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The 7 minute workout

Not enough time to workout?

What if all it took was 7 minutes? What if you could reap the benefits of running and weight bearing exercise without all of the expensive equipment, gym contracts and slogging away on a treadmill for hours on end?

Exciting new evidence has been found by scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Their research shows that even a few minutes of training at an intensity approaching your maximum capacity produces molecular changes within muscle comparable to those of several hours of bike riding or running.

Exercise Physiology is fascinating to hear about, but knowing how to put the latest research into practice can be tricky. But the good news is, an article in the American College of Sports Medicine‘s Health & Fitness Journal does just that. With 12 exercises using only your body weight, a chair, and a wall, it fulfils the latest mandates for the 7 minute high intensity work out. And by high intensity, Chris Jordan and his colleagues mean intense periods intermingled with periods of recovery. Their program alternates exercises that utilise large muscles in the upper body with those of the lower body, with 10 seconds to catch your breath in between. The exercises should be performed for 30 seconds in rapid succession, with an intensity of 8 out of 10 on a discomfort scale, Jordan says.

While the old saying ‘no pain, no gain’ holds true, having no time for exercise becomes a thing of the past. So get some friends together, or do it alone and get intense for 7minutes to reap all of the enormous health and fitness benefits from high intensity interval training.

Metagenics Natural Supplements available at Physio On Miller, Cammeray

Metagenics natural supplements are now available at Physio on Miller. Natural supplements can often be used in conjunction with physiotherapy and pharmaceutical interventions to improve the treatment of / recovery from many musculoskeletal conditions.

 

Prescription vs Over the Counter

By prescribing the Metagenics range of Natural Medicines we at Physio on Miller are recommending the highest quality, effective products available. Sold only through Healthcare Professionals, the Metagenics range is formulated to meet the exacting standards necessary to treat acute and chronic health disorders.

The benefits of natural supplements prescribed by a health professional

–        A premium quality product that due to its potency is not suitable to be sold over the counter

–        Appropriate prescription of the type of supplement and dosage

–        Care that the supplement is not contraindicated with current medications

 

Overall prescription of supplements maximises their effectiveness as part of a wholistic treatment plan for a musculoskeletal condition.

 

Why Metagenics?

 

Metagenics is the ‘practitioner only’ products division of Health World Limited – the Australian and New Zealand leader in research and development of specialised nutritional supplements for healthcare professionals.

 

Innovation and Research

Metagenics are continually making innovations into existing products and treatments, and researching new products

Metagenics funds scientific research studies at several universities throughout the world and employs more than 20 Doctors, Naturopaths and Research Scientists. The Metagenics team is continually searching for newer and better ways to improve peoples’ health.

Highest Quality Raw Materials

The effectiveness of a Natural Medicine is directly proportional to the quality and strength of its raw materials. Metagenics uses only the purest ingredients and conducts assays to confirm that the raw materials purity, quality and efficacy.

Superior Manufacturing Processes

The Australian Metagenics head office consists of a $24 million purpose built office, manufacturing and testing facility located in Brisbane. This state-of-the-art investment is a TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) approved site, which allows the future development and growth of Metagenics within the industry. The manufacturing processes used by Metagenics are some of the best in the world. Avoiding the use of excess heat, moisture and compaction, which can reduce the biological activity of many nutrients and herbs, Metagenics uses only natural non-reactive vegetable gums and cellulose. Also, Metagenics do not use the common reactive binders, fillers and synthetic additives which can cause adverse reactions and side effects.

Storage of raw materials and finished product is also of vital importance, as many Natural Medicines are damaged or destroyed by temperatures above 25°C. That’s why all Metagenics’ production and warehouse facilities are either air-conditioned or refrigerated. This ensures that the products you receive are the best.

 

The two natural supplements we will begin with are Metapure EPA / DHA (concentrated Fish Oil) and Fibroplex Plus (magnesium)

 

Metapure EPA / DHA

Metagencis fish oil Metapure EPA / DHA is superior quality fish oil compared to many other products on the market

EPA / DHA has been clinically shown to provide

–        Temporarily relieve the pain and inflammation from arthritis

–        Help maintain cardiovascular health and assist in the maintenance of triglycerides within a normal range

–        Improve mood states including anger, anxiety, fatigue and confusion

 

Benefits of choosing Metagenics Metapure EPA / DHA

–        Harvested using eco fishing and sustainable practices

–        Metagenics standards testing for heavy metals and contaminants in the fish oil is higher than the Australian Standard

–        Nitrogen flushing to reduce oxidation of oil. Oxidation of fish oil leads to rancidity and increased fishy taste

–        Flavoured liquid and capsules to minimize any fishy taste.

–        High concentration giving better value for money

 

Fibroplex Plus

 

Fibroplex Plus has been clinically shown to provide

–        Symptomatic relief of fibromyalgia

–        Management of fibromyalgia

–        Relieve muscle aches and pains, spasms and cramps

–        Reduce migraine frequency

–        Support production of cellular energy

–        Support healthy blood glucose levels

–        Mineral supplementation

 

The benefit of Fibroplex compared to other magnesium supplements is the ‘Meta Mag’ magnesium diglycinate molecule developed and registered by Metagenics. Meta Mag has been tested against other forms of magnesium and shown to be absorbed into the body at a significantly greater rate than magnesium carbonate, sulfate or oxide. These forms of magnesium are commonly used in other supplements. The higher absorption also provides better value for money.

 

There are several other natural supplement that can assist to improve acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders.

 

Please feel free to discuss natural supplements as part of your treatment plan with either Melissa or Robyn at your next visit to Physio on Miller.

Introducing Rocktape to Physio On Miller

Many injuries we see as physios respond well to support through the use of tape.  Research has shown tape can have beneficial effects such as:

  • Improved support/bracing
  • Feedback and proprioceptive awareness
  • Reduce muscle spasm/tension
  • Reduce swelling
  • Pain relief

We are excited to announce the use of Rocktape (a brand of kinesio-tape) at Physio On Miller.  Kinesio-taping has elastic properties making it stretchy. Although it doesn’t replace traditional rigid sports taping, it has several uses where rigid tape was not suitable therefore filling a gap in taping techniques.

Black and white image of kinesiology taping treatment with blue tape on female patient injured arm. Sports injury kinesio treatment.

Kinesio-taping has been around for some time, originally developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase over 25 years ago in Japan. In more recent times this style of taping has become popular within several elite sports and led to further research and development of its application. I’m sure everyone has seen the brightly coloured tape used on athletes during competition… its hard to miss!

Kinesio-tape is used to

  • Facilitate postural re-education
  • Reduce pain
  • Provide support whilst allowing full range of movement
  • Prevent injury
  • Improve blood flow and healing
  • Promote reduction in odema and inflammation

Rocktape stretches up to 190% of its original length but has amazing ‘snap-back’ or recovery. Due to this property it can be worn for several days / during physical activity and maintain its elasticity and therefore effectiveness.

It is hypoallergenic and can be worn directly against your skin for several days without causing irritation. Rocktape also adheres well in water and during vigorous physical activity, leading it to be the kinesio-tape of choice for Cross Fit training and elite sports.

We have attended the ROCKTAPE comprehensive seminar and are able to utilise the full range of applications kinesio-tape has to offer.  So far we have had great feedback from our clients and are excited to see the benefits kinesio taping offers.

World Diabetes Day – Physio Tips

World Diabetes Day is a nominated day of awareness, featured around a yearlong campaign of diabetes education and prevention, engaging millions of people worldwide.

 

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), or non-insulin dependent DM, is a lifestyle related disease that is rapidly increasing throughout the population at an alarming rate. Centered on the basis of poor glycemic control, T2DM has many lifestyle components involving both diet and physical activity. There is much research indicating that there is a greater likelihood to developing the disease with an insufficient amount of physical activity, otherwise a highly sedentary life. As little as 210 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, or 125 minutes of high intensity exercise per week has been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness, and body composition profiles in people with T2DM or pre-diabetes, as well as reduce the cardiovascular risk profile in those without, along with improving glycemic control.

 

Pilates is a great way to increase your physical activity through low impact exercises. Based in a studio, Pilates aims to strengthen and lengthen muscles to support everyday activities, along with improving core strength and postural awareness. Pilates programs can vary in intensity and can be specifically tailored to suit any individuals level of fitness and goals.

 

Due to the high incidence of co-morbidity in those with T2DM, it is also recommended that individuals be assessed by a Physiotherapist prior to the implementation of exercise programs, and that they be designed and delivered by appropriately qualified individuals such as Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists.

How to improve cycling technique

With the recent publicity cycling has gained you may have decided to increase or begin your participation in the sport.  As physios we see a lot of injuries from cycling, not only the ones inflicted by cars, but also overuse or poor technique injuries.

Often patients present to us following an increase in training or a change in technique to improve power and speed.  A misguided conception is that the more time spent on a bike the better the cyclist will become.  While this is somewhat true, focusing on technique rather than hours on the bike might prove to be more worthwhile.

Good cycling technique involves understanding how muscles work most efficiently.  A muscle’s ability to develop power is dependent on the length tension relationship.  Put simply a muscle at its shortest or longest length has difficulty optimally generating tension.  A muscle works best at its mid-length.

When related to the cycling action the quads and gluteals are at an optimum during the push phase to generate power .  Likewise the hamstrings and calf muscles work optimally across the bottom of the revolution, not on the upstroke. The drive for the upstroke or pull phase comes from the opposite leg.

A common mistake when increasing speed is to use the dominant leg to push and pull the pedal creating poor efficiency and possibly resulting in injury.  When training to increase speed the cyclist should work on increasing the push phase on both the dominant and non-dominant leg as well as the pull of the hamstrings across the bottom of the revolution not when the knee is bent back behind (as illustrated below).

Specific exercises can assist in training the strength and power generation of the gluteals, quads, hamstrings and calves.  If you want to kick start your cycling prowess or just wanting to prevent injury come in and we can discuss your technique and tailor an exercise program to improve your speed and aid injury prevention.