How to build a PT website (infographic)

The following blog post and infographic was produced by the team at TotalCoaching. To access the full 4,000-word guide, click here.

The fact that you need a website in order to sell products or services is pretty well accepted in our industry. Yet many people still think building their website will be complicated, or that it will represent a major investment.

They’re wrong.

Here’s an infographic that summarises the steps to follow in order to bring your personal training business online, with little effort, and little expense.

Don’t believe it? Check it out.

Source: Jason | Andor From Australian Fitness

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Ten foods to improve your eye health

The following post was written by Optometry Australia’s resident optometrist Luke Arundel.

It’s a common adage that carrots are good for your eyes – but is that really true? Here are ten foods that, in addition to other health benefits, will boost your eye health and help you protect them against eye disease.

1. Fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for your body to produce new cells, muscles, nerves and organs and they also have potent anti-inflammatory properties. They benefit our bodies for many important functions, including producing tears to keep the eyes moist and healthy, reducing dry eye syndrome. Cold water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel are rich sources of omega-3s, or you can get a good supply through supplements such as fish oil or algae oil.

2. Leafy green vegetables. Leafy greens such as kale and spinach are packed with lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important for good retina health. Broccoli, avocados and peas are also good sources of this powerful combination of antioxidants.

3. Eggs. Eggs are also a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin. One study found that when subjects ate one egg per day, lutein levels increased by 26 per cent, while zeaxanthin levels increased by 38 per cent. Eggs are also a source of Vitamin A, an important contributor to eye health.

4. Whole grains. Whole grains contain Vitamin E, zinc and niacin, which can all improve eye health by reducing the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Replacing refined carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (GI) such as white bread or pasta with whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice and oats is a great idea for eye health.

5. Nuts. Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, whichever take your fancy, are excellent sources of Vitamin E and minerals such as zinc that help keep your eyes healthy and may decrease your risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

6. Berries and citrus fruits. Oranges, lemons, red capsicum and berries are high in Vitamin C – a water soluble vitamin and a powerful antioxidant that helps the body form and maintain connective tissue, including collagen found in the cornea of the eye. Vitamin C also promotes healthy bones, skin and blood vessels, including the delicate capillaries in the retina.

7. Sunflower seeds. Excellent sources of Vitamin E and zinc, sunflower seeds can help to keep your eyes healthy.

8. Garlic. Garlic contains a compound called allicin which has potent medicinal properties, which can enhance blood flow and boost the immune system, for overall health benefits.

9. Dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and flavonoids, which can help circulation and blood flow in the retina[i], so aim for a high proportion of cocoa (at least 70 per cent) or, even better, cacao which is the unprocessed, purer form of chocolate.

10. Carrots! (Or, more accurately, any colourful fruit and vegetables). Perhaps this is where the part about carrots started. Foods such as carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, pumpkin, corn and cantaloupe are excellent sources of Vitamins A and C. And carotenoids – the compounds that give these fruits and vegetables their yellow, orange and red pigments – are thought to help decrease the risk of eye disease.

The above list is great to stick to for a healthy overall diet. The added implications for eye health are a positive bonus. It is also recommended that, to ensure you stay on top of your eye health, you have regular eye examinations with your optometrist.

Much of the information in this list was sourced from Eating for Eye Health, a publication of the Macular Disease Foundation Australia

Source: Jason | Andor From Australian Fitness

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We need to be mentally fit before we can be physically fit

I recently read an essay titled ‘No diet, no detox: how to re-learn the art of eating’ which included the assertion that ‘the art of eating …is a question of psychology as much as nutrition. We have to find a way to want to eat what’s good for us.’

The same could be said for fitness. Those who live sedentary lifestyles and baulk at the concept of physical activity cannot be forced to adopt exercise as a regular lifestyle habit. We have to find a way to make them want to do it.

More and more leaders in the fitness industry are embracing the idea that, for long term results, the body needs to follow where the mind leads it – not just where a personal trainer leads it for an hour or two each week. Empowering clients to take control of their own wellbeing by wanting to move more and eat well is the key to lasting success.

In this feature from the Autumn 2016 Network magazine, Helen Vanderburg advocates practicing sport psychology’s pillars of mental toughness, which includes consciously focusing on what you can do, rather than what you can’t. This, she says, increases confidence and sets you up for future opportunities.

In a similar vein, in her feature on avoiding body shaming in weight loss clients, Kylie Ryan urges us to focus not on how the body looks or how much it weighs, but on what it can do – and to celebrate each small improvement. In this article, Greg Sellar also taps into the power of mindset coaching, and the need to uncover clients’ motivations rather than impose our own ones on them.

Likewise, Andrew Chadwick’s feature on incorporating sandbells into clients’ training illustrates how turning work into play can transform the way clients think about exercise. After all, who doesn’t like having fun?

If we can succeed in turning exercise and healthy living from a need, into a want, then we can help more of the population adopt long-term fitness and a healthy, long life.
Source: Jason | Andor From Australian Fitness

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