Premiers Sporting Challenge

Premiers Sporting Challenge Staff Challenge 2016

Teachers Mutual Bank is proudly sponsoring the NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge Staff Challenge. 

The NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge Staff Challenge was initiated in 2011 to complement the existing Primary and Secondary Challenges. The program provides an opportunity for Departmental staff (teachers and office staff) to challenge themselves to be more active, more often. The Staff Challenge is also seen as an important tool for teachers as influential adults to model healthy lifestyle choices to their students.

Participation in the Staff Challenge has grown from its first year with 629 staff to over 6,000 registrations for 2015 and will be similar in 2016.

Teachers Mutual Bank is proud to support teachers to embrace a healthy lifestyle and to enhance your efforts we have engaged celebrity training guru, Dr Tim Robards (Chiropractor), to provide inspiration and tips throughout the NSW Premiers Sporting Challenge Staff Challenge. 

Tim completed a fitness degree and medical science degree at Wollongong University, before completing a Masters of Chiropractic at Macquarie University.  He has worked as a personal trainer for many years and has since focused on a holistic approach as a chiropractor incorporating all elements of what the body needs to thrive in its environment. 

Tim has treated and mentored some of the world’s top athletes and is equally passionate in helping the less elite. Tim’s research and observations of what people really need to thrive and live a healthy fulfilling life has led him to developing The Robards Method (TRM). Tim's goal with TRM is to help as many people from all walks of life to not only decrease their chance of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart disease but find a whole new simpler way to eat, think and move so you can thrive in your environment and live life to your full genetic potential.

To kick start the Challenge, Tim urges those embarking on a fitness journey to go back to basics to get yourself prepared for your challenge.  Such as making sure you’re really hydrated.

Tim’s Tip #1

Water = life. We all know it. But why do so many of us neglect the importance of being well hydrated? And good hydration doesn’t begin after training. Ideally we should aim to drink around 1 litre/25kg of body weight each day. This helps every cell function optimally. It cleanses the body of toxins, helps digest food, increases blood flow and even slows the ageing process.

People often confuse hunger with dehydration. So before you reach for the closest snack, hydrate yourself and listen to your body’s response. Chances are your “hunger signs” decrease.  

A filter can be a useful investment. When you filter tap water you remove fluoride, aluminium, ammonia, chlorine, copper, lead and other impurities. Also keep in mind how many metres of piping your tap water has flowed through before it hits the bottom of your glass.

Tim's Tip #2

Taking care of yourself includes improving the quality of your sleep. Poor sleep habits can lead to obesity, depression, poor concentration, insulin resistance, inflammation and chronic disease. To help improve your sleep quality, make sure you’re sleeping in total darkness without any distractions. That means no TV or electronic devices, other than an alarm clock in the bedroom.

A great investment is a fitness tracker/watch that tracks your sleep. You may be surprised at how little you are sleeping, and the actual quality of your sleep. Getting more sleep could be the answer to many ailments. 

Try reading a book before bed. Turning off your computer an hour before bed helps improve the quality of your sleep by allowing your body to produce the sleep hormone, melatonin.  

Getting in a routine every night is the key to a great night’s sleep. For example:

1. Set a specific time to get into bed every night e.g. 10pm.
2. Have a hot shower at 8pm and add a drop of lavender essential oil in the corner so it can vaporise.
3. Make a chamomile tea at 8:30pm.
4. Turn off electronic devices at 9pm.
5. Read a book until 9:45pm.
6. Meditate for 5-10 minutes.

Tim's Tip #3

Movement is something we all need to be healthy. How much we need is questionable, but most experts agree that 10,000 steps in a day is a good amount. 

Due to modern technology and industrialisation, many of us  are not reaching 10,000 steps. Compare this to the days of hunting and gathering, or even before we moved to big cities and we worked the land. 

Moving stimulates blood flow, strengthens your cardiovascular system, balances your hormones, keeps your input vs output in check, keeps your weight in check and strengthens your bones through weight bearing exercise!

Use your Premier’s Sporting Challenge Staff Challenge pedometer to record your movement and exercise -, they are great for motivation! As humans, we love achieving things and it’s a great feeling seeing that you’ve made it to the next fitness level!  If you were on Bronze last week, try to make it to Silver this week – every step counts!

Tim’s Tip #4 

Keep MOVING.

Humans aren’t built to sit still for long periods of time, though often our jobs, commute (or exhaustion at the end of the day) encourage us to do so. 

If standing is the break you give yourself from sitting, then try to focus on flipping this routine on its head. Make sitting the break you give yourself from standing (or even better, moving).

If you do need to sit for extended periods, try to ensure you have yourself set up ergonomically, appropriate specific to your needs. Concentrate on sitting upright, shoulders back and ensure your screen is at the right height so your eyes look forward, not down.

Here are some hints you can build into your day to help with healthy habits:

• Try standing when you take a phone call.
• Set an alarm to get yourself a glass of water every hour.
• Where possible, plan your meetings to be walking meetings, rather than indoor sitting ones.
• Meet friends for a walk, rather than a café lunch.

Tim’s Tip #5 

Make a LIST. Set a GOAL.

Ever noticed how satisfying it is to cross things of a list. Many of us lead such busy lives, we feel swamped with our day to day chores and activities, and never seem to manage to make our health and wellbeing a priority until it’s too late.

A list can become your friend. It can help to track the important things you need to complete each day, including some tasks that ensure you take time for exercise and healthy eating. It can also make you aware of your successes each day, giving you a sense of achievement.

Once you’ve started to make headway in achieving the tasks on your list, the next step is to include small daily steps towards achieving your longer term health and fitness goals.

Tim’s Tip #6

EAT WELL.

As a follow on from tip #5, you might like to start planning and listing your weekly meals to ensure you’re getting a healthy balance and making a transition (where needed) away from processed, sugary foods.

Start with a list of your meals from the last week and see if you can alter the ingredients or your preparation method to make them a little healthier. Try and remove as much pre-packaged food and sauces as you can, reverting to fresh meat and vegetables with your own special blend of herbs and spices.

Keep a record of how you feel. Give your body a chance to adjust and take note of any improvements. You’ll gain a new respect for real food, just as nature intended it for us!