Bondi boot camp

Pop down to Bondi at 5.45am, and you would be forgiven for thinking you had entered an alternate universe where the gym has hit the beach. Yogis perform downward dog, surfers catch waves, as soft sand runners count laps. Couples walk dogs, as goggled swimmers breast stroke from north to south. Muscled men compete to see who can complete the most pull ups on the outdoor bars, while backpackers doze on the sand in an attempt to recover from the previous night.

There may be a winter chill in the air, but that hasn’t stopped the perky crew at Bottoms Up Fitness and their trademark girly boot camp on the sand. One of only two fitness groups allowed to exercise on the beach itself, the signature red and white of the group’s trainers is a familiarly cheerful sight to locals in the morning.

Providing motivation for heeding an inhumanly early alarm clock, Head Trainer Libby is always ready to greet the “Bottoms” with smiley enthusiasm. With wrenching myself out of bed proving the most challenging part of my ordeal, watching the sun rise over the ocean as we run through a variety of drills is an uplifting reward to kick-start the day.

Tailored specifically to ladies, the Bottoms Up crew provide a series of high intensity workouts that continually keep the body guessing. They recognise that girls have unique goals and physiology, and focus on making the sessions fun to generate a positive association with exercise and fitness.

They mix cardio, movement, boxing and weights with yoga and dance classes, targeting the problem areas of women’s bodies and focusing on health and well being.

With a mission to get us fit and healthy, Libby, Ali, Jay and the crew have found an effective combination of ingredients to encourage exercise during the colder months – fun and different workouts to keep us guessing, spectacular sunrises to make us smile, and constant contagious energy and enthusiasm.

My first early start feels like torture, but after a week of jumping, burpies and boxing on the sand, I’m feeling motivated, energised and ready to join the alternate universe of fitness on the beach!

Read fitness tips from Head Trainer Libby Babet, and the full article at liveeverylastminute.com.au.

Libby is the founder of Bottoms Up! Social Fitness and is a passionate advocate of health, nutrition and fitness. You can read more from Libby and her team at bottomsupfitness.com.au

CANTEEN National Bandanna Day

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world"

Anne Frank

28 October 2011 is Canteen's National Bandanna Day.  Sydney's Martin Place was awash with street art, bright bandannas, and smiley teens cheerily raising awareness of a serious cause.

 

 

More info can be found at http://bandannaday.com.au/

More pics are on the Lifeafterfive* facebook page.

Kokomo Coconut Water

Food, like fashion, has a tendency to go through fads – often subliminally, super foods, cuisine and health kicks follow trends set by early adopters and savvy marketers. Just as Summer 2011/12 is all about bold block colours, low hemlines and lacy layers, our palates are set to be buzzing with apple cider (Batlow gets my vote), tacos and anything acai-flavoured – from yoghurt to ice cream to potato chips. 

The latest “super food” to reach a well-hyped tipping point is coconut water – sneakily popping up on menus, supermarket shelves and in gym cabinets all over town.

I was lucky enough to receive a pack of 12 x Kokomo Coconut Waters to taste. Made in Mango and Natural flavours, they are packaged in poppas that hark back to school lunches and weekend sport. Watery (not milky, as is a popular misconception), the flavour is an acquired taste that improves when imagining the magical health benefits simultaneously imbibed.

Some random facts about coconut water:

• It is identical to human blood plasma. It was used by both sides during the Pacific War (1941-1945) to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers 
• Contains more potassium than a banana & a high source of electrolytes 
• Coconut water is found in young green coconuts that are approximately 7 months old 

My Kokomo poppas were refreshing and tasty – ideal for after a workout. Whether a super food or a passing fad, coconut water seems to be emerging as the latest must-have fitness accessory. Don your block colours, hop on your fixie and pop one in your basket (just don’t crush your prescription-less glasses).

Lifeafterfive* was sent Kokomo Coconut Waters by Soup.  Kokomo is Fairtrade Certified and will be stocked in Coles supermarkets.

The hidden power of smiling

One smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as two thousand bars of chocolate, according to CEO of HealthTap, Ron Gutman.  As one of many who derive instant happiness from cocoa products in many forms (Tim Tams, Lindt balls and Cadbury blocks are all effective therapies which spring to mind), understanding the power of a smile provides a calorie neutral alternative.

In his TED talk ‘The Hidden Power of Smiling’, Gutman says that not only does a smile portray you as likeable and courteous – you also come across as more competent.  He refers to Charles Darwin’s ‘facial feedback response’ theory which suggests that the act of smiling itself actually makes us feel better, stimulating our brain reward mechanism.

As a child, Gutman decided he wanted to be a superhero when he grew up, and went searching for the first requirement – a superpower.  Resorting to science and research when magic wouldn’t suffice, he claims the smile to be the unrecognised superpower within all of us.  For those still searching for magic beans, OD'ing on Tim Tams or resorting to retail therapy for a pick me up, consider whether you're meeting your adult daily smiling quota of twenty times per day.

Watch Ron Gutman's TED talk;

Need a (scientifically supported) reason to smile?

•          Reduce stress
•           Live longer and happier lives
•           Have positive impressions on others

ELSC presents 'The Economics of Happiness'

The King of Bhutan introduced the world’s first Gross National Happiness (GNH) index in 1972, a concept which has since been adopted by governments in Europe and Canada.  Monitoring indicators of a nation under the pillars of sustainable development, cultural values, natural environment conservation and good governance, the purpose is to ensure focus by governments on contributors to happiness and reduce the emphasis on GDP growth as a measure of success and prosperity.  The GNH is based on empirical research literature of happiness, positive psychology and wellbeing.

It was under this banner that the Emerging Leaders of Social Change was established.  Initiated by a pub conversation (where ideas have a habit of brewing), the group aims to bring together young professionals in the corporate, public and non-profit sectors as a forum for sharing ideas and collaboration.

A core focus of the ELSC is to encourage Australians to participate in The Big Conversation, an initiative to assist the federal government understand what our society values when determining indicators to feed the National Wellbeing Framework being developed by the government.

“'Going local' is a powerful strategy to help repair our fractured world – our ecosystems, our societies and our selves” Helena Norberg-Hodge

The trend towards localisation and away from globalisation was the topic of discussion at the most recent ELSC ‘collaboratory’, where Helena Norberg-Hodge’s documentary The Economics of Happiness was screened.  While alarmist in its description of the  ‘8 Inconvenient Truths of Globalisation’, the positive impact of society's movement towards sustainable communities and increased connectivity with those geographically close resonated with the audience.   Pointing to examples such as local food movements, growers markets and eco-villages emerging in big cities around the world, those interviewed in the documentary outlined the social and economic benefits of what it calls ‘economic localisation’.

These benefits include;

• Understanding the impact of our choices, made easier when the supply chain is contained within one’s realm of influence;
• Environmental benefits, with less energy being consumed when goods are produced and consumed locally;
• The retention of ‘grandmother’s knowledge’, the strengthening of community bonds and a sense of belonging.

While the film was emotive in presentation, its underlying message was strong enough to provoke discussion about everything from challenging the status quo, individuals’ own experiences of localisation and how this applies to our society.   

ELSC collaboratories are described as intimate events where like-minded emerging leaders meet to share, explore and challenge their way of thinking about topics related to the social sector.   A wonderful opportunity to be challenged in genuine debate about topical issues, the ELSC addresses the growing desire of gen-Y to meaningfully engage with the community while building successful careers in a range of commercial (and other) sectors.

If your corporate job has taught you something useful to others and you’re itching to share, don’t miss the next ELSC collaboratory on the innovative application of Design Thinking.  You might just learn something.

Buy tickets to future ELSC events at http://elsc.eventbrite.com/

Cancer: Meet it, treat it, beat it

Ben Peacock, author of Lessons from My Left Testicle, was at a buck’s weekend three days before surgeons were slicing open his stomach, “placing his guts on a tray” to remove his lymph nodes, and then squishing them back in. 

Experiencing sharp pains in his back, he told the audience at the Garvan Institute that he “did what he was supposed to do” – kept drinking alcohol to (unsuccessfully) ignore it.

25 year old stockbroker Tim Cussell put off visiting a doctor when strange symptoms (of what turned out to be Stage 3 bowel cancer) arose because of the unpleasant prospect of a stranger poking around his nether regions.  Finally finding time to visit a doctor, he was immediately booked into surgery and warned that he could die on the operating table.

Cancer; Meet it. Treat it. Beat it was the topic of the Young Garvan Forum’s most recent event on the 26 May.  Young Garvan was set up to educate and inform the seemingly bulletproof younger generation about health issues and the importance of medical research. 

Hearing the magic words “You. Have. Cancer” slams the door shut on one's previous life only to send them whirling through a vortex of hospitals, chemotherapy and radiation.  Ben told the forum how “everything in life is suddenly put on hold” – career, travel plans, plans to start a family - with all energy focussed on the daily rollercoastal of survival, specialists and treatments.

Medical oncologist Dr Catriona McNeil and Dr Darren Saunders, a senior lecturer in Medicine at UNSW provided tangible examples of recent medical research breakthroughs, stating that while cancer is the number one disease killer in the 18-40 year age group, survival rates have never been better.  Dr Andrew Penman, CEO of the Cancer Council NSW, emphasised cancer as a social issue with a heavy impact on both patients and the wider community.

With a newfound appreciation of how precarious life can be, Tim focused on enjoying what was great and letting go of the bad - bought an apartment, proposed to his girlfriend and changed careers.   He is organising a fundraising dinner for 2012 to raise funds for Lifehouse at RPA and the Bowel Cancer Institute.  As Ben Peacock soberly reminded us– “it’s not a given that everything will go according to plan”.

Lessons for the invincible Gen Y?

• Visit a GP when something doesn’t feel right
• You’re never too young to get your affairs in order
• It can happen to you – so keep an eye on the important things in life

Join the Young Garvan Events & Fiestas facebook group to be informed of future events.

*Photograph from http://www.learning.net.au/allribbons/younggarvan.html

An apple a day...

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But the humble apple has faced tough competition in recent years, with trendy “super foods” like goji berries, wheat grass, and pomegranates hogging the limelight through slick marketing campaigns.

Luckily for our health (and our tastebuds), two Bondi locals have partnered with Batlow Apples to create Batlow Premium Cider. Handcrafted from a blend of 100% Australian-grown apples, brothers Rich and Sam Coombes are helping us fend off the doctors by creating a far more exciting way to fill our daily apple quotas.

When a health scare led Rich to quit his high-pressure job in the corporate world, he decided it was time to revive an old dream to create his own product – “it struck me that life was too short and precious to be doing something I didn’t love”. Enjoying drinks with mates on Bondi’s grassy knoll one summer afternoon, he realised that there was no cider equivalent of a Coopers beer – locally made and premium quality.

He and Sam contacted Batlow Apples, and so began the journey to create what has the potential to become an iconic Australian cider (watch this space!).

Read my interview with Rich Coombes on Eat Drink Play & find out how you can get your daily fix!

Gen Y ... can we have it all in the corporate world?

It's tough to have it all. We're Gen Y. We're young, ambitious, eager to succeed. We're educated, well-travelled and ready for a challenge. We are used to change, and have learnt to embrace it.

We also resent being chained to our desks, are wondering how we ended up staring at a screen all day, but find ourselves climbing the corporate ladder as we ponder this. We've survived a number of restructures, our titles have changed, and the excitement of corporate travel has fallen by the wayside.

We work hard and we play hard (when we manage to leave the office at a reasonable hour). We take for granted the excesses of the corporate card, but we're still saving to buy our first property. We want to take our 3 month mini-breaks to climb Machu Pichu and trek in Nepal, we value meaningful relationships, and we know money isn't the solution to our problems. But we still enjoy the lifestyle it brings.

As social researcher Hugh Mackay once told an audience at the Pyrmont Library, the mantra of our generation is "keep your options open". He told news.com.au that "the generational ethos is bred into them: keep your options open, hang loose, don't get too committed too soon."

We've lost the idealism we had at university and know that we have to work to achieve our goals. But we know life is not all about work... we're "young professionals" in black and grey but we still care about music, edgy fashion and fabulous food. We still want to find meaning in the small things, cry and laugh reading non-business related books, and dance to daggy music like no one's watching.

So when we do manage to beat the clock, what are we doing?