Exercise may help increase Lifespan with those with Cancer

According to a review of 71 studies researchers wrote in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that those patients who got active after being diagnosed with cancer had a higher chance of living longer than those who didn't.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis to see the link between exercise and cancer deaths and found that patients who followed the government guidelines of performing a minimum of  2.5 hours of moderate exercise a week had a 27% lower chance of death by cancer then those who didn't.


They also studied the general population and found that performing the recommended exercise guidelines reduced the chances of dying from cancer by 13%.

The authors of the study concluded, "Our study supports that current physical activity recommendations reduce cancer death in both the general population and cancer survivors.  We infer that physical activity after cancer diagnosis may result in significant protection among cancer survivors."

Total Weight v Size

I was speaking to a client at one of my classes this week and she told me she was rather upset.  I asked her what was wrong and she told me that she'd just come from her weekly weigh in at her local slimming club and she had gained weight! 

She explained that she's been really good, eating healthily and going to the gym and classes regularly.  I asked her if her clothes were fitting better and she said that they were.  I explained to her that this meant that she was changing her body composition for the better and some of her body fat had been converted into muscle.



Because muscle is denser and therefore takes up less room compared to fat you can get two people who weigh exactly the same but one can look bigger due to more body fat and less muscle compared to the other who is carrying less fat and more muscle.

Of course because she was exercising more she gained more muscle and lost fat and therefore gained weight but was smaller.

Despite this explanation she was still upset as in a lot of these slimming clubs and in society in general I think we put too much emphasise on total body weight and not enough on body composition.

I've invited her to a 'Wellness Assessment' where I can let her know what her body composition is made up of, such as her body fat % and total muscle mass.

If there's a shift in moving from looking at total weight and moving over to body composition than I think there will be a lot more happier and healthier people out there.

Working Hours can Cause Weight gain in Middle-aged Women

According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, middle-aged women who worked for 35-49+ hours per week were more inclined to gain a greater amount of weight compared with those that were employed part time.

Researchers studied 9,276 women aged between 45-50 (6,108 of these were employed).  The researchers suggested that this age group were more prone to weight gain as they were less likely to spend time on healthy meal preparation and shopping and eat more convenience meals.  The report also claimed that they spent fewer hours exercising and sleeping, both of these are obesity risk factors.

The researchers concluded that as women work longer hours they are more likely to make unhealthy lifestyle choices that can lead to increased weight gain, such as bad eating habits, not exercising regularly and not sleeping enough. Government policies should be put in place to help inform the population of this health concern and support women who work long hours to make healthier lifestyle choices, which will help lead to more positive results.

Enjoy your Journey to Fitness not just the Destination

We live in an increasingly demanding world where everything seems to be instant and everything and anything can be achieved in next to no time.

It's human nature to want to find the shortcuts in anything to make our lives easier or reduce the amount of labour or time it takes to do a task.

However as our activity levels seems to reduce thanks to labour saving devices and our food intake increases thanks to bigger portion sizes and higher energy dense foods, the balance of energy in and energy out is becoming disrupted so much so that the country's body size is getting bigger every year!

I see a lot of people choosing 'diets' to help lose weight quickly, only to discover that once finishing their 'diet' they start to increase size again. In the end they find themselves heavier than when they first started and then they go on yet another 'diet' to try and fix the damage and the cycle repeats itself once again.

However it hit me the other day that why can't we enjoy the journey of getting fitter rather than focusing on the final destination?  If we break the journey down into 'bite size' pieces and begin by getting more active such as joining the gym or a running club, start enjoying the social side of this and enjoy how our body starts to feel stronger, fitter with more energy.

These new behaviours are for the rest of our lives and not just for short term.  The only 'diet' anyone should be on unless you have some serious medical condition is eating a wide range of food from all of the major food groups regularly and in the right portion sizes.

It may sound boring but just eating healthier and cutting down on the high sugary/fat foods and moving more so there's less energy going in and more going out, then your body composition will start to change for the better.

This will take longer but the chances are you will lose body fat and have a better chance of keeping it off for good.

Think of The Hare and The Tortoise and remember who won the race in the end.

If you start to enjoy the journey to fitness then you will eventually arrive at your destination rather then it always being just out of reach.

How to Reduce the Christmas Fat

This is the time of year when all that hard work done in the gym can come undone with all those Christmas festivities. But it doesn't have to be like that and you can still enjoy Christmas if you make a few alterations here and there. Below are my top 6 tips on keeping (fairly) healthy during this seasonal period.

1.) Don't allow Christmas to last too long:- enjoy yourself eat what you want (in moderation)but only for 3-4 days. Don't allow to stuff yourself for over a week, which can easily happen if you just sit there and eat on Christmas day and go through to the new year and beyond!

   2) Eat some nuts:- Walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts and almonds are all a great source of calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth. The British Heart Foundation recommends we eat a handful a day and there's evidence that they can even reduce cholesterol. Just ensure they are the unsalted variety and don't have too many.

3) Get Dancing:- With the success of 'Strictly' there's never been a better time to go dancing. Ballroom, disco or salsa it doesn't matter what it is as long as you move that body. Depending on intensity and your weight you can burn over 400 calories dancing. If you're dancing you consume less booze and party food as well. Now the party season is here, why not take advantage and burn some extra calories on the dance floor.





4.) Don't overload the plate for your Christmas dinner-you want to leave room for pudding, and you will comfortably feel full not feel like an over-stuffed turkey!

5.) At parties and Christmas tea choose more natural foods such as sea food, lean meats and chicken/turkey rather then sausage rolls, spring rolls and pizza which are higher in carbohydrates and saturated fats and lower in good quality proteins.

6.) Stay Active- During the slump between Christmas and New Year's Day, why don't you keep active and go for a walk, jog or a bike ride to burn off some of that Christmas dinner, rather then sitting in front of the t.v. and going through yet another box of chocolates This will make it much easier to restart your fitness regime in the new year rather then having two weeks off and doing nothing.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year.

Lose Weight & Boost Your Testosterone

According to a study of nearly 900 over weight, middle aged men with boarderline diabetes, weight loss can reduce the prevalence of low testosterone levels by almost 50%. Because overweight men are more likely to have low levels of testoserone, researchers studied the effects of weight loss on the subjects testosterone levels. The study showed that with lifestyle changes, the prevalence of low testosterone levels decreased from about 20% to 11% and after one year to 46% The men in the lifestyle modification group lost an average of 7.8 kg during the one-year study. The increase in their testosterone levels correlated with their decreasing body weight and waistlines.

A Healthy Diet May Help Women's Mobility In Later Life

According to a study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and published in the Journal of Nutrition has linked how following a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of  developing  impaired mobility and physical function in women as they age.

The study looked at 54,762 women over a period of nearly 30 years from 1980 to 2008.  Every 4 years they got them to complete a questionnaire on their diet and every 4 years from 1992 to 2008 their physical function was also measured.

When the questionnaires were compared with the women's physical function, those who had followed a healthier diet over the years fared much better compared with those who had followed a poor diet.

Not really surprising the study showed that consuming a higher intake of fruit and vegetables, a lower intake of sugary drinks, salt, foods that contain trans fats, such as cakes and biscuits and a moderate intake of alcohol were each significantly associated with reduced rates of impaired mobility and physical function.

Researchers discovered that overall diet quality was more important than focusing on individual foods which have been found to help reduce the risk of developing impaired physical function, such as walnuts, oranges and romaine lettuce.

Kaitlin Hagan ScD MPH, the main author of the study said, "We think a lot about chronic diseases, cancer, heart disease and tend not to think of physical function.  Physical function is crucial as you age, it includes being able to get yourself dressed, walk around the block and could impact your ability to live independently."

The study concluded that further research had to be conducted in the future to better understand the dietary and lifestyle factors that impact on physical function and mobility.