Study Tour Journal

Study Abroad : New Zealand 2015

Dr. Daniel Santamina
Salima Hassam
0805707
June 3rd 2015

Day 1 : Monday
On the first day in New Zealand Monday morning we learnt about the AUT. Its 14-15 years old
and has a community focus- which involves growing in non elite athletes as well. The AUT offers
a variety of programs including a national training center for elite, athlete training zones,
community training zones, and a research campus.

It was interesting to hear about the different perspective there is on leaders in sport in New
Zealand, and how humility is valued, and working as a team. Tall poppy syndrome is a social
phenomenon where people who stand out or are bragging because of their achievements, are shut
down. There is no value or merit seen in just an individual standing out; instead group and
teambuilding characteristics are valued. An example that expresses this is when Edmund Hillary (
a New Zealander) and Tenzing Norgay climbed mount Everest together, and Hillary refused to
say who touched the summit first, and said We did it together, and the focus was on the team
and not himself.

Another concept discussed was how there is so much stress and worry in everyday life, and that
leads to an increased sympathetic output and a constant state of being stressed. People are in a
rat race and are busy being busy and forget to relax and to fill their tanks, and that there is
benefit to being outdoors and enjoying nature, and completing activities which you like to do for
fun. This has helped to show why New Zealand values sport as a recreation to increase
functionality, and how outdoor and recreational activities are a very important part of life to
reduce stress. This is a great point, as now a days with the increase in technology there is much
less of kids playing outdoors recreationally and an increase in screen time, and it would be great

to start increasing the focus, on sports and games as recreational stress relievers and
entertainment.

It was interesting to hear Grant Schofields perspective on some parts of nutrition and his
comparison of the standard American diet of being high carb and low fat and how he was
interested in the high fat and low carb diet. We have taken two nutrition courses at the University
of Guelph-humber one in second year, and one in third year. Something that I noticed was the
difference in how I listen to information after one course where we were taught more of a
background of different types of macronutrients, and omega3s versus the class this year where
the information we learnt was facilitated through primary articles, and lecture. The difference I
notice is how now when I listened to the perspective I added it to the toolkit of what we already
learnt, and realized maybe this is some information I should do more research on versus before
where I would have just taken it for face value and not have thought more about it. It is
interesting to see how the perspective changes of one just blindly accepting and listening instead
of taking everything into consideration and wanting to look up evidence based research and
articles to support information. Something I found particularly interesting as it is something we
have not gone into much detail with yet in courses was the concept of metabolic efficiency vs
metabolic inefficiency and how a metabolically efficient person will predominantly use fat as a
fuel at rest while a metabolically inefficient person will burn some fat as rest but also
carbohydrates at rest as well, and the mark of the inefficiency is always relying on glucose as a
fuel source.

Insulin resistance was also discussed and how stress, poor sleep, and too low physical activities
are contributors to this, and how the Maori population life expectancy is very poor at age 59, and
there is a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome and how the Canadian Inuit are the most insulin
resistance.

It was interesting to see the difference between the fitness industry and medical industry in New
Zealand and the large gap between them talked about in the exercise physiology labs.
Kinesiologists are not fully integrated in multi disciplinary settings, not so much in hospitals, and
even after a heart attack there is not as much focus on the fitness for recovery. It was interesting
to see that in order for a maximal test to take place there needs to be a doctor present, and even
submax needs a doctors approval which is very different from Canada, and that there are funding
issues with clinical exercises. It is interesting to see the difference as with CSEP CPTs are not
able to do any maximal work or tests with clients but submaximal is okay.

It was also cool to see how some of the scales are similar to what we use such as the use of the
Rate of Perceived Exertion Borg-Scale ranging from 6-20. Other scales we looked at were the
dyspnea scale, claudication scale, angina, and dizziness to rate signs and symptoms. It was
mentioned that exercise prescription was based on thresholds from the RPE scale and not heart
rate reserve, and what was mentioned was that with some patients because of their medications
their heart rate might not match how hard they are actually working so this scale could be useful.
It was interesting to compare HRR to threshold based prescriptions, and how some can be
appropriate in some settings as the borg scale is subjective maybe in all cases it might not be the
best one to use.

In the evening of the first day we walked to Mairangi Bay Beach I loved how the group was
happy to walk and bus everywhere it really created a great and active atmosphere that we were
happy to figure out the directions and not just immediately jumping to taking a cab.

Day 2: Tuesday

Tuesday Morning we got to check out AUTs Never too old program which first started as a
student study for 3 months, and has now been running for 12 years with 300 members. The focus
of the never too old program is to maintain muscle mass for function and to improve social
connections. The social context provides motivation, encouragement, connections, and helps to
build relationships. The functional consideration is very important to help improve activities of
daily living. The never too old program has four corner stones cardio, strength and power,
flexibility, and fall prevention, and accepts people age 60 and onwards who are independently
mobile. It is team and group based but it is a very individualized program, following an
individualized approach by prescribing individual circuits.
Hearing about the never too old program and how it was designed was really interesting I think
the social dynamic is really great and would definitely help with older people who are lonely. For
example my moms parents are involved in the community programs in Toronto, more than my
Dads parents and the difference in mood and perspective between them is crazy to see.
Never too old looks for reputable, well-trained ,exercise professionals with humour, enthusiasm
and the ability to make connections. This reminded me of how we always hear about how it
doesnt matter how much you know your stuff, if you dont have a good attitude or personality it
will be very difficult to progress professionally.

I loved that we got to try out the workouts in the program I really enjoyed the warm up done
with the broomsticks. It is very creative and done for improving thoracic and shoulder mobility. I
think this would be great to incorporate in group classes at many gyms, with the light 5 pound
straight bars at the beginning of class.

There was a focus on strengthening the glutes (side lying hip abduction), and pelvic floor muscles
during the resistance training session, as well as completing lots of stretching at the end to focus
on the flexibility. It would be really interesting to compare the group exercise classes done for
older populations in Toronto to the never too old program, and see what things can be
incorporated.

It was interesting to learn about how about rugby and how the skills are developed in stages, and
how the focus is to not load dysfunction. There are 5 stages (competency, loading, eccentric,
velocity through Eccentric and concentric, and explosiveness) used for development of exercises.
They base the development of young athletes based on their developmental age, which involves
social, emotional, physical-strength, and technical and tactical skills. This was cool to learn about
because we dont really see as much of the younger athlete development in our classes at GH so it
was interesting to see the background of how it was is based on.

Performance limitations discussed involved inefficient shoulder action, lack of functional

flexibility (thoracic), and lack of ability to produce force. There method of helping to fix this
assessing, identifying, improving and performing. They look at stability, flexibility, power,
quickness and readiness, and other qualities. This reminded me somewhat of the Functional
Movement Screen Tests which involves 7 tests looking at different movements with a score of
21 total. It was noted that doing more for athletes incorrectly can be detrimental to performance
while with general population doing more is better than nothing because it can help to reduce
student behavior- while with athletes quality over quantity.

In the afternoon we learnt how to play rugby and netball. It was interesting to see the differences
in natural ability of some people to learn a sport quickly and be good at it vs others. It also goes
to show how different a sport is compared to just being active or even resistance and aerobic

training. For example, I was awful at rugby but generally speaking I am an active person with
great aerobic capabilities but it did not apply in the sport. It shows how much is involved in sports
such as a reaction times, coordination, team work abilities, and agility.
It was very interesting to learn how to play Netball especially after we had discussed in class
previous to the trip. Playing Netball I found that it was similar to handball, a game I used to play
in elementary school, except hoops at the end which is more similar to basketball. I really
enjoyed playing netball with the group I preferred the center position because I could work to
my ability (running). It would be very interesting to look into if previous sports experience even
in other sports, changes the ability to learn how to play new sports, and in which way would the
previous skills apply.

In the evening the group walked to an extreme entertainment-bowling place which was a lot of
fun. On the walk there something that I noticed was that there were lots of kids playing in their
yards, which is not something commonly seen in Toronto anymore. The ones I saw were also
playing with badminton or tennis rackets, which is interesting again to see how the value of
recreational sports is really important with learning how to have fun and relax and be outdoors.

Day 3: Wednesday

Wednesday morning we got to see the different age groups of athletes being trained (9-11,12-15,
16-18) I was very interested in the resistance-training program that the middle age group of kids
was doing, and decided to try it with them. I thought the coach was really inviting and helpful and
I noticed that they spent a lot of attention on doing the exercise with using the proper form, and
making sure that the proper muscles were being recruited. Something that I noticed with the kids
was that when they were doing there step downs from the box to one leg, how little knee valgus
there was showing how their glutes must have good strength. The program was a full body
program involving 4 sets of 12 reps, and 5 choices. Each choice involved a superset of 2
exercises, and the kids were told do go through the list and do as many as possible. It was
interesting to see the independence they were given to choose which they wanted to do, which I
dont think is as common with younger kids training in sports. For example when I swam
competitively, especially at a younger age , there was no choice in the drills, everything was
prescribed to the second.
It was great to see how helpful the exercise prescription courses are with athlete training in
exercise prescription 3 we had learnt more about power and strength training as well as
periodization and more about reactive and agility drills. It was interesting to see how what we
learnt in class was applied in the training drills used with the athletes at AUT.

The biomechanics lecture we went to I found was very similar to some of the things we learnt in
biomechanics lab in Guelph-humber. The technology for the gait analysis was very advanced,
compared to what we used in lab. It showed how important knowing anatomy is in our field, as
improper placement of markers changes everything, and anything found would not be accurate if

the original placement is incorrect. It was mentioned that it is stressed there to students to not just
memorize anatomy and have it go one ear out the other and try to understand it so it can be
applied later. I really connected with this because I noticed the difference in my anatomy
knowledge between first year and end of third year. I forgot most of the anatomy learnt in 1 st year
fairly quickly because of the high content it was difficult to not just memorize it, but at the
physiotherapy clinic I interned at for field placement I learnt much more anatomy and
applications of it with practice that I still remember clearly now. It shows how practicing what
you learn and applying it, helps to retain more information.

The equipment used in the strength and conditioning workshop we went to was very applicable to
the kinesiology program. We had recently learnt about the push app for measuring velocity as a
training method in exercise prescription, so it was cool to see how that could be used. A critique
we hadnt learnt in exercise prescription was that the kinetic chain moves slowest to fastest from
the shoulders to the elbows to the hands, and because the push device is placed in the middle of
the forearm it can slightly underestimate the velocity. I thought the squat machine that measured
the three RM for the eccentric and concentric values was very interesting although probably
only applicable for athletic populations. I also think that if I could try it again, I would get higher
numbers because if you dont know what you are expecting it could possibly effect the force
production the first time.

I found criquet to be one of the more difficult sports to learn compared to rugby and netball. The
way the ball is thrown via keeping the arm straight and circling it is very difficult to do and trying
it made me realize the strength and power the criquet players have as I could barely throw the
ball.

Wednesday night the group split up and some of us bussed downtown to go for dinner at the crab
shack. The crab shack said there was a 45 minute wait for dinner and asked for a phone number,
and when we said we didnt have any because we were Canadian they immediately found us a
table. It was really cool to see how friendly everyone was, especially when we mentioned we
were Canadian its crazy to see the difference it can make depending where you are. On the way
home the bus driver was nice enough to drive us all the way back to AUT even though it wasnt
on his route this is something that would not ever happen with Toronto transit, and it was crazy
to see the difference in how friendly people can be, and their willingness to offer help to
strangers.

Day 4: Thursday

Thursday morning we left Auckland and went to Rotorua, a city southeast of Auckland. Rotorua
had an interesting smell because of the sulphur, but it only took 5 minutes to get adjusted to it.

Thursday morning we visited the Waitomo Caves, and went black water rafting. Something
interesting that I didnt know before was that the glowworms we saw in the caves were actually
maggots. The caves were absolutely beautiful and it was really cool navigating through all the
rocks with the water rushing by. I was scared to jump off the waterfalls at first but I found that
they were a lot of fun. My favourite part of the caves was when we were all in a line with the
headlights off and could look at all the glowworms and float along.

Thursday night we went to the Tamaki Maori Village in Rotorua. We learnt a lot about the Maori
culture that night. A chief was chosen from each group visiting and they had to perform their
greeting touching noses to each other twice. The Maori tattoos were especially interesting to
learn about, because they are so special to their culture. These tattoos signified their family story,
their social structure, and their place in the tribe. The tattoos are on the face as this is considered
the most sacred part of the body. I found the activities that the Maori people were showing were
very interesting, and they were all very inviting for participants. Something that I noticed were
that the men and women had different roles and that for some activities only men were required.
I participated in an activity, which reminded me of an agility ladder you run through the ladder
racing someone on the other side- without touching the wood at all. Something else that was
really interesting to see was the activity where the women were spinning around a ball attached to
a string and this was a game they used to help strengthen their forearms and wrists. It was great
to see a different method to strengthen the joints, and muscles and see different way exercise can

be applied. Listening to the Maori songs and stories were very cool they all had beautiful
voices- and it was interesting to see the modern touch with the addition of the guitar. The Maori
people were very welcoming, and inviting, and it was great to see some of the aspects of their
culture.

Day 5: Friday

Friday morning we visited Te Puia, Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley, in Rotorua. The hot
springs were extremely beautiful to see, and we got to see an active mud pool, which was great to
learn about. The mud is used for therapeutic purposes and cosmetic purposes.

The Maori carving was special to learn about because in order to be a carver you have to be of
1/8th Maori descent, between ages 18-35 and male.

This was also the first day where we got to hear a lot about the kiwi bird, and see the two baby
kiwi birds. The kiwi bird population is at 70,000 down from 2 million, and this has a lot to due
with the possum introduction because both the kiwi and the possum are nocturnal, eat the same
foods, and the possum eat kiwi bird eggs. The other problem with kiwi birds is that they are very
territorial and they eat others that come into their place, and the mother can actually eat the child,
so the father has to carry the baby bird out of the territory. They are trying to rebreed the birds
right now, they have a baby female, and a baby male, and if the female takes a liking to the male,
they could start the rebreeding, if not the male gets set free and another will have to be tried.

Later in the afternoon we got to go see a sheep show. It was interesting to see how well behaved
they are they must have all been trained from a young age. I enjoyed playing with the babies
afterwards, and petting all the sheep. It was also cool to see how a cow is milked.

Friday afternoon we were supposed to go mountain biking but because of the tornado warning it
had to be cancelled for that day. Instead the group decided to go zorbing, which was really
exciting to do because it had always been on my bucket list. It was definitely a fun and exciting

feeling rolling and bouncing around the ball down the hill and I loved that we got to do it in pairs
I think activities like that are always more fun when you can enjoy them with someone else.

Carlee and I visited the Polynesian spa after Tamaki Hangi. It was amazing to swim in the hot
spring pools one of the pools was 42 degree Celsius. It was very peaceful to look up at the
different constellations. At the end of the night we met someone of Maori descent who explained
to us the significance of a painting on a wall in the spa of how it was his ancestors travelling.
There was also another person who came to talk to us and said he had visited Canada he knew
so many facts and details about Canada. I think it shows how when you visit a place you can
learn so much about it.

Day 6: Saturday

Saturday was my favourite day of the trip because we got to go mountain biking and white water
rafting. I was very happy that we got to go white water rafting because we werent sure if the
weather would permit it because of the change in water levels.

Mountain biking was probably one of my favourite parts of the trip because I got to try something
new and difficult and adventurous. I think that just because you are terrible at something doesnt
mean you cant enjoy it. The scenery was absolutely beautiful when biking, and it was definitely
scary and exhilarating going down the sharp turns and down hills extremely fast. I was very
nervous to do the biking because I am a terrible biker, and dont have much experience with it,
but I figured I would do the harder track anyways because I didnt want to have any regrets on
not trying something especially because it was such a great opportunity. I think an important
thing to remember when doing something challenging is that every time you fall (literally) it is
important to get back up and keep preserving and trying, and keep a positive attitude.
Something that I didnt know before was how important proper form while biking is keeping
the arms bent similar to push up form, and keeping yourself 2-3 inches above the seat makes a
huge difference. Mountain biking actually made me like biking a lot more and I am thinking of
learning how to bike more back home, although I will probably start at a more beginner level.

White water rafting was a crazy amazing experience. It is absolutely crazy to think that we went
over an 8 meter waterfall, it was an amazing experience to feel the adrenaline rush, as well at the
sense of teamwork and camaraderie going over the waterfall without flipping. It was beautiful to
see all the caves, and I thought it was great that we did a prayer out of respect for the Maori king
that was buried in one of the caves. The caves are actually burial site for the Maori, it was
interesting to have both the fun of the rafting and see the cultural side as well. Something I

thought was crazy was that one of the boats had so many people that couldnt swim, for me even
being able to swim I was scared going over the falls, I couldnt imagine going over without the
ability to swim, even with a life jacket. I loved the group chant we did Toa which means
women strong in Maori. There was a lot of teamwork involved in the rafting, it was very
important that everyone was paddling at the same time I was a bit nervous of being on beat as
this is something I generally am not good at but I found I did not have too much difficulty.

In the evening we travelled to Tauranga. I had a really enjoyable run it was very refreshing to
run by the water and look at the city it was rare for me to be so comfortable running in a place
that I have never been before, but the directions were easy to figure out and it was daylight. It is
also crazy to notice how fast aerobic capabilities change, even with barely a week off running
my pace had definitely slowed down.

Day 7:Sunday

Sunday morning we climbed Mount Manganui. Mount Manganui is located on a peninsula just
north of Tauranga. Climbing up the mountain was my favourite part, I absolutely loved the
exertion of pushing yourself up an incline, and I loved that we chose to take the difficult path to
get to the top of the mountain. I think its important to challenge yourself when given the
opportunity, and it is a great feeling to be successful. The view from the summit of mount
Manganui was absolutely breathtaking. I liked that they didnt have fences on the mountain and
other than a few staircases it was mostly left to be how it was naturally. Something I also noticed
climbing up the mountain was how much the quadriceps, glutes and calves were activated this
made me realize I should incorporate some more incline walking and running into my workouts
something that is currently lacking in them.

After we climbed the mountain Liz and I decided to walk on the beach and then to find our way
into town, based on the directions people gave us people are definitely very helpful and friendly
in New Zealand. Two ladies had overheard us talking about finding a certain kind of food place,
and they gave us recommendations and directions.

We visited Hobbiton Sunday afternoon, which I had been looking forward to for months. It was
crazy to think we were actually on the set where the Hobbit was filmed. I was very excited to see
bag end in particular, and it was interesting to hear some of the tricks they used on set, such as
actually having different sized hobbit holes so Gandalf could look super large, and Bilbo would
look smaller. It was also crazy to think how they moved a huge tree from 6 hours away for a
small part of the movie I never realized how much detail must go into every aspect of designing
a movie.

Sunday afternoon we made our way back to Auckland. I really enjoyed looking at the scenery on
the bus ride back its so beautiful to see all the hills and different kinds of animals, New
Zealands landscape is absolutely amazing. A couple of us tried out a new restaurant and Carlee
and I were both very excited to try the seafood pasta. The seafood in new Zealand is extremely
good, and I liked to try something with seafood whenever we went out for dinner. Walking
around downtown Auckland reminded me of Toronto in a way , just a smaller version- it was
interesting to note some of the similarities, such as comparing the sky tower to the CN tower, the
stores and the restaurants. I found that New Zealands sea food was absolutely amazing, Carlee
and I had tried a sea food place Sunday night, and their muscles, crabs, and scallops were
especially good. I love trying out different kinds of food in new places, and I found new Zealand
had a great variety of different foods, but their Sea food and wine were especially good.

Day 8: Monday

Monday was our last full day in New Zealand, and it was an incredible day. Monday we went on a
bush and beach tours and visited Piha black sand beach, and Waitakere Falls, and saw the
rainforest. Its crazy to think how it is only a half an hour drive to get out of the city and get to more
natural peaceful local areas, compared to Toronto where it is a bit more of a drive to do that.
Waitakere falls was absolutely beautiful to see, and it is crazy that is fueled by just rainwater.
I was very interested in the story told about the caves and the Maori people fighting. Maori
people fought in the 1800s and one side had spades and the other had guns because they trading
with European settlers. The side with the guns had come to settle and old revenge and because of
the guns it was an imbalanced fight. The one side completely wiped out all the men except for
one who escaped climbing down a vine down a cave. The women and children were smoked out
of the cave they were hiding in and they were kept in order to mix the races and keep the line
going. It is crazy to think that you are standing where so much history has happened.

It was interesting to learn about the Kauri tree, and how the tree stops vines from climbing it via
shedding the lower branches, as it gets taller, and how it survives by depriving its competitors of
nutrition. The Kauri trees population started to decrease in the mid to late 1800s because of
logging, and when the European settlers came the trees were often used for masts for ships.

Piha black sand beach was very beautiful to see, it was crazy how big the waves were and how
hard they were crashing against the rocks. I would have loved to go swimming in the water but
the water is too dangerous to swim in because of the riptides. It was interesting to find out the
sand is black because of its iron content.

Day 9: Tuesday

Tuesday was the last day in New Zealand. It was definitely surreal how fast the 10 days went. On
the last day we had planned to go bungee jumping of the Auckland Bridge which is 40 metres
high. Over the trip we had definitely done lots of adventurous things but this was the only one I
was scared to do! So I was a little anxious, and anticipating the jump. We explored downtown
Auckland in the morning before hand, and I picked up some souveniers I really liked the Paua
shell necklaces because of their significance. The Maori commonly give Paua shell gifts to each
other as a sign of good luck and peace. I thought because of this, it would be a great idea to get
these necklaces for people I care about.

The bungee jumping was absolutely exhilarating. We started by walking up the Auckland bridge,
and as I was climbing higher and higher I would get more nervous. I actually wanted to go first,
but I ended up going last in the group because they did it from heaviest to lightest instead. I think
it was really helpful having such a big group go because we all were enthusiastic and cheering
each other on, it would have been much more nerve wracking to do it with none of my friends
with me. Jumping off the bridge that first 1-2 seconds in the air was absolutely crazy the free
fall was definitely scary- I felt my stomach drop and all I saw was the water beneath me, but after
that 1-2 seconds I didnt feel scared any more and I enjoyed the fall down. It was crazy how the
free fall creates such an adrenaline rush and the sense of freedom it gives you. I really enjoyed
it, so I decided to do a second yup which was almost as good as the first, except without as
much anticipation. The way back up from the bungee jumping was very exciting as well because
you get such a nice view of the city you can really appreciate the beauty of Auckland. New
Zealand invented the bungee jump so I figured this was the perfect place and time to do the

bungee jumping, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. For the rest of the day we walked
around the harbor on the waterfront and did some souvenir shopping, I was very sad to be
leaving, but it was an absolutely amazing trip and I am very grateful for all the experiences.

Overall Summary
I had an absolutely amazing and life changing experience in New Zealand, I would love to come
back one day and I really appreciate all the wonderful adventures and activities we were lucky
enough to do.

The first three days were definitely more education orientated but I really loved learning at the
AUT. I think its a great institution and I thought we got a great overall sense of fitness and
health. We covered a variety of topics including youth athlete development, training older adults,
exercise physiology overviews, strength and conditioning, and some nutrition. Some of it was
review of what we learnt in kinesiology, and some were newer information, but I am excited that
I have a lot more information to add to my toolkit.

It was really interesting to learn how to play sports as someone who hasnt played many team
sports it really is an eye opening experience to see the difference in how you push yourself, the
camaraderie between teammates, and the difference between the ability to play sports vs. just
exercise. We learnt how to play netball, rugby, and criquet, and out of those three I think netball
was my favourite to learn how to play. It was also interesting to play it after we studied how it
was developed and how it became such a big sport especially for women- in New Zealand.
The second half of the trip was filled with adventure and I absolutely loved the black water
rafting, white water rafting, mountain biking, visiting Hobbiton, and the hiking and sight seeing.
It ties into what we heard at AUT at the beginning of the trip how you need some recreation to fill

the tank, and how great it is to be outdoors I think learning about the nature and environment
and being in it can really refresh and fuel the mind. I think doing new things really teach you how
to push yourself physically and mentally, overcome challenges, appreciate the beauty in whats
around you, and I think it helps to give more perspective when you go back to normal day to day
life.
The cultural experience of New Zealand was lovely to experience as well I found people were
very helpful, kind and friendly. There were lots of people always walking outside, and I noticed
that I didnt see as many cell phones out on the street with people staring at their phones as they
walk as is so common in Toronto. It is great to appreciate the Maori culture as well, and the
differences between the natives in Canada and New Zealand is really significant.

Overall it was an extremely amazing trip spent with great company, and I am very happy and
grateful that I got the chance to experience it.