Exciting News!

The NEW Timetable for Group Fitness, Aqua Fitness, Spin, Gym Floor and RADKIDZ has been released! Download a copy by clicking here.

Very soon you will also be able to pick up a printed copy at Dolphins Health Precinct reception - stay tuned!

Congrats on a FREE Learn To Swim Term!

Learn to Swim student Ryder and Mum Louise, won Term 4 Learn to Swim fees free!

How did they win? Louise entered the draw to win Learn to Swim fees paid for a term by paying upfront when booking for Term 3.

Well done to Ryder and Mum Louise, Term 4 is on us!

Want a Better Butt?

Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images

Turning around to see a flat or shapeless backside in the mirror can cause self-consciousness when you wear a swimsuit or form-fitting skirts or pants. You could invest in undergarments that pad and lift your butt, but these only offer short-term results. Developing your glute muscles will add curves to your butt, giving it a perkier appearance. Include targeted exercises for your glutes in your lower-body workout for a shapelier butt.

Step Lifts

Step lifts work the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves while targeting the glutes. Stand in front of a flat bench or aerobic step with your hands on your hips. Step up onto the bench with your right foot while lifting your left leg straight behind you. Lower your left leg and step down off the bench. Switch feet, and execute the movement leading with your left foot. Repeat the exercise for three sets of 15 repetitions on each leg.

Bridges

Performing bridges recruits the glutes and core, helping to add roundness to the butt. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms on the floor next to your hips. Press your hips up toward the ceiling while squeezing your glutes. Hold this position for one second. Lower your hips toward the ground slowly, but don't let your glutes touch the floor. Repeat the movement for three sets of 15 repetitions.

Donkey Kickbacks

Donkey kickbacks activate the hamstrings and lift the glutes. Begin on the floor on all fours. Flex your right foot and press your heel up toward the ceiling while the right knee remains bent at 90 degrees. Tighten your glutes at the top of the movement. Slowly lower your right knee toward the ground, but don't let it completely rest on the floor. Repeat for three sets of 15 repetitions on each leg.

Lying Leg Lifts

Lying leg lifts stimulate the sides of the glutes to tone the hip area. Lie on your right side with your legs slightly bent and feet together. Rest your head on your right hand. Lift your left leg up to a 45-degree angle, and pause at the top of the movement for one second. Slowly lower your leg to the starting position. Repeat the motion for three sets of 15 repetitions on each leg.

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RADKIDZ Special Offer

Do your kids want to try RADKIDZ? This is a fantastic short-term

promotion that will save you money!

Buy 1 RADKIDZ class and get one FREE (to the same value).

Offer expires Wednesday afternoon at 3.15pm (yes, tomorrow!)

Show this offer on-screen, or print out this post to claim.

Be quick to secure a space.

Digital Radio has Arrived at DHP!

For your listening pleasure and constant motivation, Digital Radio has been installed at Dolphins Health Precinct. When you come into DHP to workout, you can now enjoy uninterrupted, motivational beats to keep you pumped!

Yummy Cottage Cheese Vegetable Lasagne

Most of us can benefit from including more vegetables in our diet and this vegetable lasagne is a great way to do it. 

This vegetable lasagne recipe is made using pumpkin, tomato pasta sauce, spinach leaves, crushed garlic and cottage cheese, which is a great source of protein and adds a nice zest to this dish. This recipe is a good source of protein.

Energy per 100g: 635kJ - 132Cal

Fat per 100g: 5.2g

Recipe Serves: This Recipe Serves 6-8. 

Recipe Ingredients:

• 500g Pumpkin, peeled & sliced
• 800g Pre prepared Tomato Pasta sauce
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
• 300g Spinach leaves, washed & chopped
• 1 Tub of Bulla Original Cottage Cheese
• 1 tsp Tuscan seasoning
• 3 Eggs
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 6 Fresh Lasagne sheets

Recipe Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees C.
2. Place the sliced pumpkin into a large saucepan with the tomato pasta sauce and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the garlic 1 min, add the spinach leaves to the pan and cook stirring until spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and cool.
4. Combine the cottage cheese, seasoning, eggs and 1/2 the parmesan cheese in a large bowl and mix well finally fold through the wilted spinach.
5. Spoon half the Pumpkin mixture into the base of a deep 24 cm square baking dish, cover with a layer of pasta sheets, top with half the cottage cheese mixture, cover with a layer pasta sheets and top with remaining pumpkin mixture repeat with remaining pasta, finishing with the cottage cheese and spinach mixture.
6. Sprinkle over the Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered in the pre-heated oven 180c for 30 minutes until golden.
7. Serve hot with salad and crusty bread.

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First RADKIDZ Classes a Success!

The first two RADKIDZ classes took place on Wednesday afternoon. The Group Fitness Studio was transformed into a fun, excitable, energetic space with the kids having a great time being active. A big thank you to Kerry and Kylie who did a great job motivating and inspiring the two classes. 

Bring on Friday's classes!

Interested in RADKIDZ? Enquire at Dolphins Health Precinct Reception. 

Vigorous Jumping Jacks

This activity burns approximately 526 calories per hour.

Jumping jacks completed at a vigorous pace can be a high calorie-burning activity, and are commonly a part of a circuit training routine. Jumping jacks engage the thighs, glutes, calves and upper body in a repetitive movement that will increase your heart rate in a very short period of time. This activity can be an intensive aerobic exercise.

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Are You Getting Enough?

We've all heard that drinking water will help keep us healthy. But how much is really enough?

The experts have always said, on average, that eight eight-ounce glasses per day will suffice. However, that might not be enough. While eight is great, amounts really need to be tailored to meet the needs of every individual. Most adults will lose between two to three quarts of water per day by way of normal body functions, but those who live in or work in warmer environments tend to lose more. Athletes for example, need to drink more water to balance their bodily fluids. For those people, drinking more water will make up for the bigger loss of water they had through perspiration, as well as in the regulation of body temperature.

Our bodies are made up of 55-70% water, but it does not replenish itself, so drinking water helps maintain that healthy balance. But even still, many will walk around dehydrated, most of the time unknowingly. That is because thirst is a poor indicator of dehydration. By the time someone gets thirsty, it is too late! Or, if one is thirsty, they may go for a beverage that does not actually replenish the body. A cold soda may feel nice going down, but beverages with caffeine are not meant to hydrate. Water is the best remedy for dehydration. If mild dehydration sets in, it can decrease one's energy level and mental functioning and increase stress on the body. Severe dehydration can have far more damaging effects. There are three important rules when it comes to drinking water:

1. Drink twice as much as it takes to quench your thirst.
2. Drink frequently throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
3. Drink at least eight glasses daily, or one cup for every 9 kilograms of body weight. For example, a 68kg person who does not exercise or work in hot climates needs 7.5 cups.

While some fruit juices and green tea may account for some fluid intake, you can count out beverages such as coffee or alcohol. They have a mild diuretic effect, which promotes urination and therefore water loss, which ultimately defeats the purpose.

QUICK TIP: A trick to ensure you are drinking your daily allowance is to fill a pitcher or jug with the allotment of water and keep it on your desk at work, or handy at home. The goal is then clearly marked. As you drink down the water, you know that you are on the right path to drinking enough water.

And finally, those frequent bathroom trips are not a bad thing. The best indicator that one is drinking enough water is when urine comes out pale yellow to clear. A dark yellow color, however, is a sign your body is dehydrated and is concentrating the urine in an effort to conserve water.

We Are Winners!

Justin Charlish (DHP Centre Manager), Sandra Hegarty (DHP Learn to Swim Coordinator)
and Lisa Maclean (DHP Learn to Swim Infant and Preschool Aquatics Teacher)

You may have heard whispers of our recent good news!

We are proud to announce that two significant awards were presented on Saturday night. Dolphins Health Precinct won the AustSwim Best QLD Swim Centre and Lisa Maclean was awarded 2011-2012 QLD AustSwim Teacher of Infant and Preschool Aquatics.

We would like to thank our dedicated staff who make the facility what it is, and of course, our Members, who make everything worth while.

Michael Klim's Top 10 Hints for Serious Swimmers

1. Consistency - consistency in training is key to better time and improvement.
2. Technique - swimming is probably the most technical sport so getting the stroke right will improve time and efficiency.
3. Stretching - as swimming doesn’t come naturally to humans and our bodies aren’t exactly designed to swim, we have to stretch to make sure we don’t put our muscles and joints under too much stress. Stretching is important as it will assist in recovery.
4. Diet (fuel) - it’s crucial that we fuel our bodies sufficiently before, during and after swimming. Keeping the fluids up is also very important; a mixture of water and carbohydrate drink is ideal.
5. Squad – I have found over the years that to get the best results out of myself I tried to surround myself with swimmers of similar ability. That way we were able to assist each other and push each other in the training sessions.
6. Ocean swimming – it’s a great way of mixing up the mundane nature of swimming training. Doing an occasional ocean swim will keep things fresh.
7. Cross training - it’s important to have great core strength and good strength in general for swimming and it’s impossible to improve that just by swimming as the load is constant, so supplementing your training with weights and core exercises will put you in good stead.
8. Equipment - there is a lot of different equipment on the market to aid stroke technique and different areas of swimming but using paddles and a pull buoy is a good start to isolate the arms and build strength.
9. Kicking – having a good kick is fundamental to being a good swimmer. Using your legs to the best of their ability will not only make you improve your times but give you good body position in the water which will enable you to swim for longer. Kicking should take up about 40% of the whole training volume.
10. Fun - don’t forget to have fun; it’s important that you enjoy the process.

Reminder: RADKIDZ Start Date - Next Week!

There was an overwhelming response to expressions of interest for RADKIDZ. We are proud to announce the first RADKIDZ class will take place on Wednesday 20th June at 3.30pm (for ages 4-7) and 4.30pm (for ages 8-12). 

RADKIDZ classes will be run every Wednesday and Friday afternoon, for both age groups. The classes are 45 minutes and aim to motivate and inspire young people into having fun while doing specially developed fitness activities. 

The casual fee for the class is $10, but there are attractive sibling rates available. 

To enquire or book, please visit Dolphins Health Precinct Reception or call 07 3880 3729.

Good Exercises For People With 'Bad Knees'

Photo Credit Getty Images

First, realise how often “bad knees” are indicative of a problem elsewhere. Picture a factory with three employees who need to perform different tasks in order for the factory to run efficiently. If two of the employees neglect their job duties, the remaining employee has to perform tasks that aren’t in the original job description. This means the factory would not run as efficiently as possible and, eventually, the overworked employee would complain to management. If only the other two employees would buckle down, the problem would be solved. 

In the factory of the human musculoskeletal system, the employees can be considered the hip, knee and ankle. In the case of bad knees, the hips and ankles may lack strength and mobility. The muscles in the feet and core may also not be functioning properly. If any element in that chain is off, your knees may suffer. So do these two exercises to put everybody to work.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Stand on your left foot with the left knee slightly bent. Keeping your hips level, bend forward as far as you can while maintaining a straight line from head to your heel. Do as many repetitions as possible without letting your knee cave inward, then switch sides. Do two to three sets.

Heel-Unsupported Mini-Squats

Stand on the edge of a step, your weight in the ball of one foot. Let your heel sink down and pause for a second straight-legged. Then, keeping your heel down and making sure your knee doesn’t cave inward, do a mini squat by bending your knee and pushing your hips back. Repeat on the other side for 12 to 20 reps for two to three sets.

Scott Lynn, PhD, associate professor of kinesiology at California State University.

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Increase Your Workout with Power Plate

Ever wondered what the Power Plate does and why it is so beneficial in your exercise regime? Keep reading...

Increased Circulation - Keep the System Running

The vibrations produced by the Power Plate machine stimulate the muscle-pump effect, causing an immediate increase in blood flow. This can improve the body’s ability to transport oxygen and nutrients around the body, as well as dispersing waste products such as lactic acid more efficiently.

Relax and De-Stress - Rejuvenate Your Body

More than just exercise equipment, the Power Plate machine offers the capacity for while body massage and relaxation. It passively works all the muscle groups in the body, increasing circulation instantly and aiding in the relief of pain for exhanced relaxation.

Stronger Bones - Build Bone Mineral Density with Power Plate

The technology behind the Power Plate machine first helped Russian cosmonauts fight the effects of zero gravity – which can affect bone density and muscle strength. Today, independent studies show the Power Plate machine’s potential to increase bone mineral density and improve muscle strength for the rest of the population.

Fast Forward - Achieve your Ultimate Body

Using the Power Plate machine helps stimulate an immediate increase in circulation, oxygenating the blood and improving the removal of toxins from the body. This can help to reduce the appearance of cellulite for a smoother, sleeker silhouette.

To utilise the Power Plate at Dolphins Health Precinct, please enquire at reception and start your advanced exercise program today!

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Healthy Tom Yum Goong

Serves: 4

Time to make: 30 minutes

No dairy, low fat, low KJ, high protein

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons tom yum paste
• 4 cups reduced-salt fish stock
• 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, bruised
• 2 fresh lime leaves
• 400g fresh rice noodles
• 24 (about 500g) peeled green king prawns
• 300g assorted mushrooms, sliced (eg. shitake, oyster)
• 150g sugar snap peas
• 1 small carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2/3 cup fresh coriander leaves

Instructions

Step 1

Place paste into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add stock, 2 cups water, lemongrass and lime leaves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8–10 minutes, adding rice noodles in the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Step 2

Add prawns, mushrooms, peas and carrot. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until prawns are cooked. Remove from heat and discard lemongrass. Add lime juice and top with coriander to serve.

Variations

• If you can’t find tom yum paste, use red curry paste instead.
• To help reduce the sodium, replace the prawns with shredded, cooked chicken and use chicken stock in place of fish stock.

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Learn To Swim Enrolments Open to All

Dolphins Health Precinct Learn to Swim enrolments are now open to all. Book fast to avoid disappointment. 

"Dolphins" with the help of our friend, "Splash" will give your child the ultimate in fun-based learning. Our teachers make every lesson an adventure where children will be transported by new innovative teaching techniques that ensure they will both enjoy their time and learn at a faster rate. Our facilities have been specifically designed with your child in mind and cater to their every need, making every lesson an enjoyable experience.

Enrolment is now open for everyone! Don’t wait till summer to get your kids swimming!

Term 3 starts 9th July through to 22nd September. 11 week term - $159.50

To enquire or enrol, please contact Dolphins Health Precinct reception on 07 3880 3729.

Progress Photos - DISCO Week!

Day three into the DISCO Week bonanza at DHP and we have seen some AMAZING costumes! Thanks to all of you who got involved. If you haven't, you have until Sunday to come dressed as DISCO Fever!

How Much Cardio?

Cardio is essential for weight loss because of its capacity to burn calories. However, to lose weight, you must be burning more calories than you are consuming. Just because you are doing cardio training does not mean you have free range in the kitchen. Cardio mixed with a balanced diet will help you lose weight fast.

The Numbers

To lose weight, you must be burning calories, and cardio will give you the best chance to make that happen. To lose half a kilogram a week, you must burn 3,500 calories, or 500 calories a day, according to the Shape Fit website. Completing high intensity cardio will help you get to your goal. Often, the cardio machine will have a function that tells you how many calories you've burned.

Recommended Cardio Amount

The website Exercise Goals recommends doing cardio for 30 to 45 minutes three days a week. However, to maximize your calorie expenditure, aim for four or five days a week for 60 to 90 minutes. Cardio can be performed anaerobically and aerobically, both leading to a caloric burn.

Anaerobic

Anaerobic cardio is similar to interval training. Anaerobic exercises cannot be sustained for a long period of time, such as a sprint. A full-out sprint may last 30 seconds at its maximum. These kinds of workouts burn major calories and jump-start your metabolism. Try doing an anaerobic workout for 20 minutes. Start with a moderate jog, then complete 10 30-second sprints, resting for one minute in between sprints, followed by a five-minute cool down jog.

Aerobic

Completing aerobic cardio is not quite as intense as anaerobic exercise, but still burns calories. Aerobic exercise is cardio that can be maintained for a long duration, such as 30 to 60 minutes. Running, power-walking, swimming and biking are all great aerobic exercises that will help you burn calories.

Find What You Like

It is beneficial to your weight loss success that you do cardio, so find what you like. Pick a cardio activity that you don't dread doing--that way, you are motivated to fit it into your daily routine. Try taking a group fitness class, going for a run on the treadmill or just hitting the elliptical to stay motivated to reach your goals.

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DISCO WEEK!

DISCO WEEK has officially hit DHP!

Wear your favourite disco outfit and join in the fun.

All classes for this week will be in disco fever mode!