How to most efficiently prevent injury! In my eye’s injury prevention is the most important part of being able to live the lifestyle you want. We’ve all had pain of some description that has hindered our ability to partake in activities that we’d like to be able to. In this post I’ll share with you the 3 (really 4) ways in which I promote injury prevention so that you can decrease the likelihood of injury and optimise your life. Key points about exercise-based injuries: Almost all exercise-based injuries I’ve seen have been load based injuries, which happen due to: 1. Too much load (e.g. Squatting with too much load causing injury) 2. Loading applied too often (e.g. Increased frequency and duration of running causing injury) 3. Unusual loading (e.g. incorrect technique or rolling of the ankle) The Three S’s (and 1 M) of injury prevention: Get strong! Strength training improves … Read More
Decrease lower back pain by fixing your exercise technique!
Here are the top three exercises my clients and patients complain of back pain during along with descriptions and videos on how (in my opinion) to optimally perform them! Many people who suffer from back pain will complain about one, two or all of the following three movements causing or aggravating their lower back pain but I’m here to tell you that doesn’t have to be the case. A deadlift, back squat and bent over row I believe are fundamental strength-based movements and should be in most people’s strength programming however when performed ‘incorrectly*’ or inefficiently may aggravate your lower back pain. In the below I’ve assumed a base knowledge of the movements and will talk about my top three focus points for each movement. I will provide a video demonstration for each movement which will go into further details of how I believe each movement should be performed. Deadlift: … Read More
The Do’s and Don’ts for people with lower back pain:
Here are a few tasks I often get people with back pain to focus on trying to do when they are suffering from back pain. I hope they help you decrease your lower back pain! DO’s: 1. Have positive pain beliefs!! “If you believe it then the mind can achieve it” – Ronnie Lott The mind is a powerful tool and yet it is one of the most commonly overlooked factors when it comes to pain management. Studies suggest that have positive pain beliefs (aka believe that your injury/pain will recover), you’re more likely to make a full recovery. 2. Have a positive support network!! “Apes alone weak, apes together strong” – Caesar (Planet of the Apes) Building a team of people around you who positively support your recovery and beliefs can be very helpful. Whether it’s a relative encouraging you along your recovery or an Osteopath providing positive reinforcement … Read More
Best 3 exercises to reduce lower back pain
My best 3 exercise to reduce lower back pain and stiffness: Lower back pain is one of the most common complaints I come across among the active population, it often places restrictions on exercise ability and can stop people from living an active lifestyle. So I thought I’d share my best 3 exercises for helping reduce lower back pain an increase mobility. Below you’ll find links to videos of the recommended exercises alongside a brief introduction to each. I hope they can help you overcome your current lower back issue! Exercise 1: Standing Side to side low back mobility: A simple way to reduce pain and stiffness is to maintain movement through your low back. This exercise is especially good for those individuals who find getting up and down off the ground painful. Please see the video below for a demonstration. Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cox79M56kI0 Exercise 2: Low back stretches: Increasing … Read More
Five Fatigue Fighters
Feeling tired all the time? Cant seem to get enough sleep? Here are my Five Fatigue Fighters: Fatigue seems to be coming a major health issue among the people I speak with the majority of them saying that upon waking, they feel tired. The Victorian government estimates that 1.5 million Australians see their doctor each year complaining of fatigue and that’s why I’ve decided to write this post on fatigue to provide you with some simple tips and tricks that may help you overcome fatigue. *If you are chronically fatigued and seem to have to energy for your daily activities please go and see a medical professional as it may be something more serious than what the below targets* 1. Staying hydrated; This for me is the biggest factor when it comes to fighting fatigue because its importance is always overlooked. It’s estimated that the average Australian drinks only … Read More
What Food should I eat?
What diet is best for me? Meat-eater? Vegetarian? Vegan? Paleo? Keto? I’m going to start by saying that I’m not a nutritionist or dietitian and if you have any questions about specific dietary requirements it’s always best to seek a professionals help (I know a few good dietitians if anyone needs a recommendation). However I have done nutrition subjects throughout my health science degrees alongside research out of personal interest and conversations with dietitians/ nutritionists that help form my view. I’ve just recently gotten back into the weeds of nutrition to find the ‘optimal’ diet for my health, multiple books, podcasts and scientific studies later I’d share my view on the hot topic of diet. I’m not looking for everyone to agree to with my point of view; I’m merely looking to give guidance to those lost in the world of diet that are constantly asking the question “is this … Read More
How can you improve your Sleep?
How can you improve your Sleep? That elusive sleep. That time to relax and regenerate. To heal and repair. If you need that coffee or two (or three) every morning you may get some very useful tips in this post. Sleep isn’t just important for your mind and body to have energy and be alert. Lack of sleep can contribute to serious health issues which you don’t want. So let me have your attention for this “tip-filled” post on the importance of sleep and how you can get your fair share. I’ll even throw in an amazing caffeine-free latte recipe for your afternoon “pick me up”. The science of sleep is fascinating, complicated and growing Sleep is this daily thing that we all do and yet we’re just beginning to understand all of the ways it helps us and all of the factors that can affect it. Lack of sleep … Read More
Moving Beyond Injury
So in our last workshop we discussed what causes dysfunctional movement leading to those chronic injuries that prevent you from training and keep you coming back for treatments, stop you from getting the most out of you. If we look at the three-layer pyramid of dysfunctional movement – Pain, Bio-mechanical Blockages and Bad Habits. Pain being the biggest layer with the most drive towards dysfunction leading to bio-mechanical blockages further leading to bad habits. When you have pain during any movement there is a protective mechanism which stops some motion in a joint causing bio-mechanical blockages. When a blockage occurs because further compensations occur with movement it leads to bad habits both in movement and with just holding your body in a way to ease the pain. Poor habits lead to poor posture. Having poor posture in a standing and seated position leads to further mechanical blockages and pain. So … Read More
Free Nutrition and Mindfulness Workshop!
On Saturday the 9th on June, we held the first of our series of Free Educational Workshops in our Beyond Fitness studio in Moonee Ponds. The topics for the day revolved around Nutrition and Mindfulness tips and techniques. Here is some of what we covered; Nutrition means many things, but is best summarised as “Eating a combination of Macro and Micro-nutrients through a variety of foods, to ensure that you have the energy to grow and maintain optimum health” Macro-nutrients are classes of nutrients found in foods, the main ones are Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats and are all essential for good health. Micro-nutrients include vitamins and minerals and essential to unlock the energy that your Macro-nutrients provide. There is a 4th macro-nutrient class and it is Alcohol. Each class has a different calorie count per gram. The difference between food and food products. We should base our daily nutrition around … Read More
How Can I Get Enough Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is an especially difficult vitamin to get enough of, and can be a very common deficiency. The three ways to get more vitamin D (a critical fat-soluble vitamin) is through exposure to the sun, consuming through food and via supplements. Why is vitamin D important? Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium from our food and acts like a hormone to help us build strong bones. Vitamin D can also help with immune function, cellular growth, and help to prevent mood imbalances such as depression and seasonal affective disorder. Not getting enough vitamin D can lead to bone diseases like osteomalacia and can also increase your risk of heart disease, autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, and even death. How can I get enough vitamin D from the sun? Your skin makes vitamin D when it’s exposed to the sun; that’s why it’s referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.” How much … Read More