Archies arch support slides are now in stock at Mona Vale Chiropractic Centre. The new range compliments Archies arch support thongs. We have an extensive range of colours and sizes. Once you try Archies, you will never wear anything else. Highly recommended by your local Chiropractors.
Call in to try them to find the perfect fit or phone us on 9997-5773 to order
As we bounce into Spring, we focus on the following:
It’s been a while between Newsletters. As we move into cooler weather we focus on the following in our latest Newsletter;
Chiropractic and Immunity
How to prepare your knees for Skiing
Chiropractic and Animals
Tips to prevent low back pain in long car trips
View the newsletter below:
Everytime you refer a friend (including family members) before June 30th 2023, you will receive a $40 credit to your account. This can be used for any treatments or products at Mona Vale Chiropractic Centre.
The terms ‘stretching’ and ‘warmup’ are often used interchangeably, however they are not necessarily the same thing. Stretching and warming up both serve their own purpose in any exercise regime. In my previous blog, I highlighted the importance of stretching and clarified that stretching should be done after exercise and physical activity. Before exercise, mobilising the joints and performing a dynamic warm up is where you should start.
When in doubt just remember MES:
According to former NSW State of Origin player David Williams:
“Warming up the muscles and mobilising your joints before any strenuous physical activity or exercise, is vital for the body to move through its full range efficiently and effectively whilst greatly lowering the risk of injury.”
David Williams aka Wolfman
Dynamic Warmup
A mobilisation technique or ‘dynamic warmup’ involves easing your joints into full range of motion. This prepares the muscles for movement and wakes up the body’s nervous system. By mimicking movements that you are about to perform in your work out, you are gradually increasing flexibility and blood flow to the areas that will be moving in your sport or activity.
Focus on major muscle groups and the muscles used most in your activity. For example, if you are about to go for a run, you should focus on mobilising your hips, knees, and ankles. If you are a swimmer, you should mobilise your upper back, neck, and shoulders.
Things to Remember
When doing a dynamic warm up, remember to focus on symmetry. Always do equal amounts of movement on both sides of the body.
Start at a low level of movement and then slowly increase intensity until your joints and muscles feel ready to go.
Remember that some joints will have more range of motion than others. Injuries, ageing, and even genes can restrict some of our joints, so don’t try and force a joint past its natural range.
Sources
Williams, D., 2021. Performance Coach [Interview] (28th June 2021).
Taylor, K.-L., Sheppard, J. M., Lee, H. & Plummer, N., 2009. Negative effect of static stretching restored when combined with a sport specific warm-up component. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 12(6), pp. 657-661.
Published by Sydney LaVine June 29 2021
This is a frequent question asked by my clients when we are talking about movement and exercise.
My job as a massage therapist is to assist my clients with sore muscles, sports injuries, and stress management. Regardless of what ailment a client presents with, we always discuss what they are doing for daily exercise. In this day and age, we all know that habitual exercise is crucial for our health and well being. Reasons to be physically active everyday include:
The ability to perform daily exercise, requires our joints to be healthy enough to cope with consistent movement. Maintaining our flexibility, joint range of motion, and joint health comes down to the wonderful combination of exercise and stretching. Stretching our muscles has been proven to:
Now that we have a better understanding of why stretching and daily exercise are so important, when should we stretch?
Stretching should not be considered a warmup. By stretching cold muscles, you increase the risk of injuring yourself. Instead, consider performing mobilisation techniques, which I will cover in my next blog. Stretch after your workout when your muscles are warm. Remember to focus on the main muscle groups that were used during your workout session. (2)
Research shows that stretching before a workout does not reduce muscle soreness in the days after. Other results show that lengthening the muscle and holding the stretch immediately before a sprint may slightly worsen performance. Consider skipping stretching before any intense activity, such as sprinting or track and field activities. Pre-event stretching may decrease performance and create weakness in the hamstring strength. (3)
Gentle stretching at the end of any exercise also gives you a great chance to catch your breath, be still, and reflect on the hard work you just achieved!
June 20th 2021
By: Sydney LaVine
Sources
2. Stretching is not a warm up! Find out why. (n.d.). Retrieved 6 19, 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/stretching/art-20047931
3. Taylor, K.-L., Sheppard, J. M., Lee, H., & Plummer, N. (2009). Negative effect of static stretching restored when combined with a sport specific warm-up component. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 12(6), 657-661. Retrieved 6 19, 2021, from https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s1440244008000790
Keeping our immune system strong helps us stay well in times of stress. This includes rest with adequate sleep, regular exercise, drinking water and eating well and regularly.
There are times in our lives where our stress levels are very high. We should all be aware that with the current Covid19 crisis we are all experiencing extreme anxiety and stress. We are functioning at heightened levels that as a family, community and country we have never experienced before. This will put pressure on our immune system.
Vitamin C and Vitamin D are good supplements to take to help our bodies in such times. Vitamin C is found in some very familiar foods including Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Kiwi-Fruit, Citrus Fruits, Pineapples, Strawberries, Cranberries, Blueberries and Watermelon.
Vitamin C benefits our bodies in growth and repair. It aids in absorption of iron, the healing of wounds, the maintenance of cartilage, bones and teeth. Vitamin C also boosts our immunity.
Vitamin D, commonly known to be sourced by sunlight, is important in our bodies regulation and ability to absorb calcium. It is also important for the maintenance of phosphorus levels in our blood. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased susceptibility to infection.
We need both Vitamin C and Vitamin D daily, ideally in small to moderate levels regularly.
Because our immune system defends our body from foreign organisms, promoting and boosting a healthy immunity helps to keep us well. This is essential in these times of heightened stress.
It has long been thought that the constant pounding of running can cause degeneration of the lumbar disc, however this theory has recently been debunked. A 2017 study from Deakin University in Victoria has found that people who regularly run or walk have stronger and healthier discs in their spine compared to people who do not exercise.
It was shown that through running or brisk walking, the disc showed improved hydration, increased protein content and growth of the disc. The control group for the study were sedentary, non-active adults – whom showed no change in disc characteristics.
One important factor from this study is that the brisk walking and running groups both showed the same amount of improvement in disc health. So, you don’t have to be a runner to improve the health of your discs, walking is fine as well!
The authors concluded that the response of the disc to running is very similar to the response of muscle in resistance training.
If you have a disc injury, movement is good for it! It allows the disc to recover through getting nutrition to the disc to allow for repair. If minimal movement occurs at the disc, healing will be therefore very slow.
Discs get their nutrition through diffusion from the bony endplate of the vertebra above and below. The way this diffusion works is through movement. The constant loading and unloading of the spine through walking or running allows for the flow of nutrients to the disc. In sedentary individuals, the diffusion of nutrients is poor due to the lack of movement, hence why degeneration and dehydration of the discs is more likely.
So the take home message is to move more to strengthen and improve your back health. It also doesn’t have to be intense running, a brisk walk is also as beneficial. Walking with a disc injury is also an important part of the recovery, as it allows for the disc to receive nutrients to allow for repair to occur.
Belavy, D. L. et al. Running exercise strenghtens the intervertebral disc. Sci. Rep. 7, 45975; doi:10.1038/srep45975 (2017)
Mitchell Roberts – Chiropractor
With winter here, it is that time of the year for the cold and flu season. Getting sick and taking time off of training / exercise can be a real setback for anyone who has put in the hard work throughout the year in achieving their fitness goals.
The question often arises, ‘how do I know if training will make me even more sick’? A general rule is the “neck check”. If you have symptoms in the head or throat, it should be ok to do light / moderate intensity exercise. If the symptoms are below the neck, it is best to rest.
Following the neck check rule, you can exercise when suffering from:
It is important to remember that you need to keep the intensity to moderate. Do not try and attempt a record weight or perform reps to fatigue. Stay hydrated and ensure adequate rest after exercise.
Avoid exercising when suffering from these below the neck symptoms:
The benefit of exercising throughout the winter months – it helps to prevent respiratory infections. A 2012 study from Barret et al, found that moderate aerobic exercise of 30-45 minutes duration can half the risk for respiratory infections. Examples of exercises can be walking, running or cycling. So one of the best preventative techniques for avoiding the cold/flu this winter is to get moving!
Mitchell Roberts – Chiropractor
A question I often get asked in clinic is what are the best exercises to perform to prevent low back pain. The below exercises are my ‘go-to’ for prevention of low back pain. They have been termed ‘The McGill big 3’ – named after the researcher Stuart McGill.
Stuart McGill is a spinal biomechanics researcher from The University of Waterloo, Canada. These role of these 3 exercises is to create spinal stability and endurance – which is essential for creating a stable foundation for the lower back.
The exercises aim to tighten up the front and sides of the core, while supporting the spine and remove gravity from the equation. The exercises are of a low intensity and are safe to perform.
Curl up – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Bird dog – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Side bridge – 3 sets of 8-10 seconds holds, each side.
If the above rep scheme is too hard, you can always modify it by reducing the number of reps and work your way up to the noted rep scheme.
It is also recommended to do these exercises before training as well, as it has shown to tighten and stiffen the core post performing them.
Perform these exercises once a day, not into pain. If you do have questions, pain or discomfort when performing these exercises, come in and see us and we can either correct your technique or advise you on alternative exercises.
References:
Mitchell Roberts – Chiropractor