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March 9, 2011

New Research in regard to Pre-Exercise Stretching

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — starfitness @ 8:41 pm

A recent article from the Australian Fitness Network has opened debate on whether stretching before exercise makes a difference in relation to preventing injury.

Below is some of what was written.

“A US study has concluded that pre-exercise stretching neither increases nor decreases the risk of injury for runners.

The study, led by Daniel Pereles, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon from Montgomery Orthopedics, Washington, DC compared a group of runners who stretched with a group which didn’t.

The stretch group of 1,366 runners who ran at least 16km each week were assigned a series of stretches to the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius/soleus muscles, which were performed just prior to running. The control group of 1,363 runners did no pre-exercise stretching.

No correlation was found between stretching and either preventing or causing injury, suggesting that if injury occurs, it does so because of other reasons, namely; a history of injury; higher BMI (body mass index); or suddenly switching pre-running stretch routine (i.e. those who usually stretched pre-exercise stopping stretching for the study duration, and vice versa). This last reason was interesting as it suggests that the sudden change of routine has more of impact than the actual routine itself.

Pereles said, ‘As a runner myself, I thought stretching before a run would help to prevent injury. However, we found that the risk for injury was the same for men and women, whether or not they were high or low mileage runners, and across all age groups. But, the more mileage run or the heavier and older the runner was, the more likely he or she was to get injured, and previous injury within four months predisposed to even further injury’.

So, there you go. Maybe time to throw away the stretching chart and get stuck straight into your exercise routine!

My advice is to continue doing the routine you are currently doing – if you stretch before a workout and have not had any problems, then continue on this path. If you are not a massive fan of stretching and have had no issues, then I see no problem in staying consistent in this routine.

March 2, 2011

10 Exercise Myths Exposed!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — starfitness @ 10:09 pm

Exposing 10 Myths that may be holding you back from your true potential!

1. Sweating will get you fitter faster

While sweating does make your heart work harder and does burn more calories, it does so at the risk of injury. So, in actual fact, instead of aiming for a sweat-dripping workout you should try to avoid excessive sweating when exercising. Why? Because the energy required to cool the body comes from the sweat glands, which lie just underneath the skin. Metabolic energy is used to secrete sweat, and the more energy that is drained from the body in the form of sweat, the less that is left over for your muscles and other bodily functions. Therefore, the more you sweat, the less effective your muscles become, and the less effective your workout is.

2. No pain, no gain

Minor aches and pains are to be expected when exercising, especially if your body’s not used to physical exertion, but the pain should not be unbearable. Remember, pain is your body’s way of telling you that something’s not quite right, and this is a cue for you to stop what you’re doing.

3. Never drink water while exercising

Wrong! You should always top up your water supplies while exercising, and if you feel like you’ve lost water you should replace it immediately. This is important because the cells in your body rely on circulation for energy and to get rid of waste. But when you become dehydrated the fluids surrounding the cells begin to disappear — these cells then struggle to perform properly until this fluid is restored. When this happens, your muscles find it hard to keep up and as a result you heart bears the strain.

4. Eating food late at night will make you fat

The logic with this one is that if you eat late at night your body will store more fats as you’re not burning it off with any activity. However, a study by the UK’s Dunn Human Nutrition Unit suggests otherwise. They found that eating a large meal at night did not make the body store more fat; rather it’s the total amount of food eaten over a 24-hour period that’s significant.

5. Potatoes are the dieter’s enemy

Eating carbs was once a big no-no in dieting terms, but we now know that the likes of potatoes, rice and pasta are the body’s preferred energy source. In order to actually gain weight, however, you need to regularly eat more energy than your body requires — and this is hard to do by eating carbs alone.

6. It’s okay to skip breakfast

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day — when you’ve been sleeping for eight hours your body needs to ‘break’ the fast in order to properly function. And although those who do skip their Weetbix are able to catch up on their energy requirements later on in the day, they’re unlikely to get all of the vitamins and minerals that breakfast can supply.

7. Bananas are a good source of potassium, fibre and energy

This is true, however there remains some debate regarding whether or not bananas are have a high glycemic index value, which spikes blood sugar and disrupts long-term energy levels. If you’re looking for an alternative, celery contains more potassium and Chinese wolfberries are a better, more balanced form of energy and nutrition, as well as a host of other vitamins.

8. Caffeinated drinks are a good source of energy

Energy drinks may give drinkers a super-sized zap of instant energy, but reports suggest they’re also linked to nausea and abnormal heart rhythms.

9. Afternoon sugar fixes will see you through the 3pm slump

It’s true that sugar provides a sudden spike in blood sugar, which will make you feel instantly energised, but the flipside is that after an hour or so your energy levels will plummet and you’ll be left feeling sluggish. Sugary snacks “set the body up on a yo-yo,” says US-based nutritionist Kristen Schiener. “You’ll experience a surge of energy but then everything crashes.”

10. Broken sleep will put you in a bad mood

Actually, the opposite is true — if you’re woken by bright sunlight, that is. Recent research suggests exposure to bright light early in the day can increase energy for the rest of the day, this is thought to be due to the fact that light stimulates neurotransmitters in the brain, which in turn improve mood and motivation.

February 23, 2011

THANKYOU STAR!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — starfitness @ 7:45 pm

It is human nature to remember negatives and forget the positives. I thought i’d change that philosophy by writing about some of the good things our members have to say about us!

Dave Jones
To Michael, Lauren and all the staff @ STAR FITNESS.

I want to pass on my thanks to you all for being such friendly, encouraging and highly motivated staff. It was always an uplifting experience attending your gym.

My programs arranged by Lauren and then Michael resulted in me acheiving my goals (especially Michael’s effort regime at the end of each session).

Keep up the great work!

“I would like to thank you for getting me on the straight and narrow. Two wonderful things happened today and if it wasn’t for Star Fitness I wouldn’t be feeling so fantastic.

First I had a very tight deadline to deliver work and the only way I was going to meet it was to run and run I did and made the deadline. Before I started at Star I wouldn’t have been able to do that.
Second, had a check up with the doctor and she is extremely pleased with all my blood results – everything that needed to reduce has done so and of course weight has come off.

The exercise program I was doing prior to Star wasn’t giving me what I needed but at least it made me aware that I could commit to exercise and with all the wonderful staff and environment at Star it is so easy to be motivated.

A HUGE thank you to you all.”

Rhonda Bell

Thanks to all of our wonderful members! We look forward to many more positive stories in the months to come.

February 16, 2011

Transform your body in 3 easy steps!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — starfitness @ 9:52 pm

So, you have decided to join the gym and make a commitment to health and fitness. The mind is willing, the body is able, but where do you start?

Here are 3 things you must do to ensure you stay on the straight and narrow.

1. Overhaul your diet. This means ensuring you have breakfast. Try to increase the fibre in your diet by eating muesli, porridge or oats in the morning. A quick fruit salad with yoghurt or wholegrain toast with avocado or almond butter are other options.

For convenience, always having healthy snacks on hand will ensure you do not get tempted by faster, less healthy options. Dried fruit, yoghurt, and raw nuts are all easy to eat snacks that can be kept in the office or around the house.

For lunch and dinner, ensure you control your portions. A palmful of meat, chicken, or fish, fistful of carbs such as rice or pasta and a double fist of salad and veggies is the perfect way to compliment your new training regime.

2. Increase your cardio fitness. Move as much as you can. This sounds simple, but so many people will try to find the closest car park they can so they are not inconvenienced when going to the shops. Take the opportunity to burn more calories by parking further from the shops, walking to nearby appointments and making a concerted effort to keep moving. At least 5 sessions of cardio per week is the minimum you will need for optimum health and fitness.

3. Do your weights! This will not only keep you strong, but will help increase your metabolic rate. This means you will burn calories faster and reach your goals a lot quicker. Aim for at least 2 sessions per week with at least a few days recovery in between.

Good luck!

February 9, 2011

Creating the perfect balance – Acidity vs Alkalinity

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , — starfitness @ 8:45 pm

The reduction of toxins in your body is a key factor in weight loss. Recent debate regarding the acidity in foods has led to many health professionals bestowing the virtues of alkalinity. This is the neutralization of acids in the body and is seen by many as essential to good health. Creating a balance between the acidity and alkalinity in food may just be the key ingredient in helping us discover the most essential factors in looking and feeling great.

Foods are classified as acid-forming or alkalizing depending on the effect they have on the body. An article, “PHinding the Right Balance”, outlines some common misconceptions about what foods are actually acidic, “It is important to note that this classification is based on the effect foods have on the body after digestion, not on their own intrinsic acidity or alkalinity (or how they taste to us). A common misconception is that if a food tastes acidic, it has an acid-forming effect on the body. This is not necessarily true. Very often, an acidic-tasting food is alkalizing. Citric fruits are a good example. People say that lemons, for example, are “too acidic”; however, they are actually alkalizing because the minerals they leave behind after digestion help remove hydrogen ions, decreasing the acidity of the body.”
Another misconception is that acid-forming foods are “bad.” This is not correct; acidity and alkalinity are opposites and one is not intrinsically better than the other. This misconception has developed because most Western diets are excessively acidic, which does result in health problems. Problems such as high cholesterol, heart issues and many arthritic diseases can be put down to to acidosis, or over-acidity in the body tissues. This destroys bones and cell metabolism as alkalizing minerals are used to drop blood PH back to a healthy acid range. Dr. Mary Ruth Swope, comments, “We have become too full of acid and, as a result, are experiencing a wide range of diseases that flourish in the acid medium.” Other symptoms of an unbalanced pH include heartburn (a burning sensation in the stomach and acid-tasting burps), bloating, belching, and feeling full after eating small amounts of food.
So, how do we reduce the acidity in the body and what foods should we eat to maintain the correct acidity-alkalinity balance. The first step is to cleanse your system of all the toxins that are preventing it from working to its optimum. I suggest a good liver cleanser and getting rid of as much processed food from your diet as you can. Foods high in alkalinity include:
• apples
• grapefruit
• oranges
• pineapple
• raisins
• nectarines
• blackberries
• dates
• broccoli
• carrots
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• celery
• eggplant
• mushrooms
• squash
• turnips
Try to stick to a ratio of 80/20, that is, 80% of foods in your diet should by alkaline and 20% acidic. This is especially important if you exercise. Incorporating these foods will not only get you looking better, but will also get you feeling fantastic.

February 2, 2011

Strategies to overcome that weight loss FLATLINE!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — starfitness @ 7:32 pm

You’ve been eating fewer Kj’S, you see your trainer more than your best mate and you’re definitely trimmer. But now it seems you couldn’t lose a kilo unless you cut your arm off! You’ve hit the dreaded plateau. “At a certain point, usually after losing about 10% of your weight, you may have to tweak your diet and exercise to jump-start your body”, says Dr. Susan Mitchell, dietitian and author of Fat is Not Your Fate.

Here are some strategies to consider when your weight starts to FLATLINE!

Eating for your “old” weight –Yeah, losing mass means you look better in your low-riders, but it also means there’s less of you to burn kilojoules. It’s a cruel truth; your basal metabolic rate (BMR) – the number of kilojoules your body needs to exist – gets lower as you get littler. Keep eating for your old weight and you’re going to hit a wall. As the number scale goes down, so too must your food intake. To (roughly) figure out your BMR, multiply your current weight by 101.32 to get your basic kilojoules needs (how much your body burns just by existing). Now multiply your BMR by 1.2 and voila, you’ve got the average number of kilojoules your body burns per day when you factor in normal activities (on days you do an hour of moderate to intense exercise, add another 1250 to 1200kJ), Once you have your final number, shave off 2100 to find out how many kilojoules you need to eat to lose half a kilo a week, or 1250 to lose a kilo a month. Just don’t ever go below 5025kJ a day or you’ll run into the problem below.

Overtraining –So you’ve amped up your workout. Great! Now you have to give your body time to recover. If you don’t schedule any downtime, the kilos won’t budge. “When you’re sore after a workout, it’s because you’ve torn the muscle fibre,” explains Angela Corcoran, a personal trainer. “When you rest, the muscle fibre has a chance to heal and comes back more effectively. This drives up metabolism, so you burn more kilojoules at rest.” Take a day off! Cassandra Forsythe, a nutritionist and exercise scientist at the University of Connecticut in the US, suggests working out two consecutive days followed by a day of rest, taking no more than three days off in a row. (You’ve been warned.)

You could work out in your sleep – Been repeating the same moves since New Year’s? “To grow more muscle and keep your metabolic rate high, you have to damage the muscle a little by challenging your body with a different workout,” Forsythe says. If you’re a treadmill rat, get on the elliptical or bike. If you’re hell-bent on the treadmill, up the intensity (by adjusting the speed or incline) every other minute, or work up to a longer run, adding a kilometer every couple of weeks. In the weights room, forget those 15 reps you usually do with a 2kg dumbbell: “Decrease the reps and increase the weight, using one you can lift only 5 to 8 times,” Forsythe says.

January 27, 2011

DETOX DANGERS

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , — starfitness @ 1:37 am

Have you ever heard of the Cookie Diet where you can eat half a dozen specially formulated cookies and still lose weight? How about the Alternate Day diet, where you only eat every second day? Or, the Baby Food diet which involves eating 14 servings of baby food and an adult dinner as a means to drop those excess kilos?

As thousands of people embark on what they hope will be a long-term solution to their battle with the bulge, there are some people that are still interested in the quick fix. What may seem ridiculous to most, may seem like the answer to those people that are desperately clinging to their dream of shifting those unwanted kilograms.

Followers of most detox regimes say that such concoctions help release the body of poisonous toxins and are a safe way to lose weight. Others, such as Nutritionist Jon Buckley, disagree. He says, “We know it’s difficult, but the best way to make healthy changes to your diet is to make small changes that fit in with your lifestyle. You look at famous actresses and say ‘I’d like to have a body like that’, but they have a lot more motivation to keep thin and go to extreme measures to do so. It’s often their job to look a certain way.”

My personal belief is that the aforementioned detox regimes are not worth enduring and often do more harm than good. Although I can understand why some people feel the need to try such “fads”, the simple fact is that nothing can substitute good, old fashioned hard work. In this instance, the adage that all good things take time, holds true. By starving your body, you are not only putting undue stress on yourself, you are helping slow the metabolic process down. This will then act like a yo-yo effect and make it harder to lose weight in the future. The key to weight loss remains speeding up your metabolism by adding muscle mass, increasing cardio fitness and eating a good balanced diet. Detoxing may be the short-term answer, and can be good for short periods of time. The majority of the time, though, results will be fleeting and you will be back to square one before you know it.

January 19, 2011

Tabata Training – Fast or Futile?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , — starfitness @ 8:42 pm

The Tabata Protocol was created by Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. It is based on the theory that short intervals of high intensity exercise with limited rest times are a better way to burn fat than more moderate exercise for longer periods.

Dr. Izumi discovered that four minutes of Tabata training burns just as much fat as moderate aerobic workouts done for forty five minutes.

His exact findings were that a ratio of 2:1 (high intensity to medium intensity) done for 8 cycles is more effective in fat loss than a steady-state cardio routine done at medium intensity. The exact time for the Tabata protocol is 20 seconds of high intensity training to 10 seconds recovery.

So, is Tabata an efficient way to burn fat or just another futile attempt to cut our workout time?

Many gyms in the past have spruked the virtues of 30 minute workouts. Some have even gone as far as prescribing 29 minute circuits just to prove they have the most efficient method of fighting fat!

There is no doubt that making training sessions more efficient is the way to go in the future. I would say that 95% of clients would love to be in and out of the gym as quickly as possible. Give most people a choice, and the shorter the workout, the better.

Tabata training sounds great in theory, but can 4 minutes of exercise be truly effective? I believe it comes down to the level of intensity you can push your body to, getting adequate recovery and also making sure you include other forms of moderate intensity training into your program. I would definately prescribe Tabata training to my clients, but would make sure they also adhere to the following principles:

1. Use Compound based movements when doing a strength based Tabata program. Movements such as a Push Up or Squat will not only incorporate more muscle fibre, they will also help you build more strength and in turn help speed up your metabolic rate.

2. Leave at least 2-3 days rest in between your strength training sessions. This will allow adequate recovery and ensure that the risk of injury and muscle atrophy is greatly reduced.

3. Also include moderate intensity cardio in your workout plan. This will help build your endurance and ensure you have a good balance within you routine.

In the coming weeks I will be incorporating Tabata training into some of the Group Exercise classes at STAR FITNESS. Come along to our Special Ops or Ironman classes and get a taste of one of the more efficient ways to get in shape!

January 7, 2011

TWENTY MINUTE FAT LOSS – Is it Possible?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , — starfitness @ 9:52 pm

Twenty minute fat loss: Is it possible?
I came across this article from one of our new personal trainers, Amy Jayasuriya. Amy is a highly sought after national and international presenter, Cycle and Pilates trainer and lecturer.

Enjoy!

Since Johnny G introduced his concept of ‘Spinning’® to the fitness industry, indoor cycling has become one of most popular classes on group fitness timetables all over the world. More and more participants of all age groups and fitness levels are enjoying the experience they receive at the hands of committed and passionate instructors.

But would even more people be participating if the experience could be more easily fitted into their day?

The busy, results-driven lifestyle that many people live today has resulted in a continual search for innovative ways to get fit and lose body fat in less and less time (and often with less effort).

Researchers at the Medical Faculty at the University of New South Wales, led by Professor Steve Boutcher, found that a 20-minute indoor cycle workout consisting of eight-second sprints followed by 12-second relative rest periods, resulted in significantly more fat loss than 40 minutes of hard, steady state exercise.

Both protocols were performed three times a week for 15 weeks.
The research, conducted in 2007 with more insight in 2008, was conducted to determine the duration of the least amount of exercise necessary for the greatest amount of fat loss.

It has long been known that a nutritious balanced diet combined with exercise is the key to keeping weight under control. Traditionally, the exercise component of this equation has comprised 60-, 30- or 20-minute workouts in the fat burning zone in order to reduce body fat.
However, according to Boutcher’s research, spending less time exercising resulted in fast fat loss when interval
training was used.

AN INSIGHT INTO THE RESEARCH
The main aim of the University of NSW study was to determine the effects of 15 week high intensity intermittent
exercise (HIIE) program in subcutaneous and trunk fat and insulin resistance of young women.

The research involved a group of 45 women with varying body mass indexes (BMI) and ages, who were assigned to either steady state exercise or HIIE programs for a period of 15 weeks.

THE RESULTS
It was found that both exercise groups showed increases in cardiovascular fitness, however the HIIE group had a
reduction in total body mass and fat loss.

Study snapshot

So, in a nutshell, the findings appear to suggest that interval training is best – but what exactly is it?

INTERVAL TRAINING is broadly defined as repetitions of high-speed/intensity work followed by intervals of rest or low activity. This training technique is often practiced by long distance runners (800 metres and above) although some sprinters and footballers also use it.
However, the term ‘interval training’ is also often used to refer to any cardiovascular workout (e.g. indoor
cycling, running, rowing, etc.) that involves brief bouts of exercise at near maximum exertion, interspersed with
periods of lower-intensity activity.

GROUP EXERCISE

MUSCLE FIBRES
The study found that subjects involved in the research showed significant changes in their blood markers and increased the amount of muscle in their legs and trunk area due to the effects of sprinting on fast twitch skeletal muscle fibres.

Muscle groups in the body comprise two types of fibres: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Understanding the difference
between the two, as well as the training methodologies which lead to successful training of each area, will lead to the recruitment of the highest possible number of fibres.

Slow-twitch: Also known as Type I fibres, these have very strong aerobic ability for oxidation, contract very slowly, and are very useful in endurance activities. These muscle fibres are ‘high’, or engorged with nitrogen-rich blood during higher rep training and allow us to walk and jog.
Fast-twitch: Also known as Type II fibres, these assist with short, heavy lifting and activities requiring short bursts of power. They are very useful for brief, high-intensity training such as sprints. About half the muscle fibres of an average person are fast twitch and most store a large amount of fat.

The researchers found that most people hardly used their fast twitch fibres in their daily living or in their exercise workouts.

The 8/12-second combination can be used in aerobic exercise such as steady state walking and jogging, however results are better when used in anaerobic exercise such as sprints.

The principles of this training can be incorporated into boxing, rowing, skipping and even walking, although indoor cycling offers one of the most effective methods of employing it. By sprinting for eight seconds all out and then pedalling slowly for 12 seconds, and building up to a duration of 20 minutes three times a week, the fat loss results will come.

REFERENCES
• University of New South Wales, Medical Faculty Research Team, 2007
• Trapp G, Chisolm D & Boutcher, S. H (2007). Metabolic response of trained and untrained women to high intensity to intermittent cycle exercise. American Journal of Physiology (Regular Integr Comp Physiol), 293: 2370-2375
• Trapp G, D ,Freund, J & Boutcher, S.H. (2008). The effects of high intensity, intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women.

December 30, 2010

How to stay accountable for the inevitable New Years Resolution!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — starfitness @ 5:30 am

“Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past.” Henry Ward Beecher.

The aforementioned quote is a very inspiring and noteworthy one – especially for those looking at improving their health and fitness over the next year. The trick is, how do we keep our Resolutions and not fall into the same bad habits that we were trying to get away from?

In today’s society, it is getting harder to hide. Through Social Media such as Facebook and Twitter, most people can keep track of their friends lives without even making contact with them. I have people that i haven’t seen for years that could be considered friends – i even know what dress or jacket they wore at their Uncles birthday last week because i saw photos of the event on Facebook! My point is that although things are much more accessible and often impersonal these days, it is also much easier to stay accountable to your goals.

My advice this year is to post your New Years Resolutions on all the Social Media outlets you can get your hands on. Let all your Facebook friends know that you are planning to run a marathon in 6 months or that you want to give up smoking. Use twitter as a means to give your followers an insight into your struggles or as a way to get you through the harder times. Blog about your journey or create a myspace page – anything that will give you the steely resolve to acheive your goal.

I hope everyone has a fantastic New Year and is one step closer to getting the best out of their mind and body. It is a constant journey to stay motivated and keep yourself on track. Without the support of those around you it can be an almost impossible dream. By communicating your goals and letting people be a part of them, things can get a little easier.

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