There is no better medicine for long periods of sitting than breaking up said periods of sitting by standing up and moving around. These exercises, coupled with a short 2-5 minute walk, I’ve found to be the most effective at helping break up periods of sitting as you can do them anywhere, anytime. Below there are two exercises for you. Tips for this standing exercise:– Start with your feet approx 10 cm away from the wall, lean back and have your hips, back and head in contact with the wall– Lift your elbows up to 90 degrees, bend your hands up to 90 degrees keeping both elbows and wrists pressed against the wall (Some may not be able to hold this position, that’s fine just press your elbows and wrists back towards the wall)– Hold this position for 5-10 deep breathes and repeat 2-3 times. Some tips for this seated exercise:– … Read More
Upper Back Extension Over a Foam Roller or Rolled Up Towel
This exercise is great for helping to reverse the posture we all commonly fall into during long periods of sitting. We all know the one, shoulder and head dropping forward while we slouch over the desk pounding through some work. Using this exercise will help free up some movement in the upper back whilst helping to decrease pain and tension across the area! Tips:- Hold for 30s in 3-4 different spots in the upper back area Make sure you drop down slowly and take nice slow, steady breaths while in position Keep your hips on the ground and don’t push into discomfort (stay below a 2-3/10)
Upper back rotations
During long periods of sitting we tend to remain in the same position for extend periods of time, this exercise is great for promoting movement through your upper back. The following two videos will show you two ways to increase movement in your upper back. I prefer to perform the first exercise starting from my hands and knees but after watching them both, see which one you prefer. Tips for hands/knees version:1. Start with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. 2. Lift one hand off the ground raising it to the roof. 3. Then thread it through past your elbow to the other side of the body. 4. Repeat 10-15 times both sides. Doing 2-3 sets each side! Tips for supine (lying down) version:1. Start laying on your side, knees bent/together and hands out straight2. Start the movement by rotating through your upper back lift your top hand off … Read More
Wrist pain from exercise?
Do you suffer from wrist pain or discomfort while doing push ups? I’ve had a rapid increase in the number of patients coming in for treatment regarding wrist pain resulting from circuit type training. That got me thinking about developing a strategy to help prevent wrist pain from occurring because after all the best form of rehabilitation is a good serve of pre-habilitation. So here are my best three tips to help decrease the likelihood of wrist pain plus two actions to take if your starting to develop wrist pain as a result of exercise. Tip 1: Ensure correct technique When we load your wrist/hands into ‘flexion’, think hands in push up position, it essential we share the load throughout the hand rather than loading to one side. I commonly see people loading more to the outside of their hand (little finger side) than compared to the inside. Another technique … Read More
Fundamentals of progressive overload
What is progressive overload? Progressive overload is known as a gradual increase in stress being applied to the body during exercise. This occurs via small increases to one of the following factors; volume (weight/length of training), frequency (how often the training is performed) and intensity (how hard the training is). This put into real person talk is small increases in training allowing your body to adapt to the stress allowing improvements in the particular sport. When to apply? Most people think of progressive overload as a weight training principle however it can and should be applied to all areas of exercise, especially those in which you’re looking to improve on. It should be noted that progressive overload won’t happen in a straight line for example beginners are more likely to see rapid improvements when compared to an advanced counterpart therefore listen to your body when applying it. How much load … Read More
Injury prevention 101!
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
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