Fitness Clinic

11/10/2022

Osteoporosis and Exercise – There is so much more to it than you think!

We wanted to shout out one of our female clients result to spread awareness of the power of tailored exercise in the management of osteoporosis.

She was referred to our Osteoporosis Program in 2020 after advising her GP and specialist that she wanted to try a natural approach to managing her osteoporosis. Already being an avid participant of exercise, being mainly Pilates and HIIT, it was a shock to her when she was diagnosed with Osteoporosis.

What she was missing in her routine that is critical for bone health is the concept of progressive resistance training and impact loading, both of which are critical for bone development.
Under the supervision of our team of exercise physiologists and nutritionists, she followed the 5 pillars of our Osteoporosis Program and has recently completed her latest DEXA scan revealing a significant growth in bone, moving from osteoporosis to osteopenia.

Incredible result for a beginner into the world of resistance exercise with much more result to achieve!

If you are looking to use exercise to manage your osteoporosis and build your bones back, ask us about our osteoporosis program and 5 evidence based pillars we use to reverse the signs of osteoporosis.

02/08/2021

August is tradie awareness month! Given the current climate of our trades work force we are going to use this month as a chance to highlight some of the common workplace injuries we see and techniques we use to minimise their effect on an individuals health!

Keep an eye out for more posts this month on how to improve your health and stay injury free!

15/07/2021

Final Day of Diabetes Week

As we come to the final day of Diabetes Week we hope anyone suffering with diabetes has learnt and implemented a strategy to assist in combating this condition.

Once lockdown is over we will be resuming our face to face services and recommencing our group diabetes class. These classes are accessible for all ages and are subsided when your GP provides a special referral.

If your a new patient and wanted more information on how we can assist or wanted to book in an initial assessment either via zoom or in person post lockdown, follow the link below to book in for a free 15 minute phone consultation or initial assessment.

And Remember; Movement is Medicine!

During this first session, we take the time to find about as much about your medical history and current functional capacity as possible to ensure a tailored, holistic program is provided specifically for you.

14/07/2021

No Gym - No Excuse!

Given the landscape we are living in at the moment, trying to stay on top of home life, work life and your health can be challenging. Have you found the time to get in some regular exercise these past few weeks?

Here is a small 10 minute home workout program you can perform at a desk or even a bench.

Every minute on the minute - Complete 1 exercise for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds and move onto the next one:

1. Star jumps
2. High knees
3. Squats (using a bench, chair or coffee table)
4. Push-ups (using a high bench, table or floor)
5. Step ups (find some stairs or a small bench)

If that's a bit too challenging, you can take a more traditional resistance training route and perform each exercise for 3 sets of 15 repetitions with a 45 second break in between!

When we are strapped for equipment and time the most simple exercises are sometimes the best. Carrying this mentality over to your everyday life means a chair is no longer a chair but an opportunity to squat!

13/07/2021

Exercise is Important - but How Important Really?

Exercise Physiologists are at the forefront of treating diabetes which is often referred to as a lifestyle disease, meaning factors like physical activity and diet are central in managing and even reversing the condition.

Below is a meta analysis (compilation and consensus from many research papers on the topic) outlining the role of exercise in the management of diabetes - https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/39/11/2065

How does exercise influence your diabetes?

When we exercise we force our muscles to contract, this contraction requires energy, similar to how a car requires fuel to run. Our muscles' primary source of energy is glucose (sugars), when we exercise we force glucose out of our blood and into our muscles for energy, therefore decreasing our blood sugar levels.

When we do this repetitively for weeks or months our body becomes more efficient at this process and it lowers our resistance to insulin, decreases our blood sugar and makes us feel better!

Some common recommendations for exercise and diabetes include;
- Performing aerobic and resistance exercise for better glucose control.
- Not allowing more than 2 days to pass without exercise.
- Including 150 minutes/week of physical activity
- Supplementing every hour of sitting time with 15 minutes of walking or standing.

Exercise Physiologists are university trained allied health professionals who specialise in formulating a tailored exercise and lifestyle plan that suits your goals and needs. We are here to assist you on every step of your journey towards better health.

The adoption and maintenance of physical activity are critical foci for blood glucose management and overall health in individuals with diabetes and prediabetes. Recommendations and precautions vary depending on individual characteristics and health status. In this Position Statement, we provide a c...

12/07/2021

Has COVID Locked you out of your gym?

Has lockdown ruined your gym routine and entire exercise progress? We know how important it is to do resistance exercise when you have diabetes. In fact, your muscles metabolise 80% of your body’s glucose meaning the stronger your muscles are the more effective they are at managing your glucose levels.

But how do you increase your muscle strength without access to weights in a gym during lockdown?

While load is an important parameter to increase muscle mass, there are other parameters we can manipulate to ensure the same work on a muscle. Remember - muscles don’t know what weight is - they only know what tension is.
We can manipulate tension by changing things like the tempo (speed) of the exercise, volume (repetitions/sets) and frequency (how often).

A 60kg barbell squat works the quads well but have you ever tried a banded 6 second lowering squat for 30 reps. Give it a go and let us know how that burn compares!

11/07/2021

National Diabetes Week 11-17th July
Starting from today, it's National Diabetes Week and it's important to ensure lockdown doesn’t stop those afflicted with diabetes to take control of this disease.

Every 5 minutes one person is diagnosed with diabetes in Australia. It's critical this lifestyle disease is managed through regular structured exercise and nutrition. Uber eats is tempting when you're stuck at home but use this extra time wisely! A daily dose of exercise and a home cooked meal does wonders for your glucose levels!

Have you been continuing with your regular exercise during lockdown? Our team of Exercise Physologists are offering free online advice to assist anyone with diabetes continue with their exercises at home. PM us for assistance!

27/05/2021

Theraband Thursday!

We all remember the ad 'You got a door, you got a gym!' - well if you
ask us - you got a theraband, you got a gym!

The trusty ol theraband is an absolutely great, versatile piece of
equipment that can provide an abundance of exercise options that can
give you a really good workout.

Below we have 3 exercise ideas using a simple theraband focusing on 3
different regions of body.

1. Wall Slides - Placing the theraband around the wrists while packing
the shoulders down & in , slide your hands up the wall keeping
pressure into the band maintaining a square shape in your hands. Great
exercise to build scapula stability for shoulder pain/impingement.

2. Glute Clams - Placing theraband around knees and laying on your
side with bent knees, slowly open your knees while keeping contact
with your ankles to strengthen your glutes and stabilise your deep hip
muscles. Awesome exercises for hip bursitis and general hip pain.

3. Palloff Press - Tie the therband around a fixed option and take a
step away from the theraband until its tight, standing perpendicular
to the attachment point. Standing straight and balanced through the
feet, push band in front of your chest resisting the rotation of the
band. Great anti-rotation exercise for the core to assist with back
pain and a functional movement to boot!

26/05/2021

Weights Wednesday!
Exercise Right week is rolling on and there is no better time to highlight the importance of weight training for people of all ages! As we age we begin to slowly lose muscle mass, up to 1% per year if we are over 40yrs, leading to a condition called Sarcopenia.
The elderly population group is especially at risk of this and thus why weight training is critical as we begin to age in order to help improve our function and ability to perform everyday tasks.

Weight training can improve our;
cholesterol levels, blood glucose levels, bone density, posture, mood, confidence and muscular strength!

If you or someone you know needs help or guidance to improve in any of these areas our Exercise Physiologists specialise in providing fun, practical exercise programs to help you achieve your goals!

25/05/2021

As Exercise Right week continues we are going into Technique Tuesday!

Today's tip is the infamous deadlift - maker or breaker of lower backs. It is an exercise that is often associated with causing lower back pain which couldn't be further from the truth.

A deadlift is a vital biomechanical movement that emphasises loading the posterior chain and stabilising your back during bending motions. The biggest issue we see with people doing deadifts is that they squat their deadlifts.

A deadlift is a hip hinge movement where the torso ideally shifts forward over the bar and hips shift backwards, loading the hamstring/glutes. When a person squats their deadlifts, their knees go over the bar and subsequently their hips drop, causing the back to assist in motion. If the load is great, that's a great load on the back as well!

Remember; deadlift your deadlifts and squat your squats!

24/05/2021

Exercise Right week is here!
It's a week about promoting exercise and healthy lifestyles to all Australians and educating them on the benefits exercise can have and how to properly access the right exercise service!

Exercise has many positive physical effects but can also have a large impact on an individuals mental health.
It helps relieve anxiety and stress, improves memory and sleep quality and has a profound impact on your overall mood!

Attached is a weekly activity tracker to record your current activity levels. As Exercise Physiologists we are placed perfectly to help you take the first steps to improving your health and well-being!

28/09/2020

World Heart Day !
Cardiovascular disease is the world’s number one killer and accounts for 11% of all hospitalizations within Australia (2017-18). CVD includes stroke, heart failure and any condition in which the heart or blood vessels are affected.
Individuals who participate in frequent exercise have significantly reduced risk of developing CVD.
Regular exercise also decreases blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and controls weight, these physiological changes are important in controlling hypertension, diabetes and obesity while also improving quality of life.

Similar to how muscles grow stronger from regular resistance training it is important to keep the heart healthy through supervised progressive exercise programs.