What is your philosophy on Exercise?

The allure of that classic six–pack, toned pins, flat tum or perfect bum, leaves most of our client’s drawn to the aesthetic benefits of what exercise can do for them. Exercise regimes are often a means to an end, results driven and focused on achieving a desired effect rather than forming part of a regular, well balanced programme aimed at improving their movement vocabulary.


In this blog…rather than focus on a specific body area or injury discussion, it is pertinent to review a more generalised movement problem in modern society!


Modern day lifestyles have encouraged a wave of multiple muscle imbalances within clients and this has been compounded by weekly work postural positions that affect or often inhibit movement in clients on the one hand or the other extreme, where we see the emergence of the ‘weekend warrior’ who indulges in spurts of extreme exercise to help alleviate the stress and anxiety built into their lifestyles. 

It is therefore no wonder, that these muscular imbalances can present themselves in our Pilates classes as problem areas causing clients discomfort or in some cases even pain. Often classes have to be modified to suit individuals to such an extent that the class no longer resembles a Pilates session.


Lets hear from Joseph Pilates himself. The founder of the Pilates Method - "Contrology" he called it!
“

Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind, fully capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure”


Joseph H Pilates


Let’s analyse some of what Joseph is talking about here!

“Physical Fitness and Movement = Happiness.”

Endorphin release is good for you. It counteracts stress. However some people can go overboard, chasing the adrenalin rush, which can make this harmful to the body. Repetitive movements i.e. repeating the same movement regime over time can lead to muscle imbalance. On the other hand, lack of movement and exercise has been linked to conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure to name but a few.


“Our interpretation of Physical Fitness”


What is your interpretation? Is it washboard abs? The ability to fit into that pair of skinny jeans. Ripped arms? Well think again. Joseph describes it as the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind. One of the most common reasons why our clients give up on their fitness regime is doing too much too soon and injuring themselves in the process. Fitness enthusiasts take to exercise with great vigour-only to find themselves in pain a short time later. We should encourage all to enjoy the process of strategic work, where the aesthetic benefit is an automatic result, but not the aim.


“Fully Capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks”


The main issue here is that patients normally come and see me when they can no longer “satisfactorily perform their many and varied daily tasks.”  An injury can be devastating to a clients’ confidence. Much like I have seen recently to a colleague of mine who tore her Achilles tendon. Daily tasks become a nightmare and one cannot even think about anything exercise related. Not to mention the process of recovery, the frustration, the fear of return to movement....


“Spontaneous Zest and Pleasure”

To be able to move the way we want. Play with our kids, run, jump skip. Climb walk, squat. Hang?? How spontaneous can you be at the moment? Do you hold yourself back? And do you impose those limitations on those around you?
In conclusion, move more, and open your repertoire to the possibilities of what a good movement vocabulary can do. Go after the strategic process and let the reward be the aesthetic benefit not the aim in the first place. If you work with a body worker or Physical Therapist, make sure they understand these movement philosophies.

As I always say. I must walk the walk and talk the talk.

 


For emphasis once more, I couldn't resist...now try reading this again.

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind, fully capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure”


Be Well 

Leslie

Do you have back pain? - Here is a video that will give you perspective and hopefully help you improve your belief system so you can recover faster with our help!

Many patients come in to see us and have no idea what to expect when they have an acute episode of back pain. If you are just visiting our blog and you have 10 minutes to spare, I promise you that it will be very well spent! Happy viewing folks!

Best Wishes

Leslie

'MOVE'ember post: Joseph O'Dwyer

WE LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT! 

"I can't understand why I have such a bad back...I don't do anything"

I hear this several times a month from many of my new clients...

Well there's a clue in there...it's because you don't do anything, that you have a back ache.

You see we, as humans designed to move, to run, to jump...this all new modern lifestyle can easily get the better of us unless we take a little positive action to counter the effects.

Let's imagine a typical 24 hours in the life of a busy office worker...Wake up at 7am from an 8 hour (if you're lucky!!) foetal position, all curled up and cosy. Sit down for a quick breakfast. Jump in the car, or sit on the bus or tube, to dash into work to have a seat at your work station until lunch. Have a stretch as you walk to that new sushi bar, hopefully you'll get a seat. Sit down, eat lunch and back to work. Have a seat until 5. Have a wrestle for a seat on the way home... Phew! What a day!!...pour a glass of wine and take a seat for dinner. A few hours on the sofa to catch up with your favourite box set...and off to curl up in bed we go.

Now, all that sitting down, has slowly but surely progressively shortened the hip flexors, weakened the gluteal muslces, contributed to making the hamstrings long and weak and left us with a less than adequate set of abdominals. Unfortunately all this rotates and tips the pelvis in all sorts of directions from a comfortable neutral. The lumbar region gets compressed as the hips tip forward, with the small gap between the vertebrae where the nerves exit getting tighter and tighter until...PINCH! BOOM! BACKACHE!!

On top of all this your body is naively trying to help, by supporting you in this contorted shape, laying down extra supportive connective tissue, because that is where it thinks you want to be!! Oh Dear!

We as massage therapists, can and do get those shortened muscles lengthened, soften and stretch the connective tissue and will even teach you the strengthen exercises to work towards re-addressing the balance. We certainly do love to move it, that's why we're in the business of massage therapy.

HOWEVER we all need to take a little responsibility for our own health...and now for a fantastic cause. Now that your awareness has been peaked, it's not so easy to plead innocence when it comes to getting into gear and start the blood moving. Try taking on our 3 Movement challenge, make a small contribution and YOU and those on the receiving end will feel a whole lot better for it.

It's time for you to MOVE IT, MOVE IT! 

Joseph O'Dwyer is a qualified Sports and Remedial massage therapist. He is also qualified to deliver Holistic and Deep Tissue massage. He aims to reduce tension, free muscle restrictions and adhesions, improving postural balance to get people back to their chosen activity, be it sports and everyday activities.

'MOVE'ember post: Leigh-Anne Henning

Move and Restore your happiness.

Joseph Pilates states in his book ‘Return to life through Contrology’...

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind, fully capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure” 

The whole focus of our exercise routines these days are on aesthetics and not on what exercise could do for our mental health, energy levels and our zest for life. We exercise only for the look we want to achieve, the weight we want to lose or the little black dress we want to wear at our Christmas party. Imagine if we went for a pilates session or a yoga session and did it purely for the enjoyment of it – what kind of an amazing effect it would have on us? Imagine that our weekly pilates class became a time for us to focus inwards on ones self and not on the worries of the outside world.

 ‘Move’ember' has been a great way to get us moving and restoring our happiness. 3 Simple challenges set up to get us back into some simple tasks and moving again.

Due to my torn Achilles, I haven’t taken on the squat challenge but I have decided to make sure I move for 20 minutes a day and especially to move in a more mindful way. Yes I do crazy things, yes most of the time I will be doing something outrageous and I move most days for more than 20 minutes but I have come to realize how important it is to have some time to focus inwards on myself and to restore my mind. So for me this is my challenge – to find a quiet space, a quiet time to move with thought and reflection for 20minutes. I know that this will help to restore my happiness and make my mind a more peaceful place, especially after my injury.

So I want to challenge all of you to move for 20 minutes, be present and to continue this into the next month and the new year. I often hear people say that they don’t have the time – yes our lives are busy, we are always crazily busy, always running around, but its 20 minutes. Take some time and go for a walk, remember the simple things like nature and the outdoors. Fresh air and nature have amazing healing qualities – both refreshing, uplifting and can return our zest for life. 

“Return to life”

Leigh-Anne Henning is our Pilates Studio Manager. She believes in 'The Return to Life' that Pilates offers. She has a lot of experience working with clients in pain and early into their rehabilitation but also with the high level client who can achieve full classical Pilates repertoire. 

'MOVE'ember post: Mary Grace Anderson

Walking and Talking

The other day I went for a power walk with a friend. I am making a conscious effort to MOVE from the 'lets have a coffee and catch up' to 'lets go for a walk and talk'

I have also found that being outdoors in the fresh air also tends to inspire more ideas. It really does seem to lend a hand in open thinking of alternative ideas. When I am sitting in the office surrounded by 'office' stuff it tends to limit my focus on topics I want to cover.

My friend suggested I just start recording while I go for my walks ideas that spring up from our talks and then use them later for blogs, Twitter, etc...I now pass that wise wisdom on to you, my friends.

And it's built in exercise without even thinking about it! So call a friend and set up some 'walk and talk' dates as winter approaches to keep you motivated and creative!

Marygrace Anderson is the Clinical Hypnotherapist  from MG Hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is a treatment that uses hypnosis to alter the way you feel or to change aspects of your life which need improving. Under hypnosis, we are capable of making amazing changes to our thinking patterns and unlocking unlimited potential to improve and transform our lives.

Contact Marygrace Anderson:

www.mghypnosis.co.uk

Tel: 07931547414

Email: marygrace@mghypnosis.co.uk

'MOVE'ember post: Kinga Broel-Plater

How you experience life, how successful and fulfilled you are, can arguably depend on what default state you spend your life in

Successful people such as business leaders and athletes regularly put themselves in a peak state before a speech or a game for optimum performance.  They will have conscious or subconscious strategies to put themselves in peak states. Tony Robbins, a top trainer and coach, has as series of affirmations and physical anchors before he goes on stage in front of millions of people and he uses a trampoline to physically get himself in physical a peak state.

A state is a factor of three components:

       1) What your Attention is on, what you focus on.

       2) What your Body is doing or how it is being nurtured.

       3) What your Communication is like?, to your self and to others.

Change one of these components and your state will change!

Our challenge to your for the month of MOVE-ember is for you to notice what your default state is like, and get curious about how you might want to change this to experience a fuller and richer life.

If you spend your time in a depressed, stressed or not optimal state, it is unlikely that you will be feeling at your best and achieving and optimizing your possibilities in life. You will most likely be doing one or all of the following: 

1) Focusing on negative events, worries, concerns

2) Not be very active physically or putting unhealthy nutrition into your body,

3) Speak to yourself and others in a less-than optimal way, eg self-criticism, negative self talk, going over hurts of the past, going over negative stories etc.

If on the other hand you spend your time in a peak state, you will most likely be:

 1) Focusing your Attention on a positive outcome, positive events, what you want and your goals

2) Be active in your body and give it the right care and nutrition

3) Say supportive, constructive things to yourself and others.

Ask yourself the following questions:

 1) Where is my Attention? What am I focusing on in my life/ day-to-day?

       2) What am I doing with my Body in terms of exercise and nutrition?

       3) How am I speaking to my self and to others?

At Bodies under Construction, MOVE-ember is all about moving for us, and we believe that “Motion creates Emotion”. Small things like your posture, how you sit and walk can make a huge difference to your sense of satisfaction, wellbeing and how you experience life. Physical exercise of any form will affect your state, which will inevitably affect your life experience.

At Bodies under Construction- we can support you in your change work. Our life coach, nutritionist, physios, pilates instructors and other health professionals are all available to help you achieve your goals.

Kinga Broel-Plater is a passionate life and executive coach. Her mission in life is to help make a difference to people and businesses in a meaningful and long lasting way.

Contact details:
www.aumentech.com
Tel: +44 (0)7796 955 797
Email: kinga@aumentech.com

'MOVE'ember post: Sophie Bevan

Be Moved by Acupuncture

“Where there is pain, there is no free flow. Where there is free flow, there is no pain.”

This classical Mandarin saying is often used to explain that a smooth flow of energy or ‘Qi’ in the body is vital for good health and happiness. Traditional Chinese Medicine places great value on MOVEMENT!

We have all experienced the pain of being stuck, the physical pain of a ‘stuck’ neck, the discomfort of constipation, the heaviness of phlegm in the chest. And we know it emotionally as well, being ‘stuck’ in a job or relationship we have outgrown, or having a thought churning around in our head that stops us sleeping. These are all different manifestations of ‘QI STAGNATION’, when our vital energy has become blocked and is causing us pain.

The energy in the body flows through all the organs, muscles and tendons on pathways that we call meridians or channels. We can influence the flow of energy by using very fine acupuncture needles that regulate this flow of energy, and restore balance throughout the body. Acupuncture is a holistic system, so often people who come in for treatment of a painful neck end up with improved sleep, less anxiety and improved digestion – as all systems are connected! Every treatment is different as it is created for the individual person, not for a specific condition.

We all need healthy movement in order to be balanced and happy. To create this in daily life we need exercise, sleep, good food, fresh air, loving relationships and satisfying work. Plus we need some kind of maintenance program, acupuncture is not only good for health problems, it can be used as a regular support to keep you balanced. The treatments at the Riverside are enjoyable and relaxing, a monthly session can be a pleasure as well as a way to maintain your physical and emotional well being. 

Sophie Bevan has a degree in Traditional Medicine from the University of Westminster. Sophie's aim is to take excellent care of each person she works with, and to make the sessions as relaxing and enjoyable as they are therapeutic. 

'MOVE'ember post: Fleur Borrelli

Exercising on an Empty Stomach

This is an approach to exercise that really makes sense.  For some of you it may be completely contradictory to what you believe.  A quick snack before exercise will give you an energy boost, right?  Wrong, whatever we eat will be packed away in a cell as glucose or fat but only if we can digest it.  Eating before exercise may not be the best time to eat as your body will be preparing you for fight-or-flight.  This means that all energy will be directed towards your muscles and away from your digestive system and you won’t be able to digest a thing!  Your pre-exercise banana will be sitting there in your stomach like a lead weight, causing additional problems.

The Facts

The problem is that every meal we eat creates an unwanted inflammatory reaction.  It does not make a difference whether it is a quick snack or a sit down dinner.  Don’t get me wrong, inflammation is sometimes necessary when we cut or injure ourselves or have surgery.  It is the normal response to wound healing. But when it affects the whole body it can cause damage. What is puzzling is that genetically we are identical to our Stone Age ancestors.  They did not have fridges and food packaging that kept their food fresh and clean. Yet we know they did not have this negative whole body reaction every time they ate.  What we do know is that they would have had to move around and forage to find food.  It is this movement that can produce an anti-inflammatory substance capable of killing bugs in order to keep our immune systems in check.

Eating before exercise can affect our performance.  According to the Swedish School of Sport and Healthy Sciences, laying off the energy snacks can help us use calories in a more efficient way even in highly trained athletes. Carbohydrates can cause a drop in blood sugar levels and reliance on them may affect our ability to burn fat efficiently.  This is what can happen during an endurance event when we ‘hit the wall’ after stores of glucose, or stored carbohydrate, have run out.  We cannot make the switch from glucose burning to fat burning.  By training to do this on empty stomach we are giving our muscle cells no other option but to burn fat. 

The Practical Implementation

      If you are sensitive to blood sugar dips listen to your body.  If you feel weak or nauseous during exercise you should call it a day and try again another time.  Please note that if you are diabetic, pregnant or breastfeeding it is probably unwise to try this.
    
It is easier to implement if you exercise in the morning.  You should have your last meal early evening the day before.  When you get up in the morning do your normal exercise routine and then eat a healthy brunch afterwards.
    
 If you can only exercise in the evening, you can have a healthy breakfast in the morning and then eat again once you have completed your workout.  You might find you need to move around in the day as much as possible to curb any hunger cravings.  If your job involves sitting at a desk, get up every forty-five minutes and move around.
    
Do the above twice per week.  On the other days when you exercise make sure you have not eaten for at least three to five hours before.
    
 Doing this twice per week will bring you tremendous benefits.  You may find on these days that you are eating twice per day only.  Make sure that these meals are healthy and nutritious.  Have plenty of good quality protein such as eggs, fish or chicken and loads of vegetables.  Include some healthy fats from coconut oil, eggs, avocado and butter.



Fleur addresses medical health conditions using nutritional medicine. She offers part preventative, part regenerative medicine using food as medicine, exercise advice and psychosocial techniques.

Contact Fleur Borrelli: 
www.nutritionadsuperfood.co.uk
Tel: 07766883522
Email; fleur@nutrionandsuperfood.co.uk