This exercise physiology infographic produced by Exercise Right reinforces one of the key messages our exercise physiologists promote at Inspire Fitness for Wellbeing.
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY SERVICES AT INSPIRE FITNESS FOR WELLBEING |
The important role exercise plays in maintaining optimal function within your body, reducing your risk of experiencing a chronic disease; and importantly for living a fuller and more energetic life are amongst the many topics we cover in this Award-Winning Exercise Physiology Blog. This exercise physiology infographic produced by Exercise Right reinforces one of the key messages our exercise physiologists promote at Inspire Fitness for Wellbeing. "Exercising Regularly over a lifetime keeps YOUR Body Decades Younger"
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The incidence of Low Back Pain within the Australian community is at epidemic levels. Through most western cultures low back pain is costing the community billions of dollars annually in lost productivity, medical bills and treatment. However, in many cases low back pain is entirely preventable and treatable with structured exercise. The role of strength training and mobility exercises in treating and preventing low back pain is well documented. Building strength and mobility within your body are the cornerstones of preventing the debilitating effects of Low Back Pain in your life. The following video Top 5 Exercises to ease your low back pain gives an overview of exercise you can undertake if your experiencing back pain. Source; You Tube 'Top 5 Exercises to Ease your Low Back Pain'
At Inspire Fitness our Accredited Exercise Physiologists design an individual exercise program to the unique needs of your body. Exercises are tailored to ensure they are appropriate and beneficial for each individual client; based on your medical background and postural needs. Osteoarthritis is a deliberating and painful disorder which can affect one or multiple joints of the body. Careful management of Arthritic symptoms should include a structured exercise program to gently strengthen and stretch the muscles surrounding and supporting the joint/s effected. Overwhelming evidence in the medical literature supports the role of keeping active and exercising the effected joints. The following video Hip Arthritis Stretches & Exercises - Ask Doctor Jo overviews some strength and mobility exercises for individuals impacted by arthritis in the hip. Source; You Tube - Hip Arthritis Stretches and Exercises
Recently, our team at Inspire Fitness attended a professional development session hosted by our close partners, Elite Myotherapy. The session reminded us of the work Elite Myotherapy do as well as how we can continue working in conjunction with them to continue producing the best results for our clients. To do this, they presented us with two real case studies and educated us on the work they have done with 2 examples: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and jaw pain/Temporomandibular disorders (TMD). What is a Myotherapist? Myotherapy is a form of physical therapy used to treat or prevent soft tissue pain and restricted joint movement. Essentially, they work in the treatment of any musculoskeletal pain or discomfort. Whether you are suffering from headaches, neck or back pain, stress, anxiety or muscle fatigue, muscle management from a myotherapist could be the solution for you! The team at Elite Myotherapy take a holistic approach and look at the body as a whole, looking “above and below” the area of discomfort as with most cases the issue does not stem solely from the area of concern. This is done via an array of techniques, including deep-tissue massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial dry needling and more. It is important to communicate this to our clients as a lot of people are not fully aware what a myotherapist is and how they may be able to help you. As aforementioned, the presentation focused on two conditions, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Jaw Pain/ Temporomandibular disorders (TMD), 2 conditions that the team at Elite have worked to manage and treat significantly, and 2 conditions that individuals may not know a Myotherapist may be able to help them with. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition associated with the compression of the median nerve as it runs down the wrist. These nerves run through the passage referred to as the ‘carpal tunnel,’ while any swelling of this area will result in the compression of this nerve and resultant symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Symptoms include: numbness, pins and needles, shooting pains from the wrist, referred pain into the arm or shoulder as well as weakness of the hand. This condition is largely caused by overuse injuries including awkward postures or repetitive hand movements often involved in occupation or daily activities. Other causes can include arthritis, pregnancy (usually resolves after birth, caused by water retention during pregnancy and therefore compression of nerves in carpal tunnel), wrist fractures, or even neck tightness, as this may create problems throughout the path of the median nerve – remember, the issue rarely stems solely from the area of concern and it is therefore vital to treat ‘above and below!’ A myotherapist may be able to treat carpal tunnel syndrome in a variety of ways:
Jaw Pain/TMD:
Temporomandibular disorders are those involving pain and compromised movement of the jaw joint and the surrounding muscles. Myofascial pain, or discomfort in the muscles that control jaw function as well as the neck and shoulder muscles is the most common form; while a dislocated jaw or displaced disc, as well as degenerative diseases including osteoarthritis in the jaw joint comprise the other 2 forms of TMD. Symptoms besides pain of the chewing muscles/jaw joint include: limited movement or locking of the jaw, radiating pain in the face, neck or shoulders, painful clicking, popping or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening/closing mouth as well as non-specific tooth pain. Furthermore, symptoms such as headaches, earaches, dizziness and even hearing problems may arise from TMD. 80-90% of all TMJ disorders are related to the muscles of the body, especially the head, neck and shoulder area. When these muscles become tense, tighten, or go into spasm, TMJ problems arise due to referred pain – e.g. tightness in shoulders causing pain in the jaw. A myotherapist will therefore be able to assist with this as they focus on detecting and deactivating trigger points in the musculoskeletal system, thereby eliminating muscle tension and referral of pain from such areas of the body. Inspire Fitness for Wellbeing and Elite Myotherapy have been working in conjunction for years to provide optimal treatment for our clients and produce the best results in terms of preventing and treating soft tissue pain whilst maximizing strength and physical function. Both organisations share the same holistic philosophy of the body, as the presentation concluded with the quote “motion is lotion, rest is rust” – a good way to summaries our shared philosophies. If the information in this article sounds like it would benefit you, or you would like to begin an individually tailored exercise program, please contact Inspire Fitness on 9857 3007 or Elite Myotherapy on 9826 2006 so we can begin working to optimise your health! A few months ago, we were lucky enough to have Dr. Peter Brukner visit us and present a seminar at the Greythorn Community Hub. The seminar included information surrounding the correct food choices we should be making to optimise health. This is the message that Dr Peter Brukner is dedicating the remainder of his career to advocating, as we have long been presented with numerous dietary myths that have only made us sicker. He also presents all this information to us in his book titled ‘A Fat Lot of Good.’ One of the early chapters in the book surrounds Cholesterol – Bad Boy or Innocent Bystander? The chapter challenges the information so often presented to us by arguing that cholesterol is not as bad as we’ve been led to believe. Cholesterol is a type of fat made by every single cell in our body and an essential component of the cell membrane surrounding each of these cells. Additionally, it plays an important part in cognitive function, as well as many other roles, as a precursor for vitamin D and a role in regulating various hormones including adrenaline, oestrogen and testosterone. Dr Peter Brukner educates us on the fact that most of the cholesterol in the body is made by the body itself, while cholesterol ingested in food has very little effect on our total blood cholesterol! Cholesterol is self-regulated, and thus when we consume something that increases our cholesterol intake, the body automatically decreases its own production to keep cholesterol levels stable. We have always been taught about good and bad cholesterol, otherwise known as HDL and LDL cholesterol. However, all cholesterol is the same. Cholesterol is not soluble in plasma (liquid that carries our blood cells) and thus requires lipoproteins (protein transporter) in order to travel throughout the body. There are various types of lipoproteins, such as very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL particles are the major transporters of cholesterol around the body, taking it into cells where cholesterol levels are low, while HDL particles are thought to transport excess cholesterol back to the liver for disposal. There are a couple major issues with the simple theory that LDL cholesterol = bad cholesterol. Firstly, LDL particles all vary in size; from large, ‘fluffy’ particles (harmless), to small and dense particles (bad). These small and dense particles are the ones often linked with damage to arteriole walls contributing to atherosclerosis and a cardiovascular event. Secondly, these cholesterol are only a problem when they become oxidised, which appears to be occur via the ingestion of polyunsaturated fats, in particular, vegetable oils. Unfortunately, standard blood tests do not actually tell us about the size of varying LDL particles (unless specifically requested), however Dr. Peter Brukner believes that blood triglyceride levels are a good proxy measure of the small and dense (bad) LDL particles. If your serum triglyceride levels are elevated (>1.5mmol/L) then it’s likely that the majority of your LDL particles are small and dangerous, while a result of <1.0mmol/L means that the majority of your LDL cholesterol are likely large and ‘fluffy’ (harmless). Triglyceride levels correlate strongly with cardiovascular disease and Dr Peter Brukner believes they offer a clearer indication of your risk of CVD. These levels are often elevated in overweight and obese individuals and can be reduced by cutting down on sugar and carbohydrate intake (as they are made in the liver from any excess sugars that have not been utilised as energy), as well as losing weight. Furthermore, HDL cholesterol, often looked at as the ‘good’ cholesterol has been shown to reduce the incidence of CVD. Dr Peter Brukner recommends looking at your triglyceride to HDL ratio. As an example: Triglycerides – 1.5mmol/L HDL – 1.2mmol/L Ratio = 1.5/1.2 = 1.25mmol/L Dr Peter Brukner likes to aim for a ratio <1.5 but certainly under 2 is desirable. This has been shown as a good predictor for the risk of heart attack, as a low ratio is associated with low risk. So, why has cholesterol been seen as the bad guy? When the arteries of people with atherosclerosis have been examined, it has been found that areas of plaque where hardening occurred to be full of cholesterol. Therefore, cholesterol must be bad right? Wrong! Cholesterol plays a role in the immune response when damage occurs to artery walls therefore travelling to the area where a tear has occurred, while numerous studies have shown no link between heart disease and cholesterol levels. In fact, some studies have even shown higher cholesterol levels linked with lower rates of death via CVD, and visa versa (2). An analogy that he likes to use is that blaming cholesterol is like blaming firefighters for the fire, they’re always at the scene but they are not necessarily the cause! Instead, there is a growing acceptance that inflammation is the key initiating event for atherosclerosis, caused by a poor diet including excess sugars, processed foods and vegetable oils; as well as a lack of physical activity, poor sleep and insulin resistance. At Inspire Fitness for Wellbeing we work to optimise our client’s health via a combination of exercise, in the form of an individually tailored exercise program, as well as nutritional guidance in order to make the correct, healthiest choices to maximise our health and wellbeing, whilst preventing chronic disease and inflammation. For more information, please contact us on 9857 3007 to speak to a member of our team so we can begin working towards your optimal health! References: Dr Peter Brukner – ‘A Fat Lot of Good’ Harcombe Z, Baker JS, Cooper SM, Davies B, Sculthorpe N, DiNicolantonio JJ, Grace F. Evidence from randomised controlled trials did not support the introduction of dietary fat guidelines in 1977 and 1983: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Open heart. 2015 Jan 1;2(1):e000196. |
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