GetFit.com.au

It is a common belief that certain types of exercise can be ageing. Some people fear that excessive jogging may prematurely age facial skin — think of all that repeated bouncing up and down — when

when, in fact, it is only a risk if your mileage is high (that’s more than 30km per week). *Most people will not clock up anything like this distance, and besides, jogging has a far more significant effect on the body. Because it is a high-impact activity, it strengthens the bones, thereby helping to prevent osteoporosis. Jogging also helps retain muscle strength in the long term and promotes endurance; these, in turn, help to maintain good posture (a sign of a youthful body).

There are other youth-enhancing aspects to exercise, too. Sweating rids the pores of residue and removes dead skin cells, which helps make skin look clearer and, therefore, healthier. Similarly, aerobic exercise infuses the skin cells with oxygen and other nutrients: this helps to speed up the production of collagen, one of the substances that keeps the skin plump and youthful.

It is true that women who weight train and build muscle, while significantly reducing body fat, may appear more gaunt, and the veins on their body and neck can seem more prominent (think Madonna). This can make them look older when, in fact, they are in great shape. The bottom line is this: there is no physiological evidence that lifting weights is ageing.

The truth of the matter is, most people will not only look better but also feel better if they exercise. Sorry — you’ll have to find a better excuse than vanity to skip the gym.

*The point at which exercise stops being good for your skin and starts damaging it (see free radical damage in Dr Howard Murad’s The Cellulite Solution) is one that few of us will reach. Generally speaking, it is the kind of “strenuous” exercise undertaken daily by athletes on a competitive level. It happens when the exerciser ceases to work aerobically (using oxygen) and starts to work anaerobically (converting sugar in the blood into energy due to insufficient supplies of oxygen).

Matt Roberts

Posted by Dean at 02:11 PM | Permalink

Pre-season training in rugby league traditionally consists of endurance and strength training, creating a sound fitness base on which to build.

"We use hill running, boxing and wrestling, plus three strength sessions a week, to get players to an excellent level of fitness," says Ben Gardiner, the Roosters' sport science co-ordinator.

But this season the Roosters have added an extra element. Over the past 10 weeks, regular pilates sessions have been working wonders for the team.

Pilates gives you fantastic body awareness, improves postural alignment, balance and strength," says the pilates and yoga director at Elix'r Health Clubs, June Jones, who leads the Roosters' sessions.

Are these essential attributes for a rugby league player? According to Gardiner, pilates adds variety to strength work, which is as important as the training itself, but the decision to include it in the program came down to core strength.

"We noticed that some of our players had quite poor core strength - something which is essential in rugby league, particularly for making and riding tackles. The pilates sessions are about building a strong core and learning how to utilise and control that strength."

The sessions have been a big hit with the coaching staff. "The players can now recognise when they don't have the correct technique for a particular activity- like weights or mat work - and are able to correct themselves," says Gardiner.

He and his colleagues are happy, but has it been as popular with the players?

Forward Chris Flannery admits that, before the sessions were introduced, he associated pilates with women rather than league players. "I hadn't heard of any other team doing pilates and when it appeared on the training schedule I thought it was a strange thing to include," he says.

Jones wasn't sure how the players would react to a very different type of training. "I wanted the class to speak for itself, so I didn't give much of an introduction. The surprised look on their faces said it all. After the first session, every player was able to identify his weak areas. I now teach the same class to the players as I would to non-sports people, but focusing on exercises that deal with their specific injuries and weaknesses."

Athletes worldwide are tuning in to mind and body disciplines. The English Football Association is including yoga techniques in its training sessions for doctors and physiotherapists and, in the US, Tiger Woods uses pilates as part of his exercise routine.

Jones says pilates should be mandatory. "It is an insurance policy for your body. Pilates keeps your muscles and joints supple, improves flexibility and reduces the risk of injury," she says.

"These are essential requirements for athletes who demand 100 per cent from their bodies on a daily basis."

Posted by Dean at 01:53 PM | Permalink