http://archive.aweber.com/life-activeThis list is for current clients of LifeActiveMon, 30 May 2011 20:42:06 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/life-active/8JKO./h/Life_Active_Newsletter_June.htm body, a, p, span, table, td, tr, table {font-family:Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12px} Push Ups for Charity Wrap Up Thanks to all who came on Saturday 7th May to the event! We had 11 pushuppers and over 800 pushups done - so far raising nearly $3400 for Make A Wish Australia. Congrats to our biggest fundraisers: 1. Jamie Olsen (wins a 3-course dinner for two from Pazzo Restaurant Surry Hills) 2. Peilling Kong 3. Ianthea Connelly For full results go to the Life Active blog page or the Everyday Hero fundraising page where you can still donate! Dear , What if I told you that you could relieve stress, tone your muscles, AND get rid of tightness or stiffness that might nag you from time to time -- all at the same time? Would you be interested? Hope so! Because in today's article I'm going to share with you a few simple moves you can start doing that will do all those things for you. Oh and make sure you try these moves out as soon as you're done reading them, okay? You'll feel the results immediately! FREE NUTRITION SEMINAR For those wanting some guidance, hints and tips to be able to control weight, feel more energetic, add muscle and improve overall health, we are now running regular nutrition seminars for all Life Active bootcamp and personal training clients and their friends! Come along and listen to Andrew go through nutritional advice and methods for using what you eat to form the physical health you want. Save these dates: * Tuesday 31st May (YES TODAY!) at 7:30 pm; * Tuesday 28th June at 7:30 pm All held at Golds Gym Sydney, 1/58 Kippax Street Surry Hills NSW. Don't forget as well, new bootcamp classes will start Tuesday 14th June (normally on a Monday but the 13th is a public holiday) so shake off the winter blues and get into a group to be in fantastic shape come spring time! Yours For Health, Andrew Greig Surry Hills's Premier Health and Fitness Expert Get Stronger and More Flexible With These 4 Simple Moves Did you know there's one simple activity most people rarely do before or after their workouts? S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G! Stretching is super-important. It prevents your muscles from getting tight and stiff -- especially after you've been working them out, rep after rep. Plus, there's the benefits you get, like improved circulation and reduced stress (you DO know that stressing out causes you to tense your muscles without even realising it, right?). Plus an improvement of your full joint range of motion, keeping you lithe, limber and fluid in all activities. That's why today I'm going to share with you 4 simple moves (taken from Yoga) that practically anyone can do. Doing these moves will not only stretch your muscles, but it'll also tone them. As a result you'll be more flexible, look leaner and feel a hell of a lot calmer! Here they are: Cat stretch: This is simple but effective. It stretches your spine, increases abdominal strength and may help relieve back pain. Start by getting down on all fours. Now place your palms face down on the floor, like you're doing a pushup. Your knees should be underneath your hips and your shins should be resting on the floor. Inhale. As you do, let your spine curve towards the floor naturally, as you bring your head up to look at the ceiling. Now exhale. As you do, round your spine up towards the ceiling (think of a cat stretching after they wake up). Bring your eyes to your belly button as you do this. Repeat 9 more times, slowly. Downward dog. Start on all fours again. Hands on the floor in a pushup position, under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Now walk your hands out a few inches in front of you. Once you're in this position, bring your hips and butt towards the ceiling, while keeping your feet planted on the ground. It should look like an inverted V. Your feet should be hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold this position while inhales and exhale deeply, 3 times. Then return to the starting position. Repeat 9 more times, SLOWLY. Crow pose: To get into postion, start in the downward dog (inverted V position.) Bend both elbows slightly and walk your feet towards them, until your knees touch your elbows (you CAN do it. Promise!) Now, rest your knees on the OUTSIDE of your elbows/arms. Now keep your toes on the ground and bring your heels up. Tighten your abs, legs and arms. Hold this pose while you do 3 deep inhalations and exhalations. Then, relax and repeat 9 more times, s-l-o-w-l-y. Warrior Lunge. This will work your legs/butt and give you a great stretch at the same time. Stand with both feet together. Lunge forward with your right leg. Bend the right knee until it makes a 90 degree angle. Do NOT go past this 90 degree bend. Now, push your hips forward and raise both arms towards the ceiling. You'll feel a great stretch all over. Go back to the starting position. Now lunge forward with the left leg, bringing the hips as forward and down as you can, with the arms stretched upwards. Hold the lunge position for 3 deep breaths before returning to the starting position. Continue alternating until you've done 10 stretches with each leg. So now you know better. Make sure you stretch before your workouts to improve and strengthen your new range of motion, or between your workouts to feel better and improve flexibility. And when you do, throw in one or more of these basic yoga poses in there as well to increase your flexibility AND strength. And by the way ... if you're serious about taking your health and fitness to the next level, why not take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation? (an $87 value) During this consult, you'll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that's tailored to YOUR body. It's the worry and stress-free way to get fit by summertime. There's no obligation and it's totally and completely free. To sign up, click here Quote Corner There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. - Beverly Sills Eat Yourself Healthy Grilled Chicken Breast with Cucumber and Capsicum Relish (Serves Four) 1 cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1/8 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup chopped yellow capsicum 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes 1/8 teaspoon chili powder 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1. In a medium bowl, prepare the relish by mixing together the cucumber, parsley, chopped onion, capsicum and chilli flakes. Set aside. 2. In a small bowl, mix the cumin and chili powder with the olive oil. Rub the mixture onto the chicken, and place in a shallow dish. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. 3. Prepare the grill for medium heat. 4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken 8 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Serve with cucumber relish. Prep: 15 mins Cook: 15 minutes Ready: 1 hour 30 mins Amount Per Serving - Calories: 205 / Total Fat: 9.8g / Cholesterol: 67mg / Sodium: 62mg / Total Carbs: 3.2g / Dietary Fibre: 0.7g / Protein: 25.2g Recipe from AllRecipes.com. Life Active Personal and Group Training 1/58 Kippax Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Mon, 30 May 2011 20:42:06 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/life-active/24eM8/h/Life_Active_Newsletter_.htm Life Active News - October So it's October already huh? And already it's warming up to be a hot one in old Sydney town this summer! There's lots to celebrate and be ready for this October: The Commonwealth Games are well underway, amidst a little controversy over the venues (all I can say - glad I didn't make it into the team this year!). And what a spectacle! The gymnastics alone is enough to make one sign up for pay TV! Good viewing times :) In commemoration of the above, clients can expect to be introduced to gymnastic rings this month, if they haven't already. I'm still trying to source a good indoor javelin and discus, whilst I think a pommel horse made from papier mache will make for some fun. It's only weeks til summer! And pools! And beaches! Time to get into a new workout plan to be ready to hit the water :) be sure to check out the 12 week Transformation Package details online. October 16th is my next date to be presenting a topic in the Health Made Easy Program, at TBC Gym in Moore Park, Sydney. See the box below for more details, or click here to download the PDF flyer. Just working out a possible deal with Next Generation training supplements... have a look, and more news soon! Push-ups for Charity Event - this is going to be a HUGE campaign around Australia, to raise money for Make a Wish Foundation. Guess who's running the event in Surry Hills? I'm going to send out more details soon, but it's all about getting fit and making a difference to the lives of sick kids... and who wouldn't want to do that?! I'll be looking for some good folks who are willing to give me as many push ups in 90 seconds on the day as they can, or obtain sponsors to help raise funds for the cause. Keep an eye out for more emails from me in the next weeks... MORE VIDEOS! If you haven't already started checking out my new YouTube channel, it's user AGreig80. I've got 4 TRX videos up there at the moment - get viewing! If you have some video or exercise requests email me So as October heats up, get ready for some sizzling pre-summer training, supplement advice, fundraising, seminaring, videoing ... gosh I'm getting tired just thinking about it all! In the meantime, this issue I'll cover supplementing for weight loss - is it necessary and what are the things to watch out for ... and a thought on functional training - moving the way we were designed. Enjoy! Andrew www.lifeactive.com.au Supplements for fat loss The weight loss industry is rife with gimmicks, dodgy products, misleading information and fads. Whilst there are some things that definitely do work, it's important to be able to judge what is more likely to at the very least harm your wallet, if not your health... In this article, I'll take you through some essential supplements for weight loss and some things to avoid. Read more Form and function There's a move afoot to have more of your gym exercises more closely resembling natural human movements. And quite frankly, it's not such a bad way to get a quick, effective and all-over workout. In this article, you'll learn the importance of functional training and some basics that you can work into your gym routine. Read more Like this? Share it! Or forward this email to someone who would benefit from it - they can subscribe here for more tips like it. Health Made Easy This is a program I'm helping run in conjunction with a group of others around Sydney. The next seminar which introduces the program is on: Saturday 16th October, at TBC Gym in Moore Park, Sydney, at 1pm (see flyer) I'll be presenting one of the 15 minute blocks in the hour session! The afternoon covers topics on: Nutrition Exercise Mental Edge Plus an additional special interest topic. They're fun and informal, and are the face-to-face component of a program covering each of the above areas, to put you in more control of your own health at home! Let me know if you are interested in coming so I have an idea of numbers for seating arrangements :) Life Active - Andrew Greig Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:23:16 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/life-active/1I8JO/h/Life_Active_Newsletter_August.htm Life Active News Welcome to the August edition of the Life Active Newsletter! What's the go with keeping the same old routine? Winter seems like such an easy time to just stick to what is comfortable, what is known. We get to stay indoors more often; eat more, and occasionally feel justified in adding a few extra warming foods to get by (chocolate cake FYI is not a warming food, even with hot fudge). The same can happen with your gym schedule if you're not careful over these few months. Thoughts turn to holidays or time off rather than on the wonders that can be accomplished whilst everyone else is out having fudge. Yet I put it to you, simply changing something in your lifestyle routine around now can also start paying big dividends to your health goals. If you've been nose to the grind or stressed at work, make sure you're also taking some great quality time (no matter how short, even a few minutes a day helps) to do something you really enjoy doing. It's so easy to just get lost in a routine of work, home, eat, sleep, gym that you forget that life is actually about the time you're not doing those things. We certainly don't go to the gym for the sake of going to the gym, nor do we work for the sake of working. Life is what happens outside the routine that supports it. So I encourage you this month - take a moment to work out when you last made a great change that inspired you to be happy, or challenged you in a positive way. When did you last do something you enjoyed? If it's been a while, get to it this week. If you're stagnating at the gym - come see me (if you're in Sydney!) or change something around with your weights - maybe even try some cable work (see below!). August is about new beginnings! Blue skies! (sort of) Non-alcoholic cocktails! Make the most of it :) Andrew www.lifeactive.com.au Basic Supplement Guide There's a large industry that works side-by-side with the fitness, health and bodybuilding worlds. In some ways it's a lovely arrangement, a symbiosis, though at other times it seems to be more of a hindrance. I speak of course about the supplement industry. And I have a little knowledge about this, as I was once not the gracious fitness professional you now read from ... Yea, I was aligned with the dark side - I was a manager at a few supplement stores over 2 years, the culmination of many years spent prior haunting my local health food stores. In that time, and in my time in tertiary education studying metabolic biochemistry and nutrition, and in experience, I've gained a few things here and there. Thus I'd like to share with you my tips for basic supplementation. In my opinion, some supplementation is good in today's life. And probably in tomorrow's life too. Certainly yesterday would have been handy! Argue with me all you like but I don't think that we all get the full range of essential nutrients we need each and every day. There are times when we are likely to slip up, possibly need more nutrients based on energy and metabolic requirements, or aren't absorbing them properly from foods we may or may not be designed to digest. Enough chit chat though (I'll ramble more elsewhere and elsewhen!) here's the supplements I recommend to most people, especially gym goers: * Protein - the basic building block of muscle, skin, organs, cells. We need roughly 1.4-2g protein per kilogram of bodyweight each day, to repair and replenish what we have. In order to reach that daily total it is often handy to supplement with a protein powder. I suggest a Whey Protein Concentrate or Isolate. I think it's important to actually like the taste, consistency and mixability. I quite like unflavoured proteins but that's after 3 years of the stuff (and 12 years of flavoured ones, yeesh). Usage - generally, follow serving size on the instructions. You want about 20-30 g total protein both before and after an hour weights workout. It's important not to overdo protein - more than 2g/kg bodyweight per day is unnecessary. Timing of protein intake is more important - ensure that you have a little protein every few hours throughout the day (like 10-15g at breakfast, midmorning, lunch etc) from natural food sources, and the extra servings before and after weights workouts. * Multivitamin - Consider it as insurance for the fact that you might not just eat perfectly each day. In my mind, I believe it's easier for your body to discard excess of some essential nutrient than it is to try and create it if it's lacking. There's many arguments that say that a properly balanced diet should be enough and supplements are expensive urine and blah blah blah. No. Unless you eat 5+servings organic veggies, organic meats, fruits and dairy daily you're probably not going to get everything. There are different strength multis available out there - good ones are Swisse, GNC Mega Men, Tresos B as they have good levels of B vitamins and a range of minerals. * Omega-3 s - these are the latest catchcry in food manufacturing, being shoved in bread, cereals and milk. Why bother? A fish oil (or chia/flax/walnut oil if you're anti-fish) capsule or 3 per day will provide a goodly amount of this essential fatty acid. Generally, an imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids leads to greater levels of inflammation in the body. Today we get stacks of omega-6's (from just about all vegetable oils) and relatively few omega-3s. A better balance between the two brings down inflammation, which is good for skin, eyes, brain function, weight management, cholesterol management and blood pressure. Not bad huh? PS Don't forget to check out the Nutrition Guide that goes with this on my website : http://www.lifeactive.com.au/articles/Nutrition guidelines.shtml Able cables The exercise and movement challenge for the month is to find ways to utilise the humble cable into your workout. Or exercise tubing/band if you're short of cables at the gym or home. Or TRX if you are lucky enough to have a trainer that forces you to hang off one :) Cable chest and shoulder exercises can be a safe alternative to dumbbell or barbell exercises that often put heavy weights overhead or over chest. In addition, you get an extra natural movement of your shoulder complex when it's not pressed against a bench. This comes in handy in shoulder rehab or developing strength/speed in a weak shoulder. Let me know of some interesting exercises you've used or can demonstrate using cables in your workout - I'll put some suggestions in next newsletter! Like this? Share it! Or forward this email tip to someone who would benefit from it - they can subscribe here for more tips like it. New Training Spaces! Having moved closer to my primary gym I'm happy to announce that I now have more spaces available for training! If you, or someone that you know are: * Curious about starting training * Interested in losing fat * Unsure about the best way to train to meet your goals * Unsure about your goals at all :) * Looking to add some muscle * Interested in freshening up your routine Either drop me a line, or send this newsletter to them and get them to contact me. For existing clients there's an added bonus that if you refer someone that sticks around you'll get some freebies - just ask me! At the moment I have available slots during the day and some evenings Tues - Fri and some on Sat morning / arvo. Contact: http://www.lifeactive.com.au/contact/index.shtml Life Active - Andrew Greig Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:59:03 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/life-active/tToW/h/Life_Active_Newsletter_July.htm Life Active News Welcome to the July edition of the Life Active Newsletter! And here we are in the beginning of winter. Apologies for the lateness of the news but moving premises and not having internet access has unfortunately gotten in the way this month... July is not only the perfect time to stay indoors and try some revitalising mixed berry mulled wine (alcohol optional), or fly off to warmer climes, but the best time to focus on your own superhealth goals. So what is superhealth? I define it as existing at the peak of your own experience, far beyond simply being not sick. It's that sense of physical (and subsequent mental/emotional) wellbeing that you get when you know you can do pretty much anything you could want to achieve physically. When the feeling of energy and strength just lets you feel nearly invincible. It's a nice feeling and we generally do get glimpses of it - often when things align with your mental state, like walking through a peaceful forest or completing a race or physical challenge successfully. I believe that that can, with our current knowledge, become much more the norm in our experience. With more facilities for activity, science behind nutrition and exercise, and far more available RestandRelax time, superhealth is within all our grasps! I'll be covering over future newsletters one particular model I developed over a few years to guide the quest towards maintaining fantastic physical wellbeing. It's nothing extraordinary, there's no magic to it - just a little work each day towards feeling great for decades, using only what we have available to us as individuals. I call it the SHARPEN model, and it stands for Sleep - Hygiene - Awareness - RestandRelaxation - Posture - Exercise - Nutrition Now it's pretty much that simple, though I have got a set of assessments and guides for each :) This issue though - some advice about keeping up your immune system, and reassessing the bench press. Andrew Winter immunity As the chills arrive this July, it's important to keep your immune system in tip top shape, not only to keep yourself in 100% condition for work and training, but more importantly so that you don't miss a beat of potential fun in life! Your immunity is modulated by a number of bodily defense mechanisms, ranging from secretory oozes, proteins that swim throughout your blood stream, to whole cell armies that co-ordinate anti-invader warfare like a surgical strike. It's also a system that is very delicately effected by other hormones in your system, notably the ones that control stress (including that kind of environmental stress caused by too little sleep and bad diet). Ever notice how you always seem to get sick when you can least afford to? At the completion of a big project, or at the beginning of a holiday or weekend. It's your body dealing with the after-effects of you overtaxing your system to achieve something, whilst leaving your health behind. Thankfully there are a number of things that you can do to beat the lurgy this winter and keep your immune system in as great a shape as you. 1. Get plenty of rest This is obvious, and a regular feature of my tips lists! Let's remember that I don't mean just sleep here. Unless you're taking some time regularly to just have fun - whether it's reading, writing, painting, socialising, or playing video games - you're draining your life battery. Fun is really a recharge mechanism. Laughing is a physical action that has a major effect on all those stress hormones, in addition to being a reflection of a happier inner state. Whack on a fave dvd when you're feeling low or sluggish and wait for the feelgood to arrive! 2. Moderate exercise Yup you guessed it - exercise is great for just about everything! Regular, moderate exercise (both cardio and strength work) is proven to boost your immunity in the long run. How it does it is not quite certain, but there's definitely a benefit to the increased blood flow which can stimulate movement of those immune blood proteins and cells. When you are sick however, moderate exercise can take a break - see rule 1 above. Only then though! Cold and wet outside is not an excuse to not keep moving! 3. Supplements and nutrition There are a few natural food medicines that can help your immune system. * Yoghurt or probiotic supplements - these help improve levels of good digestive bacteria, in turn having a beneficial effect on disease resistance, digestion and weight control. * Mushrooms - these have their own 'magic' in terms of boosting your immunity. Shiitake and reishii are naturopathic remedies to aid an ailing immune system, available in either the whole or supplement form. * Zinc and vitamin C - two supplements that can help boost your immune system. Either taken in tab/capsule form, or from natural sources like citrus fruits and berries (Vit C) or red meat / shellfish (zinc) Benching the bench press The bench press is one of the best mass-building exercises for your chest, hands-down. Nothing beats the amount of weight you can heft with both arms simultaneously pushing on a bar, which in turn leads to the biggest gains. It's not however the most spectacular exercise for shoulder health, especially when done incorrectly, too frequently over too long a time, or with poor strength balance around the shoulder joint. * Every year it's suggested to take at least 6-12 weeks off the bench press, if you've been doing it for more than a year already, to let the soft tissues fully recover. * Shoulder blade position (I hear clients groaning from here) plays a big role in how healthy this exercise is for your shoulders. In early phases it's best to train yourself to keep your shoulder blades at least partially retracted (ie squeezed together behind your back) whilst benching, to lengthen out tight chest muscles and teach the movement. Once this is learned, it is far more beneficial to allow more complete movement of the shoulder/shoulder blade/arm complex when lifting. The bones and muscles around the shoulder were designed to allow co-ordination in both pulling and pushing actions, and long-term scapula retraction will end up leading to increased chance of injury. Cables, incline presses, push-ups and single hand dumbbells all allow this co-ordination and should replace bench pressing at least one week out of 6.* The muscles that move the clavicle/scapula/humerus (the three bones that articulate to form the shoulder) should be kept in relative strength balance. Charles Poliquin, a famous strength coach, developed a picture of the ideal strength ratios around the shoulder joint. For example, if you can bench press 100kg, you should be able to do 8 behind-the-neck shoulder presses with about 67kg, or single-arm shoulder press with 29kg each hand, for about 8 reps. Being out of balance around the shoulder joint is again more likely to lead to damage, pain or injury. Like this? Share it! Or forward this email tip to someone who would benefit from it - they can subscribe here for more tips like it. Sydney seminars Within the next month or so I will be running some mini seminars on peak health, how to use gyms to achieve your goals, supplements and nutrition etc. These will be mostly in the Surry Hills area - some at Golds Gym, and others I haven't found the venue for yet! I shall keep you posted, though if you are interested in attending, or know anyone who would like to come along (they're only planned to be short - 20 mins for the gym-based ones, up to 45 mins for the health made easy ones) drop me an email! Life Active - Andrew Greig Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:17:07 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/life-active/18.WO/h/Life_Active_Newsletter_June.htm Life Active News Welcome to the June edition of the Life Active Newsletter! And what an eventful May it was! There was a fitness conference and the delight of torturing .. I mean, trialling new exercises and routines upon both myself, friends and clients... It was the first comfortably cool time to be training outside, with even a few deluges to keep us on our toes (hopefully not on asses from the slippery streets, I may have had an experience like that hmmmmm). And quite frankly, it just was, like all months that pass, the best one to date! Okay annoyingly cheerful banter aside - June sees us Southerners coming into the cooler and darker months as the sun slowly abandons us. Thankfully it is said that Australia really only has 2 months of winter (and 6 of summer, hooray!) so it's only a mild blip on the mercury coming up. Still - enough to warrant my TOP TIPS for staying in shape. For those in the Northern hemisphere - love you all too! - you will just have to keep this list handy for when you start getting the cold again in ... what, 3 months ? :) A word this month on squatting and lunging with (shock horror!) knees travelling past the toes ; TRX is all I want for Christmas (every year for life) ; and of course my top tips for the month. Happy reading! Andrew The suspense is killing you! .. I mean, me! For those who haven't seen me in the last month let me just catch you up on a little device I finally procured at the Filex conference last month. If I could legally marry a TRX suspension trainer - by jiminy I still don't quite think I would (although with all those straps and stirrups .. hmmm). Quite simply, the TRX I believe is the bee's knees when it comes to reaching all those hard-to-train nooks and crannies - and hit the core and stabilising structures hard. For those who haven't seen it, it's basically a seatbelt with handles, that you throw over a high bar or branch. From here, you can perform an alarming number of exercises, targeting just about every muscle in the body. The resistance comes from your bodyweight, angle of lean, and base of support on the ground. I recently recorded a video about using the TRX which I'll post on the website soon. Suffice to say my core has never been stronger, nor the hard-to-target muscles of the shoulders, front of shins and ankles been in better shape! Top Ten Tips to stay in shape this Winter! 1. Buddy up Grab a friend, partner or even work colleague who's interested in keeping off the bulge binge this winter. Having someone you're accountable to helps keep motivation high, and for those with a competitive streak that extra challenge goes a long way! Just no early morning cancellation texts otherwise you may soon find your exercise buddy trades you in for a zippier more reliable model! 2. Prepare for the cold but take advantage of it Exercise is so much easier in cooler environments - and winter is certainly some of the coolest environment you'll get all year! It's actually much more pleasant working out, outdoors during winter and autumn than in midsummer for example, and you'll be able to work harder and burn more calories as body heat dissipates faster (gyms are supposed to be airconditioned for this very reason). The biggest hurdle is usually just getting to the starting line. Remember to layer, wearing your warm stuff up until a good 10 minutes into your exercise - by that time you're already warm and raring to go. You never really have to go cold if you prepare with the right clothing. 3. Keep your summer schedule Guess what ? Nothing about the number of hours in your week has changed, so why should your summer activity schedule? Just 'cause there's a little more cool in the air and a little less light at the beginning and end of the day... 4. Buy a men's fitness or health magazine Something pictorial, possibly even from the opposite hemisphere, with tips on keeping fit and healthy. Keeping positive images of healthy active men and women around works wonders for subconscious motivation - just make sure you read the articles! 5. Soups and stews Oh yes, there's nothing better than tucking into a hearty, warming liquid meal at the end of a cold day. There's also no better opportunity to load up these slurp-fests with veggies, low-calorie stock, and tender cuts of lean meat. Soups, stews and casseroles done well, with minimal fat and light on the carbs, are the bee's knees when it comes to filling up on what are then very low-calorie dinners - the ultimate in keeping lean this winter (just no desserts!). 6. Weights keep you warm Ok so this is a bit more of a stretch but bear with me here! Of all exercise types, resistance training (weights) which is intense enough to build muscle, keeps your metabolism up the longest afterwards. Higher metabolism means more calories burned, which goes along with heat generation in your body - hence ... well ok just do some weight training! 7. Great sleep Oh gone are the sleepless toss-and-turn basting-in-your-own-juices summer nights! Hello cool rooms, snuggling and heaters, and plenty of darkness. As I mentioned last newsletter, sleep is best when it's regular, plentiful, in near-complete darkness, and temperature-controlled. Winter is the ultimate time for these elements, so get snoozing! People who are better-rested tend to eat less, exercise harder, are less stressed and feel generally happier through the day. 8. The great indoors There's a wealth of reasons to stay indoors when it's cold and wet out (well ok those are the two main reasons) - but what better way to spend that time than in any number of active indoor activites? Gyms, sports centres, indoor rock climbing, large-scale window-shopping, pilates and yoga are all great sources of indoor, sheltered, and active pursuits. Most have parking too, so there really is no excuse no matter what the weather or temperature outside! 9. It (sometimes) takes two Speaking of indoor activities, there's one that's particularly enjoyable especially with all the indoors-ness and snuggling-ness in front of warm fires or under warm doonas. No, it's not crocheting. Sex is a physical activity all in itself - putting in the effort pays off! (Though please, no vulgarity here). With variations of intensity, duration, frequency and type of activity, you burn off significant calories whilst boosting a whole plethora of mood-enhancing hormones and switching on some key fat-burning ones (like testosterone). 10. Just do it Not just a slogan, a simple wake-up call - winter ain't the devastatingly, old-person-freezingly cold, nothing-but-animal-pelt-to-keep-me-warm kind of occasion that our ancestors used to face. They could get away with excuses like "it's too cold out" or "if I don't stay in bed I'll get hypothermia", or "a saber-tooth tiger ate my foot". You, with your warm clothes, ample transport and safe, climate controlled home and exercise environments, have none. So nyahhh... Beyond the squat Yes it's true - you can actually take your knees beyond your toes when lowering into either a squat or a lunge! Whilst this may seem less revolutionary than learning that Britney Spears occasionally mimes a live performance, in my world this information pretty much rocked it. In PT school and gyms across my lifespan there has always been a proviso that split squats (stationary lunges) and squats were to be done focusing on moving hips backwards to limit forward movement of the knees. Whilst this may be good starting advice to most novices who perhaps aren't cleared by an exercise professional to be able to perform knees-forward squats. it's not the rule for more experienced lifters. In fact, if you are cleared to be able to do them (based on ankle and lower back flexibility, pain, joint problems etc), knees-forward squats and lunges when done properly can: * Balance muscle function around the hips, knees and ankles; * improve ankle and hip flexibility; * improve knee condition by allowing full loading and unloading of the joint; * strengthen the whole lower body more effectively' * develop better co-ordination between muscle groups, improving day-to-day activities like walking up stairs and lifting things. Consideration needs to be given to taking the knee securely forward over the second toe, keeping the bodyweight centred over the whole foot, keeping heels pressed into the ground, and to not let it wobble as it moves into full flexion. Life Active - Andrew Greig Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:06:05 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/life-active/P20f/h/Life_Active_Newsletter_May.htm Life Active News Welcome to the May edition of the Life Active Newsletter! And how the weather is finally favouring us with a little bit of cool! It's the perfect time to refluff the old doona and get snuggly at night for a more restful sleep. And to do a little outdoors brisk walking to burn off some extra calories and see the beauty of the change in season. Even the tree outside my window has flamed into a red-yellow in the last week! As we come into the cooler months I'll go over some of the eating guidelines that will help keep away the winter bulge - and form the basis for how I look at food diaries! As many of you know I took some time off last week to start writing a new book. Whilst I haven't figured out a title yet (and let's face it, the text is still a good while off finishing!) it's been a great chance for me to reflect on some of what makes a person truly healthy, disease-proof and energy-rich. I'll keep you posted on the progress of the book! Finally, with the excitement of the recent FILEX conference last Friday Saturday and Sunday, I'm bursting with new ideas (that I still haven't quite gotten my head around yet being only Monday morning!). I'll share some of those below and in a new blog. » Getting a good night! Now's the perfect time to get your bedroom ready for the cold nights coming, and make the most out of your current sleep. Sleep is a natural process that is designed to revitalise and refresh both body and mind. We are programmed to get tired when the sun goes down, and wake up fully refreshed when the sun comes up - the way we have for thousands of years. Whilst the lightbulb, late night TV, shift work and all-night entertainment have allowed us to stay up longer, it's not always better as our sleep is now often cut short - or worse yet, doesn't revitalise us fully. Here's a couple of tips to get you sleeping better: Get your bedroom as close to pitch black when you finally turn off your lights to sleep; Unwind in the last hour before bed. Dim the lights, read a few pages of an inspirational or favourite book, make a warm cup of milk - something you can repeat regularly that helps your mind recognise that you are about to sleep; Take the TV out of the bedroom. Your bedroom should ideally be only used for sleep and, well, intimacy! Get 8 hours each night, and make up for shortfalls when you can. There really is nothing better than ensuring enough sleep each night and unfortunately less than 7-8 hours just doesn't cut it in the long run. » Nutrition guides Click to see full guidelines Deciding what to eat is often hard enough using the current Food Pyramid guidelines - without having to think about When to eat; or Which diet is the best. There really is no one particular diet (South Beach, Atkins, Zone, Mediterranean, CSIRO Total Wellbeing etc) that I would recommend all the time - it really depends on your current goals and circumstances. Low-carb diets are great for faster fat-loss when done well, but can often be hard to follow over a year. Low-fat diets can also work to help lose weight, when coupled with some good levels of cardio exercise. The Mediterranean-style diet (lots of fresh vegetables and vegetable oils, fish, some wholegrains, fruit and nuts) is often regarded as a good, tasty long-term guide for eating. As part of my education in metabolic biochemistry and sports nutrition, and experience working with nutritionists and dietitians, there's a few guidelines I generally follow, and use to assess how other diets are structured: * Eating every 3-4 hours; * A small amount (10-15g) of protein each meal; * Plenty of veggies - greens, reds, yellows. The more salad, variety and cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower etc) the better; * Dinner is the smallest meal of the day / low in carbohydrate; * Some fruit each day, no more than 3 serves; * Avoid fruit juices, soft drinks; * Alcohol - no more than 2 drinks per day and ideally 3+ alcohol free days per week; * Have a small handful each of: mixed raw nuts and berries each day or every second day; * Fish 3 times per week or fish oil supplements daily; ... There are others available on my website - print them out and keep them handy. FILEX conference This was THE big event on the fitness industry calendar - the FILEX fitness industry conference, running on April 30, May 1 and May 2 2010. Covering everything imaginable in the industry - gym operators, personal trainers, fitness, group and aqua instruction, mind/body and nutrition - this was 3 full-on days to remember!! Well hopefully remember as much as I can ! I'm still reviewing my notes and hoping to suck as much out of the amazing experience that it was! You'll get to hear more about the conference in upcoming Blogs and training sessions :) Life Active - Andrew Greig Tue, 11 May 2010 22:22:11 -0400