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How can exercise help you stay young and feel great!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017
How exercise can help you stay young & feel wonderful

I watched a BBC programme the other day on how exercise can help your brain and body stay young and there are a few points I would like to share with you
How to keep the brain young.
We all know as we aged our brain can lose some of that sharpness we once had. You forget things, problems are harder to solve.
Well all is not lost…
They did a study where they got together a group of people all in their 60s. To start they had to do a logical & thinking test and recorded the results. Then for 10 weeks half of them walked and the other half played table tennis several times a week.
At the end of the 10 weeks they resat the same test.
The results showed three key things;
1. An increase in their cognitive processing.
2. Their brains had changed physically, the hippocampus and grey matter had increased in size. This is the area that controls memory and decisions making.
3. Their emotional state had improved with people feeling happier and more positive, particularly those playing table tennis.
Why did this happen?
Well when we exercise we raise our heart rate and this gets the blood following faster and improves the flow to our brains. It also increases the release of those feel good chemicals.
Also when you exercise with others you have a social interaction which is good for our emotional state. Whether it is a friend(s) or trainer.
And finally for some of the people they were learning a new skill. This is what creates new connections between your brain cells.
In Summary
Movement increases your blood flow to your brain which helps to keep it healthy. And if it involves are new routine or skill then you are forming new neural connections as well.
If you would like some advice or assistance on what is the best form of exercise for you to do please get in touch with either Paul or myself at the gym or pop in and see us. Next time I will talk about how it helps the body stay young.
Paul: Mobile 021 409 558 Email paul@advancedfitness.co.nz
Jane: Mobile 021 2727 003 Email: jane@advancedfitness.co.nz


Jane Williams
Personal Trainer
Advanced Fitness

Event preparation..........enjoy the process enjoy the event!

Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Event or experience…….lets help you enjoy the day! (Experience could be a tramp or ride that isn't race i.e. Old Ghost Road.)

When it comes to events we spend a lot of time focusing on the event, the outcome and then rely on our result meeting our expectation to say we were successful or at least happy with how it all went!

I would like to share from my own experience and from speaking with others, some take home tips on what I’ve learnt from my event/experience preparation and races.

1) Prepare well, train well……avoid what I call grey area training which is training with mid to high intensity and frequently but not for race duration. Is your race 3 hours long but all of your training sessions are tiring 1 hour sessions…….? You may be adding a lot of fatigue without improving fitness that you can use. Look at doing longer more moderate intensity work for the time you expect to riding/ running for and then short high intensity repeat efforts for strength and power gains. Check out the map/course of the event and find some comparable ground/ elevation so you’re not surprised when it comes to your race.

2) Prepare well! Same as point 1, but we will focus on looking after yourself and recovery. Eat well and eat enough, under eating will lead to under recovering which will have a big impact on your performance and increase the risk of injury. Hydrate well to allow your body to load and move well, you should aim for 30% of your bodyweight in water intake daily….more when exercising. Eat something easily digestible in the 30mins post exercise and a good meal in the 3 hours following.

3) Adapt your training to where you’re at……each day your body will respond differently to training which is why it is important to have a plan and avoid training too hard. It's also important to adapt your session each time if you’re not 100%
Here is a few questions to ask yourself…
Have you had 6 hours sleep last night?
Have you had water in the last 90 mins?
Have you eaten something nutritious in the last 5 hours?
Have you had a stressful day?
Do I have any aches, pains or niggles?

All of the above will have an impact on your ability to perform, if you’re finding you’re always getting the wrong answers then work on the behaviour change needed so you arrive at your training time ready to go!


4) Connect in training: Train with a friend or like-minded person who enjoys doing what you do, they don’t need to match your fitness level but avoid judging yourself on their performance when you know they are fitter than you. We know when we change the emotive response you get from exercise, we change performance, enjoy your training and you will enjoy the process not just the outcome! You will find an event or experience is a great way to get your kids healthy and fitness focused.

5) Don’t build up your expectations, enjoy the day……..I’ve done this to myself, put too much pressure on myself on the day and raced my race in the car on the way to the event. Worrying, stressed , trying to control everything I can’t control and raced at a speed I can’t maintain because I had under trained! All of the above will equal a performance that doesn’t meet your expectation.

Set a realistic goal that’s based on your own training, fitness level, experience in the event and preparation; then enjoy the challenge. Focus on the process and you will enjoy the outcome! Don’t forget to admire the scenery as often your event will cover some of the best area’s our country has to offer.

Completing an event can be the most invigorating experience and can be the start of a great journey. It’s always motivating to have a goal with your fitness, being able to have the feeling of accomplishment as you sit around after discussing war stories from the day is a feeling I would encourage you to experience.

My challenge to you is to find something (event or experience) you feel would challenge you and lock in your spot!

Thyroid Health

Thursday, March 09, 2017
We see more commonly than ever people coming to us with the goal of shifting weight or changing body composition but have a thyroid issue which is frustrating them by having an impact on metabolism.

What does it control…..

Thyroid hormones act on nearly every cell in the body. They act to increase the basal metabolic rate, affect protein synthesis (key for muscle development), help regulate long bone growth (synergy with growth hormone) and neural maturation.

The thyroid hormones are essential to proper development and differentiation of all cells of the human body. These hormones also regulate protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism, affecting how human cells use energy.

For those not familiar with metabolism or basil metabolic rate, put simply its is your body’s energy system that determines how much energy we burn at rest and during our daily activities. (Basil metabolic rate is how much energy your body uses at rest) Put simply metabolism and weight change are closely linked and could be the reason your results are hard to come by.

With a sluggish metabolism seeing changes in body fat levels can require a real personal focus with tradition weight loss methods often worsening effects.

Thyroid drives metabolism!

So how can you look after your thyroid…….

-We know that both your gut and your adrenals have an impact on the function of your thyroid.

-Within your gut your body converts T4 (thyroxine) to T3 (Triiodothyronine) which is your active thyroid hormone and essential for good function.

-If your gut isn't functioning well then the flow on effect could be your not able to convert enough T3. Research has shown that a gluten sensitivity is commonly linked to thyroid dysfunction. All food sensitivities will have an impact on your gut function.

-Iodine deficiency is another common link to low T3 production as the hormone is made up of part iodine.

-An imbalance in gut flora or infection and bacteria overgrowth will all contribute.

-We know that when stress is present in high or chronic levels your body doesn’t produce as much Secretary Iga (sIga) hormone which has a role in protecting the mucosal barrier in the gut and keeping out those nasty things that are present in our food or from our environment.

What can I do…… tomorrow

1)In short from a lifestyle prospective keeping a balanced healthy diet with limited processed foods and good quality Iodine intake will help.

2)Avoid long duration or very high intensity exercise and your body will see this as stress!

3) Make sure your gut is functioning well, bloating, cramping, gas and inconsistent stools are all signs there is room for improvement.

Go and see your GP or medical professional and ask for a blood test to find out how your thyroid is functioning. Try to get TSH, FT3, FT4, and TPO antibody so you can understand the full function.

I know from working with clients that it can be a challenging road to recovery and management of a thyroid condition so in my opinion it make sense to take a proactive approach to controlling your health!

Paul Todd
Health and Performance Coach
Advanced Fitness