Recently the British Telegraph featured a story on a woman who was saved by her fitness and washboard stomach…

A British woman’s “washboard” stomach muscles have saved her from dying in a freak paragliding accident, doctors say.

Peggy Williams was on a holiday in Andalusia, southern Spain when a gust of wind caught her para glider and lifted her off the top of a cliff, theTelegraph newspaper reports.

Thrown about like a rag doll, she plunged 5m and was dragged across a rocky outcrop on her stomach.

Ms Williams suffered a torn liver and almost severed her pancreas but was ultimately saved by her stomach muscles which acted as a “girdle” to protect her other vital organs.

“I kept seeing rocks going past me and smacking me,” Ms Williams was quoted as saying.
Read more…..

Tagged As: abdominals, fitness, Health

Do you travel with work? Maybe you don’t have a gym membership right now, or maybe you just want some different exercise ideas. Nuru exercise cards might be just what you need. I was asked to review them and I agreed on the proviso my findings would be honest and unbiased.

What are NURU exercise anywhere cards?

They are a deck of cards on a metal ring containing strength and cardio exercises requiring little to no equipment. It is broken up into sections:
Basics: Programming, routine breakdowns, glossary
Strength exercises: Chest, back, lower body, shoulders, arms, abs
Cardio Lab: Skipping, total body movements that can all be done indoors

Read more…..

Tagged As: exercise program, fitness, NURU

Are you looking for the next book to help you shed a few (or maybe a lot) of weight? Well I’ve found it!  Australian Trainer for The Biggest Loser, Michelle Bridges has just published her first book, Crunch Time. You thought Gillian was inspiring, wait until to experience ‘ the Michelle factor…‘

What’s it about?

Crunch time is about how one can lose weight fast and keep it off. It heavily emphasises the psychology behind weight loss whilst arming the reader with a plethora of weight loss tools, exercises and recipes. It is broken down into three main sections; Read more…

Tagged As: books, diet, Michelle Bridges, the biggest loser, Weight loss

Pole Dancing

What is it: Yes you can now make your partner proud! Pole dancing for fitness lessons are available where you learn the moves, strengthen your upper and lower body and get covered in bruises! My favourite pose is called the ‘hello boys!’ One thing is for sure, those women are strong and flexible! Take a look at the winner of the Miss Australia Pole Dancing Championships 2006.

Watch Clip:

Click here to continue reading…..

Tagged As: Crazes, fitness, funny, pole dancing, Spinning, Zumba

I recently purchased the Wii fit and the Wii fit balance board to see if it really can work up a sweat and get people active.  Well it worked! While it won’t help you to lose heaps of weight or get super fit, it’s a lot of fun and will actually help you track and improve your core strength. Click here to continue reading…..

Tagged As: fitness products, wii

Garmin Forerunner 405 (Green)

Well I have been trialling the Garmin 405 for 8 weeks now, and I can tell you that this is the king of all heart rate monitors! If you want to know everything, and I mean everything about your run, ride, paddle, or ski then the Garmin Forerunner 405) is for you. This model includes heart rate monitor and GPS, and is priced at around AU$390 or US$350.  I have used many hear rate monitors in my time and this is my favorite by far!

TYPES OF HEART RATE MONITORS

Heart rate monitors generally fall into 3 categories:
- Basic heart rate monitors that just tell you your heart rate. (Try the Polar FS1)
- Heart rate monitors that tell you your heart rate as well as a bunch of other information such as calories burnt, laps and training zones. (Try the Polar RS200)
- Heart rate monitors that tell you all this information, as well as your distance and speed, by using either a foot pod (try the Polar RS800sd) or GPS. (like our Garmin Forerunner 405)

WHY GO FOR ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES?

Knowing your heart rate while training is great, as it is a true indicator of how hard you are pushing. But if you are serious or starting to get serious about your training, then it’s great to have stats to tell you how far you have traveled and what pace you are running at.

Click here to continue reading…..

Tagged As: fitness products, gadgets

OMG a website that works REALLY REALLY well! Here is a site that allows you to plot your exercise routes on a map. And it’s easy! Whether you are walking, running, cycling, horse riding, kayaking, or rollerblading, you can use this website to track your distance, gradient and loads more.

Follow these 3 simple tips to get the most out of this fab website:

Calculate the distance and elevation of any route
Go to http://www.mapmyrun.com/create to create a new run. Find your start point on the map and off you go, clicking key points on your route.
· Tip: Register yourself before you do this. That way you can set the data in metric and add your own touches like elevation, notes etc. It also means you will be able to save it. Doesn’t take long. You can also create a profile for yourself.
· Tip: When you are finished, change the map type to “hybrid view” for a spin out! You will be able to see a satellite image of your route.
· Tip: If you use a GPS enabled fitness watch, such as the Garmin 305 or the soon to be released Garmin 405 then you can download the maps to your watch!

Find other Routes in your area
Go to http://www.mapmyrun.com/search and key in the area you wish to run in. A number of publicly posted routes will appear for you to choose.
· Tip: This is particularly useful if you are travelling somewhere new. Pre-plan a route to follow and print the map out.

Record your workouts in their diary
Go to http://www.mapmyrun.com/training and you can record all your workouts as well as track progress, like body weight, hours of sleep, heart rate etc. You can then tabulate reports on your training.
· Tip: Click on “quick Add” to add your workout into your calendar. It will prompt you for more info such as distance, time, etc. This way you’ll have a great record of all your workouts!

**P.S thanks to readers Shelley and Lisa for telling me about the site!

Here is my fave running route at the moment. Check it out!

Tagged As: exercise, fitness, jogging, running

Welcome to my official website launch. http://www.ameliaburton.com.au/ is a new health and fitness site where I aim to be a source of information and sometimes inspiration to all the troopers out there having a go at staying in shape.

I believe we are all made to move. I believe our bodies are a vehicle we use to experience life. I believe a healthy body leads to a happy mind.

Allow my site to educate, motivate, and set you on the right path to a healthier life. It doesn’t matter if you like to exercise outdoors, train in the gym or if the only training you do is catching one to work, I am here to support your efforts. Each week I will post new articles on topics that affect all of us, such as training tips, nutrition advice, motivational stories, product reviews, latest research and opinions.

I am a fitness nut who lives in the real world. I understand how hard it can be to juggle our busy schedules. But I have also spent the last 11 years witnessing the amazing benefits exercise has on people and I am determined to spread the word.

Please enjoy reading my posts, ask me questions, comment on my stories.

Happy Blogging!

Tagged As: blogging, health fitness coach