Some of us shy away from resistance training – we don’t want to get ‘bulky’, it’s too hard, or it’s just not for me. But there are so many benefits of resistance training. When we talk about resistance training we are not just talking about going to the gym and pumping iron. Resistance training can incorporate your own body weight, resistance bands, weights or weight machines or anything you have lying around the house you can utilise!
So, why should we
incorporate resistance training into our lives? There are so many benefits to
our bodies including:
Increasing muscle strength to protect our bones and joints from injury. Stronger muscles carry the weight and stress of your movements, reducing the impact on your joints and bones.
Increase bone density and strength to reduce the risk of osteoporosis or bony injuries. Not only does resistance training help with bone strength it can help with balance preventing fractures associated with falls.
Increase the strength and thickness of ligaments and tendons to protect our joints.
Disc health for our back. With resistance training (body, free weights and machine weights) we’re building our ability to take load through our spine without injury.
Increasing general health and well-being. Including weight management, lowering blood pressure, managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, depression and obesity.
So whether you’re a runner, a mum, office worker or retired you can be loading your body! Remember you should always load progressively and seek advice from your physiotherapist, trainer or doctor if this is new to you!
Want to start your resistance training today? Join one of our Pilates classes to start reaping the benefits of resistance training. Click here to see our timetable.
If you have any questions get in contact with our lovely team to book a consult today!
Sitting at a desk all day can create a lot of stiffness in
our backs. This isn’t just in the lower back that a lot of people complain
about, but a lot of the time it is coming from our thoracic spine (middle of
the back) which cops a lot being in the one position all day.
The stiffness in the middle back can cause further problems
with our necks, shoulders and can even be contributing to some lower back pain.
Weather you are a sportsman that needs to be reaching overhead or rotating to
swing a bat or racquet, or a mum bending and lifting your children, you need
movement in your middle back.
Another element of this ‘slouched posture’ can commonly be
shallow fast breathing. By straightening your spine and opening your chest it
allows your main breathing muscle, your diaphragm, to work more efficiently
taking deeper, fuller breaths.
As physios we are seeing more and more people coming in with associated back issues which is either causing pain or limiting function, or both! Our backs are made up of so many joints and have so many muscle attachments and our goal is to get more movement in these joints so as all the muscles can function at their optimal abilities.
Our five top
exercises to reverse that stiffness:
Thoracic
spine extension on the foam roller
Book
openings
Thread
the needle
Cat Stretch
Superman
scapula strengthening
If you have
any questions or any niggles please give us a call and book an appointment with
one of our physios!
Physio on Miller are collecting Clothes and Shoes for the Container of Love to Luvungi hospital in DR Congo! We are supporting a non for profit organisation called mission in health care and development (MHCD) https://mhcdafrica.com MHCD
is a small band of international supporters, many of whom are
Australian – who contribute resources, expertise and encouragement. MHCD
overseas the packing of all donations and fundraises the $10,000 to pay
the transport costs of the Container of Love to Luvungi hospital in DR
Congo.
The containers they send provide quality resources and necessities that Congolese people can’t buy locally nor could they ever afford. The benefits go beyond the individual items and bring welfare and the potential for prosperity.
The containers bring health resources for local clinics and hospitals, blankets for children and babies, reusable washable wear for young girls so they can attend school, clean second-hand clothes and shoes, babies’ clothes, sports clothes and equipment, computers for students at trade school, sewing machines for the tailoring school and to give to women graduates, solar panels for power generation throughout the hospital and the wider community, birthing kits for birth attendants, school tables and chairs and clothes for the orphans.
MHCD aims to send one shipping container of donated goods annually.
Please donate any second hand clothing, shoes and sneakers for both adults and children by bringing them in to the clinic and we will organise the delivery to the container in Adelaide.
With an active community of clients and ourselves having participated in trail runs/walks we understand the importance of preparation and injury prevention. Nothing can be more disappointing than putting in all the training only to pull out of your event due to injury. We’ve put together some simple tips to ensure you get the most out of your event.
Preparation
It might seem simple but the
most frequent comment from walkers who visited us at the physio tent at
Coastrek 2018 was that they hadn’t trained enough. Many walkers thought “it’s
only walking, I can do that” but when do we ever do 30km or 60km walk in 1 day
or multiple days of walking if you’re preparing for an adventure tour. Your feet,
legs and body need to get used to walking long distances to understand where
you might feel niggles, what energy you require for that distance, how much
water will you need to drink. These are all important factors that can stop you
in your tracks on event day but are so easy to find out during training walks.
Put together a training plan, grab a friend to keep you accountable and you
will fly through the event knowing you’ve given it your best with the amount of
preparation you did.The right gear
2. The Right Gear
Again being prepared and discovering during the training walks what gear is best for your body is going to prevent injury on event day. Most of us know the importance of wearing in new shoes, but what if we have the wrong shoes. There are great shoe stores with knowledgeable staff who can help select the best footwear for you to prevent blisters, plantar fasciitis or tendonopathies (to name a few). Likewise you may find during training your knees start to hurt, this is where walking poles can help to take some of the load off your knees particularly when climbing stairs or descending hills.
3. Strength training
This is where your physio can
help you be event ready. The stronger your legs and core the less likely you
will suffer an injury. We’ve included a few key exercises we recommend for our
clients who are training for endurance events.
Calf raises:
Start in a balanced stance with your feet shoulder width apart and then raise yourself up on your toes as high as possible, keeping your ankles straight and not rolling in or out. This can be done standing on both feet or just one foot. Return back to the starting position. Repeat 10 x for 3 sets
Squats:
Stand
with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Engage your core muscles and gently squat
down.
Bend your knees, pushing your hips back behind you and leaning your body forwards, as though you are about to sit on the chair. Make sure your knees don’t come forwards of your toes, or come closer together. Repeat 10 x for 3 sets
Bridging:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your buttock muscles and lift your hips up into the bridge position. Make sure you keep your hips up and level throughout the movement. Repeat 10 x for 3 sets.
Sit ups:
Lie on your back with
your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place hands behind your head.
Draw in your deep
abdominals and lift your chest/upper torso until your shoulder blades are just
resting on the mat.
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. Repeat 10 x for 3 sets.
You shouldn’t experience any pain with these exercises so if you do please chat with your physio.
4. Address the niggles
Nothing is better than addressing your aches and pains before they become full blown injuries. If something feels tight or stiff a remedial massage can help but if that area starts to become painful see your physio straight away. With some treatment and exercises your niggle can go away and not stop you from completing your event.
5. Have fun
We’re hearing a lot about the
benefits of mindfulness and mental wellbeing on pain. With a positive outlook on
event day what can be seen by the brain as a threat or injury (but is actually just
muscle soreness) can be overcome through having fun with your peers. The power
of positive thinking is true and will get you through those hard kms to the
finish line. And even better your achievement might even get you forgetting the
pain and signing up for next year.
We look forward to supporting
Coastrek 2019 and if you need any physio before the event please get in touch
with us at Physio On Miller, Cammeray.
August is Tradies National Health Month and here are our five health and safety tips for tradies.
According to research by the Australian Physiotherapy Association:
Tradies account for 58% of all serious injury/disease claims but only make up 30% of the workforce
79% of tradies said they took good care of their tools compared to only 47% of tradies who said they looked after their body
The most common cause of injury is muscular stress caused by lifting, carrying, or putting objects down with back pain being the most common site of injury
Our five health and safety tips for tradies are:
Make time for regular physio and doctors appointments – if something hurts or you’re concerned about a health issue it’s always best to get it seen to earlier rather than later. What can be a niggle can quickly become a chronic injury. With repetitive lifting, sustained postures and heavy lifting your body is under a lot of strain. And remember prevention is always better than a cure so even booking in a regular massage can help to relieve any muscular tension.
Keep fit and strong – although your job is physical it is still important to maintain your fitness and strength. Going to the gym or establishing a home program working on your core strength, leg and arm muscles can help reduce the load on your joints and prevent injury.
Be sun safe – with a lot of work being outdoors sun protection is vital. Try to do as much work in the shade or plan your day to get those jobs outside done early or late in the day.
Protect yourself – whether it be wearing protective gear, learning safer ways to lift or taking regular breaks make sure you’re responsible for your own health and safety at work.
Eat healthy food – it’s not only what’s happening on the outside that’s important it’s what you’re taking inside your body too. Swap burgers and pies for healthy protein filled salads, fresh fruit and lots of water and not only will you look better but you’ll also feel better.
