8 • THE CAMBERWELL CITIZEN • ISSUE #12
S TAY I N S H A P E THIS SUMMER Kickstart your summer fitness goals with the help of Camberwell Junction’s health and fitness experts.
As the weather heats up, we all want to spend more time outside being active. But if you’re dusting off the swimwear and finding it doesn’t fit quite as well as you remember – you’re not alone. Everyone wants to look and feel great in summer, but going from zero to one hundred overnight –especially after months of lockdown – won’t do you any favours and could even lead to injury. According to the experts, building and maintaining fitness is all about slow and steady progress.
SET A REALISTIC GOAL It’s important to identify what you want to achieve and then make sure what you are doing aligns with your goal, said Vision Personal Training Camberwell co-owner Phil Lee. “Getting in shape requires time,” Mr Lee told The Camberwell Citizen. “The sooner you start creating those healthy consistent habits, the greater your chance will be of feeling better about your health and fitness.”
VARIETY IS KEY No matter what your fitness goals are, physiotherapist Leon Green of Life Ready Camberwell said it’s important to incorporate activity from the three main components of exercise. “You’ve got strength, endurance and mobility,” he said. “In any good quality health routine, you should have something from each of those elements.” Mr Lee recommends two to three resistance training sessions every week. And Mr Green agrees: “Strength training is not only really good for your muscles but really amazing for your tendons, bones and joints, if done properly”. And don’t forget about general activity which helps to burn extra calories and promotes mobility. “Walking is a great way to assist with improving body composition,” Mr Lee said. “If your goal is to trim off a little bit of body fat, then it’s important to walk for at least 60 minutes for it to be an effective fat loss tool.”
CITIZEN
STICK TO A ROUTINE – EVEN DURING SILLY SEASON Summer includes two of the biggest holidays of the year, and all of that socialising over food and drinks can make it challenging to stick to your fitness goals. Mr Lee recommends planning a holiday exercise routine. “People love routine and if exercise is a part of that then they tend to stick to it. Make sure it includes your two to three weekly resistance training sessions,” he said. “Plan active social catch-ups with friends. Don’t just catch up for drinks; use the quality time to do a workout together, go for a hike, bike ride or walk along the beach. Having an active social buddy can help with some extra external motivation and accountability.”
SLOW AND STEADY TO AVOID INJURIES Consistency not only leads to sustainable results, it also helps to prevent injuries. “We see injuries from inactivity but if you swing the pendulum too far the other way and overload too quickly, then we see injuries of overuse,” Mr Green said. “That doesn’t mean that you can never do that level of activity; it just means your rate of load has been too quick. “When you’re swinging that pendulum from being inactive to active, it’s got to be progressive and the best way to make sure that’s correct is to get someone to help you do it.”
GET THE RIGHT GEAR Dressing for success isn’t just about looking great in the gym, although there’s nothing wrong with that. Wearing the right footwear is essential to avoiding injury, especially when it comes to running and high-impact cardio training. “I always suggest you have the right shoe for the right job,” Mr Green said. “Don’t wear your walking shoes when you go for a run and don’t wear your running shoes when you do your strength work.” He recommends going to see the team at The Athlete’s Foot in Camberwell Junction for a footwear refresh.
