Welcome to your December edition of the all new
Lifestyle IN TOUCH E-News.
Christmas is here! We provide a practical guide to help you keep exercising through the holiday period and keep the weight off..
This month we investigate the different types of energy drinks and how they affect your health and training. Are they really good for you?
Our cucumber salad is great for the warmer weather and at just 175 calories we’d say it’s perfect.
Get the legs & butt that shorts want to wear this summer with our leg & butt blasting work out.
Meet our member of the month Elizabeth Ocipka-Maua, who’s chronic back pain is a thing of the past, and the bonus, she lost her “love handles”. Find out how.
CHRISTMAS PROOF YOUR FITNESS
A practical guide to help you keep exercising through the holiday period and keep the weight off
I love Christmas. Good company, good food and gifts. Its also a very busy time. Sydney speeds up in the lead up to Christmas which is no easy task considering we usually run at breakneck speed on any other given day. Once the shopping is all done, the gifts are all given, and Xmas lunch is over, we just sit back and relax. The aftermath of Christmas is so relaxing, which is great, but not so good if you are trying to keep up an exercise routine or trying to lose weight. Studies show that on an average we can gain up to 2 kilos during this 4 week period. Ahhhhhhhh! It doesn’t have to be so scary. In this article I will give you some practical tips on how to get through the holidays with minimum damage.
Plan your exercise
Unless you are a hard core athlete and training for a specific event, it is important to acknowledge that this is one of the busiest times of the year and schedule yourself some breaks over the 2 to 4 week holiday period. The all or nothing approach to exercise is a little old school and any good routine will schedule space for fun and relaxation. Just make sure the fun doesn’t last for 2 months and “Mark on the calendar” when you “intend” to get back on the wagon
Just get it done
Will I or wont I? This is the mental game your mind plays when trying to decide if you should exercise. Don’t let it happen. If you give your mind enough time to ponder this thought it is inevitable that it will convince you not to exercise. Because until your brain learns to love exercise (and this does happen) it will choose the easy way out. So don’t think. Just get it done. No excuses.
It’s too hot!
Oh yes it is! Its summer, of course it’s hot. That is no excuse to not exercise. Head to the gym. I am obviously a gym goer myself J but its good advice anyway. The gym is air-conditioned, safe and comfortable. Check the Christmas trading hours and incorporate that into your plan. You can run, walk, cycle, pump iron, be sociable (or not) in Group fitness classes and just get it done. One more excuse gone!
I missed a workout = guilt – NOT!
So you have your plan, and yet you still managed to miss a workout. Sometimes even the most well thought out plans experience a hiccup here and there. This is where your mind usually starts to feel guilty. STOP IT! You’re human, life happens. Take it in your stride and move on. Chances are you will make it up somewhere along the line. Work out a little harder next time. Throw in an extra workout when things ease up. It’s not the end of the world, it’s a missed workout. Just don’t make it a habit.
Try and eat well
Christmas parties, Christmas lunch, dinner etc ……Tempting food is everywhere. Ask yourself, is it practical to expect to lose weight over the holiday period? I would say, it’s probably a good idea to set yourself a goal of maintaining your weight rather than losing it. So eat sensibly. And following on from the tip above- give yourself a break and bin the guilt. Before you eat, ask yourself if you really want that extra serving of potatoes or that chocolate. If you do, then eat it. And don’t beat yourself up about it. Enjoy! Just keep the extras to a minimum, and make sure you follow your exercise plan.
So there you have it. A practical guide to getting through the holiday period virtually unscathed. Remember, the most important thing to do over the holiday period is to plan and keep it real.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS From the team at Lifestyle Fitness Australia
Energy drinks and exercise. Are they good for you?
Over the last few years energy drinks have become part of many people’s daily lives. When you just don’t seem to be able to make it through your day, you pop open a can and “Poof” instant energy. But what’s in these drinks and what are they doing to our bodies? Do they actually benefit our training?
These energy drinks basically fall into three different categories, caffeine (and other uppers), scientific replenishing and water. The difference is vital to your health, workouts & lifestyle. Lets take a closer look.
Caffeine energy drinks
Scientists are not entirely convinced about the benefits of these drinks and lean towards caution in recommending them. Though they have not banned them, they have started by strongly recommending children avoid them and if you think about how long it took scientists to admit smoking cause’s cancer, it’s not a good sign. These drinks have high doses of caffeine and other stimulants such as ephedrine or opium extracts. Chemicals put strain on your kidneys and excess caffeine can cause insomnia, heart palpitations and other heart and general health issues.
Also, caffeine dehydrates you, so if you are drinking these caffeine energy drinks you will notice you sweat more which means you will need to take more breaks throughout your workout and drink a lot more water. So though you may train that little bit extra and more franticly you will feel like you over did it the next day and need more rest time. So what was the benefit of mixing these drinks and your exercise? Oh yeah, there wasn’t one.
Scientific replenishing drink (sports drinks)
These drinks are free of the above chemicals which is a great start don’t you think. They are designed to replace water, sodium, electrolytes and potassium (which you lose through sweat whilst working out)- vital to keep the body functioning properly. They keep athlete’s hydrated and able to perform at their optimal best in extreme competitive events. These drinks have proven themselves in marathons and high intensity professional sports time and time again.
Water
I guess this one needs little explanation. It rehydrates the body replenishing the water lost through perspiration. It will help you maintain adequate blood flow, ensure you avoid feeling dizzy, fatigued, muscle cramps and overheating.
Which one is right for you???
I would recommend to steer clear of the caffeine drinks as they are full of chemicals and we just don’t know what kind of long term effects they are having on our bodies. Like all drugs, which they are, they have a high and a comedown. So expect to feel extra tired the next day & once you build a tolerance you will need more to get the same buzz.
If you are training in a controlled environment for about an hour or two, water will definatly do the trick. It will give you all the health benefits with no cost to your health and little to no cost financially. How can you beat Free and Good for you?
If you are running a marathon or playing sports outside in extreme heat with little opportunity to keep sipping on water, then a sports replenishing drink will assist you in remaining hydrated through the event.
So the answer is clear and simple…. Just like water!
Cucumber Salad
This 20 Min dish is a great easy meal for any night of the week with only 175 Calories it will get rid of your winter layers in no time. Have it on its own for lunch or serve with some marinated BBQ Chicken to increase the protein content without adding too many calories for dinner. Add a little variety to your salad it’s not always lettuce tomatoes and cucumbers ……
Total time 20 Mins 1 day or 4 hour chilling before eating
This recipe serves: 4
- 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 1/4 inch thick
- 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper (diced 1/4-inch thick)
- 1/3 cup diced yellow bell pepper (diced 1/4-inch thick)
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) olive oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a medium-size bowl, combine diced cucumbers, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, onion, lime juice, rice vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but best if made one (1) day ahead
NUTRITION INFORMATION:
Per Serving - Serves 4
| Calories | 175 |
| Fat | 0.6 g |
Recipe courtesy of whatscookingamerica.net
LEG & BUTT BLASTING WORK OUT
WARNING summer is coming and your legs are about to start wearing shorts and/skirts. Try this amazing lunge, squat and tapping combination with a step or on the floor for great results. Be prepared and get the legs that shorts want to wear this summer with our awesome leg shaping work out…
Lunge & Squat Sequence
Try about 15 of these on each leg with the emphasis on keeping strong & steady through the whole sequence. Ensure you keep every movement equal in time so it takes as long to do the lunge as it does to hold the knee up. Don’t rush as the slower the movements the longer the muscles are under tension and working harder. You can repeat the sequence again if you feel you need more, up to 3-4 times.
Rise, Squat & Back Tap Combo
This combination brings a cardio element to your resistance workout, as the dynamic movements shunt the blood up and down the whole body, while loading the stationary leg with your body weight. Again keep each movement equal in time with about 15 repetitions on each leg. You can repeat the combination 3-4 times.
To mix things up a little, try going from the Lunge & Squat Sequence into the Rise, Squat & Back Tap Combination alternating between exercises to shock your body into change.
Disclaimer: As with any type of physical activity, it is advised you warm up for 5 minutes before commencing exercise, followed by 5 minutes of stretching upon completion. These exercises are designed as a basic guide and professional consultations should be taken before commencing any exercise.
Pictures Courtesy of Les Mills
Elizabeth Ocipka-Maua
Elizabeth Ocipka-Maua started BODYPUMP classes casually a few years ago” It gives you a feeling of strength”. In August this year she joined Lifestyle Fitness, as her friends, (already members of Lifestyle) told her about the experiences they were having at their club. “The research of local clubs was already done for me” she gladly smiled.
“Since having had two c-sections over the past 7 years and having an epidural and spinal block during surgery my lower back was constantly feeling dodgy”. Prior to her pump classes she was seeing a Chiropractor regularly and finding that before her next treatment she was in a bad way, “I would start feeling the lower back pain within days of my appointments”.
Liz has now built up her attendance to about 3-4 BODYPUMP classes a week, She attends her favorite instructors classes regularly Pauli “what a laugh, theatrical and fun – I look forward to my Thursday morning classes with him”. Michelle’s classes after work on a Monday bring a sense of “calmness & relaxation, so I can end my working day.” Then Saturday morning’s I need Myra’s big energy to get me going at 8am (who doesn’t)”
Like every mother, life is a balancing act and we believe it is important for every parent to take the time out for themselves. By giving time to you and your health you can then really be there for your children. Our childcare team looks after Liz’s children while she takes the hour off to work on herself. “Plus – massive bonus – my kids LOVE the crèche”
Elizabeth has become stronger and fitter, not only has she lost her love handles, but her posture and core strength have improved dramatically.” I quite often have no pain from month to month and simply go to my appointments for maintenance/upkeep. Obviously my body is learning to hold the adjustments.”
With her chronic back pain under control ,” I also do a couple of days of cardio machines and miracle of miracles can actually run on a treadmill now – something I’ve never been able to do before. Since I’ve been doing the Pump class/cardio machines combination this is the fittest and leanest I’ve been in many years”
Congratulations Liz.
CONGRATULATIONS
Lifestyle Fitness Australia Representatives @ Bodybuilding & Figure Championships
Lifestyle Fitness has been well represented this year in Bodybuilding and Figure Championships. We have had competitors in national, state and local competitions. Here we find out how they placed and meet the team.
In the last week of October the IFBB Bodybuilding & Figure Championships were held in Sydney. Lifestyle Fitness Australia was, as always, well represented. Katie Ellem, from our Erskineville club, who was competing for the very first time in the women’s figure division was a finalist, as was Dean Cardakais from our Carlton club in the men’s junior division. Dev Krishna from our Marrickville club finished in 2nd place in the under 80kgs Mr NSW & Mr Australia titles. Victor Gurung from Carlton club won his category, placing 1st in the NSW men’s classic physique division.
We also had finalists in the following competitions. Racheal Khouri from our Marrickville club - finalist in the ANB Sydney Titles. Chris Kokkoris and Maria Kokkoris from our Carlton club– finalists in the ANB Newcastle Titles and last but not least Amanda Nasr from Marrickville club - finalist in INBA NSW titles.
The amount of focus, dedication and hard work that goes into preparing for competition is nothing short of amazing. We are so proud of our representatives who did very well competing against the nation’s best. Congratulations to you all. You are great mentors within our clubs and absolutely inspirational.