Getting Swim Fit

Have you been itching to get back in the water after years of dry feet? Are you new to swimming and just don’t know where to start? Have you signed up for a triathlon and need to get back into the pool for those fun squad sessions?

The most incredible thing about swimming is that it is for every walk of life. It doesn’t matter what you look like, how old you are, how fit you are, or how big you are, swimming covers everyone’s wants and needs. Regardless of your ability, technique or experience, everyone can swim. Swimming is a low impact, aerobic exercise that everyone benefits from.

Element Swimming’s Head Coach, Ben Geard, has given us a few helpful tips below on how to get back into the pool and incorporate swimming into you fitness routine.

swimfit

  1. Grab some gear. It may sound a little silly, but before you get ready to take your first dive, ensure you have the correct equipment to help you along. Ideally you will have swimwear that fits correctly so you aren’t needing to pull everything back into place after your first dive. Once you have that covered, invest in some goggles and a swim cap (especially for those with lots of hair). Then you have the option of handy equipment for your swim that can help mix your laps up a bit, such as fins, a kick board and a pull-buoy.
  2. Start slow. If you haven’t been swimming for a while, be sure to start out slow and steady. Swim fitness is easy to gain, but also easy to lose. If it’s been a good chunk of time since your last swim, be sure you take it easy so you don’t scare yourself out of your next swim before you’re even out of the pool the first time round. Start off by swimming some easy laps with plenty of rest in between. Don’t forget about your fins, kickboard and pull-buoy. These will help give you a bit of variety throughout each swim while working on different parts of your body. Don’t forget about breaststroke, backstroke and the all-time favourite butterfly to keep things interesting.
  3. Build your routine. Don’t overdo it by setting your expectations of swim training for every day of the week. Start with just once or twice times a week, and if you feel you need more, then gradually add the extra days in over time.
  4. Swimming Fitness South BrisbaneSet realistic goals. Don’t discourage yourself by setting unrealistic goals. There are plenty of different targets to set in swimming that don’t just include how fast you can go. Think about mastering your technique and efficiency, or how many laps you can do without taking a break. Make sure you avoid increasing your weekly distance by more than 10%. This will not only give you a good indication of your improvement, but it will also help avoid injury.
  5. Join a Squad. Now this is what makes swimming fun and social. Find a swim pool with a great coach, fun group of like-minded people and times that suit your schedule. This can truly help with your motivation and personal accountability. This is a great way to further improve your technique, fitness and meet some new people.

Don’t forget to stretch and release. Before and after each session make sure you prioritise stretching, and be sure to do regular releases in between your sessions. This is great recovery and will help in preventing you getting tight, especially in the neck, shoulders and back.

Race day ready!

Running Race Ready Most people put a lot of time and effort into preparing their body for a goal race. This is great, however not having a plan for race day can mean you don’t run to your full potential and may end up feeling disappointed. That’s where these ‘top tips’ come in handy! As an eight-time Australian representative runner, I have done my fair share of ‘race-day’ preparation and have compiled my thoughts on how to have your best race possible. These are written from my perspective as a 400m runner, however they are applicable from shorter track races up to marathon.

  • TaperYou need to ‘taper’. This means that the week leading into your race, your training should be lighter than normal. Depending on how much running you normally do and how far your goal race is, will determine how many days out you start your taper and how much you run during your taperDon’t do too little though. Just as a taper is important, doing nothing for a few days leading upto your race can make your legs feel ‘heavy’. It is often best to head out 1-2 days before your race and do a short, easy run (about 5 minutes if doing a 5km race), some gentle stretching and 3-5 x 50-100m runs just a bit faster than your intended racing pace
  • NutritionWhile we have all heard of ‘carb loading’, it is often not necessary for races shorter than a half marathon, so no need to binge on pasta. If you think a carb loading is necessary for your race, it is best to consult a sport dietician to establish a protocol that is appropriate for you.What is more important, is eating healthy balanced meals for the week leading into your race. This continual input of nutrients will help your body be at its best come race day, and also minimise any negative effects if you are too nervous to eat on the day of competing. Most road races start early in the morning, so it is ideal to eat a good balanced meal the night before, with slightly more carbohydrates than usual. It is also a good idea to steer clear of any particularly strong flavours (eg garlic, chilli, curry) as these can upset the stomach with the added nerves of racing or be on your breathe the next morning which is not very pleasant!

    On race day morning it is best to have a light meal that is predominantly carbohydrates as this is more quickly digested by the body and less likely to upset your stomach. Some suggestions are cereal with milk, toast with jam or honey or fruit with a small amount of yoghurt. If you are doing a half marathon or longer, it is likely you will need to take some fuel on board during your race. It is best to consult a sports dietician a few months beforehand regarding this.

    Most of my races are in the afternoon or evening, so I generally have a chicken and salad sandwich on wholemeal bread 4 hours before racing and then a small serve of yoghurt and berries 2 hours before go-time.

  • Race Ready 3Hydration
    As with nutrition, it is important to be consciously hydrating for the week leading into your race as this will optimise your body’s function come race day and also avoid ‘over-hydrating’ the day before and spending all night in the bathroom. For 5km runs, it is often not necessary to take on fluid during your race. If you think you will need to drink during your race, it is a good idea to practice this in the lead up to ensure your stomach is comfortable with it
  • Sleep
    Most people can get nervous in the lead up to a race and it is very normal not to sleep well the night before. There is a lot of evidence that a few nights of poor sleep does not negatively impact on performance, so long as you don’t get stressed about it! Trying to sleep well for the week leading up to your race will also help limit any negative effects of a poor night sleepRunning Race Ready
  • Getting ready!
    I usually find it is best to set out my race outfit, race number with safety pins and pre-packed bag (towel, music, warm clothes etc) the night before racing. This helps me stay calm as I am confident everything is already prepared. Then it is a matter of working my time backwards. Know what time your race starts and decide how much before it you want to get there, how long will it take to get there (including any road closures occurring for the course), how long will it take you to get ready and how long beforehand do you want to eat. This helps create an easy timeline for when you need to wake up, eat and leave to minimise stress.I suggest arriving at the race start at least half an hour before. Allow extra time if it is unfamiliar environment, you need to park or you are dropping your bag off to the baggage tent (check beforehand that your race has this option!)
  • Warm up
    I recommend doing a warm up similar to the light session a few days before racing. A short, easy jog (only 1-2 minutes if doing a 5km), some gentle dynamic stretches and a few 50m runs at a faster pace. Give yourself time to do this (10-15 minutes), then 5 minutes to get to the start line ready to race!
  • Racing!
    Racing should be fun! Even if your goal is just to finish- know that you have worked hard to get to that point and deserve to enjoy the experience. Smile and appreciate all the other people around you who are also working hard to accomplish their goals. Be proud of yourself, regardless of the outcome

If you would like my help or have specific race day preparation questions, feel free to book a session or send me an email

Preventing a Climbing Injury

climb-4Climbing is a high demand sport. No question about that. When looking at other sports that are such high demand it is protocol to run through some form of warm-up. All too many times I have gone down to on of Brisbane’s Climbing Spots, Kangaroo Point cliffs and witnessed people just rock up, set-up their gear and get right into their climb. We have all been there, myself included. We’re time crunched, with no time for anything but pumping out a few climbs, right? Sometimes you’ll start with an easier climb, but for the most part no warm up required….

And this is how we set ourselves up for injury.

So why is warming up so important?

Prepares you physically and mentally for the climb by:

  • Increasing blood flow to the muscles
  • Increasing body temperature which increases tissue elasticity and thus increasing joint/muscle range of motion
  • Increasing neuromuscular co-ordination (muscles will fire in the pattern appropriate to climb)
  • Helping you get your head in the game

Prevent Climbing InjuryHow to do a proper climbing warm-up:

  1. Do a general warm up to get your blood flowing and your temperature up: jog, skip, jumping jacks, body weight lunges and squats
  2. If you feel restricted somewhere after your general warm-up you can do some dynamic stretches for the area. This type stretching is done with movement that will prepare the muscles to work rather than relax them into a state they don’t function optimally. Similarly, muscle releases can increase range of motion without affecting strength or performance. NO static stretch prior to climbing. *note static stretching and release work is definitely encouraged post climb!*
  3. Bouldering/easy climbs practicing various holds and moves you expect to use climbing that day. Brisbane Climbing at KP has a range of climbs so you can build into your work out.

A good warm up is key to getting things working from the start and preventing injury!

Other Factors to help Prevent Climbing Injury

Being properly hydrated

Getting enough sleep to allow adequate muscle healing/regeneration

Proper Nutrition: adequate carbohydrate, protein, vitamin C and E

Strength training

New Year Running Program!

Running Physio - 5km run - trainingWith the New Year upon us, many of us are setting health and fitness goals to keep us motivated and focused for
2017. This is a great way to stay committed to looking after your health. However, to truly take great care of yourself, it is important to take a gradual approach to new activities to allow your body time to adapt and minimise the risk of injury. Too often we see people dive head-first into a new exercise or activity without preparing their body and end up stiff, sore and side-lined from working towards their goal. Taking the time to plan and prepare for starting a new activity can help eliminate the need for time-off later on.

One of the most common goals we see people setting for themselves is a target running race. Whether it be the Gold Coast marathon, the Bridge to Brisbane 5km or anything in between! To help you on your way to achieving your running goals, below is a suggested program for working towards a 5km run. This is targeted at people who are currently active in some way, but have not done much running recently.

Sports Physio - 5km runIt is very easy to get focused on just running, when your goal is running related. However running is a high load activity on the body- it is essentially single leg squat jumps one after another for minutes on end! As such it is important to give your body time to rest and recover from running days- especially when it is new. Strength training also plays an important role in achieving your running goals. Resistance training that focuses on trunk and pelvic stability and glute/quad/calf strength will not only reduce your risk of injury but also improve your performance.

Last but not least, make sure that whatever your new health and fitness goals are, you tell your physio! We can help you formulate an appropriate strength program, ensure you are moving well in all the right areas and have self-management strategies to take care of your body between sessions.

Watch this space for more information about running injury prevention and overall body maintenance in the coming weeks. Until then- happy running!

 

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 1  Strength training Walk 15 minutes Rest Strength training Run 1 min; walk 1 min for 10 minutes
Week 2

 

Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training Walk 20 minutes Rest Strength training Run 2 min; walk 1 min for 10 minutes
Week 3 Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training Run 2 mins; walk 1 min x 15 mins Rest Strength training Run 2 mins; walk 30 seconds for 10 minutes
Week 4

 

Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training 5 minutes Rest Strength training Run 5 minutes x 2 (1-3 minutes walking rest between)
Week 5

 

Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training 5 minutes x 3

(1-3 minutes walking rest between)

Rest Strength training Run 10 mins
Week 6

 

Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training 5 minutes x 5 (1-3 minutes walking rest between) Rest Strength training Run 3km! (this is a good ‘check-in’)
Week 7

 

Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training 10 minutes x2-3 (1-3 minutes walking rest between) Rest Strength training Run 15 minutes
Week 8 Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training 15 minutes x 2 (1-3 minutes walking rest between) Rest Strength training Run 20 minutes
Week 9 Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training 15 minutes x3 (1-3 minutes walking rest between) Rest Strength training Run 25 minutes
Week 10 Releases/stretches/yoga Strength training 15 minutes x3 (1-3 minutes walking rest between) Rest 5 minutes easy 5km goal run!

 

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

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.

Why Choose Dry Needling

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

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

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

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!

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