exercise

It can be hard to find the time to get to the gym, particularly if you have kids.

We are all aware of the obesity epidemic in this country, and of the sad reality that a large number of those affected are children. Whether you feel that both you and your children should become more active for health reasons; or simply that it would be a fun and positive way to spend quality time together, why not include them in your exercise routine?

When considering fitness for children, it is important to emphasise activities as fun rather than simply hard work. Make enjoyment the priority!

This fantastic workout targets strength, endurance, aerobic fitness, stability, balance and will power! It will challenge your whole body and push you to the limit (in a good way!).

If you struggle to fit an hour long exercise session in each day, why not try breaking your exercise up into smaller, manageable sessions throughout the day?

Interval training is a great way to spice up your cardiovascular workouts, boost your metabolism, increase your aerobic fitness and shed unwanted body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass.

Most gyms these days are kid-friendly, offering child minding facilities that allow busy Mums some time to themselves to squeeze in a workout. If your local gym doesn’t have a creche, membership doesn’t work into your budget or you prefer to be around your bub while you exercise, this is the perfect workout for you!

In order to make fitness improvements and reach goals, we must push the boundaries. The body is an amazing, readily adaptive machine and if you repeatedly do something that you find easy, you won’t improve.

This week’s challenge is to push the boundaries and complete as many push ups as you can in 60 seconds.

Most of us have heard the term “core strength” at some point, whether it be at the gym, on television or at the physiotherapist’s office, but what exactly is core strength and why is it so important?

The human body is a machine that is constantly burning calories from the foods we eat to provide us with energy for movement and to keep it’s systems running smoothly. When burning more calories than are being taken in, the body turns to fat stores as a source of fuel, resulting in weight-loss. Aside from slogging it out at the gym, what can we do to increase the number of calories we burn?

This is my first blog for Wellbeing and I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and passion for fitness, and motivating you to take the challenge of becoming the best “you” that you can be!

I am a qualified personal trainer and am currently undertaking a degree in exercise and sports science, as well as an advanced diploma in nutritional medicine. I love everything related to health and fitness and strongly believe that a balanced, multifaceted approach that includes regular exercise, healthful nutrition, adequate rest and mental and emotional wellbeing is essential in achieving true “health”.

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