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Mysterious leg pain that’s quietly killing older Australians

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) has long been overshadowed by its more widely recognised counterparts, such as heart attacks and strokes. Often referred to as the “poor cousin” or “Cinderella” of cardiovascular diseases, PAD affects one in five older Australians, yet it remains largely under-diagnosed and misunderstood. However, a wave of optimism is sweeping through the medical community with the launch of <a href="https://www.hri.org.au/our-research/centreforpad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Centre for Peripheral Artery Disease</a>, an Australian-first facility dedicated to pioneering research and improving patient outcomes. Spearheaded by the Heart Research Institute, the Centre for Peripheral Artery Disease, marks a significant step forward in addressing the challenges posed by PAD. The centre aims to fill critical gaps in our understanding of the disease, which is responsible for a limb amputation in Australia every two hours. This initiative promises to enhance diagnosis, transform patient care, and raise awareness about PAD. Associate Professor Mary Kavurma, the Centre Lead, is at the forefront of this ground-breaking effort. “We’re supercharging research into PAD because there are still many unknowns about the disease’s biology that could unlock new methods for early detection and better management,” she explains. This research is particularly urgent given the prevalence of PAD among women and First Nations Australians, groups that remain disproportionately affected by this condition. The centre’s mission is to develop a simple blood test for early diagnosis and explore novel therapies that could reduce the need for limb amputations and significantly improve patients’ quality of life. Unlike current treatments that primarily focus on symptom management, this new approach seeks to prevent the disease from progressing. One of the most inspiring aspects of the centre is its commitment to involving patients and their families in the research process. At the inaugural consumer meeting, nearly 20 patients and their carers shared their personal experiences with PAD. Take the story of Simon Josephson, a renowned advertising guru – who famously designed the Solo logo. PAD almost cost him his life after taking more than five years to diagnose. He woke up one morning with a sore leg, thinking he’d overdone it exercising but the 73-year-old – who was otherwise healthy and active – unknowingly had Peripheral Artery Disease, caused by a build-up of plaque in his arteries causing them to narrow and stiffen. It wasn’t until a trip to the hospital emergency department years later that doctors would discover his aorta had expanded to more than twice the usual size and was at risk of rupturing. He immediately underwent open heart surgery and has faced a lengthy recovery. The launch of <a href="https://www.hri.org.au/our-research/centreforpad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Centre for Peripheral Artery Disease</a> heralds a new era of hope and progress in the fight against PAD. Through world-leading research, community engagement, and a commitment to patient-centred care, the CPAD is poised to make a profound impact on the lives of many Australians. As Assoc Prof Kavurma aptly put it, “By understanding more about this debilitating condition, we are paving the way for better health outcomes and a brighter future for all those affected by PAD.” Images: CPAD

Caring

Painting by four-legged Van Gogh sells for five figures

A very good boy named Van Gogh has raised a hefty sum of money for a good cause. The one-eared four-legged artist has used his extraordinary talents to create his own rendition of his namesake’s masterpiece Starry Night. At an online benefit auction for the <a href="https://www.happilyfureverafter.org/">Happily Furever After Rescue</a> in Connecticut, USA, pet food company Pedigree paid $10,000 for the artwork. The rescue home was the one that found Van Gogh his new forever home, after sharing his artistic talents online. All the proceeds of Van Gogh the dog’s auction will benefit the rescue efforts of Happily Furever After, which specialises in rehoming dogs like pit bulls, who can sometimes have a hard time finding homes. The paintings in the current auction, titled “Van Gogh Reimagined,” are all based on compositions by the original Van Gogh. However, unlike a painting by the Dutch master, the dog’s art starts the bidding at just $25 a piece. “Having Van Gogh create some of history’s most famous paintings felt like big shoes to fill,” founder Jaclyn Gartner told <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/van-gogh-rescue-dog-charity-auction-2264707">Artnet News</a>. “There was a lot more attention to detail this time around to make sure to incorporate all the colours and try to recreate the pieces as closely as possible.” Since finding his new home, Van Gogh has created more than 150 new works of art. To make each masterpiece, a person applies blobs of colours of paint to a canvas placed inside a plastic bag. The talented dog then completes the artwork by licking off a coating of peanut butter or other dog-friendly treats from the outside of the bag, making the artwork inside. “The most exciting part about Van Gogh painting is never really knowing what it’s going to come out to look like as it depends on how his tongue slides across the peanut butter coated bag,” Gartner said. “Since we did the art gallery in October, Van Gogh has explored more tasty toppings,” she added. “We have begun incorporating other things like ground up liverwurst, pumpkin puree, and goat whip. Painting has become an even more delicious hobby for Van Gogh!“ Image credits: Happily Furever After Rescue

Art

New Zealand police farewell four-legged hero

A beloved member of the New Zealand Police Force has been farewelled, after Dunedin police dog Gill died from cancer. The 10-year-old was the oldest police dog working in Dunedin’s police dog section when he passed away. Senior Constable Tim Roy, who fostered Gill as a pup, worked with the German Shepherd for most of his operational years, according to a <a href="https://www.police.govt.nz/news/ten-one-magazine/farewell-dunedins-oldest-police-dog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “He’s been an amazing dog right up until the end," Roy said. "Gill was everything I could have asked for and more as a handler. He was big, strong, fearless, super driven, loved to work and known for his deafening excited howl when being deployed. “Gill was more than an outstanding police dog. His goofy personality, playfulness and loyalty were what made him extra special.” Sergeant Mike Calvert, head of the Dunedin Dog Section, described the canine as a strong all-round police dog with numerous successful tracks and catches. “He also thrived as an AOS-qualified dog, and as recently as last month was taking part in AOS callouts and training days,” Calvert said. “Old age hadn’t slowed him up and he kept his place on AOS leaving Tim’s younger dog Leo, aged 3, to pick up the active running around for general patrol dog work.” Senior Constable Reuben Whalley, who worked with Gill in Christchurch, described him as “a lovely dog” who could switch off from work and enjoy family life at home. Gill, who’s policing career began back in 2013, has done more than catch criminals and find people, having fathered a litter of puppies in 2016 and featured on the 2017 and 2023 Police Dog Trust Calendars. “Gill just loved to please his handler, whether responding to jobs or taking part in the softer side of community policing, including community events and Christmas parades," Calvert said. "It’s a shame he didn’t get to enjoy retirement." Images: New Zealand Police

Family & Pets

"Dear leg, I'll miss you so much": Boy's tragic farewell

A young boy has left a heartbreaking message on his leg after learning that it had to be amputated due to a rare cancer. Chandler Tran, 8, from Australia, and his family first discovered the illness when they found a “pea-sized” bump on his leg and noticed he was walking with a limp when he returned from holiday care around Easter time. Seeking an X-ray at the local hospital, he was then taken to a children’s hospital in Sydney and was given the devastating diagnosis of osteosarcoma, which is a rare bone cancer. The following months comprised of chemotherapy treatment. Doctors then wanted to amputate his leg to alleviate the pain, but the amputation will not cure him. Chandler’s dad Cong Tan, 42, recalled the moment. He said: “Can you take a photo of my leg on my tablet?” “He drew a little love heart over his leg and wrote a little message.” “He wrote: ‘Dear leg, I’ll miss you so much when you’re gone, love Chandler.’ “He was sad about the prospect of losing his leg, but he was like, ‘If that’s what I need to do to not have pain, then that’s okay.’ “For us seeing him coping so well, that really helped us.” Days after recovering from that operation, his family were told the tumours in Chandler’s lungs had grown and the doctors couldn’t do anything more to save his life. “They said any treatment would just be palliative, to try and slow the cancer down,” his mother Trang said. The family has set up a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/jwxjw-support-the-trans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help cover eventual funeral costs but also to fund any LEGO that Chandler wants. “The sickness is coming on and we are at the point where we can’t treat it and so it is about keeping him happy,” Mr Tran said. “We appreciate everyone who has donated and is helping us give Chandler whatever his heart desires to make the last bit as enjoyable as possible.” Image: GoFundMe

Body

Happy ending for four-legged wedding crasher

When a couple’s special day was interrupted by a stray dog, not only did he steal the show, but he stole their hearts too. Tamíris Muzini and Douglas Robert were preparing for their wedding ceremony at a church in the city of Vila Velha, on Brazil’s southeastern coast, when a stray dog joined the 150 invited guests in attending, as reported by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/08/a-stray-dog-who-was-adopted-after-crashing-a-wedding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NY Post</a>. “Before the ceremony started [the dog] entered the church and went straight upstairs, where he met the groom and guests,” Muzini told the outlet. After that he returned downstairs, where he lay outside the door until Muzini arrived. “He stayed there, just waiting for me to enter,” she said. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/wedding-dog2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> A stray dog that gatecrashed Tamíris Muzini and Douglas Robert’s wedding has since become a member of their family. Image: @caramelodejesus (Instagram) As the crowd turned to watch her come down the aisle, they were greeted by the sight of the stray doing the same. “Everyone was delighted with him because he is very cute and was super comfortable there,” Muzini added. The sweet pooch watched as Muzini and Robert exchanged vows, then ran up to them as they left the church, jumping up to pose for photos with them. “When he greeted us at the end, he asked, “Take me home. Take me,’” she told TheDodo.com. Having stolen the couple’s hearts, they made him a part of their family - and quickly came up with a name for him. “Everyone started calling him Caramelo, and that was it,” Muzini told the Post. With a first name fitting his golden coat, Muzini and Robert decided his full name would be Caramelo de Jesus “because, without a doubt, he was sent to us by God”. “It was surreal and inexplicable,: Muzini said. “He marked an important day in our history. He was part of our big moment and he enchanted us with his charisma.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/wedding-dog1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Caramelo even posed for photos with the newly-wed couple. Image: @caramelodejesus (Instagram) Ever since, Caramelo has become an inseparable part of the newlywed’s family - even earning himself his own social media profile where the family’s adventures are shared. “In the one month we’ve shared, we have had several adventures with him,” Muzini said. “Each day is a different surprise. “One day he pees in the kitchen, another day he climbs on top of cars, then he steals grandma’s bread and runs away with it. “But every day, he is sad when we go out to work. He welcomes us home with jumps, hugs and kisses when we return.” With all his antics, Muzini said Caramelo is preparing her for motherhood. “Undoubtedly, Caramelo is a beautiful training for a not-too-distant future with a human son,” she said. “He’s like a naughty child, but he is also very docile and super loving. He fills us with so much love all the time.” Image: @caramelodejesus (Instagram)

Family & Pets

Nurse who lost both legs to Russian landmine gets married in hospital

The first dance is a big moment for any bride and groom, but it was even more special for Oksana and Victor. Oksana lost both her legs on a Russian landmine in March, in their home town of Lysychansk, located in the Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine region of Luhansk. The explosion didn't injure Victor, although they were together at the time, but the bride lost both of her legs as well as four fingers on her left hand. Oksana underwent four surgeries and was later evacuated to Dnipro to recover and prepare for prosthetics, and eventually to Lviv, in the west near the Polish border. As she waited for the next part of the healing process, the couple, who have two children together, took the opportunity to wed in a Lviv hospital last week. “Life should not be postponed until later, decided Oksana and Victor, who in six years together never found time for marriage," Lviv Medical Association said, sharing video of the couple's special moment. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> ❤️🇺🇦 Very special lovestory. A nurse from Lysychansk, who has lost both legs on a russian mine, got married in Lviv. On March 27, Victor and Oksana were coming back home, when a russian mine exploded. The man was not injured, but Oksana's both legs were torn off by the explosion. <a href="https://t.co/X1AQNwKwyu">pic.twitter.com/X1AQNwKwyu</a> — Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - Ukrainian Parliament (@ua_parliament) <a href="https://twitter.com/ua_parliament/status/1521194382682202113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2022</a></blockquote> The footage was also shared by Ukraine's Parliament, which wished the couple well in their new life together. The sweet dance shows the groom carrying his new wife in his arms as she buries her head in her husband's neck. The couple are said to have wed at a local registry office before the hospital reception took place. Oksana is set to travel to Germany for further treatment. Image: Twitter

Relationships

Urgent health warning after child loses leg

An athlete who caught chickenpox as a little boy resulted in him nearly dying. He entered cardiac arrest, lost 70% of his hearing and had to have his right leg amputated. As a warning to others, Brendan Hall has now issued an urgent warning about the virus and its devastating effects. Australian health authorities recently revealed chickenpox is still running rampant through the community despite Covid restrictions drastically reducing other common viruses such as the flu. Paralympic swimmer Brenden Hall, aged 28, caught chickenpox from his brother in 1999. His sibling got through chickenpox unscathed, but Hall suffered immensely from the common ailment, with his parents fearing the worst as he went into cardiac arrest for 27 minutes. Hall described the moment he woke up in hospital to find out he'd lost his leg from a condition that gives many young people only mild symptoms. 'I wasn't aware my leg was going to be amputated until I came back around a few weeks after it happened. 'I was in severe pain and constant screaming, I can't remember a lot from at the time but my parents made the best decision they could,' Hall told Daily Mail Australia. Chickenpox is one of a number of infectious diseases such as measles, mumps and shingles that doctors remain concerned about. It was recently revealed that last year there were more than 10,000 cases of the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, in Queensland alone. Hall now has a 10-week-old child of his own and wants other parents to know that it is vital to keep up routine immunisations and safety precautions for common childhood diseases whether they be measles, mumps or chicken pox. 'I'd like to be in the group that puts themselves out there to spread the word, to remind people of a serious danger that, for a lot of people, slips under the radar,' he said.

Caring

1 millipede, 1,306 legs: we just discovered the world’s leggiest animal hiding in Western Australia

Millipedes were the first land animals, and today we know of more than 13,000 species. There are likely thousands more species of the many-legged invertebrates awaiting discovery and formal scientific description. The name “millipede” comes from the Latin for “thousand feet”, but until now no known species had more than 750 legs. However, my colleagues and I recently found <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-02447-0">a new champion</a>. The eyeless, subterranean Eumillipes persephone, discovered 60 metres underground near the south coast of Western Australia, has up to 1,306 legs, making it the first “true millipede” and the leggiest animal on Earth. <h2>Finding life underground</h2> In Australia, most species in some groups of invertebrates are still undescribed. Many could even become extinct before we know about them. Part of the reason is that life is everywhere, even where we least expect it. You could be excused for thinking remote areas of Western Australia such as the Pilbara and the Goldfields, where the land is arid and harsh, are not home to too many species. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437949/original/file-20211216-15-11fkzif.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> The arid landscapes of Western Australia harbour a surprising diversity of life. Shutterstock But the reality is very different. An enormously diverse array of poorly known animals live underground, inhabiting cavities and fractures in the rock several metres below the surface. One way to find out about these creatures is to place “troglofauna traps” far below the surface. E. persephone was found in one of these traps, which had spent two months 60m underground in a mining exploration bore in the Goldfields. <h2>A lucky discovery</h2> At the time I was working for a company called Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, which had been hired by the mining company to survey the animals in the area. I was lucky enough to be in the laboratory on the day the leggiest animal on Earth was first seen. Our senior taxonomist, Jane McRae, showed me these incredibly elongated millipedes, less than a millimetre wide and almost 10 centimetres long. She pointed out how their triangular faces placed them in the family Siphonotidae, comprised of sucking millipedes from the order Polyzoniida. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437938/original/file-20211216-21-3yvudt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437938/original/file-20211216-21-3yvudt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> A female Eumillipes persephone with 330 segments and 1,306 legs. Paul E. Marek, Bruno A. Buzatto, William A. Shear, Jackson C. Means, Dennis G. Black, Mark S. Harvey, Juanita Rodriguez, Scientific Reports, Author provided Their long, thin and pale bodies, with hundreds of legs, reminded me of a paper I had read years earlier, which redescribed the leggiest millipede in the world, the Californian Illacme plenipes, bearing 750 legs. Back in 2007, while teaching zoology at Campinas State University in Brazil, I used that paper to explain to students how no millipede species in the world really had 1,000 legs. Often, popular names are scientifically inaccurate, but in front of me I had an animal that stood a chance of finally making the name millipede biologically correct. <h2>A true millipede at last</h2> I suggested to Jane that our new specimens might be more consistent with I. plenipes, which belongs to another order of millipedes, the Siphonophorida. We consulted Mark Harvey from the WA Museum, and together were surprised to realise Siphonophorida are very rare in Australia: there are only three known species, all found on the east coast. Next, I contacted Paul Marek at Virginia Tech in the United States, a millipede expert and lead author of that paper about the 750-legged I. plenipes. He was excited to receive the specimens a few weeks later. This new species turned out to have up to 1,306 legs, making it the first true millipede. Paul named it Eumillipes persephone, in reference to its “true 1,000 legs” nature, and to Persephone, the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology who was taken from the surface by Hades. <h2>Why so many legs?</h2> E. persephone was most likely driven to its underground life as the landscape above became hotter and drier over millions of years. We eventually discovered Jane was right about the nature of E. persephone: it is in fact a member of the Siphonotidae family, only distantly related to I. plenipes, and is therefore the only species in the whole order Polyzoniida with no eyes. We classify any millipede with more than 180 body segments as “super-elongated”. E. persephone has 330. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437943/original/file-20211216-15-zklige.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437943/original/file-20211216-15-zklige.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Just a few of the legs of a male Eumillipes persephone. Paul E. Marek, Bruno A. Buzatto, William A. Shear, Jackson C. Means, Dennis G. Black, Mark S. Harvey, Juanita Rodriguez, Scientific Reports, Author provided With a genetic analysis, we found that super-elongation has evolved repeatedly in millipedes, and it might be an adaptation to living underground. The large number of legs likely provides enhanced traction and power to push their bodies through small gaps and fractures in the soil. But this is just a hypothesis at this stage, and we have no direct evidence that having more legs is an adaptation to subterranean life. <h2>Finding the unknown</h2> Finding this incredible species, which represents a unique branch of the millipede tree of life, is a small first step towards the conservation of subterranean biodiversity in arid landscapes. This starts with documenting new species, assessing their vulnerability, and ultimately devising conservation priorities and management plans. A large proportion of the species of arid Australia are undescribed. For subterranean fauna, this may be more than 90%. Not knowing these animals exist makes it impossible to assess their conservation status. Biodiversity surveys, and especially the taxonomy that supports them, are incredibly important. Taxonomists such as Jane, Paul and Mark are the unsung heroes of conservation.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173753/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruno-alves-buzatto-185830">Bruno Alves Buzatto</a>, Principal Biologist at Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-millipede-1-306-legs-we-just-discovered-the-worlds-leggiest-animal-hiding-in-western-australia-173753">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Perth mother’s urgent warning after losing her legs and unborn baby

A Perth mother has given a grave warning to others, after she lost her unborn baby, was forced to have her legs amputated and almost lost her life to sepsis. Leana Stendell admitted doctors did not expect her to live, however the woman is still here to share her inspirational story of survival. “He wrote in his notes that I wasn’t going to make it, make the night... but I did!” the woman admitted <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/" target="_blank">7NEWS</a> about her doctor. Stendell revealed she had woken up one morning vomiting and just 12 hours later she was in a coma, which is where she stayed for 12 days. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841550/leana-stendell-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a5715d443fb3447682b0c4af34af2bf1" /> The woman sadly lost her son, who was delivered as a stillborn at just 33 weeks. “I think for my family, that was traumatic because I was asleep, so I don’t have any memory of that and they are there holding that memory instead,” she said. The Perth mum had Strep A, but it progressed so quickly that she developed sepsis. It was the same infection that took the life of bubbly seven-year-old Aishwarya Aswath at Perth Children’s Hospital. “Sepsis is a time-critical emergency, where the body’s response to an infection can cause shock or organ failure or death,” Royal Perth Hospital Jonathon Burcham said. The mother of two spent four months in hospital, and in that time her legs were amputate just below the knee. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841551/leana-stendell-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/307c6b1921c44551b0dbc693d20473e5" /> “I remember making that choice that I was going to be okay, and I was going to be happy,” she said. There are 55,000 cases of sepsis every year in Australia and 8700 deaths – more than seven times the national road toll. Stendell says that despite her losses, she has gained a brighter outlook on life. “More so now I’m just grateful and I see the happiness and joy in things and that’s where I want to be,” Stendell said. Image: 7News

Body

Red Symons says Bert Newton staying positive following leg amputation

<div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in element-type-p"> Fans of Bert Newton have been extremely anxious after news of the TV legend having to have his leg amputated broke on Monday. However, close family friends Rhonda Burchomroe and Red Symons have confirmed that Newton is maintaining his happy outlook on life despite the operation. "I mean I was as shocked as anyone yesterday when I heard the news," Burchmore said. "He is cracking jokes, apparently, with all the medical staff. "He has been in my life and been such a mentor and support for so many people through all the years. "I am sure if anyone can kind of move on and do incredible things he will." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Bert Newtown's family have rallied around the hospitalised TV icon, with his wife Patti saying Bert "chose life" when given an ultimatum by doctors - months to live, or have the lower part of his right leg removed. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> More on this story: <a href="https://t.co/q8LlaT3v2o">https://t.co/q8LlaT3v2o</a> <a href="https://t.co/csekqYOeNa">pic.twitter.com/csekqYOeNa</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1391842864221626371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2021</a></blockquote> The 82-year-old entertainment legend is diabetic and has suffered numerous health issues, including undergoing a quadruple heart bypass in 2012. Symons said that the family has high hopes that Newton would be able to continue with his entertainment career. "I guess moving forward, we hope that he is able to come back and work. If he doesn't what a massive body of work that he has," Symons said. </div>

Caring

How to banish painful leg cramps

<div id="primary" class="contentAreaLeft"> <div class="Maincontent"> Everyone experiences leg cramps at some point in their lives, to a greater or lesser degree. If you’re lucky it can be as minor as a short series of spasms or cramps in the leg muscles that don’t relax for several seconds. Often these can be caused by overuse or dehydration, or even just standing and walking for longer than usual. Routine muscle cramps generally last just a few seconds or minutes and ease with warmth, rest and stretching. But you need to be able to tell the difference between that and more sinister conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), peripheral artery disease, or even a clogging of the arteries which can reduce circulation to the limbs. The most common leg cramps – also known as restless leg or night leg cramps – can appear as if from nowhere, and as the name suggests, occur mostly at night. Characterised by a sudden movement in the leg muscles, causing painful, involuntary contractions to occur, they can last from a few seconds up to a few minutes. While low levels of certain minerals such as electrolytes and some medications have been cited as causes of leg cramps, unfortunately there is currently no definitive cure. However, sufferers can take Crampeze long term to help combat these cramps. Let’s take a closer look to help see if the leg pains you are experiencing may be simpler than you think to help identify – and hopefully ease. What are the symptoms of common leg cramps or night cramps? The symptoms of a muscle cramp include: <ul> <li>Sudden uncontrollable and painful spasms in the muscle</li> <li>Muscle twitching</li> <li>Excruciating deep muscle pain in the calf</li> <li>Tightness of the calf and hardening of the muscle</li> </ul> A cramp can reoccur several times before it goes away. Cramps are common at night and generally occur in the calf muscles and feet. What can be the underlying cause of such cramps? The exact cause of muscle cramps is largely unknown, but there are some risk factors that include: <ul> <li>Muscle injury</li> <li>Muscle fatigue</li> <li>Poor diet and lifestyle</li> <li>Low Magnesium levels or Magnesium deficiency</li> <li>Dehydration</li> <li>Physical overexertion</li> <li>Physical exertion of cold muscles</li> <li>Some medications</li> <li>Excessive perspiration</li> </ul> How can you stop leg cramps? Many people turn to magnesium supplements to try relieve leg cramps. Magnesium is involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and around 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. It assists with energy production and is necessary for proper muscle and nerve function, while helping to maintain normal healthy functioning of the nervous system and may help relieve muscular cramps and spasms. However, magnesium alone is not a complete cramp solution to stop leg cramps. Why choose Crampeze instead of a magnesium supplement? Crampeze offers a wide range of muscular cramp relief products that fit in with your lifestyle and preferences. Crampeze products provide Magnesium supplementation and contain Viburnum Opulus (Cramp bark), which is traditionally used in western herbal medicine to help relieve muscle cramps and mild muscle spasms and twitches. Crampeze can be taken every day and easily fits into your routine to help you live your life cramp free from today. Key Crampeze ingredients and how they work to stop leg cramps: <a rel="noopener" href="https://crampeze.com.au/products/crampeze-night-cramps/" target="_blank">Crampeze Night Cramps</a> contains: <ul> <li>Viburnum Opulus (Cramp Bark) traditionally used in western herbal medicine to help relieve muscle cramps and mild muscle spasms and twitches.</li> <li>Viburnum Opulus (Cramp Bark) traditionally used in western herbal medicine as an antispasmodic and to maintain general health and wellbeing.</li> <li>Magnesium to support energy production and maintain muscle function.</li> <li>Ginkgo Biloba that acts as an antioxidant, reducing free radicals formed in the body.</li> <li>Ginkgo Biloba to support blood circulation to the peripheral areas of the body (legs, hands and feet).</li> </ul> <a rel="noopener" href="https://crampeze.com.au/products/crampeze-night-cramps-forte/" target="_blank">Crampeze Night Cramps Forte</a> contains: <ul> <li>Viburnum Opulus (Cramp Bark) traditionally used in western herbal medicine to help relieve muscle cramps and mild muscles twitches and as an antispasmodic.</li> <li>Magnesium to maintain healthy immune system functions and support healthy neuromuscular system.</li> <li>Magnesium to maintain muscle function and support nervous system function.</li> <li>Nicotinamide, feverfew extract and vitamin B5.</li> </ul> Additional lifestyle tips to help reduce cramps There are many things you can do to help alleviate night time leg cramps that can be incorporated into your daily routine, such as drink plenty of water during the day, daily calf stretches, trying not to sit with your legs crossed, taking a warm bath before going to bed, indulge in regular massages, and modifying your diet to include more potassium and magnesium-based foods. Some extra cramp facts <ul> <li>Leg cramps are reported in up to 60% of adults and 7% of children. Up to 20% of people have symptoms every day.1</li> <li>About 1 in 3 people over the age of 60, and about half of people over the age of 80, experience regular leg cramps.2</li> <li>Approximately 50% of those over 55 suffer nocturnal leg cramping, with significantly more people experiencing nocturnal leg pain.3</li> <li>40% of people who suffer from leg cramps have cramps at least three times per week.4</li> </ul> This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <a rel="noopener" href="https://crampeze.com.au/" target="_blank">Crampeze</a>. References: <ol> <li>Allen RE, Kirby KA. Nocturnal leg cramps. Am Fam Physician 2012;86:350–5. [PubMed] http://www.patient.co.uk/health/cramps-in-the-leg</li> <li>http://www.backinmotion.com.au/news/article/how-to-combat-night-pains-and-cramps Adrian Quinn – Physiotherapist and Director, Back In Motion</li> <li>Camberwell How to combat night pains and cramps Published: 19 March 2014</li> <li>http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180160.php by Christian Nordqvist</li> </ol> </div> </div>

Body

Mother gives grave warning after daughter loses leg

A mother is urging parents to think again before they let their children near and around adult equipment after her own daughter lost her leg in a horrific lawnmower accident in August. Mum Sarah Reardon said her three-year-old daughter Abigail Reardon, is dealing with her new circumstances “far better than all the adults in her life” after she was reversed over by the mower in Franklin, Massachusetts. The horrifying accident took place on August 22 and resulted in extensive damage to Abigail’s left foot and leg. It left her needing an amputation from her mid-calf. Ms Reardon said the accident happened quickly. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838231/baby-loses-leg-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3ab4b3d15ae448858175ce9b20d1172b" /> “She was out playing and the lawnmower was put into reverse and she was there,” the heartbroken mother told Boston 25 News. The driver of the ride-on mower has not been identified because what happened was an accident, she said. Abigail spent 16 days at the Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence. The little girl has undergone five surgeries and her mother said more surgeries are likely to come. Ms Reardon aid she had an “amazing, determined, resilient little spirit”. “Abby lost her left foot and leg up to the middle of her calf, endured plastic reconstructive surgery, has significant soft tissue injuries to recover from, and is fighting bacterial and fungal infections from her wounds,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838232/baby-loses-leg-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7f7598eb86a447d78768670d345f38d9" /> Her mum also said she faces ongoing issues, including requiring medications, and “will need many prosthetic leg fittings over the course of the next 15+ years, or until she’s done growing”. “As the bones in her amputated leg grow, it’s likely the skin won’t stretch fast enough to keep up, so she’s expected to go through many procedures to ‘shorten the bone’ as she grows.” The mum said the accident was also witnessed by Abigail’s older sister Alexa. She has also expressed she wants said Alexa to begin counselling to help her understand the accident. Ms Reardon said she wants parents to be aware of the dangers of ride-on mowers. “They’re obviously very dangerous machines,” she said. “I’ve learned way more statistics than I wanted to about what happens to over 9000 children a year.” Ms Reardon was citing statistics from the American Academy of Paediatrics. AAoP advises children be kept indoors while ride-on mowers are in use. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Abigail’s family pay for medical costs.

Body

Dream holiday turns into horror: Family sues after baby loses legs and fingers

A British family is suing the Royal Caribbean cruise line after their nine-month-old daughter left their trip a triple amputee following a major misdiagnosis onboard. Phoebe Moon and her parents boarded the Symphony of the Seas in February, and found that their baby girl had become ill after they had settled in. “We had never taken her away before and we thought we would have the time of our lives in America, but sadly, it didn’t turn out that way,” said Phoebe’s mother Aimee. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838022/phoebe-baby-amputee-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f23261177ed24fb184dfd8d9c75adf58" /> “We actually visited the infirmary five times that day and she just got worse and worse throughout the day,” she said. “Every time we went down (the infirmary), we were sent back to our cabin.” When they refused to leave, the parents say Phoebe was handed antibiotics. Eventually they got off the ship mid-cruise in St Martin to seek help. “When we got to St Martin’s hospital, they said they’ve got about 15 minutes to save her life,” explained Phoebe’s father, Luke. “They said to prepare for the worst because she’s very sick.” Phoebe’s feet, legs, and hands were handed swollen and purple - caused by a severe form of meningitis. “We were just in utter shock to think you left to go on holidays with your daughter and the prospect that you’re not going to be going home with her is unimaginable,” Aimee said. The family say that doctors in Fort Lauderdale had to amputate to save her life. Phoebe lost her feet and the fingers of her left hand. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838023/phoebe-baby-amputee-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/94a00cd7e23d46218b7bc82551f82bd8" /> The family has since filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean in Miami, with the family alleging that the cruise line’s doctors misdiagnosed Phoebe with “a stomach bug” despite her showing “classic signs of a life-threatening meningococcal meningitis infection”. Some of those symptoms included lethargy and high fever. Thomas Scolaro is the attorney for the family and told NBC 6: “Listening to their story just breaks my heart every time. “This would otherwise be the world’s most horrific case of medical negligence and damage to the world’s sweetest little child, but it gets substantially worse.” Her parents say every day is a struggle following their daughter’s life-changing surgery. “Even now all she wants to do is get down and walk, and it’s so difficult that she is unable to do that,” Aimee said. “And these challenges are just going to get harder as she gets older.” The family has given a message for other families planning to sail in the future. “We were always under the impression that the medical facilities and staff on a ship were world class and world leading,” Luke said. “We now think that isn’t the case. You are on your own at sea.”

Legal

Vic aged care patient’s leg found infested with ants

WARNING: Graphic content. Victoria’s aged care nurses are being overworked and understaffed during the coronavirus, and that was shown quite clearly through the horrific living conditions some elderly residents are being left in. The Guardian reported on Sunday that one woman had been left in bed with a bloodied bandage on her leg, which soon became overrun with ants. The 95-year-old nursing home resident known as Milka succumbed to her injuries and passed away on Sunday morning. Milka is just one of many who missed out on the care she desperately deserved and needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic completely annihilating Melbourne’s aged care system. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837385/covid-cases-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3d1e698a228448439dbd9f54792e044a" /> The footage and photos of Mila’s leg were taken inside a private residential aged care home in Melbourne on Tuesday. Two weeks earlier, a staff member at the facility had contracted COVID-19. The virus quickly spread through the facility, and it resulted in some residents being left without food or water for 18 hours. It was also revealed that faeces remained on the floor as staff rushed from one critically ill patient to another. On some days, there were only two staff members looking after 68 residents. Most staff members had been sent home sick. In a press conference on Monday morning, Premier Daniel Andrews acknowledged the terrible conditions in which Milka died. “I have not seen the footage but I have been briefed on it, that is just shameful and would be very distressing for everybody concerned,” he said. “That footage relates to a particular facility which we have now taken over. “Hospital nurses have gone and taken over in a number of these situations and I think they have taken over for good reasons.” Milka’s family told The Guardian they do not blame the nursing home. They say until COVID-19 swept through the aged care centre, she was provided with amazing care.

Caring

Woman named "Hero to Animals" for helping spider regrow its legs

A townsville woman has been rewarded for making the decision to save an emaciated huntsman spider with only two legs. Elina Walsh has been recognised by animal rights group PETA Australia for rescuing and rehabilitating an injured spider. Ms Walsh hand-fed the spider and took “Peggy” under her wing for a month until it grew its legs back. "Initially my thought was she wasn't going to make it and I considered putting her out of her misery," Ms Walsh said, admitting she initially believed it to be a gecko or a bird. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837163/emma-walsh-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fe33732f3a2a41c89772176003d14c23" /> "I did a quick Google search and found out that spiders can in fact regrow legs, so I thought I would give it a go. "I am a huge animal lover, normally huntsmen aren't my favourite choice of animal but I kind of felt sorry for her and tried to help her out." The Townsville “hero” spent a little over a month feeding the spider small cockroaches with tweezers. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBenA0kF8CU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBenA0kF8CU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by @peggy.the.2leggy</a> on Jun 15, 2020 at 6:55pm PDT </div> </blockquote> In that time, the spider regrew its six smaller legs which became fully functional. She plans to keep Peggy in her care until the spider has one more moult. "Now that she has got her legs back she is able to hunt quite well on her own, but the ones that have regrown are quite a bit smaller," Ms Walsh said. "With her next moult she should have full-sized legs again and I will be quite happy to release her outside." PETA said there was no nomination process for their Hero To Animals awards. PETA spokesperson, Emily Rice, said the organisation saw a post about Ms Walsh's efforts on Facebook and wanted to recognise her compassion. "We take our hats off to this compassionate woman who displayed great care and respect for Peggy and went above and beyond to save her life," Ms Rice said. Ms Walsh said the recognition from PETA Australia was unexpected. "I am just happy that other people can learn about her story and maybe grow a bit of appreciation for these animals as well," she said.

Family & Pets

120 million years ago: Giant crocodiles walked on two legs

Fossilised footprints and tracks provide a direct record of how ancient animals moved. And some preserved behaviours leave us marvelling in disbelief. In research published today in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-66008-7">Scientific Reports</a>, my international team of colleagues and I detail our discovery of exquisitely preserved crocodile footprints, formed about 120 million years ago in what is now Sacheon, South Korea. These trace fossils reveal multiple crocodiles undertaking a very curious behaviour: bipedal walking, much like many dinosaurs. The ancient footprints uncovered resemble those made by humans, as they are long and slender, with a prominent heel impression. But they have additional features, including thick scaly imprints from the sole and toes that are comparatively long with broader impressions. The shape of these footprints compares very well with crocodile tracks known elsewhere, notably Batrachopus tracks from the Jurassic <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10420940490428832">found in the United States</a> – with “Batrachopus” being the name assigned to the tracks themselves. However, instead of being made by quadrupedal, cat-sized crocodiles, the Sacheon fossil tracks are large. With footprints that measure around 24 centimetres long, they come from animals with legs the same height as human legs and bodies more than three metres long. A distant ancestor Today, crocodiles walk on four legs in a wide, squat stance. The Sacheon crocodile trackways we discovered indicate a different pattern of movement. They do not have “handprints”, and the trackways are exceptionally narrow, as if the animals were making the footprints while balancing on a tightrope. This suggests these ancient crocodiles had their legs tucked beneath their body, much like a dinosaur, rather than assuming the typical sprawling posture seen in today’s crocodiles. The tracks could not have been made by dinosaurs. One clear difference between dinosaur and crocodile tracks is that crocodiles walk flat-footed, leaving a clear heel impression. Dinosaurs and their bird descendants walk high on their toes, with the heel off the ground. The devil is in the detail Fossil tracks can be found in many different states of preservation, ranging from excellent to comparatively indistinct. This can make it hard to accurately identify the animals that made them. Often, track sites are either not composed of sediments that help retain the finer features of tracks, or they erode after lengthy exposure to the elements. We know the Sacheon trackmakers were ancient crocodiles because the tracks have been preserved in extraordinary detail. This is due in part to fine, muddy sediment around an ancient lake that was able to hold the footprints while covered by sediment-laden water. Also, the site was freshly excavated for a new rural building development and hadn’t been exposed to erosion. A helpful reference point The perfectly preserved Sacheon tracks became our reference to reassess other unusual trackways that had been described in the area, but were more poorly preserved. Our attention focused on sites at Gain-ri and Adu Island just ten kilometres away from Sacheon, that had eroded trackways within the <a href="https://www.crd.bc.ca/education/our-environment/ecosystems/coastal-marine/intertidal-zone#:%7E:text=The%20intertidal%20zone%20is%20the,high%20and%20low%20tide%20lines.">intertidal zone</a>, between the low and high tide. These narrow trackways with long, slender footprints but no hand prints or tail drag marks echoed the Sacheon crocodile tracks. A <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10420940.2011.625779">decade earlier</a>, the footprints had been interpreted as made by another ancient animal known as a <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/11/pterosaurs-weirdest-wonders-on-wings/">pterosaur</a>. This ancient winged creature – related to dinosaurs but not officially classified as one – was famed for ruling the skies when dinosaurs ruled the land. Crocodiles and pterosaurs were quite distinct, being predominantly land and air dwellers, respectively. They had very differently shaped hands, but interestingly, the impressions they left with their feet can look very similar. When pterosaurs were on the ground, they typically walked on all fours, using their back feet and hands to support themselves as they moved, just like today’s crocodiles. However, as the “pterosaur” Gain-ri and Adu Island trackways lacked hand prints, they indicate bipedal walking. Thus, the tracks were wrongly ascribed to a pterosaur. When first discovered, pterosaur tracks were known to be very common in South Korea, while crocodile tracks were rare. In the absence of well-preserved footprints, the preferred interpretation was that these tracks were likely evidence of unusual behaviour of the pterosaur, a common trackmaker in the area. With the new evidence from the Sacheon site, it became possible to reevaluate the Gain-ri and Adu Island trackways too, which we now suspect were made by the same crocodile trackmakers strolling around Sacheon 120 million years ago. Written by Anthony Romilio. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/120-million-years-ago-giant-crocodiles-walked-on-two-legs-in-what-is-now-south-korea-140335">The Conversation.</a>

Cruising

Young Brisbane artist targeted by scammers after losing her legs

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Brisbane artist Visaya Hoffie, 23, has spoken out about the scam that started after she lost both of her legs in a freak accident on the New York subway. It was a scam donation page that was set up on Donobox, falsely publicising itself as raising money for her treatment. “Do not donate to this page. It is a scam,” Visaya wrote, sharing a screenshot of the impostor page. Donorbox has since confirmed it has removed the fake fundraiser account. “Regarding the fake fundraiser, the page was taken down within a matter of hours of being created and the account was banned,” a spokeswoman told <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7941713/Australian-artist-23-lost-legs-freak-New-York-subway-accident-dealt-cruel-blow.html" target="_blank">the Daily Mail</a>. Visaya was visiting a friend in New York when she tripped and fell onto the tracks. She was run over by a train and all seven of its carriages, but the shirt she was wearing saved her life as it was bright pink and spotted by another train driver. Her mother, Pat Hoffie, revealed in an emotional Facebook post just what happened to he daughter. <div id="fb-root"></div> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156831928273671&set=pcb.10156831931753671&type=3&theater" data-width="auto"> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArTcRedsN0tdEaD">Jo Diball</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156831928273671&set=a.490550323670&type=3">Tuesday, January 21, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> “When the first train had rolled across her unconscious body 20 minutes earlier, her black puffy jacket and black jeans had made her invisible to the driver,” Ms Hoffie explained. “The bright pink colour of her top is what alerted the engine driver of the second train to the fact that someone was lying across the track.” Her mother said: “Visaya is now off breathing support, and has started to eat. She is sedated but is optimistic and has already muttered, ‘I’m going to have to deal with this’,”. “It’s difficult at the moment,” Ms Hoffie said from her daughter’s New York hospital bedside. “But we are in the best possible medical home but we just have to put our heads together and work through it. “We’re in the middle of a very trying time.” </div> </div> </div>

Body

"She still has it!" Sonia Kruger flaunts her incredible legs in denim shorts on Today Extra

Sonia Kruger has channelled her inner cowgirl and opted for a pair of Daisy Duke-style shorts for a segment on Today Extra. The 54-year-old chose a double denim number with a button up shirt, cream cowboy boots and a matching hat. Photographed alongside co-host David Campbell, who was also rocking a double denim ensemble, the special snap was shared on the Today show Instagram page. “Howdy folks! DC and Son are dressed to the nines in their Canadian tuxedos for the great TODAY ‘Git Up’ Challenge!” read the caption. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0UPtp9pXZv/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0UPtp9pXZv/" target="_blank">Howdy folks! DC and Son are dressed to the nines in their Canadian tuxedos for the great TODAY ‘Git Up’ Challenge! 🤠 #9Today</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/thetodayshow/" target="_blank"> thetodayshow</a> (@thetodayshow) on Jul 24, 2019 at 3:30pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Fans were shocked to see Sonia looking as svelte as ever, as they questioned “How fit is Sonia?” whilst admiring her outfit and incredible figure. The Voice host made sure she looked the part as she proved her dancing chops by kicking up her heels and getting involved in some line dancing with David. “Sonia still has the moves,” wrote one person. The TV personality credits her physique to regular gym sessions and her personal trainer. She also claims that having a positive outlook on life makes her retain her youth. “It’s that devil-may-care attitude that makes everyone look younger,” she told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.newidea.com.au/" target="_blank">New Idea</a> in 2010.

Body

The new $15 item from ALDI that's walked out the store

ALDI has quickly carved out a name for itself amongst Australia for its cheap groceries and famous “Special Buys” promotions. While ALDI is well known for its budget furniture, luxury beauty products and cookware, as well as the bargain-priced groceries it offers, there is one item in particular that has caught people’s attention in its latest “Special Buys” promotion. ALDI has brought back its activewear range, and although a grocery store would be the last place many would think of to buy workout gear, many headed there on the weekend to pick up some activewear bargains. In particular, a $15 pair of leggings sent ALDI lovers into a spin, with one woman stocking up on two pairs during last year’s sale and wearing them while she trained for the New York Marathon. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Byt__Pjn9ze/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Byt__Pjn9ze/" target="_blank">I cannot stress enough how much I love @aldiaustralia’s fitness tights. I’ve spent many hundreds of dollars over the years on various brand name ‘performance’ running tights, but none has ever come close to fitting as well, lasting as long or being as comfortable as these. They never get saggy or shapeless, the designs are cool, and the high waist is 👌🏻. They’re perfect for #teamthickthighs runners like moi. And the best bit: THEY’RE ONLY FIFTEEN BUCKS! I bought two pairs last year and wore them exclusively throughout my @nycmarathon training and the marathon itself. This year’s fitness gear has just gone on sale at Aldi today and I snapped up these beauties. This isn’t an ad or anything, I just really genuinely love them! If you’re an Aussie runner, do yourself a favour and give these a try! . . . #aldifinds #aldiaustralia #aldi #aldiloversau #runner #running #runninggear #runchat #runningmumsaustralia #runningmum #rundownunder #runningmom #instarunner #sydneyinstarunners #marathoner #marathonmum #nycmarathon #marathonmom #runhappy #runnerscommunity #inkedrunner #womenwhorun #womensrunningcommunity #runlikeagirl #igrunners #womenrunning #hibiscus #thickthighsthinpatience</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/lauragreavesauthor/" target="_blank"> Laura Greaves</a> (@lauragreavesauthor) on Jun 14, 2019 at 10:30pm PDT </div> </blockquote> There is a range of activewear on sale, which includes a jacket, long sleeved top, singlet, compression leggings, running tights and socks. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Byt53Oqhf1Z/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Byt53Oqhf1Z/" target="_blank">Who headed to Aldi for todays Special Buy items? Full catalogue available at www.aldilovers.com (link in profile too) ⭐️⭐️ #aldicatalogue #aldiloversau #aldispecialbuys #aldiaustralia</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/aldiloversau/" target="_blank"> Tammy - Aldi Lovers Australia</a> (@aldiloversau) on Jun 14, 2019 at 9:38pm PDT </div> </blockquote> You can also get a range of drink bottles for $6.99, a rowing machine, trainers for just $19.99 and a gym bag. ALDI Australia spoke to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fitness/aldis-15-gym-tights-are-so-good-people-are-calling-them-perfect/news-story/81a2f285bf993072d06ee2159c8445fa" target="_blank">news.com.au</a> and said that there were still tights available across the country, you’ll just need to contact your local store to see if there’s availability.

Money & Banking

The $14 Kmart leggings that every woman should own this winter

It’s a staple we’re used to repurchasing when the cold weather starts to leave us hugging our jackets a little closer to our chest – a good pair of leggings. It’s a wardrobe essential to throw under a dress, or wear as a first layer under jeans so our legs don’t turn into icicles. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a pair of decent leggings that don’t lose elasticity after a few wears and washes, or ones that sit comfortably around your waist. However, Kmart has released a new pair of pants that might just tick every box this winter – and the best part is they will only set you back $14. The affordable and versatile pair of jeggings may seem off-putting considering they’re a fashion mash-up between jeans and pants, but once you try them on you may just change your tune. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7827270/kmart-jeggings.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/730aa24d856d41e29dcec2170e9e1794" /> Kmart fashion lovers took to social media to commend the bargain-priced mid-rise jeggings for being soft, figure-hugging and perfectly tapered. As well as shoppers loving the pants for having a perfect stretch and even an additional two back pockets, they come in a range of denim blue as well as the classic black to wear for all occasions. The best part about the gorgeous jeggings is they’re not only affordable but made ethically as well, as Kmart has partnered with the Better Cotton Initiative, a non-for-profit organisation that aims to make the production of cotton better for the people who produce it as well as the environment it grows in. Kmart Australia and New Zealand retail director John Gualtieri said, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/the-14-kmart-leggings-every-woman-should-own/news-story/4bde04870d363707b0332f5bc89e25ef" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>: “As a large retailer we know we have a responsibility to care for and respect our planet … we take this responsibility very seriously and have an opportunity to use our relationships and scale to really make a difference. “We believe our partnership with the Better Cotton Initiative will help create a brighter future for the cotton industry and those whose lives depend on it.”

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The new $15 item from ALDI that's walked out the store

The $14 Kmart leggings that every woman should own this winter

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News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Mysterious leg pain that’s quietly killing older Australians

Painting by four-legged Van Gogh sells for five figures

New Zealand police farewell four-legged hero

"Dear leg, I'll miss you so much": Boy's tragic farewell

Happy ending for four-legged wedding crasher

Nurse who lost both legs to Russian landmine gets married in hospital

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1 millipede, 1,306 legs: we just discovered the world’s leggiest animal hiding in Western Australia

Perth mother’s urgent warning after losing her legs and unborn baby

Red Symons says Bert Newton staying positive following leg amputation

How to banish painful leg cramps

Mother gives grave warning after daughter loses leg

Dream holiday turns into horror: Family sues after baby loses legs and fingers

Vic aged care patient’s leg found infested with ants

​Woman named "Hero to Animals" for helping spider regrow its legs

120 million years ago: Giant crocodiles walked on two legs

Young Brisbane artist targeted by scammers after losing her legs

"She still has it!" Sonia Kruger flaunts her incredible legs in denim shorts on Today Extra

The new $15 item from ALDI that's walked out the store

The $14 Kmart leggings that every woman should own this winter

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Woman named "Hero to Animals" for helping spider regrow its legs