Welcome to the April issue of FitNews.
This month’s issue of FitNews is full of the latest stories on the many benefits of exercise. We all know exercise is good for our health, but in the month’s issue we discover how exercise can help with the ageing process, how it can improve your quality of life, help with stress and even make you smarter. So if you thought it is just your body that benefits from regular exercise, your wrong!
To celebrate International Dance Day on April 29th 2008, we have included a fantastic 10% discount off all dance books and DVDs for all our subscribers. Dance is a great way to exercise and is fun, so if you are a regular dancer or thinking of trying it out we will have a book to suit you. Read on for more details…
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International Dance Day discount!
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| International Dance Day, UNESCO, is celebrated on April 29th every year. First celebrated in 1982 when it was established by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute, the date commemorates the birthday of Jean- Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet.The intention of International Dance Day is to bring all dance together, to celebrate the art form, to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and bring people together in peace with a common language – DANCE. As well as this, International Dance Day aims to increase the awareness of the importance of dance among the general public, as well as persuade governments all over the world to provide a proper place for dance in all systems of education, from primary to higher.In celebration of this year’s International Dance Day, Human Kinetics is offering all readers a 10% discount off all dance books and DVDs. To claim your discount, simply quote Mail Code R607. When ordering online, you’ll be prompted for the Mail Code at the top of the shopping cart page. Alternatively, call Human Kinetics order hotline on 0113 255 5665 (or +44 (0)113 255 5665 if outside the UK).
Below is just one new dance resource from Human Kinetics… Whatever your motive, whether to get more exercise, to spend more time with a partner or because you have taken inspiration from Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars, dancing can be a fantastic experience. Gotta Ballroom, part of the Gotta Dance series, makes learning to dance fun and easy. From the waltz and the tango, to the foxtrot and the Viennese waltz, master instructors and professional dancers, Christine Zona and Chris George describe and demonstrate every movement, providing the skills necessary to glide across the dance floor like a pro. Including a 64-minute DVD, Gotta Ballroom provides specific instruction for social success with the four most popular American style ballroom dances. This one-of-a-kind package breaks down both leader and follower roles to show basic footwork, body positioning, timing, styling and transitions. With an interactive and structured approach, Gotta Ballroom will soon have you moving to the music, as you become immersed in the experience, pleasure and grace of American style ballroom dance. PRICE: £18.99 |
| Make the right food choices with the all-time best-selling sports nutrition guidebook! |
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 Boost your energy, manage stress, build muscle, lose fat and improve your performance with the excellent new fourth edition of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook! With over 500,000 copies sold, this book has become the all-time best-selling sports nutrition guide on the market. An internationally known specialist in sports dietetics, Clark offers sound nutritional advice for active people. This updated edition includes the latest sports nutrition research on hydration and fluid intake, vitamins, supplements, energy drinks, organic foods and the role of carbohydrate and protein during exercise, as well as information on the new food pyramid. Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook will assist you in making the right food choices in supermarkets, restaurants and your own kitchen. Whether preparing for competition or simply eating on the go, sport’s leading nutritionist will demonstrate how to get the maximum benefits from the foods you choose and the meals you make. You will also learn how to eat before exercise and events, as well as how to refuel afterwards for optimal recovery. Whether seeking advice on losing weight, getting energised to exercise, or improving health and performance, Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook has the answers you can trust. PRICE: £11.99 (17.99 Euros) |
| The first book of its kind to focus on physically demanding occupations |
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 Hard Work: Defining Physical Work Performance Requirements focuses on physically demanding occupations that require strength, stamina or both; this includes occupations such as law enforcement, fire fighting, mining, forestry and the military. It is the first book to examine the relationship of recruitment practices, physical training and physical evaluation to the intricate environment of corporations, labour organisations, the legal system and employment rights. Authors Brian Sharkey and Paul Davis have collectively spent over 70 years studying physically demanding work and the factors associated with performance and health. This book attempts to provide an approach for making intelligent and informed employment decisions that will result in a safer, healthier and more productive workforce. Hard Work brings their perspective as exercise scientists to an examination of the following factors:
The first book of its kind in this field, Hard Work suggests how employees could benefit by working up to job requirements while maintaining their health, safety and job performance. PRICE: £36.50 (54.75 Euros) |
| ‘Regular excercise can slow down ageing’ |
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 Regular exercise can help slow down the effects of ageing by up to 12 years, a study claims. People may also be able to retain the ability to live independently for far longer if they exercise throughout middle age and into retirement, it found. Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, improves oxygen consumption, which in turn improves the body’s ability to convert fat into fuel for muscles. The volume of oxygen we are able to consume is reduced with age, and therefore to maintain good health and the appearance of youth, more aerobic exercise is required. Research by scientists at the University of Toronto in Canada has shown that high-intensity exercise, taken regularly for more than a year, can make someone as fit as a sedentary person who is 12 years younger. The results are published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The Telegraph, 14th April 2008 |
| ‘10-minute walk can better quality of life’ |
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 Overweight people can make a significant improvement in their quality of life simply by doing 10 minutes of brisk walking every day, scientists have said. A study of obese or overweight women found that those doing an average of 70 minutes of light exercise a week showed substantial improvements in health and enjoyed better social lives than those who did no exercise. The findings contradict Government guidelines that suggest taking 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. They were presented at an American Heart Association conference in Colorado Springs and claim that shorter, less strenuous sessions can lead to improvements. Angela Thompson, of the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre, Louisiana, said: “Walking a little bit every day will help tremendously. That is an important public health message.” The Telegraph, 16th March 2008 |
| A good night’s sleep the key to staying slim |
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 Sleeping for eight hours a night is the secret to not putting weight on, according to scientists. They found that those who slept for less than six hours a night – or more than nine – put on more weight than those who slept for seven or eight hours each night. The research published in the Journal Sleep found those who did not get enough sleep gained almost 4.4lbs (2kg) compared to those who slept for the recommended number of hours. Those who had too much sleep gained 1.58 kilos (1.58kg) more than those who slept for the recommended number of hours over six years. Short sleepers were 27 per cent more likely to become obese and long sleepers were 21 per cent more likely than those had an average night’s sleep. The research also found that things were worse for people who got less sleep as they were 35 per cent more likely to gain 11lbs (5kg) over six years than those who had seven or eight hours sleep. Those who slept too long were 25 per cent more likely to gain 11lbs (5kg) in the same time. The reason that the amount of sleep a person gets can govern their weight is because sleep affects hormones levels, especially those involved in appetite and feeling full after a meal. The Telegraph, 3rd April 2008 |
| Fat risk even if you are healthy weight |
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 People not classed as overweight but who lack muscle are just as unhealthy as those who are considered obese, doctors are warning. A study has found that half of those considered to be a healthy weight for their height were still obese because of the proportion of fat in their bodies. Experts say two thirds of the population are at risk because they weigh too much but the discovery of the new condition – dubbed “normal weight obesity” – suggests that eight in 10 face an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. The findings, presented at a scientific meeting in the United States, raise further doubt over the value of the body mass index (BMI) as an indicator of health. It is calculated by dividing weight in kilos by height in metres squared, and a range of between 18.5 and 25 is considered healthy. But researchers at the Mayo Clinic, which has hospitals in three states, found that half of people in the range had a body fat percentage high enough to put their health at risk. To be healthy, women should be no more than 30 per cent fat and men no more than 20 per cent. Body fat can be measured using scales available commercially or callipers to pinch flesh at the waist. The team said that using body fat to determine normal weight obesity was a more precise way of determining health risks than BMI. The Telegraph, 1st April 2008 |
| Train your brain: Can jogging make you smarter? |
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 We don’t need to be told that exercise is good for us. We know that it combats cholesterol, we know boosts our hearts and we know it stops the pounds from piling on. But, beyond the obvious physical benefits of a good cycle, run or swim, a growing body of evidence suggests that getting breathless can also build the brain. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, which is published later this year, shows how even regular brisk walks can boost memory, alleviate stress, enhance intelligence and allay aggression. John Ratey, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston and the book’s author, says that exercise stimulates our grey matter to produce what he calls “Miracle-Gro” for the brain. “I can’t understate how important regular exercise is in improving the function and performance of the brain,” he says. “It’s such a wonderful medicine.” If the mere thought of trudging round ice-bound playing fields at school was enough to bring you out in a cold sweat, the idea that exercise makes us happy might sound perverse. But, beyond the (potential) mood-lifting effects of fresh air and scenery, evidence suggests that pounding the pavement can also change the way our brains work to make us happier, or even stave off depression. “Exercise is as good as any anti-depressant I know,” Ratey claims. The Independent, 25th March 2008 |
| Sport England reveals sports participation is increasing, with the over 55s leading the change |
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 The number of adults* across England who regularly participate in sport and active recreation has increased, with the 55s and over showing the biggest growth spurt, a Sport England survey reveals. Early results of Sport England’s second year of The Active People Survey show that the number of adults, aged 16 plus, participating in 30 minutes of moderate intensity sport or active recreation three times a week, has increased by 359,423. This is a 0.7 per cent increase from 19.0% in the period mid September 2005 to mid December 2005 to 19.7% in the period mid September 2007 to mid December 2007. It was the 55s and over who contributed the biggest leap in participation in sport and active recreation, with a 1.3 per cent increase, from 10.9% to 12.2%. During the same period, men’s participation in sport and active recreation increased by 1.1 per cent, from 21.5% to 22.6%. There was no significant change in women’s sport participation. Sport England, 9th April 2008 |
| Bad Breakfast Habits Could Harm Long-Term Health |
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 Skipping breakfast and snacking on sugary and fatty foods could be fuelling Britain’s rising obesity rates among the under 25s. A new survey commissioned by Cancer Research UK into the nation’s breakfast habits discovered that nearly half the 16-24 age group miss breakfast – the first and most important meal of the day – at least twice a week. The survey, commissioned to raise awareness of the charity’s annual Britain’s Biggest Breakfast campaign, also showed that 85 per cent of under 25s questioned admitted to snacking, with fatty and sugary foods, such as crisps, biscuits, cakes and sweets favourites to keep mid-morning hunger at bay. Professor Jane Wardle, director of Cancer Research UK’s health behaviour research centre, said: “There is still widespread ignorance that being overweight or obese increases the risk of a number of cancers. We know obesity rates are rising in the UK and research has shown that this trend begins early in life. Children who are overweight or obese are likely to grow into obese adults whose risk of cancer and other diseases is increased because of the extra weight they are carrying. This survey reflects the worrying trend that too many young people miss breakfast only to resort to sugary and fatty snacks when they get hungry. These habits can be hard to break.” Cancer Research UK carried out the survey of over 2,000 people to promote Britain’s Biggest Breakfast. The charity is calling for people across the UK to celebrate Britain’s Biggest Breakfast’s tenth anniversary by throwing a breakfast ‘party’ to raise money for research into all types of cancer. Medical News Today, 31st March 2008 |
| Cleaning ‘improves mental health’ |
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 Working up a sweat while performing household chores may not just improve the cleanliness of your home, but your mental health too, a survey suggests. Just 20 minutes of sustained exercise a week – from cleaning to jogging – can impact upon depression, the British Journal of Sports Medicine study found. The more strenuous and frequent the activity, the greater the effect. University College London researchers looked at a survey of 20,000 people on weekly exercise and state of mind. Another study in the journal also found such exercise among the middle-aged and elderly may delay the ageing process. In the Scottish Health Survey, 3,000 people reported stress or anxiety. The more active they were, the less likely they were to be suffering in this way. Taking part in sports at least once a week lowered the risk by 33%, while housework and walking could cut it by as much as 20%. However, light dusting or meandering to the bus stop strictly did not count. The activity needed to be for at least 20 minutes at a time, and had to induce breathlessness. BBC News, 9th April 2008 |
| EIPET Project |
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 The EIPET project is a two year project, beginning 1st November 2007, supported by the Leonardo da Vinci fund through Léargas, the National Agency for Ireland. The project aims to tackle difficulties that arise and are associated with the inclusion of people with disabilities into mainstream education; and associated current deficiencies in initial and continued physical education teacher training to deal with same. A functional map of the physical education teacher’s role will be developed through the project and the knowledge, competence and skill requirements of PE teachers, given the rapidly changing work environments resulting from the aforementioned changes, will be detailed. An International Conference in Tralee in 2009 will launch the project results and a resource pack. Other EIPET project aims include:
The EIPET project is asking FitNews subscribers to let them know your thoughts or dissemination activities in relation to the project in order to engage you in the project consultation process. For more information, please contact Matt Fisher mfisher@sportscoachuk.org |
Posted by humankinetics 
Posted by humankinetics 
