The Wake Up Call

5 Reasons Why Your Not Losing Weight.

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:20:00 -0400

5 Reasons Why Your Not Losing Weight. Wakeupcall Health News Alert. An excellent article on why you...

TOP 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE HIRING A PERSONAL...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:22:37 -0400

TOP 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE HIRING A PERSONAL TRAINER.

Is the trainer qualified? Before you give away any of your hard earned money, ask to confirm you are actually getting a qualified professional. Anyone can say they are a personal trainer or put it onto a business card.
Is the trainer insured? A professional personal trainer will be covered for the unexpected. If unsure ask.
How much does the personal training cost? Ask if the trainer provides a free session, this will give you an indication if you both get on or if it’s what you are looking for. Expect to get what you paid for. Skimping on price may get you an inexperienced trainer that may lead to disappointed, injury, wasted time and money. Some trainers charge exorbitant prices but deliver little.
How experienced is the trainer? How long they have been a trainer, where have they worked and how many clients they have trained.
Has the trainer organized a meet and greet session? This will enable you to discuss your goals, medical history, availability and give an indication if you both can work together.
Has a medical and exercise/nutrition questionnaire been provided? This gives the trainer some guidance how to design an exercise program for you specific needs. And yes, your eating habits which is as equally important, in order for your trainer to help you towards your goal.
Is there a contract between you and your trainer? This should state your commitment to your personal training goals. A cancellation policy should be included, in case either of you fail to turn up for a session.
Make sure your trainer is on time and prepared.
Is your trainer focused on you, their mobile phone or the girl/guy they are staring at nearby? If so,GET ANOTHER TRAINER NOW!!!
Are you getting results? If not, ask for a change of routine or scenery. Variety and enjoyment is the key to success.

COST OF POOR HEALTH AT THE OFFICE - 1998 news article. BEAT THE...

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:26:00 -0400

COST OF POOR HEALTH AT THE OFFICE - 1998 news article.

BEAT THE BULGE IF YOU WANT THE CORNER OFFICE - 2013 news article.

Spot the difference in 15 years of sitting down at work.

An article I wrote way back in 1998 for a local business newspaper, headlined, The cost of poor health at the office.

The article highlighted the need for executives to provide access to corporate health and fitness programs for their staff, in order to keep a motivated,productive and happy workforce.

I then went onto say that the cost to the company, through poor health at work is enormous, from the top executive door to the main work floor and everyone in between, everyone is affected by poor health and fitness. This is proven by absenteeism and sick leave, it affects peoples ability to perform at their best physically, mentally and intellectually.

Injury at the workplace can also be contributed to a workers personal health and fitness.

Not only does a company suffer from an unhealthy workforce, but these poor habits are copied at home through their children.

The article was sending a message to all executives to get their act together with their own personal health, to be a leader and to provide staff with a workplace health program.

So has anything changed since then?

BEAT THE BULGE IF YOU WANT THE CORNER OFFICE - 2013 (The Australian Newspaper).

Research is showing the extra bulge that executives may carry, effects peoples perception of their leadership ability and stamina for the job.

I would think if I was dealing with an overweight executive, who obviously has no concern for their personal health, would ask the question, does he/she run the company the same way?

Stress is the number one issue with a high paying executive position. The study went onto saying, a heavy executive is judged to be less capable because of the assumptions about how weight affects health and stamina.

The message is very clear from two articles more than 15 years apart, we spend most of our time at work, most spend a lot of it sitting down. Stress has never gone away, in fact in some cases it has gone up at work and home.

We need executives to lead by example, to lead a healthy lifestyle, but put measures in place to do likewise for their most valuable asset…staff.

Brazil To Offer Fans Seats. Obesity used as a disability to...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:05:10 -0500

Brazil To Offer Fans Seats.

Obesity used as a disability to get into a sporting event? Seats expanded to fit them in? In the majority of obese cases, the only person to blame for being in this state of personal health is that person. To cater for extra large,overweight fans is certainly a wake up call for the population. The world is being taken over by the obesity epidemic, it is now laughable that a sporting event has to cater for those that cannot or will not help themselves Will those same fans be lining up for some fast-food and soft drink during a break?

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/brazil-to-offer-obese-fan-seats-20130305-2fhzs.html

Photo - 1kg of body fat next to a 3kg medicine ball.

Half The World Will Be Obese In 20 Years

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:24:52 -0500

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, health, nutrition and fitness experts said...

9 Things Fit & Healthy People Do Differently. 1. They have...

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 11:06:00 -0500

9 Things Fit & Healthy People Do Differently.

1. They have made a conscientious decision, that regular exercise and sensible eating habits, are a necessity in life.

2. That there is no better feeling in life, than being fit and healthy.

3. They have realized, without your health you are nothing.

4. They never, never give up, no matter how hard it gets.

5. They choose an exercise they enjoy.

6. They include variety in their workouts, to keep motivated.

7. They stay away from silly fad diets that promise you the world.

8. They know when to rest and treat themselves for a fit and healthy week.

9. They use this quote daily, Excuses change nothing Exercise will.

There are many more examples of how fit and healthy people do things differently to stay in shape. But, they are basic motivational tools they have set in their minds which have proven to be successful.

There are no hidden magic potions, formulas, special shakes or TV contraption for magic abs in 5 minutes. Why is it when you go to a beach or drive past a gym, bike track or walking/running path that people are exercising?

Is it because they love it? Why would they, you may ask?

Fit and healthy people do things different because;

• THEY FEEL ENERGIZED
• THEY FEEL HAPPIER
• THEY FEEL FIT AND HEALTHY
• THEY FEEL STRONGER
• THEY FEEL LESS STRESSED
• THEY WILL LOSE WEIGHT
• THEY WILL TONE UP
• YOU WILL LOOK FANTASTIC
• YOU WILL FEEL EUPHORIC.

Maybe it’s time to do things differently, for your lifestyle health and fitness?

Childhood Obesity

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:02:14 -0500

While the long-term health problems brought on by childhood obesity, little has been told of the...

10 Tips to get through the Xmas and New Year over indulgence...

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:38:14 -0500

10 Tips to get through the Xmas and New Year over indulgence period.

1. Do some type of exercise today (hopefully you already have been this week). Use Xmas day as a rest day.

2. Xmas day - Get outside with the kids (Australia),for my American and other overseas friends, play in the snow or inside where it does not invlove a screen !

3. Get up early and go for a walk,run,ride,swim whatever. Do it before everyone gets up.

4. DON’T OVEREAT !!! When you are full STOP ! The body is telling you that it is full. Do you keep filling your petrol tank in your car when it is full?

5.Go for a walk after your Xmas meal.

6. If you are drinking, space it out with a water between drinks.
(Your hangover won’t be as bad).

7. Some of you have been eating all year, but not moving. Have you put on weight? Time to take off the weight for 2013.

8. Follow through in 2013 with a new healthy lifestyle commitment.

9. Put a naked picture of yourself on the fridge and mirror. It will help motivate you to do something about what you are looking at.

10. TAKE THE PICTURE DOWN WHEN FRIENDS & FAMILY COME OVER!!!!!!

GLOBAL REPORT; OBESITY BIGGER HEALTH CRISIS THAN...

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 10:03:00 -0500

GLOBAL REPORT; OBESITY BIGGER HEALTH CRISIS THAN HUNGER.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/13/health/global-burden-report/?hpt=hp_c1

What are some of the consequences that may happen if people retain or creep back into a sedentary lifestyle?

Various cancers. E.g renal cancer, and esophagus cancer.

Osteoporosis.

Diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2.

Stroke…and the number one is

Heart Attack.

You know, there is a lot of discrimination in the world still today, the heart can proudly say it discriminates against no one. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fat, skinny, tall, short – it doesn’t discriminate on creed, color or race. A stroke happens when blood supply to the brain is cut off. This is usually caused by a blockage of blood flow to a part of the brain. The blockage can stop blood taking oxygen and nutrients to the affected areas and result in permanent damage to that part of the brain. Stroke changes the lives of thousands of people all over the world. Hey, imagine waking up one morning and being suddenly and permanently paralyzed on one side of your body. You can understand words but you cannot speak or write. Having to relearn how to perform the simplest activities - daily living, eating, dressing and bathing. The brain controls the way we move, speak and eat. Everything we do is controlled by different parts of the brain. Regular exercise and healthy eating can help prevent you being part of this study group.

THE WAKE UP CALL - The Reasons Why

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 03:28:00 -0500

THE WAKE UP CALL - The Reasons Why

THE WAKE UP CALL GUY THE WAKE UP CALL GUY Can our daily...

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 22:13:40 -0500

THE WAKE UP CALL GUY

Can our daily routine affect our health in the long term?

Sure, the daily routine can be harmful. I’ve got a good one for the readers out there.

We go to sleep 8-10 hours, a day most of us.

We wake up and hopefully have some breakfast. Some of us don’t have any.

We get into our cars, sit down and we drive to work.

We get to work and we sit down.

Lunchtime comes so we get up, go get something to eat, we then we sit down and eat.

We go back to work and sit down.

We finish work, get into our cars, sit down and drive home.

We get home – and are absolutely so tired, we have got to crash out on the couch, maybe watch a little bit of TV, then cook the biggest meal of the day, because that is the way we were raised as a child.

We go back to sleep, and start the process again.

This goes on from Monday to Friday. Come Friday or Saturday, we’ve got to celebrate so we may go to the pub or restaurant, treat ourselves to a meal out. We may add some alcohol,take away food or desert. This continues throughout the week, we then start again Monday. All this without moving! The DAILY ROUTINE, may have something to do with why the population is getting larger and larger.

Excuses change nothing…Exercise will -Flanagan 1998. What...

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:14:12 -0500

Excuses change nothing…Exercise will -Flanagan 1998. What excuses have you used in the past not to exercise?

Perth, Australian hospital find worrying trend of obese pregnant...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:49:39 -0500

Perth, Australian hospital find worrying trend of obese pregnant women from 100 to 200kgs, even before they become pregnant.Equipment and special staff is needed to cater for excess weight. The larger the women the harder it is to monitor the baby before and during labour. Source thewest.com.au.

1 KG OF BODY FAT…THE STORY. Location - a hospital in...

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:14:25 -0400

1 KG OF BODY FAT…THE STORY.

Location - a hospital in Australia.…we are sitting down and out comes the autopsy guys and explain the procedure, what’s going to happen, what were about to see. They point out the exits in case we have to go outside during the procedure. They give us something to put under our noses, just in case we didn’t like the smell. One of the guys disappear, he comes back with a trolley that had a white sheet with a large lump underneath. They explain again what is just about to happen – they tell a few jokes, but none of us laughed, due to our expectations on what is to follow.

I’m not going into detail of the autopsy, but two things that I remember from it, why I became a health and fitness professional. One was the smell of death, where a lot of people describe it differently – some call it sickly, I call it a nothing smell. It wasn’t a smell that was putrid, but it is a smell that you would never forget for the rest of your life. The other thing was the color of body fat – the most disgusting, putrid yellow you can think of, that was the color of body fat. Those two things alone helped me decide to help the population get fit and healthy again.

Top 5 possible consequences of leading a sedentary

lifestyle

1. Cancers

The human body is designed to move, not be stationary for long periods of time. There is growing evidence that a sedentary lifestyle is a major cause of various cancers

2. Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break.

3. Diabetes

There are two main types of diabetes, commonly referred to as type 1 and type 2. Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases among the major risk factors include: increasing age; excess weight; physical inactivity; poor diet and nutrition; and impaired glucose tolerance.

4. Stroke

Imagine waking up one morning and being suddenly and permanently paralysed on one side of the body. Being perfectly able to understand words, but unable to speak or write.

5. HEART ATTACK!

Yes, it is an attack - and you can be sure it will hurt you!

A heart attack occurs when there is a sudden, complete blockage of an artery that supplies blood to an area of the heart

(source: Heart Foundation).

Excuses change nothing…Exercise will.

BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY,SCHOOL HOLIDAYS & PARK…what is...

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:31:00 -0400

BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY,SCHOOL HOLIDAYS & PARK…what is wrong with this photo?

EXERCISE WON’T MAKE YOU THIN. Why exercise can actually...

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:05:24 -0400

EXERCISE WON’T MAKE YOU THIN.

Why exercise can actually make it more difficult to lose weight…

Now I’m sure this heading has attracted hundreds of interested readers. It is an ad, not some headline, ground breaking, front page science break through I located in a reputed Medical Journal from Harvard University. I found it in a full page spread in a local newspaper. Not once but numerous times.

They even quote scientific research that backs it up.

But hold on, it goes on to say…Plus what to do instead to rid yourself of excess pounds…

The advertisement states..in 1932, what! 1932? apparently a Russell Wilder, an obesity and diabetes expert at Mayo Clinic noted his patients tended to lose weight with bed rest than they did with strenuous physical activity. WOW! maybe he should update his study, because I don’t think back then there was a problem, as most people had to get somewhere by some way, mostly walking. Work was physical, there was no computers, Play stations, fast food outlets, big screen TV’s and the dependence on getting somewhere with a car.

In 1940…well that’s progressed…North-western University endocrinologist Hogo Rony, stated that “..vigorous muscle exercise usually results in immediate demand for a large meal..”

then he said…”if someone changes their occupation from light work to heavy work they soon develop a larger appetite.”

Steve Gortmaker,who heads up Harvards Prevention Centre on Nutrition and Physical Activity explains it like this: ” The most powerful determinant of your dietary intake is energy expenditure.” That’s right… (refer Quickslim tm advert The Weekend West Sept 8-9,2012).

They then highlight this heading in bold writing again…The More You exercise the more you eat…all with capitals of course.

I’m sure Mr Gortmaker did not expect one line from his statement to be highlighted and used for selling a slimming shake product.

Of course exercise makes you eat more! How else is your body going to run efficiently? Did the creators of this advertisement decide not to fill their car up for petrol this week?

Let me explain what I mean…

Your motor vehicle and your heart

Take a moment to think about your motor vehicle. It has a motor that keeps

it going. It needs fuel and maintenance. It’s valuable to you so you take care

of it, right?

Do you put leaded petrol into your unleaded tank?

What will happen to your motor vehicle if you did this?

It would probably breakdown and die, or at least cost a lot of money to

repair.

Imagine if you stopped putting oil and water in your motor vehicle. If you

stopped servicing and tuning it up. If you left it sitting in the garage, getting

dusty, but kept putting more and more leaded petrol into your unleaded tank.

Now think of your body in the same way. You may not realise it, but it’s the

most expensive (try buying another one!) valuable one-of-a-kind vehicles

you’ll ever have.

How are you treating it? Are you giving it the attention it deserves?

Now think back to your body’s motor – the heart. Are you making sure it

has everything it needs to run smoothly?

It’s what kind of fuel you put in your fuel tank, is why you might not lose the weight you are trying for. Often, people exercise but afterwards in their minds they think, hey, I have just exercised like everyone has been telling me, now I am going to treat myself with a treat say cake, alcohol or maybe some fast-food. How is this fuel tank going to be running with this type of toxic fuel in it?

Now to the headline of Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.

They mention how exercise will actually make you heavier.

How else does a sedentary person, that rarely uses any muscle besides the effort to eat or reach for the remote, get moving again to burn off the calories? They MOVE their body.

The muscles grow because when they are not used doing nothing. To actually use them again, the muscles have to get moving, become stronger to do the things that they were made for. Think back when you were a kid , back then was a fantastic time when we ran, hopped ,jumped, skipped and climbed all over the monkey bars….do you remember how great you felt back then?

Muscles weigh more than fat, Muscles weigh more than fat, Muscles weigh more than fat.

This is why I tell many clients(mostly women) to stay off the scales, at least don’t get on them every day.

But, this is how marketers do it, they grab a headline put it in bold, fill the rest of the page with small writing (because you’ll never read it) and make sure their fantastic, ground breaking, scientific shake is all you need to lose weight.

Don’t worry about exercise it only will give you the following…

YOU WILL FEEL ENERGISED

YOU WILL FEEL HAPPIER

YOU WILL GET FIT AND HEALTHY

YOU WILL FEEL STRONGER

YOU WILL FEEL LESS STRESSED

YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT

YOU WILL TONE UP

YOU WILL LOOK FANTASTIC

YOU WILL FEEL EUPHORIC

umm… I think I will stick to exercising and a sensible diet thanks.

Excuses change nothing…Exercise will.

WAKE UP CALL™ News Alert; Gut Tyre Multiplies Risk of Heart...

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:17:00 -0400

WAKE UP CALL™ News Alert; Gut Tyre Multiplies Risk of Heart Attack.

People are of normal weight but carry a gut around their waste, are 3 times more likely to die of a heart attack, according to research presented at European Society of Cardiology conference in Germany. (thewest.com.au Aug 29 2012).

HEART ATTACK read on…

Yes, it is an attack - and you can be sure it will hurt you!
A heart attack is sometimes referred to as a myocardial infarction (MI),
acute myocardial infarction, coronary occlusion or coronary thrombosis.
A heart attack occurs when there is a sudden, complete blockage of an artery
that supplies blood to an area of the heart. As a result, some of the heart
muscle begins to die. Without early medical treatment, this damage can be
permanent.
The underlying cause of heart attack is coronary heart disease (CHD) - the
slow build-up of fatty deposits on the inner wall of the arteries that supply
the heart muscle with blood. These fatty deposits, called plaque, gradually
clog and narrow the inside channel of the arteries. It is a process that begins
early in life and continues over the years.
Almost half of all deaths from heart attack occur within 3-4 hours. Most
people who survive for a few days after a heart attack can expect a full
recovery, but about 10% die within a year. Most deaths occur in the first 3 or
4 months, typically in people who continue to have angina, abnormal heart
rhythms originating in the ventricles (ventricular arrhythmias), and heart
failure. All of these disorders may result from a heart attack. The prognosis
is worse if the heart has enlarged after a heart attack than if heart size
remains normal (source: Heart Foundation).

The Heart – your body’s motor.

Imagine your body as a car, with your heart as the motor.

Would you put leaded petrol in an unleaded tank?

Why do you put oil and water into your vehicle?

Why do you service and tune your car?

What would happen if you didn’t take care of the car?

Could it just keep running indefinitely?

Your body is the most valuable vehicle you’ll ever own, and you only get one.

Now, how are you going to treat your body’s motor from now on?

A Motivational Story - A Client Whose Personal Health and...

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:13:14 -0400

A Motivational Story - A Client Whose Personal Health and Fitness Saved The Day.

THE COP & OFFENDER.

I was employed as a police officer, it was about 7 o’clock in the morning, we had a call to go to a suburb as an offender was committing burglaries and was carrying a knife. So he was armed and dangerous. We patrolled the area looking down alleyways and streets, then we spotted a male that fitted his description. I yelled at him to stop, and in universal language that means, it’s the cops so I am running as fast as possible away from them.

My partner and I got out of our car and began our chase. He managed to jump a fence which led into a kindergarten. A female was in the process of opening the center and we warned her to stay clear.

I jumped up onto the fence and there he was, he looked at me straight into my eyes, I yelled at him to stop and he ran off again. He jumped the other side of the fence and ran past my partner. He ran off down the street and into a block of units. In the unit complex was a garage where people were living. At that time, other police had arrived as back up to assist in the search. The occupants of the garage were proving unhelpful and were not giving us any information on the whereabouts of the accused. I decided to go into the street to see if I could locate the offender. A member of the public was waving at me who had seen him, he yelled “He’s up here – he’s up here” so I ran up the street and spotted the offender.

The chase began the lanes, up and over fences through back yards and back into the street. Eventually I caught him, mainly because he ran out of energy.

If it wasn’t for my fitness and health, firstly I would not have caught him, secondly when I did catch up to him I had to have enough energy and strength to be able to direct him to stop, drop the knife, handcuff him and wait for reinforcements. Can you imagine if I had not kept a fit and healthy lifestyle?

Later on, in the Police lock-up, I was fingerprinting the offender. He turned to me and said “You’re the guy that chased and caught me weren’t you” I replied “Yeah that’s right” he said “I’ve got to get fitter!”

10 Minute Personal Circuit Challenge Can you keep up? The Wake...

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 11:56:04 -0400

10 Minute Personal Circuit Challenge

Can you keep up?

The Wake Up Call™ Personal Circuit is a time saving and motivational 10 minute workout. Follow the instructional video using four exercises that combine cardio and strength to challenge you against the clock. For all fitness levels and can be used almost anywhere.

Includes:

Personal Circuit Video (Digital Download)

Lack of exercise should be treated as a medical condition by doctors, say Mayo clinic researchers in the Journal of Physiology

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 03:37:01 -0400

Lack of exercise should be treated as a medical condition by doctors, say Mayo clinic researchers in...