It’s easy to sell personal training when a prospect approaches you, cheque-in-hand and committed to making a positive change in his or her life. The most effective (and well-paid) trainers, however, can approach any member in the facility or stranger in line at the grocery store and within minutes have that person seriously considering personal training.

Mastering the art of the casual conversation

can mean the difference between barely

getting by in the career you love and

always having a backlog of clients. It’s not

something that comes naturally to everyone,

but creating conversations is a skill that

can be learned.

But initiating a conversation should not

be thought of as selling. You are, rather,

expressing a genuine interest in another

human being. Isn’t this one of our roles

in personal training, anyways? We take

interest in our clients and throughout a

workout can easily make small talk.

Creating an authentic, casual conversation

with a stranger is no different.

Don’t Be Afraid, Here’s What To DoFor many, starting a conversation with

someone you know nothing about can

seem scary. You don’t know if you will

be ignored or what reaction your words

will get. By following a few of the following

tips and practising whenever possible,

you’ll move through the intimidation phase

of breaking the ice, and soon, chatting it

up with anybody, anywhere will become

second nature.

If you have talked for more than a minute, you’re talking too much. When meeting someone new, the

conversation should resemble a tennis

match, with each participant taking a

quick swing before sending it back to the

other person. Too many trainers treat a

conversation more like golf, where they

keep hitting their own golf ball over and over

again.

Pay attention to how you participate in the conversation. The potential client is learning a lot about

you. In face-to-face dialog, the other person

first sees you then hears the tone of your

voice, and only then do they listen

A survey by Harris Interactive in 2007 revealed what personal information prospects are most comfortable sharing.

71% were comfortable discussing their age.

18% were comfortable giving their email address.

4% were comfortable giving their home address.

3% were most comfortable sharing their mobile and/or home or business phone number.

Pack a punch with Teresa Cutter’s high-powered protein recipes to build muscle and create a strong healthy body.

Your body needs protein power to provide us with the 22 amino acids needed to

build and repair muscle tissue, make hormones and enable our cells to maintain

and repair themselves.

Glutathione is a potent antioxidant made by the amino acids l-cystine, glutamic acid

and l-glycine which come from eating protein. Without it, your body would collapse

from oxidation and you would have little resistance to bacteria, viruses and cancer.

Glutathione levels decrease as we age and as a result of stress, illness, fatigue and

overexercising, so it’s important to eat at least 3 serves of protein a day to maintain

good levels in the body and a healthy immune system.

Good sources are: fish, beans, organic lean meat and chicken, organic or free

range eggs and egg whites, low fat milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, unsalted nuts,

tofu and WPI (whey protein isolate). The aim is to include these amazing power

foods into your daily chow and combine them with low-GI carbs which will

keep your blood sugars steady and give all hardcore movers and shakers

heaps of energy. Your required amount of protein depends on your age,

weight and activity level. Usually 1.5 - 2g x your bodyweight will give you

a good base indication. Here are some of my favourite protein-packed

meals to keep you in power mode for the rest of your busy day.

ULTRA FIT MEAL PLANNER BY TERESA CUTTER - the healthy chef

www.teresacutter.comwww.thehealthychef.com.au

Want to feel sensational, be full of life and energy?

With adrenalin pumping and butterflies in my stomach, I feel the lactic acid developing in my body, yet I have not even performed one rep of the CrossFit Workout of the Day – 50 Pull Ups, 50 Push Ups, 100 Body Weight Squats… 3 rounds, for time.

As Rage Against the Machine blares

through the stereo speakers, the

Workout of the Day (WOD) begins,

and so does my first CrossFit group

session. Within minutes, I struggle

and get tangled up in the body-size

rubber band I use to aid me in my

pull-ups, and I glance across the

maze of bodies and pull-up bars to

see Special Services Commando

Steve Willis performing pull-ups as

if gravity does not exist on his side

of the gym.

The gym reeks of intensity, with

bodies pulling, pushing and squatting

with various degrees of power,

strength and speed…and when the

whistle blows at the 40th minute, my

first WOD ends with me in the foetal

position, shaking uncontrollably and

in a mental daze pondering how I will

manage one month in the mosh pit of

fitness, better known as CrossFit.

CrossFit – What is it?It is the latest rage in sport and fitness

– from the local group of policemen

to Mixed Martial Arts fighters to your

everyday businessman, people are

stepping up to perform the ultimate

workout - CrossFit. The average

gym user may have heard a bit

about it…the intensity, the myths, the

heavy metal-esque culture…but the

principles of CrossFit lie much deeper

in developing the ultimate, functional

athlete.

CrossFit’s principles and workouts

are designed to test ten general skills

of fitness: cardiovascular/respiratory

endurance, stamina, strength,

flexibility, power, coordination, agility,

balance and accuracy.

A CrossFit athlete does not master

one discipline as a weightlifter,

marathon runner or gymnast might,

but rather develops skills across a

broad range of disciplines. The goal

of CrossFit is to test the body’s three

metabolic pathways:

Phosphagen – high-powered •activities that last less than about

ten seconds;

Glycolytic – moderate-powered •activities that last up to a few

minutes; and

Oxidative – low-powered •activities that last in excess of

several minutes.

The Mosh Pit of FitnessCrossFit

BY MICHAEL JAROSKY

By testing the ten general skills across each metabolic pathway, CrossFit strives to produce total fitness and the ultimate athlete.

CrossFit’s founder, Greg Glassman, opened

his first gym in California in the mid-1990s.

The rise in popularity of CrossFit as a sport

and fitness regime has led to over 1,000

CrossFit affiliates throughout the world. A

CrossFit gym is the antithesis of the popular

fitness brands growing across Australia.

There are no Britney Spears videos on

LCDs, no stair-masters, no ab-rollers, and

no tanning booths…there are no free soap

giveaways from corporate partners, no neon

lights, and no smoothie bars. A CrossFit

gym contains free weights, skipping ropes,

rowing machines in a warehouse-space

fit to perform high-intensity, fully functional

workouts.

There are 32 CrossFit Affiliates across

Australia, with members typically following

the WOD posted daily on the CrossFit

affiliate’s website. CrossFit Effects (CFX),

located in Kogarah, NSW develops a

12-day macro training cycle of 3 days

on, 1 day of rest. Workouts are designed

to include one or more elements from

metabolic conditioning (cardio), gymnastics

(body weight exercises), and weight/power/

Olympics lifting.

CrossFit – Transforming Workouts into Sport

Is CrossFit a sport? Or is it just a new fitness regime? It is both.

CrossFit as a sport is simple: perform a

series of movements while being timed,

and the individual who performs those

movements in the shortest period of time

wins. However, not everybody at a CrossFit

session is competing, with many simply

enjoying the variety of the workouts and

body toning/weight loss results it delivers.

To some, the clock provides a measurement

of how well they competed a CrossFit WOD

as a sport, to others that same clock is a

mere reminder to keep moving efficiently in

order to perform a solid workout.

A CrossFit athlete is functionally strong, fast,

flexible, and is at the top of the food chain

when it comes to athletic competence.

The fitness elite just competed at the 3rd

Annual CrossFit Games in San Jose,

California, where 126 men and women

from around the globe competed in a series

of 8 WODs over a 2-day period that can

only be described as unique-yet-torturous.

Crowned ‘The World’s Fittest Man and

Woman’, the 2009 champions are Mikko

Salo (Finland) and Tanya Wagner (USA).

Steve Willis from Sydney, Australia finished

in 4th place and his Ultra Fit interview is on

Page 48-49.

CrossFit Myths

Some fitness experts point to the ‘CrossFit

dangers exposed’ as evidenced on

YouTube, where a culture of Jackass-

wannabes (the Johnny Knoxville kind) post

their WODs exhibiting poor form, and at

such an intensity and heavy load create

serious physical risk and harm.

But just as every poorly executed golf swing

cannot be monitored and corrected by a

golf pro, not every CrossFit squat thruster,

deadlift, and push-up can be monitored

CrossFit CrossFit Workout # 1 – By Mick Shaw 15-12-9 Repetitions

Squat Thrusters 40kg,

Kettlebell Swing 24kg,

Pull Ups

Run 400m

MS: This workout has some of the foundation skills used at CFX. In this workout we are using a cross spectrum of the modalities ie: Weights with the Thruster (front squat and press) and Kettlebell swings. Within the gymnastics modality, at CFX we allow the kipping pull-up which recruits more muscles of the body to pull oneself over the bar. This creates momentum but increases work capacity.

Finally, the run is used for metabolic conditioning. With mixed modality workouts we have highly competent clients/athletes that are coordinated, flexible and agile and continue to build speed, strength, power, endurance, stamina, balance and accuracy.

10

w w w. t a n i t a a u s t r a l i a . c o m . a u

By Michael Henry

Nutritio

n

Race

Body

Pro

fessio

nal

Section Title Pages

P.34 Golden Girl Emma Snowsill talks with Michael JaroskyP.44 Eating for recovery. By Andrew Hamilton P.48 Muscle Elasticity By Andrew Read. P.52 Hard Core Pilates. By Dav CohenP.54 Get a Beach Body with Brooke DunlopP.58 Full body functional strength workout with Brad ShepherdP.61 Training on an exercise bike by Ben FazioP.66 Adjusting to pregnancy and fitness by Grace McClureP.70 Naturopathy for good health P.72 Deconstruction series: Liz Nelson looks at the Squat and how to get it right.P.76 Making change for 2009, By Jason ChapmanP.78 Get Energized for 2009 with Nathan Page’s guide to success.P.81 Paul Chek looks at 10 shoulder lifts

P.86 How to compete in your first Ocean Swim Race by Michael HenryP.90 Swim to a Fijian Island, Race review by Michael HenryP.94 Competitor Profile John Jacoby. Meet a legend by Rosemary Marchese

P.96 Business review Fit2Date get fit and get out-there! P.98 Are you Mentally Tough? Find out with Chad TimmermanP.101 Rat Race event review by Aroc SportP.102 New Year New Career. P.106 The truth about becoming a Personal Trainer. P.108 Ultra Fit’s CEC Quiz P.110 Subscribe for great prizes in this issueP.114 Meet Tiger G a fitness powerhouse

P.16 Diabetes and the GI Diet. By Shane BilsboroughP.20 Diabetes profile success story. P.22 Summer low fat meal planner By Teresa Cutter. P.26 Fitness Transformation by Ronda Puckey. P.28 Beta Alanine By Dr. Gary Slater. P.30 Whey Protein tried and tested by Shane BilsboroughP.32 Amino Chelates Benefits for athletes

Some Ocean Swimming event tips

As with running, there are different levels of swimming. Luckily in Australia most of us learn to swim at an early age and our schools now run programs to aid a child’s grasp of this great sport. My daughters now also attend at their schools regular surf safety classes which equip them with a basic understanding and experience of waves, rips and sandbanks. The next level of experience most of us have is pool swimming and competing against classmates at the annual school carnival. Beyond this, many adults pretty much fall off the tracks and reserve swimming for the occasional bodysurf or backyard pool paddle.

However, if you live anywhere near the coast in Australia, you

will not have been able to escape the onslaught of semi-

clad people all keen to try an ocean swim. Australia has the

most organised ocean swimming season in the world. It lasts

from October to March and major events attract up to 3,000

competitors. There is no telling where this great sport will end

up. Let’s face it, it’s very low cost to train and compete, easily

accessible and is very social.

The sport itself is demanding and should not be taken

too lightly. A good ocean swimmer will have excellent

cardiovascular endurance and the ability to keep focused on

technique despite unpredictable currents and other conditions.

In comparison to pool swimming an ocean swimmer is

exposed to swell, chop, wind, rips, marine life and other

competitive swimmers. (Trust me, it’s the other swimmers that

pose the greatest challenge. Chatting to some of the pros,

what goes on out of view in the front pack of some swims is

alarming – thankfully, for most of us this is not an issue!)

So let’s assume you are a competent swimmer and have

swum up to 2km in a pool environment. You have trained and

built up the endurance you need, and now it’s time to try your

first ocean swim event. Here are some handy tips to get you

on your way.

Pre Race.1.

We recommend you have a buddy to swim with first

time out. Make sure you follow all rules laid out by the

organisers. Get there early, warm up and even swim out

prior to racing, to about 50 metres from the shore. Stop

in the water to gauge if there is a current or drift that will

affect your swim. Also, take into view landforms that might

help with navigation. If it is a long race don’t be afraid to

apply Vaseline to areas of your body that might chafe -

armpits, inside the thighs, chin, around your swim suit

straps etc. HINT - don’t get the Vaso on your goggles. It’s

impossible to get off just before a race.

The start.2.

Most swims are beach starts with a dash from the sand

directly into the surf. We suggest you run out as far as

you can, lifting your legs high to get over waves, until it is

too deep. ‘Dolphining’ is also good, meaning, diving and

running out until it is deep enough that you have to swim.

If the surf is big, go under the waves every time, it’s the

most efficient and safest way. If you are not confident to

do this, don’t do the race. (Once, I should have pulled

out of a race, but did not and I regretted it. It was a very

unpleasant race and I race to enjoy myself, not to be a

hero.) Also, once a wave passes over you be on the

By Ben Fazio: Exercise Physiologist, Director of Melbourne Health Training Services. www.mhts.com.au

Theory

A multi gym or home gym allows you to increase muscle strength in a safe, well controlled, convenient and ef-fective manner by placing a load or weight to pull back against the con-traction of the working muscles.

This is often called weightlifting, resistance training or strength

training. When these exercises are done repetitively, your muscle

increases in length and width.

A multi stack multi gym consists of blocks or discs of weights at-

tached to a lever or pulley system. Changing the amount you lift is

easy, just move a pin in the weight stack or add another plate in

plate-loading models.

Using a weight-stack gym machine has several advantages. It looks

and feels more like models you find in gyms, a definite plus for those

who have lifted in the health club setting. Weight stacks give you

a point of reference; non-weight-stack models may turn them off

because of their different feel.

Forces vary at a joint as the angle of the bones change through its

range of motion. This can make it difficult to move through cer-

tain phases of the movement. The Nautilus system uses a cam

designed to compensate for these variations in strength, automati-

cally increasing or reducing the resistance to correspond to your

muscle’s potential strength capacity. If you are familiar with these

machines you might consider them in your purchase.

The Right Multi Gym Features For YouBuying the right home multi gym for your needs, within your price

range, can be very difficult. A wide range of products of varying

quality confronts you. Two seemingly similar multi gyms can be very

different from one another when you begin looking at them closely.

You need to appreciate your wants and test the machine to ensure it

meets them before making your final decision.

Make sure you can use it. Some machines

literally do not fit their users. Many gyms are designed for people be-

tween 170 cm and 185 cm in height; shorter or taller people could

be in trouble, unless it has an adjustable seat. Other machines are

too narrow for larger individuals to fit between the bars. Depending

upon your body size and shape you may need a multi gym that has

adjustable positions. Adjustments include seat and back position-

ing as well as positioning of the lifting bar or arm. Still others don’t

fit the human body at all. Look for a multi gym with people-friendly

angles rather than boxy, straight lines. Cast iron weight stacks offer

a smoother range of motion.

The Construction. As with any piece of equipment,

quality materials cost more but will last longer and require less

maintenance. A multi gym has a steel frame, pulleys, cables, and

weights. Most US-manufactured frames are made from 11 or 12

gauge steel. These frames are structurally stronger compared to

13 or 14 gauge found in some Asian manufactured frames. Always

check the welds and finish of the steel. Welds that do not cover the

full extent of a joint may weaken and uneven finishes often show

early signs of rust.

The Biomechanics. The design of each exercise station

on a multi gym should promote proper lifting position and technique.

While you may not be an expert in exercise, one rule of thumb that

you should employ is that ‘If it doesn’t feel right/good/comfortable/

natural, it’s probably not right’. You should try out several different

stations with light weights to test their comfort.

Number of Stations. The number of stations and/

or exercises that can be performed on a multi gym can vary from

10 to 15 to several dozen. Each exercise is designed to work dif-

ferent muscles. If you don’t know whether a particular exercise is

important, discuss it with a qualified personal trainer and have them

explain how the exercise is done, and what muscles are worked.

The most important factor about the design of the stations is their

usability. Ask to be shown how to operate a station then try it your-

self. A multi gym that has a design that is not easily used will quickly

become one that is unused. And worse than wasting your money,

you could become discouraged with strength training altogether.

The resistance should fit. The settings should

include weights light enough for the beginner to train on and heavy

enough to challenge the strongest lifter. It is recommended that you

look for a machine with at least a 120 kg stack with a 2.5 kg starting

weight.

Floor space. Manufacturers have refined the pulley and

cable systems to reduce noise and improve smoothness. They have

tried to reduce the floor space multi gyms occupy without compro-

mising the number of features. You will need at least this amount of

floor space for a multi gym: 112cm L x 193 cm W x 203 cm H plus

room to move around the gym.

Features vary greatly, and you need to make sure they fit you as

well. A good multi gym should allow you to do 12 or more different

exercises without having to change the configuration.

Safety Considerations

Physically shake any multi gym you are thinking about purchasing: if it moves or wobbles easily, then choose another one. You don’t want to worry about the multi gym moving in the middle of a workout. Look for heavy gauge steel tubing to eliminate flexing and improve movement quality.

If you’ve decided on a weight-stack multi gym, be aware that open

stacks pose the safety hazard of weights crushing someone’s (es-

pecially little children’s) hands.

Finally, examine the cables. They should be strong enough that

they won’t break when you lift heavy weights and have a quiet and

smooth motion rather than a dragging, noisy one. Buy models with

covered cables as this will prolong the life by up to 5 times.

The following multi gyms represent a sample of designs available.

They have been reviewed to give you an idea of their features and

prices. Many other good machines are available for you to pur-

chase.

Whether you are a professional athlete or just

enjoy physical activity for its health benefits,

there are a plethora of methods we can

use to make our bodies stronger, faster,

fitter, bigger, tougher, etc. So what if

we could train our minds to match the

strength and power of our bodies??

What if I told you about an area of the

brain that can be trained? This area is

known as our reticular activating system

(RAS). It is believed to be the centre of

arousal and motivation in mammals.

Anthony Robbins, well known author,

speaker and self-help guru, gives

his explanation of our RAS in his

1991 classic book Awaken the

Giant Within:

“This shift in mental posture aligns you more precisely with your goals. Once you decide that

something is a priority, you give it tremendous emotional intensity, and by continually focusing on it, any resource that

supports its attainment will eventually become clear.”

(p. 288)

Simply put, the RAS works because when we focus on a question or

problem our mind becomes engaged to find the solution.

Genius! So why aren’t we out there kicking butt and achieving our goals?

Well, some of you probably are. But for some of us, our RAS may

appear to be malfunctioning. Our RAS acts as a filter between our

conscious mind and our subconscious mind. It takes its orders from

your conscious mind and passes them to your subconscious mind.

For example, your conscious mind might send the order that you are

a bad driver, simply as the result of a joke ushered by a well-meaning

friend. So as you move through your day, your subconscious mind

is on alert for evidence to present to your conscious mind that you

are indeed a bad driver. “I forgot to indicate, see, I am a bad driver”;

“It just took me 5 attempts to reverse park, see, I am a bad driver”; “I

didn’t see that stop sign, see, I am a bad driver.”

With your RAS working away diligently for you, I would suggest

that within a very short time, you will struggle to find an insurance

company who will represent you!

One of the best examples I can give you of how our RAS is

functioning 24/7 is when we buy a car. Sure, we know what we

want and set off to test drive it. But it’s not until after the deal is

done and you’re driving home in your new car that you begin to

notice that make and model everywhere. So why is it you didn’t

notice them before? Perhaps because your conscious mind has

now passed the information as relevant to your subconscious

mind….

So how can we use this as a training tool for our minds? Well,

rather than rely on just your physical strength to get you to the finish

line, the strategies below, when practised, will deliberately program

your RAS to search for the evidence it needs to believe, to reach the

goal you have set. It will begin to show you opportunities that may

previously have passed unnoticed.

Talk about your goals in the past tense, as if they have •

already happened. Eg I have crossed the finish line in my

first full marathon.

Visualise the outcome in a positive way. In your mind’s •

eye, see yourself crossing the finish line. Hear the cheers

from the crowd, feel the jubilation inside you, see your

loved ones embracing you.

Write it down. Journal your success. Put on paper your •

excitement at achieving your goals.

Record your own voice verbalising your goals in a positive •

tense. Play this in the car, on your MP3, any chance you

can - listen to the power of your own words.

Daydream often. Upon waking, before falling asleep, •

every quiet moment you can to see your goals achieved.

One of the truly great things about our RAS is that it cannot

distinguish the difference between reality and fantasy. This means

that positive self talk and visualisation are powerful strategies to use

to strengthen our minds. By just taking a few seconds everyday to

see and hear yourself describing your goal achievement will have

your RAS working to find course-corrections to any obstacles.

Dr Maxwell Maltz, who by the way was not a psychologist by training

but was a medical doctor and plastic surgeon, wrote the classic

1960 self-help book Psycho-Cybernetics (Prentice Hall, 1960).

In this book Dr Maltz refers to the idea of the human brain as an

automatic guidance system. This human “servomechanism” can

be either a success mechanism or a failure mechanism. Dr Maltz

is essentially describing in his theories (that formulated during the

1930s and 1940s) the basis of our RAS.

THE POWER TO USE YOUR OWN IMAGINATION TO CREATE THE BEST POSSIBLE VERSION OF YOURSELF IS WITHIN US ALL. IT’S SIMPLY A MATTER OF “OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW”.

Remember your present self-image is not based on reality but what

you imagine to be reality. If you are told often enough that you are

a certain way, then that is what your self-image reality will become.

However, this image can be changed by you at any time.

Acting as if you are already a success and your goals have been

achieved will simultaneously plant the notion in your RAS that this is

your current reality and guess what, so it shall be……..

So what is holding you back? What is stopping you from achieving

your goals? Do you recognise the ‘road blocks’? Perhaps you are

responsible for the obstacles that keep blocking your path? In the

next issue of UFM we will explore these questions and offer some

‘dynamite’ that could ‘blow up the blockages’ and ‘bust down the

obstacles’ that may be feeding your RAS a false reality.

BioJen Forster

is the founder of Goal Power Mind and Body Coaching.

As a Life Coach and Qualified Fitness Professional, Jen’s focus

is developing minds so that the impossible becomes possible.

Jennifer Forster

Mind and Body Coach

Goal Power Mind and Body Coaching

www.goalpower.com.au

jen@goalpower.com.au

Reference:

Dr Maxwell Maltz, Psycho Cybernetics, 1960 by Prentice Hall, Inc.

Bobbe Sommer, PhD. with Mark Falstein, Psycho-cybernetics 2000,

1993 by Prentice Hall, Inc. UFM

16ULTRA F IT ISSUE [119]

From individuals exercising for general wellbeing, through social groups, to elite athletes, running is one of the leading participation sports in Australia (Exercise, Recreation & Sport Survey 2006 Annual Report). Along with sports like basketball, volleyball, netball, tennis and some aerobics, running is classified as a ‘high impact activity’ - in that it requires both feet to leave the ground simultaneously.

As with all high impact sports, running has

a broad range of associated health benefits

including:

1) Increasing fitness, endurance, agility and

co-ordination

2) Building bone strength

3) Increasing muscle strength

4) Increased feeling of personal wellbeing

However, while running is undoubtedly one

of the best and most convenient ways to

keep fit, its ‘high impact’ nature has the

potential to make it the cause of a wide

range of injuries.

Running and Injury

The most common types of running injuries

can be classified into two broad categories:

1) Start-Up Injuries

2) Overuse/Accumulative Injuries

Start-Up Injuries

Put simply, running start-up injuries involve

going too far, too fast, too soon. For the

beginner (or returning runner) it is very

important to allow ample time to increase

both your physiological (heart, lung etc)

and physical (muscles, joints) capacity

gradually. A common mistake for the new

runner is to try to run through pain they are

experiencing, rather than recognising that

the pain may be their body’s early warning

system of an imminent injury!

Preventing Running Injury

A common mistake for the new runner is to try to run through pain they are experiencing, rather than recognising that the pain may be their body’s early warning system of an imminent injury!

Overuse/Accumulative InjuriesThere are three common reasons for runners to get these: overtraining; failing to allow

adequate recovery time between runs; and ignoring small, niggling pains. Statistics

released by Smartplay (Victoria, 2007) indicate that in a 12-month period up to 70% of

recreational and competitive runners will sustain an overuse injury. Of these, 42% will be

of the knee, 17% to the foot/ankle, 13% to the lower leg and 11% to the hip/pelvis.

Getting The Most From Your Running! A large number of running injuries are preventable. Here are some simple guidelines that

can help you maximise the health benefits of running, whilst minimising the chance of

injury.

Essential Assessment1. — Prior to commencing any running programme it is

very important that you consult a suitably qualified health professional, such as a

physiotherapist, in order to identify any musculoskeletal or health problems that may

contribute to injury. Knowing your body’s strengths and limitations will greatly assist

in tailoring a running programme that minimises the change of injury whilst also

meeting your health and fitness needs.

Warm Up and Warm Down 2. — A thorough warm-up and warm-down (including a

range of dynamic and static stretches) should be undertaken each time you run.

Allow Time for Rest and Recovery 3. — Appropriate rest is critical to performance

gains and injury prevention.

Hydration, Hydration, Hydration4. — Drink plenty of water (or a sports drink)

before, during, and after your runs.

Don’t Ignore Pain 5. — Listen to your body and if you are experiencing pain in your

joints or muscles while running - stop and walk. Consider seeking professional

help for the pain — the solution may simply be a matter of adding some additional

strengthening or flexibility exercises to your running routine!

Remember Your Feet 6. — Healthy feet are your key to running performance, and

essential to protecting your feet are high quality running shoes. Many different

factors will affect what type of running shoe is best for you and how often you

will need to change your running shoe. Consider seeking professional advice in

choosing and updating your shoes.

Vary Your Routine7. — Consider the use of low impact ‘cross training’ activities such

as cycling or swimming to give your joints a rest between running days.

Running Surface8. — Wherever possible, run on a clear, smooth, even, and

relatively forgiving surface. UFM

At BRP — It’s All About You!

As a specialised musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice, Baroona Road

Physiotherapy will work with you in order to provide targeted, expert advice in relation

to sports performance enhancement, injury prevention and injury rehabilitation

issues. If you have a query or would like to make an appointment please visit our

website www.baroonaphysio.com.au or call us on (07) 3368 4029.

Preventing RunningInjury

17 ULTRA F IT ISSUE [119]

Some people are afraid to change. They are afraid of what change means. It’s the fear of what’s on the other side of change. It’s getting out of a comfort zone and moving in to the unknown. Others are afraid to accept where they are really at with their circumstances. They are in denial and they bury their head in the sand. The situation just gets worse.

If you are someone who is ready and would like to make some changes in your life, following are some very useful tips to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

DECIDEFirst of all you have to decide what is it you would like to change or achieve with your life?? You need an action plan! We all have an idea of what we need to change. It’s about listening to yourself. Listen to what your heart is saying. Make your own personal action plan. Write it down!

OK, so now we know what we want, the next step is how do we make it happen? How do we make these changes?? How do we go about achieving this?

“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.“ ~Confucius

ENERGYWhen you make changes usually you will come across some very challenging times, tough times. It may get extremely hard for you. This is where you need to tap into some extra energy. Something you can think about that will propel you forward. Write down 2-3 things that you can think about in these times that will keep you going.

I know whenever I have a tough time in my life and things can’t get much worse (or so I think) I think about my brother who 2 weeks before his 16th birthday had a rugby league accident and ended up a quadriplegic. Now 20 years later even though he has not been able to move his legs or parts of his arms he is still living a successful life. He is married, has his own miracle baby boy and keeps going. I think about him, it drives me to get through the challenge.

TO TAKE RESPONSIBIL ITY!I believe the most important thing to remember about change is to take personal responsibility for the things that happen in your life. You are where you are at right now because of what you have done. There is no point blaming something or someone else. You have made your life what it is today.

BEL IEVEThe first belief we must have about change is that we can all change in an instant. The past does not equal the future. Today is the first

At certain times in our life we get to the point where we feel like “I can’t go on any further, something has to give, I’m losing control, I need to change”. Whether it’s your health, fitness, occupation or your relationship.

AChange for the Better!

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day of the rest of your life. Get excited about life and how you are in control. You don’t have to continue down this path any longer. CHANGE NOW THIS INSTANT!

“Do not wait to strike til the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”William B. Sprague

The second belief we need If we are going to create long term change is we have to acknowledge that we are responsible for our own change not anybody else! It’s ok to have trainers and coaches etc, they are there to help us along and motivate us. I highly recommend using these services. However, if we don’t take full responsibility for the change IT WON’T HAPPEN!

MAKE IT A MUST!Believe something must change, not it should, or could. It must. There needs to be enough pain or urgency for the change to take effect. I often hear clients say,”I need to do this, I want to do this, I will try and do this” and it never happens. The magic word that is said when change happens is “Jason, I have to do this I must do it. I have no other option that will make a difference” As far as change goes this is music to a trainer’s ears.

I CANYou must believe that it must change and “I can change it!”YOU HAVE TO BE THE SOURCE OF YOUR CHANGE Then circumstances surrounding you and your decision will help you change.

10 Steps to creating Change1) Decide what you really want to change in your life right now!Write it out and make your personal plan.

2) What’s preventing you from Having it right Now?Write it out and work out how you can prevent these things from hindering your change.

3) Create massive pain to NOT Changing now and massive pleasure to the experience of having the change right now! Anyone who has ever had a heart attack, then decided to get healthy, is good at remembering the pain of not changing.

4) Make it urgent. The only way you are going to change now is to create a sense of urgency that’s so intense that you are compelled to follow through.

5) Use mental energy! Remember the thoughts that drive you forward in tough times. As sure as day turns in to night you will always have obstacles, people and circumstances preventing you from change. Always go back to these and draw energy from them to keep you going.

6) Use LeverageUse pain that comes from the inside. The pain of knowing you are not living up to your standards. Knowing you don’t look like you know you could. I find that my children are good leverage to stay healthy and lead by example. If you don’t change how will you look in 5 – 10 years? How will your life be?

7) Interrupt the old habits and Identify vulnerable momentsWhen are they? Write them down. Then work out what else you could do at these times. One of my clients had trouble not drinking wine between the hours of 4 – 6pm every day. Parents will know this time. It’s happy hour with the children. They get restless and hungry and it can be quite stressful. It’s enough to drive you to drink. So once this time is identified as a weakness we can do something about it. In her case hubby started work earlier so he could come home and help in this stressful time which meant my client no longer needed the drink to survive.

8) Open your mind to new ideasRemember you are where you are because of the decisions you have made in the past. Maybe you need to look at some other options. See if you can find someone who has already been through what you are going through now and come out of the situation exactly how you want to.

9) Create a new Empowering AlternativeWho else has made this change? Why do people drink alcohol? Instead of going for a beer with your mates how about a surf or mountain bike?? Instead of reaching for the chocolate cake because you are bored or emotional try yoga??

10) Take the 21 day challenge Do it for 21 days and make it a habit.

“Our only security is our ability to change”.

~John Lilly UFM

Jason Chapman is a leading fitness coach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. He also runs health and fitness retreats. Visit www.firsttraining.com.au for more ideas on making changes in your life and the best way to optimum health and fitness.

I will never forget the feeling of bathing in warm

volcanic springs hidden deep within the tropical

mountains of Hawaii, there was an unexplainable

sacredness which touched my soul. It was an

incredible healing experience as I dived down,

loving the sensation of water around me. I

wanted to stay beneath the surface forever, if

only I had gills! In the tranquil stillness, only a

slight vibration warmed the waters, a tiny warm

bubbling was emanating upwards from within the

volcanic rock… amazing! The moment was pure

bliss, yet it wasn’t until afterward that I noticed

that the tension and stress I had been carrying

from the five hour triathlon the day before and

the hot, frustrating, five hour drive to this special

place (with many misdirections!) had left my

body. I was now clean, alive, alert and with a

timeless sense of tranquillity. So what was the

magic of that water? Can it be scientifically

described? What about water and hydration at

a physical level and water in our environment? Is

it possible that water could even respond at an

emotional level to the way we speak to it? Most

importantly, for Ultra-Fit readers, how can we use

some answers to these questions in a practical,

simple way to help ourselves, our clients and

those around us to reduce stress and be more

vital, fit, healthy and strong, every day. Every

dawn is a new beginning, make changes now!

Hydration – A few more reasons to drink up

“It is chronic water shortage in the body that causes most diseases of the human body.” Dr Fereydoon Batmaghelidj (Your Body’s Many Cries For Water).

Dr Batmaghelidj has devoted years of research

and investigation into why water works so well

in keeping us healthy and pain-free. Personally,

I believe it is important to remember that there

are many other factors besides water involved

in a person’s health, however Dr. B’s pioneering

work shows that what he calls Unintentional

Chronic Dehydration (UCD), contributes and

even produces pain and many degenerative

diseases that can be prevented and treated. Put

simply, dehydration causes stress in our physical

systems, we don’t work efficiently on all levels

and the information transmission is scrambled.

A human can survive around 3 weeks without

food yet only 3 days without water! For athletes

focused on results, where every increment

of performance is analysed, best practice

hydration is even more paramount. Even mild

dehydration can result in increased heart rate,

increased lactic acid in muscles, increased

body temperature, increased fatigue, decreased

strength, decreases in mental cognition, more

Water

– the Elixir of life……Some small simple changes for some big differences!By Grace McClure

stress and impaired judgement (are you shrivelling up and reaching

for your water bottle yet!). Keep in mind it is also important for those

losing a lot of fluid through exercise to replace fluid and minerals/

electrolytes such as potassium, sodium and calcium, as water can

be insufficient.

So listen to your body (see below how to hear your body is asking

for water) and drink at least eight glasses-plus to two litres-plus

of good quality water per day (depending on an individual, their

exertion and their environment).

This miracle cure is actually the way our bodies are designed to

function, straight from nature and plain common sense.

Hydration and how to hear your body asking for water

Thirst is the most obvious sign yet this often comes too •

late (when you are already dehydrated) so be mindful to

sip water frequently before extreme thirst.

Many confuse thirst for hunger and eat more than they •

need to. So if you are hungry, try having a glass of water

first.

Ideally, your body will produce clear colourless urine – this •

is the sign of good hydration. A somewhat dehydrated

body produces yellow urine and a severely dehydrated

body produces orange or dark coloured urine (your body

is crying out for water; so drink up).

A few tips on staying hydrated

Make water easily accessible and available, it can be that •

simple

Always keep a large water bottle with you and sip regularly •

(on your desk, at home, in your workplace, in your car or

by your bed)

Drink water, as well as other beverages if you are eating •

out

Be prepared and be mindful of your own circumstances •

and start to regulate how much water YOU need,

everyone is different according to body size, type, amount

of daily physical exertion and their environment, start

paying attention and prepare accordingly

During exercise, plan your water/fluid/electrolyte intake •

before and prepare to have it available

Limit caffeine intake (coffee, coke, some teas) as this is •

dehydrating

Drink herbal non-caffeinated teas•

Water – a closer look

Apart from well-known hydration, what is really interesting is the

powerful effect of water at a quantum level, at an emotional level and

also the positive effect that simply being in a negative ion charged

environment (beach, waterfall, rainforest) can have on your body.

Negative ions

Have you ever wondered why it is you feel so good being near the

ocean, how refreshed you feel after taking a cold shower or about

the crisp clarity which invigorates you walking through a rainforest

and after a thunderstorm and fresh rain? The answer is largely

due to negative ion particles. Ions are small bits of charged matter

floating around in the air and scientists will tell you that some ions

are charged negatively, and some are charged positively. Negative

ions are atoms that have gained an electron. Oxygen ions are in

such beautifully abundant supply near fresh, flowing water such as

rivers, streams, seas and waterfalls.

Negative ions are at their most plentiful in natural, outdoor settings.

In fact, scientists have measured the air around natural water

settings such as waterfalls and found that each cubic centimetre

can contain 95,000 to 450,000 negative ions. The typical office, on

the other hand, tends to contain a few hundred negative ions per

cc, and sometimes none. This becomes scary when you see just

what negative ions do, and the damage that not enough negative

ions will take on our bodies.

Did you know that time spent indoors can rob you of an ideal exposure to negative ions and cause fatigue, poor motivation, aches and pains, poor moods, and an overall sense of being unwell?

Why negative ions can be positively healthy!

“Positive ions, (ie the bad ones) which occur in high levels in many indoor environments, inhibit the body’s ability to prevent pollutants/contaminants from entering the vulnerable areas of the respiratory tract. However, an overdose of negative ions has proven to provide counteraction to this effect” (Kreuger, 1974; Soyka, 1991; Tchijewski, 1960).

Countless studies prove the benefits of negative ions on health

and well-being, including improved sleep, immunity and respiratory

function – while positive ions can make us feel tired, depressed and

irritable. Unfortunately for us, our modern indoor, internet, electronic

lifestyles tip the balance downwards for our health, as fluorescent

lighting, electrical and electronic equipment, television screens and

static producing, man-made fibres in carpets, clothes and upholstery

all reduce the level of negative ions and increase the positive ones.