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WHAT YOU DO

Maintain Correct Posture

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What is correct posture?

Posture is the position you maintain – essentially how you hold your body. Dynamic posture is how you hold yourself when you are moving, like when you are walking, running or bend over to pick up something. Static posture is how you hold yourself when you are not moving, like when you are standing, sitting, or sleeping.

You have correct posture when your position creates the least amount of strain on supporting muscles, ligaments and joints whilst standing, sitting, lying down or doing any other activity. The key to correct posture is the position of your spine. Your spine has three natural curves – at your neck, mid back, and low back. Correct posture should maintain these curves, but not increase them. Your head should be above your shoulders, and the top of your shoulder should be over the hips.

Correct posture not so common

As kids we are often taught and reminded of the importance of correct posture, however as we age we are less mindful of our posture (low postural awareness). Unfortunately, we live in a forward-leaning society – spending much of our time sitting – either in the car, on the train, at work on our desks all day, at school, on the couch or glued to our smartphones. The result being that most of us have poor or incorrect posture.

Why is having correct posture important?

Correct posture…

*Decreases your chance of injury, muscle pain and other problems – by keeping your bones and joints in proper alignment, decreasing joint compression and allowing you to use your muscles more efficiently. This prevents muscle aches/strain and fatigue/overuse and is essential for avoiding neck, back and shoulder pain including headaches, as well as arthritis, spinal/disk problems and constricted blood vessels and nerves, as well as tendonitis and bone spurs. Good posture also increases your balance and decreases your chance of falling.

*Increases oxygen and helps all bodily systems to operate smoothly – breath is life, and good posture helps to open the airways and ensure proper breathing. Proper breathing allows enhanced oxygen flow to the nervous system, organs and other tissues, so that they all function effectively.

*Decreases stress and better mood – poor posture creates unnecessary stress and strains your body including your spine, which can make you feel heavy, achy, tired and irritable. It also decreases your digestion which is linked to your mood – did you know that more endorphins can be released from your gut than your brain? All of these things combined often lead to increased stress, anxiety and depression. Good posture on the other hand, stimulates physiological arousal, such as a spike in blood pressure, and triggers a coping response to stress. The result is increased resilience and better mood. This is common sense really, given that the body follows the mind, and the mind follows the body. Try it now – adopt a depressed mind-state by thinking of something that gets you down, and see what happens to your body. Now do the opposite with a super excited mind-state – what happens? Your body follows your mind, so you go from a closed posture to an open one. Next time you want to kick your negative mood, start with fixing your posture first.

*Helps you look and feel good – maintaining good posture helps increase your physical appearance because by avoiding slouching, you look taller, slimmer and stronger. The result being a more attractive, more comfortable and more confident you.

How can you improve your posture?

Here are a few of the best ways to improve your posture:

*Stay active: All types of exercise generally help to improve posture, but some are especially beneficial. This includes exercise such as weight training, yoga, pilates, as well as any other movement which focuses on body awareness. Cardiovascular exercise such as rowing and swimming can also be beneficial. Regardless of what type of exercise you do, always ensure to include exercises which strengthen your core (muscles around your back, abdomen, and pelvis) as these play an essential role in the maintenance of good posture.

*Stretch more: This goes hand in hand with staying active, but stretching is of paramount importance when it comes to having great posture. Try to stretch for at least 5-10 minutes per day or more, on most days of the week. If you do activities such as yoga and pilates, stretching is already built in. It’s also a good idea to get a massage every so often, because sometimes no amount of stretching can release locked up or worn out muscles. Besides, it’s wonderful for total body rejuvenation including mental stress release too.

*Maintain a healthy weight: Excess fat can weaken your abdominal muscles, cause problems for your pelvis and spine, and contribute to low back pain, sore hips, knees and anything else. All of these can hurt your posture, so if you are overweight, then losing weight may be the best thing you can do to fix your posture.

*Sleep on your side: The best position to sleep on is usually on your side, with a well-supported pillow for your head, and an additional pillow down by your side to support the leg not resting on the mattress. Not only is it better for your posture, but it is also better for your breathing and digestion too – particularly if you lie on your left side. Sleeping on your back is not advised, however sleeping on your stomach does the most damage to your posture – putting strain on the muscles of the head, neck, jaw and can also put out your lower back and pelvis.

*Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes: High heels, can tighten your calves, throw off your balance and force you to change your gait/walk differently. This puts more stress on your muscles and can damage your posture.

*Be mindful of your posture: Be mindful of your posture during everyday activities, like watching television, eating dinner, or walking. The more aware of your posture you are, the more quickly it improves.

*Sit Properly: Some things we can do to improve the way we sit include:

Don’t sit for too long – it’s called the 20-10 rule… Sit for 20min, stand for 8min and walk for 2. You can also gently stretch your muscles to help relieve muscle tension at the same time.
Make sure that your feet touch the floor – if this is not possible, use a footrest.
Don’t cross your legs – instead, keep your feet on the floor, with your ankles in front of your knees.
Make sure that your back is fully supported – use a back pillow or other back support if your chair does not have a backrest that can support your lower back’s curve (either a small rolled up towel, or commercial product).
Change the way you sit – a great way to do this throughout the day, is to try to alternate your chair with a fit-ball to activate your core/postural muscles and prevent them from wasting away. This could be for an hour in the morning and then again in the afternoon. You can also perform simple strength movements like balancing on one leg and figures 8’s as you sit. You just need to ensure that you choose the right size ball so that your thighs and hips are parallel to the floor or that your hips are slightly higher (<145cm tall = 45cm ball, 140-165cm = 55cm ball, 165-195cm = 65cm ball, >195cm = 85cm ball).
Relax your shoulders – instead of rounding your shoulders, gently pull them back, whilst at the same time keeping them relaxed/depressed.
Keep your elbows close to your body – they should be bent between 90 and 120 degrees.
Make sure that your thighs and hips are supported – you should have a well-padded seat, and your thighs and hips should be parallel to the floor. You may need a footrest to keep your hips and knees level.
Setup your computer screen correctly – instead of adjusting your posture to suit the position of our computer screen, adjust the screen itself so that the centre of it sits at eye-level.

*Improve the way you stand:

Stand up straight and tall – keep your shoulders back but relaxed with your head level.
Pull your stomach in – activate your core and let your arms hang down naturally by your sides.
Put slightly more weight on the balls of your feet – rather than on your heels, whilst ensuring that your knees don’t buckle in/no knock-knees.
Keep your feet about shoulder width apart – and facing straight ahead to avoid internally or externally rotating the hips.
When using a standing desk – position the screen so that the centre of it is at eye-level just like sitting posture.

Where to get help

If you need further help with achieving better posture, then consult your local Personal Trainer, Exercise Scientist/Physiologist, Osteopath, Physiotherapist or Chiropractor. Things like the Alexander Technique are also excellent, otherwise you can speak to your Doctor who can put you into contact with someone who can help.

Q.Do you have poor posture and if so, then what things will you start doing to improve it?

Rob

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July 20, 2018 0 comment

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Stay Social

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There are many things we should be doing if we want to live happier, healthier, fitter lives. But the one which is the greatest predictor of health and longevity is staying social. Staying social means;

*Having good relationships in your life – these are relationships with people whom you can count on when the going gets tough. People who you can trust to take you to the doctor if you are sick, or who can just sit with you if you’re in despair. It’s a biological imperative to know we belong and at least three stable relationships is what the research says you need here.

*Having daily social interaction – This means how much you interact with people as you go through your day. This includes not just the people you’re really close to, but also everyone else you talk to. Do you talk to the person who made your coffee, with the postman, with your neighbor? All of these different interactions are an important part of staying social.

Why staying social is important:

*It’s good for your Body:

Research shows that loneliness shortens your life as much as being a regular smoker or alcoholic. If you’re a women with breast cancer, then you are four times more likely to survive if you are not a loner. And did you know that the level of satisfaction you have with your relationships is a better predictor of physical health than your cholesterol level? Your also much more likely to suffer from a heart attack because loneliness weakens the left ventricle of your heart – your really can die of a broken heart. Staying social is not only restorative for your heart, but also bolsters your entire immune system and will literally help to save your life. Women are often much better at staying social than men, and this is a contributing factor to why women in the developed world live an average of six to eight years longer.

*It’s good for your Mind:

Good relationships don’t just protect our body; they protect our brain. Staying social sends feel-good hormones surging through the bloodstream and brain, eliminating much of the emotional and physical pain you would normally experience if you weren’t as social. It leads to less mental deterioration as you age, including better memory functions and less chance of developing dementia. It’s also an important part of overcoming all addictions.

One of the biggest causes of mental health issues is stress – and today more people are feeling stressed out than ever before. One of the most simple ways to reduce stress is by staying social. It doesn’t matter who it is – your friends, work colleagues, your therapist or so on. Having someone to talk to helps to lighten the load and has been shown to significantly reduce stress levels and increase your overall well-being.

*It’s good for your Spirit:

It’s often said that the quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of your relationships, and I couldn’t agree with this more. Everything is better in life and more fun when you have people to share it with- laughter is the pathway to the soul. We all need each other, because if we don’t then we miss out on the greatest things life has to offer – the sharing and receiving of love, encouragement and support from family and friends. Sure, things like having a nice house, car or going on nice holidays can all boost your happiness in the short term, however it’s having great relationships and regular engagement that makes you happy over the long term. At the end of the day, all you really have and all that you can leave behind in this journey we call life, is the people you have met and touched along the way. Staying social is vital to the wellbeing of your spirit – the core essence of who you are.

How social are we?

Despite the enormous benefits of staying social, almost around 50 percent of people living in westernised nations suffer from loneliness. They often feel alone and have no one to talk to, and even more feel as if no one knows them well. It’s hard to believe this is the case given that we live in a world in which we are more connected than ever before.

Barriers to staying social:

The Internet and social media – Studies show that the average person is spending up to 11 hours a day on the internet with much of it being spent on ‘social’ media. However, there is a big difference between interacting on social media as opposed to in person. It’s really important to point this out because it often passes under our conscious radar, which is why we relate online activity with the real thing. Basically, face-to-face contact which includes making eye contact with somebody, shaking hands, giving somebody a high-five is enough to release oxytocin, which increases your level of trust and lowers your cortisol levels, therefore lowering stress. And dopamine is generated, which gives us a little high and it kills pain. It’s like a naturally produced morphine. In-fact, face-to-face engagement releases a whole cascade of neurotransmitters, and like a vaccine, they protect you now in the present and well into the future. Face-to-face interaction also increases your social intelligence and creates a biological force field against disease and decline.

Being too busy – We all live increasingly busy lives these days and it really can be difficult to catch-up with family/friends. Obviously different life stages also affect this, with some stages providing less time for social engagement than others.

Other – Mental health issues either diagnosed or un-diagnosed, fear of putting yourself out there, social awkwardness, poor self-esteem, grief, estrangement of family and friends due to conflict, divorce, substance abuse and so forth. All of these things can and often become barriers to staying social.

How can we be more social?

There are lots of ways we can be more social. Some of these include;

Be fully present – How often do you go anywhere these days only to be surrounded by people glued to their mobile phone screens. Instead, make an effort to be fully present with those around you and engage in conversation. Instead of avoiding eye contact in the lift, make it – you never know who you may meet or what interesting conversation you may strike up.

Moderate your use of technology – The potential for technology to increase intimacy in your life is great, but so is its capacity to diminish it. Think about it – you can skype and send pictures to your loved one from across the world and feel close to them. But at the same time you can lose yourself endlessly looking at this machine, because you may not wish to have a difficult conversation with someone over dinner. So it is important to recognize if your time spent on your computer is increasing or diminishing your social engagement, and in particular that it doesn’t take away from your face-to-face social time. Unfortunately no amount of emoji’s is a substitute for this.

Have regular catch-ups with family and friends – In many regions of the world, such as in Calabria Italy (which is where my family is from), as people age, and indeed across their lifespans, they’re always surrounded by extended family, by friends, by neighbour’s, the grocer and so forth. People are always there or dropping by, and they are never left to live solitary lives. However, here in Australia and other similar countries, we often come home from working long hours and shut ourselves off in our houses. One in three of us live alone, with family and friends often spread over different cities and sometimes with thousands of kilometre’s in-between. If you are fortunate to have family and friends close by, then make an effort to all catch-up more often – maybe the last Sunday of the month or whatever suits.

Get involved with your community – Do you know your neighbour’s? If you don’t then this is the first place you should start – in your street, in your suburb. Also get involved with your community – the local sport club, rotary, an emergency service, a walking group, dance class, school functions, fundraising/other events or anything else. Being part of your community is a great way to be more social.

Be Intentional About it – If you want to have great relationships in your life, then you need to be intentional about doing so. Otherwise, you just drift on by and time passes and you lose contact with those who mean the most to you. We are all busy these days so if your friends don’t instigate a catch-up then you need to take the initiative and do it yourself. If you don’t have many people in your social circle then be proactive and put yourself out there. Websites like meetup and hundreds of others have made it easier than ever before to meet new people in real life with the same interests as you.

Being social includes the non-humankind – There is a reason why it’s said that a dog is a man’s best friend. Whether it’s a dog or any other animal, connecting with them plays a vital role in our overall well-being. In-fact, anyone who has never really connected with an animal before hasn’t really lived.

Connect with yourself first – The ultimate source of connection is with yourself, because once you connect with yourself on a deep level, then you actually realise that you are connected with everyone and everything else that exists. That is to say that you become one with all things. By working on yourself enough you can achieve this, and when you do you will never really feel lonely ever again, and this is so comforting. Without this connection, it is possible to feel alone even if you are in a crowded place.

So if you are not being social enough, then ensure to invest the time and energy into relationships, because we are social creatures at heart. Remember also that no-one wants to be lonely – even if they say they do. Be it a child, aging parents, friends, or the homeless person down the road, if you know anyone who is lonely, then make an effort to visit them – they will appreciate it more than you know.

Q.Are you well connected and engaged in a meaningful way with at least three other people on a regular basis?

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May 19, 2018 0 comment

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Meditate

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What is meditation?

Many people think that meditation is about thinking about nothing, but it is not this at all. We cannot block thought and emotion. In-fact we need thought and emotion. Instead, meditation is simply the act of diverting your attention inward, in order to become more aware of, and familiarise yourself with the present moment.

Why is meditation important?

Today, we live in an incredibly busy world, where the pace of life is often frantic. It seems that we are always doing something, to the point where most of us are over-worked, over-loaded, and over-stimulated. The sad fact is that we have become so distracted in the world in which we live, that we miss out on the things that are the most important to us. In-fact, research shows that almost 50% of our life is lost in mindless thought – which directly contributes to unhappiness. What’s even crazier is that we assume that this is the way life is, and that we just have to get on with it.

In essence we have forgotten to be still, and the absence of stillness has led to increased stress and anxiety. In-fact, around 17 million Australians admit that stress is affecting both their physical and mental health.

But rather than distracting ourselves from stress, what we need most is to bring the very essence of who we are back into our lives – stillness. Just as the body needs rest, so too does the mind – especially when you consider that we have about 60,000 thoughts each day – 80% of which are negative and 95% are not original. Your mind becomes like a washing machine, whizzing around lots of difficult, confusing emotions, which we often don’t know how to deal with it.

Meditation enables you to slow down your mind enough to help you return to that place of stillness that exists between your thoughts. A place which is available to all of us in the present moment.

You cannot have happiness until you have inner peace. You cannot have inner peace until you live in the present. You cannot live in the present until you remember who you are. You cannot remember who you are until you go within and mediate. Robert Greco

Every time you connect to this place of stillness within, you become more conscious and aware of what is real and what is not in each moment. In this way, meditation acts as a doorway to who you really are. This is essential, because knowing yourself affects everything you think, say and do in life. Knowing yourself is the not only the key to both preventing and managing stress and anxiety, but is also the secret to lasting peace and happiness.

What are the different types of Meditation?

There are 3 main types/categories of meditation:

1.Focused Attention or concentration techniques (e.g. Zen, Qi gong, Vipassana) is where you focus on a single word, thought or object, excluding all others. It may be your breath, a word, a mantra, sound, a movement, pattern or an inner or external image. The purpose is simply to better develop your sense of concentration. That way, when thoughts or emotions arise, you are able to direct your mind back to the original object of concentration. This type of meditation requires effort to sustain controlled attention on an object, and is characterised by high frequency activity in the front and core of the brain.

2.Open Monitoring includes mindfulness-based techniques, in which all experiences are allowed to pass through awareness without manipulation or control, otherwise known as non-judgemental moment-to-moment awareness. The mind is generally being trained to return to the present moment by using an object, breath, or body as an anchor. This allows us to become aware of negative thought patterns, enabling us to make conscious choices rather than being mindlessly controlled by them, and preventing us from being led into habitual negative behaviours. These techniques also help us to embrace whatever our current experience is (including emotional or physical pain) rather than trying to escape or get into a struggle and thereby amplify it. This type of meditation is characterised by theta activity primarily in the front of the brain.

3.Automatic Self-Transcending (AST) involves neither concentration nor training the mind. ‘Automatic’ means innocence is the key here. Evaluation, control or manipulation will leave you caught up in thinking and prevent transcending. ‘AST’ includes Transcendental Meditation (TM), and the occasional expert in other techniques. It describes any technique which transcends (goes beyond) the steps of the meditation practice itself. Typically this includes resting your attention on a mellow, meaning-free one or two syllable mantra or sound in an effortless way that allows the mantra to gradually melt like a cough drop, leaving a state of inner silence. Whilst this may seem much like a focused attention practice, the method is actually more subtle and easy going than that.

Alpha brain waves (characteristic of reduced mental activity and relaxation) permeate the whole brain, which receives more oxygen. Increased blood flow occurs at the front of the brain (which is coordinating activity) while the core is more quiet, indicating alertness in the midst of deep rest, the state of transcendental or pure consciousness/silence.

Which type of Meditation is best?

Which type of meditation is best depends upon what you want to achieve and more importantly how ‘aware’ you are. As a recommendation, if you are a beginner to meditation, then I would suggest that you start with some basic concentration and mindfulness techniques. Then once you have been meditating for some time and made some progress in becoming more mindful, then I would encourage you to try TM.

Regardless of what type of meditation you choose, I would encourage you to complement your practice with yoga. This is important because many of the emotional and behavioural responses we experience occur because of previous stress which has become trapped inside of our body’s cells as distorted memories. And so no matter how much we mediate, we can only often get so far. However, by including the regular practice of yoga – both physical postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama), we can better respond to the actual demand being placed upon us in the present moment, rather than being forced into reactions pre-fabricated by our stress. In other words, full present moment awareness is actually the gift of a stress free nervous system, not just a present mind.

How do we meditate?

As suggested above, there are many different types of meditation, however one of the most simple and best places to start is to simply become aware of your breathe. Here’s how:

Sit comfortably on a chair with your back straight and unstrained in any way. Have your feet uncrossed and anchored on the floor. Place your hands on your lap in a palms up position, or whatever way you find comfortable. You can close your eyes or not – however you feel most at ease, but if your beginning with meditation, closing your eyes will help you to remain more focused.

Now just focus your attention on the feeling of your breathe coming in and going out.

Observe your breath as it goes in and out through your nostrils. Don’t try to change your breathe in any way, just observe it. As you do this you will find that it begins to slow down.

See if you can just feel one breathe, without concern for it has already gone by, without leaning forward for the very next breathe – just this one.

Now just tell yourself, let my mind become one with my breath, and continue to focus on one breathe at a time. Do this for a few minutes.

As you do this, you may have images, sounds, or emotions which arise as your mind begins to wander all over the place – what am I going to cook for dinner, did I pay the bills, etc. And that is fine – just try to stay connected to the feeling of the breath, as much as you can by just letting any thoughts flow on by. And if something comes along that is really strong and pulls you away from your breath, you might get lost in thought or even fall asleep, then don’t worry about it – just let it go.

The most important moment in the whole process is the next moment – after you have been distracted. That is the place that we practice letting go. It’s often referred to as exercising the letting go muscle. We practice letting go gently, of whatever has taken us away. And we bring our attention back to the breath to begin again.

The whole training is letting go and beginning again. You don’t have to feel like you have failed or done something wrong. It’s the conditioned habit of our attention to get distracted. So each time we discover that, we have this amazing opportunity to let go and to start over. It’s just one breathe.

Once you have done this for a few minutes, or when you feel ready, you can open your eyes or lift your gaze.

Once you get good at being aware of 1 breath, then begin to notice 2 and 3 and 4 breathes. If you can do this then you can meditate everywhere, anytime.

How long and how often should I meditate?

There are no rules on how often you should meditate, however 5-10 minutes per day is a good starting point. On top of having a structured practice, I would also suggest that you practice mindfulness as part of your everyday life, including things like mindful eating.

Remember that each time you meditate, you become more and more connected to the present and to who you really are. And so if you do this enough, then eventually, you will reach a point where you achieve full self-actualization/transcendence which is really the ultimate goal of all meditation. If and when this occurs, peace, clarity and stillness become your natural state of being, meaning that there is no longer any reason to meditate unless you want to of course.

Whilst bringing meditation into our daily life is not always easy to begin with, the rewards that follow far outweigh the sacrifice. By simply taking a few minutes out of your day to familiarising yourself with the present moment, you will become more in tune with who you are and with it, experience a greater sense of clarity, peace and wellbeing in your life.

So I’m curious to know, what are your experiences with meditation? Leave a comment below.

Rob

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April 7, 2018 2 comments

RECENT POSTS WHAT YOU DO

Spend Time Outdoors

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How much time are we spending outdoors?

Compared to 20 years ago, adults are spending 30% less time outdoors, whilst children are spending 50% less time outdoors. This is ridiculous – prisoners spend more time outdoors! And it’s a trend which is getting worse.

Why are we spending less time outdoors?

There are many reasons why we are spending less time outdoors – getting lost in the world of social media and technology is one of the major ones. In-fact, we are spending an average of five hours daily on screen time/our mobile devices and an average of 50 minutes on applications such as Facebook alone. Pay TV only adds to our time spent indoors.

Many of the children born in the past 20 years have been connected to a computer before a field of grass, which has resulted in a generation with minimal appreciation for the outdoors and for movement in general. Many choose to be indoors even when they have the opportunity to be outside. Luckily, I grew up in a natural setting of which I am extremely grateful for, as I strongly believe that these early experiences have prevented me from getting sucked into the lure of the technological world.

An ever increasing population has also meant that our land sizes are decreasing and our backyards are shrinking.

Most of us also work longer hours, and spend more time commuting to and from work as congestion increases.

Fear of crime and increasing skin cancer rates have also had negative impacts on the amount of time we spend outdoors.

What happens when we don’t spend enough time outdoors?

Not spending enough time outdoors can result in;

Physical Consequences…

*Increased inflammation – resulting in autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, and cancer.

*Vitamin D deficiency – leading to things like osteoporosis, weakened immunity against bacteria/viruses, and obesity, etc. Every second person living in South Australia, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania are deficient in Vitamin D.

*Causes Poor Sleep/Insomnia – not spending enough time outdoors affects your internal clock/circadian rhythm and affects your melatonin levels– a hormone which helps you sleep.

*Delays recovery from injury/increases pain – Research shows that limited exposure to nature increases pain, illness and delays recovery time from both major surgery and minor health problems.

*Is bad for your lungs: Indoor air is 75% higher in pollutants, as well as positive ions (oxygen molecules with an extra electron) which have been linked to decreased sense of well-being, decreased alertness, increased anxiety and a higher resting heart rate.

*Decreases your immune system – For example: a lack of exposure to dirt increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

*Poor Vision – a lack of outdoor exposure is creating a myopia epidemic – so much so that by the year 2050, the amount of people who are short sighted will grow from 4 million to 22 million.

*Exposes you to relentless noise pollution – which has been linked to higher blood pressure, stress, and even a heart attack.

*Shortens your life – people who spend less time outdoors have been shown to have poor overall health and longevity than those who do.

Mental Consequences…

*Increased stress and anxiety – by increasing levels of cortisol — a hormone often used as a marker for stress. The less time you spend in nature, the more time you spend in your head, and this results in increased stress and anxiety.

*Increases mental fatigue – less time in nature means less restorative time for your brain, resulting in decreased problem-solving skills, less creativity/imagination, weakened cognition, short-term memory loss, selective attention, decreased ability to multitask, and a decreased ability to concentrate or focus your attention on one task, which is linked to things like ADHD.

*Decreases your self-esteem and mood – not spending enough time in nature increases activity in a key region of the brain associated with depression.

Spend more time outdoors…

Whilst this may all sound bad, the good news is that all of these things can be easily avoided by making more time to be outdoors. We should all be aiming to spend an absolute minimum of a 1/2 to 1 hour outdoors each day. Some ways to do this include;

*Spend your lunch breaks outdoors rather than in the office or café.

*Instead of meeting with friends at a restaurant, meet in a park or beach instead.

*Take a daily walk after a meal either on your own or with a loved one.

*Take your children to a park instead of an indoor play centre!

*Read your favourite book outside instead of in.

*Consider getting a pet if you don’t already have one – as long as you are willing to spend outdoor time with it!

*Leave your car at home and walk wherever you can – to the shops, train station, etc.

*Play sport instead of watching it – either competitively or for fun/back yard cricket, etc.

*Buy kids toys which encourage active outdoors play time, as opposed to screen time.

*Get into your garden – it’s a great way to get connected to the earth.

*Implement a family hike day where you regularly explore new trails.

*Book holidays which involve the outdoors like camping/caravanning, bushwalking, swimming at the beach, etc.

*Exercise outdoors as much as possible rather than in a gym or your home.

*On sunny days, hang clothes outside instead of using the dryer.

*Restrict use/consumption of technology including TV, computers, tablets, phones, and other devices.

*Implement a ‘Tech Box’ where all technology is put into and not taken out until family time is spent outdoors.

*Try to have an office with a window to the outdoors.

*Bring the outdoors ‘indoors’ by putting plants in your home and office, and keeping doors to the outside open when possible.

*Create a beautiful outdoor space – you are more likely to spend time there if it is uplifting.

*Build an outdoor kitchen/BBQ and cook outdoors often.

*If you don’t have an outdoor job, then try to work outdoors as much as possible. This is easy if you have a laptop and can work from home.

As you increase your time outdoors, just remember to stay sun smart and stay hydrated. It is safe to go outside without sun protection early morning and late afternoon when the UV Index falls below 3.

The take home message…

We were never designed to live indoors, and that’s because nature is an inherent part of who we are. This is something that indigenous people from all parts of the world know. Spending time outdoors, and in nature, has the ability to transform and heal every aspect of our lives. Intuitively, we know this, which is why so many of us choose holiday destinations on the coast, in the hills or anywhere we can retreat to nature.

So what are you waiting for… start reaping the health benefits of being in nature and the great outdoors.

Q.What are some ways you spend your time outdoors?

Rob

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February 23, 2018 2 comments

RECENT POSTS WHAT YOU DO

Set Goals

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Why is it important to have goals?

If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail – Benjamin Franklin

Research clearly shows that people who make consistent progress toward meaningful goals live happier, more satisfied lives than those who don’t. And this is largely because having goals allows you to steer your life in the direction you choose. Sure, you may already be setting and working towards certain goals, such as getting a job promotion or saving for a holiday. But are you setting goals for ‘all’ of the other areas in your life which are important to you?

I say this because so often, I coach people who have gotten to their 40s, 50s, and 60s, only to find that their health is failing, their marriage is broken, their doing a job that they are not passionate about, or sometimes all three. Or it could be any other less than desirable state that they look up and find themselves in, one which is far away from where they thought they would be at this point in their lives.

This is because they have gotten caught in the drift of life – where life has taken them along for the ride, instead of them dictating where they wanted their life to go. Sure, we can’t control everything that happens in life, but we can work towards a future we want to create.

If you can relate to any of this then the first thing to do is to acknowledge where you are at today/your current reality. Are you where you should or want to be in any area of your life –relationships, health, finances or anything else? If not, then don’t beat yourself up – that’s fine. You simply need to acknowledge where you are at, to get to where you want to go. Remember it’s never too late to get back on track – regardless of how far you have drifted off course.

Next you need to decide what you want to create for yourself. This is where you need to let yourself dream a little. What do you want your health to look like? What kind of relationships do you want to enjoy? What kind of work do you want to do? And anything else. Write it down.

Once you have decided where you want to be, then you can start working towards steering yourself in the direction you want to go. And you do this by setting some goals and working towards them.

Here are some important tips towards setting goals;

Set SMART goals – which is an acronym for meeting the following criteria:

Specific—your goals must identify exactly what you want to accomplish, with as much specificity as possible.

Bad: Get healthy.
Good: Start exercising and stop smoking.

Measurable—you can’t manage what you can’t measure, so ensure that your goal is quantifiable.

Bad: Take up running.
Good: Do a 5km fun run.

Actionable—every goal should start with an action verb (finish/quit/run/etc.) rather than a to-be verb (be/have/am/etc.).

Bad: Be more consistent with eating veggies.
Good: Eat 2 cups of veggies every day.

Realistic—Set goals which will push you out of your comfort zone, but at the same time are not unachievable.

Bad: Cycle in the ‘Le Tour De France.’
Good: Participate in ‘Cycle Around the Bay.’

Time-Framed—A goal without a date is just a dream. Make sure that every goal ends with a by when date.

Bad: Lose 10 kg.
Good: Lose 10 kg by June 30.

An example of a goal with all of the SMART criteria would include;

I will walk for 30 minutes, 5 days every week, by the 15^th of January.

Set some goals around health: The first place you should start to set some goals around is your health – because without it nothing else matters. The best goals to set around health, are all of the attributes which I talk about in the 3 keys; if you are not doing some or all of these things, then you already have some essential goals to work towards (well until they become lifestyle habits anyway).

Write down and keep your goals in clear view: When you write something down, you are stating your intention and setting things in motion. Also ensure to keep your goals in clear view. Some ways you can do this is to save your goals as your screen saver, stick them on your fridge, your desk or any other place you frequent daily.

Review goals frequently: Ensure to review your goals daily, weekly, or monthly. This will keep you inspired and ensure you remain on track towards achieving your goals. If you find that are not achieving your goals, then work out why. It could be as simple as changing your strategy. Or sometimes it’s because we have conflicting values which take us further away rather than closer to our goals. For example, if your goal is to lose weight but you enjoy a glass of wine most nights of the week, then you need to decide on what you want more.

Don’t have too many goals: Productivity studies show that we really can’t focus on more than 5 to 7 items at one time. Any more and you will find yourself spread too thin, doing many things and excelling in none. Trust me, I have been a master of this in the past, and you won’t really accomplish anything. So just focus on a few goals which you most want to accomplish right now.

So remember, whilst most of us have dreams, these dreams don’t just happen – you have to have some kind of intentionality and goals in place to make it happen. But more than that, you need to work towards your goals – and I say that because a lot of people live in the “dream of, would of, could of, should of”, but never do what’s actually required to achieve them. And it’s these same people who continue to get caught in the drift of life. But by regularly setting and working towards your goals, you can take control of, and steer your life in any direction you choose. Everyday becomes an opportunity to move toward your destination.

Do you set goals and what works for you?

Rob

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January 12, 2018 0 comment

Blog RECENT POSTS WHAT YOU DO

Get Regular Medical Check-Ups

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Anyone who owns a car knows that you need to service it on a regular basis to ensure that it runs smoothly and without problems. Well the same is true for your health too – regardless of your age, regular health check-ups can help find potential health problems before they become more problematic, and help you to live a happier, healthier, fitter life. Prevention is always better than cure.

But what tests should we really be doing? The best answer to this is to see your doctor, as there are various factors which influence what tests they will recommend, dependent mainly upon your age and your potential risk factors including family history. However as a general guide consider the following;

20s RISKS

Instead of waiting until your 50s to see your doctor, it’s important to start regular health check-ups in your 20s to catch danger signs early.

Women:

Melanoma, HPV PAPILLOMAVIRUS (leading cause of cervical cancer), High Cholesterol, Breast Cancer

Men:

Melanoma, Testicular Cancer, High Cholesterol

POSSIBLE TESTS:

Women:

Annual skin check by doctor/dermatologist for signs of skin cancer

Blood Pressure check every doctor visit

Pelvic Exam and Pap Smear annually after age of 25yrs

Cholesterol test every 5 years, starting at age 20

Self Breast Examination (you doctor can teach you how to do this)

General chat about your mental health

Men:

Self-Testicular Exam annually after age 20 (your doctor can teach you how to do this)

Annual skin check by doctor/dermatologist for signs of skin cancer

Cholesterol test every 5 years, starting at age 20.

General chat about your mental health

30s RISKS

Both men and women are at a greater risk for Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes after age 30.

Women:

Cervical Cancer, Breast Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes

Men:

Type 2 Diabetes, Melanoma, Testicular Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Heart Disease

POSSIBLE TESTS:

Women:

Pelvic Exam and Pap Smear annually for cervical abnormalities

Breast Exam annually for women with family history of cancer

Blood sugar test every 5 years/annually if overweight

Annual skin check by doctor/dermatologist for signs of skin cancer

General chat about your mental health

Men:

Blood sugar test every 5 years/annually if overweight

Cholesterol testing every 5 years

Annual testicular exam

Annual skin check by doctor/dermatologist for signs of skin cancer

Screenings for colorectal and prostate cancer if high risk

General chat about your mental health

40s RISKS

The affects of physical aging become more pronounced , and both men and women are at an increased risk of many forms of cancer.

Women:

Heart Disease, Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer

Men:

Heart Disease, Colorectal Cancers, Male Cancers including Prostate and Testicular

POSSIBLE TESTS:

Women:

Bone density testing every 3 years if at risk of osteoporosis

Blood sugar testing and cholesterol testing annually to detect/prevent heart disease

Annual mammogram for all women

Ovarian screening for post-menopaused/high risk women every 3 years

Annual skin check by doctor/dermatologist for signs of skin cancer

General chat about your mental health

Men:

Blood sugar test every 3 years

Heart disease screening every 5 years – annually if high risk

Colorectal screening annually

Prostate exam if high risk or experiencing symptoms such as trouble urinating or pelvic pain

Annual skin check by doctor/dermatologist for signs of skin cancer

General chat about your mental health

50s RISKS

Your risk for heart disease, many cancers, stroke and Type 2 diabetes increases exponentially.

Women:

Osteoporosis, Colon Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke

Men:

Heart Disease, Prostate Cancer, Colon Cancer, Stroke

POSSIBLE TESTS:

Women:

Bone density testing every 3 years

Ovarian screening every 3 years

Blood sugar testing every 3 years/annually if overweight or at high risk

Colorectal screening every 5 years

Coronary screening annually including EKG

Continued annual skin exams, pelvic exams, pap smears and mammograms

General chat about your mental health

Men:

Prostate cancer screening every 3 years. Annually if high risk

Cholesterol testing annually

Annual skin check by doctor/dermatologist for signs of skin cancer

Colon cancer screening every 3 years. Annually if high risk

Continue testicular exams every 3 years

General chat about your mental health

60s+ RISKS

Your risk of Type 2 Diabetes decreases for both men and women after 60, while the risks for heart disease and many cancers increases sharply.

Women:

Osteoporosis, Colorectal Cancer, Stroke, Heart Disease

Men:

Prostate Cancer, Colon Cancer, Stroke.

POSSIBLE TESTS:

Women:

Colorectal screening every 3 years

Bone density testing every 2-3 years

Colonoscopy screening every 5 years

The following should be continued annually:

Mammogram, Pelvic Exam, Pap Smears at Doctors discretion, Coronary Screening, Skin check

General chat about your mental health

Men:

The following should be done annually:

Cholesterol testing, Coronary screening, Prostate exam, Skin check

Colorectal screening every 3 years

General chat about your mental health

By building a relationship with your doctor, they will better be able to assist you in all aspects of your well-being including your mental health. Your doctor can also refer you to all other allied health professionals for further advice/testing if required. If you are not happy with your doctor or don’t connect then find one which you do connect with.

It’s also a great idea to pencil in an annual time to have a check-up, such as a day before your birthday so that you don’t forget. Obviously if your workplace has in-house regular medical check-ups, then you won’t have to worry about this.

So I’m interested to know, do you get regular medical check-ups, and if not why?

Rob

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November 30, 2017 0 comment

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Do Regular Exercise

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Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. Plato

Metabolically, we are hunters and gatherers, with approximately 700 working muscles functioning in sync to move just over 200 bones on your frame. Your body was engineered to be an action machine. It is meant to jump, run, twist, push and pull. And this is why it is crucial that we move it in order to stay in top shape. In-fact, doctors have admitted that they know of no invented drug that can create the same health benefits than regular exercise can – without it, your body literally begins to shut down and your organs fail to function properly.

But the reality is that very of us are exercising, and this is a massive contributing factor to why two thirds of our nation is overweight or obese.

There are 2 main ways to get your daily dose of exercise:

1.Incidental Exercise: is anything that you do on a day to day basis that’s generally part of your life. This may include things like cleaning, walking to work and gardening. The less incidental exercise that you do, the more structured exercise you should be doing to compensate. Incidental activity alone is never usually enough to maintain peak fitness unless you are a lumberjack, so it is always advisable to incorporate regular structured exercise into your weekly routine.

2.Structured Exercise: is exercise which you deliberately structure into your day. It often includes activities like playing sport, having a set time to go walking or going to the gym to do a workout. When it comes to planning your structured exercise, be sure to incorporate these 3 key components;

*Aerobic: Look at this is as endurance training for your heart. Its purpose is to increase your cardiovascular fitness, meaning you can do more work with feeling less puffed. Some examples include brisk walking or jogging, swimming, rowing and cycling. In general you should be performing at least 20 minutes or more of aerobic activity most days of the week.

*Strength: This is any weight-bearing activity where you overload your muscles to increase in strength and often size. The most important thing about strength training is that it prevents the natural loss of muscle mass as you age. The result being that you turn your body into a raging inferno, meaning you increase your metabolism so that you burn more calories than you normally would and even whilst you’re asleep.

Core stability is also a very important component of strength training and this means being able to maintain proper alignment during life activities. With a strong core you build the foundation for a strong, fit and lean body.

One of the most simple and best forms of strength training is body weight training — including functional exercises such as squats, push-ups, planking, lunges, chin-ups and dips. Strength training should be done two to three times per week for about 30 minutes and on non-consecutive days for adequate recovery between sessions.

*Flexibility: This includes stretching your muscles and joints, to allow you to stretch through a greater range of motion. This is important to for increased blood flow and tone in your muscles, better sleep, better posture, less aches and pains and less chance of having an injury. Flexibility is improved through regular stretching or by doing activities like yoga and dance which I strongly encourage. Aim to do a stretch at least five minutes each day, if not longer on most days of the week.

A combination of all 3 is best:

In combination, all 3 forms of exercise offer numerous benefits including a faster metabolism, less inflammation, better adherence to other positive lifestyle behaviours like clean eating, improved organ function and so much more. All of this translates to not only a thinner you, but also the prevention of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, insulin resistance, cancer, depression and lower back pain. Exercise also reduces the effects of ageing and assists you to look and feel your best. It’s also great for social interaction as well as being an effective stress-management practice. Just a few minutes each day can release enough endorphins to instantly make you feel better.

Here are some of my other tips around exercise:

*The best exercise is the one you love and will stick with.

*Choose an exercise which you have easy access too (geographic location and cost are often overlooked).

*Vary your routine to maintain interest and keep your muscles guessing. E.g. a run around the block this week, and then go for a ride next week at the same time. This/cross training also helps you to minimize your chance of injury.

*If you sit at work, ensure to only sit for 20minutes at a time, then stand for 8minutes then stretch for 2minutes.

*Exercise outdoors as often as possible – there are many great benefits of doing so.

*Exercise in the morning and get it out of the way.

*Taking action will inspire action – it’s hard at the start but it will get easier.

*Aim to get fit/strong, not to lose weight. Weight loss and other benefits come naturally when you do so.

*Set some goals. E.g. 30 push-ups, 60sec plank, 10 chin-ups, 60sec wall sit, 5klm Run in under 30 minutes, etc.

*Avoid exercising if you are exhausted – this can lead to adrenal fatigue. Instead spend that time sleeping.

*Listen to your body – it knows best. If your back pain goes, if you feel more energy, if you move better, then great.

*Don’t let injuries become an excuse. E.g. if you have an injured shoulder then work your legs/abs – don’t give up.

*If you have any injuries – past or present, then ensure to seek assistance from a professional who can help.

*Seek the advice of a fitness professional – this information in this post is general advice only.

*Always get your doctor’s approval before starting any exercise program.

*If all of this sounds like too much then just focus on moving more. If your struggling to find the time, then aim to do 2-3, 5-10 minute workouts per week – it’s better than not exercising at all!

So tell me, what is your favourite and least favourite type of exercise and why?

Robert

October 19, 2017 2 comments

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Get Quality Sleep

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Why is sleep so important?

Sleep is important because it provides rest for the body and mind. The body regenerates and repairs itself during sleep.

What are the consequences of poor sleep?

If you think that poor sleep only results in feeling fatigued, then think again. Poor sleep takes its toll on your work, your relationships and everything else in your life. Why? Because being short of sleep doesn’t give the body enough time to repair and regenerate –which may affect your health in numerous ways, including:

Increased risk of: stress, anxiety, depression, memory issues, obesity, diabetes and heart attack

It can also lead to decreased judgement. Studies have shown that only getting five hours of sleep is the same as driving when you are drunk.

After reading/listening to all of these health problems your probably thinking you should go to sleep, and you’re right. But very few of us actually do…

Very few of us actually sleeping enough:

Did you know that most of us are getting, on average, 1.5 hours less sleep per night than we did in the past? This means that many of us fit the official medical definition of chronic insomnia – which is where you have trouble falling asleep, staying awake and/or waking up too early. The problem has become so common that sleep experts have hailed it the global fatigue crisis or GFC.

And whilst an hour or so less sleep may not sound like a lot, by the end of the week it can easily equate to more than a full night’s less sleep.

How much sleep do we need?

The best way to determine how much sleep you need is to simply listen to your body. On average, adults need seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night, however this is dependent upon what stage of life you are at. While getting enough sleep is important, what is even more important is that you get quality sleep. It’s no good sleeping eight hours if you keep waking up every hour.

How do we get a better night’s sleep?

There are many great tips for sleeping I can share with you for getting a great night’s sleep but here are my top 10…

Give yourself permission to sleep:

Part of getting enough sleep includes giving yourself permission to have more sleep, which can often be difficult for us to do in a world where busyness has almost become a badge of honour. I get that we are all busy, but sleep is not a “nice to have”, but rather a “need to have”.

The reality is that we find it so difficult to get into shape and be healthy, not because we are not willing to work out or eat the right foods, but rather because we are not willing to sleep enough to allow our bodies to repair and become healthier and stronger.

Please give yourself permission to get adequate sleep. Even if you’re only half way through your to do list; trust me, it will still be there tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that too.

Be intentional about it – Set an evening alarm:

If you need to wake up for work at 6am, then set an alarm on your phone in the evening to remind yourself to go to sleep. Set it for 8.30-9pm to ensure you get the required sleep. This is a great way to get into the habit of going to bed when you should during the week. Obviously there will be exceptions when you can’t stick to this, such as when Game of Thrones is on. But if you stick to it as much as possible, you’ll get the sleep you need.

Avoid stimulants:

Many of us are relying on, and even becoming addicted to stimulants to fire up our adrenals to provide a temporary boost of energy to help us get through the day. This can put our adrenal system under an enormous amount of strain, leading to adrenal fatigue. Many of us are addicted to coffee and energy drinks to give us that boost we need.

My tip: drink coffee because you enjoy not, not because you need the energy hit. Limit caffeine intake to 2 cups a day and drink them in the morning; the same rule applies to tea, chocolate and other stimulants.

Exercise often:

When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called beta-endorphins which improve your mood and promote feelings of calmness. This, combined with the fact that your muscles get a great work-out and need rest to repair, makes it easier for you to fall asleep at night. However, try to avoid exercise a few hours before going to bed as this can cause alertness later when you should be sleeping. Also, regular stretching helps to release tension from your muscles, enabling you to relax and fall asleep more easily when you are in bed. Yoga and massage are also good.

Remove distractions:

Did you know that almost 70% of Aussies use their phones in bed? The problem is that viewing content just prior to bedtime on your phone or any other device such as a computer or television, can wind up your mind and make it harder for you to settle down.

Use a blue light filter:

Blue light from the screens of most electronic devices can seriously affect your sleeping patterns by interfering with your bodies’ ability to produce melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone.

If you must use such devices within a few hours of bed time, then turn on the blue light filter within the device itself, if it has one. Otherwise you can buy a blue light screen which fits over the top of your device.

Remove yourself from Electromagnetic Fields (EMF):

EMFs are a specific type of radiation produced by certain appliances, household devices and things like power lines. EMFs are detrimental by affecting the production and regulation of melatonin, and can also affect cell division and multiplication.

To ensure you get a good night’s sleep, remove EMFs from your bedroom, especially those located within a few meters of your bed. These include power-boards, wiring, clock radios, computers, televisions, electric blankets, overhead lights and fans, and ESPECIALLY your mobile phone. If you use your mobile phone as an alarm, switch it to flight mode.

Live true:

Do you know you can get the best night’s sleep when all is well in your life? When you live in alignment with your highest truth, including knowing who you really are; you no longer live in the past and automatically begin to live more in the present.

The result of this is a deep sense of inner peace and calm, and with it, comes an increased ability to fall and stay asleep without distraction or worry of mind – regardless of what is going on in your life!

Meditate or listen to relaxing music:

If you still find that your mind is racing as you hit the pillow at night, then basic meditation techniques such as mindfulness, slow rhythmic conscious breathing, progressive relaxation, visualisation meditation, or even listening to relaxing music such as classical or meditative can all help.

Try natural sleeping aids:

Most natural sleeping aids/herbs aren’t sedating like sleeping pills, but they are very effective at helping you to fall asleep and stay asleep. These include things such as Melatonin and Valerian, however, it’s best to see a naturopath for more tailored advice. If natural sleep aids don’t work, then consider other medications. However, sleeping pills should only be used as a last resort – they are not a long term solution and often have detrimental effects on our health if used long-term.

Consult a professional:

If you try all of these things and still have trouble sleeping, then it’s a good idea to seek professional medical advice. Consult your doctor who may be able to help or refer you on to a sleep specialist. You may have restless legs, sleep apnoea, chronic insomnia or any other medical condition which may be affecting your ability to have a good night sleep and of which will require further assistance.

Leave a Comment

I have lots more great sleeping tips which I will share with you during the week, however for now, try some of the things from this list and let me know how you go. In particular, I’m interested to know what things you find the most effective when it comes to getting a better night’s sleep?

Robert

August 24, 2017 6 comments