Martin Haley - Solutions Fitness

27/11/2025

Morning health boost

Spirulina, Chlorella, Creatine, water...

26/11/2025

Know Your Numbers - Part 2

A few weeks ago, I went for my
Birthday Blood Test, purely for preventative measures. Last year was my first so I wanted to see if any of the measures I put in place had made a difference. This time it took 2 weeks to get the results then a few days pouring over, translating results.

I had a few extra tests this time around including one for Magnesium, as I have been taking this for years but didn't know what my levels were.

On the whole, my results were good and virtually all improved.

So here's some of the results and what supplements I take and whether it's worth it.

Magnesium - I have been taking Magnesium Oil spray for many years. I take the spray (added to skin) as it bypasses the digestive system, going straight into blood stream (Oral Magnesium can produce digestive issues and also if you have current digestive issues, it can affect absorption). My levels are at the higher range of what's needed. So i'll keep taking the supplement.

Vitamin D3 - last year, my levels were at 'insufficient', so this year I have spent more time in the sun, sensibly, without sunscreen (haven't used sunscreen for almost 20 years). This year my levels have increased substantially but still room for improvement. Therefore, I'll try and get more safe sun exposure.

Creatine - I have only started taking this supplement the last few months. I took it many years ago when I stopped running and began in the gym but didn't find it did much for me. The last year or so, a lot of research has concluded that Creatine is not just for muscle growth, but more importantly for brain health and cognition, and this is why I take 10mg instead of the old thinking of 5mg per day. This year, my results show a significant improvement in levels, so i'll keep taking it. So that proves i'm getting more intelligent with age... 😏

Testosterone - No supplements taken for this. There are 2 readings for this. Total and Free. Last year my levels were midway for Total, and below sufficient for Free. This year, my Total level has improved and is in the upper range, and my Free levels have improved to almost mid range. I put this down to more resistance training (sporadic), fasting and losing weight/bodyfat. Room for improvement and this will be down to more consistent training.

B Vitamins - I started taking a Methylated B Complex supplement last year after a DNA test suggested I couldn't absorb 'normal' B vitamins. Methylated means it is in 'pre-absorbed form' so the body doesn't have to process it.
B9 (Folic Acid) - this year my levels have doubled and are at the higher range

B12 (Cobalamin) - Last year my levels were at the lower range suggesting supplementation is required. This year my levels went DOWN (even with supplements) and are at the lowest range. For this reason, i'm going to change the supplementation and get a re-test in a few months.

Vitamin A - I didn't get this result last year and I don't take anything specifically for this, apart from normal diet. This year my result was practically top of the range level, so no need to add supplements but keep with diet.

All Liver and Kidney levels were good AND improved, so no need to reduce anything in diet 😏

ALL Red Blood Cell tests were good.

All White Blood Cell tests were good, apart from one. My Monocytes % was high (increased over last year) but this can happen when Vitamin B12 is low, so that makes sense - need to sort B12 and re-test. Saying that, my Monocytes Absolute Value, which is more important, is at higher range, so all good.

Blood Glucose levels - last year was just within range but this year it had gone over accepted range. This didn't make sense as we do not consume sugar (apart from alcohol), and very limited processed foods, virtually no bread. I have a Blood Glucose and Ketone test kit at home and it has tested good and lower than last year. I'll check a bit more regularly but don't see it as an issue.

Now, the only thing of concern was the PSA (Prostate). Again, you have a Total range and a Free range. Both of mine have increased significantly over last year but...
You divide the Free result by Total result and get a %, and my % is well within range - should be above 25% and mine is 31% . Therefore, i'll go and get another test in a few months.

Phew, a long post and you may ask why or what's the point? It's a numbers game. Knowing the metrics of your health can kick-start you into making improvements in your health and fitness regimes.

I know I don't have to waste money on certain supplements as my diet is covering that. I can change certain supplements to see if that improves certain things. If I feel some improvements are down to diet - adding/removing certain things, exercise, then the test results back those up...

07/11/2025

A little something to keep health on track...

06/11/2025

Know Your Numbers

Do you take supplements? Vitamins, minerals, potions and powders? Do you know if you actually need them or not?

Today I went down the coast to get my own birthday present (you can wish me well on my personal page, if you like 😀). It was exactly the same present as I bought myself last year.

It was a full Blood Analysis. I went to a private laboratory in a town about 40 minutes drive away.

Anyway, last year it picked up a few things I was deficient in (I'd also recently done a DNA Methylation test and the bloods confirmed things) so I wanted to see if the changes I made, have made a difference.

A simple 10 minute in and out prick in the arm (😮) and in about 5 days, I'll receive 3-4 pages of results by email. So what?

Well, if things have improved, I'll keep going with what I've been doing. If things haven't changed where I've been taking supplements or increased vitamins and minerals from foods, there's no point wasting money on those things.

Yes, the testing cost a fair few hundred Euros but if it comes back that I don't need to take, let's say Magnesium for example, and something else, then I'll save the money spent on those things that could cover the testing costs.

One of the things that showed up on the low side last year, was vitamin D3 - yes, living in Spain and having low Vit D!

Well, I haven't used sunscreen for almost 20 years and generally keep in the shade or under an umbrella. So this past year, I spent more time in the sun. Sensibly. More so in the mornings and late on in the day. Oh, I really do like the sun but there's no point being stupid and lazing in it all day, like some I could mention 😏

Apart from supplements, I've got back into training, a little, as my Testosterone was low - it could just be age. Let's see what that has done.
I started taking daily Creatine, so let's see if the figures have changed on that.

The whole point of this post is that if you are taking supplements, which can be a good thing, do you actually need them? Are they benefiting you? Is there something else you 'should' be taking?

It's like going on a diet and/or exercise blast but not knowing where you are to begin with. Not knowing what your blood pressure readings are, so you don't know if you are improving things.

Know YOUR numbers. Test yourself for whatever you need. Track and note the differences so when things improve, you actually know and it will give you a boost.

Looking forward to my steak tonight!

Oh, the little prick didn't hurt...

04/11/2025

Just because something shows up on an MRI or other types of imaging, doesn't mean it is the cause of your pain, or even a problem...

Your MRI doesn’t tell your story it only whispers a few lines.
Imaging shows structure, not strength.
It can’t measure resilience, adaptation, or how your body feels and functions.

Far too many surgeries are done because of what’s seen on a screen
tiny “abnormalities” that are often just normal signs of living.
Age-appropriate changes, not emergencies.

Before you rush to fix what may not be broken,
start with movement, education, and a real conversation.
You are not your MRI.
You are more than an image
you are function, healing, and potential in motion

08/10/2025

What's the one thing that will stop you losing weight, and contribute to a vast array of illnesses?

03/10/2025

Had a new client in 2 weeks ago, for pain in upper back after going to sit on sun lounger, missed, and fell to floor.

Had pain for a number of weeks and just wasn't going away.

Thought this was going to be an easy case of the muscles being jarred and going into spasm but during questioning, things started to open up.

Headaches, long term. Sleeping, hardly slept more than a few hours for many years. Stress, ongoing most of life for various reasons.

When I get this information, even though there was an 'injury' as such, I go straight to checking the client's breathing pattern. So I was going to look at breathing first and then see if the muscles needed working on.

Diaphragm was tight and painful to touch. QL muscles of lower back were tight/painful. Upper Trapezius and Scalene muscles of neck were all painful. All those muscles are involved with breathing. Asked client to take a few deep breaths - was initiating and predominantly using chest to breathe.

Discussed this with client to which they said they had been to numerous 'specialists' over many years , because client felt unable to breathe correctly and felt 'tight' in chest/abdominal area - this didn't come out during initial consult.

So we start by releasing Diaphragm and getting client to focus on breathing from belly. After about 10 minutes of work, client bursts into tears!

After a few minutes to compose, they then say how this feels so good and what they have needed for so many years, and how so many 'specialists' have told them there was nothing wrong.

We then work on relaxing the back and neck muscles. Give the client some homework and arrange to see the following week.

Due to hectic period, client cancelled next session and came in the following week, this week. Back pain initially went away but has returned but the huge difference was, has slept through the night since first treatment! Feels more relaxed but the main thing is, feels now has found out what has been going on for so many years.

Stress can cause a host of issues. Many times, we don't like to admit to being stressed as people often feel it is a weakness, that we can't cope. But stress comes in many forms. Sometimes it is purely a full-on, busy lifestyle and we don't give ourselves time to 'switch off'.

Sure, breathing is not the cause, it's a symptom, a coping strategy. You DO have to work on the cause of the stress. But when you have developed an incorrect breathing pattern, it can become ingrained as the 'new normal'. This then, over time, causes muscular pain and many physiological issues.

This is why I work so often with clients on correct breathing...

01/10/2025

Another last minute cancellation for tomorrow late morning, if anyone's interested. It's only a 2 hour+ flight from UK.
Suppose I'll just twiddle my thumbs for an hour or so...

01/10/2025

Here's a fabulous podcast I watched this afternoon with a Cardiologist Dr Pradip Jamnadas.

Talks about the causes and things you could do to prevent or reverse issues regarding the CV system, including improving gut health.

A good section on 'fasting' - probably more clear than many others I've listened to.

Also, a good section on Cholesterol and medications (okay, he could've gone more on this but I get why).

What foods to eat, how to prepare rice, what not to eat.

Take a gander...

What if EVERYTHING your doctor told you about heart disease is completely WRONG?World-renowned cardiologist Dr. Pradip Jamnadas drops BOMBSHELLS that will ma...

04/09/2025

Here's the video follow up to yesterday's post about muscles 'switching off, going to sleep, being weak'.
If you haven't already, go read it first ⬇️⬇️⬇️

03/09/2025

I laughed the other week. There's a Physiotherapist back in the UK, actually quite close to where I was based, who would regularly criticize other therapists for a particular reason, with online posts. They would say therapists should stop telling their clients that their Glutes had 'switched off' or were 'weak'.

I've posted about this before, possibly a few years back now, but thought I would post some proof that their is such a thing as 'Gluteal Amnesia' or 'weak' Glutes.

Maybe it's the play on words that the Physio doesn't like, but below I have attached a couple of images containing Scientific Evidence that muscles DO go to sleep, switch off, go weak - these are from world renowned therapists (Chaitow/Liebenson). Also attached are some screen shots of a particular issue called Gluteal Amnesia from various medical publications.

Maybe the terminology is not 100% correct (like Dead Butt Syndrome, :-) ), but it is often easier to use this type of wording so we don't confuse our clients. I like to use basic language with clients, then back it up if I feel it is necessary. I know other therapists like to use technical wording or names but I feel the majority of clients just won't understand.

I will often tell a client, after muscle testing, that their Glutes are 'testing weak'. I will always follow that by saying weak is not the correct term but it is easier to understand. I will always say it is actually that the muscle(s) are inhibited and that it is more correct to say the signal is not reaching the muscle(s).

If you don't believe a muscle can 'switch off' or go to 'sleep', how do you think compensations happen?

I will make and post a video about this so you have a visual explanation.

As always, would love to hear your comments on this below, whether positive or negative...

29/08/2025

No fancy pants Gym required. Just a few Kettlebells and some bodyweight exercises, and you're good to go...

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