FirstIn Physio Pty Ltd

16/03/2026

Hot take for runners:
If you skip core training, you’re basically trying to fire a cannon… from a canoe. 🚣‍♀️💥

Your legs might be strong.
Your VO₂ max might be impressive.
Your shoes might cost more than your weekly groceries.

But if your trunk can’t stabilise the force you’re producing, a big chunk of that power is leaking out like a cracked water bottle.

Here’s the spicy truth 🌶️:

When you run, your hips and legs generate force — but your core is the transmission that transfers it efficiently through your body.

Weak core =
• Energy leaks with every stride
• More trunk rotation and pelvic drop
• Less running economy
• More load on hips, knees, and lower back

Strong core =
• Better force transfer
• Improved cadence and posture
• Less wasted energy
• More speed for the same effort

Translation:
You might be leaving free performance gains on the table because you’d rather run another interval than do 8 minutes of planks.

Brutal.

The good news?
You don’t need an hour-long “ab day.”

Try this runner-friendly core circuit 2–3x/week:
✔️ Dead bugs
✔️ Side planks
✔️ Pallof press
✔️ Single-leg bridge

8–10 minutes. That’s it.

Your watch will think you got fitter.
Your legs will feel fresher.
And your future self at kilometre 18 will be very grateful.

Run lots. But stabilise the engine that powers it. 🏃‍♀️🔥

13/03/2026

🏃‍♀️ Runner’s High: Not just a myth your running friends use to justify their life choices.

You’ve probably heard runners say things like:
“I went for a run and felt AMAZING afterwards.”

Meanwhile non-runners are like:
“Sure… that sounds fake.”

But Runner’s High is actually a real physiological phenomenon.

When you run (especially moderate to hard efforts for ~20–30+ minutes), your body releases a cocktail of feel-good chemicals, including:

🧠 Endorphins – natural opioids that reduce pain and create feelings of euphoria.
🌿 Endocannabinoids – yes, the same system activated by cannabis… except your body makes it itself during exercise.
😌 Dopamine & serotonin – neurotransmitters linked to mood, motivation, and wellbeing.

These chemicals help explain why runners often report:
• Less stress
• Improved mood
• Reduced anxiety
• That slightly smug “I just ran 12km before breakfast” energy.

The catch?

You usually have to run long enough to earn it.
For most people it shows up after 20–40 minutes of steady aerobic work.

Which means the first part of the run still feels like:

“Why did I do this to myself?”

But then suddenly…
✨ mood lifts
✨ legs feel lighter
✨ life seems manageable again.

Science calls this neurochemical reward from endurance exercise.

Runners call it:

“Guess I’ll sign up for another race!”

Check in on your runner friends….they might need some help with their running addiction 🤭😂

11/03/2026

Dry needling: are physios just stabbing people for fun?

Fair question. It does look a little suspicious.

You lie down. We casually bring out a tray of needles. Then we say things like “you might feel a small twitch.”

But here’s the deal — dry needling is actually one of the most effective ways to switch off stubborn, overactive muscles.

It works particularly well for:• Neck and shoulder tension• Headaches that start in the neck• Tennis elbow• Tight runner calves and hamstrings• That one knot in your back that has survived massage, stretching, and your partner digging an elbow into it for 20 minutes

What’s happening is we’re targeting trigger points — hyper-irritable spots in muscle that keep the muscle stuck in a protective spasm.

The needle causes a local twitch response, which is basically the muscle going:“OK FINE I’LL RELAX.”

Important things to know:

• The needles are very thin (nothing like injection needles)• Most people say it’s surprisingly not that painful• It’s not magic — the real fix still comes from strengthening and rehab

Think of dry needling like hitting the reset button on an angry muscle so the real work can start.

Also… if your muscle jumps dramatically, don’t worry.

That’s just your body realising we found the perfect spot 🤓

Here at First In Physio we have Senior as well as Advanced-level Qualification practitioners in Dry Needling (Advanced - think TMJ and Achilles tendon, the fun stuff…!!) - if you are wanting to incorporate dry needling into your Physio treatment, please mention it when you book your appointment so that we can direct you towards the right practitioner!

Have a great Wednesday 😁

10/03/2026

Kathy’s turn! Our #1 receptionist that we couldn’t function without, she keeps all of our (very full!) classes flowing seamlessly and keeps all of the physios in line during the busy afternoon shifts, all with a smile and always a few good stories on the side for entertainment purposes 😅🙌 Loves a bit of travel and family time, thank you .62 for all that you do for us!

08/03/2026

Proud to be supporting our local running festival again! 👌

Sponsor Shout Out - First In Physio is backing the Burdekin Sugar Rush Senior 5k — keeping runners fixed, fast, and firing.

08/03/2026

Call 47837284 to book - no referral required.
Have a great Monday!

08/03/2026

BONE BUILDER CLASSES have been added as well as an extra Adolescent Strength and Conditioning Class due to popular demand! Bookings are essential, please call 47837284 to come along and try one of our incredible classes, from Yoga to Pilates to Heavy Weights to Spin - we have you covered, taken by the most qualified practitioners in the Burdekin.
No referral required

06/03/2026

Everyone wants to do the big show gym exercises.

Heavy squats.
Deadlifts that rattle the floor.
One-armed pull-ups that make the whole gym quietly reconsider their life choices.

But the real VIP section of the gym?
It’s the boring stuff.

Core work.
Hip stability.
Mobility drills.
Rotator cuff exercises with a band that weighs approximately the same as a shoelace.

Not glamorous.
Not Instagrammable.
But they’re the price of admission.

Because the truth is:
You don’t just decide to do impressive lifts.
You earn the right to do them.

Every plank.
Every glute bridge.
Every slow, controlled mobility rep is basically telling your joints:

“Relax… we know what we’re doing here.”

Skip that part and jump straight to the hero lifts?

No worries.

We’ll see you soon…
at the physio clinic. 👋🩺
If you do stuff it up, we’re here from 7am weekdays 47837284 - noon referral required (we won’t judge you, we’ve all been there 🤨😎)

04/03/2026

Next up we have our amazing Practice Manager Lisa Zabel! We would be so lost without her organisational skills and experience and are very lucky to have her 🙌💜

03/03/2026

Every week someone tells me:
“I’ve done my rotator cuff.”

But here’s the plot twist 👇

Most rotator cuff pain isn’t a dramatic tear. It’s usually load intolerance — the shoulder saying:
“Hey… I wasn’t prepared for that.”

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles:
• Supraspinatus
• Infraspinatus
• Teres minor
• Subscapularis

Their job?
Not to “lift your arm” like most people think.

Their real job is to:
✔️ Keep the ball centred in the socket
✔️ Control rotation
✔️ Provide dynamic stability when you press, pull, throw or swim

When training load spikes (new gym program, more overhead work, extra tennis, more swimming, heavier bench press), the cuff can get irritated.

Pain ≠ damage.
Pain often = capacity < demand.

⸻

🚩 Common myths:

❌ “I need to stop using it.”
❌ “I need surgery.”
❌ “It’s impingement because my shoulder shape is bad.”

(Research shows structural findings on scans are common even in pain-free people.)

⸻

💡 What actually helps?

✔️ Gradual loading
✔️ Strength through range
✔️ Building tolerance to overhead work
✔️ Looking at total weekly load (not just one session)

The goal isn’t “protect the shoulder.”
The goal is make it stronger than the demands you place on it.
A good physio can work out your specific diagnosis, and work out the best solution for you to allow you to keep doing the things that you love the most…including being able to sleep on that side again 🤭😅 call us on 47837284 - no referral required, appointments from 7am daily 🙌

03/03/2026

HOT TAKE:
If every run you do is a glory run… you’re not training. You’re auditioning.

The real flex?
Those “boring” 45–75 minute easy runs where:
• No one claps
• Your watch doesn’t beep exciting splits
• You don’t get to post “CRUSHED IT 🔥”
• You question your life choices at minute 12

And yet…

These “filler” runs should make up 70–80% of your mileage if you’re even semi-serious.

Because easy runs:
• Build your aerobic base
• Increase capillary density
• Improve fat oxidation
• Strengthen tendons without frying your nervous system
• Let you actually absorb your hard sessions

Translation:
They’re the reason your speed work works.

You don’t build endurance in the sexy intervals.
You reveal it there.

The boring runs are where:
• Your heart gets more efficient
• Your mitochondria multiply
• Your injury risk drops
• You learn patience (against your will)

If your Strava feed is 100% threshold and VO2 max days…
I have questions.

Elite programs aren’t heroic every day.
They’re mostly controlled, conversational, mildly humbling jogging.

The glamour?
It’s in restraint.

So next time you’re out there on your “nothing special” Tuesday shuffle, remember:

This is the training.
The fast stuff is just the proof.

Now go run slow enough that you could:
• Hold a conversation
• Or complain about the fact you’re running slow

Both count.

01/03/2026