More power to the core!

No doubt about it, your once pregnant body has transformed and spent the last nine months pushing and squeezing those vital organs out of the way - all to make room for a growing baby. And if you're like most new (and not-so-new) Mums, your abdominals may have also taken a hammering during pregnancy and childbirth....and beyond. And what was once a 'six-pack' (or at least that's how you remembered it?) has now been scattered to the four corners of the far flung universe - or at least split right down the middle. So what does abdominal separation mean, and what on earth can you do about it???

Weak abdominal muscles increase the risk of injury and pain in the lower back - and can leave you looking pregnant long after you have a baby. An abdominal separation (diastasis) is common after pregnancy. As your doctor or midwife might have told you, diastasis occurs when the more superficial abdominal muscle (those 'six-pack' abs) - have separated down the middle to accommodate the growing belly.

Your midwife or GP may have checked your abdominals shortly after birth, but if you're not sure  if you still have any abdominal separation, click here for more info on how to check your abs.

And what if you still have a gap after six weeks? Sometimes those pesky abs take a while to draw themselves back in together. It's important to give your body time to heal and help it by strengthening the deeper abdominal (core) muscles. So forget the crunches for now, and stick to the core.

The transverse abdominis (or the transverse abdominal) is a deep core muscle which provides postural support. It wraps horizontally around the body like a thick belt worn by competitive weightlifters and it support the spine. It's connected to the more superficial rectus abdominis at the front, so you can pull in your whole tummy by contracting the transverse muscle, which is the best way to encourage a separation to heal.

Much lower back pain is associated with a weak transverse abdominal, particularly after pregnancy. Strengthening this muscle not only saves your back, but also gives you a waistline again, rather than an apple-shaped torso which can persist. So more power to the core I say!

And if you're looking ways to strengthen those far-flung abs, here's what you can do to reconnect with your core (and your pelvic floor).

Top tips for time poor New Mums

As a Mum myself, I'm well acquainted with sleep deprivation. It has been an unwelcome guest in my house since I had my two children - and likes to visit all too frequently.

When you're pregnant with your first baby, you tend to hang on to that dream that if you nap enough in those last few weeks in the lead up to having bub then surely you'll have some credit up in the sleep bank you can use later on?  Right?!

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, and sleep deprivation can create a host of problems - including fatigue, lack of motivation and an increased susceptibility to illness and injury - to name a few. As hard as it may seem, the only way around it is to make time for yourself. That's right, as busy as you are with your newborn, try to schedule at least 30 minutes a day when you turn off your phone, put aside the dirty laundry, and hand the baby over to their Dad, a babysitter, or grandparent. Make your workouts non-negotiable. You wouldn't quit breathing just because you were too busy - right? Exercise my friends, is just as important.

Check out my top 4 tips for time-poor Mums (road tested and proven to provide relief from the effects of sleep deprivation by many of us out there!).

1. Take the short view. Babies are only babies for such a short time so go easy on yourself when getting back into exercise. You goal may simply be to leave the house that day - but do it! Even walking around the block with bub in the pram will make you feel better. 
2. Stick with easy-to-make meals. Prepare big batches of freezable casseroles and soups while you're pregnant and reap the benefits after you've had the baby. If not, there's always easy spaghetti bolognaise, chicken with rice and veg and tuna salads. You don't have to be a gourmet cook!
3. Schedule some down time. Even if it's just 10 minutes! To soothe sore muscles, take a bath or better yet, book in for a massage.  Or just put your feet up and read a few pages of a book.
4. Power nap when and where you can. When bub sleeps, join them! Even if you just set the alarm for 20 minutes, get comfortable and close your eyes. You'll get a second wind that will carry you through the rest of the day.

Have you got some great tips that have helped you? Please share them with us...

5 rules of flat abs

Hip raises to help strengthen your butt

Did you know that you can whittle your waist and trim your 'mummy tummy' without doing a single sit-up? If you're the kind of person who regularly does sit-ups and still have tummy flab that just won't go away then you may have to re-think your approach. Try our 5 rules of flat abs to get you started:

1. Attack those hidden core muscles. You can do sit-ups all you want but they only target the superficial muscles - instead, you need to work your transverse abdominis, multifidis and internal obliques. Say whaaaat? To practise engaging the right muscles, lie on your back and place your palms just below your belly button. Exhale and allow your stomach to expand as far as you can, then focus on pulling your belly button towards your spine, drawing your abdomen towards the floor. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 8-10 times.
2. Move your butt. In order to lose your tum, you have to work your bum. Try doing the glute bridge march and hip raises where you raise and lower your bum (see picture at top) to tighten your butt.
3. Eat those flat belly foods. You won't even be able to see your abs if they're under a layer (or more!) of fat, so it's time to excavate them by following these dietary guidelines:
   - Increase your protein. Research has shown that when you trade carbs for an equal amount of protein, you can reduce your overall tummy fat.
   - Cut out sugar. According to the Australian Diabetes Council, the average Aussie eats about 20 teaspoons of sugar every day in processed foods like soft drinks and sugary cereals. That's 1480 empty kilojoules a day!
   - Don't cut out all fat. Choose good fats like olives, nuts, and avocadoes.
   - Be aware of your sodium (salt) intake. Nutritionists suggest you should consume less than 2000 milligrams each day to avoid retaining excess water (most of us have closer to 5000 a day).
4. Stop stressing. High anxiety can produce excess cortisol - a hormone that encourages the body to store extra fat!
5. Work your abs LESS often. Daily ab workouts are not the answer ladies! You'll see benefits quicker if you gives your muscles a day to fully recover between workouts. And stick to 15-20 repetitions of each exercise. Too easy? Then you need to do a harder ab exercise!

Eating cleaner to get leaner

You may have heard the saying, "great abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym". While exercise will certainly keep your metabolism ticking over, if you want to make real changes to your womanly physique, it all comes down to what you eat. In fact, much research suggests that least 80% of fat loss comes from nutritional change!

In winter of course, the last thing we all feel like doing is tucking into a cold salad. We just love those winter comfort foods that leave us with a bit of fire in our bellies. The good news is that eating for fat loss or good health doesn't have to be all about salads. You can incorporate lean cuts of meat with seasonal vegetables to make really yummy casseroles, curries, soups and stews.

Still need more help? Here's my top five tips for hearty winter cooking while cutting the fat:

1. Cut the fat. Most basic casserole and soup recipes start with 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Just use a non-stick pan and reduce the fat to just a teaspoon or less!
2. Sweat it. While softening onions and other vegies, cook them on a low heat, covered with a tight-fitting lid. This is called 'sweating' and allows the moisture in the vegies to create steam, which helps soften them without the fat. If the pan dries out, just add water instead of oil.
3. Add more vegies to the mix. Extra vegies add volume to a meal which will not only make your plate look fuller, but also fill your stomach with slow-digesting fibre.
4. Go for tomato-based sauces. When choosing curries and casseroles, use recipes which use a base of either stock or tomato, rather than cream or coconut.
5. Add beans to soups and casseroles. Beans are a great source of slow-burning energy, plus they're so cheap. They're also fantastic for thickening soups and casseroles. Add them early in the cooking process to break down and thicken the sauce.

And coming soon....a great new service offering hundreds of mouth-watering meals from around the world all carefully prepared for you so that they taste great, are quick and easy to make and, of course, good for you! Nutrition Complete uses only the latest, scientifically proven research to give you the quickest, safest and healthiest way of losing weight.

7 surprising ways to get healthier, calmer, stronger & happier

Perhaps you've heard the saying: "you can't move a mountain in one day". The same can be said to anyone trying to make major changes to their life. Trying to do it all at once simply sets yourself up for failure. Any slip-up, no matter how small, be it a decadent dessert, a week of skipping exercise or forgetting a friend's birthday, can send you into a spiral of self-flagellation. BUT if you focus instead of meeting one simple goal at a time, you might find that you've dropped a dress size, have spent more time with your kids, improved your 5km time - or that you simply smile more often. Here's 7 simple changes you can make to get healthier, calmer, stronger, and happier. Which one can you start with today?

1. Follow the two-bite principle says Linda Spangle, author of Life is Hard, Food is easy. In short, have two bites of anything you want and then pass it on. Those first nibbles have the most flavour and give you most pleasure - and it's often enough just to satisfy the craving.
2. Say 'no" at least half the time. Just think of it this way, saying no to someone is like saying 'yes' to yourself!
3. Follow the 10 per cent per week rule. This is a good one to follow when first starting out (or getting back into) regular exercise. Working out too hard, or going too long increases your chance of getting injured. To keep your joints happy, aim to increase your workout time and resistance by no more than 10 per cent a week.
4. Stop a snack-a-tack. Cut out a taste trigger to a snack you can't resist by eating something that's the exact opposite. So if you're craving something sweet, sip something tart like water with lemon in it. When chips or nuts are tempting, reach for an apple or piece of cheese to counter the salty, crunchy taste trigger.
5. Select a stretch of the day. Write a stretch on a post-it note and stick it on the fridge door at home. Every time you go to the fridge, do the stretch instead (hold for 20-30 seconds). Aim to do at least 3 times a day. Some of the best stretches to start for busy Mums are the chest, shoulders, back, and neck.
6. Create a 'get to do' list. On every to-do list alternate tasks to accomplish with ways to reward yourself, or do something you enjoy. So if number one is 'laundry', number two could be 'call best friend'.
7. Remember that small acts can have big pay offs. The key is consistency: and small steps often can really pay the biggest dividends toward your health. Instead of working out one hour every fourth day, try 25 minutes on daily basis. The smaller acts are more likely to become a routine.

Boost fat loss and reap other health benefits with hGH

It's not often these days that I do go the gym - simply because I'm an outdoors fitness junkie - but when I am there, I'm always a little taken back by so many women reading magazines while doing a long, slow pummel on the cardio machines. If you think those cardio machines hold the keys to the fat loss kingdom ladies, then think again. Maybe you should be paying more attention to your Human Growth Hormone (hGH) instead.

So what is hGH anyway?
hGH is a hormone that is produced by the Pituitary Gland in the brain. Production peaks during the teenage years and slowly declines with age.

What role does hGH play in the body?
hGH has been shown to play a significant role in:

• Fat metabolism
• Growth of all tissues
• Energy level
• Tissue repair
• Whole body healing
• Cell replacement
• Bone strength
• Brain function
• Sexual function
• Organ health and integrity
• Enzyme production
• Integrity of hair, nails, skin and vital organs

HGH is responsible for growth during childhood - and for the repair and regeneration of human tissue throughout our lives. By the time we reach the age of 30, our HGH levels are only about 20% of their peak levels during childhood, and after the age of 30, they continue to decline at about 12 to 15% per decade.

By the time most of us are 30 years old, our bodies no longer produce enough HGH to keep pace with the cellular damage that is occurring in our bodies. As our HGH levels continue to decline, the damage that we collectively call ‘ageing’ accelerates.
And here's where we get to The NOT SO GREAT News: studies have shown that obese adults have lower levels than normal-weight adults.

The WONDERFUL News is that a 2003 study published in the British Journal Sports Medicine found that "exercise intensity above lactate threshold (when you ‘feel the burn’) and for a minimum of 10 minutes appears to elicit the greatest stimulus to the secretion of hGH."
So, how can we increase the natural secretion of hGH to boost fat loss and gain the other health benefits?
SIMPLE:

• Get More Sleep
• Drink More Water
• Moderate/Reduce Your Carbohydrate Intake
• Eat More Protein
• Exercise at the Right Intensity!
• Sleep

Since the largest hGH surge in a normal day tends to occur around one hour after the onset of night-time sleep, it's for anyone seeking fat loss to get plenty of sleep (groan, I hear most Mums say, if only it was so easy!) If the quality and quantity of sleep is inadequate there will be a reduction in the volume of hGH secreted with negative consequences for fat loss. For most people, ‘sufficient sleep’ people means around eight hours.

Water
It is also important to drink plenty of water during your waking hours and more when exercising, as dehydration has been shown to significantly reduce the exercise-induced hGH response. 1 ½ - 2 litres per day is a good guide.

Carbohydrates & Protein
Research has also shown how high-carbohydrate diets tend to switch off hGH secretion. Many fat loss expert suggest avoiding sugar for two hours post exercise but ensuring that at least 25g protein is consumed immediately preferably in liquid form for quick absorption (a protein shake) or a protein bar, lean poultry, meat or eggs as protein has been shown to enhance hGH secretion too.

The Right Intensity & Amount of Resistance Training – Less Is Best! - sort of!
Exercising at a higher than average intensity results in the biggest volume of hGH secretion in response to a single exercise bout, with levels of the hormone declining gradually over a period of an hour. Ultimately, to boost your hGH production and blitz your fat stores you need to ensure that when you exercise on your ‘metabolic’ exercise days you….

• Get hot
• Get sweaty
• Get out of breath
• Feel the lactate burn in your muscles
• In short bursts, work until you think you can’t do anymore

To give your hGH secretion a boost try this: 3-4 sessions per week, each involving at least 10 minutes’ work above lactate threshold. Keep total workout time to between 20-30 mins and include a variety of styles and principles to maintain muscle confusion. Work hard, keep it short and sweet. BE CONSISTENT!

Special acknowledgement: Burrell Education 2012 www.burrelleducation.com

Top 4 tips to beat the winter (exercise) woes

Those frosty mornings have already started as we edge closer to the official start of winter. It's easy to list off the excuses why you can't drag yourself outdoors for a run or a brisk walk - too cold, too dark, too forbidding...sound familiar? Don't fall into the trap of skipping those much-need workouts over the colder months - here's 4 solutions to the most common winter (exercise) woes.

1. "It's so cold it hurts to breathe". Solution: Research has shown that exercising in temperatures below zero outdoors won't harm your lungs. Some people may experience throat irritation if they breathe cold air directly - you can avoid this by wearing and breathing through a scarf.
2. "I'd have to take the kids out with me - it's much too cold for them to be outdoors". Solution: get everyone in several layers of clothing when it's cold out, so you can all shed them as you warm up. The outer layer should be a jacket with a zipper than you can unzip to vent. Take the kids down to the local park or oval. The trick is to keep moving - set up an obstacle course through the play equipment and join in! Lunge, squat, do bottom kicks, power skips, side steps, run forwards and backwards. A park bench is a great way to get in push ups, tricep dips or keep your abdominals braced in a plank. Then kick a soccer ball around on the oval - you'll be amazed at how quickly you'll all get warm and have fun AND get a workout at the same time.
3. "I just can't get motivated when it's so cold". Solution: set a spring time goal, get a training plan together, and JUST GET MOVING! If you want to be able to start running, then register now for a fun run in Spring, tell everyone you have, and raise money for charity at the same time. It's a great way to keep you accountable, help build your fitness, while keep you motivated and on target because it you don't train, you won't make the distance and you won't raise any money for your nominated charity who needs all the support they can get!
4. "I can't get out of bed to run or go for a walk when it's dark out." Solution: your mission it to get up and out the door - even when it seems like the rest of world is asleep. Get up and make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. Sip it as you get dressed (in gear that you've already laid out ready the night before), and carry your mug to the end of the driveway for a last sip before your workout. Once you start moving, you'll feel good and want to continue. And you'll feel good all day because you did.