Martin Haley - Solutions Fitness

04/03/2026

Service!

Back when I was working in the UK, a large percentage of my Therapy work was 'Maintenance Sessions'.

This is where clients would book in every 4, 6, 8, 12 weeks or so and would have a Sports Massage and Stretch session. Not because they were injured. A session in order to help prevent injuries occurring.

The same pattern is happening now I'm working in Spain. Gradually, more and more clients are seeing the benefits to a regular 'maintenance session'. So WHY is that?

Let's say you regularly take part in sport or exercise. It's a pretty good bet that it is important to you. It's part of your routine. It could be the social aspect of meeting people. It could be the release of mental and physical stress. It may help with weight control and general health. You might be a competitive person that thrives on success.

So when you have to lay off your sport or exercise due to injury, that can have major impact on your whole life.

You can't take part in your chosen activity. You stop meeting up with people to talk and socialise with. You lose fitness. You don't get to release your stress. When you are able to return, it takes time to get back to the same level of fitness.

This is why people decide to have regular maintenance sessions. The most common time frame is every 4 weeks, but most come in somewhere between 4 and 8 weeks. Some just want their Back worked on. Some just their legs (but I always suggest the Back has some work, even for Runners). Others want a full body session. This will entail a deep(ish) massage and stretching of various muscles.

Occasionally, while working on a client during this maintenance session, we'll find an area of tightness that the client didn't realise was there. We then work on this as part of their session and I can suggest they alter their training for a little time and also advise on some extra stretching or strengthening exercises so the problem doesn't escalate.

It is amazing the number of clients don't feel they have issues. For example, a client may come in for treatment of low back pain, or hip or leg issues. What they're telling me about the problem doesn't make sense, so I ask if they have any other issues, such as Neck or upper Back problems. They generally say they DO NOT have other issues but when I palpate (feel) those other areas, they are tight and feel pain they didn't know they had.

Maybe you do not exercise (or much) but are sat at a desk for many hours, or driving, and build up tension in your Back, Neck or Pelvic areas. These maintenance sessions are not just for 'sporting' types. Some of my clients have very physical jobs, so looking after themselves with a session every so often prevents them losing time from work (and losing money).

If you want to discus this further and see what benefits you can gain from our Maintenance Sessions, get in touch and we'll see what we can do for you.

Most people regularly 'Maintain' their teeth, hair, nails, car. Maybe it's time to consider the rest of you...

14/01/2026

I almost always ask clients about their hydration habits, like how much water do they drink each day. Especially since living in this warmer country. Most often the reply is along the lines of "yep, I drink plenty."

But when I ask if they also add salt to their water, I usually get a blank look.

"But surely salt is bad for you?"

"Isn't salt linked to hypertension, heart issues, high blood pressure?"

Nope!

We're not talking about your usual table salt (= sodium and chloride). Yeah, that stuff is processed rubbish stripped of all goodness.

I'm talking about Himalayan Pink salt or Celtic Sea salt, which contains 80+ minerals essential for health.

We ideally should be drinking 2+ litres of clean water per day. When in a hot environment, or working/exercising, that should be increased. But if you are consuming just plain water, along with sweating, where you will lose sodium and other minerals, we need to replace those.

Just 2% drop in hydration levels can affect cognition and focus. Blood flow is also affected. Reactions and alertness are slowed and lethargy sets in.

So try adding a pinch of good quality salt to replace those minerals. Adding salt to water is almost an Electrolyte replacement drink (I would also add some Lemon Juice or cordial).

For a 500 ml bottle of water, I would add a single pinch of salt to each and every bottle. For a litre, I would add 2 good pinches. You shouldn't really be able to taste the salt but I would describe it as tasting different or slightly 'milky'.

02/01/2026

Feedback is 'Gold'. Especially when it comes to treatments.

It's a way of knowing you are on the right track, or that you need to adjust something in order to get on that track.

I find a BIG percentage of clients DON'T give you feedback on their treatments. Sometimes you see them out and about a year later and they'll say the treatment was great and they were all good.

This is frustrating as often you just don't know for sure whether what you've done for them has worked, or not.

A few weeks ago I had a new client in. They'd had a bad accident around 7-8 years ago and have been struggling ever since. Hospital visits concluded they couldn't do anymore after major surgery.
The client was now struggling to walk very far (a few hundred meters at most) and was walking by compensating their gait.

In they came and we worked on them. Testing their ability to climb a step following the treatment found they could do this unaided - before treatment they had to hold on to something then 'jerk' the movement.

Anyway, gave them some homework, told them they would need some further treatment but to let me know in a weeks time how they were getting on. Radio silence.

This week was 3 weeks since the treatment and a family member of the client stopped me while out walking saying how much improvement there had been and the person was walking so much better. I said I had no idea as they hadn't got back to me. They did say the client had been ill and it was Christmas but they would mention it to them.

As we walked away, my wife commented how frustrating it must be when this happens. It is.

I then got a WhatsApp a day or so later saying how much better they were feeling and moving so much better.

It's not a criticism of anybody but if they had messaged me and said there was no difference, I could suggest or do something different - sometimes we will be working on a secondary issue but need to find the root cause. If they had messaged to say how much better they felt, I could reiterate how important it was to keep up with homework, or come back in and we can do some more work to improve things further.

I get it that we are all busy and forget to do things, but feedback is key. I can now go into their treatment notes and add in how much improvement they had.

It's like when you go to a doctor for illness (I wouldn't know😀) and they give you some meds but they make you worse or give you bad side affects. The doctor will most likely change the brand of meds or change the dosage or give you something completely different.

So give that feedback. It helps more than you know. Even if it is a review on their page, or similar - HINT!

16/12/2025

Have a gander at this podcast with Dr Jason Fung, which will break down the ins and outs of (Intermittent) Fasting. It's an hour and 25 minutes long.

Covers why you can't lose weight, why the 'Calories In v Calories Out' belief is NOT correct, the role of Insulin and other hormones in keeping weight on AND losing weight, and reversing Type 2 Diabetes.

He does repeat himself lots of time and you might find him a little monotonous, but he does break things down into plain English...

If you enjoyed this episode with Dr. Jason Fung, I recommend you check out my conversation with the Glucose Goddess, Jessie Inchauspé, which you can find her...

10/12/2025

Have been saying this for around 20 years that Cholesterol is NOT the issue. Even had some flak from people online that believed the BS from the medical 'industry' and believing things like the 'Framingham Study', where they thought correlation = causation.

Go do some research. Read 'The Great Cholesterol Con' by Dr Malcolm Kendrick, if you can still get it.

You're more likely to suffer bad health, or worse, with lower cholesterol levels than higher levels...

New research is challenging what we’ve long believed about cholesterol and the findings are turning heads. Emerging data shows that people with higher cholesterol levels may actually live longer and may even have a lower risk of developing certain cancers. While high cholesterol has traditionally been linked to heart disease, these new studies suggest it may also offer surprising protective benefits.

Scientists now believe cholesterol plays a far more important biological role than previously understood. It supports cell repair, drives hormone production, and plays a key part in maintaining a strong immune system. Some evidence even suggests cholesterol may help the body defend itself against cancer, contributing to improved longevity in ways researchers are still uncovering.

This doesn’t mean cholesterol is harmless but it does show that the story is much more complex than “low is good, high is bad.” For years, reducing cholesterol was seen as the ultimate health goal. Now, experts say that moderately higher levels may actually be linked to better long-term health outcomes.

As research continues, these discoveries could reshape how we think about diet, medicine, and preventive care and help us approach cholesterol with a more nuanced, science-based perspective.

03/12/2025

Clients coming in over the next few weeks, please don't feel obliged to bring gifts like one of today's lovely clients.

It's a lovely bottle of red. One of my favourites. Just saying...

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?