Health and Wellbeing - An Echo Feature
 Starting an Exercise Program
Why Start an Exercise Program?
People start exercising for many reasons. For some, it is to prevent a heart attack or diabetes, for others to lose weight or to increase fitness. Doctors often advise an exercise program following a diagnosis of high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Whatever the reason, there is plenty of scientific evidence to show that even moderate exercise is of benefit to your health and well-being.
Safety First
It is important to know how to start an exercise program safely. To see a jogger sweating it out down the road or a squash player in action is a poor role model for a newcomer to an exercise program. This is because such activity can be dangerous for unfit people. It can also be quite discouraging to engage in an activity that causes excessive fatigue and sweating, not to mention muscle aches and pains.
The current belief is that your health can benefit from even moderate levels of exercise on most, or every day of the week. The activity may be in a single session or accumulated in bouts of about 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
Changing our Lifestyle
We can achieve these levels of physical activity with a lifestyle approach. First we must be conscious of just how inactive we have become in this high tech, automated society. Life has become so convenient that our activity level has reduced substantially from our parents' and grandparents' generations. We need to compensate for this sedentary lifestyle by moving more in our day to day activities. We need to see walking as an opportunity rather than an inconvenience.
Getting Rgular Exercise
We need also to plan regular activity. This can be walking, swimming, cycling, gardening, or any exercise that uses the large muscles in the arms or legs. At least 30 minutes moderate exercise, accumulated over the day, is preferable to more strenuous exercise done less frequently. As your fitness improves, you will find it easier to do more than that.
What is Moderate Exercise?
A good guide to what is meant by moderate is how puffed we become. The breathing rate and depth should increase, but only to a level where carrying on a conversation easily is still possible. If you are so puffed that talking is difficult, then you need to reduce the level of your activity.
What is the Best Sort of Exercise?
Walking is at the top of the list because it is easy, cheap, relaxing, easy on joints, the best for burning fat and generally safe. However, some people prefer other activities. It really doesn't matter what type of exercise, if it is done at moderate intensity for as long as possible, and is built up gradually.
What about exercise machines?
Exercise machines have their place, but it should be understood that they may not be as beneficial as walking. However, there may be weather and safety reasons why a home machine is helpful. But remember, if the machine does not work you hard, then it doesn't work.
It is important to choose an activity that is enjoyable and one that you will keep doing in the long term. It needs to become a natural part of your daily routine. It may take time to achieve this, but there are long-term rewards for both your general health and well-being. It may require much effort in the early stages to develop a daily routine of regular exercise, but after a few weeks the day doesn't seem complete without it. Then you know you are winning!
Discover Chiropractic
Next Wednesday, September 18 is the anniversary of the first chiropractic adjustment and the birth of the chiropractic profession.
Many chiropractors today are perplexed as to why chiropractic has become associated with only bad backs and stiff necks. In September 1895 in Iowa Harvey Lillard - a janitor in the office building where drugless healer DD Palmer had an office - became the first chiropractic patient.
He was deaf and he did not even go to the chiropractor for his deafness. DD Palmer's interest in anatomy and physiology led him to theorise that the bump on Lillard's upper back, that had appeared when he became deaf, was a bone out of place and if he could direct it back in place the janitor's hearing may be restored. The rest is history.
DD Palmer did not cure deafness. Although the janitor's hearing was restored (he was deaf for 17 years), Palmer had simply corrected a vertebral subluxation - a misalignment in his spine.
In correcting the subluxation, he allowed the body's inborn healing ability to normalise the function of the nervous system and the result was that the janitor's body healed itself of a hearing problem. DD Palmer began establishing the art science and philosophy of chiropractic, focusing on the role of the nervous system on life, health and performance. For the last 107 years, thousands of chiropractors have been doing the same thing to millions of people; that is, removing interference to allow your body's intelligence to better express itself.
The objective of chiropractic is to correct the nerve interference, and when the body is free of nerve interference every organ, gland and cell works better.
Today there are over 60,000 chiropractors practising worldwide.
Tens of millions of people around the globe benefit from chiropractic each year. Today chiropractic is the world's third largest healthcare profession. Chiropractic is not just about bad backs and stiff necks, it's about your life potential!
You have nothing to lose but your health problems.
Andrew Bartolich
Discover Family Chiropractic
Freedom Behind Bars
Local professionals Mr David Brownie, a solicitor with Lismore Legal Aid, and Dr Geoff Meers, a Lismore GP, will be presenting a fascinating video documentary about meditation as a gaol rehabilitation tool.
According to Dr Meers, the award-winning video, 'Doing Time, Doing Vipassana" explores the world of convicted murderers and drug runners languishing in New Delhi's feared Tihar Central Prison, whose lives were transformed through the efforts of a woman with vision, Inspector General Kiran Bedi. She introduced Vipassana Meditation as a permanent fixture in the prison, dramatically improving the prisoner's attitude and transforming the gaol into a place of healing and hope.
The free video screening is also an opportunity to introduce people to the upcoming ten-day silent retreat at Gunundi, Ballina, according to Dr Meers. 'It's an inspiring story of personal change, and we see similar examples amongst the participants of the courses, who learn by detached self-observation to become more tranquil, happier and less reactive."
The video will screen on Thursday, September 19, at 7pm, at St Kevin's Catholic Hall in Deacon St, Bangalow, and the Vipassana course runs from October 16-27. All courses are non-sectarian and run on a voluntary donation basis. Those interested should phone Northern Rivers Vipassana on 6680 3203 or 6685 3627.
Go Organic for Your Health
Organic Park is an exciting new range of organic and natural products that are good for you and the environment. Many of the products carry an Australian Organic Certifiers logo, which is your guarantee of quality, and ensures they are free of toxic pesticides, herbicides and chemicals.
The broad product range has something to clean your house, care for your skin, keep your pets fit and healthy and help you with the gardening.
Organic Park stocks everything from snail killer and insect repellent, to moisturiser, sun screen, organic tampons, mineral supplements, organic foods like jam, flour and teas, pet shampoo and dog food, and organic oven and window cleaners, and washing powder.
It's easy to buy Organic Park products. Call your local distributor, Liz Condon on 6647 6222 for a free catalogue. All you have to do is shop from home and the products you choose will be delivered to your home, or you can visit them at 2730 Pacific Highway, Tyndale, or check out Organic Park at the North Coast National in Lismore, October 17-19.
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