Exercise & Breastfeeding

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A common concern for new mums is whether returning to exercise will have a negative effect on breast milk. Good news – there’s no evidence to support a detrimental effect from exercise. Once you’ve received the go-ahead to exercise safely from your doctor or midwife (and been checked for a tummy gap – see below*) there’s no reason to stay on the sofa. In fact, the benefits that come from exercise are immeasurable (improved mood, better sleep and energy, time for you – to name a few). You’ll need to find the best time for you and baby to exercise – most women … Continue reading →

CPD in Physio

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We’re taught things at massage and physio school that have been around for a long time. They have been unquestioned pillars of the profession for years if not decades and have been taught as such. With the current trend in Evidence Based Practice, more and more of these “essential” skills are being looked at with fresh eyes, and fairly often, the dogma of what has come before is proving to be incorrect from an evidence based point of view. This is an interesting conundrum for physios, who claim to be from a science background. (Indeed, the degree is a BSc, … Continue reading →

Hyperflexibility – Is there anything we can do?!

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Hypermobility -what does it mean, in simple terms? Remember being at school… there were always people who were “double jointed”. Those whose party trick involved joints that did some really weird stuff. Maybe you were one of those. I was (and still am) the complete opposite. My trick was NOT being able to touch my toes. Hypermobility, fun as it is when you’re a kid, has a few things that can catch up with you in later life. If you are the kind of person that can (or could, as a child) easily touch the floor with both hands, have … Continue reading →

Preconception Fitness

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We believe that there is no better time to take control of your physical and mental health than when you are considering getting pregnant.   Undertaking regular exercise can go a long way towards ensuring normal conception and a healthy, happy pregnancy. If you are healthy then there’s a good chance your eggs will be too, and your womb will be in the best condition to receive the egg and lead to a viable pregnancy. And don’t just think preconception fitness is only for the woman – men need to be producing healthy sperm – making babies is a two person thing! Being fitter, stronger, and at … Continue reading →

Aches and Pains: book review

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Tim’s current reading material is Louis Gifford’s books, Aches and Pains. This is a series of books written by one of the leading lights in physiotherapy and pain science who unfortunately passed away a few years ago. He has a lot of weight as a voice in current physiotherapy having trained with the “big names” of the last century – being obsessed with the biomedical model, and yet he has progressed onto a much wider and more inclusive view of physicality and pain science. The books are written in a very personable style, and are much easier to read than a normal … Continue reading →

Training vs Rest

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The problem with training hard for any sport is that once you get to a certain point, you aren’t necessarily getting healthier. You may be getting fitter, but healthy? Perhaps not. Alongside this, the warning signs are there, but are mainly ignored. As athletes we know that training again and again, putting ourselves back into the hole, is the best way to adapt, to become better, faster and more competitive. When we finally over-reach ourselves, something gives. Something breaks. Our ability to compete, or even train, goes down and we are faced with potentially a long, slow road to recovery. … Continue reading →