How Fit Are You?
Sun Herald
Sunday August 28, 2005
Donna Aston, a fitness expert, gym owner and best-selling author, gives her verdict on the fitness of six Australians. Interviews by Andrew Murfett and Sarah Price.
Kael Sahely, 20, student"I've lost 30 kilograms in the last couple of years. I didn't go on a diet, I just cut out a lot of cheeses and fats and stuff, I also took up swimming, and I've been trying to maintain my weight since. Probably the only thing that holds me back is drinking and my social life. I go out drinking usually three times a week. Vodka lime and soda and beer are my favourite drinks. I probably consider myself to be a social smoker; I don't smoke when I'm not out. I haven't eaten fast food like Maccas for four years now. I don't play sport much anymore; I used to play footy and tennis. If I've had a big night out, I try to be good for the next couple of days."Total weight:Current: 88.2kg. Target: 80kg.Body fat:Current: 26.54%. Target: 18%.Fat weight: Current: 23.4kg. Target: 14.4kg.BMR (basal metabolic rate the minimum amount of food needed to sustain lean muscle tissue):Current: 8457kJ/day. Target: 8646kJ/day.V02 max (a test to see how well your body uses oxygen when you're exercising at a given rate. Age and gender will influence the rating): 44.5ml/kg/min good.Blood pressure: 120/80 excellent.Donna Aston says:"Congratulations to Kael on his weight loss to date. The elimination of many processed foods has obviously had a positive impact on his weight. The social smoking and splurges on alcohol will, however, take their toll on his overall health. At 20, most of us feel invincible, but there is sure-fire long-term damage associated with smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. While Kael justifies this with a couple of good days following a big night out, this inevitably becomes a vicious cycle of binge and purge. With the risk of sounding like a nagging parent, I'd recommend a little more balance in Kael's overall lifestyle. This is not to say he shouldn't have a social life, but some moderation on his nights out, combined with an increase in his daily physical activity, would go a long way towards improving health, energy and facilitating further body fat reduction to reach his goal.Regular exercise will inadvertently make you think twice before annihilating your body on a social night out, knowing the effect this will have on your performance the following day. The healthier and cleaner our body begins to feel, the more inspired we generally become to take better care of it."Wendy Spindler, 40, admin/receptionist"I think I'm fairly fit. I try to work out once a week in the gym for an hour. I also walk my dogs every day; my dogs beg me for a walk, so I've got no choice really. When I started to go to the gym, I really noticed the difference. I feel more energetic through the week. I used to get really tired, trying to keep up with the kids [Marcus and Katarina, pictured left] that's why I started doing workouts. I avoid anything with flour and sugar. I missed foods like bread at the start, but I've found there are so many nice foods you can have besides. When I was much younger, I used to drink a lot, but I find drinking makes me sick these days. A glass of wine's fine, but if I have more than that, I feel like I've got a hangover the next day, so it's not worth the effort. I've never been tempted to smoke."Total weight: Current: 62.7kg. Target: 60kg.Body fat: Current: 26%. Target: 22%.Fat weight: Current: 16.3kg. Target: 13.2kg.BMR: Current: 6029kJ/day. Target: 6113kJ/day.V02 max: 29.5ml/kg/min good.Blood pressure: 126/85 good.Donna Aston says: "Caring for two children and holding down a job can be very demanding on time and energy, so I commend Wendy on making her health and fitness a priority. Parenting is generally a selfless commitment, so clever time management is the key to success. Keeping active and incorporating daily chores (such as walking the dogs, playing in the park with the kids, etc) is the most effective way to maintain a decent level of physical fitness. Wendy keeps her diet clean and free from overprocessed foods, which not only sets a great example for her young children, it also gives her the energy to keep up with them! If Wendy could make the time to schedule in a second 30-60 minute circuit-style workout each week (incorporating cardiovascular and strength exercises), this would go a long way towards improving her cardiovascular fitness and facilitating the small amount of fat loss indicated in her goal. This could be at a gym or simply using a skipping rope and doing a few weight-bearing exercises (for example push-ups and sit-ups) at home."Pam Watkins, 60, client co-ordinator "I'd like to age as well as I can. I've always tried to be careful with what I eat. I used to do modelling when I was younger, so I have always been conscious of how to look after myself. I've eliminated sugar from coffee and tea, which I thought I could never do. I did smoke. I gave it up five or six times before I was able to quit. It's been 12 years since I smoked. I enjoy tennis and golf regularly. I am meant to walk half an hour everyday, but on these cold mornings, I can quite easily turn over and go back to sleep."Total weight: Current: 58.9kg. Target: 58.9kg.Body fat: Current: 28.1%. Target: 25%.Fat weight: Current: 16.55kg. Target: 14.7kg.BMR: Current: 5240kJ/day. Target: 5520kJ/day.VO2 max: 31.3ml/kg/min excellent.Blood pressure: 155/98 high.Donna Aston says: "Pam is obviously doing something right. I think you'll agree she looks fabulous at 60! The elimination of sugar from her diet and slight increase in lean protein will certainly improve her health and energy by stabilising her blood sugar levels. Pam doesn't need to be any lighter on the scales. However, the slight shift in body composition (more muscle, less fat) will provide Pam with more strength and stamina and help to keep her metabolism high to maintain her already lean physique. Regular walking and the addition of a couple of strength training sessions a week will keep Pam's core strength at a level that will protect her bones and slow the natural deterioration of muscle that occurs with the ageing process. Pam's blood pressure was quite high on the day. However, it may have been due to a few pre-interview jitters. I would strongly recommend that she has this measured again shortly to determine whether this was a temporary elevation or if it is cause for concern."John Bullivant, 57, data management consultant"I work from home and am at a computer just about all the time so I go to the gym just about every day. If I miss a day I'll do a double class next time. It's the only exercise I get. I'm sedentary when I'm not at the gym. I'm not as young as I used to be that's the main reason for going to the gym. I do pump classes, I work on the treadmill and I do a few cycling classes. I think I'm fitter than I have been since I was at school. When I was working full-time I used to go in the evenings two or three times a week but now I go every day. The older I'm getting the more I think I need to do, plus at the moment I'm on a bit of a diet. I have high cholesterol so in the last eight weeks I've been eating really well and I've lost nine kilograms. Because I operate from home, the fridge is nearby and I kept on going to it a lot more than I should have. I'm really trying hard and eating lots of vegetables and fruit and in much smaller quantities."Total weight: Current: 74.3kg. Target: 74kg.Body fat:Current: 19.4%. Target: 18%.Fat weight: Current: 14.41kg. Target: 13.32kg.BMR: Current: 7440kJ/day. Target: 7520kJ/day.V02 max: 32ml/kg/min fair.Blood pressure: 159/85 elevated.Donna Aston says:"I congratulate John on his dietary and lifestyle changes and his consequent weight loss. While John's body composition is in a good range, I am concerned about his elevated cholesterol level and blood pressure, and the risk this poses during strenuous exercise. To ensure John is working at a safe level, I would recommend the use of a heart-rate monitor while exercising. This can also provide an accurate measure of progress towards improved fitness and further motivation. At 57, John's maximum heart rate is 163bpm (220 minus your age) and he shouldn't exceed 80 per cent of this. While John is enjoying daily workouts, recovery and repair is imperative to a successful training regimen. For this reason, I would recommend just three strength training workouts each week and plenty of walking on days in between to encourage optimum recovery. Strenuous cardiovascular workouts can also be taxing on recovery, so John needs to listen to his body and allow it to rest when necessary. Assuming John has reduced his dietary fat intake, I'd also recommend the addition of good fats (such as omega-3, i.e. fish and flaxseed oil) into his daily diet."Bree Ashley, 25, accountant"I would say I'm, hopefully, average fitness, but I'm probably not as fit as I think I am. I don't do enough exercise. I'm not completely unfit, but there's definitely room for improvement. I play netball twice a week and basically that's about it. If I'm being very fitness conscious, I'll go for a 30-minute run. I'm an accountant and it's long hours at work so I'm probably not as good as I should be about going to the gym or going for a run. I've always been fairly into sport but that's definitely decreased since I started work. I think it's decreased because I like doing group exercise and I think group fitness has fallen off quite a bit since I started work. My diet? It's probably terrible. There's no fruit but there are a lot of vegetables. But there's not a lot of sweets, so maybe that offsets the fruit. I'm conscious of it but I don't go out of my way. If I go out to dinner, I'm not going to not order what I want. I stick to three meals a day with not much snacking in between. I try to keep to healthy meals. If it's homemade meals, I try to go for a healthy alternative."Total weight:Current: 60kg. Target: 60kg.Body fat: Current: 27.4%. Target: 22%.Fat weight:Current: 16.44kg. Target: 13.2kg.BMR:Current: 5400kJ/day. Target: 5840kJ/day.V02 max: 45ml/kg/min excellent.Blood pressure: 126/78 very good.Donna Aston says:"Bree's overall health and fitness are good. While she doesn't need to lose weight on the scales, a slight reduction in body fat and increase in lean muscle would improve Bree's body composition and likely improve health and energy levels. Netball is a great addition to Bree's week. However, with her sedentary job she would benefit from a daily 30-minute walk and a couple of strength exercise sessions each week to stimulate lean muscle and keep her metabolism firing on all cylinders. An early morning walk clears the mind and often improves concentration and productivity. Consistency and balance are the key, rather than spasmodic health kicks."Stephen Muller, 48, model agent"I had never been to a gym before this assessment. I don't think I've even been on a treadmill. I do about 10 minutes' worth of exercise three times a week in the mornings the sort of exercises you can do on the spot such as running on the spot (about one kilometre), about 50 push-ups, squats and stretches. I play tennis once a month. I think I've got a very average diet but recently I've done a little bit better. I'm more conscious about doing things without excess. I gave up smoking about seven years ago and that's when I changed my life. Since then I've started doing things that are more healthy, more healthy alternatives. I eat more vegetables and salads. I have a reasonably balanced diet. I think my fitness is average, but I really don't know."Total weight: Current: 85.3kg. Target: 82kg.Body fat:Current: 22.8%. Target: 18%.Fat weight:Current: 19.45kg. Target: 14.76kg.BMR:Current: 8200kJ/day. Target: 8360kJ/day.V02 max: 25.4ml/kg/min very poor.Blood pressure: 145/93 elevated.Donna Aston says:"Giving up smoking often provides incentive to clean up other areas of our lives. Well done! I am concerned about Stephen's elevated blood pressure and poor cardiovascular fitness. A 4-5 kilogram fat loss and a slight gain in lean muscle would have a positive impact on Stephen's energy, strength and overall health. It's important to find activities that we enjoy, otherwise exercise becomes a chore and it's unlikely we'll stick with it. Having never been to a gym, perhaps Stephen could find himself a personal trainer to show him the ropes, at least until he feels confident and familiar enough to tackle an exercise regimen on his own. Alternatively, an effective regimen could be as simple as a daily 30-minute walk in the park, perhaps incorporating some of Stephen's current exercise (push-ups, sit-ups, etc) along the way."Find out more about Donna Aston at www.donnaaston.com.HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU WEIGH?The Body Mass Index is the official calculator in Australia for assessing how much you should weigh. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight (in kilograms) by your height squared (in metres). An underweight BMI is less than 18.5; normal range is 18.5 to 24.9; overweight is 25 to 29.9; obese is 30 to 40; and morbidly obese is greater than 40.
© 2005 Sun Herald