Book a free consultation

What if we were to tell you that you could strengthen your core without even thinking about it? Sounds good, right? No more guilt from not doing your physio/chiropractor/PT homework. Try these 5 tips next time you go for a stroll…

1. Walk tall

Visualise a piece of string on top of your head pulling you upwards. Roll your shoulders back and down and maintain a neutral spine. When you slouch and roll forward, the muscles of your deep abdominals take the cue to chill out and take a breather. Fire them up and get them back to work by keeping your posture in check and walking tall.

2. Swing your arms

Okay, not like Rachel from ‘Friends’ swinging your arms, but by pumping your arms as you walk, you change your centre of gravity ever so slightly and your core muscles will engage to help propel you forward whilst keeping your position tight.

3. Head for the hills

Walking on an incline will engage your deep abdominal muscles more than walking on the flat. Activate your core and shift your centre of gravity again, leaning slightly forward as you climb for a power boost up the hill.

4. Bring a bag

Carrying weight in one (or both) hands will place extra demands on your core muscles and you’ll need to keep fired up to keep yourself standing tall and maintain your neutral spine. If you’re carrying a bag in just one hand, be extra careful that you’re not leaning to that side by really engaging the muscles and bracing against it.

5. Take a breath

Practice breathing exercises to the rhythm of your walking pace. Try breathing in for 2 strides and out for 2 strides, and each time you take a breath out, activate your core and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. Get into the rhythm and continue for the whole walk. Keep your breathing natural though, take too deep breaths and you’ll start to feel faint.

Happy 2019 everyone! We’ve been working lots lately, both personally and with our clients, around goal setting. As fitness and therapy professionals, we are trained in goal setting and how to make them SMART but having attended several seminars and workshops this year, we’re really learning how to drill down and set much more manageable goals which are easy to measure.

The great thing about it is that you can use it in any context. Health-related goals, professional goals and personal goals. Let’s make a start on the bigger picture, then work it down to something you can work on a practical level.

1. What Do You Want?

This is your ultimate aim. Let’s say you have back pain, for this example. You could say to yourself ‘my goal is to get rid of my back pain’ which is fine, but not that helpful in terms of giving yourself a plan and having the motivation to stick to it.

A more helpful suggestion would be to attach some emotion or feeling to your goal to help you really connect with what it is you want and to keep you motivated to achieve it.

A good way to tap in to what you really want is to have a think about what you don’t want, then switch it around to figure out what you do want. List it out:

“I don’t want to feel stiff when I get out of bed” becomes… I want to feel free from stiffness when I get out of bed

“I don’t want to have to say no when the kids want to play because of my back” becomes…I want to be able to play with the kids without my back hurting

“I don’t want my back to go every time I exercise becomes” …I want to exercise without fear of my back going

…you get the idea. So now we know what we want, we can start to figure out how we’re going to get there…

2. Make A Plan

So now you’re clear on what you want and why it’s important, it’s time to act. Take some notes:

  1. What are the things you’re willing to change to make it happen?Are you willing to invest time – how will you make time?Are you willing to invest money – how much is it worth to you to get what you want?How will you make it happen – will you work with a professional or will you make your own plan?
  2. When would you like it to happen by – do you have a deadline?
  3. How will you feel when you have achieved your goal?

3. Break It Down

This is where we get to the bare bones to drill in to what you need to do on a practical level to reach your goal.

Take your goal and bring it together with the lists you made in step 2 – e.g.:

At this point if you’re working with a professional, they can help you break your goal down, and help you understand whether your goal is achievable in the time scale you have in mind. If not, break it down further.

When we see a client for a consultation, we first establish what they want and then design a programme within a set time frame to work towards it. We’ll then set smaller targets to achieve each week, say ‘increase weights by 5% each week’ or ‘take a 1-minute break from your desk every hour to walk around’.

If you’re working towards something yourself, say weight loss, work it down into weekly aims which can be as simple as ‘bring a healthy lunch from home every day’ or ‘only have 3 packets of crisps this week instead of 5’. Simple, measurable and achievable.

Small steps may not seem like much, but ultimately they contribute to your larger aim and stop you seeing something as a massive change and fooling your brain into thinking ‘2 less packets of crisps a week? Sure, that’s easy’.

If you have a wobble in the process, revisit your reasons why, and why it’s important to you. Attaching emotion to something hits us harder than a generic goal and can be a real motivator in sticking to a plan.

So, what are your goals? Let us know in the comments!

A study recently found massage more effective for reducing back pain than medication and other traditional methods.

According to the research, 40% of subjects who had a weekly massage for 10 weeks reported a significant reduction in their pain, compared to just 4% of subjects receiving usual care.

I’ve been practising sports massage for over 10 years and, where it was a little-used treatment for back pain when I first qualified, it’s now often the first thing people investigate when suffering chronic pain and we’re now getting more enquiries than ever here at the studio.

So, want to know a bit more about it and see what all the hype is? Read on…

Sports massage is a deep-tissue treatment which works by stretching and manipulating the soft tissues of the body to increase circulation, promote relaxation of the structures and break down any adhesions.

How does it work?

The main difference between a sports massage and a regular massage is that it specifically targets and reduces tension in muscles and soft tissues that are affected by pain or injury. Pre-event, light, fast, stroking, vibration and percussion techniques are used to stimulate circulation and relaxation of the muscles. Post-event massage is best done within an hour or two of the event and restores the muscles to normality by similar light, long techniques to relax the muscles and flush out waste products. Rehabilitative massage is aimed at restoring function and alleviating pain through deep stretching, kneading and pressure techniques and trigger point therapy is often used to break down adhesions and aid movement.

What are the benefits?

Reported benefits are:

It’s not just for sports people as, as demonstrated in the study, it can help greatly with back pain as well as relieving sore shoulders and stiff necks. Probably because of today’s lifestyle (and where we’re placed-in the middle of a busy commercial district) we treat more tension and posture related pain than anything else.

We currently have some gift vouchers available for a 60-minute sports massage and a back check-up, which is perfect to get for yourself or someone you think needs it.

Last weekend, Andy and I packed the kids and the dogs into the car and took ourselves off to Westonbirt Arboretum.  Nestled in the Cotswolds, it’s a lovely way to see the best of the gorgeous autumnal colours we get from nature this time of year. 

We were out for a good 4 hours, kids kicking up the leaves and dogs sniffing out new friends in the forest.  We were all exhausted by the time we got back.

According to research we can burn as many calories per mile brisk walking as we can jogging.  If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know I do like to bang on about how we need to make exercise enjoyable to make it work and that the gym isn’t for everyone.

With this in mind, I’ve compiled a short list of great places to go in Bristol and beyond should you be one of the many who would much rather be out walking in the great outdoors than pounding on a treadmill in the gym.

Leigh Woods
Not far from the centre of Bristol, enjoy miles of paths to explore in these ancient woodlands, including an all-ability trail.

Blaise Castle Estate
As well as magnificent walks (downloadable from the site) the Estate is a great place to take the kids, with a great play area, picnic tables and cafe.

Blaise Castle, Bristol. Photo by  Ryan Searle  on  Unsplash .

Blaise Castle, Bristol. Photo by Ryan Searle on Unsplash.

Bristol and Bath Railway Path
Walk or cycle along this 13-mile stretch and take in some great scenery along the way.

Bath Skyline
6 Miles of way marked trails with magnificent views over the city of Bath

The Royal Crescent, Bath. Photo by  Michael D Beckwith  on  Unsplash .

The Royal Crescent, Bath. Photo by Michael D Beckwith on Unsplash.

Do you know of any other local places to enjoy a winter stroll? Feel free to add your places under comments 

One of the first things we teach during a consultation is how to engage the core muscles. This is a fundamental part of any core strengthening work and can be easily applied to everyday activities, enabling you to use these muscles as a foundation for movement and perform functional exercise throughout the day.

The technique:

1. Lie on your back with bent knees and feet flat on the floor

2. Locate the top of your hip bones, walk your fingers diagonally down a few centimetres and press in

3. Cough and feel the muscles contract. It’ll feel like it’s pushing your fingers out

4. Cough again and this time, try to hold the contraction for a few seconds, then relax

5. Repeat step 4 but this time, think about keeping the back of your rib cage pressed into the floor at the same time

6. Repeat step 5, counting to 10 out loud whilst holding the contraction

7. Practice, practice, practice

This technique is pretty tricky and does take lots of practice to master. It’ll feel quite unnatural at first and you’ll need to do it quite a few times before you get the hang of breathing whilst holding the contraction but carry on with the counting out loud and it’ll click eventually.

The idea is that once you know how to engage, you can use this technique to protect and strengthen your back whenever you lift, be it a weight in the gym, a small child or a full kettle for your morning cuppa.

We are well and truly in germ season now and the winter bugs are spreading like wildfire. So, if you’re training for an event or have those last few inches to shed to it your target…what do you do? Keep your fingers crossed and ‘sweat it out’ or give yourself a break and come back stronger on the other side?

A general rule of thumb is this; anything above the neck, you’re fine to exercise in moderation. Anything below, take a breather and leave your trainers at home until you feel better.

So, if you have a common cold, you’re fine if you don’t have a fever. Just lower the intensity, take it steady and focus on maintaining rather than improving until you’re fully recovered. Remember your immune system takes a battering if you train too hard and if it’s already compromised you’ll just take an age to get better.

If you have a fever, DON’T train. You run the risk of dehydration and heatstroke. Similarly, if you have a cough, chest infection or other respiratory illness, exercise will exacerbate the problem. It goes without saying that you need your heart and lungs on top form when training, right?

Use common sense and listen to your body. If you don’t feel up to it, don’t do it. Sometimes you’re better off taking a couple of days break, letting the illness run its course and that way, you’ll have a fighting chance of ridding yourself of the germs faster and getting stuck into training properly when it’s passed.0 Likes

We all know by now that strength training is good, right? It’s great for boosting metabolism, maintaining a strong core and increasing bone density, amongst a vast multitude of other benefits.

We will always be strong advocates of weight training for these reasons but we do get some people coming through our door who started with all the right intentions and ended up doing more harm than good though lifting weights.

Here’s our short guide to reasons why your weights sessions could be damaging your back health. Avoid these the next time you hit the gym to make sure you’re getting the best from your workout and not compromising your back in the process.

1. You’re not paying attention to form

Mirrors at the gym can be a massive distraction – who wants to see themselves sweaty and breathless, right? – but the reason they are there goes beyond vanity.

Use the mirrors to check your technique throughout the exercise, paying particular attention to your back; not over-arching and maintaining the neutral ‘s’ shape of your spine.

2. You’re not engaging your core

Particularly important if you’re doing free weights, you need to activate and engage your core muscles as you lift to protect your spine and avoid back pain, as well as to maintain good form.

By engaging the core, you create intra-abdominal pressure in your trunk, which acts as an internal cushion, decreasing the compressive load on the discs and creating tension throughout the body in preparation for lifting.

The core links the upper and lower body and only through a tight core can you redistribute power generated in the lower body along the kinetic chain.

Insufficient intra-abdominal pressure can be the reason why the lower back gets rounded at the bottom of a deep squat. This pressure will also dictate how deep you can go in a leg-press, and how stable the low back is in a deadlift.

3. You’re ignoring pain

It’s easy to ignore niggles when you’re warmed up and in the zone, thinking it’s normal, or to take painkillers if you have an injury and ‘train through it’ but pain is a warning sign that we mustn’t ever ignore.

It’s our body’s way of telling us that something’s up, so listen, take a break and come back stronger when you’re fully recovered.

4. You only train the fun bits

It’s so common to only want to train the parts of your body which are on show, or which respond best to training.

An imbalance of strength can lead to poor posture and leave you vulnerable to injury. Train your body as a whole unit, making time to include every muscle group (especially the core which is often forgotten) and you’ll reap the rewards with a strong, balanced body.

5. You’re going too heavy

If you go too heavy without the strength to handle it, your form will suffer. Choose a weight which challenges you, but one at which you can also maintain a full range of movement without using momentum to follow it through.

To learn more about how to stay strong so you can keep training without having to worry about your back, visit us for a complimentary consultation.

You’ll learn how to activate and engage your core, receive a full assessment of your back and posture, and get advice on how to stay strong and reduce back pain long-term.

For more information and to register, click here.

As a nation, we now spend a day a week online.

At 70%, more of us than ever are using our smartphones to stay connected so it’s no surprise that there is a steep rise in the number of people suffering from neck, shoulder and upper back pain.

‘Text-neck’ is now a thing as we spend over 3 hours a day (and increasing) curled over our phones.

The average human head weighs 10-12 lbs. As your head tilts down, the gravitational pull on your head places additional pressure on your neck, up to a staggering 60 lbs at 60 degrees (or a small labrador to put it into perspective!)

When logging off isn’t an option, a good way to counteract this pressure is to work on strengthening our neck and upper back. Try these exercises once a day to help improve your posture and avoid your smartphone becoming a pain in the neck…

Neck Push

Keep your head upright and place your hand flat against the side of your head. Gently push your head away from you and use your neck muscles to resist, so your head remains upright. Hold for 20-30 seconds each side and repeat 3 times.

Back Extension With Scapula Retraction

Lying face down, engage your core and raise your upper body from the floor. As you do so, lift your arms and squeeze your shoulder blades together, keeping your legs and buttocks relaxed and head looking down. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 5-10 times.

Low Row

Loop a resistance band against something sturdy, engage your core and taking hold of the ends of the band, keep your elbows in tight to your body and pull your arms towards you, squeezing in between your shoulder blades as you do so. Repeat 12-16 times for 3 sets.

Band Pull

Take hold of each end of a resistance band and hold out in front of your body. Engage your core and keeping your arms almost straight, move your arms back horizontally, stretching the band and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Repeat 24 times.

If you haven’t exercised before, you may feel muscle soreness around the shoulder blades and neck the first week or so. This is perfectly normal and your body’s response to getting stronger.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can reduce pain and get stronger long-term, we’d like to invite you to a complimentary ‘Reduce Back Pain’ consultation.
During the session, you will receive a full assessment, learn the relationship between your core and back, learn simple exercises to strengthen your core, receive an assessment of your flexibility and get advice on long-term pain management.
To register, please enter your details below and we’ll be in touch to book your session.

I have had a few conversations recently with clients about the importance of resistance training. It often gets overlooked in favour of it’s sweatier counterpart, cardio, as that’s what we were always told to do to lose weight, right? In fact, you could be missing a trick by walking past the weights section as it turns out there’s much more to gain than bulging biceps…

1. Lift weights to lose fat

Muscle is your metabolic engine. The more we have, the higher our resting metabolic rate. You will literally burn more calories IN YOUR SLEEP. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat so please don’t get fixated on your scales weight, as they don’t know the difference between fat and muscle.

2. Feel the (after) burn

When we train cardio, our calorie burn is increased whilst we’re doing it, but when we train with weights, our calorie burn may not be as high during the session, but your metabolic rate will remain elevated hours after, as your body torches the calories as it repairs and strengthens your muscles. This sometimes referred to as the ‘after-burn’. Did someone say, ‘post workout pizza’?

3. Core blimey, is that a six-pack?

If you step away from the machines and focus on functional movements when strength training, not only will you be training the big guys you can see (pecs, quads, biceps etc) but unbeknownst to you, the little guys in your core will also be firing up to keep you balanced and stable. Think of it as a no-crunch ab workout. You’re welcome.

4. Protection, protection, protection

Think of your muscles as the scaffolding surrounding your skeleton. As well as moving your bones, your muscles also protect your joints. The stronger your muscles, the less vulnerable you are to injury. Simples. This leads nicely on to…

5. Dem bones

As we age (especially us females, sorry ladies), our bones lose density and become more susceptible to breaks. Any weight-bearing exercise can help maintain bone density. Aerobics-style classes and walking are great, and exercises such as squats, lunges and step-ups with added weight can increase bone density in the legs and hips. Not just for those of the older persuasion, bone density is at its highest between the ages of 20 and 30 so invest in the future, kids and do your squats.

We know that drinking water is good, right? It’s a no-brainer – we hear it all the time; ‘drink more water!’ ‘water is good for your health!’ ‘drink 8 glasses a day!’ But when we drill down, do you really know why it’s important to keep your fluid levels up, do we understand the impact of not being hydrated?

Let’s explore a bit deeper.

1. It can improve your mood

Dehydration can make you lethargic, confused and lacking in energy. A study found that when a group of subjects increased their water intake from 1.2 litres a day to 2.5 litres a day, they reported a drop in tension, depression and confusion.

2. It can help you lose weight

In one study, participants who drank an extra litre of water a day for a year lost an extra 2kg of weight on average. This can be due to several things; not mistaking hunger for thirst, feeling fuller and drinking water instead of sugary drinks can all be valid reasons.

Studies also suggest that it can boost your metabolism by up to 30%. Sounds good, right?

3. It helps keep the bugs at bay

Our body is around 60% water, and basic functions rely on hydration. Water transports essential nutrients around the body and delivers them to our cells so they can function properly and is a major component of the blood and lymph system, which are fundamental parts of our immune system.

Drinking plenty of water also helps the kidneys flush out toxins from your body, removing all the nasties and stopping the build-up from weakening your immune system.

4. You’ll have better gym sessions

Staying hydrated helps lubricate your joints and avoid muscle cramps. You can exercise long and stronger when you have enough water on board.

5. It’s better for your back

Your discs are made up of an inner substance that’s mainly water, and an outer, tougher ring. Regular movement keeps your discs hydrated as they absorb whatever water is available.

If you’re dehydrated, however, this inner part of the disc also becomes dehydrated and can’t function properly. This places too much strain on the outer ring and can result in pain and swelling.

So, how much should you drink, and what?

A general rule of thumb is 15ml per lb of body weight, with an extra 500ml-1 litre with moderate-intense exercise. If you drink between 2-3litres a day, you’re doing fine.

It’s great if you have a reusable bottle and set yourself the goal of having so many bottles full per day, depending on the size of it. I use a 1 litre bottle and aim to finish 3 refills a day. I do, however, aim to get it all in by 8pm, otherwise frequent loo visits will keep you up all night!

What counts?

It doesn’t have to be water, though obviously that’s the best drink you can get (and it’s free!) tea, coffee and soft drinks all count towards your daily hydration goal.