People dance for many reasons. But did you know that dancing has great health benefits as well? Steven Bock from 5th Avenue Dance tells us everything he has discovered about just how good dancing is for your wellbeing.
We all know that exercise is the ultimate medicine. Staying active is paramount for wellbeing, especially in the years after 50. But what if you could combine a fun activity with exercise so that you didn’t even feel like you were exercising at all? That’s exactly why so many people do dancing – it’s so fun that you forget you are getting quite the workout. Dancing is amazing for wellbeing. Here’s why.
BENEFITS:
Improve the condition of your heart and lungs; due to the (sometimes) aerobic nature of some of the faster dances. At 5th Avenue Dance we structure your 45 minute lessons to warm up with a Foxtrot which moves around the room, then a slower Latin dance the Rumba, before we hit the faster tempos of Swing, a break with some wonderful Waltz, before moving onto a faster Cha Cha then cool down with a Tango.
Increase your muscular strength. When you are dancing, you are moving! Our 5th Avenue Dance instructors are very aware of your starting level of fitness, and take this into account as we teach you to dance, and within a very short period of time what you can do, increases.
Increase endurance. Dancing may not seem like exercise in the same way as going to the gym, riding a bike or training for a triathlon. But we are dancing and moving for 45 minutes, which is a good workout. The difference is the music and fun (not to mention the skill you are learning).
Weight management. Exercise is great. Even better is a variety of exercise to burn calories. Your body gets used to just swimming, or just running. Dancing a variety of dances uses different muscle groups at different speeds. This is hard for your body to “get used to” so therefore more calories are burned.
Stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis. According to Osteoporosis Australia, dancing is categorised as highly Osteogenic. Dancing is right up there in the number one category.
Better coordination, agility, and flexibility. This is very important in the later years to maintain balance and prevent falls. At 5th Avenue Dance we concentrate on feet placement and timing. This leads to better balance and coordination and gives you increased agility and flexibility as well as spatial awareness (very important on a social dance floor with many other couples dancing and having fun).
Increased physical confidence. As your stamina increases, together with balance and timing, your physical confidence in what you can do skyrockets. For those needing the occasional helping hand, your connection to your dance partner supplies this – allowing you to fly across the dance floor.
Improved general and psychological wellbeing. Being social and making new friends in the later years has been shown time and time again to lengthen lifespan and increase wellbeing.
Better social skills. At 5th Avenue Dance we are constantly recommending changing partners in group lessons. Our students make us so proud, even those who have their own partner go out of the way to ask and dance with all partners. You can never have too many friends, right?
To find out more about whether dancing can benefit your health, come in and take advantage of our complementary private dance lesson here at 5thavenuedance.com.au . Time to have fun! ■
If you want to read more about dancing, click here.
Gold Coast Private Hospital have just launched a dedicated Breast Care Centre. This means that women with breast cancer can get a range of services under one roof. And, you aren’t going it alone. A dedicated breast care nurse is there to guide the patients through the different stages of their treatment.
The centre, at the Gold Coast Private Hospital, offers on-site breast surgeons, nurses, radiographers, psychologists, physiotherapists, oncologists (medical and radiation), pathologists and a geneticist. This is to ensure everything is provided on-site.
Breast Care Nurse Sharra Artz, who has over 20 years’ experience in oncology nursing, has been fundamental in setting up the service and is essential in the patient’s breast cancer journey. “I feel very blessed in my role of being able to offer support, education, guidance, comfort and a friendly face. It must be one of the most challenging and overwhelming times in someone’s life. My role is to be by the patient’s side from the beginning. I gently guide and answer questions and ensure all the patients’ needs are being met – right into survivorship where women need a different type of emotional support.”
It is not uncommon for women to experience discomfort after their procedures. Hence, the hospital has created a nurturing take-home care pack. Partnering with local businesses, the pack includes deodorant paste from Beautiful Batches, lip balm from A Bit Hippy, healing balms and wound care from Great Health Company and breast pillows from St James Church sewing group.
Breast Cancer Patient Tani Nokes said, “I feel really blessed with the support l got from the hospital and was fortunate to get an early diagnosis. I tell everyone I know to get an ultrasound now. Although it may sound strange, but it was a wonderful experience at what could have been a very stressful time. I had no idea what to expect and I was able to contact Nurse Sharra at any time of the day or night, I didn’t have to worry about a thing.”
Under the care of Breast Surgeon Heidi Peverill, Tani had a biopsy that found a small tumour. She did not need chemotherapy, and started Radiation Oncology with Dr Dominic Lunn.
The Breast Care Centre is committed to providing superior breast care in one location. Diagnostic, imaging and treatment schedules are all part of the service.
Healthscope’s Gold Coast Private Hospital owns and operates the centre. They are leaders in bringing together the expertise of a multidisciplinary team. This particular team specialises in the treatment of benign and malignant cancers. Also, it offers breast implant safety checks and ultrasounds.
The Breast Care Centre is supported by onsite chemotherapy services including a Day Infusion Centre and Radiation Oncology. This provides patients with the highest quality care in both medical and emotional support. ■
Lipoedema is a chronic condition characterised by a painful and abnormal accumulation of fat cells in the hips, thighs, buttocks, legs and sometimes arms. The legs may become swollen, bruise easily, feel tender and uncomfortable. The diseased fat cannot be reduced by diet or exercise, weight loss surgery or medications. Many women have this disease and grow increasingly frustrated by not understanding why their bodies are changing. They often get a misdiagnosis of obesity. Does this sound familiar? If so, read on!
“There are currently many generations of women that are stuck with diseased fat in their legs,” says Dr Lekich from Lipoedema Surgical Solution. Sufferers of earlystage Lipoedema often have column-shaped legs. As the conditions worsens, the fat continues to build up and the lower half of their body becomes heavier. The lipoedemic fat can also build up in the arms. The fat cannot be exercised or dieted away. Many patients eat well and exercise yet continue to develop fat on their lipoedemic areas.
The condition almost exclusively affects women and it is estimated that 1 in 10 women suffer with Lipoedema. Onset times include puberty or pregnancy, or during menopause.
The condition is poorly understood and often dismissed as obesity. If not diagnosed and managed properly Lipoedema can result in further complications.
Before and after treatment at Lipoedema Surgical Solution and Vein Doctors Group at Miami.
Dr Chris Lekich is the medical director of Lipoedema Surgical Solution and Vein Doctors Group, attached to the Miami Private Hospital, a purpose built facility for varicose vein and lipoedema surgeries. It is a medical clinic, not a cosmetic clinic, focused on taking a holistic approach to health for the best possible outcomes. Dr Lekich has spent a considerable amount of time in Germany, training with world-leading experts in Lipoedema. He says, “In Australia, we are 15 years behind Germany with our awareness of Lipoedema.”
Now Dr Lekich is passionate about spreading awareness about the condition. He wants everyone from referring doctors, to the media, to politicians to know about it. If you suspect you have it, then call the number in the contact box. ■
CASE STUDY
LIPOEDEMA SURGERY
Kerrie believes she may have had Lipoedema, without knowing, as early as thirty years ago. For over twenty years doctors told her to simply ‘lose weight’. Most recently it was even suggested for her to undergo gastric bypass surgery.
A rheumatologist pointed to her thighs and legs and stated that no one, including him, would ever be able to help Kerrie because of her size. Kerrie was becoming reluctant to walk as it was beginning to take up too much energy, and was worried she may even end up in a wheelchair. She was not coping with the torment of people’s comments and stares.
After experiencing years of physical and psychological pain, at Christmas time in 2019 Kerrie made a New Year’s resolution with herself to try and lose weight again. It was January 2020 when someone approached Kerrie in a shopping centre and told her she could have Lipoedema.
Kerrie researched the condition online and knew straight away that she had Lipoedema. She followed Dr Lekich’s advice, including undertaking a ketogenic diet. Kerrie believes it was the right diet for her, as she immediately began to see her weight drop in her abdomen after strictly following the plan. The next step in Kerrie’s treatment was to undergo Lipoextraction surgery with Dr Lekich for the diseased fat that was stuck in her legs.
Dr Lekich initially anticipated that Kerrie would need five surgeries in total, however, the process was completed after just three.
Kerrie had 6.6 Litres of diseased fat removed from her lower legs in her first surgery, that was unable to be exercised or dieted away, in fact, just three days post-surgery, Kerrie walked 1.9km to her next check up.
Kerrie had three surgeries with a total of 17 Litres of diseased fat being removed from her legs over a 4 month period.
“I feel so much better now because I no longer feel I have bricks on the bottom of my legs. My sleep has improved and even the arthritic pain in my knees has decreased since the surgery. I would never have thought my legs would look and feel so good.” ■
We all need a staycation to remind us just how lucky we are here on the Coast. One night at the Rhapsody is enough to make us remember why we all moved to the Gold Coast in the first place! Nicole Buckler reports.
I am putting it out there and you can write in all you want to argue with me, but here it is: Narrowneck is the best beach on the Gold Coast. This debate will go on for some time, as it always has at the Coast. So while you are compiling your argument defending your favourite spot, I will put my argument in front of you thusly.
First of all, the artificial reef built at Narrowneck in the late 90s not only has preserved the beach somewhat, but as all reefs do, it has created a better, more rideable wave. The reef has been topped up a few times over the years with sandbags and other materials to make sure it keeps doing what it is supposed to. The council seems all over it and it keeps this part of the beach as a paradise for surfers and swimmers.
Many locals will argue whether this wave is the best wave or not. I am here to say that it is one of life’s great pleasures to watch surfers ride these waves at sunset or at dawn. When it is windy, the kite surfers come out to play, and this is a spectacle that can be watched for hours. Narrowneck is the best beach on the Coast and I am prepared to go to hand-to-hand combat about it.
As for Staycations, there’s no better place, especially in Spring. Seas are clearer in Spring, and it is a paradise on our doorstep that other humans wait their whole lives to experience.
I chose the Rhapsody Resort as the place to base myself. It is directly across the road from the beach, a 5-minute walk from the flags at Narrowneck, and a gorgeous 15-minute walk along the beach to the bright lights/big city feels of Surfers Paradise. North Surfers Paradise G:Link Station is across the road.
I checked into a 35th-floor ocean-view room. That sunrise over the ocean? Wow. It’s the stuff of life. I could do it 10,000 times again from the 35th floor like I did last night and never grow tired of it.
From the balcony, I could see all the way to South Straddie and even further. And it was a perfect day – that kind of day where the sun touches your skin after an early Spring swim, and you feel like you are being kissed all over by a minor deity. As a massive fan of North Gold Coast, I loved my aspect from the 35th floor, I could survey all that I own. Okay I wish I owned it. Maybe one day I will!
As for the resort, it’s got some cool stuff. Downstairs is a café that is a favourite of locals getting their coffee and morning goodies. The food was amazing. The pool is gorgeous, as resort pools are, it catches the sun perfectly. The rooms have the kind of panoramas that made the Gold Coast famous. There are no beach panoramas anywhere like it in the world. Turquoise oceans and blue skies that inject you with wellbeing and big feels.
The Level 41 garden rooftop terrace is the jewel in the crown. We grabbed some champers and sat up there and were lucky enough to have a full moon splashing us with its beams of light. It was just so soul-satisfying that it was actually hard to leave the hotel!
We all know the usual haunts for staycations on the Coast. If you are looking for something new and a little different, then this is your place. And it is on the very best beach on the coast. Send your long, but also wrong, arguments about other beaches to Nicole@sunkissmedia.com.au. ■
Discount for Silver Readers
When booking, use the promo code “SILVERMAG.” This will get Silver readers 15% discount of all BAR rates and room types across all travel dates. The special discount will be valid until the end of February, so get booking! This code can be applied directly when using rhapsodyresort.com.au/booking or quoted to the reservations team over the phone.
For more information about Rhapsody Resort, click here.
If you like indoor beaches, check out our article about the Infinity Broadbeach!
Need a holiday? Want to try out a lifestyle care community? Then check out this innovative idea offered by Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities.
We all like to get away. Even just hearing the word ‘holiday’ can inspire thoughts of reprieve. The effects of relaxation start when the holiday does, and can stay with us for weeks!
With social distancing and snap lockdowns becoming the norm, many of us are feeling the strain of not being able to holiday or enjoy social gatherings. This can be particularly isolating for our seniors. But one Gold Coast aged care community is serving up the solution!
Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities is offering seniors a luxury getaway experience. This can remedy the increasing issue of loneliness and isolation among older Australians. It also caters to those seniors with a desire to try before they decide!
This model not only allows seniors to cure their wanderlust but enables an ideal way to ‘test the waters’ at Odyssey’s resort-style community. Rivalling hotel costs on the coast, the Odyssey staycation includes a selection of accommodation, all on-site restaurant meals, access to weekly lifestyle events, personal care (pending an assessment) and more.
Your holiday will be a delightful combination of fun, interesting outings and socialising. The weekly lifestyle events can be compared to those on a cruise ship – and they are incredibly popular!
Residents often enjoy trips to museums, art galleries, pub lunches, river cruises and much more. Odyssey’s Lifestyle Coordinator, Allison is deftly in tune with the residents’ preferences and interests. She artfully curates a lifestyle calendar to empower residents and they get a lot of enjoyment out of it each week.
From active pursuits to cultural and culinary experiences, Odyssey is proactive about helping residents to get out and attend the activities they are passionate about. Being in your senior years doesn’t curb the enjoyment of hobbies and interests. Odyssey understands it’s important to make senior loved ones feel valued and have a sense of purpose. The community has extensive recreational facilities – socialising can often be as simple as taking a stroll down the hallway.
The unique Robina community combines hotel luxury with unparalleled care, support and superior services tailored from person to person and in particular, seniors.
The staycation model is designed specifically to provide seniors with an opportunity to enjoy a getaway, and make new friends in a welcoming and safe social setting. This is while experiencing the benefits of spacious and fully serviced apartments.
Many seniors are feeling hesitant and perhaps a little intimidated to travel or holiday at the moment. But the Odyssey model caters to safe travel, while also offering a luxury getaway experience.
Ultimately, staying connected through social activity and participating within a community is essential in maintaining seniors’ wellbeing, overall health, mental outlook and happiness. Odyssey provides peace of mind that senior loved ones will be cared for as family, treated as a VIP guest and enjoy making memories and connections.
EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS
Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities, led by prominent aged care expert Phil Usher, is also launching its second stage of development in Robina, which will see residents traversing skybridges across six new levels.
The second stage of the community will include 48 new apartments and has been developed in consultation with residents. It will feature an entire level designed specifically for seniors with memory issues.
CEO and founder, Phil Usher said it was vital that Odyssey consult with residents and continue to include and welcome their feedback. This is something the community values. Odyssey’s consumer-centric ethos is all about listening to residents, hearing what they are saying and adapting to their needs, rather than following a less inclusive model. The Odyssey model has set an excellent precedent in the industry by demonstrating the power of putting people first.
Apartments in the new stage will include a powder room as well as a deluxe bathroom. The feedback from Odyssey’s residents made this design feature development possible.
Set within lush gardens, Odyssey’s Staycation apartments feature access to restaurant dining, sky gardens, library, piano lounge and more. Guests will also have access to 24/7 onsite nursing services and state-of-the-art artificial intelligence monitoring, to ensure safety and wellbeing.
Odyssey includes a full-service hospitality offering, breakfast, high-tea, three-course lunch and dinner, tea, coffee and drinks, nursing, personal care services and more.
In a Gold Coast first, Odyssey offers a pet-friendly and family-friendly community that welcomes overnight stays for friends and family. This all takes place in a luxury resort environment where couples stay together, and grandkids can have sleepovers.
Odyssey is a three-tower luxury aged care community, located at the high-profile site on the corner of Christine Avenue and The Crestway at Robina. It has set a new benchmark for the sector with an extensive offering of five-star accommodation, care services and amenities for residents. ■
For additional information, you may contact Odyssey at the following details:
Once paralysis occurs the animal is likely to die unless it is treated quickly with tick antiserum transfused by a vet.
Every year the paralysis tick will cause illness in over 100,000 companion animals on the east coast of Australia. Paralysis ticks are external parasites that suck the blood from their host animal. Their salivary glands produce a toxin that affects the nervous system of the host. Not only is the paralysis tick one of the most common, it’s also one of the most dangerous. Once paralysis occurs the animal is likely to die unless it is treated quickly with tick antiserum transfused by a vet. It still takes 48 hours for the toxin to be removed so your pet can continue to deteriorate during this time. Full recovery can take weeks
WHERE ARE PARALYSIS TICKS FOUND?
Ticks need humidity and mild weather to develop and can’t survive in cold climates. They are most commonly found along the east coast of Australia during the warmer months but can be found inland in suitable habitats and in northern parts of the country all year round.
WHAT DO TICKS LOOK LIKE?
Ticks vary in size between 1mm and 10mm long, depending on their age. They look like tiny spiders with a white, egg-shaped body. This body becomes larger and darker as it fills with blood.
Close up view of a tick
HOW CAN I PROTECT MY PET?
The best way to protect your pet is to check them daily in conjunction with a tick prevention treatment. Begin with their head and remember that you’re more likely to feel the tick than see it, so make sure you use your hands. Check inside your pet’s ears, nose, and mouth, under their chin and around their throat. Move down the front legs and check in between their toes. Feel along their body making sure to check their belly, and then check down their back legs and in between their toes. Inspect your pet’s genital region as ticks can sometimes be found there and finish with their tail.
It’s a good idea to use a tick treatment that will either repel ticks or kill them if they attach. Spot on treatments, tablets and collars are available and it’s best to consult your vet about which is most suitable for your pet. Read the instructions very carefully as some treatments are for dogs only and can be very dangerous to cats and can even kill them. Some can also react with other medications your pet may be on.
HOW TO SPOT THE SIGNS OF TICK POISONING
If your pet has come into contact with a paralysis tick, they will experience paralysis in a variety of forms. A typical case will start with vomiting, a change in “voice” and progress to weakness in the hind limbs that will then progress to total paralysis of the whole body (gastrointestinal, ability to swallow and finally paralysis of respiration).
OTHER EARLY SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Loss of appetite
Vomiting or dry retching
Excessive salivation
Coughing
Noisy panting
Ticks attach to your pets through their suckers and can be very difficult to remove without the help of the vet
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY PET HAS A PARALYSIS TICK?
Paralysis ticks can lead to an animal needing to be ventilated and sadly many victims of these ticks do not recover. If your pet is showing any signs of tick paralysis, you should take him/her to a veterinarian for treatment promptly
If you suspect that your dog or cat has tick paralysis you can reduce the risk of complications by withholding food and water before you can see a veterinarian. This is especially important if the dog or cat is regurgitating. ■
There is a deadly new strain of tick disease, which first appeared in Western Australia last year. The brown dog tick is infected with the bacteria Ehrlichia canis (E. canis) and when it bites, the tick infects a dog with the disease ehrlichiosis which causes serious health issues, even death, among dogs. If you are transporting a dog between states it is vital you have your dog’s health checked. If you suspect a dog in Queensland is infected with E. canis you must report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 or report in their site.
Want to read about how pets can really be of help for your health? Check this article out.
