Tag Archives: exercise as medicine

Pregnancy and Exercise

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IMG_0432_2The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends the accumulation of 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week during a normal, healthy pregnancy. We now know that exercise – whether in the form of running, swimming, Pilates or anything in between – is hugely beneficial from pre-conception right through to the post-partum stages.

 

Benefits of Exercise to Mum and Bub include:

  • Significantly Reduced risk of Preeclampsia (hypertensive disorders during pregnancy)
  • Significantly Reduced risk of gestational diabetes;
  • Reduced incidence of Low Back Pain during pregnancy and post-partum
  • Improved tolerance of labour with increased fitness and strength levels, and faster recovery post-partum;
  • Improved bone density with weight-bearing and strength exercises;
  • Reduced incidence of pregnancy-related carpal tunnel syndrome with water-based exercise programs;
  • Psychological benefits including reduced rates of pre- and post-natal depression;
  • Improved placenta development
  • Reduced morning sickness symptoms in some women;
  • Better circulation throughout the body and to the placenta
  • Less constipation and bloating;
  • More energy and better sleep;
  • Lower rates of incontinence;
  • Improved muscle support for the pelvis

 

 

 An Exercise Physiologist can help with:

  • Prescription of a home exercise program for low-risk pregnancies, and supervised exercise sessions for higher-risk pregnancies;
  • Managing safe exercise around the many physiological changes occurring, such as increased joint laxity, weight gain and a changing body;
  • Prescribing appropriate exercises to minimise your risk of Rectus Diastasis (split abdominal muscles), a common condition affecting up to 67% of pregnant women;
  • Prescribing a balanced weekly exercise programme based on your individual fitness and health, and adjusting throughout the pregnancy;
  • Pelvic floor exercises to assist with prevention of incontinence and other bladder problems;
  • Answering any of your questions about exercise during pregnancy – from elite athletes through to previously sedentary mums-to-be. Common questions include: “how hard can I go?”, “Is it safe to run/ride/strength train while pregnant?”, “what precautions do I need to take while exercising?”, “what are the warning signs to stop exercising?”.

 

 

A Physiotherapist can help with:

  • Management of common pregnancy complaints such as pelvic and low back pain;
  • Advice regarding physiological changes occurring during pregnancy and how to help manage them;
  • Preventing neck and back pain during breastfeeding
  • Managing early return-to-exercise programs post-partum.
  • Retraining pelvic floor muscles after childbirth
  • Caesarean section recovery

 

Pregnancy is a wonderful time full of many changes both physiologically and emotionally. Always check with a health professional (your Doctor, Obstetrician, Exercise Physiologist or Physiotherapist) before starting any new exercise program.

 

 

 Do I need a Referral?

  • No referral is needed to book in with an Exercise Physiologist or Physiotherapist. Our professional staff maintain constant communication with your doctor and Obstetrician, to ensure that everyone is up to date with your exercise and health plan throughout the pregnancy and beyond.

 

 

What is the Cost?

  • If you have private health cover you will be able to claim on these services. For more information on prices and to make a booking, please call our friendly reception staff on (07) 4783 7284

 

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References:

 

O’Toole, M., Artal, R. (2003). Guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. British Journal of Sports Medicine 37:6-12

 

 

Pinto, Kristina.; Kramer, Rachel. Fit and Healthy Pregnancy: How to stay strong and in shape for you and your baby. VeloPress books, 2013, Boulder, Colorado.

 

Pivarnik, J., Chambliss, H., Clapp, J., Dugan, S., Hatch, M et al (2006). Impact of Physical Activity during Pregnancy and Postpartum on Chronic Disease Risk. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise – Roundtable Consensus Statement 0195-9131

 

 

 

 

Fun Run Season is Here – How to Stay Injury-Free!

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While other states are shivering into their hot chocolates, we are lucky enough in the far North of Queensland to be experiencing perfect running weather – beautiful crisp and sunny days with minimal humidity in the air. There is no better time of the year to be upping your running training and looking ahead to one of the many fun runs on offer around the area in the coming months.

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Not coincidentally, it is about this time of year that we start to see an influx of running injuries come through our clinic doors. As runners ourselves, we can understand the frustration and stress involved with having to sit out of training or worse, missing your planned race. There are many simple things that runners can do to minimise their injury risk and keep their bodies healthy and minds happy. We’re pretty sure you know all of these , but like most runners, need a simple reminder that you are not “special” – your body is not superman and it does, in fact, need just as much time to adapt to training stimulus as everyone else’s does!

 

  • Training Load

A large proportion of running overuse injuries are caused by simply doing too much, too soon. The classic situation is the runner who has had a few months off, maybe gained a few kilos and not been diligent enough with their strength work, and then decides to do an 8-week training program for an upcoming half marathon or 10km fun run. The first few weeks go by OK with sore muscles and slow shuffling, and then week 3-4 hits and you have shin or foot pain that won’t go away in a hurry…..Sound familiar? While the enthusiasm is great, it is important to “train for the training”. Consider your base level of fitness before jumping feet-first into any training program; if the first week of the training program looks “scary” to you, then you are not ready yet. Running is a wonderful sport for the body but it comes with a high injury risk if you are doing it sporadically. Once you are gradually building up the weekly mileage, give yourself a recovery week once a month, typically reducing the training load to about 60% of your previous week, further giving your body a chance to absorb the training. The healthiest and usually the fastest runners are those who are consistent with their training, year-round, allowing for natural and gradual increases and decreases in their load around race season and off-season.

 

  • Specific Strength Work

Every time you take a step when running, you are literally doing a single-leg squat with up to 4-6 times your body weight going through the chain from your foot up through your knee, hip, pelvis and spine. Think about that. The amount of recreational runners we see come into our clinic who cannot do one quality single-leg squat with one x their body weight – let alone quadruple that amount – is truly scary! Your muscles are very well equipped to take up the excess loads of running so that your joints and bones don’t have to get overloaded; in fact, well-trained muscles will act like springs and propel you forwards with ease and speed. We recommend that all runners do a minimum of 2-3 strength sessions a week, but it must be run-specific ie lots of core, glutes, single leg squat work and lower limb strengthening as well as the all-important balance and flexibility work. A quality session might take you 20-30 minutes, but it will be the best injury prevention investment you can make. An Exercise Physiologist or Physio with an interest in running can help you to design a program that addresses your weaknesses, and most can be done in your own lounge room without fancy equipment.

 

  • Running Technique

If your core and general strength is good, your balance and flexibility and adequate, and you are not excessively overweight, you will have a much easier time achieving optimal running technique. What is “ideal” technique is an often-debated topic amongst the literature, and when it comes down to it, everyone is different and will have a slightly unique “perfect form” that suits their body. Having said that, there are certain key factors that need to be considered to ensure that you are running safely, for both injury management and to increase your speed and efficiency. These include things like high knee lift to utilise the powerful glutes; mid or forefoot strike to optimise the calf muscles as a spring; a leg turnover of about 180 strides per minute (count how many times per minute your right foot hits the ground, then double it); a nice upright torso with a very slight forward torso lean etc etc. If you feel like you aren’t running at your best or you continually get overuse injuries such as shin pain and plantar fasciitis, having a qualified professional assess your running technique could prove to be a worthwhile investment. Coaches, Physios, Podiatrists, and Exercise Physiologists with an interest in running are all qualified to do such an assessment.

 

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Nutrition

Running is a wonderful sport for promoting weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight. The best runners tend to be the lightest, but that doesn’t mean that you have to look like Paula Radcliffe to enjoy healthy running. If you are more than 5kg above your ideal body weight, be respectful of the extra load on your body as you increase your training load. Also ensure, no matter what your weight, that you fuel well before, during and after your hard run sessions. Optimal nutrition results in faster recovery, better performance and less injuries. Accredited Sports Dieticians are the best people to talk to about fuelling for both running performance and for weight management.

 

  • Shoes

This can be another controversial area that professionals love to debate over. Most qualified health professionals have their opinion on what shoe type is best for you; my advice would be to listen to your body. If you feel like it is hard to run fast, that your shoes are working against you, or that you get a lot of niggles in your current shoes, consider trying something different. I am a fan of the 4mm heel drop shoes and have had great success in them with all of my runners, but as with anything – change needs to be a very gradual thing. If you are used to running in super cushioned, 12mm heel drops and you suddenly swap to a “barefoot” style of running shoes (which I don’t recommend either, unless you weigh 40kg and look like the Kenyan Olympic marathoners), your body will be shocked by the change. You need to allow adequate time to adapt and ensure that you lower your training load and increase your strength work while you change over. I also advise people to have two pairs of runners on the go and to rotate them throughout the week. Most recreational runners doing 40-80km/week will need to change their shoes over every 3-4 months, depending on their weight and the surfaces they train on. This may seem expensive, but when you consider what equipment in some other sports (like cycling) costs, not to mention the cost of a potential injury, it is a relatively cheap investment for foot health!

 

  • Training Surfaces

Try to vary your terrain as much as possible – this is good for load but also a great way of incorporating some strength work and balance (eg. soft surfaces like trail running) into your running. Cement is the highest load for your body to cope with so try to do less than half of your training on it as a general rule.

 

  • Factors outside of Training

This is the one area that runners often neglect. Our training isn’t separate to the rest of our lives, it is included within it. That means if you are tired from lack of sleep, stressed from work or family, or under-fuelled from working through lunch – these things will all impact on your running form and also increase your injury risk. You need to consider how your body feels going into any run – and adjust accordingly. If you are wrecked from work or stress, don’t do that hard track session today; swap it for an easy 5km run and come back stronger for the track session in a few days’ time. I will also add here for the ladies that wearing high heels on fatigued legs is a great way to give yourself a stress fracture – you would be amazed how many times we have seen this in our female athletes! If you must have that big day at the races, at least wear lower heels and stretch calf muscles etc before and after the event.

 

 

The number one take-home point is that the body hates rapid change. The human body is an incredible specimen capable of adapting to remarkable training loads: think about what Ultramarathoners and Ultraman (back-to-back Ironman triathlon events) athletes are capable of achieving. They are no different to you or I – they don’t have magical superpowers that allow them to run 100km. They simply dedicated themselves to the process early in their lives and have consistently added training load to allow adaptation in a slow and planned manner. The bottom line is that our body will adapt beautifully to change, if we allow it time to do so. It’s not exciting, but if you ask any long-time marathon runner, it simply works. So if you’re like me and you idolise those crusty 70+ year-old distance runners that line up beside you at races, hoping that one day you too will be still running happily at their age, then take a leaf out of their book: consistency is the key to a long, happy running life.

 

Happy Training!

 

– Kristy Shannon    B.Appl.Sc(HMS); M.PHTY

Physiotherapist and Exercise Physiologist

 

 

REFERENCES

American College of Sports Medicine., American Dietetic Association., Dieticians of Canada. (2009) Nutrition and Athletic Performance: Joint Position Statement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 0195-9131/09/4103-0709/0

Barr, K.P., & Harrast, M.A. (2005) Evidence-Based Treatment of Foot and Ankle Injuries in Runners. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am 16:779-799

Beck, B.R., Rudolph, K., Matheson, G.O., Bergman, G., Norling, T.L. (2014) Risk Factors for Tibial Stress Injuries: A Case-Control Study Clin J Sports Med 0:1-7.

Buist, I., Bredeweg, S.W., van Mechelen, W., et al (2008) Prevention of Running-Related Injuries Among Novices. Am J Sports Med. 36:33-39.

Van Gent, R.N., Siem, D., van Middelkoop, M. (2007) Incidence and Determinants of Lower Extremity Running Injuries in Long Distance Runners: a Systematic Review. Br J Sports Med 41:469-480.

 

Are you an “Active Couch Potato”?

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thomas run

thomas run

Fun runs are a great way to stay active and motivated

Fun runs are a great way to stay active and motivated


 

 

Recently we have seen the establishment of new “Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines”, doubling the recommended amount of daily exercise to 60 minutes every day and for the first time, addressing our nation of couch potatoes.  “Sedentary behaviour” includes sitting or lying down, not including sleeping time during the night.

 

 

The New Guidelines: How Do You Stack Up?

– Doing any physical activity is better than doing none.  If you currently do no physical activity, start by doing some, and gradually build up to the recommended amount.

 

– Accumulate 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities each week.

 

– Be active on most, preferably all, days every week.

 

– Do muscle strengthening activities on at least two days each week (gym/Pilates/weights etc)

 

– Minimise the amount of time spent in prolonged sitting.  Break up long periods of sitting as often as possible.

 

 

“Active Couch Potatoes”

Frightening statistics show that Australians are sedentary on average for 7 to 10 hours a day, and this does not include sleeping.  The highest health risks exist for those people who are sedentary at work, at home, and who do not do any other formal exercise.  However, there does exist another group who accumulate their 60 minutes of exercise a day, but sit for the rest of the day at work.  It has become apparent that the health benefits of their exercise bout do not completely override their globally sedentary behaviour, and these “active couch potatoes” would benefit from being more active during their work day as well.

thomas run 

 

 

I have a sitting job, help!

We can actually take away a lot of positives from the new guidelines, most notably that simply being more active throughout your day can start to give you some of the health benefits that those weekend warriors are getting with their 3-hour, one-off bike rides.  If you hate exercise, this is good news for you.  By being creative and adding activity into your day, you can be doing your body a lot of good.  Walking or cycling to work; parking at the far end of the car park or a few blocks from work; going for a short walk to get your lunch; scheduling a “walking meeting” with a colleague; installing a standing desk in your workplace; and drinking more water so that you have to get up to go to the toilet more often are all easy ideas.  If you want to get even more creative, you can get in the habit of walking every time you answer the phone; doing 20 air squats every morning tea and lunch break; or setting yourself a task of 20 push ups and a 1 minute plank every time you watch the news at night.  Keeping the body moving and the engine revving is the key point.  And the best part is, we are creatures of habit: before long, it will be second nature to be moving more (and your body will be thanking you for it).  If you haven’t been very active in the past, it’s a good idea to start with small daily habits and then build in more structured exercise as you feel more comfortable to do so.  The key is to find things that you can make fit into your work and home life, and ideally that you enjoy as well.

thomas run

 

Where’s the Incentive?

Increasing amounts of studies are finding links between sedentary behaviour and weight gain, type 2 diabetes, poor muscle tone, heart disease and early death.  From a Physiotherapy perspective, we are seeing more and more overweight patients coming in with pain and disability from osteoarthritis through the hips, spine and knees.  The gold standard of treatment for these patients is to increase the supporting muscle strength around the joints, and to advise the patient to lose weight: even losing 10% of their body mass results in significant reductions in pain scores.  It is argued that many of these conditions could be largely prevented by keeping a healthy body weight and staying active in the first place. After all, these are weight-bearing joints, and if you are overweight you are asking a lot of your joints every time you move.   Similarly, from an Exercise Physiology perspective, we see many patients giving us highly creative “barriers” to exercise – reasons why they can’t or won’t prioritise physical activity in their lives, even when they are in pain and significantly overweight.  It is not uncommon to have patients say they would rather have surgery to “fix” their problem, than to increase their activity and allow their body to become stronger and lighter.  I am certain that a large part of this mindset comes from how “normal” it has become to be sedentary and overweight.  But does that make it OK?  Do you want to be “average”, if that’s what “average” has become?  Do you want to live to a ripe old age, only to be overweight and in pain for the majority of that time? I certainly don’t!

 

low res version What About my Kids?

It is more important than ever to keep our kids active, healthy and happy.  Structured exercise is not only crucial for developing little minds and bodies, it is also important for social and health reasons too.  Getting into the habit of being active early on can set you up for a lifetime of good habits, which is a gift that you can give your children for life.  For kids 5-17 years of age, aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily; and up to several hours daily to achieve even greater health benefits.  Ideally this activity will be a mixture of strength and aerobic activity, which is where structured sports like soccer and netball, and active family time like cycling and walking the dog all come into the mix.  Of most importance is the new recommendations to limit use of electronic media (TV,computers, ipads etc) to less than 2 hours a day.  With childhood obesity on the rise, it is more challenging and hence more important than ever to aim for these goals.

 

 

Everyone is unique with their daily lifestyle, job requirements, and previous injury and health history.  If you need help fitting these guidelines into your lifestyle, or have concerns about previous health issues or injuries, a few sessions with an Exercise Physiologist will help you to work out a program that you can do on a daily basis, without pain, and ideally with ease.  Research has shown us time and time again that the most successful activity programs are achieved when the whole family gets involved and supports one another.  Our children model themselves off our behaviours – from food to exercise to language, and they are facing the most sedentary generation in history: let’s teach them from a young age how to be anything but “average”!

 

More information about healthy living, including references to other Australian Government guidelines concerning healthy weight and healthy eating, can be found at www.health.gov.au

 

REFERENCE LIST

 

http://www.health.gov.au/paguidelines

 

Healy, G.N., Dunstan, D.W., Salmon, J., Shaw, J.E., Zimmet, P.Z., Owen, N. (2008) Television time and continuous metabolic risk in physically active adults.  Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 40(4) 639-645.

 

Sugiyama, T., Healy, G.N., Dunstan, D.W., Salmon, J., Owen, N. (2008) Joint associations of multiple leisure-time sedentary behaviours and physical activity with obesity in Australian adults. Int J Behav Nutr and Phys Act 5(35) 5868-5-35

 

Nelson, M.C., Gordon-Larson, P., Adair, L.S., Popkin, B.M. (2005) Adolescent physical activity and sedentary behaviour: patterning and long-term maintenance. American J of Prevent Med. 28(3) 259-266

 

Patrick, K., Norman, G.J., Calfas, K.J., Sallis, J.F., Zabinski, M.F., Rupp, J., Cella, J. (2004) Diet, Physical activity, and sedentary behaviours as risk factors for overweight in adolescence.  Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158: 385-390

 

More than half of all Australian adultsare not active enough.  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2013.  Australian Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2011-12. ABS Cat. No. 4364.0.55.004. Cnaberra: ABS

 

 

 

Why it’s Important to Stay Active When Injured

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One of the most common misconceptions among the general public is that one must “rest” while injured.  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had one of my Pilates clients call to cancel “because they have back pain”.  They should be coming to Pilates because they have back pain!  Often the assumption is that the injured or painful structure needs to “rest”.  Rest from aggravating activities?  Most definitely.  Rest from all activities?  Definitely not.  The body requires blood flow, nutrients from the inflammation process, and gentle movement to stimulate healing.  If this can be done with minimal pain, you have a win-win situation: the body can get stronger while it heals itself.

Conversely, one of the most common misconceptions and fears amongst athletes is that their physio or doctor will tell them to stop their activity when an injury is looming, so they avoid making an appointment.  This often results in delayed diagnosis and treatment, worsening of their condition and significantly prolonged time off their sport in the long run.  The earlier the injury is treated, the more likely it is that the athlete will be able to continue with a modified version of their usual sport – which can mean faster healing, improved biomechanics through careful analysis and correction, and less time on the sidelines.

 

 

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Whichever end of the spectrum you sit at – from previously sedentary to elite athlete – there are a few key points to remember when facing an injury: 

1)      Activity Modification is the key.  Be creative!  Your Physio and Exercise Physiologist will be able to develop a program for you to follow, no matter what the injury, how long you’ve had it, or how you got it.  Even athletes with broken legs can be training hard in the gym and possibly the pool if done correctly.

 

 

2)      Golden Rule: Pain must stay below 2/10.  Some pain is good, and normal, in order for healing to occur.  80% of an injury’s healing occurs in 20% of the time (ie if a lumbar disc injury takes 10 months to get back to 100%, 80% of the gains will be achieved in 2 months, then next 8 months will be spent getting the final 20%).  Why wait the whole 10 months to get back to fitness?  The amount of muscle loss and degeneration achieved in that time may well set you up for a lifetime of back injuries in the future.  Staying fit through swimming, walking, Pilates, etc and keeping the pain <2/10 may well prepare you for a lifetime of less back pain.

 

3)      Athletes will often “train” harder when injured than when not.  Look at it like a time to rebuild the body and to work on any weaknesses that caused your injury in the first place.  Ask an elite athlete how much time they had to lay around and feel sorry for themselves after their last major injury.  Chances are, they will tell you how it was the hardest training they’ve done – hours spent in Physio and Exercise Physiology sessions, the gym and the pool.  Not to mention nailing their nutrition and recovery in between those sessions with extra sleep, massage, ice baths and so on.  We are all designed to be athletes, even if our modern “sitting” lifestyle has made that hard to believe.  So a middle aged man with a lumbar disc injury is no different – he should be doing more activity when injured in order to assist the healing and make him stronger than before the injury.  Look at it like this: the injury is a cry from your body that something is not right.  The rehabilitation process is your chance to fix that, so that you never have to experience it again.

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4)      The same principle applies for joint replacements.  Another very common misconception is that you should “rest” and ease off activity after a knee or hip replacement.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  In the months leading up to a joint replacement, patients need to be working hard on their muscle strength in order to get the most out of the surgery and to assist in their recovery.  Your Physio or EP will be able to give you the least painful and most safe exercises for this.  After the surgery, the work continues – ever wondered why the Physio is there on day 1 to kick you out of bed and get you walking?  Because the joint will do best if you stay active.  Those “bed exercises”?  Same deal.  We need to wake up the supporting muscles as efficiently as possible for the body to heal well.  The pestering about your pain levels?  Because if your pain isn’t well-controlled, we won’t be able to exercise effectively.  There is always method to our madness……

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5)      Its never too early to see your Physio; prevention is the best cure.  My patients often come in with full-blown injuries, such as low back pain or chronic plantar fasciitis.  When I’m taking their history, they say that they first experienced the pain months ago and that it’s been progressively getting worse, and yet it’s taken them this long to see me.  They sometimes feel as though the problem has to be “serious” to warrant a visit – this couldn’t be further from the truth!  Had they come in when the pain first surfaced, the treatment would have been so much more efficient and the consequences much less significant.  Your physio can also help with prevention of injuries.  If you know you have a job where you sit a lot, then it might be worth chatting to your Physio about some strategies to prevent the onset of neck and back pain – being proactive is the key.  Physios and EP’s are well-trained to work with you to find an exercise program that is safe for your body, that fits in to your lifestyle, and that you enjoy doing.

 

The human body is an amazing specimen, capable of adapting to most things that we throw at it.  Your body puts up with a lot – why not give it something back by prioritising healthy ageing?  You only have one body, after all.

 

– Kristy Shannon

B.Appl.Sc(HMS); M.PHTY(Hons);

Director and Principal Physiotherapist – First In Physio

 2013-09-05 TRX planks II website version

 REFERENCES                                                                                

Adams, T; Band-Entrup, D; Kuhn, S.; Legere, L; Mace, K. (2013) Physical Therapy Management of Knee Osteoarthritis in the Middle-Aged Athlete.  Sports Med Arthrosc Rev 21:2-10.

Chilibeck, P.; Vatanparast, H.; Cornish, S.; Abeysekara, S.; Charlesworth, S. (2011) Evidence-based risk assessment and recommendations for physical activity: arthritis, osteoporosis, and low back pain.  Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 36: S49-S79

Williams, P. (2013). Effects of Running and Walking on Osteoarthritis and Hip Replacement Risk.  Med Sci Sports Ex

Melov, S.; Tarnopolsky, M.; Beckman, K.; Felkey, K.; Hubbard, A. (2007) Resistance Exercise Reverses Ageing in Human Skeletal Muscle.  PLoS ONE 2(5): e465

What is the difference between Pilates and Clinical Pilates?

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What is Clinical Pilates?

Clinical Pilates is a system of safe and effective exercises which meet your specific individual needs. Clinical Pilates is used by our physiotherapists to treat a wide range of injuries and conditions, ranging from low back pain and chronic pain to hypermobility and chronic fatigue syndrome. It is also used by elite athletes and dancers to improve essential movement patterns and enhance fitness and performance, as well as assisting with injury prevention.  By working into your body’s preferred movement, Clinical Pilates improves your mobility, stability, balance, posture and overall function.

 

Clinical Pilates offers a system of safe, effective and highly specific exercises appropriate for all ages. There are stages of exercises that you can progress through that will allow you to see the improvements in your strength, control and healing.

 

Differences between Regular and Clinical Pilates

There are important differences between regular Pilates and Clinical Pilates.

 

Regular Pilates is conducted by a Pilates instructor, whereas Clinical Pilates is prescribed and supervised by a Clinical Pilates trained Physiotherapist or Exercise Physiologist (E.P.). This difference is very important because a Physiotherapist or E.P., unlike a Pilates instructor, has an in-depth knowledge of injury, pathology, bodily function, healing and movement patterns. This knowledge allows a Physiotherapist to assess each patient and determine which exercises will be the most effective for each individual.  This becomes especially important if you have any history of injury – whether it be low back pain, whiplash, osteoporosis, or if you are an athlete coming back from an injury.  There will be certain exercises which need to be adapted specifically for you so to avoid further harm; this is something that only a Physiotherapist or Exercise Physiologist is trained to do.  Like any form of exercise, Pilates can be wonderful for fitness, however still has the potential to cause injury or pain if not prescribed and monitored in the correct way.

 

Forms of Pilates

 

Treatment Sessions

 

At FirstIn Physio, Pilates comes in many forms so that the benefits can be enjoyed by everyone.  You will often see our Physiotherapists using the Pilates Reformer as part of treatment sessions, to assist in re-establishing correct movement patterns in the body following injury.  Our Exercise Physiologists also use the Reformer during exercise training sessions, which can serve a number of purposes.  Some athletes coming back from surgery of the hip or spine will need a program based on core work and mobility and the Pilates Reformer becomes a mainstay of their rehab program.  It can also be used for high-level athletes as part of a strength session and to work on weaknesses in mobility throughout the body, leading to better overall performance, or with stroke patients to assist with rehabilitation.   We also use it a lot with dancers in order to train their technique to bring them to a higher level and make them more injury-proof.

 

Group Matwork Classes

 

FirstIn Physio offers a number of small group classes at the clinic, designed to cater for different levels of fitness and skill, from beginner through to advanced.  The classes are an excellent way to build base core strength in a fun and supervised environment, allowing your physio to closely watch your technique as you perform the exercises and to give you variations based on your individual needs.  These classes are a lot of fun and tend to fill up fast!  We also offer male- and female-specific classes.

 

Independent Sessions

 

One of our Physiotherapists or Exercise Physiologists can work closely with you to develop your own Pilates program using the equipment at the clinic combined with matwork exercises.  Once you feel confident and competent with your specific program, you can advance to an independent program, where you will be able to use our studio and its equipment at regular intervals on your own. A Physiotherapist will regularly monitor your program and prescribe more advanced exercises as you progress.

Benefits of Clinical Pilates

Clinical Pilates has been shown to prevent injuries, improve balance and stability, strengthen and tone muscle and improve bone density.  It is a great form of general exercise to improve fitness and improve technique in specific movements, such as dance, running and golf.  It is appropriate for all age groups from kids through to the elderly and is safe and fun!

  • Prevention and treatment of back pain & injury
  • Resolution of spinal pain
  • Enhanced core stability and pelvic floor function
  • For the elderly, enhancement in movement, balance, agility and flexibility
  • Falls prevention
  • Muscle toning without adding bulk
  • Increased bone density (for Osteopaenia & Osteoporosis)

For more information, please do not hesitate to give our staff a call and find out more about the amazing benefits of Clinical Pilates at FirstIn Physio!

 

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6 Things You Didn’t Know About Exercise Physiologists

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1. The qualification matters.

Exercise Physiologists (EPs) are not just glorified personal trainers.  At the moment in Australia, it takes a minimum of 4 years of University training to earn a degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology, which includes over 400 hours of practical clinical experience.  This then permits the individual to apply for accreditation as an Exercise Physiologist with ESSA, the Australian body for Exercise Science.  This allows the EP to have the relevant insurance, professional contacts and medical referrals such as Medicare.  To maintain their accreditation, they much invest a significant amount of time and money annually into professional development courses around the country. 

 

 

 

 

2. There are Different Specialty Areas within Exercise Physiology.

 

Just like within Physiotherapy and medicine, an EP by law must graduate with qualifications and competency in all areas of Exercise Physiology, but will generally choose one or two specialty areas to base their career on.

 

These specialties include:

 

 

– Cardiac Testing (eg ECG stress testing in hospitals);

– Cardiac Rehabilitation (eg in-hospital following a heart attack);

– Clinical Pilates;

– Coaching (from kids through to elite level);

– Neurological Rehabilitation (eg following a stroke or Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis)

– Mental Health;

– Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (eg strengthening after acute sports injuries, or for injury prevention);

– Chronic Pain Management (eg Low Back Pain);

– Research (typically university-based); and

– Public Health (eg weight management and disease prevention, education).

 

 

3. They are the future of our Health System.

In the last 5 years doctors globally have started to recognise the key role of exercise and weight management in prevention of increasingly common chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression & anxiety, osteoporosis, cancers and so on.   With a health system that is currently in crisis (in terms of both costs and resources), EPs will be at the forefront of health care in the coming decades.  Take home message: don’t be surprised next time you see your GP and they prescribe 60 minutes of physical activity a day and 5 visits to an Exercise Physiologist instead of medication and a handful of tests!

 

4. A good training program may seem easy at first.

The Commando off The Biggest Loser will scream at you until you finish 50 chin-ups in your first session.  A “Bootcamp” instructor may demand you flip ridiculously huge tyres, regardless of your injury history.  An EP will not.  Every person has a unique set of challenges to work with, and it is imperative that both the EP and the client have clear and common goals established from the first session so that an individual program can be developed that will work for the long term.  The research tells us over and over that the quick-fix programs not only do not work, but tend to make the problem (whether it be weight, injuries or pain) worse in the long term.  Be patient, trust in the fact that you are in the best and most qualified hands, and acknowledge the relationship with your EP as the worthwhile investment into your health that it is.  Think of it like this: you can put in the time and money to be healthy now, or you can put in the time and money being sick later.  Both are hard.  You choose.

 

5. The best trainer in the world cannot make up for a shitty diet.

In this day and age I would find it hard to believe that anyone genuinely does not know that being sedentary, eating processed foods, and smoking are bad for your health.  But we still have the issue of increasing obesity and chronic disease.  Hence, we know that simply educating people is not the whole picture, and that is where an EP comes into the equation by helping you to create the best possible health and lifestyle plan for you and your family.

 

But here’s the catch: simply “buying into your health” by seeing an EP for exercise sessions and an eating plan won’t make you healthier – you have to actually put in the hard yards and stick to it.  If you are not meeting your weight loss goals and are working out every single day with your trainer while eating cereal, sandwiches, candy, soda, and other crap – don’t blame the trainer. Your weight, the way your body looks and your health are predominantly a function of what you put in your mouth. Exercise can positively alter what your body does with the food that you eat, in addition to the phenomenal emotional, physical, and mental benefits it offers.

 

The human body is an amazing machine and the knowledge that you can gain from working with an EP is an incredibly powerful tool; embrace it, and discover how good life can be when you achieve optimal health.

 

6. I am yet to meet a person who cannot benefit from a few sessions with an Exercise Physiologist.

Where most other health professionals are limited to fairly specific areas, an EP is truly is the “jack of all trades”.  They work with clients of every age, from healthy to sick, from elite athlete to chronically ill, from families to individuals.  They can: make you fitter; stronger; more injury proof; reduce your pain; improve your posture; improve your flexibility; make your spine stronger; rehabilitate your body (from toe injuries to hip replacements to heart attacks!); assist with weight loss – or weight gain; muscle sculpting; power; help to reverse chronic diseases (from depression to diabetes); even keep you fit during pregnancy and immediately after.  If you have ever wanted to improve any aspect of your body, health or happiness, then you could benefit from seeing an EP.

 

Exercise Physiology sessions can be expensive for many people, so to get the most out of your sessions, do some prep work beforehand.  Spend some time thinking about your goals, your main limitations, your strengths and weaknesses.  Write them down, along with any questions you may have.  Turn up on time, and listen to every word, and don’t be afraid to write notes!

What are you waiting for?!

 

– Kristy Shannon

B.Appl.Sc(HMS); M.PHTY

Kristy has a degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Queensland and a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy from Griffith University.  

 

An accredited EP can assist with safe rehabilitation from injury through to full fitness

An accredited EP can assist with safe rehabilitation from injury through to full fitness