Enfeeblement and Robotic Legs

I’ve been seeing some things being bandied around on the internet recently – robotic exoskeletons to enable you to ski for longer and springs that you put behind your knees to enable you to stand up for less effort. I got a little incensed about this, mainly because of what they have in common – a lack of strength, continued atrophy of muscles, and the potential enfeeblement of the human body. (Don’t get me wrong – exoskeletons/replacement limbs for paraplegics and amputees are a good thing – I’m railing against something else here.) It might seem like a lovely idea … Continue reading

Nuture the seed

We came across a funny thing the other day which, in hindsight, wasn’t all that funny (haha) at all. It concerns people who want to run and exercise who are really quite embarrassed about getting out and doing things. They are worried about what others might think of them, and so seek positive affirmation through running with groups. Let me first say there is nothing wrong with that – in fact, anything which enables people to get out and do things and have a more positive mindset about exercise is an excellent thing as far as I am concerned. The … Continue reading

1%

This is a blog about time and the perception of how long things take. I can bang on about this for a while, but bear with me. Let’s start by taking a physio consultation. Normally, at the end (or even part way through) we start talking about exercise prescription and what the patient needs to do in order to get better. Physios are kind of unique in that we don’t tend to have a pill to prescribe, it is normally strength work or movement, or some such thing. In comparison to exercise, pills are easy. Give someone an antibiotic, tell … Continue reading

Magic hands?

Oooh I ache. I need a massage. Yes, massage and the myth of magic hands goes a long way. Sore muscles seem to know that the touch of a skilled therapist will help wipe away the fatigue and pain of long, hard sessions of training. Maybe even to the point of healing injuries and enabling the person to make a miraculous recovery, rising Lazarus like from the depths of injury to race-winning health within an hour. This, I regret to inform you, does not happen in the real world. No matter how magic you might think a person’s hands are, … Continue reading

What’s Lynne reading at the moment?

If you’ve seen our website, had a treatment, or just had a chat with with us you will know that we are continually looking to improve our skills and learn more. That learning comes in many ways – in-person attendance on courses and conferences, marking massage student papers, watching online tutorial and of course reading. It’s the reason we use the hashtag #alwayslearning Back before I (Lynne) qualified as a massage therapist, and indeed a personal trainer, I had an office job. During full time work I added the challenge of obtaining a BSc in Psychology degree to my workload … Continue reading

Trying to look better… or just being better?

It’s not just about looking better – it is about being better. Why is it that we so often attribute specimens that look good with happiness and success? Is it because they are up there on a big screen, on instagram accounts and in adverts? People often want to LOOK better, to have the abs, to have the body, to weigh less etc. and have the perceived social benefits of that thing. Yet is the simple thing of looking different actually the agent of change? If you could click your fingers and look like that, would it have the same … Continue reading