Robbie Williams | The Swing Tour Live

Rumours of a return tour have been running hot since the release of his latest studio offering late last year, and now Chugg Entertainment can proudly confirm that the rumours are true. Few artists can boast that they’ve sold 55 million albums globally, but Robbie can.

One of Britain’s premier pop superstars, known for his cheeky wit as much as his hit-studded albums, the one and only Robbie Williams will be making his long overdue return to Australia for a national run of dates this September, bringing his incredible swing album, Swings Both Ways.

It’s been nearly eight years since the British superstar treated Australian audiences to his myriad talents on the live stage. In December 2006 Williams undertook a stadium tour of monumental proportion across Australia.

Williams' love for Australia has been well documented over the years, with a slew of tours and special performances (including the 2009 ARIA awards), he can also boast his most well known collaborations being with Australians; Kids, a duet with pop star Kylie Minogue and a cover of Frank & Nancy Sinatra's Somethin' Stupid with Nicole Kidman. Add to this that 2.6 million Robbie Williams albums have been sold in Australia to date – making that 1 in 10 Australians who own a Robbie album – it’s a certainty that the love affair continues.

Robbie’s latest album Swings Both Ways is the follow up to his original 2001 swing release, Swing When You’re Winning, which spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the UK charts, and likewise garnered unprecedented success in Australia, going four times platinum and remaining his best selling album of all time. Swings Both Ways sees the reunion of Robbie’s collaboration with songwriter and producer Guy Chambers; the creative pairing responsible for some of Robbie’s biggest hits (Rock DJ, Feel, Millenium, Let Me Entertain You, Angels, Supreme).

The album debuted at #1 in the UK and #5 on the ARIA charts, and within the first 4 weeks of release, the album was certified Gold in Australia. This is his eleventh chart-topping album in the UK, which now means that he draws level with Elvis Presley as the male solo artist with the most number one albums.

Armed with an arsenal packed with ballads, pop songs and massive sing-along hits, Robbie returns to the swing genre for his tenth studio album and current world tour.

Tour Dates:

Ticketek is selling for the following venues only:

Thursday 11 September - Perth Arena
Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 September - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Monday 22 & Tuesday 23 September - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 September - Allphones Arena, Sydney

The fastest way to fitness: running

Photo: istock

Running is simply the best medicine, writes Clive Hopkins.

CITY2SURF EVENT GUIDE: www.city2surf.com.au

'Humans really are born to run," says Sydney-based personal trainer Mike Moore. "It's a very simple form of exercise - it's low cost, and you can do it anywhere, anytime."

Moore's clients range from complete novices, right up to the kind of elite athletes who will run The Sun-Herald City 2 Surf presented by Westpac in under an hour.

Moore believes that when people start running training, they notice an improvement in their fitness very quickly, more quickly than they would in other forms of exercise. "Your body already knows how to do it, which is the opposite of something like swimming."

And while there are techniques involved in running, it's not necessary to go down the technical path to get something from the activity.

For anyone taking up running for the first time, Moore advises getting some correct footwear (which doesn't have to cost $300), before setting achievable goals for yourself.

"I'm big on getting a sense of achievement from exercise. For the first time ever, this might just be running from one lamp post to the next lamp post."

The rule of thumb for those starting out is that you should be able to talk while jogging. "You should be comfortable, so that at the end of a run, you feel you could have done a bit more."

Even those who resist the idea of running can get a lot out of it.

Moore recalls one client saying to him, 'if you ever make me run, I'll leave'.

"She'd been made to run at school, and got no enjoyment out of it. Now, though, she's done several 10-kilometre races."

For Moore, one of the most striking benefits of running is the potential for weight loss. "I'll stick my neck out and say that, in my experience, if someone starts running two or three times a week, their body will change for the better."

Moore's reluctant runner client lost an incredible 20 kilograms, essentially, he believes, just from running.

"In contrast to something like cycling, running is a whole-body exercise that uses upper and lower body muscles," says Dr Rhonda Orr, senior lecturer in exercise and sports science at The University of Sydney.

"The changes [adaptations] brought about by aerobic exercise like running are very beneficial."

What lay people refer to as an increased fitness or aerobic capacity, health professionals refer to as an improved VO2 max score.

Orr says there are two components to VO2 max - an essential component to do with your heart, and a peripheral component to do with capillary (small blood vessel) density and mitochondria (the "energy storehouses" of the body), and associated enzyme action.

"If we look at the heart, running training over time will lead to a decrease in the resting heart rate, as well as a decrease in the sub-maximal heart rate for any activity," says Orr. "This is good adaptation.

"There is also an increase in the heart's 'stroke volume', that is, how much blood is ejected from the heart during every cardiac cycle. The heart is pumping more effectively, leading to improved circulation."

Aside from the benefits to the heart, running requires the whole body to work together in unison, to deliver more oxygen to the working muscle. Increased mitochondria and enzyme action leads to improved fat mobilisation.

"The increased capacity to transport fats leads to an improved fat utilisation during exercise," says Orr. "By doing this, you spare your glucose or your glycogen stores, which your body uses for short bursts of energy.
"When you train well, you're not only training your muscles and endurance - you're training your body to use optimal energy stores."

It's this better fat utilisation that can result in weight loss.

Running training can also lead to better blood glucose control.

"This is also good for our general health," says Orr.

"If we improve our glucose kinetics, we can help retard, not just the onset of type-2 diabetes, but potentially also the onset of metabolic syndrome. This is a cluster of conditions: high blood pressure, high glucose, high cholesterol, and excess body fat around the waist, which are all connected with cardio-vascular disease."

For those who already have type-2 diabetes, running is a good adjunct to their medication, and running can also help reduce blood pressure in mildly hypertensive patients.

Moore, though, believes that running is good for you in ways that go far beyond the physical. "I feel it's also a great benefit for mental health - something you can enjoy by being by yourself, or as part of a group.

"The great attraction of running is being able to do it anywhere, whether it's a city or the Sinai desert," he says.

"I've actually used running to explore New York City. You see people and places you wouldn't see if you were in a car, because you're amongst it."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/athletics/the-fastest-way-to-fitness-20140723-3cf2b.html