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Fitness Journal WAIKATO EDITION VOLUME 3 : ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2016
HEALTH | PERFORMANCE | WELLBEING
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FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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From the editor Be an inspiration The word inspiration has been bandied about alot lately. Between the success of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes, it has been a roller coaster few months of career defining moments. And yes, occasionally there has been some criticism in the media towards the over-use of the word inspiration.
COMPETITION CORNER Good Karma
But inspiration is all about personal interpretation. And let's face it, every single athlete competing at these two global events have inspired on some level. As well as being inspired (yes, that word again) by the athletes at Rio lately, there is a realisation that no matter whether you are at the top of your game or just starting out, it is the person you are which is the most impressive of all. Look at some of the heroes we have discovered recently; Liam Malone and Eliza McCartney are shining examples - both for their sporting prowess, but also for sharing their genuine personalities.
Setting a new world record is not necessarily all it takes to inspire. Most of us are touched by a personal connection with an athlete's story, and often the part of that story which resonates most is their struggle. We can all relate to struggling - and taking inspiration from someone else's struggle is surely the greatest inspiration of all. So when times get tough (and they do, even if you're the best in the world at your sport) - take a moment to realise that it is the periods of struggle which often result in the greatest achievement. It's all part of the journey.
So while you are striving to achieve, remember the personal attributes which make you unique and celebrate those also.
Yoga has never been so much fun. Kit yourself out with a fresh creation from Mad Yoga, a range of eye-catching and eco-friendly designer mats based in New Zealand. Made from natural tree rubber and printed with water based inks, these yoga mats are recyclable and biodegradable. The super absorbent top layer doubles as a towel, helping keeping your poses steady. And once you’v e finished working out, throw it in the washing machine for an easy clean! Check out the range at madyoga.co.nz Enter to win one of two Mad Yoga mats. Email your name and address, with MAD YOGA in the subject line, to win@fitnessjournal.co.nz or enter online at fitnessjournal.co.nz Entries close October 31 2016.
Lisa Potter EDITOR
Pure Glass
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Cover photo by Jeremy Ward | www.shot360.co.nz
Fitness Journal HEALTH | PERFORMANCE | WELLBEING
The Fitness Journal team EDITOR Lisa Potter M: 021 249 4816 E: lisa@fitnessjournal.co.nz DIRECTOR Alan Neben P: (07) 838 1333 M: 021 733 536 E: alan@wbn.co.nz SALES DIRECTOR Deidre Morris P: (07) 838 1333 M: 027 228 8442 E: deidre@wbn.co.nz
The perfect balance of health, style and durablility, the Zoku glass core bottle is equipped to cope with hot or cold drinks – making it the must have accessory this summer. Add in the leakproof locking cap and funky array of colours and you’re set to impress. Enter to win one of two Zoku glass core bottles. Email your name and address, with ZOKU in the subject line, to win@fitnessjournal.co.nz or enter online at fitnessjournal.co.nz Entries close October 31 2016.
ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Jody Anderson P: (07) 838 1333 M: 027 236 7912 E: jody@wbn.co.nz ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Candra Hansen P: (07) 838 1333 M: 027 386 2226 E: candra@wbn.co.nz GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tania Hogg P: (07) 838 1333 M: 021 280 3032 E: tania@wbn.co.nz
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WaikatoBusiness P U B L IC AT I O N S
COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Fitness Journal competitions are open to NZ residents only. One entry per person, per competition. Prizes are not exchangeable or redeemable for cash. Winners will be selected at random and no discussion will be entered into after the draw. By entering this competition you give permission for Fitness Journal to contact you from time to time with promotional offers. Unless you agree, your details will not be given to any third party, except for the purposes of delivering a prize. Winners may be requested to take part in promotional activity and Fitness Journal reserves the right to use the names of the winners and their photographs in any publicity.
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Natural Goodness Treat yourself to some tasty, gut healing goodness with New Zealand made Best Bones Broth. Packed full of organic ingredients, it’s an instant nutrientdense dose of goodness for your body. Drink it like tea with the addition of some herbs and spices, or add a flavour punch to your favourite dishes. (Check out our story on Best Bones Broth founder Kate Moffatt on page 33). Enter to win one of three Bones Broth prize packs (can be collected from Bin Inn Dinsdale). Just email your name and details, with BEST BONES BROTH in the subject line, to win@fitnessjournal.co.nz or enter online at fitnessjournal.co.nz Entries close October 31 2016.
FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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Sheer genius
Smile bright like a diamond
A great smile is the ultimate summer accessory. White teeth can make all the difference to feeling confident when flashing your smile. Take advantage of advances in toothbrush technology with the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean. Powered by patented sonic technology, it delivers proven results and has won a number of prestigious international awards.
Throw out your recycled plastic drink bottles and treat yourself to a pure glass bottle. Zoku’s new glass core drink bottles are geared to hold both hot and cold drinks; the perfect accessory this summer. BPA and phthalate free.
Tri these
If you’re one of the many getting involved in the sport of triathlon, then check out the Inov8 race ultra 270. This versatile shoe offers superb support for long-distance athletes and is designed for racing over trails and mountains. Comfort, support and grip; three key essentials when training on rough terrain. inov-8.co.nz
Crystal clear
Re-activate your youth with bright, even skin - and a helping hand from Manuka Doctor’s new Drops of Crystal range. An oil, but with the lightness of a serum, it’s designed to plump and brighten your skin. If it’s good enough for global ambassador Kourtney Kardashian, we’ll give it a try. Manukadr.co.nz
Yogalicious
The world of yoga has become something of a fashion field, with super high tech design just part of the fun. We’re fans of the latest from Adidas, particularly this collection by Stella McCartney. Find your yoga flow in this range of seamless separates, featuring ClimaLite technology designed to keep you cool and comfortable.
BOOK CORNER Cricket with Kane Williamson Random House, $35 New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson shares his insights into batting, bowling, fielding and captaincy; everything you need to play the sport, whether socially or competitively. Why is it important to play the ball late? How do you play a classic cover drive? What should you do to deliver a deadly in-swinger? Kane talks through his approach to the sport. If you’ve got a cricket fan in the house, this is the book for them.
Mustang Ride
By Kelly Wilson Random House NZ, $45
Wool Runner
Treat your feet to the New Zealand creation being dubbed as ‘the world’s most comfortable shoe; Allbirds Wool Runners. The brainchild of former All White skipper Tim Brown, the lifestyle shoe is made from New Zealand merino wool and is only available online in the US and New Zealand. Allbirds.co.nz
#loveit
These are a few of our favourite things...
Skin deep
If you haven’t turned on the television or picked up a magazine in the past few years, then you’ll be one of the few not to have heard of the Wilson sisters. This dazzling trio have rocketed to fame for their skills with everything from top level competitive show jumpers to wild horses; particularly New Zealand’s Kaimanawas, Australia’s brumbies and now the Mustangs. Sisters Kelly, Vicki and Amanda share their journey to America to capture, save and tame wild mustangs. Witten and photographed by Kelly Wilson it is a fascinating read, sure to enthral their massive young fan base.
Mount!
By Jilly Cooper Bantam Press, $38 From her ‘80s novels Polo and Riders, Jilly Cooper became infamous for her sexy romps involving showjumpers, polo players, horse breeders and trainers. Mount reconnects with some of her most addictive characters; Rupert Campbell-Black et al. Her fun sense of humour is still evident, although the book gets a bit bogged down occasionally in horse bloodlines, there’s still plenty of intrigue and scandal. The perfect summer beach read.
WIN WIN WIN
Travel light this summer with this super cute pack of Savar minis. Made in New Zealand from premium ingredients, this handy travel set includes Savar’s body wash, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner. The list of ingredients reads like a herb garden. Natural deliciousness. Savaronline.com
Enter to win the book of your choice – just email your name and address to win@fitnessjournal.co.nz with the name of the book you wish to win in the subject line (MUSTANG, CRICKET OR MOUNT). You can also enter online at fitnessjournal.co.nz Entries close October 31 2016.
FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
Feeling the
need for speed BY LISA POTTER
Hamilton teenager Tiania Wallbank isn’t old enough for her driver’s licence yet, but she spends every spare moment behind the wheel of her mini stock, competing at Huntly Speedway.
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FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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nd while she may not cross the line first at every event, she is highly regarded in the sport for her sportsmanship and pure love of speedway. Tiania Wallbank’s home-away-fromhome is where she chooses to spend every possible moment; whether competing, spectating or helping upkeep the facilities. The 16-year-old is a familiar face at Huntly Speedway, where she competes her mini stock and has future plans to
Photos by Jeremy Ward | shot360.co.nz
step up and race stock cars. The competitive teenager is following in the footsteps of her parents and grandfather, and most of her favourite childhood memories revolve around the speedway. “My dad and mum race here, my grandfather raced here when the track was first built, and all three of my sisters have competed. In fact, my youngest sister was almost born in the control room.” The timing of those contractions are still written on the wall of the control tower- where Tiania’s mum is usually found officiating on race days. “It is very much a family sport in every meaning of the word; first because it’s the sport my entire family are involved in and passionate about, and secondly because all of the people at Huntly Speedway I basically regard as my extended family.” While being first through the chequered flag is obviously a goal, for Tiania, participating in the sport is all the reward she needs. “I love every moment of it. I love getting ready and before the race, lining up, competing, and every moment after the race, as well as the social aspect with all the people involved.” Having first got behind the wheel (officially) aged 12, Tiania proudly races her blue mini stock, built and maintained
by her grandfather. “All I have ever wanted is to race,” she says. “I don’t go to get the chequered flag, I go to enjoy myself. It’s granddad’s night out otherwise he sits at home and I go because my family watches and it’s something we are all involved in and enjoy.
“My dad and mum race here, my grandfather raced here when the track was first built, and all three of my sisters have competed. In fact, my youngest sister was almost born in the control room.”
“I’m not the best racer out there but I always strive to do my best.” Tiania is well known in the sport, respected for her healthy attitude, good sportsmanship and her sense of humour. She has been nominated and awarded ‘personality of the pits’ and even when not competing, she and her family are often at the grounds, helping paint or do any other jobs on the ‘to do’ list. Tiania
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has enormous respect and affection for Huntly Speedway president, Red Wootton. “We live about half an hour from the track, but we are there all the time, even when it’s not race season. Red keeps the tracks in first class condition even in the off season. He is amazing, he owns the track and is constantly out there improving it.” The level of involvement from Tiania’s family is impressive and their support reflects the Wallbank’s love of speedway. At just a few hours old, Tiana was in the grandstand watching her older sister race. And when younger sister Olivia was born (narrowly avoiding a control tower delivery), staunch supporter mum was back at the track with her newborn baby in time to see her older siblings race. With the season set to kick off this month, Tiania is gutted that neither she or her blue mini stock will taking part in the opening event. The whole family is off to Australia where dad is currently working – but Tiania plans to earn some money working over there herself and return home with enough saved to buy her first stock car. “Once I turn 17 I can step up into other classes and I want to be able to fund myself and try and get some sponsors behind me for stock car racing.” The Hillcrest High School student can’t see herself racing seriously anywhere except on her home track; ‘racing in Australia is completely different with clay tracks, and Huntly Speedway is where my heart is and where I want to race. “It’s going to be really weird not being so involved this season, but my plan is to come back and try and do some mini stock events with a day driver licence, so I’m still part of the family here.” ¡
RACING IN THE mini stock class, Tiana reaches speeds of between 50-70kmph. Her mini stock has been built and is maintained by her grandfather. “It has a Datsun motor and while I check all the basics, it’s all pretty straightforward and uncomplicated. Mini stock is a non-contact sport.” With plans to move up to stock car racing next year, which is a contact sport with significantly more power and speed, Tiania is excited at the prospect. Her confidence took a hit last season when she did a triple roll on the track, but despite the experience, was back laughing in the pits at the end of the event. “You don’t roll much in mini stock, it’s the first and only time it happened in three seasons of rac-
ing, and no one even touched me – I did it all by myself! My confidence was up, I put my foot down and hit a rut and over we went.” Although unharmed, it did dent her confidence, but not her determination. “It hasn’t changed how I feel about the sport. It’s just the adrenalin rush I’m addicted to. You’re in the car in control of how fast you’re going, and your confidence levels dictate how far you want to put your foot down, and carries you through. “My goal is to get a chequered flag, that’s everybody’s goal, but also to make my parents and grandad proud. They put all the work and money into the car so I want to be able to repay them by making them proud.”
HUNTLY PLACEMAKERS SPEEDWAY Upcoming events 2016/17 2016 Sat 1 Oct
Green Sheeting & SNZ & Club Registration at Metallic Recycling Hamilton – 1pm to 4pm
Sat 8 Oct
Green Sheeting at Track – 1pm to 4pm & SNZ Licensing / Club Registration if needed
Sat 15 Oct
Practice 1 & 2 at 3pm to 5pm – Green Sheeting at Track 1pm to 3pm – Mentor Program if needed
Sat 29 Oct
Official Practice 3 at 5pm onwards (Transmitters Required) Green Sheeting at Track 1pm onwards – Mentor Program if needed
Sat 5 Nov
OPENING MEETING – Huntly and Te Rapa Place Makers Fireworks Spectacular
Sat 12 Nov
Rain Date – Fireworks Spectacular
Fri 18 Nov
Stock Car Teams Invitation
Sat 19 Nov
Stock Car Teams Invitation
Sat 26 Nov
Rain Date
Sat 3 Dec
Waikato Modifieds & Waikato Super Stock Championship
Sat 10 Dec
Waikato Saloon Championship plus Waikato Production Saloon Championship
Fri 16 Dec
North Island Super Stock Championship
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Sat 17 Dec
North Island Super Stock Championship Finals plus Midget 40 Lap Spectacular plus Wingless Sprint Car Invasion plus Alex Gillian & George Hazelton Stock Car Memorial
Sat 31 Dec
Saloon Speed Week plus Stock Car Stampede plus Fireworks
2017 Sat 14 Jan
North Island TQ Midget Championship & NZ Mini Sprint Grand Prix.
Sat 11 Feb
Waikato Stock Car Championship
Sat 18 Feb
BK Pro Dirt Super Saloon Series plus North Island Midget Championship & Waikato Mini Stocks
Sat 11 Mar
Waikato Midget Championship & Waikato Sprint Car Championship plus O S T Waikato War of Mini Sprints
Sat 18 Mar
Huntly Quarry Season Finale Closing Meeting
Sat 25 Mar
Rain Date
Sat 1 Apr
Speed Fest 2017 - 6PM start
Sat 8 Apr
Future of Speedway Mini Stocks / Kiwi Kids 4PM start
Sat 22 Apr
Rain Date
Sat 27 May
Club Prize Giving / Workers Do / Mini Stock Prize Giving This calendar is subject to change or refer to www.huntlyspeedway.co.nz
FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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Where the dirt flies... The roar of engines, the smell of burning fuel and the adrenaline of intense competition; the sport of speedway offers something for the most competitive drivers through to seasoned professionals and youngsters wanting to get a start in the sport. Photos by Jeremy Ward | shot360.co.nz
PlaceMakers Huntly and Te Rapa are excited to bring you the 2016 speedway season PLACEMAKERS HUNTLY
10 Te Kowhai East Road, Te Rapa, Hamilton
498 Great South Road, Huntly
(07) 850 0190
PLACEMAKERS TE RAPA & HUNTLY
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FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
(07) 828 9829 ROBIN MARTIN
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PLACEMAKERS TE RAPA
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n the doorstep of Waikato is the iconic Huntly Speedway, home to hundreds of passionate drivers ranging in age from 10 upwards. This year’s season kicks off on November 5 with a fireworks spectacular. Speedway NZ oversees 24 tracks nationwide, racing a mix of 24 different speedway classes from about October through to May. There is something for everyone, from the high powered and glamorous superstocks, super saloons and sprint cars, through to the classes based on a road-going vehicle, such as mini stocks and production saloons. In total, there are around 2600 competitors throughout the country, ranging from five to 70 years of age. Around 450-500 first year drivers start out every season, a high pro-
portion in the stock car, mini stock, street stock and production saloon classes. However nearly every class has “rookie” drivers each season, so get out there and give it a go! Most speedways provide as much variety as they can, be it pure speedway with thoroughbred motorcycles, midget and sprint cars, powerful saloons and modifieds or the mighty stockcars, all have a place and support each other. Each race section has its own New Zealand title, Grand Prix and North and South Island title allocated every season. When provincial and track championships are also authorised there are endless opportunities for every kind of association and sponsorship. ¡
The Huntly PlaceMakers Speedway track is 380 metres long. The track is around 15metres wide which is enough to provide 2-3 wide racing. The fastest man ever to be clocked around the Huntly PlaceMakers Speedway is Ricky Logan who drove the Lucas Oils 10a Sprint car to a 12.27sec lap in 2011. Countless drivers from around NZ have opinionated the Huntly track with most describing it as one of the best tracks in NZ. Saloon driver Geoff Webb once said “The Huntly track teaches you how to pass.”
Proudly sponsoring Huntly Speedway Chip Humble Licensed Real Estate Agent Residential Consultant Branch Manager Hamilton North Office
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FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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Getting to know NATIONAL CLASSES The 12 national classes are the showpieces of the sport, where competitors are eligible to compete for the coveted 1NZ at the official New Zealand championship, and also Grand Prix, North Island and South Island titles. New competitors are welcome in these classes at any time, which can be categorised into four distinct groups – contact grades, saloon based, open wheel and motorcycle. You must be 16 years old (minimum) to compete.
SUPERSTOCK
A mix of raw power and deliberate contact has seen the superstock class endure as one of New Zealand’s most popular sporting entertainments for more than 50 years. With a purpose built chassis and 4 litre engine capacity, the class is one of the glamour divisions of NZ speedway.
STOCKCAR
The largest class in speedway, this runs to the same racing rules as super stocks, but has additional technical restraints to keep costs in check. Speeds are slightly less as a result, but the action can be just as entertaining.
SALOON
Similar to a super saloon, but with additional restrictions, saloons are the newest and fastest growing national class. Body must resemble a road-going vehicle, which makes them attractive and recognisable for spectators.
STREET STOCK
Based on a strengthened road car, street stocks have limited contact rules and are the most affordable national class. Particularly strong in the South Island, it is the only speedway division where racing occurs in both directions around the track (although not at the same time!).
SUPER SALOON
The wide tyred, fibreglass clad “big bangers” provide spectacular wheel-to-wheel action, and are crowd favourites when they appear in large numbers. Minimum weight is linked to engine capacity, to ensure a level playing field.
OPEN WHEEL CLASSES
SPRINT CARS
The “winged wonders” of the speedway scene are also popular in Australia and the USA. The combination of a high powered V8 engine and a massive wing ensure they are the fastest vehicles on four wheels around NZ speedway tracks.
MIDGETS
The first 4-wheeled speedway class originated in the 1930s. Midgets are staging something of a resurgence at present. Their power to weight ratio and fine handling balance requires a high level of skill, and ensures spectacular wheel-to wheel action that can wow the crowds.
MOTORCYCLE CLASSES
SIDECARS
Not for the faint-hearted, sidecars have moved forward massively over the last few years, reaching new heights in presentation and professionalism. Competitors also have an official world title to aspire to.
SOLOS
The original speedway class dating back to the 1920s, the 500cc motorcycle still provide a pathway to a professional career in the sport thanks to their overseas popularity, particularly in Europe. NZ has produced three world 10champions. FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
TQ MIDGETS
A “Three Quarter” Midget, TQs are a pocket rocket version of their larger siblings, running a motorcycle engine and providing an excellent introduction into the world of Open Wheel racing.
MINISPRINTS
Running a midget-sized chassis with a 1400cc engine and moderate wing, minisprints are another class that is proving its worth as a stepping stone, while still providing the benefits of a national class. Currently raced only in the North Island.
MODIFIEDS
This class evolved from saloons, and now sits alongside its Open Wheel brethren as a predominantly V8 category with a fibreglass body and big wing. A large field produces stunning action and terrific speed, as the drivers throw their cars around the track.
REGIONAL CLASSES Regional classes are viewed as more of an introduction to the sport, while also catering to youth and perhaps those adults on more of a budget. There are no national or Island titles in these classes, but tracks are still eligible to host local championships and special events.
JUNIOR SOLOS
The stepping stone for solo motorcycles, competitors from the age of 8-15 can race on specially built 125cc, 200cc or 250cc machines, depending on age. Some facilities also have a small inside track, especially for juniors.
QUARTER MIDGETS
YOUTH SALOONS
PEEWEE SOLOS
MINISTOCKS
PRODUCTION SALOONS
MODIFIED SPRINTS
The youth class for the Open Wheel categories, these purpose-built race cars have a 200cc engine limit and are suitable for 8-15 year olds. Popular in Auckland and Christchurch.
Based on 1200cc Toyota or Nissan road cars from the 1970s and ‘80s, ministocks look exactly like “mini stockcars”, but the racing rules are a far cry from stockcars with no deliberate contact permitted. Youth ministocks cater for 12-16 year olds, utilising the same technical rules as the adult class.
These 1600cc production saloons are currently raced in Invercargill only, where they enjoy a good following.
Another excellent entry-level class, based on a modified road going or “production” vehicle under 4 litres, with no contact allowed. A wide variety of makes and models are competitive in the category, both front wheel and rear wheel drive, so there is something for everyone here.
The first step into speedway for 5-8 year olds, where they can learn the ropes in a safe environment on a motocross bike.
Similar to a minisprint, but with a motorcycle engine, modified sprints are currently raced in the South Island only.
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Paralympics: Inspiration x100
From a physiology perspective, half of what the Paralympic athletes do should not really be possible.
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here is a guy called Matt Stutzman from the USA and he has no arms. He’s an archer. And Siamand Rahman from Iran can lift 310kgs above his head, from a wheelchair. There are people who run full speed over 400m and can’t see a thing so have unyielding trust in a sighted running mate. And people without all their limbs can still swim in a straight line. Fast. It is a puzzling truth that the Paralympics have historically attracted lower viewing numbers, however the Rio 2016 version appears to have swelled the fan base to record highs. Rio grandstands that were partially empty during the Summer Olympics a couple of weeks earlier appeared seething with punters keen to witness para-athletes doing their thing. Perhaps it could be argued that as able-bodied sport grows in professionalism and funding, so too do some Paralympic sports and athletes, and it is strikingly obvious that there are Paralympians in stunning athletic form. As examples of this, the winning time of the 1500m at the Rio Paralympics was famously faster than at the able-bodied event two weeks earlier, and most New Zealanders will recognise the name Neroli Fairhall, who beat the rest of able-bodied field from a wheelchair to win the Commonwealth Gold medal in archery in 1982. And if you watched any of the 7-aside football, you will have seen some moves Pele would have been proud in pulling off.
Perhaps it could be argued that as able-bodied sport grows in professionalism and funding, so too do some Paralympic sports and athletes, and it is strikingly obvious that there are Paralympians in stunning athletic form. A documentary in 2012 about the Team GB Paralympians followed a breaststroke swimmer with Multiple Sclerosis. The motor skills on one whole side of her body were diminished to the point where she couldn’t pick anything up with that hand, yet when she swam breaststroke, imaging scans showed that her brain seamlessly mapped the movement pattern from one side of her body to the other. She was unable to swim freestyle being an alternating movement pattern, yet with breaststroke her brain found a way to mirror the pattern so successfully it resulted in a gold medal performance. The Paralympic classification system seems a wieldy affair, with a little known fact that some classifications have to be continually reassessed as athlete’s conditions or the advancement of their disability means they would no longer be fighting fair. It is also a sad truth that the intellectual impairment classification was only recently reintroduced after members of the Spanish basketball team were found not to be intellectually impaired
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Nikita Howarth
at the Paralympics in Barcelona in 1992. Really? Who would even do that? For some of the sports, from a biomechanics point of view, it is fascinating to see the form modifications that enable a technical movement pattern to happen. It is also obvious how easily balance, timing, rhythm and power (the fundamentals of sport) are affected. In observing the high jump, a single arm visibly diminishes vertical power, while an inability to create a summation of forces in the shotput through using the legs to best effect leaves the arms with an awful lot to do. It is hard to truly understand the frustration that a para-athlete must have to positively channel and turn it into a challenge. The challenge is to put together a movement process that works for the individual athlete and their unique level of mobility. To watch this in practice is utterly fascinating, and judging by recent viewer numbers for Rio 2016 Paralympics, an entertaining and inspiring sports spectacle. The Paralympic flag was handed over to Tokyo for the second time in Rio. The previous Tokyo Olympics in 1964 was only the second time that the Paralympics were held following the Summer Olympics, and in 2020 they will do so again. It
is perhaps likely that as sport advances, just as the number of women participating in the Summer Olympics has almost reached the 50 percent mark, the viewing and ticket sales of the Paralympics might just about even out. Now wouldn’t that be cool? The Paralympics are not only a great show of individual athleticism, but an extraordinary example of just what the human body is capable of. On one hand, it proves the body is an amazing machine that can adapt, modify and adjust movement patterns to make
the physically challenging possible. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult not to have immense admiration for the human beings that figure out how to make it possible, including the coaches. It also makes the modern scourge of diseases caused by inactivity such as obesity and diabetes in able-bodied people an absolute disgrace. If the less able-bodied can figure out a way to not only move, but thoroughly excel at it, then any reason left for an able bodied person not to be active has to be thoroughly questioned. ¡
NEW CT SCANNER OPENING IN OCTOBER 2016 Bowel Cancer Detection and Prevention with CT Colonography Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in New Zealand. Many of these cancers are preventable by the detection and removal of polyps, which left alone, may evolve into cancers.
BY ALISON STOREY Alison Storey is a personal trainer who has represented New Zealand in three different sports (beach volleyball, rowing and rhythmic gymnastics). She has been awarded New Zealand Personal Trainer of the Year twice and runs Storey Sport, a mobile personal and sports training business which provides a range of services that optimise the fitness and wellbeing of its clients. www.storeysport.co.nz
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FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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From postie to
NZ triathlete H
Malcolm King has grown up training and competing in sports, specialising in swimming through his teens and enjoying the Weetbix Triathlon Series as a youngster. These days he’s racking up titles in the sport of triathlon. Ironically he discovered his passion for cycling when he started working as a postie. That led to him deciding to ‘have a go’ at triathlon; a decision which proved life changing.
amilton triathlete Malcolm King is no stranger to the discipline required to train and compete at top level. The tenacious 23-year-old has morphed from a competitive swimmer to an equally competitive and successful triathlete. Having recently won the South Island Standard Championships in Wanaka in blazing form, and fresh from a top 20 finish at the ITU Grand Final Triathlon in Cozumel, Mexico, he’s now back on home soil, training towards his goal of competing at elite level this season. While every event brings fresh challenges and learning curves, Malcolm continues raising his standards and embracing the mental toughness as well as the physical demands of his sport. “Mexico was the toughest race I’ve ever done,” he says. “It was a rough day out there in the standard distance 20-24 age group. The competition was fierce!” Finishing 20th in a field of 70 Malcolm was disappointed with both his performance and his result. “Unfortunately I just couldn’t execute to the high standard of the other athletes. Also I found it extremely difficult to race in that level of heat and humidity.” On the plus side, he was stoked at the opportunity to train for two weeks in Austin and be with the NZ team in Cozumel, in the lead-up to the event.
EARLY BEGINNINGS
As a youngster, Malcolm’s appetite for triathlon was fostered by participating
in the popular Weetbix Triathlon Series. He also swam competitively through his teenage years qualifying for the New Zealand Swimming Nationals. It was when he began working as a postie for New Zealand Post that he quickly developed a passion for cycling. “I decided to compete in my first major triathlon in December 2013 when a friend suggested completing the challenge together. From there I was hooked!”
RAPID PROGRESS
During the 2013-2014 season, Malcolm made impressively quick progress in the sport, winning his age group at the New Zealand Oceania Sprint Triathlon Championship. This achievement saw him selected to represent New Zealand in Canada at the Age Group Sprint Triathlon World ITU Grand Final where he placed fifth. The following (2014-2015) season he continued to advance within the sport, winning multiple age group titles throughout New Zealand, including the New Zealand Oceania Sprint Triathlon Championship in Kinloch for the second year in a row, and winning the 20-24 Age Group Sprint Triathlon Auckland ITU World Champs. “Last July I decided to go full-time as a triathlete to focus all my time and energy on continuing to improve in triathlon. I am aspiring to become a professional triathlete, aiming to compete at an elite level, representing New Zealand at international competitions.”
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What has been the highlight of your season? Winning the South Island Standard Championships in Wanaka. This was the first time I got to hold the winning ribbon above my head and it’s the best feeling. This had been a goal of mine for a while and to achieve it with all of my family there to share the moment with me was incredible.
What was your biggest challenge when racing in Mexico? Definitely the different climate from New Zealand. Coming from our winter to their hot and humid summer to race isn’t easy.
Who or what inspires you and why? Watching elite level athletes race inspires me to continue to push myself to see how far I can also go in triathlon. Their achievements are amazing and this makes me strive to reach the level that they are at.
Who has influenced your career? Graham O’Grady, All Blacks, Michael Phelps, Javier Gomez, Richard Murray, People who are successful in their sport and inspired me to keep training towards my own goals within triathlon.
What changes you have made to your training this season? This has been the first season I’ve been training and racing full-time so I can concentrate completely on training to my best ability without needing to work around another job. I’ve been focusing
more on running than I have been in the past and have seen massive improvements.
How you like to relax? I love relaxing with my family or having a coffee with a good friend, especially at the end of a hard day’s training.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received? “Enjoy your training and racing and try to have fun. If you don’t you’re bound to fail. It’s a hard enough sport when things are going well. Having fun makes it a lot more pleasant.” – Ryan Sissons.
What are your short and long-term goals? I am aiming to race as an elite next season, placing in the top 10. Another goal I have is to go to Europe during New Zealand’s winter season and race for a club. I’d love to do this to gain more experience as an international athlete.
What is the greatest challenge of being a full-time athlete? Triathlon is financially demanding. It’s like a never-ending vacuum sucking up money.am very blessed to have such generous sponsors and supporters who make this career possible.
Who are your team/sponsors? I am so thankful for my incredible team of sponsors who make this career possible; Kings Finance, Kings Cars, Evo Cycles, Pro4mance, Emily Webb Massage, Taylored Fitness Also my coach Graham Dudfield, and I wouldn’t be able to live the life of a professional triathlete without the support of my parents. They’re awesome! I also have individuals who support me financially which takes more of the financial stress off this demanding sport. ¡
What are your future goals and why? To continue to see how far I can go in triathlon. I don’t want to have any ‘what ifs’ when I look back on my career as a triathlete which is why I’ve decided to take up the sport full time. I want to continue to gain experience from racing internationally and eventually represent New Zealand in triathlon as an elite athlete.
What aspect of triathlon do you find the toughest? Running, I come from a background of swimming and cycling.
What aspect do you enjoy most? Cycling, anyone who knows me well knows I always have room for more bikes.
What are your fave places to train in Hamilton? I love the Dey Street outdoor velodrome. It’s the perfect place to do efforts on the bike and then follow into a run off the bike. It’s never busy and you can really focus on your training session with no distractions. I also love cycling across the backroads in Waikato. We live in a very beautiful place and training with the view makes it that much better.
What advice would you give to others wanting to compete in triathlons? Ease into your training by building a foundation and then increase from there. The last thing you want is an injury. Enjoy yourself, set challenging goals, push the limits – you’ll be surprised what your body can do if you tell your mind to shut up!
fitnessjournalwaikato
FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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On your marks, get set, TRI... Triathlon season is upon us, so now is a great time to talk about how you can perform at your peak using three key components of injury prevention; Obie foam rolling, Oov core stability and yoga shoulder mobility.
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or the triathlete, the Ironman is the ultimate test, as it is for the non-professional athlete. The way into the Ironman New Zealand Hall of Fame is to complete an Ironman race at least 10 times. Hamilton’s Bevan Littler achieved that in 2015 – and then some; he has notched up an impressive 13 Ironman races, including two world championship races. Last month Bevan competed at the World 70.3 champs on the Sunshine Coast, placing 30 in his age group (113km; 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run). He was using this race as a training event for the Ironman World Champs in Kona next month. Bevan is currently in Hawaii getting used to training in the heat there and
BY JOHN APPEL Director of Advance Physio, John Appel is dedicated to helping everyone function fully and enjoy everyday life without the restriction of pain.With a Masters in Physiotherapy, a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology, an Athletic Training degree, and as a Myofascial Release therapist, he works with a wide range of clients from professional athletes to chronic fibromyalgia clients. www.advancephysio.co.nz
making final preparations for the event. When Bevan came to Advance Wellness four years ago, he was dealing with a number of niggling issues which affected his performance and race results. Like most triathletes out there, he was constantly dealing with some sort of injury, pain or discomfort. Bevan was experiencing debilitating back pain during the bike leg of the Ironman. This in turn made his back so tight that he struggled on the run. I got him on the Oov; a core strengthening tool which we use at Advance Wellness. It enables you to work your deep inner core muscles while maintaining a neutral spine. Having a strong core is a key component to having overall body strength and is a must have when competing in triathlon or ironman events. Part of regular muscle maintenance in conjunction with physiotherapy is the Obie foam roller. This is a fantastic tool you can use at home to self release your muscles and roll out those tight spots every day, to stay on top of tightness which could be restricting your performance. For Bevan, using the foam roller is part of his daily routine in keeping in top form for his sport. The last key component for Bevan was improving his shoulder mobility through yoga stretches and poses. Yoga shoulder mobility can be done using the Lateral Child’s Pose. This helps lengthen lateral muscles. These are the broadest of the back muscles; they help internally and externally rotate the arms and are a powerful rotator of the trunk of the body. This would massively affect the ironman or triathletes swim or run if they are tight, as their movement would be restricted. Yoga is a great tool for overall body balance and releasing tight muscles, while simultaneously strengthening and lengthening your muscles. Bevan had amazing results by incorporating these key components into his
Where the shoe picks you.
Bevan Littler
Bevan Littler with physiotherapist Heidi van Loon.
conditioning programme. With his back pain reduced, he took a massive 10mins off his bike time and completed a personal
best on his run; then qualified for World Championship in Kona, Hawaii 2016. For those who are participating on upcoming triathlon or ironman we recommend you get a good conditioning programme together. Make the Oov and Obie foam roller part of your daily routine to activate your deep core muscles and release any tightness, and yoga two or three times a week to improve strength and increase flexibility. ¡
Lateral Child's pose phase 1 (from above)
Lateral Child's pose phase 2 (from above)
Lateral Child's pose phase 1 (from the side)
Lateral Child's pose phase 2 (from the side)
Shoe Clinic is about making sure that you get the correct shoes to suit your running or walking style so you can enjoy your physical activity and remain injury free. We make your shoe purchasing totally risk free by offering you a 30 day money back guarantee when you purchase shoes prescribed by your Shoe Clinic technician. If you are not satisfied, bring them back for a replacement or your money back! Visit your local Shoe Clinic Store at 437 Victoria Street Hamilton, Phone 07 839 7100 Drymax socks are about caring for your feet – the perfect socks for all feet due to their excellent padding and moisture wicking benefits. For the month of October, purchase 3 pairs of Drymax socks and get your 4th pair free.
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FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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Developing a yoga practice is like peeling an endless onion. You’ll find layers start to peel away, taking you deeper and deeper; uncovering aspects within your body and mind you were previously unaware of.
To get over this judgmental feeling of being ‘no good at yoga’, it helps to put things into perspective. It’s important to acknowledge why your athletic body is the way it is, and why certain yoga poses may feel fairly accessible to you while others will seem impossible. An athletic body is trained to be very good at very specific types of movement. For example, a cyclist’s body is used to being tucked up with the spine curving forwards over the bike and handlebars, and the legs pumping up and down – for thousands upon thousands of repetitions. Cumulative time spent in this position impacts the body’s form. The training helps the person become a better cyclist, which they are aiming for. But it also makes it harder for them
fitnessjournalwaikato
“I’M NO GOOD AT YOGA”
BY SARAH MACDONALD Sarah MacDonald is a professional yoga teacher and New Zealand’s only officially certified Yoga for Athletes instructor. She recently opened Balance Yoga Studio in Cambridge where she is committed to helping people of all ages discover the benefits of yoga. She specialises in working with athletes of all levels from any sport, and can tailor yoga sessions to complement any athlete’s training regime. www.balanceyoga.co.nz
the body and mind together. Being ‘good at yoga’ is about developing awareness and becoming present in each moment. It’s about quietening down the chatter in your busy mind, and tuning in to how you use your breath and move your body, gradually progressing from tightness and imbalance, to creating balance and better movement. The benefits of yoga for athletes include a more sustainable and functional balance of strength (stability) and range of motion (flexibility) in the body. More flexibility can lead to improved efficiency of movement, and enhanced performance, as well as reducing your chances of injury. Most often athletes don’t need to be extremely flexible. What you should be looking for is a healthy balance - you don’t want to be a ‘brick’ (too tight), or a noodle (too loose). Somewhere nicely in the middle will serve you well. Don’t let feeling like you are ‘no good at yoga’, or ‘not flexible enough’ stop you from practising it and reaping the benefits. So, how do you become ‘good at yoga’? Three words: Acceptance. Patience. Practice.
1. Acceptance to move in the opposite way i.e. opening the front of the body in hip extensions, back bends and shoulder openers. So if you are a serious cyclist you should not be coming to yoga and comparing yourself with others in the room who may be moving into deep back bends (actually, you shouldn’t be comparing yourself with anyone at all). Trying to do this yourself would be a bad idea, and usually one driven by the ego. It does not reflect a deeper awareness or intelligent approach to yoga. However, being a good cyclist (or any other type of athlete) doesn’t mean you can’t be good at yoga. What does being ‘good at yoga’ mean, or not mean? Many people mistakenly equate being ‘good at yoga’ with ‘being flexible’. But this is a misguided concept. You don’t have to be flexible to be good at yoga, and it’s certainly not a flexibility contest. It’s more helpful to think of flexibility as one of the results of doing yoga. Yoga is truly a discipline that brings
The first step is to accept yourself and your body as it is. Yoga philosophy has a concept called Santosha. It means contentment. Finding contentment requires you to accept your body the way it is, and learning to be accepting of yourself completely. For athletes this means recognising your body’s form, range, abilities and limitations within the context of your athletic training. Santosha means not viewing your limitations as a sign of weakness, but as a reflection of your training, dedication and skills as an athlete.
2. Patience
Progress takes time. Patience means adopting a mental approach to yoga that will be conducive to progress. Because yoga is a mind and body practice, to really progress you need to take a patient, gentle mental approach. This can sometimes be the biggest challenge, especially if you are used to pushing your limits, toughing it out and going ‘higher, faster, stronger’. Learning mental and physical patience will not
only help you progress in yoga, but can help you develop mental skills that can benefit your athletic performance as well.
3. Practise
Practise. Practise. Practise. Unlike in sports where we talk about ‘training’, in yoga we talk about ‘practise’. With a dedicated approach to yoga, you will see progress. And this simply comes with practise. It’s just like other forms of training in that results may be seen very quickly at the beginning, and then you will travel through various phases of progress and plateaus. It is all part of the process.
YOGA FOR ATHLETES
returning Olympic athlete came into my ‘Yoga for Athletes & Everyone’ class recently, as they tend to do around here. They had very limited yoga experience, but managed to follow the poses in the class competently, seeming to pay attention all the way through, putting effort into attempting the poses and using their breath as directed. In my opinion as a Yoga for Athletes’ instructor, I would say they did really well. However when I inquired afterwards about their experience they made a comment I often hear from athletes – they said ‘I’m no good at yoga’. I’ve heard athletes make this comment time and time again – often enough to make me stop and consider why people say this and what they actually mean. When an athlete says ‘I’m no good at yoga’, often what they are really saying is ‘My body feels tight and stiff, and I find it challenging to move into the poses’. This is NOT the same as being ‘no good at yoga’. It concerns me when I hear athletes say this, because the statement; ‘I’m no good at yoga’ is a judgment, and a negative one. Athletes who train hard at their sport are generally used to feeling like they ARE good at using their bodies in the way they want to, so telling themselves they ARE NOT good at something can make them feel like they have failed. For some people this may be enough to put them off continuing to try. But it’s not a failure to find yoga challenging. It’s often a lot more challenging than people expect, and this can certainly be confronting – especially for someone who is used to feeling really good at something. Yoga can be very beneficial for athletes, so it’s a missed opportunity to feel defeated and give up on it.
Developing a yoga practise is like peeling an endless onion. You’ll find layers start to peel away, taking you deeper and deeper; uncovering aspects within your body and mind you were previously unaware of. With practise, poses that you found inaccessible at first will become easier; but new challenges will then surface. This is what keeps yoga so interesting.
By simply practising with a sense of acceptance and patience, you will progress. Your body will become more open and balanced, your mind will learn to be focused and present. You will learn how to work with the breath to help deepen your practice. By committing to a practice with awareness, acceptance and patience, you are likely to discover that actually, you ARE ‘good at yoga’. ¡
FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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Cambridge mum gears up for Equidays Horse power is the name of the game at Mystery Creek Events Centre this month, as equestrian fans from around the country flock to see world-leading clinicians and experts, as well as some of the country’s best riders and horses in action.
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quidays 2016 (October 14-16) offers an amazing overview of the many equestrian disciplines; from show jumping, eventing and dressage to horse cutting, western and stunt riding. Cambridge mother-of-two Andrea Kewish, 41, has entered in the Wade Equine Derby, a new show jumping event designed to appeal to amateur riders, or younger, less experienced horse-and-rider combinations. The Wade Equine Derby will be held over the same challenging course as the Hyundai Premier Derby, but with the jumps at a lower height of 1.10 metres to 1.15m. The Premier Derby is set at 1.35m. “I’m really looking forward to it,” says Andrea. “Equidays is one of the few show jumping events in New Zealand which includes a derby at this height. It’s fun but difficult too. I would never enter the
Andrea Kewish riding her mare Spring Fling (photo Trewey’s Photography)
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premier derby, as the jumps are set at 1.35m which is too big for an amateur like myself.” The derby course is a test of skill and endurance not often asked of show jumping horses. To prepare for the event Andrea is training with her 10-year-old Selle Francias-thoroughbred cross mare, Spring Fling, at venues around the wider Cambridge area. “We are practising jumping drop fences, ditches, going up banks, and making sure she is confident on different kinds of terrain,” said Andrea. Andrea has been attending Equidays since its inception six years ago, mostly as a spectator. Last year she rode at Equidays in the FEI World Challenge qualifier (1.10-1.20m) and was placed ninth. Equidays competition manager Kerry Willetts said they have been inundated
Andrea Kewish and her mare, Spring Fling
with entries in the Wade Equine Derby. “We’ve intended to do it for a few years but we were worried it didn’t have the appeal of the bigger classes,” says Kerry. “However it has proven to be very successful and the class is almost full.” Also new this year is the invitational Horseware Ireland Double Slalom which will be part of the Friday night show jumping spectacular. An exciting event for spectators, the double slalom will see two horse-and-rider combinations go head-to-head, racing each other on identical courses to beat each other and the clock. Returning again this year, are the FEI World Jumping Challenge, the JLT Bloodstock Pony Six Bar, the Pony Grand Prix, the G.H. Mumm Champagne Horse Grand Prix, the Hyundai Premier Derby, Honda Pony Derby and the Isuzu D-Max Show jumping and Cross Country Challenge – Accumulator. The prize pool available to competitors exceeds $60,000. A key focus of Equidays is education
and, alongside the competitions and entertainment, more than 40 hours of educational clinics and seminars will run daily led by top equine experts. Equidays 2016 also includes two spectacular night shows and more than 200 exhibitors. ¡
www.fitnessjournal.co.nz
PATHWAY TO PODIUM: Jackson Bovill
While our highly regarded equestrian athletes weren’t fortunate enough to bring home anticipated Olympic medals, their performances were a reminder of the depth of talent and undeniable class and talent our riders possess.
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ocal eventer Clarke Johnstone was hurled into the spotlight as he momentarily sat within reach of both team and individual gold. However, as is the nature of the sport, rails down in the show jumping round can prove very costly, but are no reflection of the impressive performance throughout the entire event. With world class athletes like Mark Todd, Andrew Nicholson, Blyth Tait and Vaughan Jefferies having trail blazed the sport, now the next tier of professionals such as Jock Paget, Tim and Jonelle Price and Clarke Johnstone are the latest to provide inspiration for other aspiring world class champions. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Bovill is based in Matangi with his mentor Clarke Johnstone, and is striving to impress on the world stage. This month we profile Jackson as our Pathway to Podium athlete.
What are your short-term goals?
Name: Jackson Bovill
I first started riding when I was 10 years old. I started with basic farm riding and going to my local pony club and had a go at most disciplines through the years, but eventing has always been my passion.
Age: 19 Sport: Eventing Career path: I am currently a first year
Waikato University student studying towards a Bachelor of Communications majoring in public relations and marketing.
Ranking in your sport? Current NZ Ranking: Under 21: 1 Current world ranking: Open: 198, Under 21: 9th
List of achievements/titles? - 1st New Zealand under 21 Series 2015/2016 - 1st New Zealand under 21 ODE Championship 2016 - 2nd New Zealand under 21 3DE Championship 2015 - 2nd New Zealand ODE (open age) CIC2** 2015 - Current Member of New Zealand talent ID squad
To be selected for the New Zealand team for the Oceania squad 2017 and to perform at targeted national titles, including National ODE under 21 and open championships. National 3DE under21 and open championships, and Melbourne 3DE under 21 championships,
What are your long-term goals?
Senior Oceania team, Adelaide CCI, 4*, Campaign in Europe, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 2022 World Equestrian Games.
What is required to reach these goals?
It is important to focus on the small immediate goals and by achieving these the bigger picture will fall into place. Performing well at targeted events will be the stepping stones to success at international events in the future.
How did you first get involved in your sport?
What previous sports have you been involved in?
Although equestrian has been my main sport, I have also done some extra on the side; completing one half marathon and aiming towards another this November. I also played hockey and tennis through my school years which I thoroughly enjoyed.
What has been the biggest game changer for you?
Easily the biggest game changer for me has been the opportunity to work and train under Clarke Johnstone, world number nine and Rio Olympian. I took a gap year after school to do it full- time and now continue part-time around university and in my holidays. The knowledge
Photos by Libby Law and skills I have learned in my time with Clarke I can’t put a price on. It has helped propel me to achieve my current results and get me to where I am today, and is aiding me in my journey to reach my future goals.
What is the highlight of your time in the sport to date?
The current highlight would be winning the National Under 21 title 2016 after only just stepping up to that grade this season.
What is your greatest challenge?
The greatest challenge I am facing is to find balance in life, it is very easy to eat sleep and breathe eventing and I have to make an effort to take a step away and do my university work and socialise outside the sport.
What is the greatest misconception about your sport?
Easily the greatest misconception is that the horse does all the work, it obviously isn’t as physical as some sports but a great amount of skill and technique is needed. It can be seen as a continuous journey of learning to achieve harmony and the skills required in top level eventing.
What does your training involve?
My training varies from week-to-week and depends on my competition schedule and what my weak points are. Every week I have to fit in a day off, a fitness run and then dressage schooling or jumping the other days. I spend a lot of weekends away competing from October through to May.
What motivates you most?
One of my primary motivators personally in eventing is to look back over the past years and the journey I have been on, to see growth, results and development, and to then be able to look forward and see my goals and have a pathway to strive towards. This gives me an immense amount of motivation and drive to continue doing what I love.
What does it mean to be part of the Pathway to Podium programme?
I am a first year Pathway to Podium member and the opportunities provided are second to none. The range of talks, workshops and support help an athlete’s performance and life in general, including, strength and conditioning training, nutrition and drug-free sport. Sponsorship is already making a huge impact on my sporting endeavours as I begin to grow as an athlete.
Who are your sponsors and the team around you?
I have an awesome team and it continues to grow and develop to help me achieve my goals. The biggest support comes from my parents, who are there to help and support me week in and week out. My great mentor and coach, Clarke Johnstone is consistently helping me achieve my goals and strive to improve. And finally my sponsors Dynavite who provide me with top quality products for my horse so we can perform to the best of our ability.
Sum up with what motivates/drives you to succeed? In eventing a huge driving force behind my will to succeed is the growth and bond between my horse and I as we step up grades, and achieving results at major events. The feeling I gain from this is something I want to continue throughout my sporting life. ¡
The nationwide Pathway to Podium programme includes 45 Waikato pre-high performance athletes selected by their National Sport Organisation (NSO) and aims to recognise and help prepare them for life as high performance athletes. Waikato Pathway to Podium is led by Sport Waikato, and is part of the national Pathway to Podium programme established by High Performance Sport New Zealand and Sport New Zealand.
fitnessjournalwaikato
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Club Profile: Ace Swimming Club With the recent success of our athletes in the pool at the Rio Paralympics, there’s plenty to inspire Kiwi swimmers of all ages. This month we take a look at long established Ace Swimming Club in Hamilton, which in its heyday churned out swimmers the calibre of Alison Fitch (former Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimmer) and was highly regarded nationally.
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esults may have petered off in recent years, but the introduction of world-renowned coach Emma Swanwick has seen a complete shakeup of what goes on in the swimming lanes, with increased attention paid to technique and skill levels. Ace Swimming Club, a charitable trust, has been based at Waterworld, Hamilton, for decades since being established to assist and foster the development of competitive swimming. “The focus of the coaches and swimmers is to strive for and attain a high level of success in competitive swimming,’ says club president Edward Hardie. “We cater for a wide range of ages starting from six years, depending on ability, with fully qualified coaches to support and develop swimmers to achieve their potential. We also cater for water polo players, triathletes and people who no longer wish to compete but want to swim well and retain a good level of fitness.” Ace, like all sports, throughout history, has enjoyed times of success, as well as struggle. Now armed with a keen band of swimmers, parents and committee members, Ace is enjoying a renewed focus on achieving results and providing swimmers with improved competitive skills. Kudos to the committee for taking an honest look at how the club has been performing and setting about rebuilding its skill levels. “Waikato is not performing to its full potential and falls behind other regions; Ace however has taken up the challenge” says Edward. In a bold move by the committee, the club has decided to do something about raising the standards of performance, and focus on moving Ace and the wider Waikato region into a leading position where standards of expectation and delivery are set to a much higher level. “Earlier last year we worked through how we could create the best opportu-
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nities for our swimmers – some with Olympic aspirations. Good just wasn’t enough so we sought a coaching director at international level to create excellence. We were tempted to accept a couple of other choices in our selection for coach – but when we interviewed and reference checked Emma Swanwick the choice was clear. She is a remarkable person, not only with a Masters in Sports Science but coaching success at Olympic level. That was very exciting,” says Edward.
“As soon as Emma started, the impact was immediate. Her technical skills in swim stroke analysis and coaching has been impressive,” says Edward. “The basis of any development plan is assessing its current level, weaknesses and strengths, so opportunities for development can be identified and worked on,” he says. “With this in mind we recognised that stroke skills were poor and general waterman-ship was less than effective. Without this basis, no amount of training is going to produce good results. The club at this point could only expect to continue to achieve the same results.” Under the leadership of Emma, supported by coaches Steve Hay and Caro Cameron, a new programme of stroke tuition has been put in place from bottom to top. “As soon as Emma started, the impact was immediate. Her technical skills in swim stroke analysis and coaching has been impressive,” says Edward. “All swimmers needed to be taught
how to perform all four strokes effectively,” says Emma. “Along with this, an assessment process providing feedback to parents has been created for junior swimmers, to monitor progress, skill and speed across nine elements.” At the end of each term, parents receive a copy of the report, letting them know their child’s performance and progress. At the higher levels, where stroke skills were also lacking, considerable work has been carried out in re-teaching the principles of each stroke and its race execution. A science-driven assessment process, monitoring strength balance across the shoulders (to identify potential for shoulder injury) and a carefully created landbased programme have been put in place. Older athletes use the gym 2-3 times per week on top of their pool time. Other assessments set training paces, look at start dynamics and a turning board has been placed at a strategic point in the pool so swimmers can practise turns at high speed. More science is planned as the exercise physiology experience Emma brings to the club has already seen her coach a number of swimmers who have won medals at Olympic and world level. The results? Swimmer performances have already risen considerably. At the club’s first meet, just three weeks into the programme, swimmers were producing slow times (as expected), which had some parents on edge. However, by the middle of the training cycle, they were touching their personal best and towards the end of this first training cycle, the results are continuing to improve. “We set an expectation of six percent improvement per year for the younger swimmers,” says Emma. “We saw that within one term.” “And we set an improvement of three percent for the older swimmers, currently 15 – 17 years, and most have reached three to six percent in 20 weeks. Some have achieved even more than that.” Up-and-coming swimmers like Danyon Hardie and Katlyn Steedman have made significant inroads at a national level, while junior swimmers Charlize
Tordoff and Sarah Wilson have shown great form in the younger age group of 11-13 years. “Any swimmers who have not qualified for a national event or have not done well in more than a year are now qualifying and showing a big improvement which hasn’t been seen in a while. “We base our programme on a more holistic approach; understand the athlete, understand the demands on them from school, home and other areas as well as swimming, and then create a programme which takes all of this into account and deals with what the swimmer can be challenged to do. The science element helps us bring more accuracy to that process.” Wintec student Abby Armstrong is working with the club to bring more information into the training process; monitoring daily levels of stress in a number of areas to help better understand how to tailor training to each swimmer. So where to from here? Ace has a fouryear programme development plan aimed at putting swimmers at a level to compete with the best, not just in New Zealand but on a wider international stage. 2020 is the goal to being an established club of performance. “We are working closely with Swim Waikato while ensuring we push a programme our members are confident with and enjoy.” Ace is taking a team of swimmers to Victoria State Championships (Australia) in December to expose the club to a higher level of competition. “This is usually only done by a select few in New Zealand,” says Emma. “It’s a first for the club but has been a good motivator for swimmers to prove that they are capable of more than they thought. Year on year we expect to take more competitors to the State Championships as well as other overseas meets, to constantly raise the standard.” ¡
What: Ace Swimming Club Where: Waterworld Who: ages Six and up, swimming skills, competitive swimming and fitness training. Contact details: aceheadcoach@gmail.com and www.aceswimmingclub.co.nz
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MAKING WAVES:
Emma Swanwick With a swag of swimming and coaching medals to her credit, international coach Emma Swanwick is breathing new life into Ace Swimming Club. Her impressive credentials include swimming at national level for Great Britain and coaching a number of athletes to Olympic and world success.
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f British descent, Emma is now a permanent Kiwi, having first visited here in the mid ‘90s for a role in Christchurch as a swim coach. That move lasted 10 years and following a stint in South Africa, she now happily calls New Zealand and Hamilton home. Having started swimming as a threeyear-old, time both in and on the edge of the pool has played a key role in Emma’s life. She admits to ‘a serious competitive streak’, whether competing or training – although in more recent years she has turned to pedal power over water power. “I was asked to take part in a triathlon years ago because of my swimming strength, but it turns out I enjoyed the cycling side the most,” she recalls. “I decided to have a go at cycling after that one triathlon and entered my first
competition a few months later.” While she modestly admits to being ‘quite successful’ in the sport, achievements include winning gold at Masters Games (NZ 2003) and South Africa (2004) in 40km time trials. “I’ve always been competitive in the sporting arena, but I also love the psychology and science involved with sport – and this all comes together as a coach.” Emma took up coaching while she was training for her teaching degree after someone asked her if she wanted to be a teacher or a coach. “That struck a chord and made me think, so I got involved with coaching and really enjoyed helping kids progress and seeing them improve and enjoy the sport of swimming.” Among those she has coached are Britain’s Zoe Baker (who set seven world
records under Emma’s guidance), Cameron Gibson (fastest New Zealander 100m freestyle, Commonwealth Games medallist) and South African Olympic swimmers (2004 gold relay medallists). The graduate of Bedford College of PE and Sheffield University has led a life filled with many courageous moments, but says every success of her swimmers has been a definite high point. “Whether they’re winning gold, or setting records, or achieving personal bests, there’s a definite sense of achievement and happiness as a coach. “And I’m hugely enjoying my role at Ace, working with a club which wants to be progressive and is prepared to make changes to do so. “We’ve been really concentrating on technique and have basically retaught all of the swimmers, and are now beginning to see the rewards.
“I come from a sports science background so there’s a lot of that going into the programme and the swimmers are responding really well to it. I can only see us moving forward.” Ace committee member and parent of three swimmers, Kelly Parker says the appointment of Emma as head coach is ‘hugely exciting’ for the club. “Our kids are incredibly lucky to have someone with this level of talent and commitment involved,” she says. “Emma has come on board and put a lot of care and thought into restructuring the programmes, and streamlining all our processes, from better time management of our pool lane allocations through to ensuring every swimmer is catered for. “We’re operating under a far more logical structure now and everything is transparent with total accountability. Every swimmer is clearly assessed and progress is followed throughout the term. As a parent it’s great to know exactly where your child is at in terms of speed, technique and skill levels.” Kelly is also quick to praise Emma’s efforts in collaborating with other swimming clubs. “Previously we’ve all operated pretty independently. Emma is keen to see swimmers train and compete more regularly with other clubs so our swimmers are exposed to top level competition no matter what grade they are at. “Everything is done with the aim of building swimmers skills, confidence and experience. It’s exciting times ahead.” ¡
This isn’t just sport. This is about excellence, wellness, health and helping people reach their potential. There are many different levels, choices and career paths offered by the Centre for Sport Science and Human Performance, with postgraduate, degree, diploma and certificate programmes available. Come along to our information session: Wednesday 12 October, 2016 Drop in anytime between 3:30pm-5:30pm Centre for Sport and Exercise, Q Block, Rotokauri Campus, Hamilton
Take the first step towards your future.
0800 2 WINTEC create your world www.wintec.ac.nz
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The Out and About photos are also posted on our Fitness Journal Facebook page! Jump online to tag yourself and your friends! This page is proudly sponsored by Fairview Mazda
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GYM FUN Obstacle courses, sports, trampoline and gymnastics; Hamilton City Gymsports holiday programme caters for children aged 5-12, with activities designed for all abilities.
OUT AND ABOUT
AMANDA WILSON CLINIC Young Hamilton equestrians hone their skills, with a helping hand from iconic New Zealand rider and trainer, Amanda Wilson, at Hamilton Light Horse Club.
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CHEERS TO OUR CHAMPS
OLYMPIC GLORY The Waipa community welcome home its Olympians at a public event to celebrate their achievements.
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EXPLORE WAIKATO
Hakarimatas In our month series, we check out some of the stunning Waikato locations which are ideal for fitness training and family outings. Take your workout routine outdoors with the popular ‘hakas’ track.
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et in shape for summer and tackle one of the region’s most popular tracks among fitness buffs. The Hakarimata range to the west of Ngaruawahia in the north of the region includes 1850 hectares of native forest protected in the Hakarimata Scenic Reserve and boasts several great walking trails. However it is the summit track which offers the infamous challenge of 1349 steps and rewards with an unforgettable view. Beginning on the Waterworks Track, the Hakarimata summit track branches off to the right and climbs steeply up a well-constructed set of steps and stairs. The steps look foreboding, but the view at the top is well worth the effort. The tower provides stunning 360 views out towards the coast and across the Waikato basin and down to Mt Ruapehu on a good day. Having secured a following with local fitness enthusiasts and visitors alike, it isn’t unusual to see people timing themselves on the track as part of their training.
Highlights • Along the track you will be rewarded with babbling streams, picturesque waterfalls and impressive views across the surrounding countryside. • Those looking for an even more tough hike, keep an eye out for the sandbags around the base of the track and carry to the top with you – this will assist the Department of Conservation with their track maintenance efforts and give you an even better workout. • On any given day, you are likely to run into local Ngaruawahia man Reg Hohaia, 58, who does the track nearly every day, and has done for four years.
Trail lengths • 2km return via same track – allow 2-3 hours as these steps are tough! • The Hakarimata Summit Track is accessed via the Waterworks Walk. The Waterworks Walk starts on Brownlee Avenue, off Hakarimata Road, approx. 1 km north of Ngaruawahia.
Quick facts • 1349 steps lead you from the base to the top • The summit is 374 metres above sea level • The track was completed four years ago and has attracted more than 100,000 annual users • The track is surrounded by 1850 hectares of native bush
Good to know • Track entrance via Brownlee Avenue, off the Ngaruawahia end of Hakarimata Road Bring plenty of water as those steps are tiring work • No dogs’ access on the Hakarimatas • At the beginning of the track, veer left onto the Waterworks Track along the Mangarata Stream leading to an old dam. • The track is an all-weather metalled surface with an easy gradient, making it a popular track for young families not keen on the full Summit Track. ¡
For more information on the Hakarimatas and other walking tracks around Hamilton and the Waikato region visit http://www. hamiltonwaikato.com/experiences/walkingand-hiking-trails/
Once you’ve tackled the Hakarimata Summit Track, discover more great walks and spectacular scenery in the Hamilton & Waikato region. Stroll along the banks of the Waikato River, wander through ancient forests and past stunning waterfalls or step it up with a hike to a mountain summit – there’s something for all ages and abilities.
Waiorongomai Valley
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Marokopa Falls, Waitom
Sanctuary Mountain
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For more information on the Hamilton & Waikato region’s best scenic walking trails visit: www.hamiltonwaikato.com
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First time Hakarimata climbers Kelly Milne and Brad Gillespie enjoy the view.
Sarah Erb with her son Harley on their mission up the Hakarimatas.
HAKARIMATA ACTION
Cadence Hopkins (9 years old) loves doing the stairs with her dad. Dad Jamie Hopkins runs the hakas most weekends and says as much as it hurts there’s still that point of satisfaction every time you reach the top. “I’m always inspired by the amazing people you see and meet; all different shapes and sizes, a range of ages, singles and families all doing it for their own particular reasons.”
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Candra Hansen and Jonathan Pullon on their way down.
Explore the Hakarimata playground and join the many locals who make it a regular part of their fitness programme. Whether you do it once a month or every day (yes, really!), it's guaranteed to get your heart pumping - but the achievement of reaching the top is worth it. Some of our Fitness Journal readers share their Hakarimata adventures....
Ingo Junge carries a heavier load than most when running up the Hakarimatas – the Hamilton firefighter wears his kit to train for fitness, and hit the stairs to train for his recent participation in the charitable fundraiser Skytower Stairclimb.
Natasha Muller is one of the many fans of the Hakarimata challenge.
Sacred Heart Girls College rowers were regulars on the Hakas last summer; Claudia Mecchia, Ellie Neben and Camryn Fell.
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Wintec summer training Increasing the effectiveness of training
Summer is coming. As we start to warm up from the cold weeks that winter brought, many of us are thinking about strategies to increase the efficacy of training to both ship up and shape up for summer. In this article, I talk about how non-athletes and athletes alike can increase the effectiveness of their training.
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ver the past few years the concept of high-intensity interval training (HIIT, or HIT) has gained momentum and is popular among those seeking to improve fitness, performance and to lose body fat. HIIT involves performing multiple high-intensity exercise intervals for a short period of time, with either a low-intensity active recovery phase, or a passive recovery phase to allow one to recover in preparation for the next interval. In many cases the high-intensity intervals are performed at 100 percent of one’s VO2max (the maximal oxygen consumption achieved during exercise). The final intervals in a set are generally performed at a level below 100 percent, due to insufficient recovery time between intervals, and the build-up of fatiguing metabolites (such as lactic acid). As intensity increases so too do the physical demands and the oxygen requirements of the body to maintain the intensity of exercise. There is evidence that VO2max and middle-distance time-trial performance is improved by HIIT running programmes. That being said, there are also claims that despite the improvements in VO2max and time-trial performance, sprinting ability may suffer as a result of HIIT. This leaves people guessing and wondering what strategies they can employ to concurrently improve both aerobic endurance and sprint performance. An alternative to HIIT; supra-maximal interval training (SMIT) has been proven to be more efficient and more effective at increasing both aerobic fitness and performance. SMIT, like HIIT, involves performing multiple exercise intervals, but the difference between the two is that SMIT utilises intervals performed at an intensity more than 100 percent of VO2max with a passive recovery phase.
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BY MARRIN HAGGIE Marrin Haggie is a sport science lecturer at Wintec’s Centre for Sport Science and Human Performance. He holds a Master of Science (Sport and Exercise Science) with distinction, and comes from a rugby league background both as a coach, strength and conditioner and player. Marrin has extensive experience working closely with athletes and the general public from a range of disciplines to help them achieve their fitness and performance goals.
It is at this point where most people ask “How do I work at an intensity above 100 percent?”. As previously alluded to, the VO2max value is the point of maximal oxygen consumption and exercise in an aerobic state. However, we can, albeit for a short time, exercise at levels above our aerobic capacity, which is referred to as working anaerobically. What separates the two is the intensity we are exercising at. When we are exercising aerobically we can maintain that intensity for an extended period of time. When we are exercising anaerobically, we can only maintain that intensity for a short period
of time. So, what this means is although our oxygen consumption levels may stop increasing while we are exercising, our intensities can continue to rise for a short amount of time, allowing us to perform at supramaximal (above maximal) intensities for a short time. So how do you train using SMIT? Most HIIT sessions adopt a work-recovery ratio of 1:1 or 1:2. Which means for every minute of exercise performed there is either a one minute or a two-minute period of active recovery. Some strategies involve 30-60 seconds of exercise while others
use four minutes. SMIT training utilises a work-recovery ratio of anywhere from 1:5 up to 1:9. This recovery period, however, does depend on the intensity of exercise and also the duration of each exercise interval. Utilising the 1:5 strategy improvements in 3000m run time, 40m sprint time and repeated sprint ability have been seen when individuals performed two sessions per week beginning with 7 X 30 second efforts at 130% of VO2 max gradually increasing to 12 X 30 second sprints in the final week of a six-week programme. ¡
How do I know what my VO2 max is?
It is important to ascertain the intensity that corresponds to 100 percent of your VO2max - maintaining that intensity when exercising is crucial. Wintec’s Centre for Sport Science and Human Performance has a team of staff who offer their expertise to competitive athletes and the general public alike. If you’d like to have your VO2max measured and tested, and be coached through some SMIT sessions Wintec’s Centre for Sport Science and Human Performance can help get you started and on your way to looking, feeling and performing great this summer.
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Nutrition for young athletes N
utrition affects performance in sport. It affects an athlete’s ability to train and compete at their best, their ability to recover and adapt, their body composition, their energy levels and their longterm health. It is especially important for young athletes to fuel their body appropriately due to the demands of training and competition, as well as their requirements for growth and development. However, in a world where there are new fad diets each week, new nutrition “experts” or new lists of “good” or “bad” foods, it is very difficult to know how to ensure your body receives the nutrition it needs. As a result, many young athletes are unaware of the importance of nutrition in sport, and the potential risks associated with nutrient depletion and deficiency. As a former aerobics competitor during my teenage years, I wasn’t fazed with nutrition and certainly didn’t consider it a priority. I look back now and cringe at my ‘pre-training meals’, my complete lack of ‘recovery regimes’
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and my ongoing ‘competition strategy’ of lollies and red Powerade (always the red one)! Many years later, and as a New Zealand registered dietitian, I want to share with you some of the key things I wish I knew back in my teenage years:
1. Establish healthy nutrition habits Unfortunately, the “I train hard I can eat what I want” defence will not optimise athletic performance or general health. Young athletes have specific nutritional requirements, but it is important to get the basics right and start with a healthy diet. A diet based on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and healthy protein and fat sources serves as a useful baseline for all teenagers. Your ability to train hard, recover, adapt, and avoid illness and injury is compromised if you don’t have the basics in place.
2. Meet energy requirements
It is important that young athletes meet their energy needs, as extended periods of low energy availability can impact on health. Potential impacts include delayed puberty, menstrual irregularities, poor bone health, short stature, the development of disordered eating habits and an increased risk of injury. How can I ensure I meet my energy requirements? If you have a wellbalanced diet, you’re off to a great start! However, it’s important to build onto your baseline diet by ensuring extra carbohydrate and protein is consumed to match training and growth demands. This may mean a little more is eaten at meals
or extra snacks are on hand. Avoiding certain food groups can put you at risk of nutritional deficiencies such as iron, calcium and Vitamin D so it is important to include a wide range of foods to be healthy and perform at your best.
3. Choose water All athletes need to maintain adequate hydration before training and competition. This is especially important for young athletes, as they are generally less effective than adults at regulating their body temperature in both hot and cold environments. The fluid of choice for them should be water. The use of sports drink in place of water is unnecessary, as the loss of sodium in sweat is generally lower in young athletes compared with adults. Excess consumption of sports drinks is costly and is bad for your teeth.
4. Individualise your nutrition
The demands of training and competition as well as growth and development mean that young athletes have unique and changing nutritional requirements. Don’t stick to uninformed fuelling and recovery strategies like I did. Learn what specific nutrients your body requires, for both performance and long-term health. Get your nutrition right now and give yourself the best chance to reach your potential. ¡
BY KELLY PELHAM BSc Human Nutrition, Masters of Dietetics As a fanatical foodie and competitive athlete, nutrition and dietetics was the perfect career path for Kelly. She enjoys helping people and understands first-hand the challenges many athletes face when it comes to fuelling training and nutrition needs. Kelly comes from a gymnastics background, and has competed nationally and internationally in sport aerobics and cheerleading, including three world championships. She now has the triathlon bug and has dived into the sprint, standard and half iron man distances, qualifying for the NZ Age Group Sprint Triathlon team this year. Her areas of expertise are: sports nutrition (meeting daily training and general health needs); competitive nutrition; making weight for sport (weight loss or weight gain); gut health (IBS) or gut problems during exercise; diabetes and exercise. cardeanutrition.co.nz
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Fighting for a brighter future Boys living in rough neighbourhoods are being encouraged to throw a punch at a bag instead of in a fight at Hamilton Community Boxing Club. BY SHARNAE HOPE
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olunteer and coach Andrew Stirling created a boxing academy at the Enderley Community Centre with the aim of giving support to boys aged 9-12 who live in unstable environments. “The whole vision of the class is to train boys to become men of integrity through boxing,” he says. “The likelihood is that the majority of the boys in this area in 10 years’ time will be in jail, so theseboys are the ones I want to reach and give them something positive to focus all their energy on.” The launch of the academy was inspired by boxer Billy Graham’s book
Making Champion Men. The book discusses Graham’s own rough upbringing and how he created a youth boxing academy to help kids going through similar issues in his hometown Naenae. “I really felt this was something needed in Hamilton, and all around the country,” says Andrew. “I spoke with Billy and he said they are wanting to roll out 32 boxing academies all around the country, so they were happy to support me.” The Enderley Boxing Academy (EBA) is now into its second year and has eight boys registered, with six of them regularly attending. Andrew admits that when he first started the academy he struggled to keep the numbers up and often had lessons with one or two and occasionally no students. “I’ve learned that the number of boys who turn up is less important than the time I spend with the few who do.” Thanks to his patience, Andrew has slowly started to see a difference in the boys’ behaviors, and has received positive feedback from their teachers and caregivers. From a school teacher: “xxxxxx is a lovely boy and I really think being involved has given him confidence and he is making good choices about who he wants chooses to hang out with. He is also
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really taking his learning seriously and electing choosing not to sit with students who he knows will be a distraction to him. So xxxxxx (the other teacher in our class) and I are really pleased with the progress he is making and I am sure the discipline and confidence he is learning through your academy is hugely beneficial to him.” From one of the mothers: “Not having a dad around and uncles/ aunts/family friends who love him and spend time with him but are busy themselves and grandparents and great grandparents who have passed away; I find xxxxxx as he becomes a teenager is struggling to find who he is and where he fits in, especially as he knows only my side of our family/culture. Being mum to xxxxxx is the best thing in the world but I find as he is getting older that he is looking for more male role models and support and he has found that in boxing and his mentor/ coach Andrew.” Andrew says it is the little things that make a difference.
“The boys will walk into a room and shake hands with everyone, and have grown more confident in their own abilities. They have learned skills in fighting, but have also learned when to use themit. “I get a buzz out of seeing them interact with each other and seeingwatching their growth and success. It’s more about training the boys to become champions and strong men, if they want to do boxing in the future well that’s great, but that’s not the be all and end all.” Hamilton City Council supports the class by allowing the use of community facilities for no costfree and also provides some equipment to run the class. The EBA, which runs 4-5pm Monday and Wednesday from 4-5pm is now recruiting boys for term 4. For more information, go to ebahamilton.wixsite. com/ebahamilton. ¡
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Exercise is medicine for chronic disease Researchers across the world have been studying the effects of exercise on the human body since the late 1800s. Physical activity has long been known as pivotal for improving health and preventing disease.
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xercise is Medicine’ is a global movement which encourages healthcare providers to prescribe exercise as an option for treating various diseases1. Due to this, a growing profession involving qualified clinical exercise physiologists has emerged around the world. These practitioners are knowledgeable about different health conditions and how to safely prescribe exercise for individuals with chronic disease, and as such, numerous tertiary institutions in New Zealand are now offering this as field of study. Research indicates that physical activity in the right dose can manage, prevent and treat numerous chronic diseases. Psychiatric, neurological, metabolic, cardiovascular, and pulmonary diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and cancer are chronic diseases which are all proven to benefit from exercise. A comprehensive analysis of the research literature2, discusses the effect that exercise therapy has on the pathophysiology and symptoms of disease. Up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations for type, duration and intensity of exercise have been reported for 26 different chronic diseases with research showing how each these diseases can benefit from exercise therapy (see Pedersen & Saltin, 2015). High blood pressure, a common condition in the Western population, is a significant risk factor for stroke, heart attack and heart failure. Studies show that there is a strong link between lowering blood pressure and decreasing the risk of death. Research has shown that endurance exercise, and resistance training both lower both systolic
BY KRISTINA DRILLER A specialist in exercise rehabilitation and chronic disease management, Kristina Driller is a sport and rehab consultant at UniRec and uses “exercise as medicine”. Trained to provide carefully tailored exercise programmes for people from all walks of life and particularly those who may have struggled with exercise in the past; have particular limitations which prevent them from exercising, or those who simply don’t know where to start, Kristina has a wealth of experience spanning eight years and provides expert advice in chronic disease management and musculoskeletal rehabilitation.
and diastolic blood pressure. A drop by as little as 20mmHg in systolic blood pressure or 10mmHg in diastolic blood pressure has been found to half the risk of death from cardiovascular disease2. The World Health Organisation reports that more than 80 percent of the world’s adolescent population and one in four
people worldwide are not sufficiently active3. There are growing health problems in New Zealand and Australia linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. I encourage you to seek out experienced exercise professionals who can counsel and guide you on a journey to find how physical activity can be included in your lifestyle to reduce your risk of disease and improve health, wellness and longevity.
While exercise has been shown to benefit numerous chronic diseases, it is important to always seek medical advice and clearance from your GP or specialist before undertaking any new exercise regimes. ¡ 1. Retrieved September 21, 2016 from http://www. exerciseismedicine.org/support_page.php/evidence-for-eim/ 2. Pedersen, BK & Saltin, B. (2015). Exercise as medicine – evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 different chronic diseases. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. (Suppl. 3) 25: 1 – 72. 3. Retrieved September 21, 2016 from ttp://www.who.int/ mediacentre/factsheets/fs385/en/
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Connecting with your workout I’ve been an enthusiastic participant of high intensity workouts for the past ten years, but in saying this, give me a mat or cushion and ask me to sit for an hour and meditate and I can EASILY tap into this rejuvenating space. You might ask what mindfulness mediation and high intensity exercise have in common, the answer is alignment of our body and mind.
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often see fellow gym-goers struggling and often giving up, or pushing themselves far too hard and failing to enjoy the experience. Exercise should be something that we do for our body, not to it. It should be considered something that allows us growth and contentment, something that nurtures not only our body but also our mind. I have recently noted an increased awareness from the media on maintaining good mental health, which is both fabulous and so incredibly necessary. Without a healthy, constructive mindset, we will struggle to reach any goals that we make for ourselves and that also stands for goals around our physical activity. What we think we create therefore what we think about exercise has a massive influence over how motivated we are and the outcome. To ensure that your next workout is both enjoyable and productive, there are a few tweaks that you can make to your experience. I call them tweaks because they’re not a massive overhaul of how you approach exercise, they’re simply little things that you can put in place to
connect your mind with your body. The ‘tweaks that I propose will allow you to get out of your head (with all its negative self-talk, skewed beliefs, preoccupied thoughts and worries) and into the moment where enjoyment and gains are made.
TWEAK ONE: Make the time to connect with your breath.
Your breath is your life force so naturally, we want to become BFFs with it while we are working really hard. Connecting with our breath and allowing it to be an anchor for our concentration takes our attention away from any unhelpful thoughts and allows it to find a stable rhythm for us to feel grounded and in control. And of course it also assists with a speedy recovery after an intense round of exercise. When we connect our attention with our breathing it will slow it down and we will adjust to a steady rhythm with greater ease.
TWEAK TWO: Become attentive to your body’s clues.
When we connect with the sensations
BY VICTORIA HOOD
in our body we are much more aware of when we need to adjust our posture, scale back or increase our load. By noticing when our bodies are struggling we can pull back before injury occurs. Ignoring our body’s clues does us no good, they are there for a reason, so make time to connect with them. .
TWEAK THREE: Bringing attention to your environment.
Personally I find that connecting with my environment using my senses really helps me to again, get away from any self-defeating thoughts in my head and connect with my surroundings that I love working out in. Next time you’re out for a run or a walk, take time to connect with what you can hear, smell and see. How your skin feels as the crisp air skims the surface or how your feet feel and sound pounding the footpath. This simple act of tapping out of your head and into your environment not only helps you to work smarter and harder but it also helps you to enjoy it more.
TWEAK FOUR: Employing the power of intention setting.
Setting an intention at the start of your workout is a really powerful way to frame how your session will go. Intentions are your thoughts directed towards a desired outcome - remember the mind affects the body and its performance. Next time you get ready to hit the gym, the footpath, or the mat, take 30 seconds to create a powerful intention that you can keep coming back to when you need to during your
Victoria Hood (BA(Hons)Pysc) is a mindfulness coach and practitioner in schools. She is passionate about holistic health and a wellbeing advocate. She also facilitates mindfulness-based workshops for mums and is set to run a joint collaboration with Les Mills Hamilton; a workshop series on rebooting and re centering (October 29). “This special workshop series is not only aimed at parents but also those who are passionate about achieving amazing things,” explains Victoria. “Those who strive to be the best version of themselves and who work hard every day to get to where they want to be.” The series is comprised of three 90 minute workshops: meditation for gogetters, mindfulness for parents and exploring mindfulness with your kids. Victoria also shares her refreshingly honest views on parenthood and life on Facebook (Mindful Mum Aotearoa).
workout. Training goals give you great direction and something to work towards but if you don’t come into each training session with the right mindset you’re not setting yourself up to achieve. Start your intention with “during this workout I intend to achieve (xyz)” and really visualise it taking place. The visualisation part is important! So go forth! Connect your mind with your body and watch as it transforms your whole experience of working it. If you would like more information around mindfulness or mediation jump over to my Facebook page -Mindful Mum Aotearoa. ¡
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FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
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Strength and conditioning
for the mind
Physical fitness is one of the most common forms of personal development which many people invest in and actively work on, on a daily basis.
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eople engage in sport and fitness activities for a variety of reasons, but largely they all relate to the want to ‘better oneself’ in some way, shape or form. Engaging in physical fitness and exercise takes physical strength of course, but it is also a huge mental game. Many people’s sporting success is limited by their self belief and mindset, more than by their actual ability to run the distance, or push the weights. One of the biggest mental challenges both in sport and everyday life, is our self talk. Self talk is essentially the way we speak to ourselves in our heads, and this can be both positive and negative. All day we chat to ourselves internally; debriefing situations and thinking our thoughts. In fact, we do it so subconsciously that we often don’t recognise what we’re saying to ourselves. Identifying what kind of things you tell yourself and your body is incredibly important, as the words we use in our heads are very persuasive. We are our own biggest critic and therefore our self talk can get quite negative – for me, specifically when I’m exercising. On my daily run, my self talk will tell me all kinds of things along the lines of, “you’re so unfit”, “you can’t do this”, “you’re never going to get fitter”, “you should give up now”. I suspect you can relate… and I bet you know how hard it is to keep going when your mind is telling you these things.
Being aware of your negative self talk is the first step to being able to change, or challenge it. Once we become aware of what we saying to ourselves subconsciously, there are a number of ways to change it, so it becomes positive. First, it’s interesting to identify where our self talk is coming from. Our bodies hate being uncomfortable and so do our minds. When we’re out of our comfort zone, both our body and our mind do all they can to get us back to that comfort zone. So essentially, negative self talk is simply our body and mind wanting us to stop because it recognises that we’re pushing our own boundaries – which is actually a really good thing, because it means we’re challenging ourselves and growing. Knowing this means that we can challenge our negative self talk head on because we know that what it’s saying isn’t true. The issue with self talk is that we’re very persuasive and we tend to believe
whatever we tell ourselves, even if it’s total rubbish! One great technique to tackle negative self talk is having the ability to externalise it. Imagine if someone else was saying out loud what you’re saying to yourself in your head – would you believe them? NO.! You’d probably stand up for yourself and argue with them…which is exactly what you need to do with your self talk. Building mental strength is incredibly important for all aspects of our lives, and limiting negative self talk is an essential part of this. Start identifying your negative self talk, and challenge it – that kind of negativity doesn’t deserve a spot in your mind and doesn’t serve a productive purpose. ¡
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BY NICKY FELTON Nicky Felton is a young entrepreneur, personal and career development coach, and founder of the personal development website ‘Go-Getters’. Passionate about personal development, communications, and helping others, Nicky is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging others to push their limits and live their lives based around their own passions. Nicky works one-on-one with individuals in the areas of personal, business, and career development. www.go-getters.co.nz.
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Avantidrome conference National Sport and Exercise Science Conference comes to Waikato
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port, exercise science, coaching, health and human performance are just some of the major topics coming under the spotlight at an upcoming National Sport and Exercise Science Conference. Being held at the Avantidrome in Cambridge October 28-29, the event is the annual conference of Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand (SESNZ); bringing together an impressive collection of minds and experience. A national organisation, SESNZ aims to take the lead in developing a national co-ordinated approach to integrating sport science into sport at all levels, as well as providing accreditation credentials for sport science professionals. University of Waikato academics Professor Rich Masters and Dr. Matt Driller are national board members for SESNZ. This year, they are organising the conference, which is taking place in the Waipa district for the first time. “We are absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to host the conference in Waikato and are excited to bring together like-minded people with a passion for the science of sport and exercise,”. says Professor Masters. And Dr. Driller reveals: “we have big ambitions to turn the SESNZ conference into one of the best in Australasia. We would like to see it become a regular fixture on the calendar for anyone working in the sport, exercise and health industry”. The conference will see a mix of academics, students, coaches, athletes, health practitioners and community sport workers come together to hear university and industry experts share their views on a wide range of topics. This year, the conference title is Changing NZ Perspectives on Active
Health and Human Performance. Themes will include health and human performance, as well as sport, exercise science and coaching. Professor Alan St Clair Gibson, will headline the conference as a keynote speaker. Recently appointed Dean of the University of Waikato’s new faculty of Health, Sport and Human Performance, Professor St Clair Gibson is famous for his work in the ‘90s and early 2000s on the Central Governor Theory. The Theory claims that your brain paces your muscles to keep them from reaching exhaustion. When the brain decides enough is enough (as avid readers of Fitness Journal will be familiar with), it creates sensations that you interpret as muscle fatigue, which causes you to slow down to protect yourself. Professor St Clair Gibson is well known for his other work too, and has published more than 150 research articles in the areas of basic brain function, control system mechanisms, exercise regulation, psychophysiology and complex system integration. The second keynote speaker is Professor Damian Farrow. Professor Farrow holds a joint appointment at Australian Institute of Sport and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living at Victoria University in Melbourne. Professor Farrow is the world’s foremost expert on the role of practice in developing expert skill in sport and is famed for his very popular book on how to improve human performance in sport, entitled “Run Like You Stole Something”. Professor Masters and Dr Driller say that they are delighted in the interest shown in the conference this year. More than 70 abstracts have been submitted by researchers and practitioners from all over New Zealand, as well
Photo University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance – Tauranga.
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as from Australia, the UK and even Hong Kong. Other speakers and their topics include: Dr. Daniel Plews (High Performance Sport NZ), Chasing the 0.2: Striving for impact in high performance sport. Danielle Salmon (University of Otago), A baseline profile of brain health in a semi-professional Rugby Union team Associate Professor Jim Cotter (University of Otago), Combined stressor training and cross tolerance for health and performance. Associate Professor Mike Hamlin (Lincoln University), Effect of repeated sprint training under hypoxia on normoxic repeated sprint performance. Dr. Stacy Sims (University of Waikato), Sex differences in hydration, thermoregulation and performance. Dan Archer (Unitec Institute of Technology), Standing workstations: Experience, acceptability, and effects on occupational sedentary behaviour and metabolic health of office workers Dr. Blair Crewther (Imperial College, London), The direct immunoassay of blood-free testosterone: is it valid in sport? Dr. Peter Maulder (Wintec), The acute effects of ballistic jumps as a pre-conditioning contraction on sprint performance Julia Cassadio (High Performance Sport NZ/AUT), Accounts from Rio: Optimising performance support in a challenging environment Liis Uiga (University of Hong Kong), The role of consciousness in balance performance Daryl Foy (University of Tasmania), What we do in the (ONLINE) shadows an investigation of behavioural systems design and social dynamics in an online exercise community Dr. Sarah-Kate Millar (Auckland University of Technology), Using contrast textures to enhance perceptual coupling in high performance rowing Francisco Tavares (University of Waikato/Chiefs Rugby), Effect of training load on acute fatigue and wellness during an in-season non-competitive week in elite rugby athletes Tanja Allen (Wintec), Assessing the potential for clinical exercise physiology in the Waikato region of New Zealand: A pilot study Dr. Matt Driller (University of Waikato), What do we know about the sleep habits of elite athletes and how can we attempt to quantify these? Richard Ward (University of Newcastle), Duration of concurrent muscular strength and endurance training in soccer players and effect on performance: A review
Dr. Martyn Beavan (University of Waikato), Salivary hormones and sport science applications SESNZ has developed a new website (sesnz.org.nz) to reflect its evolving role in the health, sport and exercise of New Zealanders. The conference is open to anyone working in the sport, exercise and health industry. To register visit sesnz.org.nz ¡
Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand (SESNZ) objectives: • To promote, encourage and develop the proper use of exercise science and technology to improve the exercise, sport and health performance of New Zealanders; • To promote the importance of exercise for optimal sport performance and health; • To educate people involved in sport and exercise in the principles of sport and exercise science and their appropriate applications; • To develop, promote and manage standards for individuals or agencies specialising in sport and exercise assessment and development programmes; • To promote SESNZ and the role of sport science in New Zealand sport and to take the lead in developing a nationally coordinated approach to integrating sport science into sport at all levels
Conference name: Changing Perspectives on Active Health and Human Performance What is it: Sport & Exercise Science New Zealand’s annual conference Where is it: Avantidrome, Cambridge on October 28-29, 2016 What is it about: Themes of the conference will include health and human performance, as well as sport, exercise science and coaching. Who can go: Anyone working in the sport, exercise and health industry To register or for further information: www.sesnz.org.nz
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Spring clean with a detox As summer looms closer, many turn to a detox or cleanse to farewell winter.
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hether it is to support the body after a winter of comfort foods, a general cleanse of the digestive system or support the body’s immune system, we all benefit from a regular annual detox. The first thing to do to detox is to cut out certain foods. My recommendation is: • white flour • white sugar • refined foods • meat • sugary drinks • alcohol These foods should be dropped from your diet to ensure the best result and add more: • fresh fruit • vegetables • pure water If you add and cut out the above for at least two weeks, that alone will help the body to cleanse and detoxify the digestive system and blood. If you do this for 14 to 30 days once or twice a year, your body will be able to cleanse itself to the capacity that your wellbeing and lifestyle allows. The more antioxidants, nutritious food and pure water you drink and eat – the better your body can regenerate and cleanse. If you are often sick, do not get over illness easily, tired or unwell you may want to look at supporting your dietary cleanse with some supplements. There are a number of choices; whole food powders to add to smoothies, breakfast or place in a quick easy drink of your favourite juice. This will increase the nutrients and antioxidants in your diet to support well being and regeneration, or add herbs for specific support for liver and digestion. These can be bought individually or in
combinations depending on your needs.Always get support from your natural health specialists and take as recommended. There are some precautions to taking a detox: When you detox your body allows toxins to be released from your liver. These then need to be removed through your normal digestive process. To ensure this can occur, your digestive system needs to be working properly. If it isn’t or is slow you may need a supplement that supports movement. Headaches can occur during this time if toxins are not removed efficiently. If this occurs – drink more pure water – or lessen the detox. If in real doubt stop the detox and get advice. A detox should not be taken when you are pregnant. If you have medical conditions or are on medication, always discuss these with your health specialist before going on a detox. If you cannot go on a detox; you can add whole foods and nutrients to your diet to enhance your body’s wellbeing. Some of these can be added to your diet daily. This is recommended if you have a high stress job/lifestyle, cannot always eat the most natural diet or work with chemicals. My personal favourites: Chlorella. Chlorella is the top selling health food supplement in Japan and it is estimated that over 10 million people around the world take chlorella everyday as part of their natural health regime. It has many benefits and with its yield of rare plant nutrients can be used as a natural daily multi-vitamin with the added benefit of being a gentle internal ‘cleanse’ for the body. Chlorella has also been used to detoxify
overexposure to pesticides and insecticides. Chlorella is highly abundant in unique phytonutrients and antioxidants that can offer protection against free radicals, toxins and pollutants in our air, water and food supply. Bentonite Clay. Calcium Bentonite “living clay” is edible, drinkable; 100 percent pure and natural from the mineral rich plains of Southland, New Zealand. Also known as Montmorillonite, this clay is recognised worldwide for its healing, protecting energies. Nature is the chemist. Bentonite alkaline clay is a multi-functional mineral complex. It not only has vast mineral stores, but also a strong ionic cleansing capacity. While re mineralising the body it also is a gentle yet powerful whole body detox. One simple supplement – two vital functions for optimal health.
BY MONICA VAN DE WEERD Monica van de Weerd is a well respected Waikato based beauty therapist and aromatherapist, with an impressive knowledge of natural health and wellbeing. She and husband Frans (a qualified physiotherapist, homoeopath, craniosacral therapist and bowen therapist) are committed to living a naturally healthy lifestyle. www.naturallyhealthy.co.nz
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Probiotics (Immunity Fuel). Immunity Fuel is a certified organic probiotic superfood made up of 13 strains of the Lactobacillus Bacteria family, combined with 19 certified organic whole foods. These have been fermented together for three weeks during which time the bacteria pre-digest the whole foods turning them into an easily absorbable source of nutrients for the body’s cells. As the bacteria have already digested the whole foods the body does not need to do any work in order to absorb all the nutrients available in the product. Immunity Fuel helps detoxify the body from chemicals and toxins that are present everywhere in today’s environment, including food sources, water supplies, medicines and workplaces. The good bacteria clean out the digestive system and colon, where most disease starts, and the pre-digested whole-foods replace vital nutrients at a cellular level. It is important to note that Immunity Fuel alone will not cure disease, it simply gives the body the tools it needs to heal itself, and works best taken in conjunction with a healthy and balanced diet, lifestyle and exercise. Once the gut is working efficiently, this allows the body to heal itself of many ailments, and users of the product have seen benefits ranging from increased energy levels, improved digestion, more regular bowel movements, less susceptibility to colds and flus, and weight loss (to name a few). Most importantly – what or whichever way you choose – it must fit you and your lifestyle. If you do not get results and it is stressful to take, it is not the right product or method for you. There are so many different products and methods available because we are all different. This is why it is important to seek expert input to ensure you are fully informed on the most suitable diet and/ or supplements for your personal requirements. Natural health works – but it must work for you. ¡
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Walking the talk When Nick Moore was training for the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, he had all the pedal power he needed, but struggled to find the right fuel for his engine. Enter Kiwi ingenuity and a business plan with his partner Wendy McGregor.
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he couple joined forces to brainstorm with the goal of creating a range of nutritious pre-made meals aimed at athletes. And within a year they launched Plate Me, an impressive collection of three meals already finding fans in the sporting community. The pair share a love of health and wellbeing and with some expert nutritional input have crafted their range of easy meals, free of artificial colours and preservatives. As a keen cyclist, Nick was fed up with some of the sawdust flavoured offerings of sports snacks and meals, and determined to do better. The Cambridge-based pair enlisted the help of leading sports nutritionist who works closely with elite athletes. Then came the task of sourcing quality ingredients and the couple were thrilled to discover Waikato-owned Chef Ready Meats that could supply quality farm fresh beef, lamb and chicken. Having spent months developing unique, delicious and nutritious premade meals with an 18-month shelf life, Plate Me was officially launched last
month and Wendy and Nick say they are already blown away by early demand for the meals. “During our product validation phase, we were contacted by high profile sportspeople wanting to get their hands on bulk meals,” says Nick. “There were other products on the market, but none that were shelf-stable and nutritionally correct. We identified a gap in the market for convenient and healthy food for busy people,” he says. “People often associate packet food with being unhealthy, which is usually the case, so we are so excited to offer an option that is truly nutritionally clean.” Rugby coach Wayne Smith is a supporter of Plate Me Nutrition meals. “I was really impressed at the quality and taste,” he says. “I thought the portion sizes were huge, and it seemed to be good value for money. Nutritionally, it’s spot on – lots of antioxidant rich foods, with good farm fresh meat and healthy vegetables – just what you need to fuel your body so it can perform on the sports field, out on a run or at the gym. The Turkish lamb was my favourite, it had really good flavour – the meat was moist
About Plate Me Sporting background? Nick has played many sports over the years. His passions are rugby and cycling and was actively playing rugby until two years ago after injuring his ACL. Wendy has been a member of a gym for many years. She enjoys walking her dogs around the Cambridge lake and also loves the Waikato River Trails near Arapuni. Both Wendy and Nick are going through the accreditation coaching process to be able to ride at the velodrome in Cambridge. What prompted you to take this from a ‘dream’ to reality? In 2015 Wendy decided to take voluntary redundancy from her corporate career and take the step in getting their Plate Me dream off the ground. What was the greatest challenge? The greatest challenge has been getting the message out there that our food is made with the best fresh ingredients and retains it shelf life due to the cooking process and NOT due
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to added preservatives or nasties. Also finding great companies willing to give start up business a go has been a challenge. What are you most proud of? The product. We eat it ourselves and love to see others enjoying our meals. What three things would people be surprised to know about you both? - Nick is a trained commercial pilot and Wendy is terrified of flying. - Nick and Wendy are both Waikato University graduates and have worked together in the dairy industry for many years. - Wendy loves to design and make custom cakes for friends and family and Nick quite likes to eat them! What are your future plans for the business? We have other recipes, including vegetarian options, we are currently working through and hoping to launch in the next few months. We have many other ideas around convenient nutrition to explore as well - so watch this space. Also as our food is export quality we look forward to expanding into the Australia and UK sports markets.
FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
and the spices were just right. I’d definitely recommend Plate Me to my players and other athletes. It’s something convenient you can take with you to training or when travelling.” The product is already attracting attention from businesses nationwide wanting to partner and stock the products in hotels, travel vans, sporting stores and gyms. It’s these markets that have Wendy and Nick excited about the huge growth potential and global reach. “We are in the early stages and are looking to grow market share in New Zealand with a long-term strategy to launch into countries such as Australia, China and the UK,” says Wendy. At their Cambridge base, they are surrounded by sporting champions, including
elite cyclists and Olympic medal rowers. “Our obvious target market is up-andcoming athletes and corporate athletes training for events.” However, the product’s unique 18-month shelf life, and the fact that it doesn’t require refrigeration, has widened their market potential drastically. “Tourists and campers are just a few examples of people who we believe will benefit from this healthy pre-made meal option,” says Wendy. The product range consists of three meals designed by leading sports performance nutritionists: Beef Superfood Casserole, Bye Bye Chicken Thai, and Train to Gain Turkish Lamb. Brown rice and chia accompany each meal. Plateme.co.nz ¡
Cook up a feast We love nothing more than exploring new taste sensations and these latest book releases are packed with flavour and inspiration. Scrumptious, by Chelsea Winter Random House NZ, $50 Since becoming a favourite on MasterChef NZ, Chelsea Winter has continued to attract a massive following, particularly on social media. Scrumptious is her fourth book (yes really) and has been eagerly awaited by many. From her tempting snickerdoodle recipe through to a chapter on Christmas treats for those who like to prepare early, her warm and down to earth personality is shared through a series of family photos dotted throughout. Treat yourself and your family to a scrumptious treat.
IMA Cuisine (An Israeli Mother’s Kitchen) by Yael Shochat with David Cogen Random House NZ,$55 The flavours, spices and ingredients which represent a culture are brought to life within the pages of IMA Cuisine. From the opening recipe of Shakshuka as a spicy alternative to eggs benedict, blintzes instead of pancakes, latkes instead of hash browns; treat your palate to a taste explosion and discover herb and spice combinations to change the way you cook. From the childhood and mind of Auckland restaurateur Yael Shochat, this tasty book is packed with her favourite Israeli and Middle Eastern recipes.
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Rejuvenating and staying healthy during the holidays In my time as a nutritionist, I have experienced many clients asking what to eat while overseas on holiday. Usually it isn’t for too long, so I often say there’s no point stressing about it; try to eat as healthily as possible while still splashing out and having fun.
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hy this been my basic advice is because when you stress about things, it is the stressful thoughts and emotions which do more harm to the body in the long run. Let’s face it, the whole point of a holiday is to rejuvenate (for most people). I recently spent 10 days in Rarotonga which inspired me to write this article, for those interested in maximising the opportunity to rejuvenate and reset on an overseas holiday. Below is an holistic array of tips to either inform or reassure you of ways to maintain or boost your health on holiday.
Eat local traditional(often medicinal) foods/dishes. In a Pacific island for example you can’t go past the coconut, in all its forms; water, milk, cream and food. Coconut has many health benefits. It can assist in immune and liver function and provide many nutrition and health benefits. The water is a great source of electrolytes (potassium). Rich in lauric acid, coconuts can help boost immune function and are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. The principal fatty acid in coconut milk is lauric acid, which is the same fat found in abundance in mother’s milk and is known to promote normal brain development and contribute to healthy bones. It also has important anti-carcinogenic and anti-pathogenic properties and is less likely to cause weight gain than polyunsaturated oils. The summary of its benefits are: weight loss; reduced risk of heart disease; reduced cholesterol; disease prevention via its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents; help with diabetes and chronic fatigue, Crohn’s, IBS, and other digestive disorders; increases metabolism and promotes better thyroid function; boosts energy; rejuvenates skin and helps prevent wrinkles. My favourite dish in Rarotonga was Rukau; taro leaves cooked in coconut cream. It looked like green slop but tasted divine. The taro leaves are said to be high in plant-based iron and high in phytonutrients to boost strength and libido. Another popular super food on the island is Noni juice. Apparently if it doesn’t smell or taste like blue cheese then it’s not the real deal. The medicinal benefits of Noni juice are that its enzymes mimic the enzymes in the immune system of human beings.
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Used traditionally by healers to help people recover quicker from illnesses, it is now being bought and sold all over the world for these health benefits (bear in mind products will vary in medicinal strength depending on the manufacturer). A lot of ginger and chilli are also grown on the island, fantastic for immunity (ginger), pain relief / anti-inflammatory (ginger), circulation (ginger, chilli) and increasing metabolism (chilli). These only being a few examples of medicinal foods. However do be aware of food hygiene in really exotic places. It pays to do your research on food hygiene with the countries and locations you are going to. Note that cooked food (in really exotic places) kept hot is always best, street stalls have seemed to have made a reputation for themselves for being not so great on the gut. Drink bottled water preferably, as this will keep you hydrated and energised. Boiling the water in some countries is fine, in others boiling doesn’t seem to do much good. If the water is off this can really affect all systems in your body, as water travels right around the body, in and out of your cells since we are made up of 70/80 percent water in our physical body. This means any nasties in the water will be sent around the body pretty quickly. If this is the case, lack of energy, lethargy, loose stools and stomach pain can be quite common side effects. Keep an eye on the digestive system before you travel you may want to make sure your digestive system is balanced and working well (see www.facebook.com/ fuelnutrition4life for my pinned post on digestive boosting tips), as this will also mean your immunity is functioning at a higher level. Thus, meaning less risk of travellers’ diarrhoea (no one wants to spend all holiday on the toilet). Basic sanitary practices are recommended i.e. taking alcohol-based hand sanitisers after the toilet, touching surfaces etc, before eating and drinking. I can already tell I will make some eyes roll with this one. Reduce your alcohol intake (hence tolerance) well in advance of
drive you to eat when you are physically hungry. When you do eat then you know it is because your body needs the nutrients.This is a great way to rebalance our digestive system and metabolism; which could well kick start some loss of excess weight if you are carrying it – BONUS! Exercise. Unless you really want to keep to your normal routine from back home, make your exercise incidental on holiday. This could mean walking or biking to different destinations sightseeing along the way, doing some nature hikes, cultural activities which involve movement i.e. dancing. I enjoyed all of these in Rarotonga as well as snorkelling in local lagoons.
BY DANIELLE ROBERTS Nutritionist Danielle Roberts is dedicated to helping people enjoy a healthy and knowledgeable relationship with food. Her business Fuel Nutrition allows her to share her passion for nutrition and healthy living. Danielle is a freelance nutritionist and works with a number of Hamilton gyms. To make a booking, please contact Danielle at www. fuelnutrition.co.nz
Schedule some lazy days. As much as it’s good to sight-see, if your trip is longer than five days (anywhere) make sure you have some time to recharge the batteries, relax and pamper the physical body. Sunbathing is definitely a fantastic way to do this, the sun is very recharging and vitamin D is great for mood and our metabolism.
your trip- this means you can still enjoy a couple of drinks at happy hour and you are ready to party. By not over doing it you will face less negative health effects on the liver (ie hormonal balance, cholesterol and detoxification processes to name a few things). This also means you won’t spend precious holiday sight-seeing time hung over.
Finally, to really fill your body with vitality and health, embrace the culture you are surrounded by and be in deep gratitude for your experiences. Fill your soul with a deeper sense of being and purpose which brings you peace, joy and love. To which your body responds by destressing and revitalising itself.
A positive about holidays is that usually sightseeing reignites our natural hunger and satiation cycles in the stomach. We are having too great a time to emotionally eat. This means your digestive hormones
So next time you are planning a holiday and want to try to stay in the best state of health as much as possible, have a reread of this article. May your next holiday be filled with vitality, great health and soul enriching experiences. ¡
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Eat
The best places to eat in Waikato
Chicken Orzo Salad Ingredients include: chicken, orzo, edamame, capsicum, soy beans and pesto dressing This delicious chicken orzo salad is just one of the many tasty options available from Coffee on Mill. This newly established café is located on Mill Street, across the road from Pak n Save.
A country café in the heart of the Waikato
Now also open on Saturday with an all-day menu, it is the ideal destination for a quick stop break, a lunch date or to stay for a while and enjoy a meal.
07 834 3501 • cafe@monavaleblueberries.co.nz www.cafeirresistiblue.co.nz
OPEN contact us now
Find us on Facebook
Reference: Nuts for Life 2016
800 Victoria Street, Hamilton 3204 | 07 839 0886
WE ARE ABLE TO CATER FOR MOST DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
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FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
www.fastlane.kiwi
OPEN 7.30am – 3.00pm Monday to Friday 8.00am – 2.00pm Saturday 20284
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With our salads in hot demand, we are now offering a convenient phone ordering system to pre-order and pick up your favourite menu items!
16 Mill Street, Hamilton
phone: 07 838 2045 southernspicenz@gmail.com www.plus91cafe.co.nz find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/plus91cafe
Order and pick up available Monday – Friday
Centrally located and plenty of parking, come see us for a coffee and treat Perfect for meetings or a quick snack on the go
3 ulster st, hamilton open 7am - 3.30pm monday - sunday
Monday Saturday
INCLUDING GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, PALEO, LOW CARB & HIGH CARB
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Open 7 days, 9am - 4.30pm (Functions also available) 156 Turkington Road, Monavale, Cambridge Signposted from the Cambridge - Te Awamutu Road
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Making life good:
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Kate Moffat
hen Kate Moffat became a mum, she started paying extra attention to what exactly was in the food her children were eating. With a son suffering from food intolerances and eczema, she was extra vigilant about all aspects of her family’s health. And so began an exciting journey which led to the creation of two separate brands and businesses, both geared around optimising health through good nutrition. Best Bones Broth has become hotly sought after and is stocked at a few select chosen retailers around New Zealand (locals can get their fix at Bin Inn Dinsdale). The wonders of bone broth have been loudly celebrated over recent months; and Best Bones Broth proudly uses all local, NZ, certified organic ingredients. Kate also recently launched Matcha Matcha. Matcha is a special variety of green tea, stoneground into a fine powder. All the nutritional properties of the tea leaves are ingested, not letting any of the goodness go to waste. Fitness Journal caught up with Kate, who shared some insights into what makes her so passionate about healthy living and eating.
What is your fave way to use Best Bones Broth? As a quick and easy tonic – with fresh lemon, ginger, turmeric and a pinch of salt and pepper, or as a warming broth bowl with cooked rice, Bok choy, grated ginger, garlic, chilli and sautéed shitake mushrooms, add a dash of tamari and a drizzle of sesame oil – so yum!
What five things do you want people to know about bone broth?
It’s nature’s superfood - amazing for digestive issues, joint pain/arthritis, recovering from injury, quicker recovery after training (athletes love broth), full of minerals and amino acids and broth helps to support a healthy immune system. Add it to anything for the health benefits and to take your cooking to the next level – soups, cook your grains in it, risottos, sauces, gravies, sneak it into your smoothie – your kids will never know it’s there. Not all broths are created equal. Our bone broth is very high in gelatin (that’s why it’s thick like jelly), which experts believe can help heal and seal a leaky gut – an increasingly common condition in today’s society. Many cheaper brands of broth or stock are quite diluted and/or full of flavourings, sodium and preservatives. Broth is great for your skin – full of the collagen and connective tissue from the types of bones we use, and also the amino acids needed for collagen production – say goodbye to those wrinkles and cellulite. It’s important to use bones from organically raised animals. Bone and marrow
Matcha Matcha Matcha tea leaves are shade grown before harvest, significantly increasing the chlorophyll and amino acid content well above that of standard green teas. Matcha Matcha tea has become increasingly popular and is now a regular menu item among cafes. It has the golden ratio of caffeine and a high level of amino-acid L-theanine, coffee drinkers are ditching their coffee lows for matcha highs! Matcha Matcha only has one third of the caffeine that coffee has, it delivers you with a long-release energy hit without the jitters. Not only is Matcha Matcha tea delicious as a latte, it is a versatile addition to any smoothie, chia pudding or for an anti-oxidant hit in raw or baked treats.
absorb and store toxins that an animal is exposed to, such as chemicals found in pesticides, insecticides and non-organic fertilisers, antibiotics, medicines/vaccines and growth hormones. Those nasties are passed on to our digestive system if we cook broth with them.
What is the biggest misconception/s about bone broths? That it’s the same thing as a stock – it’s not! Stocks are traditionally made with bones containing a small amount of meat. The bones are cooked at a high heat with fast cooking techniques (20 mins to two hours which results in a watered down liquid lacking all the nutrients found in slow cooked broth. Our broths are slow cooked at a low temperature with a very high ratio of bones to water (the bones are only just covered!) resulting in a very nutrient dense, gelatin rich and jelly like consistency bone broth.
What is the greatest challenge getting the product off the ground and ready to market? Broth is a very labour and time intensive product – so probably upscaling our production and finding the time to market our product.
What you are most proud of? Many people are aware of the benefits of consuming broth but don’t have the time or capacity to make it themselves. Many of our customers (I’ve been selling our broth at a local farmers’ market) have expressed how grateful they are that we have brought a quality bone broth to the market and have told us that they are feeling the benefits from consuming it.
What is your favourite way to relax? Weekends away with my family and friends – I don’t feel guilty sitting down to read the newspaper or a couple of magazines and watching the kids running around having fun. Or walking our kids and dog to our local beach – I always feel immensely grateful that I live in such a beautiful place.
What makes you so passionate about your products Bone Broth & Matcha Matcha? They are both products that I felt were benefiting my life before I brought them to the market. I started making bone broths when my second child started on solids, and for my then toddler, to help heal his health issues (food intolerances and eczema). Matcha helped me kick my coffee addiction. Coffee just doesn’t agree with me – I get the jitters and ultimately don’t feel great after drinking it. But I still wanted a hot, creamy and satisfying drink – a matcha latte made with fresh almond milk filled the gap and actually makes me feel amazing.
What are some of your other fave ingredients? My weekly staples are – micro greens, we’ve been doing a bit of sprouting – chickpeas, mung beans etc, coconut yogurt (love the taste and pureness of the Cathedral Cove Coconut Yogurt). Loving shitake mushrooms with just about anything at the moment. And spices – I attended an ayurvedic cooking workshop the other week and I’m eight months’ pregnant and craving warming foods – spicy dhals, curries etc. And I’m adding turmeric and pepper to everything! ¡
Bin Inn Dinsdale Specialty grocery store specialising in organic, gluten free, whole food and super foods bininndinsdale11
Dinsdale Shopping Centre | 07 847 7045 | Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5:30pm, Saturday 9am – 2:30pm
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Round the Bridges victory would cap great year for young runner
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t Peter’s School student Charli Miller is looking to stamp her mark on the 6km Secondary School Challenge at this year’s Round the Bridges. At just 13-years-old, Charli had won six consecutive 2km Kids Challenge events at the annual Hamilton fun run. Now 14 and in her first year of high school, she will race against her secondary school peers in the 6km Secondary School Challenge. And from the season she has been having so far, the Editor’s Trophy, which will be awarded to the first-placed female, is definitely within her grasp. During this winter season Charli has managed to claim four national titles winning two age-group cross country events, as well as the New Zealand Road Running and Duathlon under 15 girls’ titles. Although she has already experienced an incredibly successful year, taking out Round the Bridges would be the icing on the cake. “I’ve won a couple of big titles which I think is really good but I’m really looking forward to going back to Round the Bridges because it’s a yearly thing that I really look forward to,” she says. The 6km event will be a big step up from her usual 2km race but Charli is looking forward to the challenge.
“The 2km race was definitely a good hard run but I’m excited for the 6km race,” she says. “Because it’s a bit longer, I’ll really be able to challenge myself and try and go harder.” As well as aiming to win the individual award, Charli is also looking to help her school claim the Secondary School Challenge Trophy which is awarded to the high school that boasts the fastest cumulative time across its top four students. As a new year nine student at St Peter’s, Charli is really looking forward to representing her school and running alongside her teammates. Her biggest challenge will be her competition from Waikato Diocesan. “All of the other schools are pretty good but I’d probably say Dio would be my biggest challenge because it has a lot of strong runners my age and a little bit older.” Last year Waikato Diocesan student Grace Ritchie was the first female to finish the 6km event, coming first in the u20 women’s age group category. Charli came in second with a time of 24:52, exactly one minute after Grace and after already blitzing the 2km Kids Challenge beforehand. With just one race to focus on this year, Charli plans on giving the older competitors a good run for their money. ¡
Established by the Hamilton Harrier Club (Hamilton City Hawks) in 1945, Round the Bridges has become Waikato’s largest annual running event and will be held in the Hamilton CBD on Sunday November 13, 2016. Attracting more than 5500 participants, Round
the Bridges will see runners and walkers take on 2km (kids only), 6km and 12km courses. Catering to all ages and abilities, Round the Bridges is an event the entire family can enjoy. www.roundthebridges.co.nz
D E R M AT O L O GY, VA S C U L A R , P L A S T I C S U R G E RY & APPEARANCE MEDICINE CLINIC DERMATOLOGISTS Marius Rademaker BM, FRCP, FRACP, DM Amanda Oakley MBChB, FRACP, DipHealInf Sarah Hill MBchB, FRACP
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Nurture your mental health Mental Health Awareness Week is endorsed by the World Federation for Mental Health and marked in over 150 countries. In New Zealand it is usually celebrated to coincide with World Mental Health Day on October 10.
T
he 2016 theme for NZ Mental Health Awareness Week is: Connect with nature for good mental health and wellbeing.
Connect, Me Whakawhanaunga Connecting with nature is great for you. The beauty is in how simple it can be. Remember if you can’t get outside, you can always bring the outdoors in. • Go barefoot and feel the grass or sand beneath your feet. • Cloud gaze – what shapes can you see? Notice how quickly the sky moves around you and how beautiful the fresh air is. • Walk in nature with a friend. • Bird watch. • Find a nature photo online and make it your computer background. • Organise a class/work/family picnic in your local park. • Use natural material to make art – think seaweed, shell, sand and flowers. • Create a green space in your school, office or home with indoor plants. If you’re the competitive type, you could instigate a green space competition. • Trek to ngahere; korero karakia with tangaroa and your maunga. (Talk and pray with your god and your mountain). • Bathe in the mauri ora (life spirit) of our natural environment that gives us its own wonderful oranga (health, welfare etc). Give, Tukua Nature provides, it gives everything needed to not only survive, but thrive. Here are some cool ways you can give back to nature: • Volunteer at an organised beach clean-up or do your own. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and keep Aotearoa beautiful • Volunteer for DOC, or another nature-related charity close to your heart. • Plant trees – there are many opportunities to join tree planting days across New Zealand, a simple Google search will reveal one closest to you. • Challenge yourself to produce less waste. It’s amazing to see how much you use each day that isn’t necessary. • Use public transport more often, or start carpooling days with your co-workers/neighbours. • Offer to help a neighbour out with some gardening or other outside chores, eg, mow their lawns or water their plants. Take Notice, Me aro tonu It's common to go about your daily life, oblivious to your natural environment. Take some time to be mindful of what’s happening around you. • Take notice of the night sky. Be aware of what phase the moon is in and how the visible constellations change throughout the year. • Go somewhere you’ve always been meaning to visit in your local area.
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• Collect and measure the rainfall in your garden and keep a diary of the weather you notice each day. • Choose a square of earth in the garden to explore with a magnifying glass. Perhaps you could create a scrapbook about what you find. • Go for a bush walk with your camera and photograph until your heart’s content while taking the time to really notice what you are photographing. • Create a photo diary of a favourite place, plant, animal or tree. • Take a selfie with the different manu (birds) in your area. Keep Learning, Me ako tonu There is always something new to learn and discover when you interact with nature: • Learn how the natural environment can help heal you. What natural resources have you got in your backyard that could be used for medicinal or edible purposes? • Take a trip to the zoo and learn about the animals and their habitats. • Learn about local flora and fauna. Go on a bush walk and try to identify the different animal and plant species you see. • Create a worm farm in your backyard. • Visit the observatory or learn about the constellations. • Consider volunteering for DOC, Forest and Bird, Project Jonah, Coastguard, SPCA or another nature related cause where you can learn new skills and immerse yourself in nature. Be Active, Me kori tonu Getting outside exposure and exercising is good for your overall health and wellbeing, plus it strengthens you connection with nature: • Climb your maunga or swim in your awa or moana. (Climb your mountain and swim in the rivers and sea). • Try tai chi classes for strength, balance and mental wellbeing. • Bring activity into the everyday, eg, use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to colleagues to talk with them instead of phoning, and get off the bus one stop earlier than your stop. • Take a family walk after dinner, or a longer one on the weekend. Let family members take turns to choose where to go. • Start a walking school bus for kids in your area. • Join a sports club to be active and meet people at the same time – tennis, bowls, touch rugby, netball, there is so much to choose from. • Design a treasure hunt or fun challenges to get to a mystery nature rich destination for your friends, family or workmates. ¡
What’s on Waikato
Lockout
Buggy Fit - (10-11am, October 13, Chartwell Park, Queenwood) Get out in the fresh air with your child(ren) and come and join in for a workout. Suitable for all abilities and fitness levels. Children of all ages are welcome in this supportive, friendly and encouraging group. A gold coin donation can be made to workout with proceeds forwarded to the Mental Health Foundation. Hosted by Launch Fitness; workouts designed by mothers for mothers.
To get New Zealanders thinking about how easy it is to schedule in some quality time with nature, the MHF is holding a national MHAW Lockout on World Mental Health Day – Monday October 10. From 12–1pm, Kiwis will head outside and discover how happiness and wellbeing blooms when we start to connect with the nature that surrounds us every day. “We’re holding the MHAW Lockout rain or shine,” says MHF chief executive Shaun Robinson. “At noon, turn off your computer, down your tools, shut up shop and head outside to explore the world around you. You don’t need to strap on your hiking boots or your skis – just go and explore the blue and green spaces you work and live around every day.
Timata Hou Open day - (10am2pm, October 13, 41 Duke St, Ngaruawahia) Progress to Health – a mental health and disability support organisation is hosting an open day at their nursery in Ngaruawahia. Come along and "connect with nature". Hosted by Progress to Health.
“It’s about making time to feel naturally happy – it’s easier than you might think!”
For more information on Mental health Awareness Week, visit mhaw.co.nz
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You don’t have to be great to get started, you have to start to be great.
Naturally Healthy Health Stores and Clinics
• Frans van de Weerd: physiotherapy (acc reg) • Homeopathy • Fertility • Cranio sacral therapy • Bowen therapy • Food Sensitivity testing • Massage therapy • Naturopathy • Hypnotherapy • Facials • Instore tastings: herbal teas; superfoods etc • aromatherapy; bach flowers and herbal remedies blending • In store displays and education • Knowledgeable staff • Professional therapeutic ranges
• Mobile Personal Training Yoga for Athletes & Everyone
Naturally HealtHy 106 London Street, Hamilton Central - Parking on site Ph 07 958 3845
• Sport Specific Strength and Conditioning
Balance Yoga offers yoga classes for all types of bodies. You don’t need to be an athlete, and you don’t need to be flexible. Come and try yoga with our experienced, professional teachers can discover how yoga can help you move better, stretch better and breathe better. Classes six days a week.
• Nutrition analysis and strategies
Why should athletes do yoga? Hours:
8am– 6pm Monday to Thursday 8am– 7pm Friday, 9am– 5pm Saturday
• Develop and maintain muscular balance
• Small group training
• Reduce your chance of injury • Mindfully stretch out your tight spots
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419 Grey Street, Hamilton East Ph 07 958 3846
Hours:
9am-5pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday
• Improve your range of motion, coordination and core strength • Develop body awareness and mental focus
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For class timetable and full details visit www.balanceyoga.co.nz or contact Sarah 027 287 3444
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• Faster, more effective recovery
Can you truly say you have been nourishing your body? Are you full of energy and vitality? Sometimes it is easy to let life get in the way, now it is time to put yourself first. For nutritional education, plans and guidance tailored to your needs contact Danielle Roberts (Bsc Human Nutrition) M: 027 8443547 E: danielle@fuelnutrition.co.nz www.fuelnutriton.co.nz www.facebook.com/fuel nutrition4life
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F ©
Part of the family for over 45 years
G E T I T FO R YO U R FA M I LY D R I V E I T FO R YO U R S E L F
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Since 1967 Fairview Motors has been supporting families, businesses and community organisations throughout the Waikato and we’re continuing this tradition in 2016 as a proud sponsor of ‘Balloons Over Waikato’.
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