Health & Fitness

Did you know?

An all-round fitness program should include a combination of strength training, aerobic activity and stretching.

If you eat more protein it will satisfy your hunger faster than fats or carbohydrates. It can also help you burn more kilojoules than a high-carb diet. To up your protein, eat dairy, eggs, chicken, fish, tofu and nuts.

Drink water at room temperature so it’s faster to absorb - before, during and after you exercise.

Want to know why not getting enough sleep could mean you put on weight? Sleep shortage produces a hormone that makes you feel hungry.

Want more reasons to nod off? Sleeping produces a growth hormone that prevents glucose being stored as fat.

We know you’ve heard ‘eat breakfast’ enough before and here are 4 reasons why…
It boosts your metabolism, ups your intake of essential nutrients, improves your concentration and lessens your chances of overeating during the day.

Is eating before you exercise a good idea? Sure is - it increases your metabolism so you'll feel more energetic and can exercise with more intensity for longer.

Just as important as exercise is the need to switch off your mind. You can slow down your thoughts by getting away from all distractions and focusing on your body and surroundings. When your mind is focused on the present, your thoughts automatically slow down.

Strength training can help you avoid bone and joint injuries, increase your lean body mass, raise your metabolic rate, manage your weight, delay the effects of ageing and shape your muscles.

A kilo of muscle will burn 50 to 100 calories a day at rest, whereas a kilo of fat uses up only about 5 to 7 calories a day.

Need more reasons to strength train? Here are some tips:

• Gradually increase the weight you use and the number of repetitions on each muscle
• When lifting a weight, breathe continuously throughout the movement — don’t hold your breath
• Always control the movement - take 2 seconds to lift, pause for 1 second, then lower for 4 seconds
• Concentrate on maintaining good form — use a mirror to check your body alignment
• Limit strength-training sessions to one hour at a time
• Don’t strength train on consecutive days unless you work different muscle groups in each session, e.g. arms on Monday, legs on Tuesday…
• The goal is to work specific muscles to fatigue then rest them for at least 2 days
• You can achieve good results with just 2 strength-training sessions a week
• Cool down after strength-training with an easy walk or cycle for 2 to 3 minutes, followed by 5 to 10 minutes of stretching

The good fats you should be eating are polyunsaturated for a healthy heart and monounsaturated to boost your immune system. Saturated fats are the ones to avoid.

Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower and safflower oils, walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, oily fish and pumpkin seeds. Monounsaturated fats are in olive and canola oils, peanuts, cashews, almonds, peanut butter and avocados. Saturated fats to avoid are in foods like butter, coconut oil, meat fat, poultry skin, cheese, ice cream, full-cream milk, biscuits, cakes and pastries.

Why does exercise make you feel so good? It’s the healthiest way to boost your mood because it stimulates the release of endorphins – ‘feel good’ chemicals produced in the brain. It’s also a distraction from your worries and helps release anger, fear, sadness and other emotions that get trapped inside the body and need an outlet. That’s why a workout can help you feel more grounded, free and balanced.

What is anti-ageing and how can exercising help you age successfully? When you reach the age of 30, your muscle mass, bone mass, aerobic fitness and flexibility start to decline by around 1 per cent a year. After 60, the decline increases to around 10 to 15 per cent every decade. Industry experts say after 30 it is only possible to improve around half the loss with exercise.

If you want to enjoy quality of life and age successfully, it is important to make contributions to your own health fund before the age of 30. From 30 to 60 you can make voluntary contributions. After 60, you can maintain what you have.

How much exercise is enough? The Heart Foundation recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise at moderate intensity most days of the week. Other health authorities tell us we need at least 60 minutes a day.

Remember to warm up for 5 to 10 minutes and stretch before strength training and aerobic exercise. Always warm down and stretch again after exercising.