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.