Mindfulness has become the new "buzz word".  My Australian cousins spotted this when they were over here for a six week holiday.  Compared to Australia is was obvious how much emphasis was placed on the mind and health.  I wonder why?  Perhaps in Britain we lack the space to "breathe" and we are less able to "let go" of things.  Peaceful spaces for me are generally the large, open spaces like:
* Oceans
* Countryside
* Mountains

Australia has many of these spaces and I imagine people benefit from the outdoor lifestyle, swimming and exercising.  We have a huge affinity in this country now to cycling.  But the new trend seems to be apps with meditations.  Where ever you are in the world, you are one click aware from a meditation.  As promising as that sounds, I think the focus is less on winding down and taking the time out than squeezing that yoga class and meditation class into an already hectic schedule.  Ever found yourself flying to get to a yoga class on time?  I have!

These meditations talk a lot about emptying the mind so the focus remains on the head where most of our activity is and trying to let go of that shopping list of things to do.  Since teaching pilates, I have noticed that focusing on the core muscles, especially the ones you can actually touch in your lower belly relaxes the mind.  By consciously taking ones attention away from the head, you sink into your stomach.  Here it is possible to let go of thought.  The breath is another form of taking your attention to the stomach.  Although many of us breathe in a shallow way in our chests, with instruction we bring the breath to the stomach allowing for a more natural breath.  One we knew instinctively as a baby.

Relaxing experience
Listening to some inspirational talks lately, I came across a man called Philip Shepherd.  He learnt most of his teachings as a teenager cycling through Europe, the Middle East and Japan.  Here is a experience of moving physically and energetically from your head into your pelvic bowl which is deeply relaxing if nothing else!

http://philipshepherd.com/body-intelligence-summit/
Select 25.55 and press play of the recording.  It lasts approx six mins

Vanessa Mansergh
http://www.completeworxpilates.co.uk/
01491 577480

Last week I went to a conference at The Royal Society of Medicine in London on the impact of sport and exercise nutrition.  May I say this establishment is very grand, and once my coat had been taken on arrival and i had seen the glass atrium i realised i was not on my usual kind of course. It was refreshing to hear speakers who have hands on experience with athletes at the top of their game, like Jennifer Ennis.

Although the focus was Rio and the Olympics, I think so much of what i gleaned can be applied to the recreational athlete.  James Moore is head of Performance Services for GB Rio which means he has a bit of a logistical nightmare from what i could see!  He called it the biggest show on Earth and I see what he means now.  I will pass on some tit bits behind the scenes of the Olympics.  Now Rio is a rather beautiful location with the sea, mountains and a white sandy beach that would not be out of place in California.  In contrast there are the flavelas which perch vacariously on the side of the mountain.  The Olympic location is on the outskirts of the high rise buildings hugging the coast to the right of the picture with the statue.

GB secured its base during the Olympics five years ago.  It is a whole village, the centre of sporting excellence for Brazil which has left the brazilians a little surprised! The meticulous detail to creating this "camp" is phenomenal, right down to the residential part which is a block of flats all interiorly designed with the british flag on every cushion, duvet cover and floor to remind the athletes of home so they focus on their performance and nothing else.   The teams of people helping them achieve their goals is pretty impressive too, from Games Services, Performance Services to Sports and Athlete Services.  The performance centre for strength and conditioning is a site away from the games where athletes can connect with family and have some time out.  I'm thrilled to say there are hot and cold baths at the wet site as part of the recovery program.

The variety of problems that have been identified for the athletes competing in Rio are:

* Travel (jet lag/sleep)
* Injury
* Clinical issues
* Weather/environment
* Catering & food availability

Nutrition is the bedrock of performance and recovery and is a lot more complex than i imagined.  Dr James Morton and Dr Graeme Close belong to the Sport, Exercise and Health Science department at Liverpool John Moores University.  Dr Moore has taken lab research on endurance nutrition to the GB cycling team in competition mode at the Tour de France to see what works.  His conclusions simplified are:

> Unlike runners, cyclists do not ride a constant pace or flat out so requirements will be different
> Carbohydrates play a huge role on competition day
> Eat and drink carbs during the competition on an hourly basis
> Nutrition is decided day by day, meal by meal as fuel for the work required 
> More carbs needed on a cold day
> More carbs for hills, less for flatter racing
> Refuelling required at the end of the race and reflects what the next morning's demands will be
> Athletes need to be able to switch between carbs and fat for fuel

> Protein intake should be continually high
> What does it take to win?  Fuelling and recovery, training adaptations and weight management

For Rio, one of the key factors will be hydration. It could be 35 degrees celsius and 65% relative humidity . It is key to know on a person to person basis their responses to a) heat tolerance and b)sweat rate/composition in order to understand their hydration needs and have a race strategy.  Heavy sweating can cause whole body cramping which will affect performance and high sodium loss.

Vanessa Mansergh
http://www.completeworxpilates.co.uk/
01491 577480

Back in September I was in the stunning Dolomites in northern Italy with my lovely hiking buddies.  This trip was a big one and a long time coming. After our trip to Base Camp Everest in 2011, Tracy summitted Kilimanjaro and Becs and I had a rest.  A very long one. 

The Dolomites are an impressive range of mountains for their sharp peaks and are a playground for novice climbers as they have routes with iron hand bars already in place on some pretty sheer rock faces. In other words anyone can have a go.  This was not on our itinerary with Exodus so i dreamt about it from afar.

Nothing had quite prepared us for the challenge of this week.  Us three pretty confident after Nepal, did not expect the sheer ups and downs and hanging onto the rock face around the precipice corners with rather large drops one side!  The hiking poles were useless on the loose shale in some places and it felt more like skiing downhill without the skies.  It was so much fun.  Some of the uphill hikes silenced us all as we focused on breathing and just getting to the top.  We had two guides and two levels of walks to choose between.  The difference was distinctive.  Eric your slightly shorter and rounder gentleman with cross country skiing behind him enjoyed the scenic route with lots of stops and cultural chats.  While Albert, the tall, very lean leader forged a path up the hill like a billy goat with us almost running to keep up with his casual pace.

Moena was our base and a beautiful one it was too.  It felt like an Austrian ski resort in summer with flowers everywhere , a huge fast flowing river and chalet like houses.  A chocolate box village.  From there we caught buses to the bottom of the slopes and often ski lifts up to gain some height before heading upwards.  With 6-8 hours of walking a day I couldn’t resist asking Eric about his stretching routine.  His theory was stretching pulled muscles so no point doing it.  That was a short conversation!  I naturally spent ages stretching out my muscles after the walks.  I failed to cotton on to the fact that as you walk uphill steeply you are stretching your calf muscles.  Warm muscles give so much more than cold which is why bikgram yoga (hot yoga) is not for everyone.  By day 3 of hamstring stretches i had pulled a muscle much to Eric’s amusement.  Thank goodness for the spa in the basement of the hotel with a sauna, steam room and cold jets.  Heaven for muscle recovery in my books!  I warmed up after the bus journey back, and used the cold jets to stop the blood pooling in my lower legs which leads to DOMs (delayed onset muscle soreness).  That dream combo of hot and cold temperatures which i use in all my massage treatments.

We had 5 days of walking and a gorgeous rest day bang in the middle of the week.  A perfect combination.  Being such sensible people, we had a pretty normal day eating amazing food (and lots of it) as the meaty Austrian type food we were eating in the hotel did not quite hit the spot, having a stroll to the next town along, visiting the church and enjoying the views.  Well...we knew it would take a lot to beat that view, so we tried!

Monkton Wyld, Dorset

Quite a few years ago when I first started running my own business, I decided it would be a good idea every few months to take a couple of days away on my own to recharge and reflect.  I used a book called "Imperfectly Natural Woman" by Janey Lee Grace ( radio 2 presenter) as my inspiration.  I found places that were good value and used them much like a B & B....a very cheap alternative.  My first trip was to Monkton Wyld Court in Dorset.

I remember clearly my sister waving me off one Sunday with the Sunday papers giggling away at the thought of me joining a vegetarian community.  Arriving on a Sunday meant no other guests there which had not crossed my mind.  Her prediction came close as there was little point eating alone in the dining room so I was invited to join the residents who ran the retreat around their lovely wooden table.  I felt quite at home eating really good home cooked pizza among a friendly bunch of souls.  The porridge was there in the morning for me to help myself and I left with a bread receipe that I never quite used.  It wasn't just the food, and the people that made the place, it was the old rustic charm and no tv.  I took myself off on a decent walk to Lyme Regis as I got completely lost but the sea beckoned me closer and suddenly I was surrounded by noise and people!  Admittedly by day 2 of entertaining myself, I was ready to head home to some home comforts.  I did repeat my trip to Monkton Wyld but there was talk of the building repair work being too costly for the residents and having to close it down.  The building had quite a history as had been a school during the War, a Steiner school.  Second visit I was asked to join the community which amused me no end.  I like the retreats but not that much!

Deer in the Quantock Hills, Somerset

What I gained most from these retreats was perspective.  I had time to design my business logo, and work out which direction I was heading.  The deer in my logo was inspired by a retreat in Somerset.   So from a practical perspective retreats can inspire creativity and be productive even while you are relaxing.  Recent retreats for me have all been centred around a specific activity or course.  Sound and sacred dance retreats in Glastonbury, and Croatia have been transformational.  Retreats can be very therapeutic leaving you in a very positive place, whether you like yoga, hiking, painting  or playing drums.  By joining a group of people you have never met before, you gain a sense of freedom to be whoever you want to be.  There are no preconceived ideas, no labels so you become who you are deep down at heart.  The added bonus of a retreat abroad is a new country to explore and sunshine!



Sunset from the island of Iz, Croatia

The good news is I am exploring the idea of holding my own retreats with Jennifer Hoodless, a personal trainer (www.livelypt.co.uk) who is as passionate about exercise as i am about massage and relaxation.  We both value the great outdoors so are on the look out for a beautiful and affordable location.  If you want to get involved with suggestions, please feel free to contact me at vmansergh@hotmail.com, 01491 577480 or visit my website Complete Worx Pilates. 

Glastonbury at dusk with the Tor in the background



Since I started Complete Worx Massage in the summer of 2007 the way i work has changed.  Over the years i have trained in shiatsu for massage in pregnancy, thai yoga massage, deep stone massage, pilates teaching, and sound therapy to get better results for my clients.  I have expanded my knowledge on the sports orientated techniques out there and received some brilliant one to one tuition, notably from a Gyrotonics teacher in London.  Shame it was too pricey to continue permanently! 

My one constant in 8 years has been the use of  hot and cold stones in a therapeutic way, merging them with deep tissue sports massage techniques or for deep relaxation.  They have consistently surprised me with their ability to:

• ease tension in the tightest of muscles
• speed up muscle tissue recovery post exercise (marathon, recreational run, long distance bike ride etc)
• prepare muscles for endurance exercise
• reduce the occurrence of injury
• relieve stress and fatigue in the body
• recharge the batteries
• improve circulation, lymphatic drainage and revitalise a tired face

The new additions have been sound therapy, pilates style exercises and working in a more intuitive manner.  They have all contributed to:

• a deeper sense of wellbeing
• the ability to switch off quickly and recharge the whole body:  body, mind and spirit
• a greater awareness of which muscles to engage to create a stronger, more robust body for exercise of all types
• better sense of self, and what is needed to keep the body healthy and moving fluidly

To better understand the way i work now, here is an interview with an existing client (female, age 40s)

Q1. Was there a particular reason for seeing Vanessa for massage?
I was seeing a physio for a shoulder niggle, and he recommended i see Vanessa for more regular sports massage.  I was training for an Ironman at the time and needed some TLC to keep everything moving.

Q2.  How long have you been having treatments?
Since about 2010

Q3.  Do you usually come for the same reason each time?
At the moment yes, but it has changed a lot - from sports massage, to relaxation, healing  and more recently for one to one pilates sessions.

Q4.  What is it about Vanessa that is different to other practitioners you have seen in the past?
My treatments always feel really personalised, based on how i am feeling at the time.

Q5.  Are you a sporty person?  Explain a little about what you do and have done in the past sports wise.
I am sporty, although less so than i used to be.  I have done a number of endurance events in the past and Vanessa was a key part of my overall regime.  I still run and cycle, and have a personal trainer - seeing Vanessa helps to manage the effect of this (and age) on the body.

Q6.  Do you think the hot and cold stones go deep enough to reach areas of your body that have been overworked, are tight or stiff?
I do - i find the stones really effective.

Q7.  Is there something appealing about going to a home clinic?
Intimacy is not there in a separate clinic.  It helps to relax both of us.

Q8.  What has been the most important/beneficial treatment and why?
Hard to answer.  As treatments have evolved, i have had very different benefits - from injuries, relieving stress from work.  Over the last couple of years, Vanessa played a key role in my healing and was an invaluable source of support as i was treated for breast cancer.

Q9.  Anything else you would like to add?
The fact i still try to see Vanessa regularly, five years later, says it all!


* Disclaimer:  no bribery used!

Feet do an incredible job from the moment we start walking after that crawling phase.  They take our "load", run with us, walk or sit dormant under the desk for hours at a time.  So what anatomically are they made of, what crops up when they are ignored and how can we keep them happy?

The Anatomy:  Foot and Ankle

Although similar arrangement of bones to the hand and wrist, the build is heavier for strength & weight bearing stability instead of being as precise and mobile as the hand.

Sole of the foot is supported by 5 metatarsal bones  for the 5 toes (see diag below) and the heel is made up of the calcaneus bone.




 
3 main bone groups:

• tarsus (ankle)
• metatarsus (sole)
• Phylanxes (toes)

Ligaments are strong bands or straps of fibrous tissue that provide support to bones and link bone ends together in and around joints ie ankle joint.  They are made of collagen - a tough, elastic protein.  Many ligaments bind together the ankle joints.  The foot ligaments store energy as they stretch when the foot is placed down and use it to recoil and shorten to create that spring in the step!

The Issues

Heaps of them no doubt but i'm only going to mention a couple that can cause discomfort.
Morton's Neuroma:  a tumour growing from a nerve made up mainly of nerve cells causing pain on the top of the foot with pressure.  Running, walking and jumping can all place stress on this area so can ill fitted shoes.
Solution:  see a professional for diagnosis first, rest, ice and wearing the right footwear that gives room for the toes so no high heels!

Inflammation of the tendons surrounding the sesamoid bones:  these bones are not attached to another bone but are embedded in a tendon or joint.  There is one on each side of the foot back from the toes. The pain is felt over the bone and increases with activity. It can be caused by high arches causing you to run on the balls of your feet.
Solution:  see a professional for diagnosis first, rest and ice and wearing padding inside the shoes may be necessary.

Plantar Fasciitis:  plantar fascia connects the heel to the base of the toes and when it comes under stress pain is felt in the heel when walking or running on hard surfaces & with tight calf muscles.  It can also be felt with high or fallen arches, wearing the wrong shoes and with poor flexibility.
Solution:  rest, ice and then heat and massage to promote blood flow and healing

The Alternative Approach to Feet

The feet are where spirit meets matter.  So a sole turning away from the Earth (club foot) or where it is very high (claw foot/ pes cavus)  can indicate someone who is very sensitive and in need of reassurance to keep their feet firmly planted on this planet.

Flat feet and fallen arches on the other hand indicate people who are rooted to the Earth and often down to earth who may be a little too structured.  Dance, movement and a good sense of humour is helpful!

I recently went to a Therapy Expo in Manchester where I was tempted to purchase some very expensive "gait trainers" that would encourage me to walk correctly, a wobbly chair that looked like a toad stool which was "perfect" for the office to reduce back tension and keep you on the move literally and a whole host of other temptations.  Does this sound vaguely familiar?  It certainly will if you have experienced chronic pain - pain anywhere in the body that has lasted more than a month or so.

The Good News - Chronic Pain can be cured

There is no need to spend copious amounts of money on "gadgets" and "gizmos" as not all physical pain is real.  I know how controversial this sounds!  Physical pain is obviously real when you can feel it but the good news is it does not have to stick around long term and can go away forever.  For anyone who has changed their lives to accommodate a condition they have, this is incredible.  This does not apply to auto immune diseases, fractures or cancer.

My Story
My belief in this comes from personal experience. Once you have experienced pain, the body has the capacity to remember it in the muscles, so any repeat "episodes" such as playing football on the beach which aggravated my back sets you back to the time the pain was at its worst.  This is disheartening and by addressing it with lots of routines like daily exercises specifically to ease the back, and only wearing trainers to comfort the back which i did, you are only perpetuating the cycle of pain and actually "feeding it".  It never was simply a physical problem, it was always an emotional one as it caused so much stress and disruption to daily life.  What if my back pain was an emotional issue that set it off in the first place?  Since meeting a physiotherapist at the Expo called Georgie Oldfield who has written the book "Chronic Pain, Your Key to Recovery", i have recognised the direct link between an emotional upset in my life and the back collapsing.  It is a fact that most of us given an MRI scan would see disc degeneration, and disc bulges where the disc contents have come out of a tear in the cushion which sits between each vertebra in your spine.  The difference is, most people are not aware or in pain, so it is not a logical explanation that you have disc degeneration in your neck or back and therefore chronic pain.  I am letting go of any attachment to this injury by not spending all my savings on expensive trainers and a private plane to whisk me around the world (i wish).  I will keep you posted on the results.  So far, so good!

How Helpful Massage Therapy is for you!

I am naturally biased about this but any source of emotional discomfort or stress needs an outlet.  What better way, than spending an hour having the tension physically released from the muscles while mentally letting go of stress.  They are the perfect combination and the mind can never be separated from the body - whatever you are thinking, worrying about or losing sleep over will directly  transfer to your body as tension.   If left unaddressed, over time it will become a chronic condition. Stay on top of things with a monthly massage or whatever relaxes you mentally and physically.  Simply having your muscles pummelled is not enough!  Sport is often a good alternative to holistic therapies but too much can increase the adrenalin levels too much which are already elevated by the stress causing a host of other issues from digestive problems to insomnia.

The Facts
Dr Sarno, a rehabilitation specialist in New York has been pioneering his work since the 70s with a condition called tension myoneural syndrome (TMS).  His theory is that repressed emotions can trigger the unconscious part of the nervous system to create pain.  Basically bottling things up turns into a physical symptom which becomes the focus of our attention intsead of the underlying cause. Georgie Oldfield with Dr Sarno's blessing set up her own recovery programme for patients called SIRPA.  Hippocrates - the father of modern medicine said " it is more important to know what sort of person has the disease than to know what disease the person has".

There are 2 myths about chronic symptoms:

1. they usually have a physical cause
2. they can only be managed not cured

A study carried out in 2013 showed that 'patients suffering chronic pain are at high risk of suffering long-lasting emotional disturbances characterised by persistent low mood and anxiety'. When an abnomality is found on an MRI scan, symptoms are often attributed to this, despite the fact that many healthy people with these same structural conditions experience no pain.  Without this knowledge, patients fear they may need an operation or that their symptoms will get worse with age rather than recognising stress as a potential cause for their symptoms.  For some time, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended doctors should not routinely refer patients with back pain for MRI and other diagnostic  scans unless there are clear indicators surgery may be required.  The reason being that studies since the 70s have shown spinal "abnormalities" are present in a high proportion of people who do not have pain.  Spinal degeneration is a normal sign of ageing due to the wear and tear of joints.  Most pain-free people by adulthood have disc degeneration (including bulges, protrusions and prolapses).

RSI or repetitive strain injury
This was unheard of 30 years ago when heavy typewriters were used yet nowadays it is so prevalent even though light , easy to use keyboards are used!  How does it suddenly appear?  You may have been working with computers for years before feeling pain in the wrists or forearms which is a physical symptom but often there are no signs of actual physical change in the arm/hand which indicates there is a non physical cause.

POwer of the Mind
You have an interview to go to for a job you have your heart set on, you are about to take an exam in a subject you want to study at University, or you need to make a speech in front of employees or wedding guests,  the chances are your heart is beating fast, and you may have been to the toilet a few times!  Your emotions have directly affected you in a physical way.  This is how stress turns into symptoms.

Please call Vanessa for a chat on 01491 577480 or 07906186912 if you are wondering whether a deep tissue stone massage is for you.

If you have ever seen a group of people here or abroad in a park waving their arms around in a slow fashion, then you know what Qigong looks like.  The Chinese swear by it as part of their health care alongside acupuncture.  In China, it is quite common to see a group of about 200 practising together, about half over 60 and the rest all ages.  In this way, it breaks down barriers between different age groups - something the West could probably benefit from.  It also teaches the art of moderation - the 70% rule which means less energy is used for each movement unlike the "no pain, no gain" attitude in the West! 

The Benefits

1. Loosens Muscles and Builds Muscle Power:  Unlike aerobics and vigorous stretching which build muscle strength and flexibility, gigong builds effortless power and looseness.  In gigong, the goal is allow the muscles to open up as opposed to straining them.
2. Strengthens the Organs:   such as the heart and the lungs through slow, deep regular breathing and energy movement.
3. Improves circulation:  by working on the elasticity of the blood vessels so helps those with high or low blood pressure
4. Helps prevent injury to joints, ligaments and bones:  People tend to lock their joints when falls or accidents happen which makes the injury worse.  Ligaments can be easily overstretched and getting them to bounce back is hard.  Through better balance, gigong teaches you to turn correctly without straining your joints
5. Speeds up recovery time from injury and operations:  by increasing the circulation , improving the immune system, and helping the body and mind to relax which is key when you feel tense
6. Eases sress and balances the emotions
7. Benefits sedentary lifestyles:  by helping with concentration and enabling a sitting posture to be more comfortable

I thoroughly recommend it for relaxation, concentration and tension!

A Safe Exercise Programme

Setting aside time to exercise is something we have created in our life times.  Back in the cave man basis of any safe exercise programme which is flexibility and stability. Without these two cornerstones, you set yourself up for possible injury from repetitive strain of one part of the body.  Simply add a few pilates/yoga exercises into your programme and a good stretching routine.  It is better to do little and often than blitz the core work and stretching.

What they lack is the days, simply acquiring food required huge physical effort.  There were no gyms, zumba classes or triathlons.  Man has become more sedentary with desk based jobs so exercise has filled that gap.  The gym has become the mecca for office workers short on time.  A quick calorie burning work out, spin class or some weight training.  The feel good factor is felt as the post exercise endorphins kick in around the body post work out.  These types of exercise are good for the heart (cardio work and spin class) and muscle strength (weight training).  




lumbar roll





squat



side bend

Functional Exercise

Think about normal day to day life.  It starts with rolling over in bed, some side flexion as you sit up and pushing up from the bed to standing position.  That is the equivalent of a lumbar roll in pilates, side bend to seated position and a reverse squat.  Lifting heavy weights or a spin class is not going to help with this manoeuvre!  Breakfast may involve reaching up to get some cereal out of a cupboard or bending down to get the milk from the fridge and sitting down on a  chair to eat it.  I think you get the gist.  As strong as you are in the gym, this heavy weight training does not equip you for day to day life without good flexibility and a strong centre.

Being Centred vs a 6 Pack!

Although a strong core has been used throughout gyms to focus on increasing muscle strength in the abdominal muscles, the focus has been on the 6 pack muscles called the rectus abdominis muscles that run down the front of the stomach.  These do not create a strong centre to protect your back.  The hidden gems or muscles that do are: the transverse abdominis that wrap around the abdomen, the pelvic floor muscles that create a sling beneath the pubic area , the multifidus that run down either of the spine, the internal /external obliques, the psoas  - a hip flexor muscle and the diaphragm beneath the rib cage.  Together these create a cyclinder of muscles that anchor the body so we can safely lift up a baby from the pram, get in and out of the car and dig a flower bed without causing discomfort. 

Few people have strong centres, whatever their muscle bulk is as the body takes the path of least resistance.  It uses the muscles that are strong and not necessarily the weaker stabilising muscles.  To get an even better idea of what i am talking about.  Imagine a canoe on a still lake surrounded by trees.  The canoe has no anchor so is bobbing along with the gentle ripples caused by the wind.  A cannon is placed inside the canoe and a cannon is fired.  The cannon ball just pops out and dribbles over into the lake as there is nothing to fix the canoe securely in place to create distance from the cannon and where the cannon ball falls.  An anchor is then attached to a rope which is securely fastened to the canoe.  This time the cannon ball flies out and lands a good distance away.  Your centre consisting of those muscles i mentioned earlier is the anchor that allows for all movements.  In order to fire the muscles in the correct order so the stabilising muscles fire first, you have to train your body and switch off those big strong muscles that want to do all the work.  It requires skill, and concentration and slow movements.  It won't surprise you to know that few strong muscular people have the stamina to do these focused exercises!

Top 10 Ways to Prevent Injury in the Gym

Think Stability - Flexibility - Muscle Strength - Power

• Good technique.  Incorrect technique can pull, rip or wrench a muscle particularly if you are stress loading a limb with weight
• Ensure you progress slowly, ideally under guidance
• Change the work out on a monthly basis
• Adequate warm up to increase blood flow to muscles eg stationary bike, jogging
• Muscle specific stretches at the end of the work out
• Recovery time needed so no more than 3-4 sessions a week for an hour
• Good nutrition - eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein and water to rehydrate
• Concentrate - feel how the muscles are working
• Avoid static machines like seated shoulder /leg press, and ask for alternatives from the gym instructor.  Most of these machines put the joints in an unstable position and a more functional work out challenges the whole body ie squats, throwing a medicine ball against a wall, or using your own body weight in the plank

For any pointers on good pilates exercises specific to your posture or sport, contact Vanessa on 01491 577480 or 07906186912.

Some ways of keeping the body healthy require so little effort - could it get any easier than drinking water out the tap? Perhaps i am alone in enjoying this simple drink.  Add a slice of lemon, heat it up and add a herbal tea bag if you really need to disguise the lack of taste.  Adding gin may taste good but won't achieve the desired affect!

The Importance of Water

• it helps regulate body temperature
• keeps the blood flowing easily, transporting nutrients around the body
• removes toxins and waste products round the body
• keeps the digestive tract lubricated
• lubricates your joints
• forms part of the fluid that protects your brain and spinal cord

Why Water keeps the Back Healthy

The discs that sit between the vertebrae of the spine have an inner and outer layer.  The inner layer is mainly water (90%).  These discs act as shock absorbers, cushions and improve back mobility allowing our spine to cope with the daily forces exerted on it when standing, sitting, and running.  During the day we lose water through urine, sweating, and through the breath so we shrink a little by bed time.  During the night these discs are slowly rehydrated if sufficient water levels are present.

Signs of Dehydration:

• dry mouth
• urine is dark in colour instead of  a pale straw colour
• muscle cramps
• lightheadedness
• nausea and vomiting
• heart palpitations
• fatigue and weakness
• loose skin
• sunken eyes
• the eyes stop producing tears

How Dehydration affects the Back

Without water to hydrate the spine and the joints, there is less lubrication which means more friction.  This can lead to arthritic issues.  The discs have less of a cushioning affect for the spine, so it becomes difficult to handle any impact like a fall and cope with lifting/moving heavy objects or strong physical exertion.  This means you are more at risk of injury.

Stay Hydrated
Drink more water, and less tea/coffee and fruit juice
Check the colour of your urine to gage how much more water you need to be drinking as it varies from person to person.

I am revisiting this subject as i have rediscovered the joys and huge benefits of stretching.  Nobody is paying me to write this. Having told you all the "woes" of back pain last year, I would now like to announce the "highs" of being pain free again and how. 

"Pain" Free
According to one osteopath I saw, chronic back pain  (pain that has been ongoing for some time) is much harder to treat than acute back pain (sudden onset of back spasm).  It is inevitable at some stage in our life that we will all have the odd back twinge as the very nature of our lives dictates we do some activities on a daily basis like driving, sitting for extended periods of time, decorating, digging in the garden, jogging on the treadmill or carrying a baby on one hip. 

By doing something on a routinely basis or repetitively, we are overusing certain muscles, creating a particular posture with some muscle imbalances.  This can lead to injury if neglected.  For those who have  chronic pain for musculoskeletal reasons (muscles and skeleton), it is possible to alter the neurological pathway (the nerves) and its responses to pain.  For a normal person who is pain free, a walk in the park would be just that - a pleasurable amble enjoying the scenery.  For someone with chronic back pain, this walk could bring on pain in their area of weakness.  It is a muscle memory when you have had pain ongoing for such a long time, the body remembers it and triggers it with all sorts of activities.  It could be sitting down in a car, or at a desk, lifting weights in the gym or planting seeds in the garden.  Sometimes, we do have to ride the pain and stay active as bending backwards to accommodate back pain (excuse the pun) can be counter productive and lengthen the rehabilitation time after an injury.  It is not all in the mind but that can play a huge part in prolonging the recovery period. Naturally you need a good diagnosis to take this step so see an osteopath or physio first before doing any cartwheels!

Spring into Spring

The Warm Up
Before any stretching you need  to be warm.  Take a warm shower, walk around your local park and spot some crocuses or snow drops or drop in to one of your gyms local classes.  I am going to be biased here as i am training as a pilates teacher but pilates is a fabulous way of mobilising the joints and recruiting muscles in the correct way for more intensive sports.  It is an endurance form of exercise which also strengthens muscles and improves flexibility which is a vital part of fitness. 

The Fitness Jargon
Total Fitness: According to my textbook, it encompasses physical fitness, mental/ social/emotional/medical and nutritional health.  In other words,  you have discovered the art of balance in your life(work, home, play) meaning you have the mental and physical capacity to face whatever life throws your way!

The key principles of physical fitness:

• Cardiovascular endurance (swimming, jogging, dancing, cycling)
• Muscle strength
• Muscle endurance
• Flexibility
• Body composition

As long as you do some regular cardio exercise with variety, eat healthily and book into a good stretch, pilates or yoga class you are laughing!


Why Stretch?
It feels good but that is not reason enough.  More importantly, it helps to prevent an injury happening in the first place. 

1. Improve range of movement:  This basically means how far we can lengthen our muscles around a joint.  Take the hip, you can kick your leg forwards, backwards, out to the side, across your body and you can even make circles with your foot on the floor.  It is a very versatile joint if you have the flexibility to do any of the above!  By stretching our leg muscles, we can kick our legs higher into the air which is useful for footballers.  By stretching our back muscles we can bend over easier to do the gardening and lift our children.  By lengthening muscles, we increase the distance our limbs can move before damage occurs to the muscles or tendons.  It also makes us move better with greater ease and comfort.
2. Reduce post exercise muscle soreness:  Muscles can feel tight, sore or stiff if we start a new exercise class or run a long way without any stretching afterwards.  This soreness is a result of micro tears (tiny tears within the muscle fibres), blood pooling and accumulated waste products like lactic acid.  Stretching alleviates this soreness by lengthening the individual fibres, increasing blood circulation and removing waste products.
3. Improve posture
4. Develop body awareness so you get to know the areas of your body that need more attention
5. Improve coordination
6. Promote circulation
7. Increase energy
8. Improve relaxation by reducing muscle tension
9. Reduce stress and feels fabulous!!!

 

Clinic News
Vanessa has completed her class teaching stage of her pilates teacher training so has lots of useful tips for improving core endurance (those muscles that support the spine and prevent back ache) .  She also recently qualified in thai yoga massage which greatly improves flexibility!


If you would like to book a remedial massage, a thai yoga massage or a pilates session for one or two people, please contact Vanessa on 01491 577480 or 07906186912.

The Importance of Breathing Well
Breathing properly is probably the most important thing you can do for your own health and

The diaphragm muscle is umbrella shaped under the rib cage

well-being.  I'm not trying to be morbid but the facts are:

• after one minute without oxygen brain cells begin to die
• after three minutes without oxygen serious brain damage is likely
• after 10 minutes brain cells have died.
• after 15 minutes without oxygen a person's recovery is virtually impossible. 

This is how important breathing is, and how many of us think about improving it on a daily basis? 

Exercise and Breathing
I reckon more time is spent in the gym toning the muscles, being out on a bike or running.  Yet breathing is a key ingredient to sports performance.  At least doing cardiovascular exercise, you are forcing the body to breathe in deeper than normal to supply the necessary oxygen to the muscles for energy production. 

The more relaxing approaches to exercise such as pilates and yoga  do take breath work into consideration.  Every movement is performed with the breath, usually moving into the posture on the out breath and holding it until the next out breath.  The breath allows muscles to perform in specific ways during these types of movements.  The fact the movements are slower, it means more control is required so you can literally lengthen the muscles at will.  This is why pilates and yoga are seen as complementary sports for all athletes whether rowers, runners or rugby players.  You only have to look at a body builder to see the short, tight muscles compared to a ballet dancer's torso which has longer and leaner muscles. 
 
The longer, and leaner the muscles, the easier it is on the joints.

Longevity Breathing
This is a Taoist breathing practice introduced to the west by a gigong teacher called Bruce Frantzis.  Its purpose is to improve the functioning of the body, centre the mind and balance the emotions.  It is not rocket science either!  A great example of this type of breathing into the belly is a baby.  Watch how everything moves in rhythm with the breath.  As their lungs fill with air, all the internal organs expand.  Look at how effective their breathing is with the amount of time they can scream and cry.  Adults would be wiped out with this amount of effort!  The goal of the Taoist breathing is to relax your belly so that it can expand and contract with your breathing.  As simple as this sounds, your focus is from below your navel, up to your diaphragm and back to where it meets the spine.  So it is the whole cylinder encompassing your liver, spleen, stomach and kidneys.  It does not include your chest or ribs.  It can take a minimum of 3 months of regular practice to enable new breathing patterns to become as natural as all other activities. 

Breathing through Pain
Breath work is also a key part of pain relief.  Pain has an annoying habit of creating muscular tension and odd posture habits.  If a disc prolapses in your back, the chances are your hips and shoulders will be uneven when you look in the mirror.  It is simply the body's way of adapting to discomfort.  The trouble is, leaving this distortion can create other painful areas.  A good habit to get in to is lying down on your back at the end of every day with your legs bent and arms out to the side at right angles like a baby in a cot.  And breathe!  Breathe out any tension in the neck, shoulders, back, hips and legs.  It really does unravel the body from the day's exertions whether mental or physical.  Especially if your day is spent in front of a computer and in a car.  Once you have relaxed the body, then you can comfortably stretch it.  There is no point stretching a tense body as you're more likely to do harm than good.

The Key Muscles:  Diaphragm & Psoas



Psoas major/minor muscles with arrows

What takes our breath away?  Not simply an attractive body on the beach.  Often we react to something in the outside world by stopping our breath.  It could be an accumulation of stress, bad news, or discomfort after physical trauma and we try to hold it at arms length by breathing in a shallow way.  By breathing in this way, we become tired, lethargic and ill.  That is why it is so important to breathe through tension in the body or while stretching.  When anyone is having a massage treatment i encourage breathing into the tight spot to release the tension.  Inevitably the area of scar tissue becomes softer and easier to break down. 

One area of the body particularly prone to tension is the diaphragm muscle.  If there is a restriction in the diaphragm or the psoas muscle which link the upper and lower body together, then there is no communication going on.  A little like a man and woman discussing the same problem at work.  The wires can become crossed.  A ballet dancer is more likely to have resilience in the diaphragm but many of us have strength and tension.  The diaphragm is like an umbrella which cushions the heart from above and the stomach from below and attached to the lower ribs.  The breath pushes this 'umbrella' up and down by moving air into and out of the lungs.  Often we have forgotten to use this muscle by holding our breath.  In addition, just behind the diaphragm is the aorta which is the main channel delivering blood to the body.  The types of conditions which can evolve from the tightening of these muscles (diaphragm and psoas) are:

• emphysema
• lung disorders
• panic attacks
• anxiety
• hiatal hernia
• acid reflux

By paying attention to our breath and by learning to relax our minds, we can make huge progress with our health. 

I am happy to introduce a short instruction on better breathing practices as part of your massage treatment. Please contact me on 01491 577480 or vmansergh@hotmail.com

Resources:

Healing Meditation CD by Kelly Howell - highly recommended by doctors in the USA and offered to patients.  I find it incredibly relaxing for muscle tension and stress.

About a month ago I attended a course in Glastonbury on Sound Healing that quite simply dazzled me with its ability to relax the body, empty the mind and leave you feeling energised and completely at peace with the world.  Few things in life achieve this so i could not ignore it.

I will start at the beginning.  Back in April, I came across a work shop at Studio One called Sound Healing by Tony Nec.  It was a one day introduction to sound therapy instruments.  I had never heard of sound therapy although was aware from playing music in my massage room over the years how evocative a piece of music can be.  To find music that sends you into a state of relaxation is quite an art form as i have discovered.  Often the most beautiful classical CD will have one or two outrageously loud tracks which kind of ruin the mood when you feel yourself drifting off to another place!  Sound therapy is not "music" in this sense, it is the art of playing instruments like the Tibetan bowl, crystal bowl or drum which produce a certain state of relaxation in the mind and body.  That particular day on the course i warmed to Tony as he explained his background in Gregorian chanting and being told he could not sing by his music teacher at school.  Funny how he ended up as the head honcho of the Colour of Sound Institute. 



Crystal Bowl

Tibetan Bowl

His approach to introducing sound healing struck a chord with me. No pun intended.  First we loosened up by shaking ourselves, stretching,and  mobilising our joints.  There is nothing relaxing about launching into song in front of a group of strangers but i found myself "toning" quite happily.  The idea behind toning is that the body, from eastern philosophy, consists of 7 chakras or energy centres starting at your feet and ending up above your head.  We all know energy surrounds us day to day as we can feel energy deprived when we are staring at a computer screen for hours on end, in an airless environment or with certain people that leave us drained of energy.  Parts of the body can be affected too.   For example, stress can accumulate in the stomach area causing poor digestion and a stagnant energy in the solar plexus which covers the digestive system, autonomic nervous system, lower back and abdominal cavity.

The Sounds for each Chakra

 

The Chakras

So hopefully you can see the solar plexus chakra in yellow and its corresponding tone "oh" like go.  Imagine opening your mouth and making that sound at a certain pitch.  I was amazed that as we moved from the lowest sounding note at the root chakra up to the highest note in your crown chakra i could feel a definite change in my body.  Having started out quite cynical and apprehensive about this group "chanting", i could not believe how good i felt afterwards.  It only took a few minutes to tone the whole body and by the end i felt very relaxed, my mind was quiet and i was ready for the instruments with no apprehension or tension in my body.

It is interesting to look at some of these philosophies from the East as  means of relaxation in our fast paced world where everything is becoming instant. We all have our own ways of switching off but i can thoroughly recommend getting vocal.  You create this vibration in your body by creating the sounds which balance the body energetically, and physically.

From a more scientific perspective, sound is being used day- to -day in the medical world already.  Ultra sound is a sound so high that it is not audible to the human ear.  It is used in hospitals to see a baby foetus in the womb and by physiotherapists for injury treatment.  At the other end of the spectrum is the Infra sound which is incredibly low.  Sound is measured in Hz. Humans hear sounds with a frequency of between 20-20 000 Hz.  Ultra sound is above 20 000 Hz and Infrasound is below 20 Hz.  An elephant's range is 5-12 000 Hz while a dolphin's is 75-150 000 Hz.  This means that there are many sounds we simply don't hear as humans but they exist.  Infrasound through infrasonic therapy has been used in Japan to reduce pain, and help with headaches and migraines.  There have also been clinical trials on the affect music has on disease. Sound therapy plays a positive role treating the following conditions:

• insomnia
• chronic pain
• hearing difficulties
• depression
• stress (high BP etc)
• recovery from major ops

 

That one day work shop became a 4 day work shop in Glastonbury where i was introduced to the instruments properly.  I played a kaleidoscope of instruments from the Tibetan bowl, crystal bowl, tuning forks to drums, rattles and gongs.  It wasn't band practice! The most phenomenal feeling was having 16 drums being played close to your body.  The vibration runs down your entire spine.  Add in the booming gong and you have left this world entirely.  My particular favourite was during a rain ceremony where a multitude of instruments are played while you close your eyes.  The sounds play out a form of guided meditation by creating the gentle patter of rain falling, before it becomes a full on thunder storm.  As the rain gently recedes, the native American flute comes hauntingly across the room.  By that stage I was by a camp fire with the elders open to all their wisdom.  It was a beautiful moment.

I have begun to add a short sound healing experience at the end of a massage treatment for those who would like to receive it.  By all means, do ask me if i have not suggested it.  For pictures of the course and the instruments being played, please visit my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Complete-Worx-Massage/469615179746536



 



If you would like to book a treatment, my contact details are 01491 577480 or vmansergh@hotmail.com.

Resources
Free Chakra Toning download:
http://www.healingsounds.com/