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How Much Exercise Do You Need For An Office Job?

13th August 2017 / Robert Manning

office

High amounts of sedentary behaviour such as having an office job or spending time sat watching films and tv have been associated with increased risks of several chronic conditions and mortality.

However, it is unclear whether physical exercise attenuates or even eliminates the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting.

Key Point

If you are Sedentary for 6, 7 or 8+ hours a day you need at least 60 to 75 minutes of moderate physical exercise a day to combat what being sedentary does to your body

High levels of moderate intensity physical activity (ie, around 60–75 min per day) seem to eliminate the increased risk of death associated with high sitting time. However, this high activity level attenuates, but does not eliminate the increased risk associated with high TV-viewing time.

This is further evidence on the benefits of physical activity even when sedentary for long periods of time.

So the good news is if you have an sedentary job it’s not all doom and gloom, you can reverse the health damage it maybe causing to your body by exercise for about an hour a day.

If you want further reading on this see below...

Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women

Ekelund, Ulf et al.

The Lancet , Volume 388 , Issue 10051 , 1302 - 1310

7 Ways to get your your New Years Resolutions back on track!!

28th July 2017 / Robert Manning

Has your New Years Resolution fallen by the way side?? Is your gym membership gathering dust, your language text book becoming a door stop or maybe even your goal of hiking in wales has turned into a 'hike' to the shops...

If so continue reading below to get the rest of your 2017 back on track by reading below on how to set goals that you can achieve and smash the rest of 2017!

This is your framework for setting up a goal, this is called SMART and can broken down into….

S - Specific - make you goal precise

M- Measurable - make it easy to track progress

A- Attainable- Make it a challenge but don't go too far with it

R-Relevant - Will it help what you want to achieve?

T- Time - Deadlines help get you into action

Take a minute to right yours down on a piece of paper, maybe a few times as it may take a while to get your goal down to a tee!

Now you’ve laid out the framework for your goal you want to break your goal down to a microscopic level…..

For a 1 year goal you want to break it down into 6 months, 3 months, 1 month, 2 weeks, 1 week and daily goals.

It sounds like a lot of work however when broken down to a daily level it makes everything much more manageable and gives you little goals which over time snowball into your weekly goal, fortnightly goal and so on so forth.

To help get yourself organised break everything you do down into significant pieces, sort them by components, sequences and priorities

You have this big collection of ideas from your brainstorming/planning session. The first thing to do is to simply go through them and pull out the significant ones. You’re looking for the essential pieces that will take you from A to B. You can be quite broad in this step.

Once you have the Significant pieces, you’re going to order them. A lot of the time some steps rely on other steps to be accomplished first, so they should be put into the obvious order. When you make your list leave big gaps between each one, there is always things you then add to it.

Finally, add in details until the steps are comfortable for you. For me, “comfortable” means “small enough that they can be done in reasonable chunks, like an hour or two.” If a remaining piece is too big for me to accomplish in that short of a timeframe, I keep breaking it down into smaller details.

Plan Plan Plan and Plan some more!

Try and make some sort of timetable of your daily life, break all your daily habits down to try and eliminate all the unnecessary ‘white noise’ e.g. spending 5 minutes when your alarm goes off browsing Instagram or 20 minutes watching clips from Love Island on facebook… when people say ‘they haven’t got time’ it means what they havn’t got time for isn’t a priority for them.

Don't put things off

When you start thinking ‘I can skip today, it won’t matter’. DON’T. A 6 month goal is completed by REPEATING the basics daily

Make it enjoyable

If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t do it. There is more than one way of doing something. E.g. if you don’t like running on your own, find a running club.

Broadcast

Put your goals up on social media and posting your daily or weekly progress- This is key in keeping yourself accountable!

Rewards

Set small rewards e.g. when you meet a monthly goal- this little incentive can give you the extra incentive to push and motivate you!

Make the goal BIG

then if you fail to reach the Big goal you’ve more than likely done pretty well!

Determination

One of the most common characteristics of people that constantly achieve their goals is that they are determined and relentless. When the going gets tough, grit your teeth and remember why you started your goal in the first place.

So there you have it, get your 2017 back on track!!

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How To Tackle Shin Splints- (Runners must read this)

11th July 2017 / Robert Manning

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome otherwise known as shin splints are one of the most common injuries of the lower extremity. Most frequently seen in runners, sprinters and footballers.

Shin splints occur due to repetitive loading of the tibia. Think of how many times your tibia is loaded during only 500 metre run… that’s quite a few steps which means also rather a lot of loading.

As well as the loading another possible cause of shin splints is having a foot that’s stronger to point outwards causing the foot to go flat when walking and running.

Both the above reasons can cause the soleus muscles (one of your calf muscles) to be overloaded.

A potential predisposing factor to shin splints is having a previous foot injury as this doubles the likelyhood of getting shin splints.

Diagnosis of shin splints can be confirmed via a physical examination by a therapist such as myself.

So…. how do you treat shin splints

Firstly in the acute phase you want to rest yourself and ice the shin for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

After the initial 48 to 72 hours it is a good time to start using low impact exercises such as swimming and cycling to keep on top of your fitness.

Then after a few weeks you want to look into returning to pain free activity and halving what you were training at, this includes the distance, intensity and frequency.

Whilst returning to pain free activity you want to be stretching and strengthening your calves.

A great stretch is an eccentric calf stretch- for this you want to have the balls of your feet on a step with the arch and your heels hanging of it. You then slowly lower yourself down and hold for 5 to 10 seconds and then lift your self back up – repeat 4 to 5 times.

This can also strengthen your calve when you raise yourself up from this position- kills two birds with one stone.

Coupled with this you also want to look at strengthening your hip and core – you can refer to my previous posts to work on core and hip strength!

If you need more information or advice feel free to message me or give me a call!

As always remember to subscribe below for £5 off your next treatment! – the journals relating to all of the above are below…

Bebeley, S. J., Yi-Gang, W., & Yang, L. (2016). Athletes’ Knowledge about Preventing Sports Injuries like: Achilles Tendinitis (AT), Runner’s Knee (RK)/Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) and Shin Splints (SS), as Prime Prevention Strategies in Slowing Ageing Process. Journal of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy, 12(1), 25-37.

Galbraith, R. M., & Lavallee, M. E. (2009). Medial tibial stress syndrome: conservative treatment options. Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 2(3), 127-133

Hip Pain, Knee Pain Or Ankle Pain?

2nd July 2017 / Robert Manning

legs

If you have any of the above it could be a muscle called Glute Medius and it’s weakness that is causing the problem.

In a nutshell a weak glute medius can reduce your athletic performance and it can also predispose you to injuries at your hip, knee and ankle.

Before I get into how you go about strengthening I’ll give you a bit of back ground about the Glute Meidus…

The glute medius is in charge of abducting, internally rotating and extending the hip.

For everyday movements it keeps the pelvis from dropping during walking and running.

Without this we’d look like we would be walking with a limp. This means the glute medius plays a massive role in our everyday life.

But how does my glute medius get weak in the first place?

The muscle can get weak from somethings so simple as when standing having more weight on one leg than the other and also sleeping on your side with your top leg bent (a bit like the foetal position) both these positions start causing weakness as they elongate the muscle causing stretch weakness.

This weakness can lead to ‘Trendelenberg gait’, lower back pain, Iliotibial band syndrome and lateral ankle injuries
So now you know what a weak glute medius can do, how do you strengthen it!?

My go to exercise to begin with the ‘clam’

Side lying with both knees bent up. Line up heels with hips and pelvis. Keep pelvis neutral or slightly buttock region of the top leg, sometimes in the bottom buttock as well. Aimfor 2-¬‐3 sets of 10-¬‐20 forward (don’t let it roll backwards or open up).

•Breathe out, engage core and lift top knee up towards the ceiling slightly.

•Breathe in and lower slightly.

•Repeat to fatigue. Aim to feel it in the lat reps

The easy way to progress this to tie a theraband round so it is just above your knees and repeat the above. You’ll notice a complete change in difficulty

As always if you would like more advice or you would like to book a session, give me a call on 07759689612.

Remember to Subscribe below and get £5 off your next session!

The most common reason for shoulder pain..

14th June 2017 / Robert Manning

shoulder

Due to the shoulder being so mobile the most common issue that causes shoulder pain is the shoulder being instable in different movements.

This instability is usually caused from weak scapular (Shoulder blade) stabilising muscles-

When these muscles are weak this leads to a change in efficiency in how the shoulder moves, causing the pain you are most likely getting.

A quick test for this weakness is to have your top off and get someone to stand behind you. You then lift a light dumb bell (around 4kg) from your side out in front of you to your shoulder height. The person standing behind you then watches your shoulder blade to see if it sticks out as you lower your shoulder down.

If the inside border of your shoulder blade does stick out (called winging) then that is a sign you have weak scapular stabilising muscles.

Below is a list of exercises to strengthen your stabilising muscles, helping you feel much stronger and a lot more stable.

1. Scapular pinches

2. Low row with theraband

3. Cheer leader theraband exercises

4. Bhouler exercises

If you would like any advice on the above or would like to book in for a session to go over this give me a call on 07759689612. Remember if you sign up below you get five pounds off your next treatment!

for any further reading see below:

Paine R, Voight ML. INVITED CLINICAL COMMENTARY. THE ROLE OF THE SCAPULA. International journal of sports physical therapy. 2013 Oct 1;8(5).

Brumitt J. Scapular-stabilization exercises: early-intervention prescription. Athletic Therapy Today. 2006;11(5):15–8.

11th June 2017 / Robert Manning

Why should you book in with me? and not a different Sport Therapist or a Physio?

Well, a lot of people ask me what I do, and when I reply ‘I’m a Sport Therapist’, most respond with ‘ah ok, so a physio?’ That reply is correct in a certain way.

Sports Therapists aren’t Physiotherapists, but they apply physiotherapy skills when required.

This is because physiotherapy is defined as “the treatment of disease, injury or deformity by physical methods including massage, heat treatment, electricity and exercise, rather than drugs or surgery”

Therefore, as a Sports therapist I will apply many of the techniques and modalities which I have learnt, and apply them in a sport and exercise perspective, rather than a traditional healthcare context that a physiotherapist would.

Why me? Why a member of The Society of Sports Therapists?

To become a member of The Society of Sports Therapists, you need to study an accredited course.

These currently are all degree/master courses, which take a minimum of three years for the degree and a fourth year for the masters.

There is a qualification called Diploma in Sports Therapy, this is easily attainable on just a weekend or part time course.

The gap in knowledge here can be huge, therefore it is always best to look for the Society of Sports Therapists to ensure your Therapist is fully trained.

For more information on The Society Of Sport Therapists visit: http://www.society-of-sports-therapists.org/

Sport-Therapist-

Benefits from being treated by a member such as myself from the Society of Sports Therapists include:

Having reached a minimum benchmark level of knowledge and are eligible for membership status.
Are eligible for Professional Liability Insurance.
Are required to undertake an annual programme of mandatory Continued Professional Development (CPD) in order to maintain their right for re-registration.
Hold a current and valid first aid qualification as a mandatory pre-requisite for membership.
Are governed by standards of conduct and disciplinary procedures that are transparent and serve to protect not only the member but also the public with whom they come in contact.
A member of an organisation that strives to increase the levels of care provided for sports and recreational participants, regardless of age, level and ability.
Are members of a professional body that is working with the HPC for the regulation and registration of the profession of Sports Therapy.

Click Below To Book In Today!

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Back Belts stop yourself from getting injured… or do they?

2nd June 2017 / Robert Manning

No one lifts more than powerlifters, so those big belts you see them wear must help fend off back injury right?

Well umm no actually, it has been found that these belts can actually increase, that’s right increase back injury.

‘But I lift heavy objects at my work not in the gym, surely that helps’ ….. no again, it has been found they have little to no preventative use in the work place.

The way they really work is they provide a sensory input and make you feel more secure and stable. This encourages the idea that your back needs to be stabilised, backs are actually sturdy and non-fragile and need no help in being stabilised.

You can now go and leave your back belts at home or in the shop!

If you have any back pain or just aches and niggles, give me a call and book in today to help you get back on track to being Fully Fit!

Siewe J, Rudat J, Röllinghoff M, et al. Injuries and overuse syndromes in powerlifting. Int J Sports Med. 2011 Sep;32(9):703–11. PubMed #21590644.

Steffens D, Maher CG, Pereira LS, et al. Prevention of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2016 Jan:1–10. PubMed #26752509. Back belts “do not appear to prevent LBP.”

https://www.painscience.com/articles/lifting-technique-is-not-important-for-your-back.php

Why Fitbits could be bad for you!

21st May 2017 / Robert Manning

steps

1001 steps, 1002 steps, 1003 steps…. Does this sound like you and your fitness tracker?

Counting up your steps till you reach your magic number of 5k, 10k or more steps in a day

Well studies have found over the past few years it makes us feel unhappier as our fitness trackers turn going for a walk, run or a bike ride etc into a chore.

Don’t get me wrong people who use fitness trackers have been found to walk and run further however they were also found to hate it much more than people who were measured who didn’t use trackers.

At the end of the day, fitness and sport should be fun so get out there and enjoy it!

Below is one of the studies from Duke university business school in America relating to Fitbits and chores

http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/news_events/news-releases/jordan-etkin-tracking/#.WSGERsYjXIV

Remember to sign up for email updates for £5 off and free tips on keeping fully fit!

The Best thing you can do for back pain!

3rd May 2017 / Robert Manning

the best thing for a bad back

Well 20 or so years ago the advice given for back pain was to rest/lie down, but research has now done a U turn and has shown that inactivity doesn’t help back pain but in fact makes it worse!!

Therefore the best thing you can do is keep moving. Researchers have so far not concluded that there is any type of exercise that is better so the best thing to do is pick an activity you like and keep doing it. Anything from Pilates through to swimming and general back stretches.

Keep moving to get your back to Fully Fit!

If you want more help with your own back pain, call me today and book a session in and remember you can sign up to my updates below and get £5 off your next treatment session!!

Below is just some further information on exercise and back pain
Searle, A., Spink, M., Ho, A., & Chuter, V. (2015). Exercise interventions for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical rehabilitation, 29(12), 1155-1167.
Natour, J., Cazotti, L. D. A., Ribeiro, L. H., Baptista, A. S., & Jones, A. (2015). Pilates improves pain, function and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. Clinical rehabilitation, 29(1), 59-68.
Daenen, L., Varkey, E., Kellmann, M., & Nijs, J. (2015). Exercise, not to exercise, or how to exercise in patients with chronic pain? Applying science to practice. The Clinical journal of pain, 31(2), 108-114.
Murphy, S., Blake, C., Power, C. K., & Fullen, B. M. (2014). Outcomes of a group education/exercise intervention in a population of patients with non-specific low back pain: a 3-year review. Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971-), 183(3), 341-350.
Cohen, S. P. (2015, February). Epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of neck pain. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 90, No. 2, pp. 284-299). Elsevier.

Part 2- Your Biggest Issue Stopping Your Body From Healing!

7th April 2017 / Robert Manning

Continuing from last week’s post- something else that links in well with stress and can exacerbate the symptoms that stress has on the healing of wounds is a person’s diet, sleep and whether or not they smoke or drink.

Sleep

Mild moving through to severe sleep disruption is relatively common when someone is stressed.

This sleep disruption on its own without stress has been found to increase wound healing time.

sleep

Diet

Diet can also slow down wound healing time as if you are low on sugar, polyunsaturated fatty acids and protein this can reduce the body’s ability to heal itself as it doesn’t have the right materials.

burger

Alcohol

Bar

Alcohol consumption holds back wound healing as it disrupts your cardiac and immune function, by reducing the amount of collagen that can be layed at a time.

Smoking

smoking

Smoking also doesn’t help at all due to all the toxins and nicotine which is inhaled during a puff.It delays healing due to decreasing the amount of oxygen available to the injured area and it also slows down the speed at which the body’s immune system works.

Remember I offer Sport Massage, Swedish Massage and injury treatment in Newent, Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Forest of Dean and surrounding areas.

Massage & Injury Treatment- Newent, Gloucester & Cheltenham