If you've been good this year there's a fair chance that come Thursday you'll get a visit from the most venerable of that unholy trinity - Father Christmas, Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy.

There are some useful bits of equipment that you might like to order, like a heart rate monitor. In a sedentary society it's an essential piece of equipment to have in your fitness toolbox. There are a range of makes but the Polar monitor is the most versatile, being compatible with most of the aerobic fitness training equipment in fitness centres.

If you're a swimmer goggles are a must. If you don't know which type to buy, google goggles!

If you don't particularly like swimming could I suggest you order up a pair of flippers? It makes the going that much easier and more enjoyable. Nobody ever said you weren't allowed to make exercise easier and more enjoyable.

Friedrich Nietzsche said 'Learn to enjoy the things you need to do.' Swimming could be one of those things you need to enjoy doing.

In previous Christmas editions of this newsletter I've let you know how as a kid I loved the smell of leather and rubber on Christmas morning. I still can't walk into a sports store or a bike shop without the memories flooding back.

In our house, what with four boys, there was a good chance that someone was getting a footy or a new set or Turnbull goggles or a bike.

If you're a bit wobbly on the pins a bike might just be the shot to get you mobile. I've heard good reports of the benefits of cycling on bung hips, game legs and dicky knees.

A stationary bike to ride on while you watch TV might be just the shot.

STUFF

On a more serious note Christmas is a time of giving and receiving stuff. For children it's an introduction to the cargo cult. Pray for something and if you're lucky enough for someone close by to be listening, come December 25th it might be in the sack when you wake up.

If you keep praying you might win the lottery or the 5th at Randwick, scratch a million dollar scratchy or hit the jackpot down at the club!

Don't ask what Father Christmas can do for you, ask what you can do for yourself.

The most valuable presents are the ones you give yourself.

We live in the age of data, information and knowledge; there's sack-fulls of the stuff. 

Our illhealth system is brimming with it, much of which doesn't seem to be doing a lot of people much good.

Have you noticed that the health of the community is declining at a rate inversely proportional to

a.  the amount of health knowledge,

b.  the size of the medical/welfare budget or

c.  the amount of money poured down the medical research black

     hole?

On the other hand the health literacy of the community seems to have hit an all time low. That's why primary health care is no longer the health care you give yourself when you feel crook, but the health care you get from a doctor.

More knowledge doesn't seem to be stopping people from smoking. I've seen a lot of smokers in my seminars recently and many don't seem to be able to make the connection between the gory details on the sides of the packet and their own health.

There are four things that hold people back

-  attachment - to a comfortable way of life and a fixed way of being

-  ignorance - I don't know what to do

-  laziness - I can't be bothered doing what I need to do

-  stupidity - I know what I need to do but I just don't do it.

For smokers it's attachment and stupidity. Half of those who say they want to give it up are so attached to the habit they can't even take the packet out of their pocket and place it on the floor in front of them.

More knowledge doesn't seem to be curbing the epidemic of metabolic dysfunction - known by the symptoms - getting fatter, elevated blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose, snoring and sleep apnoea, headaches, lethargy ..., and feeling just plain dreadful. Put this one down to laziness and stupidity.

More knowledge doesn't seem to be curbing the epidemic of musculo-skeletal dysfunction. It's rampant with over 30% of people experiencing constant pain that comes when bones are out of alignment. You can put this one down to ignorance. Most people don't know they need to have a regular strength and flexibility training program to protect themselves from musculko-skeletalo dysfunction.

More knowledge doesn't seem to be curbing the epidemic of negative emotions, sadness, anxiety and depression. The junk medical solution is to just take a pill and the pain will go away. Exercise, a change of diet, meditation and counselling don't figure as medical treatments for this dysfunction. Put this one down to ignorance and laziness.

Saint (exceptionally good) Nick

So if more knowledge doesn't seem to be making an impact on health, fitness and wellbeing what will?

This year pin two pillow cases up on either side of the arm chair and pray that one of them is filled to the brim with wisdom, awareness, insight, discernment and understanding about what you need to do to keep yourself in exceptionally good nick.

Better still, don't just pray for it, complete the prompt sheet and slip it into the sack for good measure.

In the mean time stay tuned, highly tuned and hope you are completely satisfied with what you get in the sack on Christmas morning.

Have a happy Christmas and a fit and healthy 2009.