Great Health Guide: July/August 2019

July / August 2019

Solutions to your

Are You

Toxic

the

Problems

ONE ?

Exercise

for

Best Brain

Health

PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES • EXERCISE & HEART HEALTH • MANAGING YOUR DIABETES • WHY AM I FEELING DIZZY?

ontents

GREAT HEALTH

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EXERCISE FOR BEST BRAIN HEALTH

Exercise is the best activity to keep your brain in tiptop condition Dr Jenny Brockis

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EXERCISE & HEART HEALTH

A brief guide to exercising for preventative heart health

Dr Warrick Bishop

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WHY AM I FEELING DIZZY?

Discover the different reasons for dizziness & how they occur

Dr David McIntosh

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MANAGING YOUR DIABETES

Four top tips to better manage your diabetes

Melissa Hui

NUTRITIONÂ

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ENDOMETRIOSIS & DIET

Diet is an important component in endometriosis management

07 EXERCISE FOR BEST BRAIN HEALTH Dr Jenny Brockis

Melanie McGrice 2 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE

SUBSCRIBE

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MISDIAGNOSIS OF BACK PAIN

Kusal Goonewardena

FITNESS

25

BEST EXERCISE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Aerobic & strength training will optimise your weight

Jennifer Smallridge

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PILATES FOR SENIORS: IS IT

SAFE?

Clinical pilates is safe, reliable & fun for seniors

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PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES

How pelvic floor exercises will assist with bladder & bowel control

Magdalena Hawley

MINDSET

38

THE BRAIN IN MY GUT

Justin Balbir & Margarita

The gut brain is part of the immune function, mental health & wellbeing

Gurevich

Dr Suzanne Henwood

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MISDIAGNOSIS OF BACK PAIN

Back pain is often misdiagnosed & left untreated

Kusal Goonewardena

DISCLAIMER

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`THE POWER OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The simple act of acknowledgement can bring a change in all of us

Terry Sidford

RELATIONSHIPS

45

SOLUTIONS TO YOUR PROBLEMS

Discover the real & effective key to all your difficulties

Dr Matthew Anderson

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ARE YOU THE TOXIC ONE?

Are you the toxic one? Then seek help if you love your partner

Leanne Allen

KIDS MATTERS

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SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT

Explaining the different sleep cycles in young children

Kim Corley

GREAT HEALTH GUIDE | 3

Team

GHG

FOUNDER + EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kathryn Dodd DEPUTY EDITORS Dr Helen J. Dodd Dr William A. Dodd LEAD DESIGNER Oleksandra Zuieva DESIGNERS Olha Blagodir, Belinda Nelson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Leanne Allen, Dr Matthew Anderson, Justin Balbir, Dr Warrick Bishop, Dr Jenny Brockis, Kim Corley, Kusal Goonewardena, Margarita Gurevich, Magdalena Hawley, Dr Suzanne Henwood, Melissa Hui, Melanie McGrice, Dr David McIntosh, Terry Sidford, Jennifer Smallridge CONNECT WITH US:

Dear Friends The pressures of modern-day life and our increasingly sedentary lifestyle is making it harder to ensure we are sufficiently active to have great health. In this edition of Great Health GuideTM the authors discuss a consistent theme showing how movement and exercise are effective treatments for many of today’s ailments.

Dr Jenny Brockis describes in Exercise for Best Brain Health, how moderate, regular exercise can improve memory and reduce cognitive decline. Exercise improves sleep patterns, boosts the immune system while lowering stress, anxiety and depression. If you are wondering how to prevent a heart attack and keep your heart in top condition read Dr Warrick Bishop’s Exercise & Heart Health.

Two major diseases, diabetes and endometriosis are discussed in this edition and in both cases, one of the most important treatments that you can do very simply, is to walk and exercise.

As with any muscles, they must be used to gain strength. The article Pelvic Floor Exercises discusses how strong pelvic floor muscles provide control over the bladder and bowel.

Best Exercise for Weight Loss specifically discusses how to maximise your exercise routine for weight loss. A word of caution: Be aware that you can’t outrun a bad diet. Australian statistics show that two in every three Australian adults are overweight or obese.

The article, Pilates For Seniors: Is It Safe? shows how this form of exercise is adaptable to almost anyone. Pilates is used by elite athletes who are highly trained, and also for frail individuals who require a very gradual and gentle approach.

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You may ask, ‘What is best type of exercise to do?’ The answer is, ‘What ever exercise that you enjoy doing’. If you enjoy a certain activity, then you will be more likely to do it. The best exercise is always the exercise you do.

Kathryn x

© Antalya Developments Pty Ltd 2019 Any information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats), or from Antalya Developments Pty Limited or Kathryn Dodd, including by way of third party authored articles or discussions, is made available for readers’ interest only.

The purpose of making the information available is to stimulate research, public discussion and debate. Readers are encouraged to undertake their own research and consult with professional advisors to form their own independent views about the topic/s discussed.

The information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats) is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers should seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions regarding a potential or actual medical condition or the proposed use or decision not to use any particular product. Readers should not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it at any time, including because of the content of any information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats).

Each of Antalya Developments Pty Ltd and Kathryn Dodd do not warrant, guarantee or make any representation regarding the accuracy, veracity, adequacy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of any information available on, or arising in relation to, the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats). Neither Antalya Developments Pty Limited nor Kathryn Dodd endorses the views of any contributing authors to the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats).

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Exercise for

Best Brain Health Dr Jenny Brockis

IF

brain fog or memory lapses are getting you down, there’s one activity that can keep your brain in tip-top condition.

Exercise has provided a raft of evolutionary advantages to keep us safe, to help us find food and keep us healthy. We have always moved, but the pressures of modernday life and our increasingly sedentary lifestyle is making it harder to ensure we are active enough. The scary stats tell us over 70% of Australians are too sedentary or don’t meet the recommendation of 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week. Worse still our children score a D minus with over 80% not reaching recommended physical activity levels.

THE BRAINY BENEFITS OF EXERCISE. The good news is that regular moderate intensity exercise boosts brain health, reduces brain fog, improves memory, slows down brain ageing and reduces DISCLAIMER

your risk of Alzheimer’s.

cognitive

decline

or

This is a lifelong prescription. The full cognitive benefits take six to 12 months to develop after starting, but before you throw up your hands in horror, the positive mood enhancing benefits will start to be felt in the first week.

HOW DOES EXERCISE HELP OUR BRAIN? The direct effect is via the increase in blood flow providing more oxygen and nutrients, while stimulating the release of growth factors including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which is essential to neuronal repair and maintenance, while reducing insulin resistance and inflammation.

Pounding the block is the way to start, so stamp your feet and let’s get moving.

The indirect effect is that it improves sleep patterns and boosts the immune system while lowering stress, anxiety and depression.

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Great Health

The best exercise is always the exercise you do.

DIFF’RENT STROKES.

The magic lies in the combo of aerobic (huff n’ puff) 150 minutes per week plus two sessions of weights or resistance training. Just as different forms of meditation produce different effects on the brain, so do different forms of exercise. Aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume by up to 2%. This is the part of the brain linked to memory.

It also increases the volume of the prefrontal and temporo-parietal cortex that is helpful for our executive thinking processes of logic, reasoning, planning and decision-making.

While this may not sound much, it overcomes the age-related loss by the equivalent of 1-2 years. Resistance training such as weights increase the brains plasticity leading to increased grey matter in the posterior cingulate gyrus, associated with global cognitive benefit.

Exercise is #1 activity to keep your brain in tiptop condition.

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The results of the SMART trial showed how cognition improved relative to greater muscle strength in a small group of subjects, aged 55 and older with mild cognitive impairment. Strong muscles mean stronger brains, so find those dumb bells now!

THE NEW EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION = MOVE MORE, SIT LESS. If exercise isn’t your thing, I hear you.

Many people hate the idea of going to the gym and all that hot, sweaty stuff.

Fear not, as far as your brain goes, all physical activity counts. Choose to move in 10 to 30minute increments or splurge SUBSCRIBE

Great Health it all as a weekend warrior. Regardless of your current level of physical fitness even when starting from ground zero, it’s about choosing an activity you think you would enjoy and getting started. Often the maximal gains are experienced by those starting from the lowest baseline.

IT’S YOUR CHOICE! Knowing exercise is essential to our wellbeing sadly doesn’t translate into doing it. Many of the obstacles commonly cited include: • feeling exhausted • overwhelmed with no time available • ashamed of being unfit • having a medical condition that makes exercise difficult • having a mental illness.

You can always find the justification NOT to exercise, but can you afford the future cognitive and health cost?

Regardless of your starting point there is always an activity to try. It feels counterintuitive but getting out for a short walk when you’re tired, sad or down will boost your energy and mood.

Focusing on something you know you can achieve, that will build confidence fast. It’s about making the choice and staying safe by starting low and building up gradually. If getting to the letterbox is your first goal – go for it! That 5-minute excursion gets easier with practice and then it’s easier to extend it by another 5 minutes.

So, indulge in exercise, the number one activity to enjoy being a smarter, sharper thinker.

DISCLAIMER

Dr Jenny Brockis is a Medical Practitioner and Board-Certified Lifestyle Physician specialising in brain health and mental performance. Jenny’s approach to overcoming life’s challenges is based on practical neuroscience which enables people to understand their thoughts and actions leading to effective behavioural change. Jenny is the author of Smarter, Sharper Thinking (Wiley) and may be contacted via her website.

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&

xercise

Heart Health Dr Warrick Bishop

IN

my practice as a cardiologist, many of my patients are unaware that not all types of exercise are of equal value. Some exercises are better than others, so whether you’ve already been diagnosed with a heart condition, or you’re simply interested in preventative heart health, here is a brief guide to exercising for heart health.

1. The Best Exercise • Interval training: This is the golden standard of exercises when it comes to preventing heart disease. The strategy combines short intervals of highintensity exercise, with slightly longer periods of lower intensity exercise.

For instance, if you’re a runner, you might alternate 5 minutes of a more comfortable speed with 2 minutes at a faster speed. This method of continually increasing your heart rate 10 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE

has the impact of improving vascular function and it also has the peripheral benefit of burning body fat.

• Total-body sport: The more muscles involved during exercise, the harder the heart needs to work to fuel these muscles to support the work-out.

• Weight training: In effect, weight training is a form of interval training.

The heart rate is increased during reps and it recovers between sets. Strong muscles serve to reduce the overall burden on the heart, so it’s an ideal exercise to build heart health.

• Yoga: Yoga is a fantastic exercise for heart health, because it promotes a calming effect that has been shown to lower blood pressure. Regular yoga has also been shown to cause the blood vessels to become more elastic, which in turn, promotes heart health.

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2. Incidental Exercise People who are routinely more active throughout the entire day, such as people who do physical labour for work, or people who routinely walk instead of driving, tend to burn more calories and are generally healthier than people who merely exercise for up to 60 minutes per day and then remain sedentary at a desk for the rest of the day.

One way to increase your daily exercise is to purchase a pedometer, which allows you to measure how active you are outside of your usual exercise time. Ways to increase incidental exercise, include disembarking public transport a stop or two before your usual stop, walking to the shops rather than driving and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

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Great Health 3. The Worst Exercise Any type of vigorous exercise you haven’t trained for: The very worst exercise you can do is the sort of physical exercise that you have not trained for. For instance, if you decide to enter yourself into a half marathon after years of being sedentary, then this activity is likely to cause you more harm than good, because the excessive adrenaline that is released from this sudden burst of cardiovascular activity can prompt a heart attack for those who are at risk. In much the same way, exercising without adequately warming-up can also lead to a heart event.

For the same reason, never exercise hard without warming up first.

Editor ,s Choice KNOW YOUR REAL RISK OF HEART ATTACK Dr Warrick Bishop

What if we could PLAN NOT to have a heart attack?

Getyouractive way!

Finally, don’t let me dictate what sort of exercise you choose to engage in. For instance, while science might suggest that swimming has fantastic cardiovascular benefits, it you don’t enjoy swimming, then it is not something to which you are going to commit long term. So, find something that you find fun that you can do consistently for your heart health.

Dr Warrick Bishop is a cardiologist with special interest in cardiovascular disease prevention incorporating imaging, lipids and lifestyle. He is author of the book ‘Have You Planned Your Heart Attack?’, written for patients and doctors about how to live intentionally to reduce cardiovascular risk and save lives! Dr Bishop can be contacted via his website.

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Dr Warrick Bishop is experienced cardiologist, with extensive training & expertise in CT coronary angiograms.

The fundamental focus of this book is: • primary preventative cardiology by using much earlier intervention than traditionally undertaken • re-evaluation of our approach to primary prevention • managing the individual rather than the population What if we could be forewarned about, or prepared for, a potential problem with our coronary arteries?

GET YOUR FREE eBook NOW

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When you start doing the impossible, you make it possible.

– Bangambiki Habyarimana

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Dizzy?

Why Am I

Feeling

Dr David McIntosh

T

he feeling of being dizzy can be related to many different body systems. To understand how things can go wrong, it is important to understand how things must first work. A health sense of balance requires the integration of messages from your ears, your eyes, your neck and spine, your feet, your joints, and this all then requires a healthy brain with a good blood supply. So, with all of this in mind, let’s try and explain each part.

monitors the speed of your movement and the other monitors the angles and rotation of your movement. These little sensors send a message to the brain to let it know the position of your head. It is vital that the messages from each ear are reported to the brain equally, for example, if you turn your head to the right, the left ear will say it is moving forwards and the right ear will say it is moving backwards.

Both of these messages must match for the brain to be informed appropriately.

1. The sense of balance is one that is related to the inner ear.

2. The next message the brain relies upon is a visual cue from your eyes.

In each ear there are 4 separate compartments that monitor your movement. These compartments are grouped into 2 categories – one group

The brain is looking for the horizon. This is its reference point for being upright and straight. So, if the horizon moves, your eyes will detect this change. At the same

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time, for the horizon to have moved, your head must have likewise moved.

3. The head is attached to the neck and spine.

So once again, the head movement is detected by the ears and the message of this must match entirely with the message to the brain from your eyes. If your ears are not quite working properly, the brain can use the message from the eyes to compensate, which is why some people have problems with their balance in the dark.

Within the neck in particular are sensory nerves that detect the position of the head relative to the neck and spine. So, as you nod your head, for example, the ears both note a rotation downwards and upwards, the eyes note the horizon moving in a similar manner and the sensory nerves in the neck note the head movement down and up as well.

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Great Health If the message from the neck is dysfunctional, then the brain starts to lose its point of reference to the body and this causes a conflict as to how everything is lining up. Likewise, the entire body has sensory nerves for the way your joints are moving and for where they are located.

So, when you walk, for example, the brain is made aware of where your leg is, as it strides along. When you lift one leg up it automatically knows to activate the other leg and the supporting musculature to keep you upright rather than falling from side to side.

4. The final signal comes from the soles of your feet.

These detect differences in the ground surface, so when you walk on sand, for example and the sand moves around, the brain has to work overtime to keep up with the rush of signals coming in from your feet.

All of the above information is being sent to the brain constantly. The brain has a few centres that then manage these signals and makes sure that you do not fall down. If there is a problem with the brain function, then the signals may not be processed properly. Likewise, the brain needs a good blood supply to constantly provide it with oxygen and energy.

With all this in mind, it is amazing we are not dizzy more often! What is more amazing is that the brain can compensate very well if some of the information goes missing. So, if you lose your vision, it will do its best to compensate. But if you have a problem with your ears and your vision then you will be in trouble. What the brain is not so good at coping with is 16 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE

mixed messages. So, if one ear is working slightly less than another, then you will be in trouble. The brain is still getting a message (rather than no message) but this message does not match up with the other information. Over time it may learn to compensate, but not always.

Given the many body systems involved, the important thing about experiencing dizziness is appreciating the different types of dizziness that there are. • if you experience a sense of rotation, we call this vertigo and this usually relates to an ear or brain problem, occasionally the neck. • if you experience light headedness, this usually relates to a blood flow problem, often in turn related to low blood pressure. • if you experience a feeling of unsteadiness on your feet, then this may be due to a brain problem or a problem with the sensory nerves in the feet or the joints.

So, if you have a problem with being dizzy, make sure you can describe what it is that you are experiencing - it will make the job of your health care provider much easier.

Dr David McIntosh is a Paediatric ENT Specialist with a particular interest in airway obstruction, facial and dental development and its relationship to ENT airway problems and middle ear disease.

He also specialises in sinus disease and provides opinions on the benefit of revision of previous sinus operations.

Dr McIntosh can be contacted via this website.

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Diabetes Managing Your

Melissa Hui

DISCLAIMER

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Great Health

E

very five minutes someone is diagnosed with diabetes, which adds up to almost 300 people per day. In addition, an approximated 1.8 million Australians are currently living with diabetes and 500,000 of these cases are undiagnosed patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

As a pharmacist, each day I see patients suffering from an array of symptoms related to diabetes that could simply be helped with a beneficial management plan or treatment schedule.

TOP FOUR TIPS FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF YOUR DIABETES: 1. Get active & stay health driven Diabetes is currently the seventh most common cause of death by disease in Australia, with one in four adults over the age of 25 living with either diabetes or pre-diabetes. One of the simplest steps to managing or even decreasing the risk of the disease, is remaining active and making a conscious effort to eat the correct foods.

While this predominantly describes Type 2 Diabetes, many people with diabetes will see a change in symptoms and the balancing of glucose levels once they shift towards a healthier mindset, both physically and mentally. Approximately 58 per cent of all cases of Type 2 Diabetes can be delayed or prevented with changes to diet and lifestyle, therefore it’s important to balance your diet with a variety of foods from the five food groups, (vegetables, fruit, meats, wheat and diary) and maintain 30 minutes of exercise per day.

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2. Regular readings To ensure you’re managing your blood glucose levels correctly as a Type 1 Diabetic, patients need to conduct regular checkups and monitor their readings every day to check that their body is being provided with enough insulin to move glucose out of the blood and into the body’s cells for energy. Patients need to maintain a strict routine to lower the risk of serious health conditions such as organ failure and nerve damage.

Type 2 Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough insulin, or insulin no longer playing its role correctly as the body’s cells are unaffected by it (insulin resistance). While daily blood glucose monitoring is not as vital, it is still strongly recommended that patients watch their levels to significantly reduce the risk of damage to vital organs, including the heart and kidneys.

3. Know your ABC’s Many diabetes patients, whether they’re diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, have a unique and personal plan when it comes to managing their symptoms or situation. Whichever path a patient takes, knowing the ABC’s can be a simple acronym to remember what helps them manage symptoms and keep on top of their healthcare requirements.

A – This represents the A1c blood glucose, also referred to as the HbA1c, which is a blood test that measures blood glucose levels over the past three months, to review a patient’s progress and/or recurring levels.

Commonly, the HbA1c target for most people is under 7%.

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Almost two out of three people with diabetes, have high blood pressure, more commonly for those with Type 2 diabetes.

C – This signifies cholesterol.

Cholesterol levels should be checked and monitored to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in the long run.

practical advice on how to decrease it.

Be sure to consult your local GP about any concerns you may have about your health.

Melissa Hui is a qualified Pharmacist with over 10 years’ experience in community pharmacy and is a Professional Services Pharmacist for the National Discount Drug Stores Franchise Support Office.

The ABC reminder is a great way to jumpstart your diabetic management, particularly for patients living with Type 2 Diabetes, who can often moderate the disease through the proper management of a healthy diet, lifestyle and exercise regime.

Get a personal plan to help manage your diabetes.

4. Have regular checkups It is strongly recommended that all people with diabetes receive regular checkups with a healthcare professional, including a nutritionist and GP, to ensure they are maintaining an appropriate health regime and their personal management plan.

Discount Drug Stores offer management clinics for patients with Type 2 Diabetes, to either calculate your risk or give you DISCLAIMER

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Nutrition SUBSCRIBE

Endometriosis and

Diet

Melanie McGrice

DISCLAIMER

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NUTRITION

E

ndometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the reproductive organs which affects over 10% of Australian women at some point in their life. The condition results in tissue, which is similar to the lining of the uterus, growing in other parts of the body, most commonly within the pelvis. The stimulus for this tissue growth is the female hormone oestrogen. Currently, there is no known cure and symptoms include severe menstrual pain and bleeding, chronic pelvis pain and can result in fertility problems.

A specialist doctor will have diagnosed this condition and may be treating you with medicine. However, since diet is a vital factor in many diseases, if you have endometriosis, it’s recommended that you make an appointment to see an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

YOU MAY LIKE TO START

BY MAKING THESE DIETARY CHANGES: 1. Choose healthy fats Trans fats found in processed foods such as margarine, fried food, pastries, cakes, biscuits and refined oils are produced through high levels of processing and induce an inflammatory response in the body.

Palmitic acid has also been linked to increased rates of endometriosis. This fat is found mostly in red meat and again heightens the inflammatory response in the body.

Omega-6 is another fat found in red meat as well as in vegetable oils. Omega-6 is 22 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE

a major pro-inflammatory factor in the body. Omega-3, on the other hand is an anti-inflammatory fat which can actually improve endometriosis inflammation.

This study found significant results of omega-3 reducing the effects of endometriosis, even with short-term diet change. Good sources of omega-3 includes fish such as salmon and tuna, as well as nuts and seeds.

2. Ensure good supply of antioxidants from fruit and vegetables Women with endometriosis have an increased number of highly reactive substances in their body, known as free radicals. Free radicals cause something known as ‘oxidative stress’, which really just means they enhance inflammation.

Antioxidants can reduce the number of free radicals by binding with them to create a more stable form. This reduces the amount of oxidative stress and therefore reduces inflammation in those with endometriosis.

One study researched the effects of antioxidant supplementation (vitamins E and C) on endometriosis pain and found that 43% of those with higher intake of antioxidants reported less pain compared to 0% in the group without supplementation. Not only this, but three inflammatory markers (substances produced by or associated with inflammation) were found to be significantly lower in those taking the antioxidant supplement compared to those without supplementation.

Therefore, it was concluded that increasing antioxidant intake in women with endometriosis had a positive effect SUBSCRIBE

NUTRITION on their condition. Fruit and vegetables are some of the most antioxidant rich foods, so ensure that you include a wide variety of these foods in your diet to reduce oxidative stress each day.

3. Boost your fibre intake Fibre can help excrete oestrogen out of the body through a process known as ‘barrier protection’ in which fibre surrounds substances and takes them on a journey to outside the body before they can be absorbed. Excess oestrogen in the body can worsen the effects of endometriosis by promoting inflammation.

Too much oestrogen stimulates the formation of lipid substances which act like hormones – these are called prostaglandins.

These increase inflammation and heighten the pain in pelvic regions of those with endometriosis.

Along with this, oestrogen has been found to actually increase endometriosis cell growth and numbers, meaning larger cells and more of them. Ensure that you are consuming at least 25 grams of fibre each day by consuming foods such as wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and legumes.

In summary, diet is an important component of long-term endometriosis management. For more endometriosis dietary tips see Nourish With Melanie.

Melanie McGrice is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and is the director of Nutrition Plus, a dietetic practice based in Melbourne, Australia. Melanie is a highly respected nutrition blogger, journalist and media personality, and is regularly invited to consult to the media on a range of nutrition & dietary topics.

Melanie is the author of ‘The Pregnancy Weight Plan’ and may be contacted via her website.

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Fitness

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BestExercise for Weight Loss

Jennifer Smallridge

DISCLAIMER

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Fitness

W

ith 52% of the nation not meeting the physical activity guidelines as set by the Australian Government, and a staggering 76% failing to hit strength training targets, it comes as no surprise that two in every three Australian adults are overweight or obese. Exercise and physical activity are a viable strategy in the war against weight, however it is important to remember that what goes in the body (diet and nutrition) are extremely important. This article will specifically discuss how to maximise your exercise routine for weight loss.

Be aware, that you can ’t outrun a bad diet.

AEROBIC TRAINING.

When we exercise for aerobic health, we are putting our cardiovascular system to work. The working muscles require oxygen to create energy to contract, therefore we breathe harder and more often, pumping the heart faster, to deliver this oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.

Aerobic exercise therefore is generally repetitive and is performed at a steady intensity – one which gets you ‘slightly puffing’ is a good guide if you’re just starting out.

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Walking, jogging, swimming, rowing, cycling and dancing are all great examples of aerobic exercise. The current recommendations for health suggest 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days of the week, however the amount required for weight loss is thought to be significantly higher than this.

Don’t be deterred though – aerobic exercise is great for our heart and lungs and we certainly are burning kilojoules when we are training in the ‘cardio’ zone.

STRENGTH TRAINING. Resistance training, or strength training, involves using our muscles to produce and control force. Traditional workouts using dumbbells, barbells and machine weights belong in this category, but you can also get creative with balls, bands, boxes and body weights to strengthen particular parts of the body.

The links between increased muscle mass and metabolism have been extensively researched and proven to assist with weight loss. Studies show that if exercise was an investment, strength training gives you incredible returns not only during your workout, but for 24-48 hours after the session is done!

Recommendations on building muscle to boost metabolism are to choose 8-10 strengthening exercises and complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Push ups, squats and lunges are a great place to start, each of them working multiple large muscles at a time.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. As with most things in the world of health and fitness, a combined approach SUBSCRIBE

Fitness is always best. One study found that interspersing strength exercises with aerobic exercises (e.g. circuit training) has the highest energy expenditure, resulting in more kilojoules burned. Thus, the benefits of both aerobic training and strength training will optimise your health.

Please check with your General Medical Practitioner before commencing any new exercise regimes.

IN SUMMARY: Strength training is a highly underutilised tool for weight loss and acts like a high-

DISCLAIMER

interest bank account in the way that it rewards you after the investment has been made. If you’re not sure where to start, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist is the right health professional for you!

Jennifer Smallridge is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist at Upwell Health Collective in Camberwell, Victoria; as well as an Academic Lecturer in the fields of Exercise Science and Functional Human Anatomy.

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Pilates for eniors: S Is It Safe?

Justin Balbir & Margarita Gurevich

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Fitness

L

et’s clear up any uncertainty in a swift manner. Pilates is safe for seniors and we strongly recommend it. As we’ve described in other articles, Clinical Pilates is run by highly trained physiotherapists who specialise in facilitating exercise in the safest way possible. This form of exercise is adaptable to almost anyone – this goes from elite athletes who are highly trained, all the way down to frail individuals who require a very gradual and gentle approach.

WHAT MAKES SENIORS MORE VULNERABLE TO INJURIES? Let’s first understand why the senior population is at higher risk of injury when participating in physical activity.

1. Balance.

This is the big one. As we age, our balance tends to deteriorate. Several factors affect our balance. These include eye sight, the vestibular system, in the ears and our proprioception (this is our sense of where our body parts are in space).

2. Reduced strength and bone density.

As part of the ageing process, loss of muscle mass and reduction in bone density is expected. Loss of muscle mass means that there is less protection for our joints and soft tissues and therefore an increased risk of sprains and strains. A reduction in bone density means that there is an increased likelihood of sustaining a fracture, in the event of a fall or accident.

3. Others.

Many other integral parts of our body are compromised with ageing. An essential part of healing is a healthy blood supply to the site of injury and more commonly, circulation may be reduced in the elderly population. Additionally, the nervous DISCLAIMER

system gradually tends to fire at a slower rate, making reflexes and reaction times slower, thereby increasing the difficulty of tasks which require sudden changes in position and direction of movement.

Further to this, those who suffer from cardiac or respiratory issues need to ensure they are not being overworked beyond what is deemed a safe limit. This will vary depending on the individual.

HOW DOES CLINICAL PILATES FOR SENIORS ACCOMMODATE THESE RISKS & HELP REDUCE THEM? Let’s consider some of the previous examples.

Clinical Pilates is safe, reliable & fun with individual attention.

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Fitness and consistent manner, the body adapts and becomes stronger as a result.

3. Cardiac and respiratory restrictions.

If the individual is one who cannot work at a high intensity due to cardiac or respiratory restrictions, the exercises can be conducted in a slow, less intensive manner to maintain a steady heart rate.

Conversely, those who would benefit from an increase in cardiorespiratory fitness can perform certain exercises at a faster pace, with an increase in repetitions prescribed.

There are many other benefits of Clinical Pilates for seniors. The main takeaway should be that almost everyone can and will benefit from exercise. Clinical Pilates is a safe, reliable and often fun environment in which each person can be given the attention they require to reach their goals and maximise their functional capacity.

1. Clinical Pilates is supervised.

Generally done with up to four people in a class but can be done as a oneon-one session for those who require more attention and assistance. The physiotherapist supervising will make sure to provide support with exercises that may compromise one’s balance. Additionally, safe balance-focused exercises will be prescribed in order to improve the balance.

2. Resistance training is highly recommended.

This is a means of reducing the rate of muscle mass loss and bone density reduction. Therefore, many of the Clinical Pilates exercises will focus on building strength and loading up the bones and joints. When this is done in a safe, gradual 30 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE

Justin Balbir has a Bachelor of Health Sciences & Masters of Physiotherapy Practice. He has worked for five years as a sports trainer for the Ajax Football Club, with experience in soft-tissue massage & injury management. Justin specializes in manual therapy & sports injuries and may be contacted via website.

Margarita Gurevich is Senior Physiotherapist and uses Clinical Pilates, SCENAR Therapy & other evidence-based techniques, including Real Time Ultrasound and McKenzie Treatment.

Margarita specialises in sports injuries, women’s health (including incontinence) and gastrointestinal issues. Margarita may be contacted via her website.

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Fitness

Misdiagnoses of

Back Pain Kusal Goonewardena

DISCLAIMER

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Fitness

T

he human body is full of surprises, including the way we experience and perceive pain, especially when it comes to back pain. When we feel pain in our back, it can be incredibly misleading. It can mimic other symptoms and even show up in other parts of the body. As a physiotherapist, I’ve learnt to never make assumptions about back pain because we can only truly understand what is happening following a proper assessment.

Some most surprising back pain misdiagnoses that I have seen include: 1. Back pain in the leg – referred pain: I treated a patient with debilitating pain in his calf. This was preventing him from playing soccer with his kids and the pain became so bad he could barely walk.

This patient hobbled into the Elite Akademy clinic. Surprisingly, his calf pain had nothing to do with his calf at all. The true pain source was his upper back – a classic ‘referred pain’ example.

By treating the upper back, the patient was soon walking freely and playing soccer again. No more pain. But if we hadn’t identified the underlying back problem, this pain may have easily caused long-term issues.

Referred pain is common. Think of it as a signal by the brain that something is not working properly in the body, much like the red engine dashboard light in a car suggests something is wrong with the engine. So, when the engine light comes on, we don’t know exactly what is wrong and need a mechanic to examine and identify the problem. It’s the same with the back.

My physio team find people are experiencing pain beyond where the actual problem lies, about 75% of the time.

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2. Glandular fever: More than once we have treated patients with aches and pains, including back pain, which ended up being glandular fever. It is not something we see a lot, but because the immune system is working under duress with glandular fever, it often shows up as aches and pains before the patient even knows they are suffering the condition.

3. Psoriasis: It’s hard to believe a skin condition such as psoriasis may lead to back pain, but around 30% of psoriasis sufferers develop something called psoriatic arthritis, which will manifest as back pain in some cases.

4. ‘Ghost’ sciatica: It is easy to recognise sciatica’s shooting ‘nerve-like’ pain, which emanates from the back and courses down the leg. Surprisingly, nine times out of 10, sciatica is not the issue.

Many problems masquerade as sciatica, including lower back biomechanical issues, hip pain and even knee issues. None will improve while you wrongly mistake these complications for sciatica.

5. Lyme disease: This infectious disease usually occurs when someone is bitten by a tick. Lyme disease has many nasty symptoms including aches and sore SUBSCRIBE

Fitness

joints. But sometimes Lyme disease presents as radicular back pain.

6. Disc bulges – almost never the problem: A slipped or bulging disc is probably the most common selfdiagnosis that we see at the clinic.

Surprisingly, most people, around seven out of 10, if put under an MRI, would show some kind of disc issue.

Disc bulges are common yet don’t necessarily cause pain or discomfort.

They merely show that our bodies aren’t perfect.

With proper analysis we often find what feels like a slipped or bulging disc is something completely different, such as gluteal tightness, nerve spasms, lower spine joint tightness or even stress.

7. Stress fractures: As with a slipped disc, people are quick to blame their back pain on stress fractures. Unfortunately, people tend to hang onto this misdiagnosis for a long time, because it is assumed stress fractures take a long time to heal. They do, but stress fractures DISCLAIMER

Properly diagnosing these ailments can relieve sufferers from pain. commonly impact sports people and those performing physical manual labour. Yet while people are convinced, they have stress fractures, under closer examination many of them are suffering from persistent shoulder pain, knee problems or neck pain.

KEY POINTS: • Pain can be mysterious and elusive.

• Even if it hurts, your pain’s source may stem from somewhere else.

• Many surprising ailments present as back pain, increasing potential for misdiagnosis.

• A professional assessment may isolate the true cause of pain.

Kusal Goonewardena is an experienced physiotherapist, lecturer, consultant and mentor to thousands of physiotherapy students around the world. Kusal has authored books including: Low Back Pain – 30 Days to Pain Free; 3 Minute Workouts; and co-authored Natural Healing: Quiet and Calm. Kusal consults via his clinic, Elite Akademy.

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Pelvic Floor Exercises Magdalena Hawley

L

ooking after your pelvic floor is important for all women but especially for mums.

Being pregnant and giving birth puts pressure onto pelvic muscles and stretches the muscles of your pelvic floor. There are some simple and effective exercises that will help strengthen and maintain your pelvic floor muscles in good condition.

WHY PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES ARE IMPORTANT: This is a group of muscles that attaches to the bones at the bottom of your pelvis and supports the internal organs above it (bladder, uterus, and bowel). Having strong pelvic floor muscles gives you control over the bladder and bowel.

Weakened pelvic floor muscles mean the internal organs are not fully supported.

You may not be able to control your 34 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE

urine and could have some leaking.

Strong pelvic floor muscles also improve sexual performance and orgasm, so your pelvic floor muscles are very important.

However, they will not get stronger by themselves. As with any other muscle, you have to train them to strengthen them. Yet women often struggle to be consistent with their pelvic floor exercises because they think they are boring and/ or they struggle to find the time to do them.

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Strong pelvic floor muscles provide control of bladder & bowel.

DISCLAIMER

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Fitness

PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES: They may not be the most exciting exercise to do, especially when you actually can’t see the results visually. They are very important exercises to incorporate into your fitness routine. You may not realize that you can work your glutes and your pelvic floor at the same time. Your buttock muscles are connected to the pelvic floor muscles so exercises strengthening your backside will also strengthen the pelvic floor.

Firstly, you need to make sure that you can engage your pelvic floor muscles correctly. To engage your pelvic floor muscles, tighten the muscles around your front and back passages, drawing the pelvic floor muscles up inside. You want to feel the lift, not only a squeeze and you want to make sure you are not bearing down. I would highly recommend seeing a women’s health physiotherapist for pelvic floor assessment to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly.

Below are some of my favorite glute exercises, which can be easily performed at home or at the gym. You can perform them as a quick stand-alone circuit at home, even while watching TV. Or you could use that circuit at the beginning of your longer workout to ‘wake’ the glutes up or add them at the end of your workout to give that extra burn to your backside.

1. Glute bridge with a ball squeeze: • Lie down on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and a soft ball between your knees.

• As you exhale lift your bottom off the ground, engage the pelvic floor, and squeeze the ball with your knees.

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• As you inhale lower your bottom back and relax the pelvic floor.

2. Hip clam exercise (add a resistance band for extra challenge): • Lie on your side with knees bent and your heels and glutes in one line.

• As you exhale lift the top knee up and lift through the pelvic floor.

• As you inhale lower the knee back down and relax the pelvic floor.

3. Donkey kicks (add a resistance band for extra challenge): • Come down to all fours, in a kneeling position with your hands in line with your shoulders and your knees in the line with your hips, keeping your back straight.

• As you exhale engage through your midsection and extend one leg behind you, while squeezing the glutes at the top.

• As you inhale, lower your extended leg back to kneeling position.

These are my favourite exercises to strengthen those pelvic floor muscles.

Give them a try to have a nicely shaped bottom and dry pants.

Magdalena Hawley is a Qualified Personal Trainer and Food & Wellness Coach. She is a founder and head trainer of Mums Going Strong Fitness group and personal training company specialising in postnatal fitness with a focus on core and pelvic floor recovery. And a creator of Busy Fit Mums - online program for busy mums.

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Mindset DISCLAIMER

GREAT HEALTH GUIDE | 37

Brain THE

in My Gut

Dr Suzanne Henwood

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Mindset The enteric nervous system that regulates our gut is often called the body’s ‘second brain’. Although it can’t compose poetry or solve equations, this extensive network uses the same chemicals and cells as the brain to help us digest and to alert the brain when something is amiss.”

I would be surprised if you have not heard the phrase “gut brain”. The Harvard Medical School quote above demonstrates that it is well accepted now that we have complex, adaptive, neural networks (enteric brain) in our gut and heart.

WHAT DOES A ‘GUT BRAIN’ MEAN IN PRACTICE? The gut (or enteric) brain consists of approximately 500 million neurons.

In addition, there is a whole colony of microbes, that also impacts on our mood and behaviour. The gut brain is integral to immune function in the body and can affect mental health and wellbeing, as well as a range of other medical conditions.

If the ‘gutbrain’ does not write poetry – what does it do?

DISCLAIMER

Looking after gut health then, is essential as part of your overall wellbeing. But I am not a nutritionist, what I want to cover in this article is communicating with your gut and learning to receive messages from it. mBraining is the new field of applied neuroscience which teaches about the head, heart and gut brains and how they communicate. mBraining seeks to align and raise to highest expression, the three brains to enable your own inner wisdom to emerge. Grant Soosalu and Marvin Oka, describe the Three Prime Functions of the gut as 1. Safety and Security, 2.

Mobilisation and Taking Action, and 3.

Core Identity. Here is a description of the three prime functions.

1. Safety and Security Have you ever done anything that made you feel scared? I did a bungy jump once and if you are like me, you feel that fear in your gut.

We talk of butterflies in the stomach – but this was more like a rampaging rhinoceros.

That feeling is present to alert you to a safety issue. On that occasion I chose to override the feelings and jump (for fun!).

On other occasions research has shown that people say they knew something was unsafe, but they ignored those gut feelings and ended up getting into grief. Learning to listen to and learn how to interpret gut feelings, could quite literally safe your life.

It has also been shown to improve work performance, decision making and a range of other benefits.

2. Mobilisation and Taking Action What about the function of mobilisation?

Have you ever felt stuck? Procrastinated over doing something? This is a sign that your gut is not yet willing to take action.

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Mindset 3. Core Identity Core identity is that deeper sense of being you, being true to yourself, being authentic. When you sense who you really are at the deepest level – where do you experience that? Many people sense that deep in the gut, maybe slightly to the right in the lower quadrant.

HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR GUT? What sort of communication exists? The gut communicates in many different ways; from chemical/hormonal, neurological, energetic, electromagnetic to mechanical and physiological. The vagus nerve is the main nerve route from gut to the head brain and approximately 80% of the signals in the vagus are afferent (i.e. they go from the gut to the head), showing the importance of that gut based data being transferred upwards.

The gut will not communicate in long academic sentences (as language is a function of the head brain), but it will get its messages across via pictures, metaphors, feelings and sensations. Within seconds

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your head brain may give you a simple sentence or word to help you to interpret the communication. Often the words remain elusive, leaving you just ‘knowing’ without being able to explain why.

While a severe fear response may be difficult to ignore, other more subtle communications can be missed if we do not take time to be quiet. Deliberately shut out external ‘noise’ and distractions and then using mindfulness techniques to quieten the head, the internal chatter becomes an essential part of gut communication. So, place the flat of the palm of your hand(s) over your tummy, low down and offer reassurance that all is well. And simply listen. You may be surprised at just how much information you receive.

Dr Suzanne Henwood is the Director and Lead Coach and Trainer of mBraining4Success. She is also the CEO of The Healthy Workplace and a Master Trainer and Master Coach of mBIT (Multiple Brain Integration Techniques) and can be contacted via her website.

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The

Power

Acknowledgment of

Terry Sidford

Y

ou probably have many people in your life to feel appreciation for: parents, friends, teachers, mentors, but how often do you let them know? How often do you actually acknowledge a person who you appreciate? Not by simply giving a compliment, but actually acknowledging someone for what they have given to you.

A COMPLIMENT OR AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT?

ACKNOWLEDGING SOMEONE CAN CHANGE THEIR LIFE.

The difference between a compliment and acknowledgment is that a compliment, while positive, is often nonspecific and can easily contain an evaluation or judgment.

Acknowledgment is more about the whole person as a being. It is a powerful way to strengthen relationships and create fulfillment for you and those around you. It is well documented that acknowledging another person has a powerful effect on our ability to flourish.

How often do we think of something nice about a stranger or a loved one and NEVER say anything? There are many ways to acknowledge someone. Giving a gift, writing a note or doing something special for someone are a few ways we are used to letting someone know they are important or that you care about them.

DISCLAIMER

As humans, we tend to think that we have to do extraordinary acts to feel that we have the right to be loved, acknowledged or enough. What if you were acknowledged GREAT HEALTH GUIDE | 41

Mindset

A simple act of acknowledgement can change all of us.

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Mindset just for who you are and not what you are doing? When my boys were young and acting out, I would start to acknowledge what was right in what they were doing and not focus as much on the acts that were not good. It was miraculous to see them light up and be themselves again.

When we acknowledge people, there are two rewards. First, the recipient will feel noticed, seen and appreciated and loved. Second, is how good it makes us feel to acknowledge other people. To appreciate them will bring a smile and joy to their life which is rewarding to us.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? 1. Start by acknowledging yourself.

What are you doing right every day?

We can always find things we haven’t done but taking inventory of what we are doing right, will shift your attitude to being happy and grateful for yourself.

2. Next, start acknowledging others.

It is not as difficult as you think. Start with a simple eye to eye contact and smile. This can tell another person that you see them. There is always something you can find to light up another. Put on new glasses that will show you what is good and right in others and take the next step of letting them know. A simple act of acknowledgement can change all of us.

When the going gets tough, the first thing to usually go away is gratitude and appreciation. Don’t let that happen! Take a small step to making a huge difference in someone’s life and your own.

DISCLAIMER

ACTION ITEMS: 1. Create a grateful board. Write down every morning what you are grateful for.

2. Write a letter or note to someone you care about and tell them what you appreciate about them.

3. Make a daily goal to acknowledge a certain number of people. Remember to include strangers.

4. Acknowledge those things that you are doing right or well at the end of each day.

It is the purest form of appreciation and love for yourself and human kind. This one action will change the way you see others and the way others see you.

Terry Sidford has been a certified life coach in the United States for the past 15 years and has assisted scores of people in achieving their dreams. More information is available from Terry’s website.

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Rela ionships 44 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE

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Solu ions to Your

Problems –––

DISCLAIMER

Dr Matthew Anderson –––

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RELATIONSHIPS

M

ost people have difficulty with at least one part of their lives. It could be family, work, partner, friends or frustration with achievements, physical health…every one of us has some part of our life that does not work the way we want. And most people also have an idea about what would make life better… and that idea is almost always wrong.

WHY ARE SO MANY OF US SO FREQUENTLY WRONG ABOUT THE SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEMS? The following ancient Sufi story has the answer.

Many years ago, there lived a man named Nasruddin. One night a neighbor found him on his hands and knees beneath a street lamp apparently searching for something in the grass.

The neighbor asked, ‘What are you doing, Nasruddin?” Nasruddin replied “I am searching for my key.”

His neighbor wanted to help so he asked, “Where did you lose it?” Nasruddin said, “In my house.”

When the surprised neighbor asked why Nasruddin was looking outside under the street lamp for his key, Nasruddin replied, “There is more light out here!”

The funny and sad message of this old story is that most of us are like Nasruddin. We look in all the wrong

places for the key to our difficulties. Like him, we persist in looking outside instead of inside…and we continue to suffer.

It exists in our own heart and mind, in our attitudes, beliefs, expectations, habits, decisions, emotions and thinking patterns. We can change our clothes, our living situation, our income, our weight, our partner, our car and every other external thing but still our difficulties show up and show up and show up. We become the poster child for Einstein’s famous definition of insanity, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” Apparently, he knew Nasruddin well. And apparently, so do many of us.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS: SINCE THE ANSWER TO ALMOST ALL OUR DIFFICULTIES IS INTERNAL, WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! We all have the power to make internal changes that cause massive positive changes in every aspect of our lives. All of us! If we are always so close to the answers, then why don’t we look inward? Because of fear of the dark and inner self, we want

The real & effective key to all our difficulties is internal.

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If you want positive, meaningful change in your life, look inward. It's your choice.

to stay outside where we are comfortable and safe and we can blame others or circumstances.

But the surprising truth is, once we find the courage to take even a couple of DISCLAIMER

steps into our dark inner places, we discover that healing, happy things begin to occur. Our inner selves are not as scary as we thought. And, then we realize that looking outside ourselves has been pretty much a waste of time and we become enthusiastic about our growth.

So, the message for today is this: If you want to keep your current troubles, stay outside with Nasruddin.

Dr Matthew Anderson has a Doctor of Ministry specialising in counselling. He has extensive training and experience in Gestalt and Jungian Psychology and has helped many people successfully navigate relationship issues. Dr Anderson has a best-selling book, ‘The Resurrection of Romance’ and he may be contacted via his website.

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Toxic ?

Are You the

One

––– Leanne

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Allen –––

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Relationships

T

here is an abundance of information on ‘Toxic Relationships’ on the internet. A quick recap, a ‘toxic relationship’ is usually defined as a relationship where one person is the victim and the other person is the bully, or the toxic partner.

Are you the toxic one? What if you are the bully and the toxic partner? If you are the person causing a lot of grief in your relationship, it is time to change.

It is time to own up to the fact that you are manipulating, coercive, making your partner feel guilty or just plain bullying your partner to do things your way!

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? The reason people bully is normally not because they are mean-hearted and are driven to make their partner’s life hell. The reason this happens is because people are operating from their own wounds.

From their own desperate need to be loved, to be held, to be listened to.

It always relates back to childhood trauma. By trauma, I do not necessarily mean abuse, it could be as insidious as parental neglect. And that might just

Do you love your partner enough to get help for yourself?

DISCLAIMER

mean ‘Mummy and Daddy where too busy working to give me any attention and now I am desperate for it’.

Consider the following questions and if you answer yes to any of these, then you may want to seriously consider obtaining some professional help: • Do you have tantrums (yell and scream) and then blame your partner for your behaviour – even if it feels totally justified?

• Do you lie to get your own way?

• Are you having an affair?

• Are you engaged in any activity that your partner does not know about and could possibly be changing your attitude in the relationship?

• Are you engaged in any activity that your partner does know about or that harms your partner, physically or emotionally?

• If they have complained about any behaviour or activity that you are engaged in, then it is harming them and your relationship • Have you ever hit or pushed or forced yourself onto, or otherwise physically hurt your partner?

• Do you constantly bad-mouth your partner to your friends, family or children? Note that bad-mouthing your partner to your children is a big mistake and causes your children harm too.

• Have you been diagnosed with a mental health condition that affects your mood and you are not being GREAT HEALTH GUIDE | 49

Relationships treated at all for this with medication or therapy?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then there is one more very serious question you need to ask yourself.

Do you love your partner enough to get help for yourself?

If the answer is no, then you are just continuing to abuse yourself and your partner and anyone else in the household, especially children.

If you think this is just directed at men, then think again. There are many toxic women, or wounded women, who are

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struggling to maintain a deep and loving relationship. You can be a loving partner, so start by seeking help.

Leanne Allen (BA Psych(Hons)), Is the Principle Psychologist at Reconnect Wellness Centre. She has trained in Sandplay Therapy, NLP and CBT and has had extensive training in relationship therapy. Leanne has also completed training as a life coach. Her approach is to look forward whilst releasing the trauma of the past. Connect with Leanne via email, website or at her office on 1300 132 252.

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Kids Ma ers DISCLAIMER

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Sleeping Through the Night Kim Corley

W

hen we become parents, we expect some form of sleep deprivation, it comes with the territory. But at some level we are all waiting to post that milestone card on social media. The one that says our baby slept through the night for 10-12 hours. But the truth about sleeping through the night is a little different from what is commonly thought.

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SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT DOESN’T HAPPEN The term ‘sleeping through the night’ is really a misnomer. It doesn’t happen. Noone, adults or babies really ‘sleep through’ the night. We all wake frequently during our night’s sleep. However, if we wake for less than a few minutes, we simply don’t remember it as there is not enough time for memory consolidation. What is happening is perfectly normal; instead of continuously sleeping through the night, we wake in between sleep cycles.

We sleep in cycles, waking frequently.

THE FIVE SLEEP CYCLES Sleep cycles are made up of five sleep stages. Newborns under 12-weeks of age are the exception, with only two stages of sleep. Their sleep is a little different.

But once they are past that point, say by the three or four month mark, their sleep cycles resemble those of adults.

During sleep cycles, humans transition through five different stages of sleep.

These range from light sleep to deep sleep and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.

Moving through the five stages of sleep makes up one sleep cycle. And at the end of each sleep cycle, we either come to the surface of sleep briefly or wake fully.

DISCLAIMER

Prior to late toddlerhood, these sleep cycles are relatively short. They only last around 40-45 minutes for babies.

Compared to around 90 minutes for adults. So, it makes sense that babies wake more frequently at night (even if they don’t need a feed). Indeed, ‘sleeping like a baby’ can mean more wakes than an adult, not less.

If you have a child waking every one to two sleep cycles, rest assured that it’s perfectly normal. It is natural for them to stir and resettle, or to wake fully around that point. But note that waking fully doesn’t mean they’ve had enough sleep.

And it won’t be as refreshing for them.

Healthy sleep is not about changing the fact that your child really does wake multiple times a night – they likely still will wake for a brief period. This is a lifelong thing. The real aim is for a child (whatever their age) to become comfortable in their environment and confident about seamlessly slipping into the next sleep cycle, without the need for something or someone to intervene and help.

THE TRICK TO BETTER SLEEP IS LINKING SLEEP CYCLES The trick to better sleep is linking these sleep cycles and happily returning to sleep. Ideally children who still nap during the day link a minimum of two sleep cycles each nap. It is worth trying to resettle them if they need more sleep.

Indeed, the trick to what is commonly referred to as ‘sleeping through the night’ is being able to seamlessly transition or settle between these sleep cycles. Linking one cycle after the other with little effort.

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Kids Matters This linking is ideally what you see when a baby is ready to give up a night feed, the stretches of consolidated sleep - the hours where they seamlessly drift back into another sleep cycle and increase until they can sleep for 10-12 hours at night, uninterrupted. Yes, that can and does happen! But it also means that baby needs to learn how to do this and that learning often starts at bedtime.

It’s the uninterrupted sleep that helps us feel refreshed the next morning, so consolidating those sleep hours is an important part of healthy sleep. Adding up the hours of broken sleep still won’t feel as refreshing as if they were linked together. If you feel tired after a broken night, chances are your child feels it too.

SLEEP CYCLES HELP IN OUR SURVIVAL Sleep cycles make perfect sense when you think about it. The simple act of sleeping makes us vulnerable. After all we’re lying down with our eyes shut, unaware of our surroundings for a solid portion of the night. If we really did this in solid blocks for eight hours as adults and 10-12 hours as children, humanity may not have survived so long. It makes good survival sense to check out your environment, make sure everything is OK and then, peacefully drift back into another cherished sleep cycle.

IN SUMMARY • After 3-4 months of age, babies have five stages of sleep just like adults.

• Moving through these five stages makes up one sleep cycle.

• Sleep cycles for children are much 54 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE

shorter than for adults, they stir or wake after 45 minutes.

• For a child, one sleep cycle is typically not an adequate amount of time for a decent daytime nap.

• If your child is waking frequently at night, then they won’t feel as refreshed as if they slipped seamlessly between the cycles. Broken sleep takes its toll, especially after the six month mark.

• Good healthy sleep, being able to consolidate more hours overnight and have long day sleeps, depends on a baby’s ability to transition between sleep cycles.

Kim Corley is a certified baby and child sleep consultant with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and pharmacology.

She is also a Mum who believes in the healing power of sleep and has helped numerous families solve their sleep issues over the years. You can contact Kim via her website.

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The mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it, to see a better world

-Amit Ray

DISCLAIMER

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© Antalya Developments Pty Ltd 2019 Any information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats), or from Antalya Developments Pty Limited or Kathryn Dodd, including by way of third party authored articles or discussions, is made available for readers’ interest only. The purpose of making the information available is to stimulate research, public discussion and debate. Readers are encouraged to undertake their own research and consult with professional advisors to form their own independent views about the topic/s discussed. The information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats) is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers should seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions regarding a potential or actual medical condition or the proposed use or decision not to use any particular product. Readers should not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it at any time, including because of the content of any information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats). Each of Antalya Developments Pty Ltd and Kathryn Dodd do not warrant, guarantee or make any representation regarding the accuracy, veracity, adequacy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of any information available on, or arising in relation to, the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats). Neither Antalya Developments Pty Limited nor Kathryn Dodd endorses the views of any contributing authors to the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats).