Hello,
We invite you to read the latest news from Hawthorn Physio Clinic. In this issue:
Reminders of our hours over Christmas
Hawthorn Physio Clinic will be closed for the main days of the CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR period.
- CLOSED - Saturday 24th December to Tuesday 27th December
- CLOSED - Saturday 31st December to Monday 2nd January
We are open in between Christmas and New Year (Wednesday 28th December to Friday 30th December). Nicole, Rhiarna and Qianer will be manning the fort so that you can continue with your treatment. Happy Holidays!
Genevieve introduces new baby Bridget
Genevieve, Ross and brother William are proud to announce the safe arrival of Bridget Louise Elijah. Born 19th August 2011.
All are doing well but Gen is missing everyone at Hawthorn Physio terribly ;)
Top tips for returning to exercise post child birth
It may be the furthest thing from your mind after giving birth but exercise is worthwhile for many reasons. In fact, exercise after pregnancy might be one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby. Benefits of regular exercise can be
- Help to lose extra weight gained during pregnancy
- Regain cardiovascular fitness
- Restore muscle strength
- Re-condition your abdominal muscles
- Boost your energy levels
- Improve mood
- Relieve stress
- Help prevent postpartum depression
- Set a positive example for your children.
Use these tips to help you safely return to exercise:
SPECIAL OFFER
Our physio Nicole has a lot of experience easing new mums back into core strengthening through Pilates including running mums and bubs classes in the past. Call to book into one of her Pilates classes today.
We are offering anyone who brings the newsletter with them a FREE introductory Pilates class.
- Give your body 4-6 weeks recovery before beginning exercise. You may want to give yourself slightly longer if you have had a caesarian. If you are unsure check with your doctor.
- You can begin pelvic floor exercises straight away
- Take time to warm up and cool down
- Begin slowly with low intensity exercise i.e. WALKING and increase gradually
- Include core strengthening into your regime. Pilates is a great place to start but keep in mind sometimes gym based Pilates is set at a medium to advanced level which your body may not be ready for. It is recommended to begin with a Pilates class run by a physiotherapist.
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Wear a supportive bra
- Stop exercising if you feel pain or have any unusual vaginal bleeding
Charlie's Tour de France
As a lot of you are aware Charlie left us for a month in July to watch, and ride the roads of the Tour de France. We thought you may like to see some of his pics from the trip. Looks like a lot of fun!
Set up of your road bike to prevent injury
Carmelo our new receptionist, who also happens to be a racing level cyclist who does personalised bike fittings, has written his top tips for setting up your bike.
Most components on a bicycle are designed to fit the user and not the other way around. When working towards the perfect fit we generally consider the three contact point between the body and bicycle (handlebars, peddles and saddle). In this article we will be looking at some easy things that you can adjust with regards to your saddle. Making adjustments to your bike isn't easy to do yourself you will need the help of another person and a wind trainer.
- Seat height
It is essentially the simplest adjustment of the bicycle, but can dramatically change the comfort, power output and risk of injury. Having your seat too high causes hyperextension of the knees and this can lead to many knee and hip problems. When the seat is too low it doesn't cause any real injury but it does greatly decrease your power output.
Essentially seat height does come down to the comfort of the rider but technically we aim for a knee flex between 25-35 degrees. For those that have no mechanical problems or who tend to get anterior knee pain aim to have the seat at the lower range of 25-30 deg knee flexion (high saddle). And for those of you with back, thigh or any ITB problems go for the higher range of 30-35deg knee flexion (lower saddle).
- WHAT YOU NEED TO DO...
To adjust your saddle height you will need to put your bicycle on a trainer and have a friend adjust your seat height until you have you desired knee flex. Pedal through, and readjust if needed.
- Seat for-aft:
The greatest misunderstanding of bicycle fitting is the for-aft of the saddle position. It is one of those elements of the fit that truly depends upon the rider's style on the bike. How many times have you seen people along Beach Road sitting on their nose of the saddle, in the drops fighting to hang on the back of a bunch? This is because moving forward on the saddle creates more power output. Conversely we tend to shuffle back when getting comfy in a climb. Therefore, when fitting we aim for a comfortable position for the rider and this can be found through the following process.
BIKE FITTING
If you are unable to adjust your bike yourself because you don't have a trainer or someone to help you, then call Hawthorn Physio to book in a bike fitting.
We have everything you need to adjust your road bike including expert fitters.
- WHAT YOU NEED TO DO...
Get back in the trainer, sit comfortably in the saddle and rotate the cranks until you reach a horizontal position. Now, with the help of your friend move the saddle back and forth so the knee cap is just behind the vertical line of the pedal axis.
Another important thing you can do to prevent injury on the bike is stretching your lower back and legs. Stay flexible so you can achieve good aerodynamics on the bike. Below are some great stretches to start with.
Lower back
rotation stretches |
Calf stretching
over a step |
Hamstring
stretching |
Glut (buttock) stretching |
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* Hold your stretches for at least 20 seconds and do 2-3 reps of each stretch. Aim to do at least 5-10 mins of stretching before and after your ride. Stretching can be easy to dismiss but if you commit to it regularly you will notice a big difference.
For a more personalised stretching program make an appointment with one of our physiotherapists. Richard, Charlie & Mark are our resident bike enthusiasts. Happy and safe riding.
Summer footwear: Fashion versus Function
Do you notice that every summer you get a flare up of foot, ankle, knee or back pain?
When the weather starts to heat up in Australia we tend to live in our rubber flip flops. At Hawthorn Physio we always notice an increase at this time of the year in people coming in for treatment of heel pain, plantarfascitis, and patella maltracking.
In the majority of these cases injuries can be attributed to poor footwear. In most thongs and flip flops there is no support for the ankle or arch of the foot. They alter the way we walk and can therefore cause many problems. If you have flat feet or are an over pronator you need good supportive shoes particularly through your arches to correct your biomechanics and maintain good alignment.
Like all good things, flip-flops are probably fine in moderation. Wear them at the beach or even for short jaunts to the shops. But don't make them your everyday footwear.
If you are someone who normally wears orthotics to maintain your arches and then wear flat rubber thongs all summer it is bound to cause problems.
DON'T DESPAIR there is a solution for those hot summer days when you can't bear to wear your "sensible" shoes.
Vasyli Orthoheel Wave & Sanoma Thongs Podiatrist-designed, biomechanically contoured arch support and deep heel cup to realign your stride and help prevent moderate to excessive pronation. RRP $60 call us to order your pair today. The perfect Christmas present!
How to avoid injury when walking/running on beach this summer
We all get a bit excited when it comes to summer holidays and want to go for long walks or runs along the beach. Running and walking on the sand is more difficult than running on the road or treadmill. Because of this it can help make you stronger, but at the same time it is much harder on your body especially if you are not conditioned to it. We see many injuries occur this way every summer including back pain and knee pain.
Follow these guidelines and hopefully you will remain injury free and be able to achieve your summer fitness goals!
- Stick to flat ground
Avoid running/walking along a beach that's sloped because it alters your biomechanics dramatically and often leads to injuries in your knees and ankles.
- Don't expect to run/walk at your usual pace
Again, running on the beach is harder than running on the pavement or on a treadmill, so slow down initially. Don't overdo it because you will end up with an injury that puts a quick end to your beach exercise.
- Ease into barefoot
Going barefoot is a good way to build up strength in your feet. But generally our feet are not nearly as strong as they could be because we are conditioned to supportive shoes. Start out with short runs -- just 15 minutes or so -- to build up some strength in your feet and slowly build up your conditioning from there.
- Start on wet sand
If you're new to exercising on the beach, start out on wet, firm sand -- it's much easier to run/walk on than the soft, dry sand. You can slowly add 2 or 3-minute intervals on the softer sand, with longer recoveries on the wet sand. As you get used to the dry sand, start doing it for longer stretches.
Enjoy exercising at the beach this summer and remember the best part about it is being able to jump in the water when you finish!
DON'T DESPAIR there is a solution for those hot summer days when you can't bear to wear your "sensible" shoes.
