5 Tips on Setting your New Year’s Resolutions and Achieving Them

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It is incredible how quickly the New Year comes around. It seriously felt like Easter was only yesterday! With everything already looking pretty bust on the calendar, be sure to take some time to reflect on the past year and think about what you might want to achieve in the year to come. New Year’s resolutions may seem a little cliché, but not only is it a great excuse to take a little time out from the hustle and bustle of this crazy time of year and put some plans in place, it is also a good time to look back on the year that was and set some personal goals that you really want to reach.

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Why Choose Dry Needling

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Your physiotherapist may suggest dry needling as a technique to help in your treatment. There are several benefits that may make it a good choice of treatment for you.

Simply inserting the needle has positive effects:dry needling

  1. It stimulates local endorphin release and increased blood flow to the area. These local effects can cause pain relief for up to 3 days.
  2. It can also stimulate an inflammatory response to kick start a healing process that has gone stagnant
  3. It can activate another type of pain control – the pain gating mechanism that continues relief up to 8 hrs following treatment
  4. It can have immune effects; causing an increase in white blood cells and other cells that help clear debris in an injured/dysfunctional area

Needling also works on spots called trigger points. These areas are hypersensitive and feel like a knot or band in your muscle. A trigger point affects muscle range, power, recruitment and may produce local or referred pain. Muscles that contain trigger points often tire quickly and take longer to recover and relax. They also have a loss of coordination with other muscles or movements. How it helps:

  1. Inhibiting sporadic muscle activity of a trigger point even several hours following treatment
  2. Stimulating normal calcium re-uptake required for appropriate muscle contraction
  3. Stimulating healing as well as collagen and protein formation
  4. Producing immediate changes to muscle length and motor control

What it should feel like: dull, achy, dragging, bruised, grabby, warm.

What it shouldn’t feel like: stingy, sharp, pins and needles.

Needling is done with a sterile, disposable needle. Needles will be inserted into the skin and may be manually stimulated to induce a better response. Following treatment, it is normal to feel a bit achy and/or tired for 24-48 hours. Some other side effects that are not as common exist, so it is best to discuss this with your physiotherapist.

Is it Acupuncture?

Dry needling is often used interchangeably with the word acupuncture. Although both techniques use the same fine needles there are differences in duration and rational for treatment;

  • Acupuncture is based on eastern medicine of treating meridians or energy lines. Needles in acupuncture remain in situ for longer periods of time
  • Needling targets trigger points in muscles and stay in for shorter periods or several minutes

If it sounds like Dry Needling is a good treatment option for you, talk to your Physiotherapist!

Surviving the Silly Season

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The silly season is well and truly underway and your social calendar will no doubt be filling up quicker than you realise. This time of year seems to be the time where people burn themselves out by trying to fit way too much into each day, and instead of it being an enjoyable and peaceful time of year, people are looking forward to it all being over. The team at Barefoot have created a survival guide so you don’t wear yourself out over the Christmas period. ‘Tis the season to be jolly.

  1. Backyard CricketNumber one on the list is you. Don’t forget to prioritise you! Yes, this is the time of giving and spending time with family and friends, but that doesn’t mean that you or your health have to suffer. Make sure you stick to your exercise routine, but don’t be afraid to modify your workouts, whether it be the intensity or the time frame, be sure that you’re keeping your body happy. If you’re headed to the beach, keep in mind that a nice walk on the beach can also be considered a work out.
  2. Warm up! We are all big fans of backyard cricket on Christmas and Boxing Day, but for most of us, this is a once in a year event. Try not to surprise your body too much when you go to hit the ball for six, or by pulling out that old spin bowl you had mastered in high school. Maybe try a few little warm-up exercises before you show everyone your inner Shane Warne. This also goes for lifting heavy esky’s, taking that huge leg of ham out of the oven, or even just doing something your body is not used to. Remember to always think about your positioning, and if needed, ask someone to give you a helping hand.
  3. Barefoot Physio Brisbane PhysioStay hydrated! Over the silly season, people tend to drink a little more alcohol than they normally would throughout the year. This definitely helps with the spirit staying merry, but it is generally quite hot over the Aussie Christmas holiday, so try to keep that H2O close by for you to call on it regularly to help your body survive the break.
  4. Rest up. Make sure you use some of your down time to take a little
    nap and catch up on sleep. The last thing you want to do after having time off is to get back into the swing of things feeling tired, lethargic and needed another break. After a big meal, don’t feel bad about sneaking off for a little nap. That is a pre-requisite on Christmas afternoon, right?!
  5. Avoid sitting for too long. A lot of the time our Christmas day and accompanying social events are all sitting around the table eating delicious food. Do you best to keep your body happy by standing up every now and then, going and having a lay down on the couch, or just grab your pocket physio or lacrosse ball and do some releases. Your body will thank you for it later.
  6. Decorate and embrace the Christmas feeling. Make sure you keep the Grinch away and embrace the Christmas carols, and make sure you decorate the house – it always puts a spring in your step. You can never have too many decorations at Christmas.
  7. Be grateful. Make the most of the time you get to spend with your family and friends during this time. It is them that make Christmas time special, so be sure to take a moment and be grateful for those you hold so close.christmas decorations

The team at Barefoot wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe new year.

Headaches and You

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Thoracic Extension StretchOften during our assessments, we will find tight, ropey or stiff areas that are really painful and you were unaware they were there. Our brains are really good at ignoring musculoskeletal pain, especially when it has happened slowly over time or remains the same every day. This is one of the reasons why pain/injuries can occur seemingly out of nowhere.

One of the symptoms our clients complain of is a headache. Headaches are a symptom of different causes and affect many Australians often on a weekly or even daily basis.

There are several types of headache; migraine, tension-type, cervicogenic or combined. Primary headaches such as those with migraine and tension type headaches can get symptom relief from the tips from this link and manual therapy by a physiotherapist. This is especially true since they are commonly combined with mechanical impairments, however other factors may also be at play. A cervicogenic headache occurs secondary to a neck dysfunction and can greatly benefit from the aforementioned tips/ physio treatment.

Neck Pain and Headache

If the nervous system receives excessive signals from the neck it can become sensitised and referred headaches can occur prior to any feeling of neck pain. Other individuals may notice a lack of neck range or pain/ stiffness in the neck. Cervicogenic headaches may be aggravated with neck movements, postures or worsens by the end of day or work week. Textbook cervicogenic headaches are intermittent and usually side dominant, however if neck dysfunction is bilateral or it is a mixed migraine or tension-type headache with cervicogenic contribution this may not be the case.

Headache Treatment

Using specific hands on assessment techniques, Barefoot physiotherapists can assess muscle and joint dysfunction in the neck, with a special focus on the upper neck which is most closely related to neck-caused headaches. Where the neck is a significant cause of headaches, treatment of these joints and muscles can help de-load the area and dampen down the sensitised nervous system which provides relief of headache symptoms. Therapists will also assess your various postures to ensure you are set up in the best way to

Competition Time! You and Your Yoga Mat

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Together with Remy Gerega and Yoga Everywhere, we are giving you the chance to win a voucher for your very own Yoga Everywhere mat. We have some pretty awesome ones that have been an exciting new addition to the Red Brick House.

Here at Barefoot Physio, we believe everyone has the opportunity to live a fulfilled and happy life. We also know that what is important and special to you is unique. We base our Barefoot Lifestyle around these five areas:

  1. Staying active
  2. Taking care of your body and mind
  3. Friends and family
  4. Your vocation
  5. Doing your bit to change the world.

To be in the running to win, all you need to do is send in a photo of you doing whatever it is that you do best… on your yoga mat. This can be anything. Send us something cool, unique, creative and real. It doesn’t even need to be yoga. We want you to capture what you love doing most. This could be hanging out with your dog, drinking your coffee, doing your favourite stretch, or just peacefully reading a book – as long as it is on the mat. Nothing is too great or small, and the only rule is that you are part of the photo in one way or another. Start getting creative and taking action, as entries are being accepted now.

If you get to take home the prize, you can keep it just for yourself or use it as a gift idea as we creep closer and closer to Christmas. We want to know what you do on the mat, and think about how this might incorporate your Barefoot Lifestyle!

To enter, either send your photo to victoria@barefootphysiotherapy.com.au, or tag us on Instagram @barefootphysio. We can’t wait see what you all come up with! This is for a short time only. The competition will close on December 1st and the winner will be announced on December 6th – just in time for Christmas!

 

Musicians are athletes!

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At Barefoot we see all types of Athletes, from 400m Olympic runners and Gridiron Quarterbacks to Yoga instructors and Powerlifters. When you think of an Athlete what often springs to mind is someone with specialised skills who does lots of training. And that training is aimed at a certain target and event. So let’s be real… Musicians are Athletes. They have a specific set of skills which they hone with hours and hours of practice for events. They train hard and play harder!

Physio for musicians
Performing as a musician is challenging to the body on so many levels. You have to consider:
– Venue size: how big is your crowd? This impacts humidity & how sweaty/dehydrated you are going to get whilst performing
– Equipment: for example if you’re a drummer and not using your own kit you will need to get your set up correct to ensure your timing and posture is right

– Crowd enjoyment: are you a nervous wreck on stage or do you know how to perform to the crowd. Not many of us have such a large audience when we are exercising or at work
– Break/rest time: have you ever been to a gig where the band plays the entire 2-3 hour set with no breaks? Now imagine you are watching a match of tennis where there are no breaks – it just would not happen!
To put a drummers’ role in perspective I did some research into the drummer from the band The Offspring (yes I know… how 90s of me!). On average, this band would play 20-23 songs in a set that takes about 80min to play. The drummer is playing at about 100-150 BPM (Beats Per Minute) which burns 650 calories per hour. To burn this amount of calories in an hour with another type of exercise you would have to do boxing, aerobics, basketball, rowing, cross country skiing or ride a bike at 22km/hr non-stop!
Physio for musicians
Now think about the muscles that a drummer uses in that 80min of performing – it’s the same muscles used repetitively over and over again – Forearms, Arms, Shoulders & neck (depending on how much head-banging you do!). From a Physiotherapy perspective, a drummer needs to look after their body just like any other athlete would need to. If a drummer doesn’t do releases & stretches on their arms just like a runner would on their legs, they will eventually accumulate strain in this area which could lead to pain & injury.
If you are a drummer, guitarist, pianist, brass or wind instrument player, I highly recommend you check out our Muscle Releases & Stretches link on the Arm and Shoulder.

We are proud 4ZZZ subscribers and offer a Subscriber deal on Initial appointments!

If you would like personalised advice to treat your symptoms or on how to avoid injuring yourself while playing your favourite instrument book in to see Brisbane’s Best Physio team.
Musicians physiotherapist

Lauren – Beachy Speechie Legend!

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Lauren is a Barefooter from way back. Born and bred in America and now living the great Australian dream (she lives so close to the beach she waves to whales from the verandah) Lauren loves life… with such passion that sometimes you can’t help adopting a bit of an American accent when you talk to her.

Lauren thank you for helping us highlight the amazingness of our clients by answering these questions.
As someone who lives a rich and fulfilling Barefoot Lifestyle we want to know more about you (and our Barefooters will be so keen to hear!).

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So Miss Lauren Buonomo (B-U-O-N-O-M-O!) where do we start…

As the eldest of 8 sisters I know you have to answer questions about that all the time but can you share with us what growing up with that many siblings is like? And tell us about what Saturday morning at the Buonomo household (in AMERICA!) was like growing up.

Growing up with all of my sisters was a lot of fun. The house was always full of people, including the family and the random assortment of friends. Our place was the place everyone came to. There was food always cooking and many a great conversation took place over the island bench or at the kitchen table. For visual effect, it is important to know that our extra long table was flanked by two extra long bench seats. That way there was always a way to squeeze more bottoms on to join in all the food and fun.

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The first time Blair came home to meet my family I think he started to fear what he had gotten himself into. Blair is the eldest of two boys and this was a very big contrast. Conversations are always going to be loud when there are 10 people at the dinner table. One time we were driving in the car and Blair goes “Why are you yelling at me?”, as I had maintained my American-family volume as we drove into the city.

Happy USA family

Saturday mornings were often spent at soccer matches but on the weekends and the Saturday mornings where leaving the house at 6 am to drive for 3 hours for a soccer game wasn’t on the cards, my mom had something else to monopolize her beautiful children’s day. It was CHORES. Now my mom had an absolutely ingenious way of organising her children to do their chores. She simply wrote a list of all the things that needed doing on a yellow legal pad and would leave it on the kitchen bench. Chores were a first in best dressed sort of thing. Sign up when you wake up! We learned about cost-benefit analysis quite early. Was having a sleep in more beneficial to having to spend 4 hours cleaning the garage? (If you are wondering what the answer is… the answer is NO! Always No when cleaning the garage of 8 children’s worth of things in the garage which no longer has space of actual cars.)

We know you are an extremely talented and passionate Paediatric Speech Pathologist and your eyes light up whenever you are around children. What drew you to working with little people initially? And do you have a funny story from working with one of the kids that you can share?

I guess growing up in the family I described above made working with kids a natural progression for me. Kids are fun and who wouldn’t want to play everyday for work  In saying that, there is also something really special about helping a child to do something or say something for the first time.

Now I have more than a few funny stories to share but there is one in particular which always makes me smile. I was doing speech therapy with a little girl who had a pretty strong lisp. All /s/ sounds were pronounced with a rather strong /th/. I was only new to work and still had a rather strong American accent. This little girl and I were sitting at the table doing some fun /s/ speech sound therapy with picture cards of /s/ words. We happened across a picture card of a sailor and I said “Look, it’s a Sailor” stressing the /s/ and exaggerating the word to demonstrate placement of her articulators. This little girl without missing a beat goes “It’s not a thailor; it’s a thal-ah”. She was calling out my American accent and the/r/ at the end of the word. To this day I make sure I “butt-ah my bread” and know “sail-ahs go to sea”.

Who is someone you really look up to and why?

This is a really hard question, because I have two someones I look up to – Kathleen and Louis Buonomo. They are my parents. Each has taught me and shown me something different. (I am realising I am doing a lot of talk about my family but I really think the way I grew up shaped me more than any of my other more varied life experiences.)

Both of my parents were the first of their families to get a college degree. They showed me the importance of getting an education. They instilled a very strong work ethic when it came to school. School work always came first and always trying to do better and learn more came next.

My mother, Kathleen, is a nurse anaesthetist and got her masters degree while working and had three young children at home (and I am pretty sure she was pregnant with the fourth). She works harder than anyone I have ever met. She is driven and focused. My mother is unwavering in her commitment to her family and is so self-sacrificing. She leaves for work before any of us are up yet and has already done two loads of laundry, made breakfast and organised dinner before first light. My mother taught me that if I want something then hard work and education are the ways to get it. I always knew my mother was mentally strong and driven. This was a picture of my mother that never waivered.

Barefoot Lifestyle

But only since I have been working in the hospital with very young babies and considering having children myself, do I realize how physically strong my mother is. In fact, I would say I am in awe of this newly recognised character trait. I guess if you are going raise 8 intelligent, strong and independent women you need someone as special as Kathleen Buonomo to blaze that trail and lead the way by example. I hope one day to be half the woman she is with perhaps a quarter of the children 

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My father, Louis, runs the family business and is a wholesaler of all things shoe related. He dreams of working part-time, which he defines at 40hours a week. More than his strong work ethic my father has taught me how to be compassionate. He is kind and always doing things for others. When my dad had just finished college, he travelled to the Philippines to teach and travelled all over. My dad also recently sent a shipping container full of musical instruments over to a school in Uganda so they could have a music program. He showed me that traveling is an important part of learning who we are and sharing ourselves with the world. He is part of the reason why I felt brave enough to leave my home at 22 to experience something new and to get my masters degree overseas. (He also indulged me in 4 years of an English Literature degree saying “That’s how people got their educations in the old days… by reading books”).

He has shown me what it means to listen and how sitting down for meals is an important part of that process. And even more than that, he has shown me how to make much from little. He jokes that being a short-order cook was the best training he ever had to be a father. And on top of that he has taken up running triathlons for fun!
We recently had the Olympics, a fantastic celebration of nations… who do you cheer in international sport?

When the Olympics were on we had them playing non stop in our place from opening to closing ceremony. Blair and I both got right into following our favourite sports as well as learning about a few more we didn’t know about (like handball! How awesome is that game?!).

If Australia is ever competing I have to cheer for the good ol’ green and gold. But I will always be an American at heart (loud, competitive and big fan of stripes ). If an Aus vs USA match is happening, then I have to cheer on my home country. Although, just between you and me, I feel great pride in whichever team takes the win!

Barefoot Lifestyle
Beachy speechie life!

Thank you Lauren! Enjoy the sunshine! Sal and the Barefoot team

Caitlin’s Rio Olympics Adventure

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olympics

Our fastest physio, Caitlin, has just returned from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games!

Caitlin and her team ran in the women’s 4x400m relay and smashed their personal best in the heats to qualify for the finals. Woohoo, well done girls!

This was an awesome effort as our girls were the first women’s team to compete in the 4x400m finals since the 2000 Sydney Games with Cathy Freeman. And we could not have been more proud of our star athlete and her teammates!

Caitlin is passionate about encouraging and enabling people to live healthy and active lives, and in this interview she reveals how she personally approaches it.

Plus, she talks about the nerve-wracking moments before being selected, her amazing experience in Rio, whilst also uncovering how she prepares herself for such big occasions.

So with that in mind, let’s get stuck into it…

Q: Where were you and what was your reaction when you found out that you were going to the Rio Olympics?

A: I was actually on my lunch break at Barefoot! I didn’t know exactly when we would find out, so I had been sneakily checking my phone between clients for a call or text all day.

And then when I checked my email on my lunch break there was a very formal email saying I had been selected! It was a massive relief and a weight lifted off my shoulders to know I was definitely going. Then it was quite overwhelming and emotional to know I had achieved something I had been working towards for so long. I had to keep it a secret until the team was officially announced the next day… but I still called my coach, mum and husband.

 

Q: How long and hard have you been training for this? (ie what’s your training schedule, when did you discover you were a runner, and what else do you do to increase your ability?)

A: I have been training with my coach for 12 years now (yes, half my life!). When I was younger I adored my brother so I played AFL like him. And then when I went to primary school athletics day, my PE teacher suggested I try some athletics programs out at UQ.

Throughout school I always just ran because it was fun and I was good at it. When people asked me if I was going to go to the Olympics one day, I didn’t really have an answer for them because I knew that would be an incredible achievement. And I didn’t know if that’s where I’d end up in the future. I made my first Australian team (Junior) in 2010, when I was 18. And that was when I first thought that maybe I could actually go to the Olympics.

My training has obviously changed quite a bit over the 12 years I have been with my coach, Eric Brown. He was very good at holding me back when I was younger, and not burning me out. We have gone from 2 track sessions a week to gradually adding sessions, as well as building the intensity of training.

At the moment I am on the track 3 times a week, plus running on the road. On top of this, I do 2 gym sessions a week and I’ve just added in a specific Pilate’s session. I also spend time doing self-releases, working on maintaining appropriate muscle activation, good posture and running technique under extreme fatigue. Plus, I also ensure I recover well which means wholesome nutritious food, appropriate sleep and even ice baths!

Q: The training after you found out you had qualified for the Olympics must have been intense – how did you make sure your nerves and body wasn’t holding onto the stress and pressure you were under?

A: I have been having regular physio check ups and maintenance treatment for the past 8 years (approximately). So my body was already in good shape. It was just a matter of continuing to be vigilant with my self-testing, and addressing any issues that came up ASAP. I also continued with my self-releases and increased the frequency of my massage and acupuncture treatments.

 

Q: We don’t say ‘good luck’ here at Barefoot, because if you’re working hard enough, luck doesn’t come into it – but do you have any rituals before a race?

A: My ‘race rituals’ are mostly about doing things that make me feel comfortable and at my ‘best self’. So I like to have fancy nails that match my uniform and hair ribbons that match my uniform too. I almost always eat a chicken and salad sandwich, as I know this sits well in my stomach when I have a few butterflies.

Then there are more performance related things- so I have beetroot juice 2 hours before (it helps improve the ability to access oxygen in the blood), caffeine 1 hour before, and I start warming up 45 minutes before I need to be ready

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Caitlin and the Women’s 4 x 400m Relay Team

Q: How do you deal with nerves the day of a competition so that you can focus and run your best?

A: I have been working with a sports psych recently and he gave me some really great advice. It is completely normal to be nervous and have self-doubting thoughts. So I try not to necessarily stop these thoughts, but rather acknowledge them and move on. If I am really focusing all my energy on the here and now and executing everything properly, then my brain doesn’t have time to take notice of those negative thoughts.

 

Q: Rio got a lot of negative feedback from the media. And we’re all dying to know, what was it really like in the Olympic Stadiums and the Village?

A: I had a great time in Rio. There are always going to be some logistical hassles when you are co-ordinating that many people and so many different sports, cultures, venues etc. I have seen that at almost every big competition I have been to.

So there were definitely a few hiccups (like our toilet seat sliding sideways every time you sat on it!). But overall I thought they did a good job. They certainly put in a lot of effort to make the village very aesthetically pleasing. My room looked out onto a lovely man-made lake and fountain!

The stadium was quite small compared to other major internationals I have been to. However, it was still very loud and had a great atmosphere for both my races. We had Brazil in our heat which was great- it’s always good when you have the home crowd noise!

 

Q: What’s the future hold for you at the Olympics and other events?

A: The next really exciting thing is the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April 2018. I am so excited to compete in front of a home crowd!! That is going to be really awesome. Our 4x400m is still young and developing so we are really aiming to medal by the time the Comms come around. I would also like to run the individual 400m at the Gold Coast. It’s going to be tough competition to make the team, but that’s what makes our relay so strong!

Before all that though, we have World Relay championships (May 2017 in Bahamas), which is also a great meet. The crowd is always really loud and excited and it was at that meet that the Aussie girls qualified our team for Rio, so I definitely have fond memories from there.

We also have world championships in London (August 2017). I would love to run the individual 400m there too. It’s in the London 2012 Olympic stadium, so that will also be really cool. Then after the Gold Coast, we have world champs in Qatar (2019) and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

I am definitely keen to continue running until Tokyo, as I think they will put on a really fantastic games. At the moment I am currently back into hard off-season base training trying to make all of these future goals happen! It’s a tough time of the year, as it’s when we do our most physically punishing training. So it’s important to remember why I love the sport, and to have goals to focus on, and get me through the tough training!

 

Not many people get to achieve their childhood dreams like that. But it just goes to show how focus and commitment over the long term pays off.

And keep in mind, it’s through her elite experience as an athlete, that Caitlin can see firsthand the difference that quality physiotherapy can make to performance and injury-prevention.

She enthusiastically utilises her skill-set to show people how great their bodies can and should feel. And she thrives on the challenge of helping people who have been suffering from prolonged pain and stiffness.

So if you’d like to benefit from Caitlin’s physiotherapy sessions to achieve a healthier and stronger body, you can make a booking online to see her by visiting the link here.

 

Krystal Hansen – One Tough Cookie

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Krystal Hansen is one of our toughest Barefooters. Mentally & physically strong, Krystal always gives 100%, whether it’s on the mountain bike, in a group fitness class or climbing over obstacles in Tough Mudder. The best part about it, she’s always doing it with a massive smile on her face. We love hearing about her adventures whenever she is in the clinic, so we thought we’d ask her for some more details…

Most people head out to dinner for their birthday. Krystal spends hers mountain biking in New Zealand! We were keen to hear more about it…
March is one of the better months to go Mountain Biking in NZ and luckily this is my birthday month! For our first trip over, my riding buddies and I flew into Auckland and hired some vehicles to drive down to Rotorua. We mainly rode in the Redwood Forest in Rotorua, however, we also did some day trips to other places like part of the Great Lakes trail and Rainbow Mountain. We all had an absolute ball of a time and came back to Australia envious of the type of riding that NZ had to offer and keen to go again.

A year later on the second (birthday) trip, we based ourselves in Taupo and rode ‘Craters of the Moon’, the other trails at The Great Lakes and a 2-day trip along the Timber Trail. We finished the trip off back in Rotorua doing the Redwood Forest again.

I loved every moment over in NZ. It wasn’t just the great riding but also the feel from the towns. Some of these places (Rotorua especially) rely heavily on the income that Mountain Bike tourism brings into the town so they have great facilities for the mountain bikers and are very welcoming. Plus they have heaps of bike shops to go visit on your rest days!

What do you pack for an overseas mountain bike trip?

Well that is easy. For any trip I always make sure that I have 2 things: my passport and a credit card. These 2 things can get you out of any sticky situation! Obviously taking some other things along makes the trip easier. I do take my own bike across. You can hire bikes over there, however, I know how my bike reacts and performs which is important when you are riding terrain that you haven’t ridden before. The extra cost in my airfare for a second bag is a lot cheaper than the cost to hire a bike for the length of the trip.

Other items are: shoes, helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, at least 2 pairs of riding clothes (wash one pair, wear one pair), yellow sunglasses (normal
sunglasses are too dark for riding in the forest), hydration bag with 3L bladder, tools, some spare parts, and other stuff for maintaining the bikes while we are over there. On top of all this is also the normal stuff that you would take on a trip.

How did you originally become interested in Mountain Biking & what is the best way to get into the sport as a beginner?

For anyone who wants to try Mountain Biking, I would say first get yourself a half decent bike. One of my friends always says that the worst rider should have the best bike – meaning that when you make a mistake, a good bike might save you, whereas a poor bike will just kick you off. My other advice is to find some riding buddies. In my experience, mountain biking is a very social activity and a lot more fun if you are riding in a group. So even if you don’t know anyone else to ride with, there are heaps of facebook groups for you to join who do social rides. You can talk to the people at your local bike shop as they may also do shop rides that you can go along to. I’m part of a facebook group called “Brisbane Chicks Who Ride Bikes” and Bike Queensland also do Beginner Mountain Bike lessons. The main thing is to just get out there and try it.

What are other ways that you stay fit and injury free for this sport?
There are two parts to mountain biking: the physical side and the mental side. For the physical side, I (try to) cycle every day to work. It is a cheap option for me and keeps my legs use to the activity. I also go to the gym regularly for group classes and PT as this provides a bit of cross training and keeps my general fitness and strength up. Overall, my body tends to hold up pretty well with all that activity, however I still see Cherelle at Barefoot Physiotherapy and a massage therapist for tune ups.

Since mountain biking is also a big mental game, I try to hit the trails at least once a week. If I don’t and even if it is only 2 weeks between rides, I find myself losing my confidence and baulking at obstacles which then puts me off my game and sometimes causes me to fall off my bike and possibly get injured.

Thanks Krystal!

Rock Climbing and Injury – Why Does it happen?!

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Rock climbing is an amazing sport. There is no other sport or any other activity for that matter that I have found that brings the sense of clarity you get just before a bold move on the cliff face. That sense of adrenaline, excitement, focus… maybe a little fear that the challenge brings that pushes you to the edge mentally and physically. As great as this is, if not tackled correctly the challenges of climbing may end up bringing more pains than excitement.

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