Exercise: where to begin...the little stuff...

Okay, hopefully by now you've read my last blog about the benefits of exercise - now it's time to talk about where to begin...

Let's talk the little details...firstly, you need to pick an exercise that you enjoy or have an interest in...I can tell you know, if you don't enjoy what you're doing, you won't continue with it...this might mean a bit of trial and error at the beginning - and if you haven't found something you enjoy, then you haven't looked hard enough yet...

Secondly, you need someone to train with...

...having someone else there for your training sessions achieves a lot of things: it gives you someone to motivate and encourage you and provides you with someone to compete against...it also gives you a distraction when the going gets tough.

Thirdly, don't be afraid to start small...

...exercise is like anything - you need to build into it. You're not going to run a marathon next week, so keep your starting point in proportion to your current fitness level - this might mean just starting with a daily walk to build up your base level of fitness. 

Starting small is important for your mental and physical state - you train too hard and an injury may occur (which will set back your fitness goals or eradicate them all together), or set your goals too high and you may be disappointed by your early efforts and lose motivation...

And finally, having your first few training sessions with a trainer is a good start...I highly recommend using someone you have heard about through word of mouth, and that you consult with the trainer about your goals before you begin...

A trainer will make sure of a number of things: they will ensure that your exercise technique is correct and that you are doing things in a manner that will give you the most effective workout while preventing injury, and they should measure your fitness at different time intervals along the way to provide you with a picture of your developing fitness levels...

Your trainer should also be happy to work with and contact your health practitioners...this will provide the trainer with more relevant information on the physical state of your body (just remember, very few trainers have medical training or background and the added information from your practitioner should aid them in further catering your exercise program to your personal needs - be wary of a trainer who gives all their clients the same exercise program) and provide your practitioner with feedback on your progression...

Join me next blog for an explanation on how your training program should be tailored towards your goals, and I will attempt to dispel a few common exercise myths. As always, if you want to know more, you can email me at the.chiro@mail.com...

When fit meets fad...

...or "when health meets hyperbole"

...you've all seen this - you've all been subjected to the ads...out there, promoting the "lastest" in fitness and health "break throughs"...


"...wow Caolan, that's a few parenthesis already..."


...you're right, it is...and here's why...


...Australia has this funny set of rules that means you can release a product onto the market, make a whole lot of statements about it's health benefits...and then you have six months to prove those claims...


...yep, six months...


...see the problem I have with this??


...my favourite example in this was the goji berry juice craze...goji berry juice was released onto the market, with inflated statements about it's ultrahigh anti-oxidant values...people start to buy and use the juice, thinking they have bought the latest "wonder product"...then, the research comes out - goji berries aren't really that high in anti-oxidants, in fact, the table of values for foods with high anti-oxidant values had been cropped to place goji berries at the top of it...


...now, this doesn't mean that every new product on the market uses this deceptive or questionable tactic...but it does mean that you should be very careful about what you read and hear...


...if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is...


...and secondly, please don't base your ideas for health and fitness on what you see on a TV infomercial or "life" magazine...if you really want to know what is going to help you feel younger, healthier and more energetic - talk to your qualified health professional (ie chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist or general practitioner) as there are a number of factors to be considered...

...my advice: to really be healthy and energetic, you need to do the following - eat well, exercise regularly, sleep well and have good healthy stress relief tactics (these should not come in pill or powder form)...


...as always, if you need to know more - you know how to reach me...