New Year Resolutions!

NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM DAVID ARCHIBALD

Firstly may I wish every member a healthy, happy and prosperous 2008. May I also thank each of you for your support over the past 6 months. . It is very much appreciated, particularly as we have had some unique challenges to overcome.

Personally this year I have been reminded that good health is a gift and we have a responsibility to ourselves to do whatever we can to promote our own health as a cornerstone of a happy rewarding life..

At time our regular exercise/training program is interrupted for one reason or another and we may feel discouraged and lose motivation to put in the ‘hard yards’ that we know will be good for us. I would like to encourage anyone who is feeling this way that it really is worth the effort, take that first step to get back into a regular exercise program. .Group Fitness classes and Personal Training are great options to help restore the motivation and discipline necessary to achieve our goals.

Having put on an extra kilo or 2 over the festive season I am reminded of 2 facts

1) Virtually none of us in today’s world gets enough physical exercise from our normal daily activities .

2) The long term benefits of a modest amount of regular exercise involving cardio-vascular and resistance training are definite and substantial . As little as 2-3 sessions a week can provide most of the health benefits. ( A summary of some recent research is available below – ‘4 changes that add 14 yrs’).

I have one New Years resolution

get back into training ! – looking forward to seeing you in the gym

David

Tuesday, Jan. 08, 2008

Healthy Habits May Give 14 Years

By AP/MARIA CHENG

(LONDON) — To get an extra 14 years of life, don't smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in moderation.

That is according to a study published Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal.

After tracking more than 20,000 people aged 45 to 79 years in the United Kingdom from about 1993 to 2006, Kay-Tee Khaw of the University of Cambridge and colleagues found that people who adopted these four healthy habits lived an average of 14 years longer than those who didn't.

"Just doing one of these behaviors helps, but every step you make to improve your health seems to have an added benefit," she said. The benefits were also seen regardless of whether or not people were fat and what social class they came from.

Study participants scored a point each for not smoking, regular physical activity, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate alcohol intake. People who scored four were four times less likely to die than those who scored zero. Researchers tracked deaths from all causes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory diseases.

Khaw said that the study should convince people that improving their health does not always require extreme changes to their lifestyles. "We didn't ask these people to do anything exceptional," Khaw said. We measured normal behaviors that were entirely feasible within people's normal, everyday lives."

This research is an important piece of work which emphasizes how modifying just a few risk factors can add years to your life," said Dr. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization.

New Year Resolutions!

DateFriday 18 Jan 2008 - Monday 18 Feb 2008

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