Blog

What are muscle slings? The human body is truly an amazing machine! Muscles slings are the connection between muscles and when the muscles then activate together they can enhance the stability of your body. When we injure our self, we can often create a dysfunction not just in the local area of injury but over… Continue reading The sling systems of the body and functional movements

Why should I stay motivated to exercise this winter? The summer months are coming to an end, and soon winter will be on its way. This means it’s time to start goal setting to ensure maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle in the upcoming months. Even when it’s cold and dark, exercising is really important… Continue reading How do I keep fit and healthy this winter?

What is my core? A group of muscles which help to strengthen and stabilise the core. There are three muscles that make up your deep core, these are the Transverse Abdominis, the pelvic floor and Multifidus. The transverse abdominis (TrA) is the deepest layer of your core and plays an extremely important role in postural… Continue reading Engaging Transverse Abdominals

It is very important for runners to have a strong core for a variety of reasons. As we know, our core is the foundation of our body, which supports the movement of our arms and legs provided it is functioning efficiently to do so. If our core is unable to provide the stability for our… Continue reading Why is it important for runners to have good core strength?

What is Gout? Short answer: very painful joints! (Most commonly the big toe but also joints such as the ankle, elbow, wrist, shoulder and knees).   Gout is the very acute build up of uric acid in the joint which causes inflammation and arthritic pain. Uric acid is often broken down by the kidney and… Continue reading What is Gout and is it causing my joint pain?

Why do I need neck strength?   Neck strength is often commonly neglected in training but can form a vital role in prevention of neck pain, improving posture and reducing concussion in sport. As with any other part of the body, part of rehabilitation when injured is to re-strengthen the injured area – and the… Continue reading How do I strengthen my neck?

Why do I get cramps when running? It is not unusual for runners to cramp whilst running. These cramps may occur in the side, the stomach or in the muscles of the leg. While there are many factors that can lead to the onset of cramping, the consensus is that shallow breathing, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance… Continue reading How do I stop cramping when running?

What is an ankle sprain? An ankle sprain occurs when the ankle is rolled and the ligaments on either side are stretched beyond their capacity, eventually causing them to tear. These tears are graded from grade 1-3, with grade 3 indicating a total rupture of the ligament. There are 3 ligaments on the lateral aspect… Continue reading Home treatment for an ankle Sprain…

How do I know if I have a heel spur? Do you have pain in the arch or heel of your foot when you put your foot down to walk in the morning? Are you experiencing foot pain with exercise? You may well be suffering from a condition called plantar fasciitis (‘plantar fasciosis’). The plantar… Continue reading What are heel spurs and how are they treated?

How to heal a hamstring strain fast? The first step in healing a hamstring is to know the diagnosis. The location and grading of the injury will guide how long it will take to heal, but equally importantly will dictate the appropriate rehab. Strengthening will be a key part of the rehabilitation process but it… Continue reading Hamstring strains – when can I play?

Now that summer is officially over it is probably time to start turning your attention away from the beaches and on to the slopes! Snow skiing and Snowboarding are strenuous activities for the body as it puts large amounts of force through your hips, knees and back for prolonged periods of time. Here are some… Continue reading Top 5 Exercises for Ski Season

We all have a tendency to unconsciously favour one side of the body over the other. Hence, we can feel pain and build up tension which may be visible or palpable more on one side of the body. Favouring one side isn’t necessary bad, we just need variability in our movement. Here are some habits… Continue reading Are you feeling lopsided and asymmetrical?

After a long day at work it can be hard to resist the temptation to go home, relax on the couch and binge on your favourite TV show. Unfortunately, when we sit all day at work then sit when we get home our body does not get the level of physical activity it needs to… Continue reading How to overcome Couch Potato Syndrome?

What is a corked thigh? A ‘corked thigh’ or quadriceps contusion is very common in contact sports and occurs when a direct force (e.g. a knee) makes contact with someone’s thigh i.e. during a tackle. This direct blow compresses the quadriceps muscle into the underlying femur bone resulting in localised bleeding of the muscle.   How… Continue reading Corked Thigh – Ouch!

Clinical Pilates is set up as a low impact form of exercise focused on the recruitment, integration and co-ordination of deep spinal and pelvic stabilising muscles.  Whether you are trying to recover from injury or using it is a preventative tool or performance enhancer, it can be difficult to know how to maximise the benefits… Continue reading What is Clinical Pilates?