Unwind Myotherapy

Unwind Myotherapy has been offering Myotherapy and Remedial Massage in Hawthorn since 2006.   Myotherapists are muscle specialists who use a variety of techniques to return your muscles to their optimum healthy state. http://www.unwindmyotherapy.com.au

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Self-Care: Why You Must Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First.

I have always been what most people would consider a “healthy” person. I wasn't- but more on that later.  Up until about 18 months ago, my definition of self-care was something along the lines of:

Exercising regularly

Eating good food

Looking after my body through regular “tune ups”, similar to servicing a car.

Now, while my idea of self-care still includes all of this (plus so much more), it can be summed up pretty simply as:

PUTTING ON YOUR OWN OXYGEN MASK FIRST.

(image found here: as a funny side note, the article attached to this image I found through a google search is on the same topic of self care!)

Before a plane takes off, we are always instructed to make sure that we can breathe first before helping others around us in the case of an emergency.  

To me, this idea of meeting your own needs first applies to all areas of our lives.

The Art of Extreme Self Care:

(Image found here).

In 2012 I went to an event to see some of my favourite authors speak.  There was a woman there named  Cheryl Richardson.  She was promoting her book, The Art of Extreme Self Care (you can read the intro here).  I had never heard of Cheryl before, I was there to see other speakers.  But WOW did her talk change the way I see things.   She began her talk by sharing a story with us about her first experience seeing a personal coach. 

During the intake process, the coach asked Cheryl to tell him about herself, so that he could get an idea of who she was.  For the next 20 minutes, she proceeded to tell him about how she spent her time:

working as a business development counselor on nights and weekends

teaching at seminars

volunteering for a local job search network

supporting friends who were struggling. 

She said:

"As I listened to myself talk about my schedule, I have to admit that I felt pretty good.  There was a certain level of satisfaction from being needed and in demand".

As she finished speaking, her coach was quiet for a moment, and then said-

"Wow, you're doing a great job taking care of a lot of people.  You're a great person."  

Cheryl smiled, thinking "yes, that's what I try to do, he really understands me".  

Then he continued...

"and the truth is Cheryl, your "good girl" role is going to rob you of your life".

WOW.

It hit me like a tonne of bricks.  This really resonated with me.  At that point in my life, I was:

Working myself into the ground- I was on the path to burnout.

Saying yes to everything I thought I “should” do

Trying to be everything to everyone

Ignoring my own needs, and resenting others as I tried to make sure that their needs were met.

Generally spreading myself thin.

The result?  I wasn’t fully showing up in my work, my relationships, or anywhere.  When people said to me “what have you been up to lately?” my response was “I actually don’t know.  I’ve been so busy but I don’t know what I’ve been doing”.  Why? 

Because I wasn’t present in my own life. 

Several years back, I would say yes to every social invitation that I thought I “should” go to.   Staying hours later than I wanted to, because I would be a “bad friend” if I didn’t stay until the very end.  My body would be in the room, but I wasn’t all there.  Part of me would resent being there.   Similarly I would say yes to every request made of me with working between two clinics.  I now see that while I was helping my clients, I wasn’t showing up fully for them in the moment.  And if I kept up that pace, I was on the road to burning out.

Why do we need to take care of ourselves first?

Because then we can take care of others around us FULLY and happily, without any resentment and with plenty of surplus love to give.  We end up taking better care of them. 

If you fill your own cup first, it will be overflowing and you can give freely.

If you drain your cup dry while caring for others, you have so much less to give.

Cheryl even spoke about parents.  I am not a parent myself, but I do have so much respect for people who have taken on that role.  I don't pretend to know what it is like, because I don’t know yet.  But I would like to share this idea with my clients who are parents.

If you take care of yourself first, you have more to give to your children.  You show up fully for them.  And you set a beautiful example for them.

At the time of her talk, Cheryl had recently been to the funeral of a fifty year old woman.   During the funeral, they played a photo montage of this woman’s life.  When she was youger, the woman looked radiant.  As the years progressed and her babies grew into adults, the woman slowly became more and more overweight.  She also slowly faded into the background of the photos- she was hiding behind her friends and family. Everyone who spoke at the funeral reapeated notions such as “she was an amazing woman, she always put her family first" and "she always put herself last, she took care of everyone else before she took care of herself”.  Cheryl had the sad thought:  “she always put herself last, and now she is dead at 50”.

I don’t want to upset anyone by sharing this story, but it did strike a chord with me, especially after years of seeing what so many of my clients go through.  I thought I would share it in case in strikes a chord with you too.

I certainly haven’t got this figured out.  I have a very long way to go.  I also fall off the wagon during particularly demanding times- when we need self care more than ever.

Now, things I do to put on my own oxygen mask first are:

Make sure that I have a decent stretch of time alone at least once a week, and pockets of alone time every day.   I’ve always needed this, and when I don’t get it I can feel overwhelmed with having too many people around me.  Things that would never usually bother me will get on my nerves.   Now I make sure that I get this time so that I can be fully present with lots of surplus love to give to the people around me.

Making sure that I eat good food so that I feel great, and have the energy to take care of my loved ones and my clients.

Taking my dog for a walk every day- I love our time together, the walk loosens my body up and the time outside clears my head.

Not saying yes to everything that I think I “should” do, and not feeling like I always need an excuse to say no to something.

I’d love to know what your thoughts are on this topic.  What are some things that you can do to take care of yourself first, so that you can take better care of those around you?

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Unwind Myotherapy: General Core and Hip Strengthening Routine

This is a general routine for your core and hip muscles.  This routine has helped myself and many of my clients.  If you have a specific injury or issue, I recommend speaking to a qualified professional first, such as myself or my colleague Gary from GDK Exercise Therapy.   - Clare Sullivan

Perform the exercises slowly, concentrating on your form.

These exercises should never cause you any pain other than muscle fatigue. If they do, stop the exercise and speak to a trained professional about what would be better for you.

The best time to exercise is when you are warm, for example, after a brisk walk around the block.

After exercise is the perfect time to have a stretch.  There's plenty of stretches on our website.

I'd like to say thank you and credit www.sportsinjuryclinic.net for the images and steps in this post.

Start off small- do one set of 12 repetitions of each exercise (on each leg if applicable).  You can then build up to 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.

- The Squat  (click image for video)

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing straight forwards.  

Keep the back straight as you initiate movement at your hips.  

Push your buttocks out behind you and bend your knees.  

Do not let your knees move in front of your toes.

Do not squat deeper than a 90 degree (right angle) at the knee.  

Start with shallow squats and increase gradually.  

Return to the starting position.  

Variations and progressions:

Use a dumbbell in each hand.  

Use a barbell over the shoulders.  

- The Lunge: (click image for video)

Step forwards with one foot in a long stride.  

Make sure your feet are in line and pointing straight forwards.  

Keep your back upright as you slowly bend and lower the back knee towards the floor, raising the heel off the floor.  

At the same time bend the front knee, making sure it doesn't go past your toes.  

Don't let the back knee touch the floor before returning to the starting position.  

Variations and progressions:

Use a dumbbell in each hand.

Use a barbell over the shoulders.  

Walking lunges - after completing one lunge as above, swing the back leg forwards so that it becomes the front leg and repeat.  

- The Single Leg Mini Squat:  (click image for video)

Stand on one leg with the other knee bent.

Use a wall or banister to help keep your balance.  

Bend the standing leg and push your buttocks out behind you.

Start with only a small movement.  

Make sure your hips stay level, don't let one drop down.  

Don't allow your knee to move forwards past your toes.  

Variations and progressions:

Rest the non-standing leg on a bench or chair behind you.

- The Bridge: (click image for video)

Lay on the floor on your back.

Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, halfway towards your buttocks.  

Lift the hips and thighs off the floor to form a straight line between your knees and shoulders.

Variations and progressions:

Perform with only one foot on the floor.  

Lift the other foot off the floor and straighten the knee so the foot points diagonally to the ceiling.  

- Hip Extension: (click image for video)

Position yourself on your hands and knees.

Lift one leg off the floor.  

Keep the knee bent as you extend the hip, so that the thigh moves up level with your back and the foot is above head level.  

Try to keep the back and pelvis level and still.  

Slowly return back to the starting position.  

- The Clam: (click image for video)

Lay on your side with the knees bent and so the feet are in a line with your back

Lift the top knee away from the bottom knee, keeping the feet in contact

Make sure your pelvis and lower back stay still

Return to the starting position

- The Swimming Exercise: (click image for video)

Lying on your front, position your arms on the floor above your head.

Have the forehead resting on a towel and pull in the belly button.

Take a deep breath in and then as you exhale, raise one leg and the opposite arm just off the floor.

Hold for a few seconds before slowly returning to the floor and repeating with the other leg and arm.

Aim to perform 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions.  

- The Plank:

Lay on your front and place your forearms and palms flat on the floor

Lift your chest, stomach and legs off the floor and maintain your balance between your forearms and toes

Keep a straight line from your shoulders, across your back to your feet

Hold for up to 60 seconds - it’s not as easy as it looks!  To make the plank easier balance on your forearms and knees (with feet raised) 

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My day with Deepak, and the future of Well-being

I was fortunate enough to spend Saturday at the annual Hay House seminar.  It was amazing.  This year we heard from two of my favourite authors, Dr. Wayne Dyer and Dr. Deepak Chopra, as well as Nick Ortner.  I walked away buzzing with information and inspiration.

A highlight of my day was a discussion from Dr. Chopra about well-being.  He shared his belief that well-being is the most important area of study for human beings at the moment.

Why?

Your Well-being is the most important determinant of the future of -

The rest of your life

The future of your family- your well-being will influence the well-being of your children, your grandchildren, members of your family who aren't even born yet, for generations to come.

Your community

Your country- the well-being of our communities makes up our country.  It will influence the direction of future leadership in this country.

The world

Dr. Chopra spoke about the main areas of well-being as-

Career

Social

Physical

Financial

Community

We spoke about happiness and spiritual health- and how if these areas of health are being fulfilled, the other areas are more likely to be fulfilled.  Did you know that happy people have increased healing mechanisms, so their bodies heal faster?

We took a quiz to assess our own well-being in each area of our lives, to see where we were thriving, or where we were struggling and need to make changes in order to thrive.  This really reminded me of an exercise I did in my first ever coaching session with my dear friend Jane from Live With Passion Coaching. 

We spoke a lot about consciousness and meditation, and how meditation can change the way your brain works, as well as your happiness levels.  Dr. Chopra will be releasing some exciting results this Friday on a study recently completed that looks at the effects of meditation or your DNA.  I’m really excited to hear the results.

I’ve registered to join the 21 day meditation challenge, along with Deepak, Oprah (nice one!) and hundreds of thousands of other people from around the world.  It's already started, but it's not too late.  You can sign up here:  https://chopracentermeditation.com/home/?acode=hakott01

I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!

  -Clare

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Did you know- our necks have their own "core muscles"

By Myotherapist Candice Newton

Does your head feel like a basketball on a cooked noodle?  

Or like it is too heavy for your head?

Most of us have heard about 'the core'. Our core is the deepest layer of abdominal muscles that function as our spinal stabilisers...when they are strong that is. Typically, if you have lower back pain you have weak core muscles. Strengthening the core will help to decrease, if not, eliminate lower back pain and many other conditions of the extremities (arms and legs) that are caused by misfiring of muscles (compensation).

 What most people don't know is that the neck is very similar. We need our 'neck core' (stabilising muscles) to be strong in order to protect the spine. When these muscles are weak it makes the neck susceptible to injury and more frequently, headaches. Strengthening of these muscles will help improve posture which will reduce headaches, degeneration, arthritis and disc damage from occurring. If you feel like your head is poking forward or it feels like, as one of my clients reported, 'a basketball on a cooked noodle,' then you most likely have a weak 'neck core.' 

You can strengthen these muscles by doing some very simple exercises. One being that you press your tongue to the roof of your mouth when lifting anything heavy (along with bracing your abdominal core). Another is by tucking your chin in towards your neck whilst keeping your head straight (without looking down). You should feel this stretch in the back of your neck. These stretches will be especially beneficial if you are an office worker. 

 If you are a headache sufferer or are worried about your neck core and posture then feel free to pop in to see Clare, Hayley or myself. We are more than happy to help. It's what we are here for.

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Why Myotherapy is SO good for pregnancy and new mums:

This article was written by our team member Hayley Bottin, Unwind's resident pregnancy expert!  Not only are pre and post natal massage two of Hayley's specialties, she is also expecting her first child this October.  Here's what Hayley has to say about Myotherapy and pregnancy.

Myotherapy is a safe, non-invasive remedial treatment that can be described as being an overlap of Physiotherapy and Remedial Massage. Myotherapy looks at muscular imbalances and other musculoskeletal issues this includes help to mums-to-be to have the best pregnancy and recovery that they can get!

   For pregnant ladies in First Semester this can mean;

Decreasing their stress levels

Increasing blood flow around the body,

Increasing their immune system, and also increasing endorphins

Improving good posture, sleeping positions and general health.

              Second Trimester-  help again with everything achieved in the first semester with particular attention to potential muscle imbalances as by the end of this trimester as mums' body is rapidly changing.

    Third Trimester- its all about the treatment and management of

Sciatic pain & discomfort

 Headaches, Lumbar pain/strain

 Swollen ankles

 Tired muscles

After the 35 week mark, Myotherapy is extremely helpful in preparing the mums'  muscles for labour.

Myotherapists are qualified to use TENS. Primarily used in the  rehabilitation of atrophied muscle, however I often suggest to the women to learn to use one for labour if this appropriate.

             Post pregnancy ( when mums are ready) involves ;

  * Relieving stress and tension from muscles

 * Helping to strengthen the body and mind after having their baby

 Treatment involves general massage techniques and gentle exercises for pelvic floor exercises and lumbar exercises as well as Upper Thoracic and Cervical exercises- feeding new babies often causes restriction and pain in these areas.

For more information to to book an appointment, visit our website.

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Some not-so-obvious reasons why exercise is GREAT for kids

  Many of my clients may not know that I was a gymnastics and acrobatics coach for thirteen years.  I coached kids between the ages of three and fifteen, and I absolutely LOVED it.  Before I mention a few not-so-obvious reasons why exercise is great for kids…

  We literally are what we eat.   Our skin replaces itself every 28 days.  Our liver, every 5 months.  Our bones, every 10 years.  So much of what our bodies use to make these new cells come from what we eat.  It’s alarming to think of the number of chemicals, preservatives, hormones, pesticides and nasty chemicals that are going into all of our bodies, in particular children’s bodies, with many of us being completely unaware. We can choose what we’re made of.

Some of the obvious reasons exercise is fantastic for children: it sets them up so well for life.  It makes their muscles, bones and joints strong.  It improves their co-ordination and body awareness, lung capacity, their circulation, increases energy, improves concentration and alertness, keeps their digestion moving, releases endorphins that make them feel happy and relaxed, teaches them how to move and stretch their bodies….do I really need to keep going?!

Being involved in organised sport prepares kids for a balanced life in the real world.

 It teaches them time management- if they have a test on a Wednesday morning and training on a Tuesday night, they learn to prepare ahead of time. 

 It teaches them to step out of their comfort zone and increases their self-confidence- whether it is by mastering a new skill, or competing in a competition even if they felt nervous.

 It teaches them to work in a team (regardless of whether the sport they are playing is a team one), and to work with others.

 It can be “their thing”- it gives them independence.  When I was training as a gymnast, I loved having my own thing that was separate from my family and my school friends.  My gym friends are still some of my closest friends today.

It helps them to see how amazing their bodies are, and what they are capable of.  It teaches them how to respect and look after their bodies.

 It teaches them commitment. 

  I believe there’s a group or activity out there that suits every child.  When you find the right club for them, there will be no limit to the benefits they will experience.

  Clare Sullivan, Myotherapist

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How does sugar affect your muscular system?

It is amazing how often my clients with chronic pain, energy and immune issues often have digestive troubles and diets that may seem “healthy” but can be full of sugar. I’m so fortunate to work alongside naturopath and nutritionist Sarah-Jane Purnell, who is an expert in this field- I have referred many of my clients to her, with wonderful results.

As far as the muscular and skeletal systems are concerned..

 Refined sugar contains no fibre, no minerals, no proteins, no fats, and no enzymes. It is an “empty” form of energy. Refined sugar is quickly digested and passes into the blood stream giving us what is commonly known as a ‘sugar high’.  The pH of our blood changes when this occurs making it more acidic. Our bodies don’t like being acidic so they will use minerals such as calcium and magnesium to help buffer our blood. Calcium is leached from our bones and magnesium from our bones and muscles. This is not good as calcium is a critical mineral for bone strength and magnesium is a vital mineral for many of our metabolic processes, including muscle contraction. Magnesium depletion leads to side effects such as muscle tension, nervous tension, and muscle cramps.

So…when you eat sugar, your body borrows precious nutrients that are essential for your body to function at its best.  B-vitamins are another group of nutrients that are used to metabolise refined sugar. B-vitamins are essential for energy production in the cell and to support proper nervous system functioning.

 Refined sugar stimulates your sympathetic nervous system, which results in muscular tension.  Sugar can lead to increased body weight, which places unnecessary strain on your muscular and skeletal systems.

Refined sugar decreases your immunity, making the healing process after musculoskeletal injuries more difficult.  The sugar blocks vitamin C which is important for wound healing and it also lowers white blood cell count if consumed in excess.

  If you would like to organise a consultation for dietary support, Sarah-Jane can be contacted here.   There are also so many fantastic health resources on the web (too many to name).  Sarah Wilson and Jessica Ainscough's websites are two of my favourites.

- Clare

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MONDAY MOTIVATION: 10 Reasons to exercise!

Exercise...

1. Clears your mind

2. Strengthens your cardiovascular system

3. Lowers blood pressure

4. Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes

5. Supports your immune system

6. Reduces body fat

7. Builds muscle mass

8. Increases energy

9. Reduces risk of arthritis

10. Releases endorphins (the body’s feel-good chemicals!)

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Healing vs. Curing

Myotherapists don't heal or cure muscular conditions.  We simply take actions to initiate your body's own healing process, so that you can heal yourself. 

I am always driving the point home to my clients that if you are sore for a day or two after a myotherapy session, it is because I have purposefully disrupted and then re-aligned any dysfunctional muscle cells, so that your body can kick in it's own healing response.

Your body is the one that does the healing, not me.  

During a Myotherapy session, we often break apart trigger points or “knots” that can be found in tense muscles.  

This helps in two main ways:

1. After knotty tissues are broken apart and smooth alignment is encouraged by the Myotherapist, your body can heal with the cells in this improved condition.

Breaking apart shortened, tangled and knotty tissues is a good thing- lengthening and re-aligning these tissues can reduce pain and restore your freedom of movement.  

Breaking apart muscle cells that are already dysfunctional and knotted will immediately prompt an immune response: cells such as lymphocytes, monocytes and other healing cells will rush to the area to do their work.

In most cases, this process lasts for a day or two.  This is why you can be sore for a day or two after a myotherapy session- the healing is still happening.  Once this process is complete, the healthy integrity of your muscle cells is on its way to being restored, and the pain is reduced or gone.  

Trigger points lying among muscle cells that are healthy, relaxed and aligned.

2. Toxic chemicals that accumulate in tense muscles and injury sites will be removed.

When muscle cells are knotty and contracted, blood supply to the area is reduced. There is an accumulation of chemicals or toxins present, including pain-causing and inflammatory chemicals, such as substance p (present with painful conditions), bradykinins, interluekins and prostaglandins.  

Increasing blood supply to the area through massage, and relaxing the tissues so that blood vessels will no longer be constricted after the massage, means that toxic chemicals can be removed, reducing pain and improving the health of the muscle cells.

After the healing process is complete, the healthy integrity of your muscles is on its way to being restored.

As for "curing" - often once the body heals itself of a particular condition, the condition will not return.  However, many of the most common health and muscular complaints are related to our day-to-day lives and lifestyles.  For this reason, we encourage our clients to look after themselves with maintainance style care - this keeps everything feeling good, working at its best, and prevents any future injuries or illnesses from developing.

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R.I.C.E

What do you do straight after an acute injury such as a twisted ankle, muscle tear or back strain? Use R.I.C.E- rest, ice compression and elevation. The steps are outlined here:

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/treatments-therapies/cryotherapy-cold-therapy/rice

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Myotherapy and Detoxification

Great news! Did you know that Myotherapy can aid detoxification?

Unwind Myotherapy offers two types of treatment which are helpful in aiding detoxification:  Myotherapy and Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage.  

What are toxins?

Toxins include viruses, bacteria, pollution, food additives, drugs and metabolic waste. 

What is the lymphatic system?

The lymphatic system is one of our body's major systems.  It is the front line in our body's ability to fight disease and infection, and remove toxins.  We have twice as much lymphatic fluid in our body as we do blood.  Lymphatic fluid contains immune  cells, which circulate around the body, mopping up toxins and transporting them to the lymph nodes (or “glands”).  It is in the glands where these toxins are broken down, and the lymph fluid is filtered so it can continue to circulate around the body and collect more toxins.  

A healthy lymphatic system is vital for immunity.

How do Myotherapy and Manual Lymphatic Drainage help detoxification?

Our bodies are designed to remove chemical toxins and waste through various organs and processes involving the circulatory and lymphatic systems. Your environment, diet and elevated stress levels, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, can hinder your body's detoxification process. Massage therapy can help stimulate your circulation and tone organs to promote chemical detoxification.

When your circulation is operating at its optimal level, oxygenated blood nourishes your internal organs more effectively. This allows them to efficiently participate in the detoxification process.  

Toxins also accumulate in muscle cells that are tense or injured. The fresh blood that is flushed through the muscle cells during a massage really helps to get these toxins moving again, so that our bodies can dispose of them.  

This is why we are always telling our clients to make sure that they drink plenty of water after a massage- to help our bodies to eliminate these toxins more quickly!

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The immune-boosting effects of massage

Did you know that having massage can boost your immunity? 

1. MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE

As well as Myotherapy and Remedial Massage, Unwind Myotherapy offers Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage. This is a relaxing type of massage that increases the rate at which the lymphatic fluid (the fluid that contains your immune cells) is circulated and filtered around the body, aiding detoxification and boosting immune activity. In the 24 hours after a Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage, the rate at which these immune cells are able to circulate around your body, mopping up toxins, viruses and bacteria can be increased by up to 10 times! Learn more about Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage here.

2. STUDY ON THE IMMUNE BOOSTING EFFECTS OF MASSAGE

According to a 2010 study conducted at the Cedars-Sinai Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in Los Angeles, massages don't just feel great, they are good for immunity, too. In fact, the immune-boosting effects of a massage can begin just minutes after the first session!

The authors recruited 53 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 45 and divided them into two groups: one that received a traditional Swedish massage, and another that received a session of light touch meant to simulate a massage but without any actual massage-therapy techniques. Each participant had an IV inserted into one arm for the duration of the massage and for a few hours afterward, and blood was drawn at various intervals to measure levels of various hormones and immune system markers.

The massage recipients saw significant decreases in stress hormones and increases in the body's production of various cells that boost immune system response.

The study found several changes in the blood tests of the Swedish massage group that indicated a benefit to the immune system. For example, Swedish massage caused sizeable decreases in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that contributes to aggressive behavior, and decreases in the stress hormone cortisol. The Swedish massage participants also had an increase in lymphocytes, cells that help the immune system defend the body from harmful substances.  

Numerous studies through the years have also determined that massage can aid in stress relief, lessen anxiety and depression, decrease pain, alleviate stiffness, manage blood pressure, improve sports-related injuries, and possibly even contribute to the effectiveness of cancer treatments, among other things. And now that research has proven the health benefits of a single 45-minute session, imagine how great and long lasting the health benefits can be if we all opted to have massages more regularly!

Source: Mark Hyman Rapaport, Pamela Schettler, and Catherine Bresee. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. October 2010, 16(10): 1079-1088. doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0634.

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Welcome Hayley Bottin to the Unwind team!

Hayley has been working as a Myotherapist since 2005. Her experience includes working in clinics similar to ours, as well as in sporting environments such as the Essendon Football Club.  Hayley has also been a board member of the Myotherapy Association, and an organiser for events such as the Lorne Peir to Pub and the Oxfam Trailwalker.  Her particular interests include pregnancy and postnatal care, headaches, migraines and sports injuries.  I'm very excited to have Hayley on board, and I know that she will be a great addition to our practice with her wealth of knowledge, experience and warm personality. Welcome Hayley!

- Clare

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The effects of obesity on the muscular system

Obesity affects so much more than our appearance. Effects of obesity on the muscular system alone can result in pain, dysfunction and wear and tear on our body’s supportive structures.  This can lead to a young person’s body working and feeling “like it is one hundred years old” completely unnecessarily.

Obesity causes increased strain and load on our body’s weight bearing joints such as the knees, hips and back.  This leads to the muscles that support and stabilise these joints to be put under immense pressure and strain.  This can lead to pain, injury and arthritis.  In turn, losing excess weight can help take some of the strain off from our body’s supportive structures.  You only get one body to carry you through your whole life, and it is worth looking after.

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We love Therabands!

Therabands are now available at Unwind! Therabands are cheap, you can take them anywhere and there are countless exercises you can do to with them to help your body's stabilising and postural muscles. Here is one of my favourites!

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Are your knees feeling a bit unstable?  Try this exercise!