATHE. you would think that this comes naturally, yet many of us do not breathe properly, so learn to breathe well. Breathing needs to be from your diaphram – take note of your breathing by lying down and breathing naturally and look to see which part of your body is moving as you do. If you chest is moving up and down – you’re not breathing correctly at all. Your upper tummy and lower chest is the part that ought to be moving, so practice breathing until you can breathe diaphramatically for better health and slower stress levels.

Live a balanced life…

Image by mahalie via Flickr

Are you pregnant? Have you been told to rest?

New research proves that keeping active is healthier for you and your baby.

“There has been quite a dramatic change in regards to pregnancy and exercise,” said Pivarnik, who has studied the topic for more than 20 years. “While it used to be thought that avoiding exercise meant avoiding harm to the fetus, research now shows physical activity can not only improve health of the mother but also provide potential long-term benefits for the child.”

Specifically, the guidelines call for women to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week during pregnancy and the postpartum period, preferably spread throughout the week. In addition to health benefits, moderate physical activity also may reduce the length of labor, evidence suggests. The guidelines call for women to avoid doing activities that involve lying on their back after the first trimester and activities with high risk of falling or abdominal trauma.

During the postpartum period, regular physical activity continues to benefit a woman’s overall health, according to Pivarnik’s research, by increasing her cardiorespiratory fitness and improving her mood. Physical activity after pregnancy also helps women achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and when combined with appropriate caloric restriction, promotes weight loss.

“In the time I have been performing research on exercise during pregnancy, we have shifted from cautious conservatism to the current guidelines, which encourage women to be active throughout gestation,” Pivarnik said.” Science Daily

So go on, get out and do some exercise, if you are a bit worried about how much is good for you, take a walk on a daily basis, it is still one of the best forms of exercise.

Better yet, try a yoga class or some pilates there are some great classes around, be sure your instructor understands your condition and how to tweak the positions to suit you.

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Do you love yoga like I do? When was the last time you took the time to have a one-on-one session to improve your focus, style and form? Never? Yes, that’s what I thought. What about Pilates or fitness training, do you have a personal session regularly to help you improve your form?

I was at a fitness center the other day, watching a few of the patrons work out, and noticed how many of them had poor form. Some were heading for injury as their movements created strain on the body. It got me thinking about my own form, when I do my yoga workout at home, when was the last time I had someone watch me and to gently nudge me into the correct position, or remind me to breathe in the right place for optimum effect, or to isolate and focus on just those muscles?

Arranging for a one-on-one session can be of so much benefit to your workout and to you. You will feel the difference immediately, this is true even if you feel you’re a pro. Many instructors have gone to their teachers and found that certain habits had crept into their style that needed to be weeded out.

At balancenoosa, we will come to you. You can call us and arrange for a one-on-one session right in the comfort of your own home. Why not give us a call today?

Some of the benefits of personal sessions are:

• improved breathing techniques (breath holding is common when exercising and results in poor oxygenation of the muscles)
• improved focus (focusing on each move helps to isolate the required muscle groups and the concentration helps to avoid injury)
• improved relaxation response (when you are able to relax the muscles that are not required, you workout is not so tiring and results in improved energy levels)
• improved form (your postures and poses are corrected to avoid over strain and injury and to optimize your workout)

Why not arrange for your personal one-on-one session today? balancenoosa.com.au It’s as easy as the click of a button.

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This interesting article in Science Daily, discusses research that proves that slower resistance training is better for women over 45 for restoring balance, and muscle mass. They talk about a certain type of exercise called ‘Superslow’. But, what I’d like to remind every one is that slow exercise for older people has been around for hundreds of years: Tai Chi has been keeping Chinese people fit for at least that long or longer, Yoga of various forms all over the East has been doing the same thing, whether you use traditional Indian Yoga’s or are like me and use the Tibetan Yoga exercises it all amounts to the same thing. Slow exercise has many merits and now is proven to be more effective for a certain age group than pounding the pavement or sweating in a gym. Come on and check out our Yoga and Pilates private sessions and classes here on the Sunshine Coast here at balancenoosa.

Dr Sänger’s research group has investigated two particular methods of physical training. Hypertrophy resistance training is a traditional approach designed to induce muscle growth whereas ‘SuperSlow®’ is a more recently devised system which involves much slower movement and fewer repetitions of exercises, and was originally introduced especially for beginners and for rehabilitation. “Our results indicate that both methods increase muscle mass at the expense of connective and fatty tissue, but contrary to expectations, the SuperSlow® method appears to have the greatest effect,” reveals Dr Sänger. “These findings will be used to design specific exercise programmes for everyday use to reduce the risk of injury and thus significantly contribute to a better quality of life in old age.”

The study focussed on groups of menopausal women aged 45-55 years, the age group in which muscle deterioration first starts to become apparent. Groups undertook supervised regimes over 12 weeks, based on each of the training methods. To see what effect the exercise had, thigh muscle biopsies were taken at the beginning and end of the regimes, and microscopically analysed to look for changes in the ratio of muscle to fatty and connective tissue, the blood supply to the muscle, and particularly for differences in the muscle cells themselves.

“The results of our experiments have significantly improved our understanding of how muscles respond to different forms of exercise,” asserts Dr Sänger. “We believe that the changes that this new insight can bring to current training systems will have a considerable effect on the lives of both menopausal and older women,” she concludes.

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Image by lafrancevi via Flickr

This post from Gaiam give some great tips for fitting exercise into any day at all, whether you’re stuck at home, at the office or even in the car…

“The following tips from three fitness gurus will help keep you strong and slender, whether you’re stuck at home, in the office or in the car. And even if you are a dedicated gym rat, you can squeeze some or all of these exercises into your day and get an added toning boost.

Additionally, taking breaks from your computer, housework or children, or whatever keeps you busy, to stretch and strengthen will benefit not only your body, but your mind and spirit as well…”

Option 1: Take the coffee break; skip the latte.

Option 2: Tied to your desk? Work out while you work!

Option 3: STUCK IN TRAFFIC? Don’t get mad; get toned!

Read the rest of the post HERE

It can be important for you to get some exercise into your day no matter how busy you are, exercise can even give you an energy boost, especially when done regularly. So if you are feeling a lack of energy GET UP! and GET GOING! and be surprised at how differently you feel and how your energy levels soar.

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Staying active right through your middle years and into your senior years can stave off disability and allow you to stay active for longer, a new study by Stanford’s University of Medicine has revealed. So the old adage, “Use it or lost it,” is appropriate in so many ways.

“This study contributes to the large body of scientific evidence supporting the importance of continuing to be physical active over one’s life,” said lead author Bonnie Bruce, of the division of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University Department of Medicine.

The researchers concluded that being physically active, regardless of body weight, helped lessen disability. Bruce said that public health efforts that promote physically active lifestyles among seniors may be more feasible than those that emphasize body weight to remain healthy.

Bruce B, Fries J, Hubert H.. Mitigation of disability development in healthy overweight and normal-weight seniors through regular vigorous activity: a 13-year study. Am J Public Health, 98(7) 2008

What if you have already let yourself go? What if it is going to be hard work just to get a reasonable amount of fitness again?

Studies on Vibration Platforms show that they could be an answer to this all too common problem. It seems these almost magical exercise machines rely on creating tonic reflexes in every muscle of the body and using them can be as easy as standing on the platform. The research has proved that older people can use these machines and rehabilitate their bodies to the point where they can use movements while on the Vibration Platform and this can create long-term fitness and can be used as a prescriptive approach to aged care.

“Aging and Vibration Exercise

• Improvement in chair rising test, indicative of improvement in muscle power

• Improve elements of fall risk and health-related quality of life

• Ability to promote ambulatory competence (improved walking) in elderly women

• Beneficial for balance and mobility in nursing home residents with limited functional dependency

• High compliance with vibration exercise

Exercise is an excellent preventative method in dealing with the disability associated with the progression of osteoporosis. Weight-bearing and resistance-training exercises are often recommended. However, with traditional vigorous exercise programs, there is a lack of long-term compliance in addition to having the potential to increase the risk of fracture. Whole body vibration exercise can be seen as an excellent alternative or complement to regular training, allowing an individual to effortlessly achieve similar results to conventional training in less time, thereby increasing compliance.”

Bruyere, O., et al. “Controlled Whole Body Vibrations Improve Health Related Quality of Life in Elderly Patients.” Research article abstract.

More information on Vibration Platforms.

Vibration Exercise Platforms are being used in rehabilitation clinics and therapy clinics all over the world to help members and clients regain muscle tone, restore bone mass and help regain balance and learn to walk after serious illness or injury. But, did you know that they can also be used my elite athletes to boost their workout, avoid injury and help to flush the body of toxins built up during a workout?

Here are some of the stats, I found on the effects of Vibration Platforms on exercise:

• Similar strength gains from 3 months of vibration exercise (maximum time 20 minutes) compared to 1 hour of conventional strength training

• Doubling of blood circulation after vibration training, resulting in the body carrying off waste products much faster, thereby enhancing recovery.

• Duration vibration exercise stimulates force and power output

• Significant hormonal effects from training (increased testosterone and growth hormone, and decreased cortisol, ‘stress hormone’)

• Increased flexibility

• Increased explosive power

• Explosive strength increases from 10 minutes a day of vibration training for 10 days is equivalent to those found from 200 drop-jumps from 24 inches, twice a week, for a year

• Accelerated gains in neurological adaptation, shifting the force/velocity curve to the right (faster strength gains)

Now I don’t know about you but I would think that adding a 10 minute stint on a Vibration Platform to my workout regime on a regular basis would be a great way to capitalise on all the benefits using one can bring and maximise my strength and stamina at the same time.

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Do you stick with what you know or are you open to new things? Do you do the same old fitness routine or avoid changing your dietary habits because you just don’t feel comfortable with being adventurous?

It’s time to get out of your rut! When you consider that our ancestors would not have come this far if they had not experimented or taken on an adventurous task, then you begin to understand that taking on challenges is hard wired into our psyche. If we stick with what we know, take the same route to work, keep to the same schedule day after day we become stagnant – every part of us. Our body no longer responds to the daily workouts the way it used to, our mind cannot grasp new beliefs and thoughts even if we want it to, and your emotional self no longer seeks to feel joy or excitement and our relationship can become stale.

I have a cure for this. Get out and change something, if it really bothers you start small, change your fitness routine, or introduce yourself to one food that you have not tried. For those of you, who are a bit like me and have a sense of adventure inborn, get out and really go for a challenge that suits your adventurous spirit.

Start training for a big competition or event and hire a trainer to get you across the line, learn something completely new if you have never tried yoga before hire a teacher, what about belly dancing or pole dancing? Take on a beach marathon or triathlon having a new challenge and a new goal is guaranteed to bring a new sense of adventure and excitement to your life and your whole life will reflect your new outlook.

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When people think of doing some exercise these days they immediately think of going to a gym, and you might not like th idea of turning up to a gym as unfit as you probably feel, but you can get started at home.  If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you can get personal training, or fitness trainers to come to your home you can ring and book a session. Once you try personal home sessions you will more than likely never go back.

Just to get you started on some fitness ideas for the home try some of these:

• walk or jog up a hill
• take a dance class or just put a CD on and let yourself loose for at least 30 minutes
• run around your block and then walk around it again
• go on a bike ride with your family
• clean your house, scrubbing is aerobic
• Take your dog for a walk
• use your steps for a great workout walk up them run down and then run up and walk down
• skip rope and get the kids in on the act
• walk along the beach up to your knees in the water
• surf or swim
• go horse riding (be prepared for some sore thigh muscles if you haven’t done it in a while)
• play cricket, soccer or football or even chasey with the kids

There are lots of ideas to keep you fit at home and ways to keep your fitness levels up even when you’re not going to a gym. Try one today!

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