Move it and Lose it!

Glenn answers those FAQs about exercise:
My top bloke absolutely refuses to set foot in a gym. What can I encourage him to do? What activities do men tend to keep to?

Glen Cardwell

1. Running. Most blokes like to don the joggers, the holiday T-shirt (Hawaii, Bahamas, Bali) and the torn shorts and crank out some pavement miles.
2. Walking is a bit less sweaty but great for those who don’t have the hips, knees and ankles that can handle pavement pounding. And it’s as convenient as your front door.
3. Swimming needs a bit more organising but most people are close to a pool.
4. Surfing, kayaking, surf skiing if you are near the sea.
5. Cycling gives him the thrill of spending some dollars on a top range bike and taking to the back roads or cycle paths
6. Team sports like tip or touch footie are a good way to keep active every week – after all you can’t let your mates down.

For more information see Gold Medal Nutrition.

Exercise goals for July
Fitness expert Dr Joanna McMillan Price says aim to walk at a steady comfortable pace for 20 minutes on four days. Plus complete four resistance exercises on three days – 2 sets of 10 squats (see April GI News); 10 single leg extensions each leg (see May), 2 sets of 10 assisted push-ups (see June) and 10 lunges each leg.

Joanna McMillan-Price

Lunges strengthen bottom and legs
Lunges are a little more difficult than squats because one leg has to work harder. Again, they are very effective at working the thighs and bottom, with the lower leg also doing some work for a complete lower body work-out. The most common mistake is to have your feet too close together, which makes it difficult to lunge without bringing your weight forward over the front foot—aim for a long stride and work on keeping the upper body upright with your chest proud. Use a broom handle or the back of a chair to help with balance when you first do this exercise; as you become stronger you will be able to complete the exercise without assistance. Remember: Your back heel should not touch the floor during the exercise—you should be up on the ball of your foot throughout the motion.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and then step one foot back in a long stride behind you. Your feet should still be parallel—you should not feel like you are tightrope walking, but in a strong, tall stance.
2. Centre your body weight between your feet and tuck your hips under to maintain a long, strong spine. Slowly drop your body weight down until your front thigh is parallel to the floor and the back knee is under your hip.
3. Push your front heel into the floor to push you back to the top.

– Source: The Low GI Diet and The Low GI Diet Revolution.