January Newsletter

Welcome to the Industry Health Club Membership Newsletter.

Welcome back to Industry!!

Are your 2012 Health & Fitness Goals Manageable & Realistic??

Many people tend to make unrealistic goals when it comes to creating a New Year’s Resolution based on health and fitness. Many rush immediately to the gym, sign up, go for a few weeks, and then give up. We want to make sure you are NOT one of them.

Instead of making unreachable goals for yourself, why not start with some simple, more adequate resolutions. Here are some suggestions to creating a more manageable and achievable “2012” resolution that you can stick to and manage throughout the year:

1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator
2. Take the dog for a walk - every day
3. Keep a water bottle at your desk/work and fill it regularly throughout the day
4. Rise earlier to pack homemade healthy meals - avoiding take out options
5. Post a realistic picture or photo of the body you would like to achieve on your fridge so you can see it every day.
6. Take your multi vitamin, multi mineral, omega 3’s and alkalizing foods - daily
7. Get your partner or a friend to join the gym with you, get involved together
8. Hire a Personal trainer so that you go to the gym regularly & achieve fast results
9. Limit your treats to ONE day a week
10. Allow our friendly Industry Team to help you achieve your goals. Continue reading Industry’s Info Boards, Screens and Newsletters to learn more on being happy & healthy.

Achieve in 2012 like never before!!

The Cortisol-Stress Connection

There is solid evidence that a sedentary, inactive lifestyle, combined with a diet of high fat, processed and sugar-filled foods is contributing to the epidemic of obesity worldwide. However, researchers have found that the causes of being obese or overweight are not simply the result of overeating or lack of physical activity. Excessive and prolonged stress can cause the body to produce too much cortisol  which can play a role in craving "comfort" foods, overeating, feeling fatigued, and storing excess body fat.

Cortisol is a hormone produced in the cortex of the adrenal glands. Cortisol assists you in regulating blood pressure, cardiovascular functions, and your body's use of fats, proteins and assists with insulin release for blood sugar maintenance. Cortisol is responsible for stress related changes.

Under normal circumstances, your body maintains or regulates your natural cortisol levels. When you're feeling stressed, your body secretes more cortisol. Cortisol is frequently referred to as the "stress hormone" because it is secreted in higher levels during the body's fight or flight response to stress.

Small increases of cortisol produce positive effects like improved memory, reduced sensitivity to pain, and increased sustained energy. However, elevated cortisol levels from prolonged or chronic stress can cause side effects such as suppression of thyroid function, increased abdominal fat, clinical depression, cognitive impairment, increased blood pressure, osteoporosis and blood sugar imbalances. High levels of cortisol can also lower your immunity and inflammatory responses, as well as slow down the wound healing process. High concentration of cortisol is toxic to brain cells and can cause short-term memory loss. A lifetime of high cortisol levels may be a primary contributor to Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia.

To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, the body’s relaxation response should be activated after the fight or flight response occurs but also on a regular basis. You can learn to relax your body with various stress management techniques and you can make lifestyle changes in order to keep your body from reacting to stress in the first place.

Congratulations to our

December Challenge Winners....

Crucifix Hold - Johnny Hargreaves

Staircase Runs - Shannon Markham

LOSE 6 KILOS in 6 WEEKS

Massive congratulations to Stef & Tara for not only completing the 6 week challenge but conquering it!  Stef losing an impressive 6.2kg in 6 weeks!  & Tara 5.85kg in 5 weeks (Tara had to miss 1 week due to work schedule) with a 100% commitment the girls are true testament that we can do anything we put our minds too.  As a result both girls welcomed in Christmas day 6kg lighter. YEAH!!!!!!!!

If you are interested in being 6kg lighter please call Leah on 0412 948 687.  With 3 Personal Training Sessions per week, a tailored cardio plan and eating plan you can & will be 6kg lighter.  The girls are PROOF that it can be done; all you need is support, the right tools, and me a trainer who will push you, support you and make sure you LOSE 6 kg!   Together it can be done.   NEXT CHALLANGE STARTS JANUARY 2012 CALL NOW

MOTIVATION

Finding motivation to train or stick with exercise on a regular basis isn't always easy. Demanding schedules, burn-out, and illness are just a few of the things that may interrupt your fitness routine. However, sometimes motivation can be found by following a very simple formula. Goal setting based upon the S.M.A.R.T. approach, is a simple technique that provides structure for your training program. Many everyday athletes and trainers successfully use this formula to set both short and long-term training goals.

The S.M.A.R.T. principle

1. Set Specific Goals: Research shows that specific goals are the most motivating. A specific goal is to increase your bench press by 15kg within 6 months. Many people just say they want to get bigger. This goal is far too general to really motivate you in your training.

2. Set Measurable Goals: Simply saying that you want to get bigger is not enough detail. You need to be able to chart and document progress toward your goal. One way to measure your progress is to document your performance at set intervals. In the above example you may want to monitor your weight increase once a month so you have a good measurement.

3. Set Adjustable Goals: This means your goals are flexible enough to accommodate unexpected challenges without becoming obsolete. An injury may force you to modify your goal. If your goal is to squat and you are injured, you may need to change your goal to do leg press for high reps. An injury doesn't need to mean you abandon all your plans. At the same time, you may find you are progressing quickly and need to raise your goal.

4. Set Action-Oriented Goals: Another important aspect of goal-setting to to keep them focused on personal action. Don't forget to consider not only what you want to achieve, but how you plan to achieve it.

5. Set Realistic Goals: Start where you are, and increase your goals accordingly. If you haven't ever bench pressed it's probably not a wise goal to say you want to bench press 100kg. While that may be your long-term goal, in the short-term you may want to shoot for the 30-40kg on the way to your goal. This sort of progression is healthy and realistic. Also, keep in mind that as you become more and more fit and near your full potential the room for continued improvement gets smaller. Similarly, if your goals are too simple, you won't feel much satisfaction by attaining them. Only you truly know what is realistic for you.

6. Set Time-based Goals: Look again at first example: increase your bench press by 15kg within 6 months. This is specific and time-based. Without a time line there is a tendency to procrastinate or get bored. You may also need to set interim goals with shorter timelines to keep you on track.  In general, goals that stretch out beyond 6 months are too long to keep you interested and motivated. Try to re-evaluate your goals every 2-3 months.

Goal setting is an art as well as a science, but if you make sure your goals follow the S.M.A.R.T. formula, you will find you are more likely to stay motivated and reach goal after goal.