As one year ends another year presents new opportunities

2011 is fast approaching and there is no time like the present to consider your current situation and make some plans for next year or think of a realistic New Year Resolution.


Do you currently wake up each day and dread going to work? Do you feel like you’re in the wrong job? Do you often feel down or sad? Would you rather just stay home and watch DVD’s than get out and engage in social activities with friends, family and work colleagues?
It is a normal part of life to have periods of feeling down however if these feelings go on and on for an extended period, it may be time to make some changes in your life? In fact the final weeks of 2010 are the perfect time to reassess things and start to consider what you need to leave behind in your current life in order to move forward.

Is 2011 the year? If so grab a pen and paper and start making some notes about the areas of your life you want to change or develop. Easier said than done perhaps so how do you start this process? Here are some tips to assist and get the ball rolling.
1. Write down the names of some courses that interest you
2. List some self development topics you need to work on and hunt for books to read.
3. Look for a new job
4. Find a hobby
5. Enrol in a new training course

The simple act of documenting these items is often all you need to stimulate a little inspiration and take the first steps toward change.

Change nearly always brings fear as we move out of our existing comfort zone and enter the realms of the unknown. If you can learn to face these fears and embrace positive change you will grow immensely as an individual.


So why not get started now and make 2011 a year you will never forget. If health is what you want to change in 2011 take your own online health check here and see where you can start.

Plan ahead for the ‘Silly Season’

There is no better way to approach this time of year than with a definite plan. Unless you want to begin 2011 carrying around an extra 3-5kgs of weight now is the time to set your goals for the festive season.

Christmas after all is just one day however most of us spend the majority of the month of December attending parties and functions and over eating and drinking. This combined with missed workouts, late nights, holidays and closed gyms can leave us extremely vulnerable to weight gain and, as we all know, it is much easier to prevent weight gain than it is to lose once it is there.

My suggestion is to draw a line in the sand as of December 1 and make yourself a commitment to not gain weight over the month of December. Make yourself accountable to this commitment by sharing it with someone close to you such as your partner, best friend, Personal Trainer or family member. Another idea is to print out your weight as of December 1 in large bold print on an A4 piece of paper and stick it to your fridge or bathroom mirror or somewhere you will see it every day and use it as motivation to keep your weight under control.

It is during this time of year that we give ourselves permission to let go and eat badly and skip exercise sessions. Sure we do need to take some time out and spend some quality time with friends and family at this time of year but it shouldn’t be an excuse to over indulge. Portion sizes are crucial as we all tend to fill up our plate because it’s Christmas or continually snack on treats just because they are around. Why not choose December as a month you aim to increase your water intake? I know this sounds a bit weird but drinking water before you eat suppresses your appetite and having more water and less alcohol over the Christmas period is only going to benefit you.

So what if you do over indulge? Compensate immediately by scheduling in an extra training session and eating a meal or two of only salad or vegetables and drink loads of water. Monitor your weight daily if necessary to avoid the weight creeping back on. A lot of people have holidays at this time of year so skipping gym sessions is not acceptable, in fact you should be doing more sessions while you are on holidays.

I urge you to make that commitment now and look forward to seeing you on January 1 at the same weight as December 1 – you can do it!

Give yourself a Lift

We all do it and pretty much every day but are you lifting correctly? Back problems that arise from incorrect lifting techniques are becoming more and more prevalent in our increasingly sedentary and automated lifestyle. But this doesn’t need to be the case and with just a few correct lifting and bending techniques you can help avoid the unnecessary damage and pain associated with a back injury.

Everyone puts a lot of stress on their backs every day from the process of bending and lifting, even those people who don't have a job that requires frequent heavy lifting. Think of how many times a day you bend down to pick something up whether it be laundry, your pet, a piece of paper, etc. Continued bad form when lifting, even something small, can cause unneeded stress on your back and make it more prone to injury.

There are two common mistakes made in lifting. The first is using the wrong muscles, the back muscles, instead of the leg and buttock muscles. You should always bend your knees when lifting heavy objects so you have a solid foundation for your spine. You should keep your trunk vertical when bending down and lifting something. A horizontal trunk can put pressure on the lower back amounting to hundreds of extra kilograms. This pressure can eventually compromise a disc or sprain or strain a back muscle.

The second common error is lifting an object too far from the body. Get close to what you are lifting. It decreases the pressure on your spine. Try to start with the center of the weight no more than 15 centimetres from your body, then lift the object with a straight back using your leg and buttock muscles. These are simple principles that will help you minimize injury to your back when lifting.

Another important guideline to follow is to limit twisting when lifting. This adds more force to your back. If you must turn when lifting, pivot your feet instead of twisting your back. In addition, always be sure of your footing. A sudden change in footing or a trip can cause enormous amounts of added stress on the back.

Another problem with lifting is fatigue. The more you bend and lift, the more fatigued your muscles become. When muscles are fatigued they are more prone to injury. Frequent breaks when lifting are preferable to help rejuvenate strength.

Always use both hands when lifting and lift slowly and deliberately. The ideal situation is to have someone or something to help you when lifting, but if that's not possible, follow all the above listed guidelines to minimize your risk of injury.

Here at Lifestyle Improvers we pride ourselves on teaching all our clients correct lifting techniques when they are working in the gym. With sufficient practice and reminders, correct lifting technique will become second nature. With any serious or pre-existing back injury we always work with our clients to re-train their habits and re-strengthen the correct muscles to provide that solid base that is required. As always we also recommend the assistance of an allied health professional to assist with the treatment of any back injury and work with us to get our clients back to normal functioning as soon as possible.

Are you out of breath?

When was the last time you took notice of your breathing? Most of us don’t breathe well. We take short shallow breaths and tend to use our neck and shoulder muscles to help. Have you noticed that when you are slumped in front of the TV or your computer that your shoulders rise and fall with each breath? Or have you noticed that when you are stressed or rushing around that your breath becomes short and sharp? Perhaps you have noticed that you hold your breath when you bend down to lift something up or when you walk up a flight of stairs or that your belly bulges when you run for the bus?

Breathing is a fundamental part of our lives and of our spinal stability and is an automatic process and yet most of us take breathing for granted. Our breath has many important functions and poor breathing has been linked to numerous health issues such as heart disease, muscle tension, stress, chronic pain and weight gain. Breathing well ensures we have enough oxygen in our blood for our brain, organs and muscles to function.

The world is changing so quickly around us and we are all becoming busier and busier therefore learning to relax is becoming more and more important and chronic pain is becoming a large community problem. Often we look for a physical reason for our pain and some days it might just be because we are stressed and rushing around and forgetting to breathe properly.

Our breath is an important part of our spinal stability. Our stabilising corset is like a cylinder with a lid and a base. The walls of the corset are our deep abdominal muscles, the base is our pelvic floor and the lid is our diaphragm. When we breathe well, filling the air all the way to the bases of our lungs and rib cage, we allow our diaphragm to work with our pelvic floor for effective core control.

Several studies have documented the relationship between the lid, base and walls of our corset and how they function when we have pain or are pain free. A recent Canadian study found that up to 60% of people with chronic low back pain have altered breathing patterns when performing certain physical activities. Interestingly they found that the altered breathing was not related to pain severity. So whether you have mild, grumbly pain or intense ‘let me go to bed’ pain, chances are you are not breathing well.

So the next time you catch yourself slumping, rushing around and/or stressing or just wondering what you did to aggravate your pain, tell yourself to STOP, sit or stand up straight and take three long slow breaths. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.