Kim Baxter Physiotherapy

14/11/2025

💪 Strength Training for Young People

Strength training offers significant physical, psychological, and developmental advantages for children and adolescents. When delivered in an age-appropriate, well-supervised environment, it supports improved coordination, physical literacy, injury resilience, and long-term healthy movement habits. Beyond the physical gains, it also fosters self-confidence, discipline, and a positive relationship with exercise.

Mettle strength, a Sheffield-based strength club, offers exactly that. Their Strong & Social sessions help young people build strength, skill, and self-belief in a fun, supportive environment.

My son has attended for two years, and the impact on his confidence and overall movement skills has been incredible. The program provides a supportive, structured, and engaging environment led by highly knowledgeable coaches who prioritise safety, technique, and individual progression.

Session Times:
• Ages 8–15 (home-educated) — Wednesdays, 11:00–12:15
• Ages 10–16 — Tuesdays, 16:00–17:30
📍 Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Campus (S10 2LD)

Sessions are accessible for all abilities — and the first session is free.

www.mettle.zone

10/11/2025

✨ New Block of Classes Starting! ✨

After a fantastic first block, we’re kicking off our second block of classes! 🙌

🏋️‍♀️ Sally’s classes start this week — a 6-week block running up to Christmas.

💪 My classes start next week — 5 sessions before the holidays!

There are still a few spaces available, so if you’d like to book a spot or try a session to see if it’s for you, now’s the time!

📍 Runners Rehab
Build strength and stability for running — prevent injuries and boost performance.

📍 Ageing Well Strength
Stay strong, healthy, and confident for the long term.

📍 Kettlebell
Master technique and build power, endurance, and total-body strength.

All sessions are:
🔹 Physio-led — focused on strength, confidence & control
🔹 Small group — personal attention & guidance
🔹 Suitable for all experience levels
🔹 Welcoming, inclusive & motivating

📧 To find out more or book your place:
👉 Email: kimbaxterphysiotherapy@gmail.com

🌐 Website: www.kimbaxterphysiotherapy.co.uk

07/11/2025

I don’t love the title, but this article does a great job summarizing the latest research on running and knee health. Contrary to the old myth, running isn’t bad for your knees—it may actually help keep them healthy and strong.

While all exercise comes with the risk of injury, there are three things runners can do to reduce this

03/11/2025

🏃‍♀️ Back in Clinic After a Busy Half Term!

Just back in clinic after an action-packed week with the Yorkshire & Humberside Junior Orienteering Squad in beautiful Fontainebleau, France! 🇫🇷

It was a fantastic few days filled with lots of training, racing and plenty of fun. The juniors were brilliant — full of energy and enthusiasm.. A tiring week, but an incredibly rewarding one! 💪🌲

20/10/2025

🏃‍♂️ Fast Feet at Club Night!

Last Wednesday marked the first club night of the autumn season at High Storrs School — and what a start! 💥

I ran a packed session with 60 teenagers and adults, all working hard on agility, balance, coordination, and strength. 💪 These drills are designed to build fundamental movement skills — the building blocks of physical literacy.

These skills form the foundation for more complex movements used in navigating (physically) through the various terrain orienteering throws at you from the twisting and turning of an urban area to rocky descents, heather and tussocks in forests and on moorland. 

Great energy and great effort from everyone! 🍂🔥

17/10/2025

🧠 “What’s the best exercise for my injury?”

We hear this question all the time.

The truth is, there’s no single “best” exercise for any injury or condition.

Research gives us some direction and we know exercise helps. But it doesn’t tell us which exact movement is the magic fix. That’s because:

✅ Every person is different
✅ Every injury responds differently
✅ The right exercise depends on you

What actually matters is that the exercise:

🔹Targets the right area
🔹Uses the right load
🔹Is progressed over time
🔹Is done consistently (yes, weeks to months)
🔹Fits your body and recovery stage

13/10/2025

✨ We're Growing! ✨

Over the past four months, since taking over the ground floor of the building, the clinic has been going through an exciting transformation—and we're thrilled to finally share the results with you!

🏡 We've installed brand new exterior signage to make us easier to find.

🛋️ Our new waiting room offers a comfortable space to relax before your appointment.

🧑‍⚕️ We've added a second treatment room to allow for more appointment availability.

🏋️‍♂️ Our small gym area gives us more space and equipment to support your rehab—and it's also home to our new small group strength classes.

Thank you for your patience during the renovation process. We’re now fully up and running in the new space, and we look forward to welcoming you in!

10/10/2025

🔍 **Gluteal Tendinopathy: Time to Rethink Traditional Rehab?**⁣

Gluteal tendinopathy is a leading cause of lateral hip pain, particularly in middle-aged women, with prevalence rates of up to 24%.⁣

In clinical practice, we often hear patients report using exercises like clams and bridges as their primary rehab tools. While these exercises have their place, there are more effective, evidence-informed strategies available.⁣

A recent study explored the use of a heavy-load strengthening programme for individuals with gluteal tendinopathy—an approach already well-supported for other tendon-related conditions.⁣

📈 The findings? The programme was safe, feasible, and did not exacerbate symptoms—suggesting that progressive, loaded strength training may be a promising option for managing this condition.⁣

💡 If you're experiencing persistent lateral hip pain, it may be time to move beyond basic bodyweight exercises and consider a more comprehensive, progressive rehabilitation plan.⁣

📞 Get in touch to find out how we can help you manage your symptoms with an evidence-based approach.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468781225001730

01/10/2025

🧗‍♂️ Not Every Finger Injury is a Pulley Tear! 👇

Last week, while bouldering, I felt that dreaded sudden pain shoot through my ring finger — a fizzing sensation through the A1–A3 pulley areas, palm, and into my forearm. Sort of the classic signs of a pulley injury but not quite.

Everyone around me jumped to the same conclusion: "You've torn your pulley." But I was unsure— it didn’t quite match that typical presentation.

Of course, I had to try a few easy climbs to test it (climber logic 😅). It wasn’t terrible, but definitely not right — so I stopped.

Over the next 48 hours, I monitored for swelling and tenderness over the pulleys. Thankfully, none! But I still had pain along the flexor tendon (from finger to forearm), especially when stretching or loading it.

By day 4, it was improving significantly. I cautiously climbed again — occasional mild discomfort when pulling through just two fingers, but no worsening after and no pain crimping. Now, it's feeling 100% in daily life, and I'm slowly rebuilding my climbing.

🔑 Takeaway: If you feel sudden pain in your finger while climbing, it might not be a pulley tear — but it's still an injury, and should be treated with care.

Here’s how to manage it:
1️⃣ Stop climbing. Yes, test it if you must — but listen to your body and don’t push through pain.
2️⃣ Rest and let it settle. The first few days are crucial for healing.
3️⃣ Reintroduce load slowly and to keep it pain-free (lots of complexities around this advice, but with an acute injury pain free is definitely safest). Gradual, controlled climbing only.
4️⃣ Progress carefully and monitor your symptoms during and after.
5️⃣ Not improving? See a physio for a proper assessment and return-to-climb plan.

🧠 The point? Acute finger pain isn’t always what you think — but the principles of early management remain the same. Be smart, recover well, and climb strong 💪

26/09/2025

🔥 Can You Adapt to Heat Without Hot Weather?

A recent study suggests that structured overdressing protocols can effectively mimic the benefits of heat acclimation — even in cooler environments.

By wearing multiple layers during moderate-intensity exercise (in a 20°C gym), participants achieved core temperatures comparable to training in the heat.

✅ After just 5 sessions, participants showed:
• Lower resting core temperature
• Reduced heart rate during heat exposure
• Improved thermal regulation
• Enhanced sweat response

⚠️ However, this is not a DIY sweat-suit hack.
This method places real physiological stress on the body and should be approached with care. Some participants in the study had to stop early due to overheating. 

💬 What this means for runners:
If you’re preparing for a warm-weather race and don’t have access to hot conditions, overdressed heat training may be a viable option — when done safely.

26/09/2025

🔥Can You Adapt to Heat Without Hot Weather?

A recent study suggests that structured overdressing protocols can effectively mimic the benefits of heat acclimation — even in cooler environments.

By wearing multiple layers during moderate-intensity exercise (in a 20°C gym), participants achieved core temperatures comparable to training in the heat.

✅ After just 5 sessions, participants showed:
• Lower resting core temperature
• Reduced heart rate during heat exposure
• Improved thermal regulation
• Enhanced sweat response

⚠️ However, this is not a DIY sweat-suit hack.
This method places real physiological stress on the body and should be approached with care. Some participants in the study had to stop early due to overheating.

💬 What this means for runners:
If you’re preparing for a warm-weather race and don’t have access to hot conditions, overdressed heat training may be a viable option — when done safely.

Individuals who work in the heat, such as military personnel and athletes, are often required to rapidly transition from temperate or cooler climates to hot environments. Thus, acclimation strategies are needed for individuals lacking access to hot weather. We sought to develop and validate a practi...

23/09/2025

Race report from Sally' Ben Nevis Skyline race.

I had an epic outing on the Ben Nevis Skyline, 28km with 1700m ascent. The long climb up the Ben came and went in a couple of hours, the weather wasn't as bad as forecast on the tops but it was still waterproofs, hat and gloves for the CMD arete across to bag the 2nd munro - Carn Mor Dearg then the fun started. I loved the wilderness of the pathless valley run, (picture taken from my recce the day before in better conditions!) We then climbed up to the gondola station to race down the Blue Doon mountain bike trail to the Nevis Range. The fell runner in me wasn't appreciating all the switchbacks, a much straighter line could have been taken but it was a marked course after all! A great day out for 6th female and 1st V40!