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CORE of the matter

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:19:54 +0000

Core of the Matter

Core Strength and why the coveted wash board Abs do not make for a strong core………….. Having a strong ‘core’ means that our spine is well supported. Without the use of our spine, we can’t walk. So it ranks right up there with brain and nervous system function in terms of importance.Our core is the centre of our body where all movement originates. If one of the links in this chain is weak it causes all number of functional difficulties and injuries from low back pain to slipped discs, painful! Forward leaning posture, weak neck muscles that are unable to hold your head in its correct upright position resulting in a forward head tilt. So by training your core muscles you’ll have a stronger, balanced core which will help maintain appropriate posture and reduce strain on your spine.Abs (abdominals) alone are not our sole core muscles, therefore, ‘wash board Abs’ or a ‘6 pack stomach’ don’t equate to a strong core which is a common misconception when we see some lucky bugger who has highly visible Abs due to very little fat surrounding their abdominal muscles. This is why someone with a lean figure may be blessed with a six pack never having worked out a day in their lives and others have stripped away the fat from their muscles through strict dieting and vigorous exercise, making their muscles obvious.But still, abdominals (Abs) which include the rectus, obliques, transverse, internal or external abdominals though inportant are only one part of our core musculature. Our core is also made up of the erector spinae, multifidus, hip flexors (consisting of 5 muscles in front of the pelvis and upper thigh area), glutes (maximus, medius & minimus), hamstring group, piriformis and hip adductors.Your core is your body’s power house, energy centre and movement base. Your core muscles run the entire length of the torso for the purpose of stabilizing the spine, pelvis and shoulders and make it possible to stand upright, walk, bend over, swim and so on. Our core muscles control movement in our arms, legs and head, they transfer energy, shift body weight and move in any direction. A strong core protects the back from the stresses of weight bearing activities such as lifting up a child, carrying shopping bags, hand bags and lifting heavy boxes etc… A strong and stable core will also protect you from common office injuries that occur as a result of simply sitting in front of your computer all day. Yes, office injuries are extremely common, as are shoulder injuries from sleeping but that’s a whole other topic. The point here is that a strong core helps to stabilize these limbs, preventing any such issues. So how do you strengthen your core? Here are some ideas from Esteem Fitness personal trainer Michelle Glacken: You can choose a mixture of body weight or equipment based exercises. Some of the best products for developing core strength include: Medicine ball, Kettle bells, Stability/fit balls, Dumbbells and Balance products such as the Bosu Ball. My personal choice may not be conventional but for me it must be functional, effective and most importantly fun! So I do my regular gym resistance workouts using free weights, machine and cables for full body movements but my absolute favourites are beyond doubt, kick boxing (yes this is a massive core strength, stability and balance builder, not to mention fat shredder and six pack shaper!), kettle bells (these come with me to every client no matter what their goals), and yoga. Here are some examples of exercise that can develop core strength; PlankThis includes the standard forward plank, side plank on your hand or elbow.

If your core is weak start on your knees till you can perform this on your feet.
Back extensions Medicine ball Russian twists. Sitting to standing-singles

Description

Sit up straight on a bench or chair. Right foot on the ground with your knee at a 90 degree angle and left foot out in front, not behind. Your left leg must be nowhere near the ground. No cheating.Hands also out in front so you don’t push yourself up using them. Stand up straight using only your right leg then sit back down in a slow and controlled manner and repeat 10 times.Then change legs. This is much harder than it looks and an excellent functional exercise.

Kneeling to standing.

Description

Kneel on a matt or padded surface. Step up with your right leg, toes pointing slightly outwards, breath out when you step up, then bring your left leg up to standing position. Return your left knee to the mat followed by your right knee and repeat 10 times.Then change legs.

All of our movements are powered by the torso or core. So ask your personal trainer about incorporating some functional, whole body and stability exercises into your workout program to help increase your core strength. Because the stronger you are in that area, the more energy you will have on a daily basis as you won’t use up so much energy trying to stand upright and perform basic bodily movements. The stronger and more stable your core, the easier your life will be.

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The BIG FAT truth. Part 1.

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:07:38 +0000

This article was originally titled ‘Fat, the good the bad and the ugly’ which would have really easy to cover if I’d gone with the majority of information written on the subject, but instead I’ve decided to go back in time and find out how our diets have changed and what effect on our bodies it has had and let you decide what is good, bad and ugly for yourselves. I managed to locate a PHD study written by Dr. Mary G. Enig, PhD. From which I’ve taken key points and broken them down in point form for ease of reading. To read the full study, go to: http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/skinny.html Up until around 1920 clogged arteries, heart disease and diabetes were a medical rarity and the amount of saturated fat consumption from animal products was high.During the next forty years saturated fat consumption lowered and the incidence of coronary heart disease rose dramatically, and by the mid 1950’s heart disease was the leading cause of death among Americans. Today heart disease causes at least 40% of all US deaths. To reiterate this point, heart disease rose as saturated fat consumption dramatically lowered. From 1910 to 1970, the proportion of traditional animal fat in the American diet declined from 83% to 62%, and butter consumption plummeted from 18 pounds per person per year to 4. During the past 80 years, dietary cholesterol intake has increased only 1%. During the same period the percentage of dietary vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening and refined oils increased about 400% while the consumption of sugar and processed foods increased about 60%.A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine.Mother's milk provides a higher proportion of cholesterol than almost any other food. It also contains over 50% of its calories as fat, much of it saturated fat. Both cholesterol and saturated fat are essential for growth in babies and children, especially the development of the brain.The following are results of surveys of traditional populations. 1. Jews when they lived in Yemen – consumed a highly fatty diet solely of animal origin and suffered very little heart disease or diabetes. They also consumed no refined sugar. Yemenite Jews living in Israel, whose diets contained margarine and vegetable oils, suffered high levels of both diseases. Refined sugar consumption = 25-30% of total carbohydrate intake.2. People in Northern India when compared with Southern Indians consume 17 times more animal fat but have an incidence of coronary heart disease 7 times lower.3. The Masai and kindred tribes of Africa – subsist largely on milk, blood and beef. They are free from coronary heart disease and have excellent blood cholesterol levels. 4. Eskimos eat liberally of animal fats from fish and marine animals. On their native diet they are free of disease and exceptionally hardy.5. An extensive study of diet and disease patterns in China found that the region in which the populace consumes large amounts of whole milk had half the rate of heart disease as several districts in which only small amounts of animal products are consumed.6. Several Mediterranean societies have low rates of heart disease even though fat-including highly saturated fat from lamb, sausage and goat cheese-comprises up to 70% of their caloric intake. 7. A study of Puerto Ricans revealed that although they consume large amounts of animal fat, they have a very low incidence of colon and breast cancer.8. A study of the long-lived inhabitants of Soviet Georgia revealed that those who eat the most fatty meat live the longest.9. In Okinawa, where the average life span for women is 84 years-longer than in Japan-the inhabitants eat generous amounts of pork and seafood and do all their cooking in lard.None of these studies is mentioned by those urging restriction of saturated fats. The relative good health of the Japanese, who have the longest life span of any nation in the world, is generally attributed to a low fat diet. Although the Japanese eat few dairy fats, the notion that their diet is low in fat is a myth; rather, it contains moderate amounts of animal fats from eggs, pork, chicken, beef, seafood and organ meats. The Japanese probably consume more cholesterol than most Americans. What they do not consume is a lot of vegetable oil, white flour or processed food (although they do eat white rice.) The life span of the Japanese has increased since World War II with an increase in animal fat and protein in the diet.The Swiss live almost as long on one of the fattiest diets in the world. Tied for third in the longevity stakes are Austria and Greece-both with high-fat diets.As a final example, let us consider the French. Anyone who has eaten his way across France has observed that the French diet is just loaded with saturated fats in the form of butter, eggs, cheese, cream, liver, meats and rich patés. Yet the French have a lower rate of coronary heart disease than many other western countries. In the United States, 315 of every 100,000 middle-aged men die of heart attacks each year; in France the rate is 145 per 100,000. In the Gascony region, where goose and duck liver form a staple of the diet, this rate is a remarkably low 80 per 100,000.This phenomenon has recently gained international attention as the French Paradox. (The French do suffer from many degenerative diseases, however. They eat large amounts of sugar and white flour and in recent years have succumbed to the timesaving temptations of processed foods.)Excess consumption of polyunsaturated oils has been shown to contribute to a large number of disease conditions including increased cancer and heart disease; immune system dysfunction; damage to the liver, reproductive organs and lungs; digestive disorders; depressed learning ability; impaired growth; and weight gain.One reason the polyunsaturates cause so many health problems is that they tend to become oxidized or rancid when subjected to heat, oxygen and moisture as in cooking and processing. They have been characterized as "marauders" in the body for they attack cell membranes and red blood cells and cause damage in DNA/RNA strands, thus triggering mutations in tissue, blood vessels and skin. Free radical damage to the skin causes wrinkles and premature aging; free radical damage to the tissues and organs sets the stage for tumors; free radical damage in the blood vessels initiates the buildup of plaque. Is it any wonder that tests and studies have repeatedly shown a high correlation between cancer and heart disease with the consumption of polyunsaturates?New evidence links exposure to free radicals with premature aging, with autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and with Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's and cataracts.

Too Much Omega-6

Problems associated with an excess of polyunsaturates are exacerbated by the fact that most polyunsaturates in commercial vegetable oils are in the form of double unsaturated omega-6 linoleic acid, with very little of vital triple unsaturated omega-3 linolenic acid. Recent research has revealed that too much omega-6 in the diet creates an imbalance that can result in increased tendency to form blood clots, inflammation, high blood pressure, irritation of the digestive tract, depressed immune function, sterility, cell proliferation, cancer and weight gain.

Too Little Omega-3

A number of researchers have argued that the American diet is deficient in unsaturated omega-3 linolenic acid. Deficiencies have been associated with asthma, heart disease and learning deficiencies. Most commercial vegetable oils contain very little omega-3 linolenic acid and large amounts of the omega-6 linoleic acid. In addition, modern agricultural and industrial practices have reduced the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in commercially available vegetables, eggs, fish and meat. For example, organic eggs from hens allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in the beneficial ratio of approximately one-to-one; but commercial supermarket eggs can contain as much as nineteen times more omega-6 than omega-3! Nathan Pritikin, well known for his low-fat diet, soon found that the fat-free diet presented many problems, not the least of which was the fact that people just could not stay on it. Those who possessed enough will power to remain fat-free for any length of time developed a variety of health problems including low energy, difficulty in concentration, depression, weight gain and mineral deficiencies. Pritikin may have saved himself from heart disease but his lowfat diet did not spare him from cancer. He died, in the prime of life, of suicide when he realized that his Spartan regime was not curing his leukemia. We shouldn't have to die of either heart disease or cancer-or consume a diet that makes us depressed.

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Motivators to Get Fit

admin — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:19:27 +0000

One of the most difficult aspects of starting or keeping up fitness routine is motivation; mustering up the enthusiasm for going for a run alone, on a dark, cold, wet night is always difficult but here are some ways to keep motivated and make sure you do get fit.

Amplify the Losses

Humans do seem to seem more driven by what they will lose rather than what they will successfully gain. By thinking about what you will lose if the status quo remains unchanged, generally acts as a bigger driving force & outweighs the positives of what you will achieve by getting fit and healthy. Rather than think I will be able to wear a bikini on holiday this year instead think about how you will be stuck in your supportive swimming costume by not getting trim.

Make it a Hobby

Make fitness part of a hobby so it is not just something that you are doing to lose weight. If you like dancing or did like playing tennis kill 2 birds with 1 stone and combine them.

Make it Social

Joining a group class or training system is not only inexpensive but it provides a great social element to training. This in turn sub-consciously creates a feeling of healthy competition – great for maintaining momentum. By becoming part of a team you are less likely to let the side down and will turn up at your regular fitness sessionsIf big groups are not your thing, find a training buddy. Match yourself with someone who has similar goals and abilities, this makes for a great support system and healthy competition.

Put a Squeeze on your Wallet

There is no doubt about it things that cost more do guarantee that we do generally follow the whole course. Getting a personal trainer is a little more expensive than joining your local running club but they can help to increase motivation through building your awareness. Poor understanding of exercise often leads to us giving up but they can help address this and how to realistically achieve your goals progressively and healthily

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FAT it can make you perfect

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:43:17 +0000

Fat, love it or hate it, we have it, we need it, but how do we fine tune it and find our way around the urban myths surrounding it to attain lean body perfection? Here are Fat Attack’s directions to help you find your way out the fat maze…

Why do we love it?
The body releases a neuropeptide that causes it to crave and eat fat as a survival instinct.

Why is it good?
Fat is one of the best sources of energy in the body
Fat is needed in your diet to allow your body to function, one example is that it helps transport key vitamins A, D,E and K to where they are needed in the body.

Eat, drink & be merry
If you fail to eat your fat cells will fly straight into ‘fat storing’ mode.
High levels of caffeine can counter the use of fat as a body fuel.
Good Fats like avocado and olive oil are more readily released for energy

Reduce your stress levels
Those who suffer prolonged stress, particularly men are prone to fatty deposits around the mid section.

Exercise
Increasing your physical fitness ensures fat to be burnt as energy rather than stored.

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Invest in Exercise to Counter SAD

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:13:41 +0000

As the clock’s go back in the autumn, simultaneously it is Day 1 for those that suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder). This depression can for many severely impair their daily life cyclically – that means symptoms can dissipate as quickly as they began.

Sadly the specific cause of seasonal affective disorder remains unknown, but research has shown that regular meals help regulate our internal body clock and hormone release cycle and that outdoor exercise during daylight hours has very positive effects of the SAD.

Exercises that were found to be particularly beneficial include aerobics such as brisk walks or light jogging. It is the classic example of investing time in an activity to reap the rewards later in this case to allow you in the other 23 hours in a day to feel energized and effective.

5 key lifestyle factors that can affect your internal chemistry…

How well you sleep
The food you eat
The way you think
How active you are
How you manage stress

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Calves-Winter forget-me-not stretches

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:42:52 +0000

As the temperatures plunge and we begin wearing more rather than less, it's all too easy to depriortise what isn't on daily display and that particularly applies to calves as they get stuffed into opaques and hidden in trousers.

At Fat Attack we recommend these simple toning exercises to counter the annual calf horror that generally Spring brings. They only take 5 minutes and yes are so worth it.

Exercise 1

In a similar position to the well know yoga downward dog, begin by kneeling with your hands and knees on the floor, your hands should be under your shoulders, fingers spread wide, knees under the hips. Your knees should be about seven inches apart, spine straight and relaxed.
Keep your hands and feet hip-width apart. If your hamstrings are very strong or tight bend your knees to allow your spine to lengthen fully.
Avoid pressure on your wrists by pressing into the fingers and palms, directing the push upward into the hips. Your head should drop naturally. The heart moves toward the back wall.
On a deep exhale, push your the hips towards the ceiling, your body will form an inverted V-shape. Keep your legs and arms straight, make sure your elbows are engaged, your shoulders wide and relaxed. Starting with the weight on the ball of the foot, move your heel towards the floor and back to the ball and continue this movement for 23-30 repititions, alternating between right and left leg each time.

Exercise 2

Stand facing a wall about 15 inches away & place both your palms on the wall and lean forward, rest one leg/foot around the ankle of the supporting leg.
Using the wall for stability and to support your entire body weight, lift on the ball of the supporting leg, & lower the heel of your supporting leg towards the ground & lift back up through the ball of the foot. Repeat this action 20 times and change the supporting leg, to increase the intensity of the exercise.
Use the base of a step, place the ball of your foot on the edge of the step and lower heel as lower as is comfortable. Repeat 20 times on both legs.

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