chem :: corporate health events management

By Activ Cycle Coaching

When we all first bought our bikes, they were amazing!  Now they ok, they look alright, feel adequate, and quite frankly you’ve probably thought that if I spend thousands of dollars more on a new bike I could get that feeling again.  You can have that same feeling again with the o’l flame for much less coin.  Below there are some reasons why your bike isn’t feeling like the young steed you once knew:

• Worn Tires - Tyres wear out in a number of fashions.  Natural loss of rubber causing a flat top surface of the tyre.  Another might be that you haven’t ridden in quite a while and the rubber has hardened causing the tyre to feel dead.
• Cable Corrosion: Wear and Clogging – Cables although made of steel will deteriorate over time.  This will cause poor shifting performance.  Even though they are mostly protected by the cable outer, dirt and grit will find it’s way into places you can’t see.
• Drive-Chain Wear – Parts of the drive train include; Chain, Front Chain rings, Rear Cassette and Rear Derailleur.  Wear can be caused by a couple of things.  Poor lubrication, lack of cleaning or purely those 1000km weeks that you’re putting in!!! J  A worn drive chain will also cause poor shifting performance.
• Handlebar Tape – This is by far the cheapest cosmetic and comfort upgrade you can do to your bike.  Worn handlebar tape looks ugly, feels ugly and sometimes smells ugly!
• Cleat and Pedals – Cleats wear very easily.  Mainly due to walking around in your cycling shoes.  Worn cleats can be dangerous as they do not engage with the pedal the way they should.  Believe me, there is nothing worse than going for the win in the final meters, only to pull your foot from the pedal.

In a nutshell, if you look for these symptoms and address them early enough, the cost of maintenance is far lower than replacement.  If you want a bike make-over come and have a chat about what we can do.

Your steed will love you for it!

NEVER CYCLED BEFORE?

RETURNING TO CYCLING?

JUST A RECREATIONAL CYCLIST WANTING TO IMPROVE?

THEN THE ACTIV CYCLE COACHING BEGINNERS COURSE IS FOR YOU….

Starting February 13th 2010

You will benefit from increased confidence and fitness under the guidance of their professional and experienced cycling coaches. Their goal is to assist you to become fitter, stronger and more skilled so you naturally increase your enjoyment of cycling.

For only $299 you receive everything a beginner cyclist needs to feel confident on the road. This 6 week course includes 5 skill sessions, 12 group indoor and outdoor fitness rides and a basic bike maintenance session.

Numbers are limited, so book your place for the February course now!

Phone: 07 31623229 or  0418 722901 or email cameron@activcyclecoaching.com

This is just the start of what is on offer at Activ Cycle Coaching at 391 Montague Road, West End.  They have experienced coaches, indoor and outdoor training sessions for all levels and an in house mechanic for all your bike servicing needs.  So check out their website today

www.activcyclecoaching.com

800g trim boneless lamb roast
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6-8 desiree potatoes, quartered
500g pumpkin, peeled and deseeded, cut into large pieces
6-8 small baby brown onions, peeled
500g baby carrots, tops trimmed
olive or canola oil spray
1 x packet MAGGI Brown Onion
Gravy Mix
1 tbs mint jelly

pumpkin damper (omit for Low Fuel):
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme and rosemary)
1 egg
1 cup cooked mashed (approx 400g uncooked) pumpkin
30g butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place lamb on a rack in a baking dish. Make small incisions in top of lamb and fill with garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. When lamb has been cooking for 15 minutes, place vegetables in a large baking tray, lightly spray with oil and add to the oven. Bake vegetables for 40 minutes or until golden and tender, turning a few times during cooking. When lamb is cooked, transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, combine gravy mix, mint jelly and 1 cup hot water in a small saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat until gravy boils and thickens. Serve lamb with potatoes, pumpkin, onions, carrots and gravy. To make damper (omit for Low Fuel), sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in salt, parmesan and herbs. Whisk together egg, pumpkin, butter or margarine, and milk and add to dry ingredients. Mix to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper, then score into 6-8 portions using a flat-bladed knife. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes or until cooked.

Serves: 6-8

Athletes with high fuel needs (e.g. endurance athletes, athletes who are growing, athletes aiming to increase muscle mass) require extra carbohydrate-based ingredients and a larger serve size

Athletes with low fuel needs (e.g. skill-based athletes, athletes trying to reduce body fat) need to opt for a smaller serve size

Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job can sometime create a never ending battle in our heads!  While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it’s important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there are a few little tips we can offer that will help you to manage and reduce your stress at work:

• Get moving

Aerobic exercise – perspiring - is an effective anti-anxiety treatment lifting mood, increasing energy, sharpening focus and relaxing mind and body.  For maximum stress relief, try to get at least 30 minutes of heart pounding activity on most days. Finding your 30 might come easier with the help of this website – www.your30.qld.gov.au

• Make food choices that keep you going and make you feel good

Eating small but frequent meals throughout the day maintains an even level of blood sugar in your body. Low blood sugar makes you feel anxious and irritable. On the other hand, eating too much can make you lethargic.

• Drink alcohol in moderation and avoid nicotine

Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety and worry, but too much can cause anxiety as it wears off. Drinking to relieve job stress can also start you on a path to alcohol abuse and dependence. Similarly, smoking when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed may seem calming, but nicotine is a powerful stimulant – leading to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety.

• Get enough sleep

Stress and worry can cause insomnia. But lack of sleep also leaves you vulnerable to stress. When you’re sleep deprived, your ability to handle stress is compromised. When you’re well-rested, it’s much easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with job and workplace stress.

Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Laura Horwitz, Ellen Jaffe-Gill, M.A., Melinda Smith, M.A., and Robert Segal, M.A., contributed to this article

Aussie workers are being urged to get active, after a corporate health program revealed participants in the program registered 41 percent less sick days then their non-participating colleagues.

A 12-month research study conducted by the Department of Epidemiology & Preventative Medicine and Monash University into the results of the program revealed that participants increased their physical activity levels by over 350 percent, along with significant and sustained improvements in blood pressure, waist circumference and BMI eight months after completion of the program.

If employee health and wellbeing is a hazard in your workplace – let chem assist you in implementing a corporate health program for your workplace in 2010.

Contact us now by emailing chem@chem.net.au or phone our office on 07 3161 8600.