by Olivia Williams | Sep 23, 2020 | News
Life in lockdown: health-wise, it’s not as bad as you think
While Victorians continue to endure restrictions from a second wave of COVID-19, new research from the University of South Australia is providing much-needed good news about people’s overall health and wellbeing following lockdown.
In preliminary findings from UniSA’s ongoing Annual Rhythms in Adults’ lifestyle and health (ARIA) study, researchers found that effect of lockdown on people’s lifestyle and wellbeing was not as bad as we might have expected.
Assessing people’s sleep, physical activity, diet, weight and psychological wellbeing, the lockdown period showed that, on average people:
- slept 27 minutes longer
- got up 38 mins later
- did 50 mins less of light physical activity
- drank a bit more alcohol (0.9 per cent energy intake, equivalent to two standard drinks a week)
- ate a little less protein (0.8 per cent energy intake, equivalent to three eggs a week).
They also noted:
- no changes to weight
- no changes to dietary energy intake – including the amount of fate, fibre, or carbohydrate intake
- no changes in quality of life or symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress.
Researchers expected to see greater levels of anxiety and depression
Using Fitbit activity trackers and online questionnaires, the study tracked 64 adults (aged 18-65 years) from the greater metropolitan Adelaide area for:
- sleep
- physical activity
- diet
- weight
- wellbeing
UniSA researcher, Dr Rachel Curtis says the findings provide interesting insights for people’s lifestyle and wellbeing during recent times.
“When Australia went into lockdown, everyone faced a new reality – people were working from home, children were being home-schooled, we started social distancing – life essentially turned upside down,” Dr Curtis says.
“At the time, we were already collecting data for a lifestyle study called ARIA, which tracks how people’s lifestyles change throughout the year; it was purely coincidence that this captured the pandemic.
“We’re essentially looking for factors that impact people’s lives, so that we can develop strategies to support healthy triggers and counteract negative ones.
“Given the unprecedented nature of lockdown, we expected to see greater levels of anxiety and depression – and perhaps even increases in weight as people were at home and had greater access to their fridges – but no.
On average, Adelaideans only drank two extra glasses of alcohol a week
“As it turns out, people coped very well. They slept longer and got up later, perhaps in response to a lack of commuting to work or school.
“And while we may have had concerns about people drinking too much alcohol, on average it was only two extra glasses a week.
“All in all, it’s reassuring to see just how resilient Australians were in terms of their health and wellbeing during lockdown.”
unisa.edu.au
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by Olivia Williams | Sep 21, 2020 | News
2021 Adelaide Fringe Poster Design Unveiled – Kicking off the start of celebrations for the season.
The official 2021 Adelaide Fringe Poster has been unveiled today, and boy does it ever embrace he vibrancy, colour and fun of the festival.
Meet the Fringe’s New Poster Child
Designed by Adelaide-based freelance digital illustrator Polina Tsymbal, the winning poster titled Frederique Fringe, features Frederique on a penny-farthing, which the artist says encapsulates the joyfully bold spirit of the Adelaide Fringe.
“Adelaide Fringe is really the essence of having the freedom of who you want to be and how you want to do it and they encapsulate just that,” Polina said of her character, Frederique.
“I wanted to create an image that tells people where society encourages us to blend in, the Fringe urges you to let down your hair and be your remarkable, extraordinary self,” she said.
Polina wins $3,000 and free event registration to present her own exhibition as part of the Adelaide Fringe 2021.
Polina’s artwork will be across Adelaide Fringe 2021 merchandise, which can be pre-ordered now via the Adelaide Fringe website:
adelaidefringe.com.au
The 2021 Adelaide Fringe will run from 19 February until 21 March.
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by Olivia Williams | Sep 15, 2020 | News
The Miles Apart Long Lunch was the inaugural major fundraising event for the Miles Apart Foundation, and a day to remember and celebrate the babies who are gone too soon, whilst raising awareness and support for those who will tragically face this heartache in the future.
This special event, the first to be held at Adelaide Oval since COVID19, hosted 300+ incredible women (and 3 men!) who all wholeheartedly and enthusiastically supported the cause, and was truly a celebration of motherhood in all its forms.
The ongoing challenge for the Miles Apart Foundation is to communicate with health organisations on the necessity to distribute the much-needed information on the aftermath of losing a child.
The $30K+ raised at the Long Lunch will help the Foundation donate at least 2000 copies of Miles Apart across Australia to grieving and heartbroken parents leaving hospitals with empty arms.
For more information or to donate head to:
milespart.online
by Olivia Williams | Sep 15, 2020 | News
Nature Festival launches #treeposefortheplanet campaign
A new social fundraising and tree planting campaign has been announced by Nature Festival, aimed at driving awareness around climate change, the important role trees play in our ecosystem, and celebrating the landscapes and natural environments we all engage and live in.
Tree pose for the planet
The campaign, #treeposefortheplanet, encourages people of all ages, background, disciplines and body shapes to pose and photograph themselves in the yoga “tree pose” position across the festival period, September 25 – October 4, 2020.
For every photo tagged online with #treeposefortheplanet, one tree will be planted.
Developed by international multi-award-winning interdisciplinary artist and movement practitioner Erin Fowler, #treeposefortheplanet is made possible through not-for-profit The Gaia Movement and supported by Power Living Yoga who has donated $1,500 towards the cost of tree planting via their Ripple Effect Program, with Trees For Life managing the tree planting.
Free Tai Chi classes with Erin Fowler
Erin will host a livestream event to launch Nature Festival and #treeposefortheplanet campaign on the opening day of the Nature Festival Friday, September 25, along with hosting two free, lunchtime Tai Chi classes in Hurtle Sq/Tangkaira/Forest of Dreams on Tuesday, September 29 and Thursday, October 1.
Following each class, participants will be invited to post pictures of themselves, standing in “tree pose” and post to social media, with the #treeposefortheplanet tag, furthering the tree planting tally.
Nature Festival will run from 25 September – 4 October, 2020.
For more information about Nature Festival:
naturefestival.org.au
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by Olivia Williams | Sep 14, 2020 | News
Kardashians new Skims maternity shapewear collection met with mixed reactions
Kim Kardashian is facing a backlash over the release of her maternity shapewear range.
The expansion of Kardashian’s SKIMS line with the launch of a maternity line, has raised questions online, with many asking why pregnant women would need products like this, and questioning whether this messaging is simply adding to the pressure on women to maintain a certain body shape.
Kardashian says the maternity “solutionwear” offers comfort and support for woman’s body as it changes during and after pregnancy, and insists they have butt-shaping designs but do not compress the stomach, merely shaping and smoothing the areas everything around the pregnant belly.
Maternity Sculpting Bra and Sculpting high waist brief also to be launched in the range
Kardashian gave her more than 188 million followers a closer look at the line in her Instagram stories.
Looks which include a maternity sculpting bra that is breastfeeding friendly, a maternity sculpting high waist brief, maternity sculpting short mid thigh, maternity sculpting bodysuit mid thigh, and maternity solutionwear tight.
The KKW Beauty founder went on to give details about the products, saying the sculpting bra was like a lightweight bralette for support and comfort that also is designed for leak protection and nursing. The maternity mid thigh bodysuit will lift the bust, smooth and shape thighs and buttocks.
Kardashian designs receive backlash
The newly-announced launch has drawn some backlash, with many claiming Kardashian is suggesting women should be concerned with their figure when pregnant.
One person tweeted that Kardashian should let women enjoy their pregnancy without feeling like they have to have a perfect figure, with others questioning why pregnant women would want to shape their bellies at all.
As for Kardashian, she stands by her soon-to-be launched line, and says that if something like this had been available when she was pregnant it would have been “everything” to her.
The maternity line launches on September 16, in nine different colours and sizes XXS to 5X.
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by Olivia Williams | Sep 14, 2020 | News, Educate
Westminster School’s New Inquiry and Innovation Hub unveiled
The first of two building milestones has been reached at Westminster, with the school’s state-of-the-art Inquiry and Innovation hub open to students.
The impressive new three-storey building, the first stage of the school’s Campus Masterplan, offers a range of specialised learning opportunities, including engineering, food science, fashion design, and a wide range of arts, maths and science subjects, further elevating Westminster’s curriculum offering through the use of innovative technology and hands-on experiences.
Facilities within the Hub are designed to offer students real-world skills, with specialised technology, robotics and engineering equipment and include:
- 10 dedicated science labs
- 183 sqm full commercial kitchen
- Seven design labs (fitted with computers and a 3D printer)
- Specialised fashion design space complete with industrial sewing machines.
Additionally, the Inquiry and Innovation Hub holds 21 classrooms, all equipped to offer personalised learning solutions that suit the needs of individual students and the methodology of different teachers, as well as several breakout and collaboration spaces.
With space to design, build, create and collaborate, the Westminster Inquiry and Innovation Hub incorporates flexible learning spaces, breakout areas and world-class facilities to give students the tools they need to achieve more than they thought possible.
The new Inquiry and Innovation Hub is the first stage of an overall transformation of the Westminster School campus, set to be completed in 2021 in line with the schools 60th anniversary.
Take a sneak peek at the Inquiry and Innovation Hub:
westminster.sa.edu.au/innovation-and-inquiry-hub
Sports Pavilion
The campus transformation at Westminster will also unveil a brand new Sports Pavilion in 2020, to be officially opened at a community day on Sunday 18 October, and will sit in the heart of the sports precinct at the school, adjacent to the existing Sports and Swimming Centre.
The Sports Pavilion will feature a versatile, multi-purpose, light-filled learning space, that will double as a community function space and a Westminster School sporting hall of fame, as well as a new purpose-built home for the Golden Keys Training Centre, four large change rooms and rooms for officials. Two tiered-seating stands will allow teammates, staff, families and the school community to look out onto the playing fields and support their team.
Westminster School currently has three football ovals, four soccer pitches, two softball diamonds, 10 tennis courts, 12 netball courts, four turf cricket pitches and four volleyball courts.
The new Sports Pavilion will complement these and form an important part of the incredible sporting programs on offer.
For more information about Westminster:
westminster.sa.edu.au
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