Café Fitness

August 20, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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I recently mentioned that my radio programme was changing to become the Morning Café.

One of the new segments that I’ve been looking forward to is a look at fitness and health with personal trainer Kellie Long. We introduced the segment yesterday and got off to a wonderful start.

I know that whenever someone is introduced as being a personal trainer, the natural assumption is that they’re a person for whom fitness comes naturally. We get the idea that they’re somehow created just a little differently from us mere mortals and we’re never likely to achieve the things that they’ve been able to achieve.

That’s why we started out with a little of Kellie’s story. It’s a story with which many of us can identify. It’s a story about dissatisfaction from where we find ourselves but the difference in Kellie’s story is that she did something about it then set about inspiring others.

I am not unfamiliar with the pain of being unhappy in my own skin, both physically and emotionally. I was once 93kgs and can proudly say that after 18 months of hard work lost 30 kgs and have never looked back. Was it easy? NO! Was it worth it? Yes! This is why I have been working and studying in the fitness industry for the past five years. I enjoy training people of all walks of life whether they are mothers, aspiring firemen, police recruits or business men and women. I’m proud to be a partner in their lives and a catalyst for them to reach the goals they strive for.

My goals for my clients are to see not just the improvement of their physical capabilities but their mental and emotional progress also. Physical training cannot be separated from a person’s emotional state. Therefore, my training has a holistic approach in building self confidence through client’s achievements and newly formed lifestyles of clean eating, their ability to handle stress and of course their new found strength in all their physical achievements. – KellieLong.com

If you want to find somewhere to start on your own journey to being happy in your own skin you can listen to our segment by clicking the play button on the audio player below. We’re starting with the basics but there’ll be something for people of any fitness level in the coming weeks.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR190811_1535.mp3]

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Walk Safely to School Day

May 19, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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Walk Safely to School Day is an annual, national event when all Primary School children in Australia are encouraged to walk safely to school. It’s a community event which promotes road safety, health, public transport and care for the environment.

Now in its twelfth year, Walk Safely to School Day will be held around Australia tomorrow. This morning I spoke about the project with Harold Scruby, Chairman of the Pedestrian Council of Australia on 98.5 Sonshine FM.

It seems that everyone used to either ride or walk to school but these days there are lines of cars outside every school each morning. Did you walk to school? Do you have children who walk to school or do you drive them each day? Do you enjoy walking?

If you’d like to hear a bit more about Walk Safely to School Day and the benefits of walking generally, just click th play button on the audio player below.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR190511_1120.mp3]

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Truth, Lies and Chocolate

May 13, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
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Truth, Lies & ChocolateOver recent years we’ve seen a renewed interest in food and thankfully a lot of people are heading back into the kitchen but are we cooking healthier food?

Julie Meek spent five years as the Dietitian to the Fremantle Dockers Football Club, has worked with the Perth Wildcats, and has helped thousands of ordinary people achieve personal success through eating well.

Julie has a degree in nutrition and health promotion and an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Her new book Truth, Lies & Chocolate explores 99 Facts and Fairytales about food. The book was a finalist in the foodie equivalent of the Oscars, the 2010 Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards.

Julie joined me on 98.5 Sonshine FM today during my morning programme to talk about the book and healthy eating habits. You can hear our conversation by clicking play on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

If you’re looking to get some simple answers to the complex questions about food, Julie has a wonderful way of helping others move forward on the journey to healthy eating.

Is chocolate good for us? Should we eat carbohydrates after 5:00 p.m.? Are orange wedges suitable for a mid game snack? What part does metabolism play in maintaining a healthy weight? Can eating too little prevent us from losing weight? These are just a few of the topics we touched on during our chat.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR130510_1112.mp3]

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IBERA helps close the gap

May 18, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
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closethegap.jpgThe gap between the health of Indigenous Australians and the rest of our population is a scandal. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have a life expectancy 17 years less than other Australians.

Last week an innovative tool was launched in Canberra which aims to help ‘Close the Gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancy rates in Australia.

IBERA or Indigenous Body Education Resource Animations should empower patients to make more informed decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

Late last week I spoke to Paula Arnol about IBERA.

Paula Arnol is a Cairns woman with strong family connections to Yarrabah. Ms Arnol is the Chief Executive Officer of the Danila Dilba Biluru Butji Binnilutlum Health Service, the principal Aboriginal Medical Service for Darwin and surrounding areas providing holistic services around the comprehensive primary health care model.

Ms Arnol sits on the boards of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory, which is the State Affiliate body for the 26 Aboriginal Medical Services within NT, Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum, the National Indigenous Health Equality Council, which was a council put together after the new Government’s announcement on the Close the Gap policy, the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, which brings core research and ideas around delivering priorities in Aboriginal health nationally and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, which is the National representative body for all Aboriginal Medical Services nationally.

If you want to hear the discussion I had with Paula on 98.5 Sonshine FM last week, just click the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR150509_1411.mp3]

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Bicycles continue to outsell cars

January 7, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
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cadent_1_small.jpgIt seems that more Aussies are taking to the roads on two wheels. For the ninth consecutive year Australians have bought more bicycles than cars. I take pride in that statistic, especially seeing that I was one of those who bought a new bike in 2008. (Mine’s just like the Avanti Cadent 1.0 in the picture.)

While fuel prices have taken a temporary tumble, they’re sure to rise again and by the time you factor in all the associated costs, driving is still an expensive habit.

We’ve been a one car family for many years now and we save a huge amount of money due to the fact that I commute by bicycle. I’ve especially enjoyed the past couple of months since the radio station moved to new premises. My new cycle commute has me pedalling three times the daily distance and I’m loving it. I’m feeling healthier by the day.

In a News.com.austory titled Bicycle sales rise in Australia, we’re told that Australia is still experiencing a boom in bicycle sales.

Data released yesterday revealed that – for the ninth consecutive year – consumers bought more bicycles than cars.

Bike sales last calendar year reached 1.4 million, just 2 per cent down on the record 1.42 million sold in 2007.

That far outstripped the 1 million auto sales over the same period.

Climate change and a bigger focus on health are just a couple of great reasons to get out and ride. It’s time to rediscover what we’ve always known; cycling is fun.



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