Fitness News

GET IN THE ZONE, THE FITNESS ZONE AT THE LOOK & FEEL GOOD EXPO

It’s spring and finally time to look and feel good! What better way to get a jump on summer than at the Look & Feel Good Expo (L&FGE) in Cape Town, from 16 – 18 September 2011 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre?

Everything good that’s happening in health, wellness and lifestyle is coming together in one unique show, with something for everyone. This year’s expo is packed with attractions, workshops, over 200 exhibits and the highly anticipated Fitness Zone.

The Fitness Zone in partnership with Fitness magazine and sponsored by USN, promises a powerhouse programme of live demonstrations and talks, on everything from super-foods and health supplements, to fitness, bodybuilding and more. Best of all, it’s absolutely free!

The evidence is pointing more and more convincingly toward raw foods as a healthier alternative to cooked. Come to the Fitness magazine (FM) Fitness Zone and learn how to ‘uncook’ at the daily Rawlicious demos. Your hosts, UK-trained Raw Food Chef, Beryn Daniels and her husband Peter, will introduce you to the healing powers of raw, living foods and super-foods and demonstrate how to prepare them so they taste better than cooked.

Ever wondered how bodybuilders hone their bodies so finely that they look like walking anatomy charts? Come find out at the FM Fitness Zone, where competitive bodybuilder and USN sponsored athlete, Shameen Adams will do a bodybuilding posing routine, before answering your questions on training, bodybuilding and nutrition. On request, you’ll even get to pose for a photo with this athlete who achieved second place at the IFBB World Championships, first place at Mr Universe, Italy, won the Fear Factor reality TV competition and owns his own gym.

Speaking of finely honed bodies. Sarah Green, a competitive figure athlete and fitness model will also make an appearance at the FM Fitness Zone, to talk about dieting, costume selection, training, nutrition and competing. Don’t miss your chance to ask questions of the winner of the 2008 and 2009 Miss South Africa Figure contest, and the 2010 Shameen Classic Miss Body Fitness champion.

PGA Golf Professional and USN sponsored Fitness athlete and brand ambassador, Peter Gaiser is another top athlete who will take a turn at the FM Fitness Zone. In 2009 and 2010, Gaiser took second and third place, respectively, in the model division of the FAME SA Champs. Though you’ll probably recognise him as the face of Virgin Active’s 2010 summer campaign. Come be inspired by his passion for fitness and get pointers on how to achieve your health and fitness goals.

What does it take to be the USN Face of Fitness cover model? 2010 winner Nastassia Jaffa will answer that and more, as she relates her experience of life as a cover model. This multiple bikini champion and runner up at the 2010 Muscle Evolution Grand Prix is more than just a beautiful face on a stunning physique, Jaffa also holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry, an honours degree in molecular biology and is currently busy with her masters degree. If for no other reason, come see her at the L&FGE Fitness Zone to find out how she manages to do so much and do it so well!

While it pains us to use the term ‘eye candy’ for such an accomplished athlete as USN sponsored Fitness athlete and brand ambassador Jacques Fagan, for the sake of the ladies, it must be said! 2011 has been a busy year for the reigning Mr Tourism and Mr Winelands, who is currently also a finalist in the 2012 Mr South Africa, Heat Manwatch 2011 and 2011 Men’s Health cover model search. Fagan, who has represented Western Province in Sevens Rugby and placed top 10 in several local and international fitness competitions, will be talking, answering questions and posing for photos with the ladies at the Fitness Zone.

If your training goals centre more on strength and flexibility than on muscle building or definition, then the L&FGE Fitness Zone has several other demonstrations you’ll want to add to your expo visit plan. Discover how to build strength and balance it with flexibility, at the Body Control Pilates demonstration.

With all of this FM Fitness Zone action and so much more going on at the Look & Feel Good Expo 2011, you may want to plan your visit in advance, so you don’t miss any of the good stuff. Do this by visiting www.ifeelgood.co.za.

Remember, all attractions, including the FM Fitness Zone, SHAPE Health & Wellness Workshops, laughter workshops, SABC 2 Fresh Food Kitchen and everything else are absolutely free! That is to say, everything is included in your entrance fee. So plan to make a day of it, as you learn to look and feel good and get the most from your life.

RECORD NUMBERS SIGN UP FOR DISCOVERY 702 WALK THE TALK

On Sunday, 24th July, 50 000 people will lace up their walking shoes and take to the streets of Johannesburg for the annual Discovery 702 Walk the Talk. Now in its 6th year, the Walk will also see local and international celebrities taking part, including Olympic swimmer, Mark Spitz, and our very own Shaun Pollock.

The event – the biggest of its kind in the world – promises to get South Africans of all ages walking, whether over the short 5km route, or the big 30km challenge. “The importance of regular physical activity should not be underestimated,” commented Discovery’s Head of sponsorship, Jody Foster. “According to the latest World Health Survey, almost half (46%) of all South Africans are classified as inactive, which is an extremely worrying statistic.”

In fact, the 2010 Healthy Active Kids South Africa Report Card, sponsored by Discovery and the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, found that physical activity amongst the country’s youth is, quite literally, in bad shape. While 80% of children from disadvantaged urban communities walked to school every day, only 11% of children from better resourced neighbourhoods did the same. And perhaps most shocking of all, given the choice, fewer than one in five would choose to walk or cycle to school at all.

As a direct response to this, the Discovery 702 Walk the Talk encourages kids’ participation in the walk. This year, 6000 children have registered for the event, a fantastic achievement given the worrying statistics from the Healthy Active Kids Report Card.

“The benefits of walking are plentiful, and often underestimated,” continues Foster. “In South Africa, we tend to see walking as a chore, something that is best avoided if other alternatives exist. However, the long and short term impact that walking can have on fitness, weight and general health and longevity, are extremely significant.”

According to Talk Radio 702 station manager, Pheladi Gwanga, “The Discovery 702 Walk the Talk brings together people from all walks of life from across Joburg. It is a great community builder and a highlight on the station’s calendar.”

For further information, see Discovery’s top 5 walking tips at the end of this release.

The Discovery 702 Walk the Talk 2011 kicks off at Marks Park at 6.30am on Sunday, 24 July. For further details, please go to: http://www.walkthetalk.co.za/

Legislation Push to Eradicate ‘Designer Supplements’

Cape Town, 12 July, 2011 – SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport will push for legislation to regulate the manufacture, marketing and sale of sports supplements to ensure that over-the-counter supplements are free of designer steroids and potent stimulants, to stop the illegal contamination of children and athletes, so that they can rediscover the value of fair play in sport.

This move was highlighted at the recent Supplements in Sport Symposium, hosted by The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport, where it was revealed that the most concerning aspect about supplement contamination is that recently new designer steroids have found their way into supplements.

“This was first detected when urine samples of athletes demonstrated unknown signals,” says Dr Shuaib Manjra, Chairman, SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport. MS analyses detected these as steroid metabolites, which includes prostanozol, methasterone and ostatrienedione, which are solely produced for the supplement market, probably to circumvent the law around steroids and/or avoid detection in doping control tests. Worryingly very little is understood about these compounds.”

He says that a regulatory framework is needed to ensure that supplements sold over-the-counter are free of illegal substances. “Legislation is needed because the efficacy of supplements has not been proven, contents change from batch to batch, they are not accurately labeled, and some contain ingredients and banned substances not listed on packaging and the long term side effects are unknown.”

“The issue of supplements has been a vexed one, which has challenged the anti-doping world for many years and current challenges need to be viewed against the backdrop of the extent of the problem,” he says. “Supplements generate revenue of over USD 60 billion world-wide, and there are over 30 000 supplements available in the United States alone. Estimates put supplement use among athletes at anything between 44 to 100% (Gayer, et al, 2008).”

Supplements contaminated with prohibited substances varies between 10 – 25% in Western Europe and the USA (Geyer, et al, 2008). The percentage is about the same in South Africa.  As well as designer steroids, these contaminations (of prohibited substances not declared on the label) also include supplements contaminated with stimulants (15-20%) including ephedrine, caffeine, MDMA and Sibutramine; supplements contaminated with pro-hormones (15%); supplements contaminated with classical anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) such as meatandienone, stanozolol, boldenone, oxandrolone, hehydrochlormethyl-testosterone; and vitamins and minerals contaminated with anabolic steroids such as Metandienone and stanozolol.

“These five scenarios of contamination of supplements are of huge concern to us and I believe that this contamination may be accidental in some cases but deliberate in many of them,” says Manjra. “Deliberate contamination occurs in order to enhance the efficacy of the product. Athletes would attribute any performance enhancement to the supplement where in fact it would be the result of the prohibited contaminant.”

Dr. Amy Eichner, Manager of Drug Reference Resources for the US Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA), who was the keynote speaker at the conference, says: “At USADA we feel strongly that the regulatory framework must be improved, in order to protect the health and welfare of anyone who chooses to take supplements. For athletes concerned with testing positive as the result of taking a supplement, we inform them that strict liability applies and if they choose to take supplements they do so at their own risk.”

With regard to educational awareness, SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport recently launched its new ‘I Play Fair – Say NO! To Doping’ initiative, aimed at tackling doping in sport; and spreading the message of ethics, fair-play and anti-doping in sport, which coincided with the release of shocking statistics that reflect a 100% increase in doping offences in sport.

Eichner says that it is extremely important that athletes, fans and coaches publicly declare that doping has no place in sport. “Sport is designed to be the purest form of human competition, and those that value the life lessons learned through sport want clean competition. Everyone plays a part reclaiming clean competition, and we must refuse to let sport be ruined by those that would attempt to cheat through the use of performance enhancing drugs,” she adds.

Enter the 2011 Nutren Activ Adventure Boot Camp Challenge

The Nutren Activ Adventure Boot Camp Challenge has officially opened its online entries at www.adventurebootcamp.co.za and is calling all women living in the Cape Town area to enter!
Adventure Boot Camp is offering women the chance to lose weight, get fit, restore balance and gain a better understanding of health and wellness. By entering the Challenge, you could be one of three ladies chosen to compete in the three-month Challenge, which includes participating in three consecutive boot camps between May and September, attending bi-weekly consultations with dietician, Kim Hofmann, and life coach, Dr Nicola Graham. Contestants will also receive a supply of Nutren Activ to keep them fuelled while on the run and sessions with wardrobe, skincare and beauty therapists. The total prize value to the contestants is R80 000 and the winner walks away with a further R20 000 in prizes as well as this year’s coveted title. Entries are open and you can enter by completing the online entry form on www.AdventureBootCamp.co.za or visit www.Facebook.com.

Slow down at the gym to get better results

Posted on Monday 21 February 2011
Speed up the effects of your weight training by slowing down. Most weight training is done at about five seconds per repetition but if you slow your pace and take up to 10 seconds each time, it can have a lot of benefits. The most immediate difference you’ll notice is that you lose the ability to use momentum to keep you going. Your muscles have to provide all the power. This may mean that you have to drop your weights slightly at first. Trainer Corinne Austin says the benefits are that you build more strength, improve the connection between your nervous system and your muscles, and expend more energy than if you were doing the training at normal or high speed.
Source: NZHearld.co.nz

Eating morning protein keeps you fuller longer

Posted on Thursday 17 February 2011
It’s clear that dietary choices — not only what you eat but when — may be important for hunger and weight control. There’s no better example than breakfast. Breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than those who skip the meal. And even if they don’t make healthful choices, breakfast eaters still eat less, according to research. When you skip breakfast, you tend to eat more calories throughout the day, compared to breakfast eaters who benefit from improved glucose levels that help fight food cravings later on. Even a simple breakfast has been shown to improve cognitive performance and mood in adults and children.
Source: The Detroit News

Diet High in Fibre Might Lengthen Your Life

Posted on Tuesday 15 February 2011
Eating a diet rich in fibre may reduce your risk of dying from heart disease, respiratory disease or any other cause by 22 percent, researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute report. Fibre has also been tied to a reduced risk of developing some cancers, diabetes and obesity, the researchers added. In addition, fibre helps bowel movements and lowers cholesterol levels, blood sugar and pressure. It also promotes weight loss and reduces inflammation, they noted.
Source: BusinessWeek.com

Strength training does more than bulk up muscles

Posted on Monday 14 February 2011
A growing body of research shows that working out with weights has health benefits beyond simply bulking up one’s muscles and strengthening bones. Studies are finding that more lean muscle mass may allow kidney dialysis patients to live longer, give older people better cognitive function, reduce depression, boost good cholesterol, lessen the swelling and discomfort of lymphedema after breast cancer and help lower the risk of diabetes.
Source: LATimes.com

Calcium-Rich Breakfast Increases Fat Loss

Posted on Thursday 3 February 2011
Individuals who start their day with a breakfast rich in calcium and vitamin D increase fat oxidation rates and energy burning throughout the day while reducing cravings for spontaneous eating, according to a new study published in the journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Source: FoodProductDesign.com

Staying indoors during winter can make you fat

Posted on Wednesday 26 January 2011
Researchers at University of College London say there is a potential link between reduced exposure to the cold that may be contributing to rising rates of obesity from two separate effects. The researchers conducted a review of evidence showing that more time spent indoors parallels rising rates of obesity. They suggest the result is decreased ability to maintain healthy weight from the need for minimal energy expenditure needed to stay warm and produce heat.
Source: eMaxHealth.com

Study: Don’t diet during pregnancy

Posted on Thursday 20 January 2011
Early pregnancy is prime time for brain development, and if a mother-to-be is on a diet or can’t afford good nutritious food, it could have a real negative impact on the fetus.
A new study shows that restricting nutrients in early pregnancy can lead to brain deficiencies in the fetus. This is a development problem that could have lifelong implications.
Source: WTOL.com

Resistance training helps lower blood pressure

Posted on Wednesday 19 January 2011
Apart from promoting a good physique, resistance training which enhances muscle strength and power of a person also makes the heart healthy by regulating blood pressure, claims a new study. According to researchers, resistance training which includes weight training, stretching, and flexing exercises exhibits benefits similar to aerobic exercise in lowering a person’s blood pressure when done in moderation.
Source: TheMedGuru.com

Tea, coffee and milk enhance recovery

Posted on Tuesday 18 January 2011
Sports drinks and enhanced waters can’t replace tea, coffee and low-fat milk for nutrition and workout recovery, say experts. Though the drinks have become popular, the antioxidants in tea, polyphenols in coffee and protein and vitamin D in milk offer benefits for health and nutrition and workout recovery, backed by evidence, according to experts from the Institute of Food Technology.
Source: eMaxHealth.com

How fast you walk may predict how long you’ll live

Posted on Monday 10 January 2011
Doctors who are interested in measuring life expectancy may now have a simple way to do it – researchers have discovered that walking speed can be a useful predictor of how long older adults live. Those who walked 1 meter per second (about 2.25 mph) or faster consistently lived longer than others of their age and sex who walked more slowly, the study showed.
Source: Tehran Times

Ban the Tan!

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) urges all South Africans to act responsibly while enjoying a holiday in the sun.
Skin cancer can be prevented make sure you and your loved ones play safe all year round, but especially in summer time when the suns rays are the harshest. Children and the youth should take special precaution two blistering burns before the age of 18 can dramatically increase your risk of getting cancer later in life, says Sue Janse van Rensburg, CANSAs CEO.
It was inevitable that the advertising market saw the appeal of bronze and shiny bodies and started flooding magazine pages with alluring images of sun gods and goddesses. But just like the stories of these sun deities, the notion of a ‘healthy tan’ is nothing more than a myth. Unfortunately it was only over time that the hazards of this sun-bathing habit became noticeable.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in South Africa with about 20 000 reported cases every year and 700 deaths.*
CANSA recently purchased two FotoFinder dermoscope machines as part of their SunSmart campaign. FotoFinder dermoscope offers an all in one dermoscopic skin cancer screening and mole mapping, making it the imaging system of choice by thousands of dermatologists worldwide. The system automatically links digital dermoscopic images of moles to an overview image, making the identification and tracking of lesions easy.
Currently in use in the KZN and the Western Cape offices, these machines will complement the ‘spot the spot’ clinics at surrounding beach areas. Every client with suspicious skin damage will be referred for an intensive skin evaluation using the FotoFinder dermoscope.
Clicks is the main sponsor for CANSAs SunSmart campaign from November to February. The campaign includes talks, exhibitions, visits to schools, holiday resorts and beaches. Skin clinics are held at inland holiday destinations as well as on beaches where a dermatologist joins the CANSA staff and volunteers to examine members of the public on request.
CANSA plays an important watchdog role and encourages the public to make informed choices on selecting the right sun screen and protective clothing. Look out for sunscreen and apparel products with the CANSA Seal of Recognition (CSOR). CANSA also recently released its SunSmart audio CD aimed at children, parents and teachers. The CD contains 10 one-minute radio spots and covers the main themes of sun awareness and skin cancer vital information for the December to January break.
Stop worshipping the sun and start respecting life.
* Statistics are based on the South African 2001 National Cancer Registry (NCR). Although the NCR is outdated and a pathology-based registry, resulting in under-reporting of many cancers, this is the only official verifiable South African data available at present.
Visit www.cansa.org.za, call CANSA toll-free on 0800 22 66 22 or email info@cansa.org.za

Aerobic and Resistance Training Helpful for Patients With Diabetes

Posted on Thursday 25 November 2010
Performing a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training was associated with improved glycemic levels among patients with type 2 diabetes, compared to patients who did not exercise, according to a study in the November 24 issue of JAMA. The level of improvement was not seen among patients who performed either aerobic exercise or resistance training alone.
Source: ScienceDaily.com

Fruits and Vegetables May Prolong Your Life

Posted on Wednesday 24 November 2010
Eat your veggies and you may live longer, a study suggests.
The study shows that eating foods rich in antioxidants, like vegetables and fruits, fights disease and may prolong life.
Researchers found that people with the highest levels of the antioxidant alpha-carotene in their blood had a 39% lower risk of death from any cause, including heart disease and cancer, than those who had the lowest levels of the antioxidant during the 14-year study.
Source: WebMD.com

Exercise Reduces Health Risks, Dementia & Some Cancers

Posted on Tuesday 16 November
Regular exercise can reduce around two dozen physical and mental health conditions and slow down how quickly the body ages, according to a research review summarising the key findings of 40 papers published between 2006 and 2010.
Source: ScienceDaily.com

Exercise May Reduce Risk of Endometrial Cancer

Posted on Monday 15 November 2010
Women who exercise for 150 minutes a week or more may see a reduced risk of endometrial cancer, despite whether or not they are overweight, according to data presented at the Ninth Annual AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, held Nov. 7-10 in Philadelphia.
Source: ScienceDaily.com

Weight Training Has Unique Heart Benefits, Study Suggests

Posted on Thursday 11 November 2010
Resistance exercise (such as lifting weights) produces a different pattern of blood vessel responses than aerobic exercise, suggesting that it may have specific and important benefits for cardiovascular health, according to a study in the November issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Source: NewsWise.com

Regular workouts ward off the common cold

Posted on Wednesday November 2010
Working out regularly doesn’t only help tone your body and build muscle — it could also help you avoid catching the common cold, a new study suggests.
People who exercise five or more times a week get fewer and less severe colds than those who work out one or fewer times a week, said Dr. David Nieman, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
Source: MSNBC

Sleep longer to lose fat, study finds

Posted on Tuesday 2 November 2010
There really is an easy way to lose body fat. You can sleep it off, according to researchers from the University of Chicago. The researchers studied 10 overweight men and women for two separate two-week periods in a sleep lab. During both periods, participants in the study ate the same calorie-restricted diet. During one period, participants slept for 8.5 hours a night. During the other, they slept for just 5.5 hours. The researchers found the participants lost the same amount of weight during both periods, an average of about 7 pounds. But during the sleep-restricted period, the participants lost mostly muscle. The researchers said that a “lack of sufficient sleep may compromise the efficacy of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction”.
Source: PostGazette.com