In January, the annual Victorian Population Health Survey was released for 2009.  It shows that overall Victorians don’t eat enough vegetables, drink more alcohol than they should and more and more are becoming obese or developing diabetes.

Men... get eating those fresh fruit and veggies!

In some areas Geelong rated better than the state averages but also needed significant improvement in other areas.  Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, it is the men of Geelong who really need the shake up when it comes to taking care of their bodies and developing a fit, healthy lifestyle.

Here are a few statistics of where men in Geelong stand:

• 22.8% are smokers
• 18.8% drink alcohol at weekly high-risk levels
• 42.2% are overweight
• 17.9% are obese
• 6.4% eat enough vegetables
• 49.7% eat enough fruit
• 63.2% do sufficient physical activity

So men, it’s time to take control of your life and your body!  How about adding more fruit and vegetables into your diet, making a conscious effort to smoke and drink less and, of course, get out there and exercise more!

And if you want to learn more about how your body can function at it’s optimal level and the best ways to exercise and manage your nutrition, why not consider doing some study?  You can do your Certificate III or IV in Fitness, or even a Diploma of Fitness, at Geelong’s Gym.

Information sourced from The Geelong Advertiser, Monday 30 January 2012.

Holding a photo of my family at our reunion

Why am I bringing up my family?  There are couple of reasons, but the main reason it came to mind is that we are currently running our hugely popular Family Add On campaign at Geelong’s Gym.  We run this campaign once a year as a way of giving back to our members.  The half price 12 Month Membership is a great way for them to share health and fitness with their immediate family.   One of the reasons I love doing this campaign is because I value my family above all else and I would do anything for them, so it makes me feel good to be able to help my members do something special for their family too.

That's me!

The picture shows me holding a recent family photo that was taken in Canada and it’s my proof that I really do have a massive family.  You see my Dad was the youngest of 13 and my Mum is in the middle of 11.  Not all of those siblings were married,  but I believe 20 of them were and between them they had a lot of kids.  I’m the youngest of 11 myself!

There's Germain!

Of my 23 direct Aunts and Uncles there are  only four who moved to Canada and in this photo are the representatives of those four families.  They would be 330 people in total, but we had around 290 show at our family reunion (including myself and my son, Germain) and there are about 250 of us in these photos.  85 of those are my immediate family with 10 brothers and sisters, counting my Mum and Dad and not counting my grandparents… that’s a big family!

And there's my Mum!

I share all this because it will give you an insight into why Geelong’s Gym is the way it is.  I’m the only member of my family in Australia, aside from my Australian born sons, and because I love being a part of a big family, I’ve made the Geelong’s Gym team and members my family!  Often I hear members say that there’s something unique about Geelong’s Gym and I’d agree with them – it’s the relationships and the equal levels of respect that we offer each other, the greater levels of care and concern we exhibit…  we don’t look at people as numbers but as part of our extended family.

I honestly believe that one of our greatest strengths of Geelong’s Gym is we treat people like we’d like to be treated ourselves and that we’re really just one big, happy family!

So, if you think you’ve got a bigger family than me… I’d love to hear about you and your family.

Sick of your belly fat? Kick wheat to the curb and enjoy a flatter stomach!

U.S. Cardiologist, William Davis, states that not only is wheat the worst food for your heart, but it’s also the worst food for your abs.  In fact, wheat effects every organ system in your body, but its impact on your belly is its most visible characteristic.

You may be wondering how one little grain can have such an impact, but the facts speak for themselves.  Dr Davis’ patients who gave up wheat lost an average of 26.7 pounds each!

There’s a reason why wheat is so bad for us.  Back in the 1960s a group of scientists set out to make wheat easier to grow and more resistant to pests, which was fantastic for the farmers, but really bad for us.  Basically, genetic engineering transformed wheat into a super carbohydrate which wrecks havoc on your body and makes you fat.

Scarily, this even applies to “healthy” whole wheat!

So, the choice is yours… give up the wheat and see the difference in your belly.  Plus, dropping wheat from your diet will also dramatically slash your blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides and other markers of heart disease risk.

Make the change today and enjoy better health and a flatter stomach!

Information in this post sourced from Men’s Health Magazine.

Astounding, isn’t it?  But true nonetheless, with depression and anxiety the most common mental health disorders.

Regular exercise can help prevent mild depression and anxiety in young people

You may be wondering why this is worth discussing on a Gym blog.  This topic is actually hugely relevant… research has shown a strong relationship between a person’s physical and mental health, with regular exercise having a role in both the management and prevention of mild depression and anxiety.

I got into the fitness industry many years ago because I wanted (and still do want) to help people leader healthier, happier lives.  So it’s only natural that I’m delighted to be able to help people improve their mental health as well as their physical health.

You see, exercise triggers the production of endorphins, which can promote feelings of wellbeing.  Furthermore, exercise can improve symptoms of depression by improving sleep patterns, interrupting negative thoughts which make depression worse and increasing the sense of being able to cope and the satisfaction of learning new skills.  Participation in group physical activities can also help create a sense of connection and belonging, which in turn promotes good self-esteem!

Exercise is not the sole cure for mental disorders, but it can certainly help keep a healthy headspace.  So if you’re a parent of a young  person, get out there and exercise with your children and create healthy practices which will set them in good stead for their future.

If you’re concerned about the mental health of a young person, encourage them to seek help from a health professional or direct them to Headspace.

Information sourced from Fitness Australia.

Sh'Bam... the new dance party at Geelong's Gym!

It’s a New Year and we thought we’d kick off 2012 with a real bang… by getting our dancing shoes on!  That’s right, we are delighted to introduce a brand new Les Mills dance class to Geelong’s Gym, called Sh’Bam.

If you love your Zumba then you’ll love Sh’Bam, a 45 minute calss with unique choreography and energetic dance routines.

The good news is the dance combinations are uncomplicated but a whole lot of fun - not only will you have plenty of opportunity to master the simple moves, but the combination of high intensity and recovery tracks means you get a really great workout!

You’ll be loving it so much that time will fly by, and before you know it you will have burnt off an average of 506 calories, while toning and shaping your body.

Our first class went off with a bang and everyone is loving it!  So get along and try out Sh’Bam, on Thursday nights at 5.30pm… it’s FREE for the month of January, so why not give it a go and inject something new into your workout routine?!

Or so I thought!

A personal training client of mine told me her New Year’s Resolution and it is very different from the usual run of the mill promises you make to yourself.

She plans to look up more in 2012. That’s it! Look up more.

Hmm, if this is what you look like sitting at your desk... maybe it's time you looked up more too!

Her work involves a head down position and her body is wearing the bad posture with a high degree of pain and dysfunction. She exercises regularly but it’s not enough to undo the hours she spends with her eyes lowered. Did you know that your head weighs 5.5kg and for every centimetre forward your head moves, it increases the weight of your head by 1.8kg? And unfortunately, most people’s heads migrate a lot more than that-often up to 7.5cm forward and that means you’re carrying around a 19kg head. Your poor neck and back having to fight against the unrelenting force of gravity!!!

By simply lifting your head, you can de-stress your spinal structures enormously.  Try it now, lift your head to look straight ahead and notice how you promote a lengthened back, your abs work more, you look taller and I bet your shoulders aren’t as hunched.  Ever suffered pain between your shoulder blades or back of neck pain? Look up more frequently and you’ll feel the difference.

The other reason she gave me was that by looking down, she feels she misses things… opportunities! In fact she said by keeping her head down, she avoids so many things. Obviously it was a coping strategy at some point in her life but now she’s missing too many good things.

I wonder how many behavioural patterns we still use, even though we no longer need them.

Look up! You might be able to finally outgrow behaviours you don’t need.

I think I’ll give this a go and keep my eyes up, my chin up and give my body a break and see what life has to offer. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Whatever the reason for your study, don’t you wish there was a way to make it easier and more efficient, while still retaining all the information you need?

Give your brain a rest for 30 minutes, go and do some exercise... and you'll retain and understand so much more when you get back!

Well, there is a way and it’s called taking a break from time to time from your study.  Yes, you did read that right.  The best thing you can do for your brain retention is to take a break and do 30 minutes of exercise.

Why?  Because endorphins are released both during and after exercise and cause you to be more alert and aware… both of which are essential to good studying.  Plus, when you’ve been seated in one position for some period, getting up and moving increases your blood flow which in turn helps your brain function.

I really got motivated to write this blog after having a chat with one of my older members.  Walter is 78 and he was explaining to me how he had cataract surgery recently, which has left him with flawed eyesight.  But he then proceeded to tell me that his sight is the best during and after his gym sessions.

He had mentioned this to his doctor, who wasn’t at all surprised.  The doctor told Walter that one of the many benefits of exercise is that it increases blood flow and, in Walter’s case, the increased blood flow to his eye caused him to see better for a period of time.

I had that conversation with Walter just before going into a Spin class and I kept thinking about it throughout the class.  It all made so much sense to me when I realised that I’ve been writing great ideas down just after Spin classes, because in that 45 minute period of exercise I get a rush of great thoughts and ideas… because of the increased blood flow to my brain!

So if you want to get better grades… exercise more!!!

We’d like to thank all our members, guests and Facebook and blog followers for your support over the past year.  Geelong’s Gym wouldn’t be the wonderful place it is without all of you being a part of it.  Here’s to a fantastic New Year with lots of new goals, plans and ideas to work towards.  And, of course, we look forward to bringing you even more exciting changes and developments at the Gym in 2012.

We wish you and your family a safe, joyful and blessed Christmas, whatever you’re doing.  We trust that you’ll enjoy the festive season and indulge in some delicious Christmas goodies… but not too many!!  :-)  May 2012 bring you all that you hope for.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From the Geelong’s Gym Team.

The Team and partners at the Christmas Party

While McDonalds isn't the only culprit, this image really says it all!

That’s right, if you’re really overweight and aren’t exercising, this video will save your life, BUT you must act upon the learning.

And if you’re none of the above, but are a converted regular exerciser, then get someone you know who’s life is at risk to sit (it’s not like they’re not used to that!!!) for 9 minutes and watch this video.

The other day I went into McDonalds to use the restroom and to buy a bottle of water.  It was a quick, flying visit but I have to admit I stopped and did a double take when a particular patron caught my eye.  I was amazed, astounded in fact, by the size of this particular man, sitting with his partner, gorging on a huge array of burgers and such.

A whole raft of thoughts raced through my head as I watched him… I felt empathy, I wanted to stop and talk to him, help him realise that he’s severely shortening his life through his unhealthy lifestyle… I really wanted to get through to him.

However, I realised that we all have different reasons for our actions and I questioned whether in approaching him I would be helping him or only adding to his story.

The thought crossed my mind that I could use my phone to take a photo of him so I could blog about the impact of an obese lifestyle… but of course, that wasn’t the right or sensitive thing to do!

Instead I started looking for a video or something which would portray the importance of moving your body.  And I found this 9 minute video, which does a great job doing just that.  Please take the time to watch it – it could change your life or the life of someone you care about.