​Take a bow Australia.

You’ve just been announced as the seventh healthiest country in the world, and we’re one of only a few English-speaking countries to make it (although given how multicultural we are, that’s a moot point). 
 
Our Spanish friends took the top honour, replacing Italy (now in second spot).  Iceland got the bronze medal. 
 
It’s not just our ability to smash out burpees in the pre-dawn, or our love of a run along the beach – Medicare and access to health care for all, hospital services and acute illness care are a major factor, as is the decline in tobacco usage across our fair country.  Our air and water are clean, our toilets flush and while we take these for granted, they play a huge role in keeping the population healthy.
 
Because we’re competitive, we need to know how to move up the list.  The way to get on the dais is to control the big lifestyle issue of obesity.  And we do that through eating better and moving more.
 
Let’s not all make drastic changes all at once.  Add a side salad to your meal, try the bun-less burger option, swap the arvo snack for a piece of fruit.  Little changes.  They add up.
 
The same goes for exercise.  Start incorporating more movement in your daily life.  Take a flight of stairs instead of the elevator.  Work on the 8th floor?  Get off on level 6 and walk the rest.  Start by walking downstairs first and build up to the uphill slog.  Stick a podcast in your ears and walk to work, or at least to the next suburb and get the bus from there.  Destress from work with a hit of tennis, or strap on the boxing gloves.  You don’t have to excel at everything you do, the key is to move a bit more than you did yesterday. 
 
And if you’re wondering who’s ahead of us and who to beat, here’s the list.  The good news is that we beat the kiwis at something!
 
1: Spain
2: Italy
3: Iceland
4: Japan
5: Switzerland
6: Sweden
7: Australia
8: Singapore
9: Norway
10: Israel 

Read more in The New Daily's article here

Search the internet for ‘benefits of running’ and you’ll find a world of information.   From the physical benefits like strengthening muscles and building bone density to the mental benefits of improving memory to providing stress relief – you’ll soon start thinking running is a miracle cure.  And that’s just on the first page of search results!  At Pride Fitness, we’re all for celebrating the benefits of exercise but realise it can be hard to get motivated to get moving. 
 
For all Pride Fitness clients and Boot Camp attendees, we’re pleased to add a social run to your week.  Every Monday evening from 630pm, we’ll add the miracle of running to your world. 
We meet outside La Montage, jog out to Rodd Point & back – then bask in those endorphins. 
​It’s about 5km in total.

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​​This is not a part of Boot Camp nor is it mandatory!  It does not count towards your 10 sessions.  This is a free social outing open to all clients and Boot Camp attendees. 
 
You don’t have to join in each week.  Life gets in the way sometimes, so come when you can. 
 
Runners will be part of a WhatsApp chat group; each Wednesday afternoon just let us know if you can make it and we’ll wait for you at the start point.  As this is not part of Pride Fitness activities, we will be running at our own risk, as a group of friends.  By joining the run, you agree that you are running at your own risk.  This also means you are free to run together on those weeks that the trainer cannot make it (again, life gets in the way sometimes).

Are you ready to run?

Even at 7am the heat and humidity were not ideal. Still, I'd promised a bootcamp and Pride Fitness always delivers.

A jog to our destination leaves us dripping in sweat. The locals aren't cracking a sweat, we look like we've been doing HIIT for hours. A push-up pyramid kicks us off, with some core work to follow (I'll list the exercises at the bottom, just do them all in a sauna to get the full Vietnamese experience).

Wheel barrow races were the option if assisted rows/sumo squats aren't your thing. Note: by now sweat is teeming off your wrists making dips a danger (a slippery dip, if you will).

Side planks become trecherous in the humidity, you'd be amazed just how much sweat can pool on one side of your face, only to waterboard you when you change sides.

​The team rounded out the pre-breakfast out with a jog back to the hotel looking every bit drowned rats, to the muted entertainment of the locals. Wherever you are, whatever the weather- you can always make fitness a part of your everyday

Here's the abridged workout:
10 push-ups
Sprint
9 push-ups
Sprint
Repeat til you get down to one, then plank til everyone's finished.

Leg raise with pulse

Tricep dips (10,10,10) while others do sumo squat with partner row.

Pull ups
Box jumps
Dips
Side planks
Run to finish

The first LGBTQIA boot camp kicked off in style this week with a cross-section of our community in attendance.  Actually, we don't know the orientation of our boot campers and we really don't care.  What matters is they're turning up, they're laughing, sweating and swearing their way through group training each morning.  

The campers (but not mincers) were treated to a fitness test to base their progress off and a few circuits designed to hurt all over.  By Thursday, the pain was in residence as were the smiles.  We'll see how they shape up for week two.