There are many great reasons why slow movements are used in muscle strengthening. It is not always about fast explosive lifting and weights. As a physio, I see the benefits of slow loads, mindful technique and focused strengthening almost daily in my clients. This is how we roll in most of the Pilates exercises that are taught in our clinic. It is, after all, the building of endurance for working and postural muscles that we are striving to achieve when we wish to move better, more efficiently and without pain and tension.  

Here are some cool facts about slow muscle loading and its benefits:

💪Training slow brings your muscles to exhaustion by keeping them loaded throughout the movement. This is called ‘time under tension’ (TUT).

💪Using a slow weighted movement to fatigue produces greater increases in rates of muscle protein synthesis than the same movement performed rapidly.

💪Lifting with a slower tempo, when controlled for the same relative load, increases the total energy required and improves your metabolic function.

💪Slow movements reduce your injury risk, requiring better awareness of technique and movement patterns. Change is more possible here when moving less explosively.

💪Slow movements in each direction ask much more of your smaller supporting and postural muscles. They can also benefit with gains in strength and endurance with slower movements.

💪 Slower, controlled movements are often used to stimulate muscle hypertrophy or growth, while faster, uncontrolled movements are typically employed to develop strength and muscle power.

So, learn to move a little slower within parts of your gym, Pilates or boot camp classes and routines.

#strength #musclestrength #strengthtraining #thefixprogram #thefixprogramsydney #thefixprogramonline

Did you know, that according to Sports Medicine Australia* (SMA), up to 70% of all runners sustain some kind of running ‘niggle’ over any 12 month period of time? Not surprisingly, most occur in the lower body. 

• 42% are to the knee
• 17% to the foot and ankle
• 13% to the lower leg, such as the calf and shin
• 11% to the hip and pelvis.

Typically, these injuries occur due to training errors, such as increasing the load, the frequency, or the speed too quickly. In addition,  an inappropriate or lack of any cross training for strength and conditioning means our bodies start to break down due to the repetitive nature of the running action. This brings about tissue overuse injuries, and if you’re a runner, I bet you have been there, just like me with my Achilles tendinopathy!

The most common overuse injury noted in runners, is ‘runner’s knee’ - also called patello-femoral pain (PFP). This is pain felt anywhere over or around the knee cap or patella. Iliotibial band friction ( pain and ache at the outer knee), plantar fasciitis (like standing on glass under the heel), tibial stress syndrome ( feels like shin stress fractures, but is not) and Achilles tendon issues also force many runners to the sidelines. 

But..these niggles should never be the end of a running career for those who love getting out there on the roads, parks and trails. 

Physios who run (like me!) are excellent at being your ‘body coach.’ For all injuries, there is a means to keep you exercising with reduced loads. This allows for any inflamed tissues to settle, but to also become stronger and adapt throughout the healing process to prevent re-injury once you return to your beloved running. What’s involved?

• Start by assessing the whole person. Injuries and overuse in the knee and lower leg can often stem from the trunk, the pelvis or the hip.There is much evidence out there^ highlighting the important role of hip awareness and strengthening in the prevention of ongoing runner’s knee issues. 

• Use all treatment options to help settle the inflamed body part. Massage and other soft tissue techniques, alignment techniques, sports taping, dry needling to name a few.

• Establish a graduated training program as soon as possible. This can happen even in the first weeks of an injury. This may initially involve cross training, cycling or swimming, with a gradual re-introduction of walk/run intervals after healing is well underway ( think 4 weeks). 

• Tissue loading and strength adaptation is essential. How can we make your tissues stronger and better equipped to deal with your running loads? After all,why did you injure in the first place? This rehab is the best part! Plyometrics and running specific dynamic loading, added to proximal hip strengthening will get you back and with decreased risk of re-occurence.

 Catch any running niggle early. As a runner, you know when things don’t feel quite right. Book in to see Katrina at The Fix Program.

References:

*https://sma.org.au/resources-advice/running/

^Thomson C, Krouwel O, Kuisma R, Hebron C. The outcome of hip excercises in patellofemoralpain: a systemic review(2016)

We all have our little ‘strategies’ to cope and respond with the loads and stresses we put on our body all day, no matter how small. Some us may have gorgeously balanced posture as we go about our day, but not many of us can boast this.

😮 Do you hold your belly in tight to flatten your tummy?

😮 Do you notice that your lower belly seems to protrude even though you are holding your belly on?

😮 Do you feel your upper abs working harder than the lower abs?

😮 Do you find it hard to take a comfortable deep breath?

😮 Are you a new mother, having just been trough pregnancy and labour?

😮 Do you suffer from urinary incontinence, or chronic pelvic pain such as endometriosis, or painful bowel conditions?

Constant chest gripping can create stiffness in your rib cage, preventing a good deep breathing pattern, a weak diaphragm, and breathing that is more chest and neck driven. This creates upper back stiffness when you twist or move, and can contribute to pressure on the bladder and incontinence.

Does this posture sound like you? Simple deep breathing practice may allow for you to start to feel freer in the ribs and belly. Keep your belly soft throughout this practice and visit a physio to learn how to correctly engage your ‘core + pelvic floor’. Holding in your belly and chest gripping is not the way!

Did you know that there are also other common posture cheats? Butt gripping and back gripping are other posture strategies considered not to be ideal and the cause of aches, pains and tension in the body. Intrigued? Read our other posts to see if fall into any of these postures.  

#posture #posturalawareness #chestgripping #dianeleephysio #neckpain #backpain #diaphragm #poorbreathing #incontinence #bladderleakage #physiotherapy #thefixprogram #thefixprogfamonline #thefixprogramsydney