Bods in Motion

One of the best things about exercising

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +1200

One of the best things about exercising is the endorphin release after an exercise session – like a natural high – if you are exercising correctly (intensity, distance, etc) you will know what the endorphin high is like – if a smoker (or a recently retired smoker) can focus on achieving that high it will make giving up smoking so much more rewarding.

In a March blog I talked about the endorphin release or natural high you can get from exercise. This morning on the radio I was listening to an interview with the Australian swimmer Libby Trickett – a 3 time Olympic Champion. She talked about how important that “high” was to her and how it helped combat depression. She said she had a family history of mental illness with family members suffering depression and anxiety and she now realised the greatest benefit from exercise to her was for her mental well-being .You sometimes might watch an athlete on TV and think how or why do they do it . A good example might be watching someone do a triathlon – a race that can take 2 hours and requires a participant to train 3 or 4 hours a day. I myself used to train for competitive sport up 30 hours a week – I was never tired, I never complained, I enjoyed – a lot of that was due to the endorphin release I would get each training session – I not only had great physical health but I also had great mental health – I was focused and could accomplish far more in a day than my non-sporty friends – they would always shake their head and wonder how I could get up each morning before 4am and go the pool – to me it was a no-brainer – I could never work out why they wouldn’t want to feel as good as me – you may think you options for getting high are drugs or drink but there is a safer, cheaper, healthier option. Perhaps if we focussed more on the mental benefits of exercise rather than the weight loss, etc we might get better adherence to exercise programmes.

Source: One of the best things about exercising

Hands up who plays sport

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +1200

Do you play or have kids that play sport?

If you have kids and they play competitive sport they may have been pestering you to supply them with chocolate milk after the game – they are not trying it on – you might have thought great! It’s better than them begging for Maccas. For a while now chocolate milk has been touted as the perfect “recovery drink” – there are stories that this craze started when interested on-lookers, sports scientists, etc noticed the great Michael Phelps always guzzled chocolate milk after a training session. In the old days before the industry that is “sports drinks” was invented, marathon runners often used good old Coke as sports drink – flat of course so not as to cause an upset stomach – Coke amongst other things contains plenty of simple sugars and potassium – the sugar was for energy and potassium was depleted through sweat. In my days as an athlete when we often trained 5-6 hours a day, we would guzzle Coke like there was no tomorrow – I still have all my own teeth.

Over the last few years the Sport Drink industry has grown massively – most of these drinks contain glucose and electrolytes (including sodium and potassium) these drinks primarily help refuel the body during exercise. In my opinion if you are exercising les than 45 minutes you probably only need water. So why chocolate milk? Milk contains lactose (a sugar), it also contains potassium and sodium, importantly milk also contains protein which can help with muscle building and repair after exercising. Most importantly it tastes nice and most are made of skim milk so are low in fat. Chocolate milk is often cheaper than sports drinks. I coach a lot of teenage/young adult sports women and we regularly supply them with chocolate milk post-match. Some companies sell milk-based sports drinks but the good old supermarket variety seems to be the most popular.

Source: Hands up who plays sport

Losing weight is an age old problem

Sun, 08 May 2011 00:00:00 +1200

You try every diet known to man and woman and nothing works – I hate those magazines where the front pages screams “10 Top Weight loss Tips” you quickly flick to the article only to find it is the dame old boring non-specific diet tips that are yes obvious and logical but leave you thinking – “but what to I actually need to stop or start eating” – one of the easiest ways is to count calories or simply now the value of a luxury food or drink item and then cut back on that. Alcohol is very, very high in calories – many people have a glass of wine or a beer or 2 after work in the evening as a well-deserved treat. Drinking a glass of wine seems quicker and easier than eating a slab of chocolate cake but the damage to the waist line could be the same. A litre of low-alcohol beer is about the same as eating just under 2 slices of bread – a litre of low-carb beer is the same as eating about 4.5 slices of bread – a big calorie difference , a litre of lager is about the same as over 5 slices of bread. Drinking 2/3rds of a bottle of red wine is the same as nearly 7 slices of bread – white wine is the same as is spirits. Cutting down from 2 glasses to 1 glass of wine a night or only drinking every third day could do wonders for your waistline. A changes to alcohol consumption is an example of how you can manipulate your daily intake of food or drink without huge compromise.

Source: Losing weight is an age old problem

BIM is very convenient for Mums with children

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +1200

Our business has filled a niche in the market – we hire fitness equipment to mums with young children – it is a drama to load up the car, put them in a crèche and then go your gym workout – similarly it’s not always easy to take small children with you on your daily walk – weather it a real problem and hey the kids might not share your enthusiasm.

Then there is the group of clients that really don’t like gyms, they say they smell, too many people, you have to wait for equipment – all true - I worked in a gym for 5 years. We also have shift workers and also a lot of women who would like to go for a walk around the block but perceive walking alone in the dark to be unsafe. We have a large group of clients that live on the outskirts of Auckland – semi or fully rural. Us inner-city types think living in the country would be the perfect place to go for a walk – wrong – try no street lighting, no footpaths and everyone (including large trucks) driving past you at 100kph – probably the most dangerous place in Auckland to walk. So we have the perfect business really – so why doesn’t Bods in Motion work for some people – hard to believe we do have failures.

For some, the option of having equipment at home is TOO convenient – “I’ll get on the treadmill after I’ve done the washing, after I’ve done the dishes, etc” I got a treadmill for home and did this very thing – 2 weeks later I still hadn’t got on the thing. So I made a pact with myself that I would get up 30 minutes earlier each morning for a week and hey presto! by the end of week one I had a habit – from then on I had no problem sticking to my exercise regime.

The key to being successful is to have a plan – before we deliver your treadmill, cross-trainer, bike or rower – have a plan. Work out what time of day and what days you will use the equipment and just focus on getting to the end of Week 1 – don’t even contemplate Week 2 or Month 6 – think Week 1 and focus. Trust me by the end of Week 1 you’ll think “that wasn’t so hard” and then you’ll be ready to start Week 2.

Source: BIM is very convenient for Mums with children

The Rebel Alliance

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +1300

We hire fitness equipment to a range of clients - from Mangwhai Heads down to Pokeno and everywhere in between, most people assume we just hire to the domestic market but we also have a good commercial client base. As mentioned in a previous blog we hire a lot of treadmills to Podiatrists. For some reason we also hire to a few vehicle retailers (I still haven’t figured out why) we also hire to media companies, banks, finance companies, all sorts.

The Rebel Alliance

One of the more unusual commercial clients recently has been “The Rebel Alliance” a theatre group based in Auckland who have just completed a successful season at the Auckland Fringe Festival - their play “Standstill” featured 3 of the Bods in Motion treadmills as the main props - we were more than happy to help out Anders and support the Arts. Anders has written a quick summary of the play below - better still , it was so well received , Standstill is coming back for one show only (featuring our treadmills).

“3 actors on 3 treadmills for 60min. It’s a simple as that in Standstill, the critically acclaimed play by The Rebel Alliance. Inspired by true stories of doctors, hairdressers and world champion cyclists Standstill is a sharp and constantly sweaty comedy about the hopes, dreams and fears we have for our lives. The three actors struggling to keep the pace on the Bods in Motion supplied treadmills had the critics raving during the recent Auckland Fringe Festival:

“Writer, director and producer Anders Falstie-Jensen has woven an impressively-crafted, snappily-written whole out of snippets of modern life”– NZ Herald

“I have a suspicion that if Standstill debuted in Britain it would be hailed as an instant contemporary classic.” – theatrescenes.co.nz

Now, with the help of Bods in Motion The Rebel Alliance is bringing Standstill back to Auckland for one show on April the 30th at 7.30pm at TAPAC, The Auckland Performing Arts Centre, 100 Motions Road, Western Springs (Right across from the Zoo).

Earlybird pricing

Book before the 10th of April to get tickets at the concession price of a cool, clean $20. Book online at www.tapac.org.nz or over the phone on (09) 845 0295.

Source: The Rebel Alliance

Quitting smoking with exercise

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +1300

This week I had a call from a lady who had given up smoking 6 days ago. Like most smokers this was not her first attempt but this time she was determined to put in place a couple of new habits to help her. Wisely she decided to hire a treadmill and begin an exercise programme.

Like many other smokers she had heard or seen first-hand the weight gain that some people experience after giving up smoking. For some people the weight gain can be so dramatic and have as much a negative effect on their life that they justify taking up the habit again.

Why do so many people put on weight ?– you’ll hear various reasons such as boredom or replacing cigarettes with food. Physiologically nicotine can increase your metabolic rate. Increase your metabolic rate and you burn calories (just like with exercise). So it’s very simple to replicate that metabolic effect when you give up smoking – by exercising! Exercise of course has huge benefits to your health – smoking only has negative effects. One of the best things about exercising is the endorphin release after an exercise session – like a natural high – if you are exercising correctly (intensity, distance, etc) you will know what the endorphin high is like – if a smoker (ore recently retired smoker) can focus on achieving that high it will make giving up smoking so much more rewarding.

They say it takes approximately 3 weeks for all the chemicals (addictive and non-addictive) to leave your body so achieving that first smoke-free month is very important on a physical level. The emotional level make take a whole lot longer which is why exercise can be such a benefit - not only will it take away the worry of weight gain but exercise is a great stress-reliever. My suggestion is to start your exercise programme before Quit Day so that come that day you are not over-loading yourself with too many new daily habits.

Source: Quitting smoking with exercise

Why podiatrists are renting our gear

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +1300

We don’t just rent treadmills to the domestic market - a big chunk of our commercial market is renting treadmills to Podiatrists. What’s a Podiatrist ? in a nutshell – they are foot doctors.

Our Podiatry clients include Foot Mechanics, Platinum Podiatry, Auckland Sport Podiatry and Ryan Health. Podiatrists can treat shin pain, heel pain, knee pain, lower back pain, corns, calluses and bunions, arthritis and flat feet.

Where do our treadmills come in to use?

Amongst other tests and treatments, your Podiatrist will do a bio-mechanical analysis of your gate and they will often have you walk or run on the treadmill and use video analysis to analyse where the problem lies. Often when people start an exercise programme they will be fine for the first month or so and then after a period of time might experience knee, ankle, shin or foot pain. Many of us will simply stop exercising, go buy expensive new sport shoes, take painkillers, ignore the problem or put up with the pain until it becomes unbearable.

Years back I spent a lot of time getting fit on a treadmill, I was going great, getting faster, running further, I was all set to run a half marathon and then I go the most painful shin splints - shin splints are caused numerous ways and is basically inflammation of the tendon sheath that covers the calf muscle - very, very painful. I tried a different treadmill, I altered my training, cutting right back and then building up again, taking painkillers - finally I went to a podiatrist and after consultation , treatment was as simple as having an orthotic specially made for one of my running shoes - guess what ? I never experienced that pain again.

Our feet are the most vital part of the body but it is often a case of we can’t see down that far and we treat our feet badly - don’t ignore feet problems - if you do experience pain in your feet or legs when exercising your first port of call should be your GP or a podiatrist.

Source: Why podiatrists are renting our gear

Thoughts on Christchurch

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +1300

I was due to post a blog last week - but who managed to do anything they were supposed to last week, I never considered I would see such a disaster in my lifetime.

In my other life as a sports coach I get to travel to Christchurch 3 or 4 times a year - last year I was there the week before the September quake and then again a month after the quake - I was surprised on my later visit in October how there were so few signs of the 4th September quake and I remember being amazed that the city had bounced back toward normality so quickly. I’m due to head there again in May only this time we won’t be going - all sports facilities are closed until further notice.

There is a lovely lady in Christchurch - Jenny who makes some of our team uniforms, we last heard from her the Monday evening before the quake – she phoned to say she had just put our order on the courier. Our uniforms never turned up - we don’t know what happened to them - but more importantly we can’t contact Jenny, we don’t know if she is alive and safe or much worse. We have other friends down there that could go check on her, but their houses have been destroyed and they have nowhere to live and can’t drive the roads. The outpouring of support to the quake victims is utterly amazing. I have a player in one of my teams, she is originally from Christchurch, she didn’t turn up to training on Tuesday night - her family home has been destroyed - we decided to act local , all her teammates chipped in and we bought her a plane ticket home to see her parents.

I plan to go to every charity/fundraising concert/game /event that happens in Auckland - to keep on giving in some small way. It’s like everyone has had an epiphany - everyone has re-assessed their priorities, there is no point sweating the small stuff anymore - live life to the full because you don’t know what is around the corner.

Source: Thoughts on Christchurch

Why we recommend using a registered dietician

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +1300

We all know exercise can help lose weight as well as watching what you eat. The two combined can make your weight loss even more successful.

Our trainers can provide you with programmes and exercise guidelines that will ensure you are doing the correct exercise to help you get fit and burn plenty of calories. It's been proven that most people (especially overweight people) underestimate the amount they eat by up to 40%. If any one saw the TV programme on Prime on Sunday night you would have seen the woman meticulously write a food diary recording everything she ate for the week but they also filmed what she ate for the week and she under-underestimated what she ate by a third!

In her eyes she exercised and ate a moderate amount - the camera proved otherwise. A few of our clients have had some sensational results with their weight loss, their success down to using a registered Dietician or nutritionist to help them - we get lots of referrals from dieticians, one of our clients started off last July at 212kg, by October he weighed 178kg and by Dec had dropped to 159kg. Another client recently started at 136kg in October and was weighed earlier this week at 106kg - I have no doubt they would not have achieved those results with just exercise or just their own diet and having an eating plan devised specifically for them and their lifestyle by a registered dietician was a huge factor in their weight loss. Some people may think that it is too expensive to go see a Dietician but I think they are excellent value for money.

We get plenty of referrals from Nikki Talacek, Dietician and member NZRD, she is based on the Shore. I think it's important to use someone that is a member of the NZRD - that way you can be sure of their training and credentials.

Source: Why we recommend using a registered dietician