The Best Forms of Exercise

The Best Forms of Exercise To Do

And why!

We are all aware that exercise is good for you but what are the best forms of exercise? Our soft tissue therapist Emily, who is also a triathlon coach, has given us her views on the best forms of exercise that you can do and why:

1) Ones that are incorporated into your life organically

Cycling / running / walking to work / run errands, using a stand up desk, swimming, gardening, taking the stairs etc. This is how we moved before humans made life over-convenient and sedentary, so now we have to set aside time and space to exercise. We’re also more likely do stick at the fun stuff so do things you enjoy.

2) Different types = cross training

Spending all your training time doing one sport can make you good at that sport, but you won’t be challenging your brain / your neuro pathways / your muscles doing the same thing for years and you’ll be more prone to injuries. Branch out, go outside of your comfort zone and try a different genre of sport! I’ve competed in wakeboarding, judo, fencing, lacrosse, triathlon and everything in between. Fundamentally cross training gives you a more well rounded type of fitness.

3) Exercises that involves bilateral movements and ambidexterity

The majority of injuries stem from imbalanced strength in muscles and range of movement. As with no 2, we get lazy just using our dominant side, so why not try brushing your teeth with your other arm, breathing bilaterally (even rotation of the torso) in swimming, kick the ball with your other foot?

If you’d like advice on your current exercise formats or switching up your exercise routine, do get in touch with us for a virtual or face to face appointment.

Words by Emily Chong.

Getting Back To The Gym!

Getting Back To The Gym

Gyms are open! Time to get back in! I was on a roll before, time to pick it up again! All this walking and jogging over lockdown has kept me in shape so I'll be fine!

Just Be Careful

Easy there Tiger, just be careful. Whether it has been 4 months or 13 months since you last stepped through the gym doors, if you've been spending each day walking or jogging to stay in shape then your body will have adapted to that and away from what it was able to do before. You may feel like you'll be able to get back to your previous level of bench press quickly but if you've not done much upper body work in that time, you will have lost a bit of what you had.

Keep On Walking!

There is also no need to stop what you have been doing as well. Don’t lose those gains made by just stopping. Whilst there may be time constraints that could limit how much you are able to devote to some of these activities, if your body has become adapted to 60 minutes of steady lower limb work, it may not have the capacity to comfortably allow compressing that into 30 minutes of higher intensity work. It may require some reorganisation in your day but much of this good work you have been doing can be continued.

Return Steadily

This is not to say don't go back to the gym. There has been a lot of sensible advice around taking things steadily on your return which is worth heeding. It is better to feel a little frustrated that you could have done a little more whilst building your work back up during your first 3 or 4 sessions back than to go back too hard too soon and injure yourself meaning more significant change to your gym program.

And Enjoy It!

As always the key thing is to enjoy your exercise time. Any type of change within an exercise program carries an element of risk, the size of that risk is consistent with the size and volume of change within that program. There is no need to fear that change so long as it is steady and progressive rather than a great leap in one direction or other.

Have fun!

If you have any persistent niggles, aches or pains don't soldier on in silence making them worse. Get in touch with us if you need us.

Words by Paul Martin.

Project Unicorn - The Running Channel’s Quarantine To Qualifier

Project Unicorn - The Running Channel’s Quarantine To Qualifier

We’re delighted to be working with Anna from The Running Channel (if you’re a runner and you don’t follow The Running Channel you should!) on her challenge - ‘Project Unicorn’:

Hi everyone, I’m Anna and I’m a runner! I’ve been presenting on The Running Channel on YouTube for a couple of years now and I’m always up for a challenge. So far these have included (but are not limited to) a marathon in my 10m back garden during lockdown, running a mile every hour on the hour for 24 hours, a 260km ultra in the Azores plus a few other marathons along the way.

Anna Harding from The Running Channel, about to take on Project Unicorn.

Project Unicorn

My next challenge will be a little longer in the making. It’s a challenge we are affectionately calling ‘Project Unicorn’. My next challenge is to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

I’ll be training for the next few months up until Autumn 2021, when I’ll take on a marathon to get that time. For me, it’s 3 hours 30 mins. Well, it’ll be a few minutes under that actually to guarantee qualification. To give you an idea of what that means for me, my marathon PB, set at Amsterdam Marathon 2019 is 3:53:06. So just a casual 25ish minutes to shave off.

The BIG difference this time though, is that we’re treating this as a bit of an experiment. We’re building ‘Team Anna’ to get me to that finish line. We’ve put together the best of the best when it comes to a coach, sports psychologist and, of course, physiotherapist. Paul Martin is going to be an integral part of Team Anna - he’s already helped me with my first hurdle of injuring my calf on a rather overzealous speed session!

Training

The real training will start 16 weeks out from race day, which hasn’t been 100% set in stone yet because of the uncertainty with coronavirus, but it’ll be around May that I need to step it up a notch. Until then, it’s cross training on the bike for me, calf raises, Paul’s infamous glute circuit and a bit of core work to get me in top shape ready for the mileage to increase.

Watch this space over on YouTube for Paul’s first appearance in the Quarantine To Qualifier series in episode 2. You can find out more about the challenge in episode 1 now:

We are superchuffed to be part of Team Anna and we’re looking forward to following her journey to Boston!

Words by Anna Harding from The Running Channel.

Top Tips On Starting Or Getting Back To Cycling

Top Tips On Starting Or Getting Back To Cycling

If you’re thinking about starting cycling or getting back to cycling, give it a go! It’s low impact and a fantastic cardiovascular cross training option which complements running and other sports very well. You can travel far and wide, local coronavirus restrictions permitting, under your own steam which is very satisfying.

Our NoviceRunnerNik, who appears to have acquired a cycling addiction over the last few years to add to her running addiction, has drawn on her own recent experiences of getting back to cycling and written up her top 10 tips:

Like many people I’ve ridden a bike from a young age (with stabilisers) on and off for years (without the stabilisers) and I’m into cycling in a big way at the moment so I thought I’d share my top tips for getting into it or back to it:

Getting back to it or getting started:

1.      If you didn’t do a Cycling Proficiency course or similar at school and / or are nervous of how to cycle, you can take online cycling Bikeability courses and watch videos, which may help with your knowledge and confidence.

2.      Read the current Highway Code so that you know your responsibilities as a cyclist and those of the vehicles sharing the road with you.

3.      Check your bike’s tyres are in good condition and inflated to the pressure shown on the tyre, that its gears are working correctly and that the saddle and handlebars are adjusted to suit your body geometry. If it doubt have it serviced.

4.      Start slowly with shorter distances and build up your mileage gradually.

5.      Be safe and visible. Wear a cycling helmet for all your rides and wear a high vis top and use bike lights, front and back, even in daylight. I’ve found that drivers are generally better behaved when I have lights switched on, on my bike.

6.      Ride with confidence – you have just as much right to be on the road as the other vehicles do – and look ahead for hazards such as potholes and slow traffic so you can avoid sudden changes of direction.

7.      Don’t let hills put you off. Walk them if you need to.  No one cares! And they are good for you!

8.      If you like using a sports tracker such as Strava, use one to record your rides. You can also check out other people’s routes and see how your fitness improves over time.

9.      Follow any local Covid-19 local restrictions when you ride your bike (it goes without saying really) and remember to give pedestrians next to or in the road a wide berth.

10.  Make it fun so that you keep doing it. Stop to admire the views, take photos, drink coffee and eat cake and enjoy it!

Also check out our other cycling blog posts for more tips and inspiration to ride.

Next time: upping your cycling distance and becoming properly addicted to riding!

Words by NoviceRunnerNik.

Body Part Of The Month: The Neck

Body Part Of The Month: The Neck

For the next blog post in our Body Part Of The Month series, our spinal specialist physio Paul tells us about the neck.

The Neck

The neck is comprised of 7 vertebrae. It plays a vital role in providing the immediate base for the head to sit on and the origin point for many muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. The vertebrae contain and protect the upper spinal cord and brain stem which can migrate down as far as the third vertebrae in certain movements. From an evolutionary perspective, good mobility is vital in the neck as a means of allowing wide range visualisation to spot danger. This mobility is maintained by good alignment of the various joints within the neck which, between the 7 vertebrae, vary considerably.

The joint between the base of the skull and the top vertebrae (atlanto-occipital joint) is shaped similar to the joint in the knee so allows hinge movements - this joint is where a large percentage of nodding (flexion and extension) occurs. The joints between the 1st and 2nd vertebrae (atlanto-axial joint) are much flatter and sloped slightly down which allows for the majority of rotation in the neck (up to 60% of neck rotation occurs at this joint alone).

There are lots of muscles that attach around the lower part of the skull and upper neck joints that when working well allow smooth movement - if they become overloaded or overstretched, this is when movement can become limited and this can have an impact upon the rest of the neck and lower down the spine. The other 5 vertebrae link with progressively steep joint angles as the cervical spine transitions towards the thoracic spine.

When your neck works well

The neck works best when weight is evenly distributed through each of the cervical vertebrae. There should be a mild front to back curve in the cervical spine (lordosis) which is concave to the rear. The head should sit squarely on the top of the neck. To allow this to happen there needs to be good support from the lower back and thoracic spine as the head is essentially balanced on top of a long stick comprised of lots of small parts stacked up vertically. Changing the position of some of the lower vertebrae means the head needs to change position to balance you properly - to test this, sit upright on a chair. Then slowly allow your lower back to bend and your pelvis to rock back - feel the effect this has on your neck (it should feel like it's sliding forwards and poking out your chin).

When your neck doesn't work well

Neck pain can be easily distracted by pain in other areas - often the shoulder and arm. Broad, vague areas of pain in the shoulder or upper limb can be more to do with some stiffness in the neck rather than local shoulder pathology. Neck joint or muscle stiffness can contribute to referral into shoulder or upper arm pain and, of course, being where the majority of sensory nerves to the arm originate, neck issues can have wide ranging impact. As well as that, disc issues in the neck can impact basic function downstream such as gait and lower limb power although this is rare. Local muscular spasm and joint stiffness can be very painful and this pain can significantly limit range of movement in one direction - when addressed quickly this can be quickly resolved.

Common neck injuries

Most neck issues we see are fairly mild and tend to be related to postural changes with prolonged sitting. Often neck pains in a whiplash style can occur following a fall where the arm or shoulder breaks a fall but the head keeps going, placing strain on the muscles to the side of the spine. Occasionally there is little immediate neck pain in this scenario, but it tends to creep up over subsequent days. Local muscular spasm is fairly common, often when turning the neck in an awkward way - this can be worse when carrying or lifting a load.

Avoiding neck pain

The key to avoiding neck pain is maintaining a good range of movement (this will vary from person to person) and a good head on neck posture. Whilst the local muscle length is important, a lot of good neck posture starts around the lower back and abdominal muscles that offer a base of support through the thoracic spine to the neck itself. Once this area is improved, local neck management can become a lot more straightforward.

As always, if you have any persistent niggles, aches or pains in your neck or other places, don't soldier on in silence making them worse. Get in touch with us if you need us.

Words by our specialist spinal physiotherapist Paul Martin.

Getting Back To Training!

Getting Back To It!

It's starting to get lighter in the mornings and it's getting darker later. Is it feeling a little warmer, or is it too early to say? Has dry January only taken things so far and you know you need to get back to your previous exercise routine? You might even have some races or events pencilled into your diary for this year (fingers crossed!). If it's been a while since you've been able to do what you want to do, before you strap on your Dunlop Green Flash and head out for a 20 miler as you last did in October, a little bit of planning can help avoid injuries getting in the way of your return to previous levels.

What are you aiming to do?

Are you a runner that hasn't run for 4 months? A cyclist who last saw their bike in the shed before a pile of boxes got in the way? If the usual process to return to your exercise has been disrupted, try to think about what the demands of exercise on your body will be. Problems tend to arise when the body is unable to tolerate the load applied to it, either repeatedly or over a few episodes. If you have not been able to do what you wanted to, your body may have lost some of its tolerance to the load it previously absorbed well. So, before you restart how can you prepare your body for this?

What are your sport requirements?

What is it you need your body to do? Running is a series of springs from foot to foot maintaining and then generating momentum to move forwards. For this your calf muscles will need to be able to lengthen and shorten quickly (depending on how fast you run), your hips, knees and feet will need to be in good alignment facing to the front, abs need to work to help keep the pelvis level and offer support to the trunk and body above. Do you need to work all of these things? Maybe not, but spending some time doing some calf raises or a few gentle hops in the week or two building up to your return might help prepare your body.

Cycling needs less spring through the calf and ankles than running so may need less of this type of work, so doing more work with a fixed foot might be more useful (like standing up from a chair with one leg a few times, which replicates part of the cycling action), although good alignment remains key. Train some of the essential movements so that when you are doing them repeatedly there is some tissue resilience in place.

If you use equipment like a bike, it is worth making sure it is also in good shape to be used - getting equipment serviced will ensure it is safe to start using again.

How long should I be doing this for?

Sometimes, there is nothing more useful than doing what you want to do as no amount of hops, calf raises, step ups or lunges can properly replicate doing a 5k run. Start with a sensible distance compared to what your previous levels were and break it up if you need to. After more than a month off you'll need to rebuild gradually so keep expectations low in the early stages, just get used to doing what you want to do again and enjoy it for what it is without pushing it.

Give yourself a few weeks to build back up steadily and factor in rest days too. You might feel as if you're not doing much but your body needs time to recover from the changes in exertion. If you need some help apps like Couch To 5k can offer some guidance on how to build up to a goal.

Does this mean nothing will hurt?! Yay!!!!

No, not necessarily, but it'll give you a good chance of being less affected by pain. There will likely be some discomfort when restarting, but the important consideration is differentiating what you might expect to be a normal response to returning to activity from something that might require a little more attention. Some of these are quite obvious (e.g. a sudden twang whilst exercising) or may only come to light over a couple of days after restarting exercise. In the main, providing you are sensible in what to expect on your return and expectations going forward, there is no need to resist - it's time to get back out there!


Our top tips for getting back to it:

1. Plan your return, don't just leap in back to last season's training levels.

2. Build some strength and conditioning training suited to your discipline into your weekly routine.

3. Start gently with low volume and come back steadily. The Couch to 5k app is great for new and returning runners.

4. Check all your sports kit and have it serviced / maintained as needed.

5. Rest and recovery is as important as actually doing your sport so incorporate recovery days into your training schedule.
   

And as always, if you have any persistent niggles, aches or pains don't soldier on in silence making them worse. Get in touch with us if you need us.

Words by Paul Martin and NoviceRunnerNik.

What does my physio think about stretching?

What does my physio think about stretching?

Do you ever wonder what your physio thinks about your favourite forms of exercise or whether your health or lifestyle choices are a good idea? In the second of a series of blog posts entitled “What Does My Physio Think…?” we’ve asked our physios what they think about stretching.

Is stretching beneficial? Should I stretch before and/or after exercise? Dynamic or static stretches? Do you stretch? How and when?

Emily, our soft tissue therapist, triathlon coach, athlete personal trainer, says: 

“In the sports world especially for team sports and cardiovascular based sports such as running, the current (it keeps changing) recommendation is dynamic stretches before exercise and static after.

As a coach and athlete, I’ve found that it depends on your sports and how you feel on the day. If you feel particularly tight at the start line, dynamic stretching may cause you to pull a muscle, so some gentle static stretches after mobilising to increase your range of movement could show good results. In general, warm up gently first before stretching.  Muscles are like Plasticine, malleable when warm, not so much when cold!”

Stuart, our specialist knee and foot & ankle physio says:

“Stretching is beneficial for maintaining or achieving normal functional ranges of motion and reducing post exercise stiffness / tightness. I generally stretch before exercise with dynamic movements then post exercise, I undertake static stretching, depending on my objectives. So pre-exercise I warm up and perform a range of dynamic stretches for 10 minutes before running. Afterwards I will spend 5-10 mins targeting tight muscle groups and stretching for 20-30 secs per time.”

Physio Paul, who specialises in sports injuries, comments

“Stretching is beneficial - pre-exercise a static stretch tends to be a good diagnostic to understand what areas you might need to warm up before starting sport - warm up should be a progressive process to commencing sport. Think of it as if you’re taking your car up through its gears - you want to be in top gear as you start, but you're better off going through each level to get there. Static stretching post-exercise is more beneficial than pre-exercise and should be the end of an active warm-down process (like the warm up in reverse).”