Lifestyle focus – Importance of sleep

Recent statistics show that more than 35 per cent of adults are sleep deprived.

Achieving your health and fitness goals will be near impossible unless you address your sleep deficit – if indeed you have one. Unfortunately, the more active you are the more important and critical sleep becomes for both weight loss and muscle gain.

A trainer can help coach you with your exercise routines, a nutritionist or dietician can help you with meal plans and nutritional advice. Sleep, however, is really up to you.

A lack of quality sleep will slow down your metabolism which is a key factor in weight loss. Additionally, sleep deprivation impacts hormone levels and balance and regulation of blood glucose levels, all which can all lead to unwanted energy conservation.

For those trying to build and retain muscle mass, it’s important to know that muscles are not built in the gym. Muscle fibres are torn in the gym then repair, recover and grow while you rest and sleep.

Here are some tips to improve your sleep quality and help you achieve your health and fitness goals:

No caffeine or stimulants after 5pm;

Have smaller evening meals and try not to eat two hours before you sleep;

Place electronic devices in another room overnight – buy an old-school alarm clock;

Black out your sleeping area; and

Consider using “sleeping” music and meditation practices to help calm your mind leading up to bed time.

Good luck!

Keeping young Docklanders active

Spiralling levels in obesity and inactivity in young people are cause for alarm.

The life expectancy of Australians had been increasing consistently over the past decades thanks to increases in affluence, health care and improved lifestyles and living conditions and we should all be grateful for that.

Unfortunately, for the coming generations this indicator of life expectancy has now shockingly begun to slip backwards into decline. In plain terms, our children and their children will (if nothing changes) live shorter lives and suffer a greater prevalence of diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

As parents, or just through general observation, we have seen a fast and dramatic turn away from traditional play and outdoor activities to an obsession with technologies that paralyse the movement of kids. I think we have all seen the hypnotic effect gaming and devices have on kids (and some adults).

My point here is that technology and devices are not bad, they are part of the future so let’s not fight that. Instead, it’s time to bring back some active fun alternatives for this and future generations.

Whenever I get my kids outdoors and active, I ask them “Is this better than playing on the iPad?” and the answer every time is absolutely! So for my advice for other parents, guardians and influencers of children is to provide more options and opportunities to be active, and to be more innovative.

If you are lazy and not motivated to be active, your kids will in most cases follow and replicate your behaviour. Saying “go outside and play” won’t solve the problems – it will require your energy, leadership and effort to develop new active interests and a new love of outdoor activities for your children.

Here are some ideas to get your kids active in Docklands:

Take a walk to the outdoor training / exercise areas spaces and teach them some basic moves – locations are on Collins St near the library, and adjacent to the sports courts;

Grab a ball and shoot some hoops or play some soccer at the Docklands sports courts;

Ride your bikes along the extensive bike paths along the river;

Visit the Dockland Hub and check out the kids activities they run – like Kids Bollywood dancing; and

Have fun!

Exercise breakdown – The push-up

What is so great about the push-up?

The push-up has long been a staple of most exercise programs. It is predominantly a chest, shoulder and triceps exercise, performed in a prone (face down) position. Secondary muscle groups involved are the core, the legs and the greater shoulder girdle.

Used in military training, physical education classes, fitness testing or for punishment (drop and give me 20!), the push-up has now become a common feature in most group fitness and training classes in the gym, a boot camp session or with a trainer.

Here are some great reasons why you should make the push-up a part of your weekly routine:

Variation – Did you know there are more than 20 variations on the push-up you can do for different outcomes?

There is no equipment required – it’s a completely portable activity;

Different levels – there are push-ups for beginners through to the elite athlete;

They are very complimentary to other activities like walking, running and bike riding;

Measuring progress – you can see yourself improve over time; and

They are fun!

Quick tip – balance out your push ups with a pulling exercise, like a chin up or rowing type movement.

Push-up facts:

World record in one minute: 123 push-ups;

Non-stop push-ups: 10,507; and

Most in 24 hours: 46,001.