GetFit.com.au

In a recent worldwide survey published in the ACSM’S (American College of Sports Medicine) Health & Fitness Journal over 4,000 health and fitness professionals reported their expectations and future solutions for 2007
“These trends are expectations of the front-line fitness professionals, not the latest infomercial spokesperson,” said Dr. Walter R. Thompson, the survey leader and author. “It’s also a fascinating peek at what to hope for as we seek health and fitness solutions for our overweight and inactive citizens

Top 10 Health & Fitness Trends or 2007

1. Child Obesity – The need to address the root of the obesity epidemic will continue to be the number one focus for the coming year. The spotlight will again fall on schools, parents, and health professionals to start producing results. Issues such as junk food television adverts and the marketing of high fat – high sugar foods will come under increasing pressure and restrictions.

2. Grey Growth – Specialized programs, and fitness clubs and initiatives will target the older adult, as the ‘greying’ communities continue to increase as we grow older and live longer.

3. Positive Power – Strength training for everyone will gain extra importance in 2007; the older adults and especially women will incorporate more strength training into their fitness programs.

4. Functional Fitness – Health & fitness programs will look to improve daily living activities. Exercises will seek to replicate actions you perform to help improve body wellness components such as balance, coordination, strength, and endurance.

5. Back to Back – The core components of the body, abdominals, lower back, and all muscles around the body’s center will continue to attract the deserved high attention of people.

6. Well Being – People will look for health and fitness programs which offer greater balance between the mind and body. Popular activities such as yoga and Pilates which offer improved flexibility, balance, and strength will continue to grow; these will also springboard a new generation of programs based on variations of these popular activities.

7. Active Weight Loss – More and more weight loss programs which have been traditionally only nutrition based will offer exercise components to their participants.

8. Health Tech – Programs will, with the help of new technology, offer new ways to define health and fitness goals, as well and the means to track their progress. This new technology will also provide the health care industry a way to determine the success in disease management.

9. Professionals – The need for an international standard and fully accredited and certified health and fitness education programs and courses will gain momentum and increased importance as integration into the health care industry increases.

10. The Personal Touch – People will be offered more one-to-one contact, programs, and consultancy. Tailor-made for individuals, specific fitness programs will meet the medical history and physical needs of participants. Fitness professionals will enjoy greater recognition and credibility among other health care professionals, in hospitals and health centers.

Source: American College of Sports Medicine

Posted by Dean at 12:42 PM | Permalink

The latest exercise craze has devotees wheelbarrowing their way to weight loss.

Building workers have a reputation for baring more than is easy on the eye. Which makes the appeal of the latest fitness trend from the US somewhat questionable - for the fiterati are flocking to do builders' workouts in a bid to tone up.

At the Crunch chain of gyms, for instance, the Sacked session invites members to "heave-ho their way to fitness" by hauling around bags of sand. Elsewhere, the CrossFit commando-style training program, which has a cult following across the US, has participants lugging 18kg bags of sand any way but over the shoulder for a specified distance.

Now the builders' workout has crossed the Atlantic with the British launch of Outdoor Extreme, a tough circuit held in London's parks in which, in addition to other activities, participants lift sandbags or navigate wheelbarrows full of sand through obstacles.

According to Tommy Matthews, an instructor with Outdoor Extreme, sandbags are an excellent training aid because they are "heavy, hard to handle and never stay still for long when you're carrying one. They are great for testing your concentration when physical exhaustion is setting in."

It is for that reason that they have been used for decades in military fitness training. Matthews says that "large, multi-joint, compound movements such as those achieved through lifting sandbags, beer kegs or pushing wheelbarrows full of sand, are what your body is meant to do and what we prescribe".

There are other benefits beyond what you get in a weight-training session at the gym. According to Louise Sutton, principal lecturer in health and exercise science at Leeds Metropolitan University, England, the holding and lifting of either sandbags or medicine balls (which are filled with sand but are a more manageable size and weight) instead of working out on stationary equipment at the gym, means the body's smaller and harder to reach muscles are brought into play, helping to improve balance and stability.

"Using them can also strengthen the body through a range of motions by working across a number of different planes and through different directions," Sutton says. "You can bend, twist and lean with them far more effectively to target muscles specific to different sports."

Many proponents say that because sandbag training is so demanding, an entire workout need last no longer than 20 minutes. Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, reported in the Journal of Applied Physiology that just six minutes of intense exercise a week, such as that performed in CrossFit-type sessions, can be equal to an hour of daily moderate activity. Such bursts "improved muscle health and performance comparable to several weeks of traditional endurance training", says Professor Martin Gibala of McMaster's department of kinesiology.

Before you go tearing off to the DIY store, Sutton has some advice. "Sandbags are effective for a reason: they are heavy and cumbersome," she says. "Don't expect to lift a [18kg] bag straight away. With poor technique and limited strength, you will leave yourself vulnerable to injury. Start off with a lighter weight and progress until you can haul around the heavy stuff."

www.smh.com.au

Posted by Dean at 07:39 PM | Permalink

ALMOST two-thirds of Australians who try to lose weight by improving their eating habits fail because they rely on willpower, research has revealed.

A national survey by the Australian Psychological Society showed that 61 per cent of people trying to change their diet failed to make lasting changes. One in five lapsed back into old habits within a matter of weeks or months.

Many of those who made changes - 63 per cent - relied on willpower, while 26 per cent joined a gym or sports club. More than half (55 per cent) sought no professional help to change their eating habits

Others tried to educate themselves by searching the internet, looking at magazines and self-help books, or seeking support from doctors, family and friends.

Australian Psychological Society president Amanda Gordon said the figures suggest that relying on willpower without additional support was a recipe for failure. "People think, 'I can do it on my own and it's a symbol of strength, and there's something wrong with me if I need help'," she said.

"What we found in this survey is it's not true. There's nothing heroic about trying to do it on your own. In fact, the people who do it with support are more likely to do well."

Of 1289 people surveyed, 97 per cent admitted trying to make changes to their diet at some stage. Only 12 per cent of those surveyed who had made changes in the last six months had stuck to the healthy plan. But those who managed to maintain a healthy lifestyle for more than six months were more likely to make lasting changes.

Ms Gordon said behavioural change becomes habit after six months and people using willpower alone were unlikely to sustain change for long periods.

"The danger period comes after a few months when people think they're doing well so they let the support systems slip . . . You really need all the help you can get until you reach a point where the habits just become a way of life," she said.

Ms Gordon said it was worrying that 47 per cent of participants with a body mass index in the overweight or obese category did not think they had a weight problem.

Vanity was a factor in the survey, too, with 44 per cent of people making changes wanting to enhance their physical appearance, while 31 per cent sought health improvements.

People classified as obese reported the highest level of negative emotions and the lowest self-esteem when trying to change behaviour. Those under 30 were least likely (17 per cent) to maintain changes for more than six months, while 30 per cent of 30 to 50-year-olds and 35 per cent of those over 50 managed to stick to new routines.

KEY FINDINGS

· 97 per cent tried to change eating habits at some point.
· 44 per cent motivated by physical appearance.
· 31 per cent motivated by general health.

Main strategies
· 63 per cent used willpower.
· 26 per cent joined gym or sports club.
· 18 per cent used internet or magazines.
· 17 per cent used books.
· 15 per cent used family support.
· 14 per cent used working with a friend.
· 4 per cent used health groups.

Maintenance
· 12 per cent stuck to eating plan for less than six months.
· 26 per cent stuck to eating plan for six months or more.
· 39 per cent generally stuck to plan.

SOURCE: AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Posted by Dean at 09:54 AM | Permalink

Get Active Sydney (GAS) is a free, interactive sports, health and lifestyle festival brought to you by Fitness First and MBF. GAS's mission is to encourage adults and children to "Get Active" by participating in simple, fun-filled sports, exercises and activities

Get Active Sydney will take place on Sunday 3rd December 2006 from 10am - 4pm
@ The Entertainment Quarter (formerly Fox Studios), Lang Road, Moore Park, Sydney
For more info click below

http://www.getactivesydney.com.au

Posted by Dean at 09:48 AM | Permalink

Regular Exercise Better at Upping Energy Than Stimulants, Study Shows.

By Jennifer Warren, MD
WebMD Medical News

Nov. 3, 2006 -- Feeling tired? A walk may be better than a nap for boosting energy and fighting fatigue.

New research suggests regular exercise can increase energy levels even among people suffering from chronic medical conditions associated with fatigue, like cancer and heart disease.

It may seem counterintuitive, but researchers say expending energy by engaging in regular exercise may pay off with increased energy in the long run

"A lot of times when people are fatigued, the last thing they want to do is exercise," says researcher Patrick O'Connor, PhD, in a news release. "But if you're physically inactive and fatigued, being just a bit more active will help," says O'Connor, co-director of the University of Georgia exercise psychology laboratory, in Athens, Ga.

"We live in a society where people are always looking for the next sports drink, energy bar, or cup of coffee that will give them the extra edge to get through the day," says researcher Tim Puetz, PhD, also of UGA. "But it may be that lacing up your tennis shoes and getting out and doing some physical activity every morning can provide that spark of energy that people are looking for."

Exercise Boosts Energy

Although many studies have shown that sedentary people who start a regular exercise program experience an increase in energy levels, researchers say few studies have quantified those effects.

In this study, published in Psychological Bulletin, the researchers analyzed 70 studies on exercise and fatigue involving more than 6,800 people.

"More than 90% of the studies showed the same thing: Sedentary people who completed a regular exercise program reported improved fatigue compared to groups that did not exercise," says O'Connor. "It's a very consistent effect."

The results show that regular exercise increases energy and reduces fatigue.

The average effect was greater than the improvement from using stimulant medications, including ones used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

Researchers say nearly every group studied -- from healthy adults, to cancer patients, and those with chronic conditions including diabetes and heart disease -- benefited from exercise.

Posted by Dean at 04:49 AM | Permalink

The latest instalment of the biggest selling diet in Australian history is here.

Following on from the phenomenal success of The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, comes Book 2. This companion volume contains over 80 delicious new recipes to keep you on track with your new healthy eating habits, as well as advice on eating out, taking your lunch to work and an exercise program.

The second volume also answers questions raised by the initial book's success, including how appropriate the diet is for certain people and whether certain foods can be substituted to accommodate personal taste.

The first CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet book has sold more than 800,000 copies since it first came out in May 2005 and has been published in 17 languages.

The diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Unlike fad high-protein diets, the CSIRO plan is nutritionally balanced and contains moderate amounts of slow-release carbohydrates, essential for energy and keeping blood sugar levels stable.

The CSIRO says you won't just lose weight by following the diet. Your cholesterol, blood sugar levels and blood pressure will all come down.

Federal Science Minister Julie Bishop is supportive and appreciative of her two best-selling staffers, the authors Dr Manny Noakes and Dr Peter Clifton.

"I hope that the book will continue to raise awareness and help fight the level of obesity that we currently have in this country," Bishop says.

And the timing of the book couldn't be better with a report out this week showing that obesity cost Australians $21 billion last year — double the cost of Medicare.

The CSIRO total wellbeing diet - Book 2 by Dr Manny Noakes with Dr Peter Clifton, is available in all good bookstores from Monday, 30 October. RRP $34.95

Posted by Dean at 04:11 PM | Permalink