Lifestyle Gurus Show How To Be Fit And Happy

Sun Herald

Sunday January 23, 2005

MIRANDA WOOD

JENNY McLoughlin was struggling to find time to exercise.

With two young children to care for and a part-time job, McLoughlin, 35, wanted to work out more regularly and be less stressed.

To improve her lifestyle she decided to enlist the help of an exercise physiologist, an increasingly popular profession in the health industry.

"It gave me the inspiration to make the most of what I already do in my life," McLoughlin said.

Professor Steve Boutcher, the head of the health and sports science program at the University of NSW, said there was a growing niche for exercise physiologists.

"Doctors try to cure health problems, physiotherapists try to cure pain and gym instructors try to improve fitness, but none of these takes a holistic approach to lifestyle," he said.

"That is where exercise physiologists come in. They have skills in a range of areas including preventative medicine, exercise science and nutrition.

"They look at simple ways to reduce poor dietary habits, and simple ways to do exercise."

The Australian Association of Exercise and Sport Science is negotiating with governments to have exercise physiologists recognised alongside occupational therapists and physiotherapists in the hospital system.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners also wants its members to refer patients to exercise physiologists to reduce the number of lifestyle-related diseases.

"Australians are getting fatter and less physically active every year," Boutcher said. "Exercise physiologists can play a central role in reversing this epidemic by helping people change their lifestyle."

McLoughlin, a project officer at the university, volunteered to participate in a five-week course at the Healthy Lifestyle Clinic at UNSW to learn healthier habits. The clinic is run by final-year exercise physiology students and qualified professionals.

Clients at the clinic have their fitness and lifestyle habits assessed before a program is created for them.

McLoughlin, from south-western Sydney, said her program involved incorporating exercise into her day-to-day routine, which included lifting her two-year-old daughter more often.

"You're not going out of your way to do something," she said. "They were things I could do while I was looking after the children. I also started walking to the shop instead of driving there."

After completing the program, McLoughlin said she had lost weight, boosted fitness levels and was eating better. "It was really exciting," she said.

Boutcher said: "We all know we should change our lives. We sometimes need help and there is nothing wrong with that."

© 2005 Sun Herald

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