Welcome to our March edition of In Touch.
This month Lifestyle Fitness Australia turns 5 and enters into "The World’s Greatest Shave" raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation. You’re invited to the exclusive Birthday Party where we will Shave/Colour our hair. We help you get your butt into gear with the antidote to all our lazy excuses. We give you the 8 tips to having a healthy heart and to living longer. Our healthy but delicious recipe of the month is Frittata with Mushroom and Corn. Say good bye to back pain with our abdominal workout to strengthen and protect your back. We meet a whole team of Members of the month as we workout with the Lifestyle Fitness Australia BOOTCAMP.
Get Your Butt Into Gear!
So New Year has come and gone and those resolutions made at midnight seem so far away. You’re back at work and it’s consuming all your energy, while the Personal Trainer that you promised yourself you would hire is at the gym asking, "Where the bloody hell are you?" If you promised yourself a fitter you, but keep finding excuses why you can’t, I will give you the magic antidote to 6 of the most common excuses, so you can get your butt into gear.
1/ I’ve broken my diet and training regime, for weeks now! What’s another week?
Well the great news is, it takes someone who’s trained only 1/3 of the time to regain their former glory. So you are already ahead of the game. If you leave it another week you will have extra work to do so get back to your plan and stop beating yourself up. (Even I fall off the wagon and get back on).
2/ I don’t really have the time!
Well, if we can work anywhere from 30-50 hours a week, surely we can find an hour or even half every other day. It will make you more productive at work. It will make you feel good and even make life seem more effortless. If you don’t think you have time now, wait and see how time consuming diabetes, heart disease, cancer, liver, lung disease or doctor’s appointments can be. Get the picture? Make time.
3/ I can’t really afford to exercise!
We can all afford it! You can walk, run, do a TV/You Tube workout, follow directions on equipment in your Local Park, all for FREE. Or for as little as a cup of coffee a day, you could join a gym like ours. You have a wide variety of equipment and classes all at your disposal, not to mention professional advice to keep you motivated and entertained. Make your health a priority.
4/ I have children!
Get the kids active too. Walk with them and teach them great habits or use crèche facilities and give yourself a bit of "you" time. You deserve time for yourself too.
5/ It’s Boring!
Do you know there are over a million different things you could do that are classified as exercise? Try something different every time, you will eventually find the things you love.
6/ Self conscious while I exercise!
Everyone feels a little self conscious when doing something new. Firstly, leotards over tights are out (in or out of the gym, except Joyce Mange ….Yes I love it). Wear something comfy, cool and focus on the end result. If you let these feelings take over and you don’t exercise, you will never feel comfy in anything you want to wear.
Take charge of your life and your body …. Are you going to choose to move forward and enjoy the benefits of exercise and a healthy lifestyle or are you going to do nothing and just bitch about it???
Healthy Heart = Healthy YOU!
Did you know that 1 in 3 Australians suffer from some kind of cardiovascular (heart) disease? High blood pressure, heart failure, coronary heart disease and strokes…..4 out of 10 people believe their hearts are healthy though they ignore the risk factors. Half of these people still believe they are healthy even after a health professional has recommended they change their lifestyle. So obviously education and awareness is required and Lifestyle Fitness Australia prides itself in leading the way. The Australian Heart Foundation (recommends Lifestyle Fitness Australia to its members) commends the following 8 points for a healthy heart. The earlier we start living these points the healthier our hearts (and we) will be.
Lower your BMI:
BMI (Body Mass Index) is the relation of your weight to height. A healthy BMI is around 25. To work out your BMI visit our website www.lifestylefit.com.au and click on Helpful Tools. With Australians being the world leader in obesity, it is a huge risk factor contributing to adult onset diabetes, which could lead to coronary heart disease. If a BMI of 25 seems out of reach for your current goal, it is important to know that any weight loss is beneficial to your health and the health of your heart.
Exercise several times a week:
150 minutes of moderate exercise (brisk walk, dancing etc) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (Aerobics or Spin class, Jogging etc) a week is required to maintain a healthy heart. But you will require a little more to get that BMI down to a healthy range. Starting to exercise doesn’t have to be hard. A general rule of how much is enough is…if you do nothing, start with something. If you’re doing something do MORE…
Eat Well:
Make sure you replace snacks with fruits and vegetables; they are low calorie but high in vitamins and fibre. Eat unrefined whole grain foods, they lower cholesterol and fill you up. Include fish at least twice a week and select lean meats or skinless poultry. Your dairy food should be fat free or less than 1% fat. This regime will also help get that BMI right where you want it.
Don’t Smoke:
Smoking is considered the highest risk factor contributing to death in our country. If you have never smoked or have quit for over a year; this will greatly increase your health, helping you have ideal heart health. Seek help from professionals if you have quit several times. Ask your other smoking friends to join you in your challenge to stop. All these options will increase your chances of success. Yes, it’s hard to stop. But it’s harder to live with the consequences.
Watch your Cholesterol:
A test at your doctors (with fasting) will get you your cholesterol reading, 200 milligrams per decilitre is the goal. Limit your intake to 300 milligrams of cholesterol daily. Increasing exercise & eating well will lower it, without requiring medication.
Watch your Blood Glucose Levels:
Those with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart health issues. So it is important to try to avoid getting it & to manage it properly if you have it. Aim for a fasting blood glucose level less than 100 mg/dL.
Healthy Blood Pressure:
1 in 3 adults suffer from high blood pressure. Doctors can prescribe medications to help control blood pressure, but drug free approaches such as good nutrition, exercise, stress management (Yoga, Pilates), less alcohol, not smoking, and a healthy BMI will all help your blood pressure.
Rest:
After all that exercise, good eating and living you should enjoy some rest. Good sleep (which is also achieved by exercising well and good eating) will come much easier. Take time out to enjoy life and all it has to offer, do things you enjoy that are relaxing. This will ensure your lifestyle is well balanced and worthwhile.
Quick and Easy - Frittata with Mushroom and Corn
Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms sliced
½ cup zucchini sliced
¼ cup polenta
½ cup corn
2 eggs
3 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Directions:
Step 1
In a non-stick frying pan cook onions till clear, add mushrooms and zucchini simmering for 3 mins.
Step 2
Stir in polenta and set aside for 5 mins to cool.
Step 3
Mix corn, eggs, egg whites, milk and parsley in a bowl. Add polenta mixture.
Step 4
Line an oven-proof dish with baking paper, pour mixture in and bake, uncovered at 180oC for 30 mins or until firm to touch.
SERVES 4
Per serve:
- Kj 522
- Kcal 12
- Carb 13g
- Fat 3.5g
- Fibre 2g
Abs for a Strong Back
Your abdominal muscles (abs) are probably the most important that you have. Yes they may look good on the beach or in a club, but they are so much more. People with strong abs generally don’t have back pain (as they are your natural corset protecting your back). So strengthen your core, look and feel great with this abdominal combination.
*Compound exercises are exercises that use more than one muscle group, they get you fitter faster. We recommend about 15 repetitions of each and about 3 sets.
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
Meet Team Lifestyle Bootcamp
Lifestyle Fitness Australia BOOTCAMP held its Mini Olympics at Steel Park Marrickville. All three teams got together to take each other on, and though it was all fun and games we saw the competitor shine in everyone. The most amazing thing to me as a novice to BOOTCAMP was the comradery and team spirit we shared. We supported one another to make it through each challenge. The hill sprints, which really pushed everyone to their limits had me thinking I could run no more, but the voice of my team…. “come on, keep going, run with me, we can make it”… kept my feet moving, and got me pushing through to the finish.
We participated in a rope relay, relay races, linked abdominals, squats and lunges to name a few. Some boxing tips from the champ, Jeff Fenech, ensured that when we boxed we knew how to do it well and get the most out of it. And of course to finish…TUG OF WAR. This is where the competitor in everyone really came through. As it was all about your team & pulling the others over the line…..
When we finished, I spent some time talking with the members, who all had success stories of how far they had come. From weight loss to increased fitness, what stood out was the sense of achievement everyone had. “My first bootcamp session, I couldn’t make it half way up that hill, but I kicked ass today…YAY”. With multiple stories of how abilities have increased with each passing week and how bodies have been transformed. This year’s first BOOTCAMP has definitely been deemed a success. Check our site if you would like more information on Lifestyle Fitness Australia’s BOOTCAMP.
Our next BOOTCAMP starts 29th March, register your interest at your nearest club TODAY.
LIFESTYLE 5th Birthday Party & Shave/Colours for the World’s Greatest Shave
LETS PARTY! Lifestyle Fitness Australia turns 5 this month. We are so excited to have this opportunity to get together with all our members and staff from all three locations to celebrate.
But of course it just wouldn’t be a Lifestyle DO! If we didn’t raise some money for charity along with the dancing, drinking, dancing, eating and dancing. So many of our team have decided to Be Brave and Shave or colour their hair. There is no such thing as too small a donation. It all helps.
Donations can be made on the World’s Greatest Shave website and by searching for Lifestyle Fitness Australia as a team, calling PH:1800 500 088 or using this link.
We would then love you to come on down to the live shaving and make a gold coin donation at the door where some snacks & champagne will kick start the party.
PARTY DETAILS:
VENUE:
Southern Cross Hotel - 340 Princes Hwy, St Peters
DATE:
Friday 19th March - 7:30pm
ENTRY:
Gold coin (donated to Leukaemia Foundation)
See you on the dance floor for our first bald dance ever...