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By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured , ,

7 minute core workout

7 Minute Core Workout

Fitting exercise into our busy lives can be a struggle but the 7 Minute Workout by McMaster University scientists has established that even a short intense exercise routine can reap benefits.  Want to strengthen your core then join us for the 7 minute core workout:

Perform each exercise for 1 minute with a 15 second rest between each.  Remember these exercises should not cause pain.

Chest Lift

Chest Lift

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.  Place hands behind your head.
  2. Inhale to prepare.
  3. As you exhale draw in your deep abdominals and lift your chest/upper torso until your shoulder blades are just resting on the mat.
  4. Make sure your spine stays in neutral, not flattening or arching.  Your neck and shoulders should be relaxed, and the weight of your head resting in your hands.
  5. Inhale and as you exhale tighten your deep abdominals and return to lie flat on the mat.

Toe Tap

Toe Taps

1.   Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.  Place hands by your side.

2.   Inhale to prepare, as you exhale draw in your abdominals towards the spine, tightening your deep abdominals.

3.   As you exhale lift one leg into table top ensuring your back is not flattening or arching.  Your neck and shoulders should be relaxed.

4.   Inhale and as you exhale tighten your deep abdominals and lift the other leg into table top.

5.   Inhale and as your exhale tighten your core and lower one leg to tap to the floor, inhale to bring back to table top.  Repeat with the other leg.

Bridging

Bridge

  1. Start in pilates neutral position
  2. Inhale to prepare, tighten your deep abdominals and pelvic floor.
  3. Exhale as you imprint your lower spine into the mat, then tuck the tail bone under and start to peel the spine off the mat one vertebrae at a time into a full bridge.
  4. Inhale, in full bridge
  5. Exhale as you roll back down one vertebrae at a time back to the start position.

TIP Imagine your spine is like the links of a chain and you are peeling them up one at time, not like a wooden plank.

Clam

Clam

Underneath arm outstretched in alignment with your head and trunk. Rolled towel under your head.

Hips bent up to approx 45 degrees and knees bent to approx 90 degrees.

Knees in front, feet in align with your body. Top hand resting on the floor in front or on the top hip.

  1. Inhale to prepare, tighten your deep abdominal muscles and pelvic floor.
  2.  Exhale, float top knee upwards keeping the feet together.
  3. Inhale, lower knee to start position.

TIP Aim to keep the trunk and pelvis still and shoulders relaxed during this exercise.

Plank

Plank

1. Laying on your front, rest you weight on your hands and toes. Slide you shoulder blades down the back and lengthen through the back of the neck.

2. Inhale to prepare, exhale and tighten your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor.

3. Maintain this position for 2 breaths keeping the abdominal muscles continually “on” through both the inhale and exhale.

TIP If you experience wrist discomfort and back pain you can modify the exercise to place weight on your forearms and knees.

 

By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured

Kick start your healthy 2015

Here’s to a healthy 2015!  What are your goals for a healthy year?  We share some easy tips to get you started:

1.    Increase your incidental exercise

Life can be so busy that it’s hard to find time to exercise, but what if taking the stairs or getting off the bus one stop early could help our health.   Instead of emailing a colleague get up and have a chat, rather than have a coffee to meet up with a friend go for a walk.

Spending less time sitting and more time moving can improve your heath.  A study found people who sat for between 8 and 11 hours had an increase risk of death of 15% and those who sat for longer than 11 hours increased their risk of death by a whopping 40% (as compared to people who sat for only 4-8hrs/day).

2.    Get planning

We schedule appointments, social activities and work events so why not schedule exercise.  By putting it in your diary you are more likely to commit.  Start by booking an exercise “appointment” in your schedule once a week and as you regularly commit, add an extra exercise “appointment” each month.

3.    Sign up for an event

Nothing pushes you to commit to exercise like registering for an event.  By telling friends and paying for your ticket it’s hard to back down.  Some great events this year are Miss Muddy (www.missmuddy.com.au), City 2 Surf (www.city 2surf.com.au) and Ocean Swims (www.oceanswims.com.au).

4.    Cook up a storm

It doesn’t take long for our schedule to get booked up and at the end of a busy day sometimes cooking is the last thing we feel like.  But instead of reaching for the takeaway menu wouldn’t it be great if there was something healthy in the freezer already prepared.  Spend a bit of time on the weekend and cook up some yummy food that you can freeze and pull out during the week for those busy days.

5.    7 minute workout

And if all this is too hard there is always a 7 minute workout.  A study out of McMaster University found a 7 minute high intensity work out produced changes in the muscles comparable to several hours of cycling or running.  There is even an app to get you started (www.perigee.se/seven.php)

So enjoy and kick start your healthy 2015!

By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured

Early Bird Special – Pilates Classes

Wanting to get into shape this summer?  Come join our Pilates classes which will get you taut, toned and terrific!  Classes are taught by experienced physios and can help increase your flexibility, core strength and cardio fitness.  We are offering a 15% discount when you purchase 10 classes before 18th December.  To find out more please call us on 8065 6902.

By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured, News

Get your body summer ready

As winter comes to an end we might all be feeling a little more motivated to get healthy.  As the days get longer and a little warmer it’s easier to exercise and lighter, healthier food becomes more tempting. A recent article in SMH gave great tips to start getting your body summer ready:

1. Incidental exercise

The new fad is NEAT fitness – non-exercise activity thermogenesis.  Essentially what it means is adding incidental exercise to your day, such as walking the stairs rather than taking the lift, getting out at lunchtime and walking to do your groceries.  These are all tasks we need to do anyway but by adding a little more exercise you will start to burn extra calories.

2. HIIT

High intensity interval training is great as its short bursts of activity followed by short periods of recovery.  For those time poor trying to fit in exercise its a great way of getting started as it only takes 20 minutes.

3.  Meditate

With life being so hectic it’s rare we get time to ourselves to pause and reflect.  With the warmer days find yourself some time to sit and soak up some spring sunshine rays.

4. Stretch

We always mention stretching is a great way to prevent injury but it can also force some time out.  At the end of a busy day it’s great to get home and spend some time stretching out our stiff muscles and joints.

At Physio On Miller we offer Pilates classes which can help tone and stretch your body ready for summer!