Expert Articles

It's the age-old conundrum; "How do I prepare for summer during the coldest months of the year"

Are you one of the 80 per cent of people who have already given up on their new year's resolution?[1]

Movement and weight/resistance training not only shapes your muscles but it strengthens your muscles, bones and overall health as well. Increasing and maintaining adequate muscle mass is one of the most effective ways to keep body fat at bay and to improve overall health and fitness, especially as you age. Your body is continually removing old bone and replacing it throughout all stages of your life. Peak bone mass (or bone density), which is our maximum bone size and strength is reached by around age 30. After 30 bone resorption slowly begins to exceed new bone formation which leads to bone loss. Up until age 40, all bone removed from your body is replaced however, after 40 less bone is replaced. Bone loss in women occurs fastest in the first few years following menopause and it continues as we age. Most women enter menopause between the ages of 42 - 55 and as their estrogen levels drop dramatically women undergo rapid bone loss. If you have low bone mass it then increases your susceptibility to fractures primarily to the hip, spine and wrist. Lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise can help to influence bone mass, just as poor health choices such as smoking, poor nutrition, inactivity and excessive alcohol can also decrease bone density. For the majority of women bone loss can be slowed through good nutrition and exercise which can help protect against osteoporosis and other health ailments like fractures later on in life. Key reasons women should do weights:

Walking is a great way to get your low to moderate cardio in. Just the idea of going outdoors in the fresh air and enjoying the view, the smells and the amazing wildlife you may see

Coconut oil was first produced in tropical countries like the Philippines and Solomon Islands in the 1920's, since then it has been used in many ways, but one of the most common uses for coconut oil is cooking. Coconut oil is extracted from the flesh of the coconut, this is usually done by press and separating the oil from the coconut flesh.

Skiing or snowboarding is a great form of exercise, social activity and fun! But are you really ready to hit the slopes just yet?  In this article we will talk about the different types of training to get your body ready to be ski fit!

You've probably heard people say that you get your best results, such as muscle growth and repair when we sleep. This is 100% true.  Lack of sleep can affect muscle repair/recovery, our appetite and our metabolism

As we know we have three sources of energy, carbohydrates, fat and protein. Many of us understand the importance that protein plays in our daily food intake and with exercise, as well as the importance of burning fat as an energy source for fat loss, but where do carbohydrates fit into all of this? It is a common misconception that carbohydrates because they can store as fat if not used are the enemy. In fact, they are our friend. Here's 5 simple reasons why.

A lot of woman might be sitting there thinking - no way! I feel too tired and fatigued during my menstrual cycle to train hard, but science will beg to differ. The menstrual cycle has a huge influence on a female's metabolic state and training results, here is how. First, keeping in mind we're talking about premenopausal women who aren't using oral birth control (as this alters the cycle). A little refresher, the start of your cycle begins on the onset of bleeding generally lasting anywhere between 3-7 days. The first 0-13 days of your cycle is called the Follicular Phase, followed by 3 days (days 13-16) of Ovulation and then (days 16-28) the Luteal Phase.