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A fabulous journey

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:29:00 +1000

In October 2007, almost 5 years ago, I received a call from a man named Chris Wilson. It was almost a year since I had started my business. He and his wife Paula were looking to improve their fitness levels and he had trawled the internet and somehow stumbled across my, then very basic, website. I impressed him apparently out of the hundreds of sites he had been viewing! I would come to learn when you caught Chris's attention, it meant something indeed. :o)

He was going heli-skiing and Paula was going to a beach holiday so very different programs were required. Chris had tinkered with a gym skiing program but was looking for something consistent and a little different. I remember my very first fitness assessment with them. They were both very reserved and push ups, planks and the like were out of the question until they had built up some fitness. I remember the early days working with Chris when his heart rate would go up to 190bpm after sending him running up his steps out the back of his house!

Over time we worked on a program to improve his skiing and he loved it. That first year after we had trained together Chris was feeling the benefits of improved cardiovascular endurance as well as leg strength and he would send me emails from the ski fields saying how much he was enjoying his trips. He was very resilient and always wanted to take that next step in terms of intensity and difficulty in all of our exercise programs. He would never give up until he had mastered something.

In 2008, around April, I started our first Run Club. Chris showed no interest in it as he was not a runner. He had played sport at school as a young adult and was always a keen skier but running was not on the agenda. I have no idea what made him even consider starting to run, particularly at the age of 54. I just recall he and I talking about some running he had started to do and then suddenly I was inviting him to do the final Run Club training session around Abbotsford Bay that year. He did OK however I do recall beating him that first lap round. The first and only time I ever would!

Thus his running career began in 2008. That first City 2 Surf had him hooked. For the next couple of years we trained just for the City 2 Surf and it was on the way home in the bus in 2009 that I said "Who's up for a half marathon next year?" Thus our adventure into long distance events commenced. Chris took to the long events like a duck to water. Skiing was still on the agenda and he was doing double black diamond runs every year and still jumping out of helicopters, but his love affair with long runs had begun. He ran his first half marathon in 2010.

He was plagued with injury as he fell off ladders and damaged toes, ran too fast and fractured bones (he is osteoporotic), and fell at orienteering (which he attended without my permission!) and gouged holes in his leg. Inevitably in the end, a permission system was established before I would let him participate in any activity!

Of course it was inevitable that he would run a marathon. The man who ski's from the top of mountains and climbs the harder trail to Mt Kilimanjaro would not settle for a mere 21.1km. He decided that he might not be able to do more than one marathon (what's that all about?) so when he missed out on the London Marathon ballot he opted for Paris and was registered. I recall the day he sent me the email and said "Thought you might be interested in this" and it was the enrolment for Paris. I got upset that he would run his first marathon without me so the invitation to go along was suggested. All of us were off to Paris!

His final long training run for Paris was four weeks before the event date in early April. He ran just over six laps of the Bay and leapt for joy when he realised that physically and mentally he could do it. I was there and the joy in his face was almost like he had just run the event. That was Sunday. On Tuesday, after a colonoscopy, I got a message. "Paris is off, you had better call me". He had a malignant bowel tumour. It still brings tears to my eyes now thinking about that conversation we had that day. I couldn't image a day without an email or a call from Chris, not fighting with him at training sessions, or that twinkle in his eye when he took the mickey out of me for something I had said or done. It just wasn't worth thinking about. Friday he had the operation. It was all good, everything had been successfully removed and he was OK. He teased the nurses a little by not telling them his resting heart rate of 47bpm was normal and the machines weren't broken! Now the recovery process would begin.

In true Chris Wilson style, he took it on the chin, didn't complain and just quietly told me a few times how worried he had been and how frustrating the recovery process was. When it came time to exercise again we modified activities so he could avoid causing discomfort in the belly area due to the 40-something stitches he now wore like a battle scar down his mid-section. He got back to running ever so slowly and the initial fatigue was a bit of source of annoyance for him. He boldly told me that he was still running the SMH Half Marathon that year in May and true to his word, nine weeks after major surgery he ran the event and got annoyed with himself for being a minute slower than the previous year! About a week later he confessed that perhaps it wasn't so bad considering the circumstances. He always mulls things over before he comes to a conclusion.

So the London Marathon was still a goal and he registered through Travelfit to guarantee a place in 2012. It's tricky to get into the London event if you are not a Londoner or a major athlete. Training commenced in earnest now that he was fully recovered but the km's were a little less this time and the quality of the runs were improved. He is faster, quicker and stronger. Heli-skiing went ahead this year but I was held to blame for his lack of match fitness. I told him that training for a marathon and training for skiing are two different things and that next year he will not be skiing at the same time as training for a marathon. I continue to be the blame for most things when it comes to do with Chris's exercise and fitness. :o)

The final thing that was playing on his mind was his 12 month cancer check-up. He told me it was messing with his head and once he got the all clear in March it was like a weight off his shoulders. He was ready for London. So off we went to London and Chris ran his first international event last month. With every event the lead up can be perfect and no-one knows what will happen on the day. Chris ran a great event however he was unwell the week prior and this seemed to play a factor on the day robbing him of the time he knew he was capable of completing. It was an experience of a lifetime though and the crowd carried him onward towards the finish line. One of the photo's depicts him waving at the 23 mile mark! He knows has a coveted London Marathon medal, something many of us will never own.

Chris and Paula have become valued friends over the last 4.5 years. Paula has fed me most Tuesdays either with a dinner plate in front of me or a take-away packed container! We've had many gossip sessions and laughs over a glass of wine. They have always made me feel like a part of their family, yet Chris and I still have respect for each other as trainer and trainee. They are two of the most generous people I know and I have grown to know about their family and their life, as they have mine. We meet socially, often, and I continue to work with Chris with his training. He is a colourful character in our group exercise classes and at Run Club. He mentors, advises and encourages all of the new and seasoned runners alike. Everyone has a kind word to say about Chris as he is affable and really loves spending time with the great team members.

He has my utmost respect as a role model for being fit and healthy, particularly now at the age of 58. He has four more international marathons in his sights. I think he is fitter than me! He is my friend and I respect his opinion on business topics, running, and general life advice. I am so very, very glad that my website "impressed" him all those years ago. :o)

Kaz Muddell is the Director and Principal Fitness Coach at Mind Body Motion Fitness Solutions

Star Client of the month - Sunni

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:21:00 +1000

Sunni met Kaz at a 40^th birthday party for a mutual friend back in 2009. She was training for a 100km walk in San Diego to help a friend raise funds for a charity. She wanted to learn to run at some point and she also wanted to start doing some personal training. She and Kaz met up to discuss her options and then they started training one-on-one together in December 2009.

Sunni decided to do some of the group classes as well as her personal training and then opted to also join Run Club. It was towards the end of the running season and we were just doing some hill and sprint training. The very first session she attended was running up View Street outside the park at West Pennant Hills which was a very scary first session for anyone. However she took to it like a duck takes to water and ran every hill lap with a minimum of fuss. Thus, a runner was born!

Kaz and Sunni have been training together ever since on a weekly basis, sometimes twice a week depending on what goal she is working on at the time, and have become quite good friends. Every week there is a giggle or twenty over some funny story that has cropped up during the week. Sunni is one of those people that is so easy to train. She works hard, she will try any exercise (as long as it doesn't compromise her neck), and the time just passes as it's like an hour of fun! She also runs on her own on other days of the week.

Sunni's passion with running has grown too. She treats her running as a form of "time out" as well as a way to get fit. It gives her time out from her busy job and the responsibilities of her three children. She ran her first half marathon in Paris in March 2011, she then completed the SMH Half marathon in May 2011 and did her third in September 2011, improving her time at each event despite even the 30 degree heat at last year's Blackmore's Running Festival in September! Not one to do things by halves, she is running yet another three half marathons this year AND attempting her first marathon this July in the Gold Coast events! In fact she just completed her first half marathon for this year in Canberra with a time of 1:53 shaving 8 minutes off her previous time!! Not bad for a woman who starting running in 2010! It just goes to show you that consistent training and a determined attitude goes a long way to achieving great things.

Her goal is also to have a lean and fit body. Since she started training with MBM she has lost 7.5cm off her waist and 5cm off her hips. She is looking fantastic and we are working on those trim arms too now with the Get Great Guns program!

All in all, a superstar woman. Congratulations Sunni!

5 years with MBM!

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:03:00 +1000

I met Kaz about 5 years ago when my husband gave me a series of personal training sessions as a birthday present. I wasn't sure that I was going to like it and was cynical that I'd find a fitness coach that would suit me. My impression was that they were all very pushy and full of themselves.

It was a nice surprise to meet Kaz who was friendly, easy to chat to and very enthusiastic. Even so I was still pretty wary at first. I had never been a very fit person. I used to swim a lot and liked bushwalking, cycling and tennis but a few years before I'd hurt myself and with that and caring for two small children had lost whatever fitness I had. I didn't want to be pushed to do things which would exacerbate the existing injury.

Kaz has been a great coach (despite her Cruella streak). She has tailored the training so five years later I am much fitter despite the injuries. She is always a sympathetic listener if I've had a bad week, but she doesn't let me off. She is pushy, but she is also very clear about how to do exercises or weights to get maximum benefit and avoid hurting yourself. I can now do things I would never have dreamt of.

It's been fun and even though I stick with the personal training I feel like I'm part of the broad community that Kaz creates with her team and her clients. Kaz always has funny stories to tell about her life. I hear about the inspirational achievements of her clients, and how proud she is of them. I hear that other clients and even Kaz struggles with some issues in getting fit and being healthy and how they get over these hurdles. This certainly helps to keep me going and thinking about what I can try next.

I won't ever run a marathon or have "great guns" but with this sort of inspiration and friendship I will keep getting fitter and maybe one day I'll walk the marathon or get back into long distance cycling.

Ali, Chatswood

Results of group class survey

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:07:00 +1000

Firstly, thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our group class survey. Whilst it was only a percentage of group class clients that provided us with feedback, the number of responses was sufficient enough to give us a true indication of what you are feeling about the business.

I am very pleased to say that you think we do a great job overall! Every single fitness coach received positive feedback.

There were suggestions as to how we could improve however these were minimal and many of you said that we are doing just fine as we are now. If you have provided specific feedback, then this will be passed on to the appropriate fitness coach who is prepared to make any changes that would help to enhance your experience with us. Every one of us is happy to make reasonable changes to the way we conduct ourselves.

There were a couple of comments about one particular aspect of training and in my mind there should have been no comments at all. We received just a few comments about whether or not we watch form and posture and ensure that you are exercising safely. The comments were minimal but spread across the team. My intention is for there to be no comments about this at all in the future. I am addressing this at our team meeting this month to see how we can improve on this aspect as this is of paramount importance to me. Variety of exercise is terrific, and a great personality is also good, however form and safety are critical when you are exercising with us.

We will continue to ask for feedback however you should always feel free to let me know if there is anything that you feel we can do better. Thank you for your support!

Kaz Muddell is the Director of Mind Body Motion Fitness Solutions

Recipe of the month

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:10:00 +1100

Protein balls

150g almond meal

1 tbsp cocoa powder

10 dates

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Mix together with a little water until you get a nice consistency to roll into balls, dip in coconut & put in fridge.

Recipe of the month

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:47:00 +1100

Roast capsicum, sweet potato salad and harissa spiced kangaroo meatballs

Meatballs

1 grated carrot
400g kangaroo mince
2 tsp Harissa paste (found in Woolworths. It is a new stock line in the dips and cheese section. Pilpel was the brand and its free of preservatives, Gluten, Dairy, egg free also.)
1 egg
¼ cup almond meal

Salad

½ Roasted Capsicum (chopped into chunks)
½ Roasted small sweet potato or 150 g (chopped into chunks)
Assorted mixed leaves
1 Tbsp olive oil

Dressing (one serve)

100g natural yoghurt
1 tsp Harissa Paste
Squeeze of lemon juice
Handful of chopped coriander

Method:

Meatballs

1 Place first 5 ingredients in a bowl, until well combined. You can marinate overnight or for a few hours

2 Refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes then roll into balls, using wet hands.

3 Preheat oven 200 C

4 Place capsicum and sweet potato on a roasting tray (drizzle with 1 tspn olive oil)

5 This will take 45 mins to cook. When finished take out to cool

6 Fry meatballs lightly until brown on all sides, then place on a lined tray, and bake for 15 mins, turning over at half way point. If you just pan fry they will be tough!!

Dressing

Combine all ingredients and set aside

Salad

Place salad greens at base of plate, pile cooled roasted veg on top and 5 meatballs. Add generous tablespoon of dressing and enjoy.

Nutrition:

Meatballs 5 per serve - 966kj or approx. 230 cals

Whole salad 1890 kj or 450 cals.

Meatballs can be frozen, uncooked for up to one month. Freezing will increase water content so just dust with a little almond meal.

Makes 16 Meatballs

Source: Ultrafit magazine

Survey for group exercise classes

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:24:00 +1100

Survey details for the Fitness Coaches that take group exercise classes.

Survey Karen: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TMQ5TCH

Survey Amanda: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TMSYC75

Survey Julie: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TMTNQMP

Survey Graeme: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TMMVH28

Survey Kaz: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TMXLNNQ

April 2012 public holiday classes

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:22:00 +1100

We will be training on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday and Anzac Day with a slight change to some of the times and classes. For all details, please see the timetable below.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a class at Epping on Anzac Day at 7:30am. It was omitted from this table in error.

Star client of the month - Madeleine

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +1100

Madeleine started training with us in October 2010. She was a regular gym attendee and had been doing pump classes and stretching classes but wanted to try something different by training outdoors. Her main aim was to lose a little bit of weight, increase her fitness and tone up.

She decided to work with Julie and Graeme in their morning classes out at West Pennant Hills. Madeleine is a mother to three very active boys so having some time to herself was quite important and training twice a week provided this time to focus on herself.

When she started training with us Madeleine was challenged by running. Over the last 18 months she has really practiced learning to breathe correctly whilst running and improved her endurance. We know that she has improved significantly due to her beep test results. Last year in November she achieved the level of 3.7 and this last round of assessments in February she achieved a level of 6.2! That is a massive improvement!

She has also improved her core strength and worked with her physio to understand how to utilise her core muscles. The exercises she can do now are more advanced than when she started training with us.

Her measurements have also significantly changed. When we did them last year in November, compared to when she started in October the year earlier, her waist size had come down by a whopping 8.5cm and her hips by 4cm. This is a fantastic result!

The main stand out with Madeleine though is her consistency. She very rarely misses a class and has only skipped a few sessions due to illness and even then she was busting to come back to training as she hates to miss it! She is there every week, trying her best. She does her stretching every week after class to improve her flexibility and she also commits to her swimming every week.

All of this hard work has paid off. Congratulations Madeleine!

Green light for exercise throughout pregnancy

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:29:00 +1100

Adding to the canon of studies and literature pertaining to exercise during pregnancy, researchers have reported that moderate, or even relatively intense, physical activity during pregnancy is advisable for most women.

For the study, 45 healthy women in their third trimester were monitored both before and after spending half an hour walking or jogging on a treadmill. The researchers found no problems with the wellbeing of the foetus, with measures such as heart rate and blood flow recording as normal.

Study co-author, and assistant professor in the division of maternal-foetal medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Dr Linda Szymanski, said 'Healthy pregnant women who exercise should be encouraged to continue, and if a woman is pregnant and is not an exerciser, she should be encouraged to start a moderate exercise program.' It was stressed, however, that women should consult with their doctors regarding their exercise intentions because every pregnancy is different, and the study was carried out on women within a healthy weight range.

US government recommendations relating to pregnancy and exercise advise that women exercise at medium intensity for a minimum of two and a half hours a week, regardless of whether they worked out prior to becoming pregnant.

Despite the positive effects of exercise on heart health and its possible potential to reduce chances of complications during pregnancy (e.g. diabetes and high blood pressure), exercise recommendations in this field have been mixed over the years, and generally, women reduce their formal physical activity when pregnant.

'Many women say their doctor told them they should cut back on exercise, and if they weren't exercising before pregnancy, now is not the time to start. I think it's just because there's not enough data out there to assure [health care] providers that the foetus is okay' said Szymanski.

Source: Obstetrics & Gynecology

Are you overtraining?

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:34:00 +1100

I see so many people doing lots of workouts, multiple workouts in one day or one week and I often wonder why. Is it that they are driven to succeed, maybe they want to lose weight, perhaps they feel guilty if they don't workout, or do they think it will make them become a fitness champion?

Whatever the reason, everyone is at risk of overtraining and there are some implications if you are training too much.

So what are the symptoms or signs of overtraining and why could it be counterproductive?

1. You feel tired instead of energised by your workouts.

Sure, there are many reasons for fatigue but if you are tired from work and life in general then exercising every single day or twice a day isn't going to help you. Make sure that you have rest days and don't feel guilty about them! If you have a hard work day, just go for a walk instead of asking your body to push itself to breaking point.

2. You are struggling through your workouts.

If you are having trouble training and fatiguing in your workout then you may not have given yourself enough recovery time. Failure to complete your workout or to run up that hill may be an indication that you just need some time out, and not necessarily a lack of fitness.

3. You aren't burning fat or losing weight.

Now as much as it isn't all about weight loss, some people are focused on a decrease in weight. So if you aren't dropping in kg and you are eating well and exercising regularly, perhaps look at the type of training you are completing or consider if you are overtraining. I'll talk more about this later on in relation to increased cortisol levels.

4. You don't sleep well despite being physically tired.

Sleep is generally disturbed in overtrained people, your recovery slows, and your resting heart rate remains elevated. Simply put, the body is reacting to a chronically stressful situation by heightening the sympathetic stress system's activity levels so you can't rest when you need to.

5. You feel overly fatigued or sluggish.

Too much resistance training can cause sympathetic overtraining and too much endurance work can cause parasympathetic overtraining, which is characterised by increased cortisol levels, debilitating fatigue (both mental and physical), and a failure to lose body fat.

6. Everything hurts!

OK, so if muscles, joints and other parts of your body are hurting, training with sore muscles is not going to help! You risk injury if you are overtraining and fatigued. If you creak, you wince at every step, and you dread the stairs, it may be that you've pushed your body too far. The danger here is that your daily endorphin high has over-ridden your natural pain receptors.

7. You are always getting a cold or other illnesses.

Many things can compromise your immune system. Dietary changes, poor sleep habits, and stress are all usual suspects, but what if those are all OK? Your immune system may be suffering from the added stress of your overtraining.

8. You aren't improving.

Improvements in strength and fitness occur only after the rest period following a hard session. This process can take days to complete, depending on the intensity and duration of. If you do not have sufficient rest then complete recovery and regeneration cannot occur. Your performance will eventually plateau and decline.

Cortisol

A lot of attention is being focused on cortisol levels and weight gain. Cortisol is a hormone in the body that increases sugars in the bloodstream and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues and enhances the brain's use of glucose.

When you feel anxious or stressed, the body sends signals to the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol and the fight-or-flight reaction of the body to stress stays active. Cortisol continues to release sugars into the bloodstream. Besides heart disease, digestive problems, sleep problems, skin issues and memory problems, one of the side effects of high cortisol levels is weight gain. Weight gain from increased cortisol levels tends to collect around the stomach area. Fat cells in the stomach are more sensitive to cortisol, and they are very effective at storing energy.

So how do we avoid all of this? Rest! Make sure that you don't overtrain and rest your body every few days. It's great to exercise but like everything else in life it is all in moderation. Have a look at the way you train, how long you train for and how your body feels when you go for your exercise session. Whilst this is not an excuse for you to cut out exercise all together, overtraining can lead to fatigue, lack of sleep, weight gain and injury. Just be sensible.

Kaz Muddell is the Director of Mind Body Motion Fitness Solutions

Star client of the month - Nicole

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:49:00 +1100

To look at Nicole, even before she came to our classes, you would think that she was fit and healthy and wouldn't need to lose weight or even really tone up. Well, you would be right. She had been playing netball for many years and was going to the gym but she wanted to increase her fitness levels by adding in some outdoor training. Joining out classes was more about staying healthy and keeping active than any particular weight or measurement goals. She is quite tall and slim already.

Nicole plays netball with Karen, one of our fitness coaches, and is good friends with her too as well as some of the other ladies in our Epping classes. It seemed natural to add an outdoor class to her routine. She had always been quite active with netball so this complimented her current routine.

Nicole began spending less time at the gym because of work and other timing issues and so she decided to increase her classes with Mind Body Motion, and eventually ceased her membership with the gym. Now she was doing three or more classes with us and we were starting to see the increase in her fitness levels.

In the time that she increased the classes with us which was over a four month period, she reduced her waist measurement by a staggering 8cm and her hips by 0.5cm which has since increased to a 3cm loss in the last round of measurements. As a result of her shape change she has gone down in size in pants and jeans which she is pretty happy about! Her waist is also very trim and that's great from a health perspective, considering she is a mum too.

Her fitness levels have also increased. In our latest Terminator fitness challenge she was the top scorer out of all our female clients and was equal with one of our male clients who was in the top two for highest scores in the men's division. Not a bad effort!

We congratulate Nicole for her consistency and her hard work. Well done!

Chicken and spinach curry

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:35:00 +1100

Ingredients

100 g washed baby spinach leaves
6 chicken thighs
1 small brown onion
2 cm piece of fresh ginger (or 2 teaspoons minced ginger)
2 cloves of garlic (or 2 teaspoons minced garlic)
2 fresh tomatoes (do not substitute canned as will make dish too runny)
1 tablespoon sunflower oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons curry powder

Method

Peel onion and dice to medium size.
Grate ginger and garlic, if using fresh ginger and garlic
Halve tomatoes and remove the seeds, using a spoon. Then chop tomatoes.
Trim chicken thighs and cut thigh fillets in half or quarters depending on size.
Add oil to a stovetop pot that has a lid, or to a wok and heat.
Add fennel seeds, onion, garlic and ginger and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes, stirring all the time.
Add curry powder and stir well for about 30 seconds.
Add the chopped tomato.
Add the chicken thighs and coat them with the curry mixture.

Cover the pot with a lid and bring to the boil. Turn back heat and cook gently for about 20 mins. Stir occasionally.A sauce will develop from the curry powder and tomatoes.

Just before serving, add spinach leaves. Stir through until leaves are wilted.

Taste for seasoning and add some salt, if needed.

Serve with rice. Serves 4.

Functional Movement System screening

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:12:00 +1100

Recently I had the opportunity to visit BJC Health and have Sarah, one of the exercise physiologists, put me through my paces in their Functional Movement Sydney screening test.

I knew that I would have some issues as I work long hours, sit at my desk and my car hunched up for much of each day, I have poor flexibility and a few other challenges! I scored very badly in the screening test with a 12/21 result.

So does that mean I can't exercise? No, but i means that I cannot exercise safely. I have some challenges, that if not addressed, will affect the way I exercise and my ability to exercise in a safe fashion, injury free moving forward.

I am pretty shocking at doing physio exercises and I've had some to do for a while to strengthen some weak areas that affect me when I run. I haven't done them and the problem is getting worse, to the point that it now affects me when I am training normally and not just when I run.

So I'm off to visit Sarah for the next few weeks to find out what I can do to improve my score and my body's ability to exercise. I've also booked in a remedial massage and I've made a committment to myself to do this more regularly.

This is important to me as I want to be able to exercise injury free for another 20-30 years yet and I fear that I won't be able to do so unless I address the issues that I am faced with around core strength, flexibility and glute strength.

So if you are exercising and you have some discomfort, this is the point where it's too late to prevent issues from happening but it's not too late to address them. I encourage all of our Run Club clients to see BJC Health for a screening prior to commencing with Run Club so that when they increase their km's or speed they will be able to do so without anything going wrong. I would also encourage our clients in group exercise classes and personal training to do the same. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

To make an appointment with BJC Health, just visit their website. www.bjchealth.com.au. They have offices in many locations across Sydney.

Kaz Muddell is the Director of Mind Body Motion Fitness Solutions

Core and pelvic floor masterclass

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:54:00 +1100

Over the last five years we have worked with many clients that have had very weak core muscles resulting in all sorts of challenges including back pain and other functional issues. Many of our female clients have been affected by pelvic floor weakness and this presents a challenge when jumping, skipping or other impact exercise is involved. Whether or not you have had children, pelvic floor muscles do weaken over time.

This masterclass is skewed towards our female clients given we have been requested many times to assist with pelvic floor and core challenges. However core and pelvic floor is still important for men too.

The class will cover the following information:

CORE MUSCLES

Knowing what muscle groups make up your core
Understanding what exercises improve them
Explanation of neutral spine (with physical demonstrations)
Understanding how they affect your posture and lower back
How to "enagage" your core muscles as you are exercising

PELVIC FLOOR

Common pelvic floor definitions and concepts
The role of the pelvic floor muscles in your core
The effect of exercise on the pelvic floor
Function and dysfunction of the pelvic floor
Important lifestyle issues and their pelvic floor implications

Kaz Muddell, Director of Mind Body Motion Fitness Solutions, will be the facilitator of this masterclass. Kaz has been working closely with BJC Health to understand the function of the core muscles, plus a local physiotherapist who specialises in pelvic floor function. She has also completed several courses in Pelvic Floor Function to understand the impact of exercise on the pelvic floor muscles.

Date: Either Thursday 8 or 22 March 2012.

Location: Meeting Room, West Pennant Hills Community Centre, View Street, West Pennant Hills

Time: 7:00 - 8:30pm

Details: You will recieve handouts with information to take away with you, and some exercises to do at home for both core and pelvic floor.

Cost: If you are an MBM client $30, if you are not an MBM client $35 (an MBM client is defined as someone who attends one of our training programs on a regular basis)

How to register:

You ARE an MBMer - email Kaz and payment will be arranged via your direct debit

You ARE NOT an MBMer - please click on the appropriate link below for the date that suits you best.

8 March

22 March

PLEASE NOTE: Fees are non-refundable once you have registered for the masterclass.

If you cannot attend the event in person

You are able to purchase the video of the seminar and the notes to be able to review them in your own time.

Cost: If you are an MBM client $30, if you are not an MBM client $35 (an MBM client is defined as someone who attends one of our training programs on a regular basis)

How to register:

You ARE an MBMer - email Kaz and payment will be arranged via your direct debit and the video/notes will be emailed to you.

You ARE NOT an MBMer - please click on the following link: Online program. Once you have paid, notification will be sent to Kaz who will organise for the video/notes to be emailed to you.

Recipe of the month

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:58:00 +1100

Vegie rice

Include as many vegetables as you want. I used sweet potato, beans, carrots, mushrooms and capsicum.

Lightly fry the vegetables with light spray oil, or blanch them in a small amount of water.

Cook some rice whilst the vegetables are being prepared. Scramble some eggs at the same time too.

Quantities of rice, vegies and eggs are dependant on how many people you are preparing for.

Once the vegies and rice are ready, combine them in the frypan with the egg and some low salt soy sauce. Stir through until the sauce is hot.

You can add some ham or chicken if you so desire.

Julie's new challenges

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:56:00 +1100

Julie Roche is a fitness coach with Mind Body Motion. She is undertaking some new instructor challenges this year. Here is her news!

Last June I was approached by Punchfit Global Pty Ltd who were looking to recruit a presenter of PUNCHFIT® GX in NSW to train fitness trainers. Punchfit are market leaders in boxing and kickboxing accreditation and equipment. They provide courses that educate and up skill fitness leaders. To meet their requirements I had to undertake a Certificate IV in training and workplace assessment. This is a nationally recognised qualification which enables you to be a skilled trainer/facilitator and assessor in a (RTO) Registered Training Organisation. I had to also hold relevant PUNCHFIT® Trainer, PUNCHFIT® Instructor, Kickpad Instructor and GX Trainer^TM Certificates all of which I had attained in the past two years. Currently I am recognised as a Trainee Presenter. Next month I will be presenting the first of 6 audited GX presentations which are graded by the National Punchfit presenter. Upon successful completion I will be promoted to the rank of PUNCHFIT® GX Presenter. I have also been invited to assist in the presentation of the GX Boxing course at Filex 2012 in May. FILEX is the southern hemisphere's pinnacle fitness industry event, attracting more than 2,500 fitness professionals and enthusiasts annually and providing delegates with more than 250 edu-taining sessions, delivered by 150 presenters across the three days, it is held in Sydney.

On the 19 December I completed my initial training module, a big step in becoming a Les Mills RPM Instructor. "RPM is the INDOOR CYCLING WORKOUT where you ride to the rhythm of powerful music. Take on terrain with your inspiring team coach who leads the pack through hills, flats, mountains peaks, time trials and interval training."(Les Mills) It is a choreographed structured 45 min class which delivers a really high calorie workout all on a stationery bike. Passing the initial module allows you to team teach with a Mentor for 4 weeks and teach for 8 weeks. To become a fully recognised instructor you are required to submit a video for assessment in order to register with Fitness Australia as a pre-choreographed group fitness instructor. I have been doing a spin class 5-6 days a week in preparation for filming my video. Initially I presented one track and have worked up to being able to present a complete class of 10 tracks without my mentor on stage. Video filming begins this week and fingers crossed I satisfy the assessment requirements which include things like technique, coaching, connection to the class, and some fitness magic!

Star clients of the month - Mums and Bubs

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:30:00 +1100

Nicola was a client of ours through Reckitt Benckiser, one of the corporates we worked with over a year ago. She had given birth to her first child and was looking to get back into regular training of and she contacted us asking if we would be interested in starting up a group specifically for some of the mothers that she was in contact with through her mother's group.

We decided to start a class at Ryde and Karen would run the class, being a mum herself. There were initially around six or so ladies and the group has gone up and down in numbers however has essentially remained fairly consistent since we commenced in May 2011.

All the children were aged between 6 and 12 months and occasionally there was an older brother or sister present. The ladies work around keeping a close eye on the children and also doing their workout. Some days can be a challenge as the bubs can be a little restless but no-one lets that deter them from looking after their health and fitness.

Some of the girls come along to our classes at Epping when they are unable to make their regular Monday morning class and Dianne does two classes per week, one at Epping and one at Ryde. Everyone is quite diligent trying to ensure they get in their one class per week which is sometimes challenging with small children. It is to their credit that they manage to juggle all their activities!

At our quarterly assessments we re-measured everyone and they all had a change in measurements to their chest, waist and hips which just goes to show that they hard work paid off. Their fitness levels have also improved significantly.

As they were new mums Karen had to consider that each of them had a different type of birth which affects their recovery and strength, plus re-building their core strength is key. All of these factors need to be taken into consideration for new mums and it's a little bit different to running a normal class.

We think it's fantastic that they are able to spend time with their little ones and also improve their health. Congratulations to everyone in the group for their efforts!

In the photo we have Nicola and Harrison, Shireen and Daashan , Dianne and Astrid and Chrissy and Zoe. Missing are Silva and James, and Melinda and Hannah.

Weight and bodyfat %

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:25:00 +1100

Some regard the body fat percentage as the best measure of an individual's fitness level since it is the only body measurement which directly calculates the particular individual's body composition without regard to the individual's height or weight. BMI (Body Mass Index) can be skewed and is not necessarily an accurate indicator of body fat. For example, individuals with greater than average muscle mass will have a higher BMI.

One of our clients Nadine, who is a good friend of mine, has allowed me to share her Dexascan results for the purposes of this article. A Dexascan is the only way you can truly measure your body fat. Tanita scales and the like are just a guide but they do not have the ability to accurately or effectively measure body fat. A body composition scan measures your fat, lean muscle and bone mass.

Nadine and I look very different visually. Besides the fact that I am much older, she is very slim, has a flat tummy and is fairly evenly proportioned top to bottom. Anyone who has met or knows Nadine would say that she is a very trim girl and doesn't carry any fat visually. She has a lovely figure.

I, on the other hand, have a small upper body, also a fairly flat tummy, however I have the typical well rounded legs and bottom that us girls often have. I am not in proportion and it's easy to see that I carry my weight in my lower half. I also visually carry a bit of muscle in my upper body.

Nadine and I are both around the same height and our measurements are similar although she is smaller in the hips and I am smaller in the waist. To someone looking at both of us side by side they would think that we are both reasonably slim women however it very clear that Nadine weighs less than me and one would assume that her measurements are much smaller. She in fact weighs 11kg less than I do.

We shared our Dexascan results and they were extremely interesting. It shows that weight isn't always a good measure of where you are at. I carry a lot less body fat and much more muscle. It's also interesting to look at our training history. Nadine started seriously training around 1-2 years ago although she has always dabbled in exercise. I have been training solidly for 21 years and I started initially with weight training, although I rarely use weights these days and prefer bodyweight exercises.

We both now have goals to increase lean muscle mass. Nadine would like to improve her overall lean muscle mass and I would like to increase lean muscle in my legs. The scans show that we both fall within the healthy body fat range percentage for women of 20-30% body fat so we are assured that we are on the right track.

If you are interested in obtaining a Dexascan, visit BJC Health at Parramatta and Measure Up in Sydney. I can highly recommend it.

Kaz Muddell is the Director of Mind Body Motion Fitness Solutions

Tabata workouts

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:18:00 +1100

Tabata Protocol, named after Dr Izumi Tabata is a high intensity interval routine. He had subjects perform interval training (on a bike) for 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Each session consisted of 7-8 sets of a single exercise. Each set lasted 20 secs with 10 sec rest between each. Every set was performed at a high intensity.

In comparison Dr Tabata had a separate group of subjects do 30 hours of cardio consisting of 60 minute workouts x 5 days per week x 6 weeks. This was an experiment over the same time period.

The Tabata workouts proved more effective that the cardio workouts, improving anaerobic endurance by 28% but als aerobic endurance by 14%.

High-intensity interval training has also been shown to improve athletic performance. For already well-trained athletes, improvements in performance become difficult to attain and increases in training volume can potentially yield no improvements. Previous research would suggest that, for athletes who are already trained, improvements in endurance performance can be achieved through high-intensity interval training.

Sources: Published in the 'Medical and Science' journal in 'Sports and Exercise' in 1996; and Wikipedia