CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN AUSTRALIA: ENTER PILATES for CHILDREN

The prevalence of childhood obesity is something that affects more of the world than we may be aware. I know that I for one used to think of childhood obesity as being purely North America's problem, however Australia and other countries and nations are no longer exempt from the spreading of this disease. Between the years of 1985 and 1995 childhood obesity both doubled and tripled in Australia. The results from a 2007-2008 study revealed that one in four Australia children aged between 5-17 years are classified as overweight or obese (thats 25%), however this number could be and very possibly may be higher now in 2016. Even more shocking is the fact that almost two out of three Australian adults are obese (around 63%). It has been proven that obese children have a 25-50% chance of becoming obese adults. 

This is really scary to me. Being overweight and obese is the second biggest contributor to disease. As a result overweight and obese children are at a much greater risk of developing health problems during their lives, such as high blood pressure, bowel diseases and bowel cancer, heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes. We should be giving the children of Australia and of the world the best possible chance at living a long and healthy life. Being proactive is the best way to tackle this issue, as the ramifications of having an overweight and obese population are vast; including but not limited to psychological, physical and financial burdens being placed on our society. Prevention of children becoming obese is the easiest and most inexpensive strategy that we can utilise. 

Here we tie in Pilates! One of the paramount causes of childhood obesity is the absence or severe insufficiency of exercise. The other is of course diet, however I have recently noticed (as I am sure you all have to) a major push in the community and Australia towards healthier eating. Therefore the issue I have chosen to discuss today is the decline of children involved in physical activity. Children of today are adopting an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, due to the increase in availability and popularity of television, video games and all things IT. If children are not being taught to move their bodies daily, how do we expect that their behaviour will be any different in adulthood? Studies have actually proven that children who are involved in any type of physical activity are more likely to continue living a healthy and active lifestyle throughout the rest of their lives. We as a society need to ingrain exercise into our children's' lives; we need to make moving the body and exercise a fun and entertaining activity to perform everyday. School sport is one way to incorporate physical activity into a child's life, however it is not enough. Children should be playing sport before or after school and / or engaging in exercise on the weekends. As a society and in our smaller communities, even as small as our immediate households, we need to teach children that a healthy lifestyle is a gift that they are very lucky to have been given. 

So, what can Pilates provide children with that other types of exercise may not be able to? Here's a few benefits specific for children that Pilates brings to the table: 

• It is low-impact, which is very safe for children who may be slightly clumsy or accident prone,
• It offers an alternative exercise routine for children that do not like 'standard' exercise, such as running, swimming, playing team sports,
• This form of exercise can be done anywhere with next to no props needed, therefore it is very accessible and available,
• It is inexpensive,
• It can be an interactive form of physical activity, if done in a class setting, which is great for teaching children social skills,
• It teaches children about body awareness. This is vital as children benefit greatly in childhood and later in life from developing correct posture, proper movement patterns of their muscles and good stability,
• Increased body awareness results in improved self-esteem and self-confidence,
• Pilates instructs children how to activate and strengthen their core, which is crucial to preventing injury,
• It improves balance, coordination, muscle memory and joint flexibility, which in turn can enhance a child's performance in other forms of sport, such as swimming, running, etc,
• Pilates educates children on how to develop and continue to grow a body-mind-muscle connection, and lastly,
• Pilates has actually been proven as a form of physical fitness that children gain enjoyment from!

Please note that it does take two to tango and that exercise alone will not prevent obesity. Children should be eating as healthy as nutrition-conscious adults, if not healthier, as they are very susceptible at a young age and are doing tremendous amounts of growing. 

How can Premium Pilates Studio help? Most of our instructors have Blue Cards and are therefore licensed to instruct children. We have seen several child clients of ours experience the benefits of Pilates over the past few years. Call us today on 0402 680 724, visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com or email us at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com today.

The Premium Pilates Studio team 

Information and images from: 

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160117/health-fitness/Pilates-for-children-get-up-and-go.599028, http://www.aihw.gov.au/overweight-and-obesity/, http://www.pppcronulla.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Childrens-Pilates.jpg, http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/smart-eating-for-you/nutrition-a-z/childhood-obesity/

KATE HUDSON'S KILLER ABS ARE MADE in the PILATES STUDIO

Actress Kate Hudson's amazingly toned abs were on display for all to see and envy at the Golden Globes earlier this month (see above photo). The mother-of-two revealed her secret to age-defying abs in a recent interview. 

“It’s Pilates,” Kate replied immediately when asked how she manages to stay in such great shape. “There’s no other core workout [for] me, personally.  That’s what works for me.  I feel like when I’m doing Pilates I feel pulled in in the centre, because it’s all core based.”

The Kung Fu Panda 3 actress has been incredibly loyal and dedicated to Pilates; she has been following this exercise regime for the past 15 years! (And on a side note, Hudson has also stuck with the same instructor for this long!) With all the workout trends around at the moment, it is great to see that Pilates has major staying power in the crazy fad world of Hollywood! Even though Kate has participated in 3-5 hourly Pilates classes every week for the past 15 years, she has not yet ceased seeing results or gotten sick of this form of exercise. I think this speaks volumes about how addictive and beneficial Pilates can be for everyone.  

What does Kate do besides Pilates: The toned star will often combine cardiovascular exercise with her Pilates classes. Hudson's trainer will often take her on a one mile run (1.6 kilometres) before she even starts her Pilates session! On days when Kate does not do Pilates, she will either be at a Yoga or Spin class. 

If you want to get abs like Kate Hudson, you have to do the work! There's unfortunately no quick fix, no button you can press, no fast acting diet you can follow. The secret is good ole fashioned exercise and in this case, Pilates. At Premium Pilates Studio we offer a large range of different Pilates classes, including Reformer & Equipment, Floor work, Barre and Stretch classes. Tell us your goals and we will help you achieve them! Call us on 0402 680 724, visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com or email us today at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com. 

x The Premium Pilates Studio Team 

Images by http://www.healthaim.com/kate-hudson-abs-secret-revealed-can-get-killerabs/37496, http://www.shape.com/celebrities/celebrity-workouts/sculpted-core-kate-hudsons-pilates-workout, http://www.celebitchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/katewh4.jpg

FLOURLESS SWEET POTATO BROWNIES

This recipe of the week is coming a little soon after the previous one, however I just had to share these delicious brownies! I brought a few into the studio yesterday and they were very well received! It was my first time experimenting with sweet potato as a brownie base and I was thoroughly pleased at the result. I have opted to make this recipe dairy free however you could use cows milk and I encourage you to if you are not intolerant or allergic. Whilst this recipe isn't uber sweet as the only natural sugar added is maple syrup and vanilla extract it is a very healthy alternative to the classic brownie. If you are a doubter of sweet potato with chocolate I dare you to try this, as the potato adds a level of creaminess that flour does not! Lastly, make sure you READ STEP 6 (the last step) very carefully or your brownies could not turn out properly! You have been warned! 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g sweet potato, peeled & cut into small (around 3cm), even chunks
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for greasing 
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon regular or gluten free baking powder
• 2 eggs, preferably free-range, beaten
• 1/2 cup desicated coconut
• 3 tablespoons organic / natural maple syrup (not flavoured)
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Bring a medium saucepan filled halfway with water to the boil over high heat, covered. Whilst the water is boiling, peel & cut the sweet potato. Once boiled, add the sweet potato and boil for around 12-13 minutes or until the potato is tender. Remove from the heat and drain under cold running water in a colander. 

3. Whilst the potato is boiling, grease a baking tray with the oil and then line with baking paper. The baking tray I used was around 29 cm x 20 cm. 

4.  Whilst the potato is boiling, pour all the remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to combine. 

5. Once the potato has been cooked and drained, mash well in a large mixing bowl. I don't mind there being a few chunky bits in my brownies, however if you do you can spend a few extra seconds mashing for a smoother consistency. Add the prepared batter from step 4 to the mashed potato and stir well to combine. 

6. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking tray. It will be quite thick! Spread out the batter evenly with a wet spatula. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top of the brownie has just started to brown. This next part is SO IMPORTANT: remove the tray from the oven and leave the brownies to cool completely before cutting up into individual brownies. If you try to handle the brownies before they have completely cooled, they will fall apart. Remember that there is no flour holding the brownies together! The brownies need this cooling time to continue to cook! 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 50 minutes plus cooling time!

x Premium Pilates Studio 

ZUCCHINI, CARROT & PEA FRITTERS

I have made fritters a few times, however never without corn. I was initially concerned about how these fritters would cook, as all I had in my pantry was chickpea flour (besan flour). I was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out and how little oil I needed to use (just 1 tablespoon for around 19 fritters, therefore 4 batches in the pan). I've turned down a bit of a vegetarian path recently and whilst I am still cooking and eating meat, I am loving getting creative with vegetables, herbs and spices. These vego fritters are a great option for lunch, dinner or a healthy snack. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g or 3-4 medium zucchini, grated
• 300g or 3 carrots, grated 
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 50g reduced-fat feta, crumbled or finely chopped
• 3 eggs, preferably free-range, beaten
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped, such as chives, basil, parsley, corainder
• 3/4 cup of any type of flour other than self-raising, such as plain, gluten-free plain, rice, millet, besan etc - I used besan flour (chickpea flour) 
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat cows milk, or if intolerant or allergic opt for lactose-free milk, unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, rice milk. 
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• Optional sides / toppings - avocado, baby spinach, extra herbs, tomato, cucumber, etc. 

METHOD 

1. Wrap the grated zucchini in a thin tea towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess moisture into a bowl or sink. 

2. Place the zucchini, carrot, peas, feta, eggs, herbs, flour, soy sauce, milk and a pinch of ground black pepper in a large bowl and mix well to combine. 

3. Heat in a large frying pan over medium heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat. Scoop a heaped 1/4 cup of mixture out of the bowl for each fritter. Place each scoop of mixture in the pan and pat down well with a spatula. Make sure not to crowd the fritters or you will have trouble flipping them. I cook four at a time in a large frying pan. Cook on each side for around 3 minutes or until quite brown in colour. Remove from heat and repeat until all the fritters are cooked, only adding the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil if needed. Serve warm with any or all of the toppings listed above in the Ingredients section. 

Total Prep time / around 20-25 minutes (need to grate the vegetables etc)

Total Cooking time / approx. 25 minutes 

Makes / around 18 - 20 

Serves / 6 / 3-4 fritters each 

x Premium Pilates Studio 

VEGETABLE BURRITOS

The inspiration for these vegetable burritos comes from a very charming cafe / bar we visited a few times in San Francisco last December. It was called 'Sweet Woodruff' and served delicious food for very reasonable prices. It was a cafe until mid afternoon, when it changed over into a bar until 11 or 12am. These vegetable burritos were a favourite of mine, however they were made quite a bit spicer than how I made mine! For some reason this cafe stayed in my mind after we left San Fran and once I returned home I felt an urge to make my own 'soft veges tacos' as they called them. 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g pumpkin, deseeded, skin removed and chopped into small pieces
• 175g zucchini, chopped into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• Optional- 1/4- 1 teaspoon ground chilli
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 100g red capsicum, finely chopped
• 100g green capsicum, finely chopped
• a large handful of baby spinach 
• 80g reduced-fat feta, crumbled or finely chopped OR 80g reduced-fat grated cheese
• 8 low-carb wraps (around 45g each) or 8 Mountain bread wraps 

COOKING

1. Once you are almost done prepping the vegetables, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil, covered. Once boiled, remove the lid and add the pumpkin. Cook for five minutes before adding the zucchini to the water for a further two minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and drain the vegetables in a colander over cold running water. Once drained well, pour the vegetables into a medium bowl and gently stir in the taco seasoning, chilli if using and a sprinkle of ground black pepper. Take care stirring or the vegetables may become mushy. 

2. Return the now vacant saucepan to the stove over medium heat and swirl the oil. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, for two minutes or until onion has softened slightly. Add the two kinds of capsicum to the pan and stir well, cooking for three to four minutes or until the capsicum has slightly softened. If the vegetables start to stick to the pan, add a splash of water. Add the baby spinach to the pan and cover, reducing the heat to low. Once the spinach has wilted, remove the pan from the stove and gently stir in the feta and the pumpkin mixture. 

3. Have the wraps ready. Divide the vegetable filling into eight, scooping the vegetables into the middle of each wrap. Wrap each burrito by wrapping the bottom of the wrap over and then closing in each side to meet. 

Serves / 4 / 2 wraps each 
Total Preparation time / 20-25 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x PPS

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JOSEPH PILATES

Whilst millions of people do Pilates everyday, many of them probably do not know much about the origins of this very on trend form of exercise. Pilates may not date back as far as yoga, however its history is incredibly interesting and involves a very confident and quirky yet caring German. Here's 10 fun facts for you about how Pilates came to be a worldwide phenomenon. 

1. Joseph Pilates was born in Mönchengladbach (a little town near Düsseldorf, Germany), on December 9th 1883. In his early childhood Joseph was a very sickly child; he suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. He was often bullied at school and was too sick and weak to fight back or run away. As a result of these early experiences, Joe made fitness and health his life journey and tried to help as many people as possible through Pilates to improve their lifestyle. 

2. Joe designed his fitness regime of Pilates with the image of the 'classical Greek ideal of a man who is balanced equally in body, mind and spirit'.

3. Mr Pilates was a Hospital "Nurse-Physiotherapist" during World War 1 and was posted to an internment camp. Joseph requested that he be given permission to help the sick patients with exercise. He was told that bed rest was prescribed to all patients but that he could "do anything you like with them, as long as they stay in bed". Hence Joe removed the bed springs and connected them to the bed posts to make the apparatus now known as the 'Cadillac' or 'Trapeze'. Joseph was said to have a very caring and helpful disposition with his patients. His exercise regime must have done some good, because when the 1918 flu epidemic swept the world and killed millions (and many from internment camps as these places were optimal for the spreading of illnesses), not one of Joseph's patients became ill! 

4. After the war Joe trained with the Military Police as well as continuing to instruct Pilates with personal clients. Mr Pilates was asked to train with the New German Army in 1923, however he refused as he was unhappy with the new political direction that Germany was heading towards. He had several relatives living in the USA, who persuaded him to travel over to America.

5. Pilates was originally called Contrology. Joseph Pilates came up with this name for his exercise regime as he intended the practice to be all about control of the body, mind and muscles. However his initial clients and the general public started calling his fitness regime 'Pilates' and it stuck!

6. The very first Pilates studio was opened by Joseph & his wife Clara in NYC in the 1920s. The husband & wife took over a boxing gym on 8th Avenue, which was located in the same building as several dance studios and rehearsal areas. Due to this very close proximity of the dancers, the exercise regime of Pilates became fundamental in the life, rehab and training of dancers! 

7. Mr Pilates was said to have a 'rough but kindly manner' with his clients.

8. While Joseph was considered very healthy, he was well known for his love of cigars, whiskey and women! He attended many parties in NYC and was often seen running around the city in the middle of winter in his skimpy little training shorts (see photos above)!

9. Joseph Pilates died at 83 years old in New York City and his obituary read like an advertisment for Pilates! Pilates is described as "‘a white-manned lion with steel blue eyes and mahogany skin, and as limber in his 80's as a teenager!"

10. As Joseph liked to say, he was sadly '"fifty years ahead of my time". Pilates really took off in the late 1980's and has become increasingly more popular since then. Once considered the workout of purely dancers and the elite, Pilates is now an incredibly accessible form of exercise and is a form of physiotherapy. Millions of people practise Pilates everyday and those numbers are only set to increase as many more people discover the amazing benefits of this form of exercise! 

x Premium Pilates Studio

Info adapted from http://www.contrology-pilates-method.com/history_joe_pilates.asp, images from http://www.mylocalpilates.com/uploads/2/4/0/4/24042723/6200530_orig.png and http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55160801e4b05c72e7f10bf6/55172c60e4b05ede7c5afc3c/55172c8ee4b0413cd5e7351a/1427582094645/jopilates.jpg

VEGETARIAN BUDDHA BOWL

I learnt about this amazing bowls from a vego friend. I love the fact that you can combine any type of grain or bean, lentil or legume and as many cooked and raw veges as you want and call it a 'Buddha Bowl'. It is such a perfect way to use up whatever vegetables that are reaching their use-by date in the fridge. I have made this recipe twice in the last week and each time this dish lasted me 4 plus serves and left me feeling full but not stuffed. I encourage to get creative and use whatever you have on hand. Here's a few ideas: 

Protein - can be a grain, seed, bean, lentil, legume or soy product. You can throw 1 or 2 of the following:

Tofu, Tempeh, Chickpeas, any type of Lentil, Cannellini beans, Four Bean Mix, Red Kidney Beans, Any type of Rice (Brown, Wild, Black, Red), Quinoa, Couscous, Farro, Freekeh, Amaranth.  

Cooked Vegetables: roast pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, mushrooms. 

Raw Vegetables: tomato, cucumber, red cabbage, capsicum, baby spinach, kale, any type of lettuce, avocado. 

And a dressing that you have made or 1 medium avocado, cut into small pieces. I often go for the avocado option, as it really rounds out the salad! 

Heres my recipe: 

INGREDIENTS

• 350g sweet potato, cut into even, small pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 heaped teaspoons ground cumin, coriander or smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 cup water 
• 1 head of broccoli, stalk and florets evenly chopped
• 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed 
• 225g firm tofu in a block 
• 1/2 a medium red capsicum, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 a medium green capsicum, cut into thin strips
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach, baby kale and mixed lettuce
• 1 medium avocado, cut into small pieces 

COOKING

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Place the tofu between two chopping boards or plates with a weight on top (I used a jar of nuts). Raise one end (I placed a small scale underneath one side of the chopping board) and sit for 25 minutes to drain. Once drained, cut into even thin strips. 

3. Whilst the tofu is draining, toss the sweet potato in a medium bowl with one tablespoon oil and one of the spices. Arrange the potato pieces in a single layer on the prepared tray. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender and golden. 

4. Once the sweet potato is in the oven, place the brown rice and water in a medium saucepan, covered, and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to a simmer and leave to cook for around 10 minutes or until all water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and place rice in a large serving bowl to cook. 

5. Return the same saucepan to the stove, filled halfway with water and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled add the broccoli and leave to steam for four minutes before pouring in the peas. Leave to steam for one further minute, before draining in a sieve/colander over cold running water. Pour the cooked vegetables into the serving bowl with the cooked rice. 

6. Swirl the remaining one tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tofu pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, covered. Remove from heat and place in the serving bowl. 

7. By now the sweet potato should be cooked. Remove from the oven and place in the serving bowl. Add the raw vegetables; in this case the capsicum, baby spinach, kale and lettuce and avocado pieces or dressing, if using, and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / around 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 30-40 minutes 

x Premium Pilates Studio 

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOSE YOUR PILATES FITNESS?

I find that many clients feel like they have lost a lot of their Pilates fitness and muscle tone after just one or two weeks away from their practice. Below I share my views on how long I think it actually takes to lose all that hard work you put in! 

I personally find that dedicated clients who attend classes two, three or more times a week will regain their Pilates strength quite quickly if they have been away from class for around two to three weeks. Muscle memory is an incredible thing and if you are consistent with your Pilates a few weeks off will not drastically reduce your fitness or your muscle tone. The muscle you have gained from Pilates will continue to speed up your metabolism whilst you are not practising. That being said after more than three weeks off your muscle tone will stay to slowly lessen and you may notice little changes in your arms, abs, bottom and legs. So if you do have a holiday coming up, or have just had one over the festive season, don't be scared to get back into class! Yes it may hurt quite a bit initially but the longer you put it off the more work you'll have to put in to get back to your fitness level prior to having a break. 

 Personally I find that if I have more than 3 days off my mid and lower back start to ache and my thighs feel 'heavier' and tighter. My stomach also starts to feel a little less toned. Pilates is like my own version of Yoga; I feel relaxed during and after my practice, I feel stretched out and lengthened even when I've done a tough class and I feel like I am on a natural high! Hence why I can't seem to stay away from the mat, the reformer or the barre for more than 3 days (even when I'm on holidays!). Of course many of us cannot attend classes every 3 days and that is completely understandable; I am just sharing how my body works. 

Clients who attend less than two classes a week, therefore one class a week on average, will see a decrease in their fitness and muscle tone if they miss one or two classes, that is one or two weeks. 

Lastly, we can all agree that the key with any type of fitness practise is CONSISTENCY. If something comes up and you have to cancel your usual Pilates class, make time to schedule another in that same week! Your body will thank you - in the form of some beautiful muscle tone! If you are going away for a holiday or have to travel for work, ask your Pilates instructor to make you a mobile program to do in your hotel room or gym. We want to help you, as we know first hand how hard you have worked to get your fitness and Pilates body to this point! 

x the Premium Pilates team