Winter Blues

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Heater on and room warm- check

TV on ready to catch Hawthorn about to annihilate Geelong- check

Suitable beverages and snacks ready to keep hunger pangs at bay-check

Does this sound like your approach to winter activity? If so you are not alone. The European Journal of Physiology in 2009 reported that across many countries including Australia, and in all age groups from children to the elderly, that activity levels reduce in the winter months. There is world wide agreement that good health depends on us engaging  in sufficient physical activity to maintain fitness. Unfortunately in developed countries such as Australia, many fail to engage in enough exercise at any time of the year. So are we more likely to suffer more health issues in Winter due reduced exercise levels?…

Shouldering the pain is sure not the answer

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The shoulder anatomically is called the glenohumeral joint. This is where the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) attaches to the shoulder blade. It is a ball and socket join. The socket is very shallow, only encapsulating 30 per cent of the actual ball. This design makes the shoulder the most mobile joint in the body. Movement and stabilisation of the shoulder thus heavily relies on the surrounding musculature.…

Article written by Healthfocus Physiotherapist Julia Rossiter. To book an appointment with Julia Rossiter, contact Healthfocus Physiotherapy .

Boning up on breaks

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Although the term “break a leg” is a lighthearted “good luck,” actually breaking a leg (or any other bone) is not much fun for anyone. Broken bones, or fractures, are usually the result of an unexpected incident such as a car accident, fall or sporting injury. The three most common bone fracture sites are the wrist, ankle and the hip. The six to eight week healing time often requires the affected area to be held in one position, usually with a cast. This can make everyday life difficult and stop us from doing the things that we love.…

How to prevent the dreaded ACL injury

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Three letters no-one wants to hear. ACL. It’s the injury no one wants, though it is all too common in many of the popular sports on the border.

The recovery is typically lengthy, and surgery is usually an option, especially for young people, and those keen on returning to competitive sport. The injury is more common in women than men, with an estimated two to eight times increased risk of injury.…

Pleasure and pain in pushing to your peak

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The best part of competing in an event is that last push to get over the finish line.

Even as I finished my sixth Nail Can Hill run last year with a distinct urge to vomit, I felt the euphoria of knowing I’d pushed myself to my limit.

Whether you are competing in that distance for the first time, a seasoned runner wanting to get a PB or just wanting to participate for the enjoyment, a longer event like the upcoming Nail Can Hill Run on May 7 can challenge in many different ways.…

Training the lungs for asthma-free exercise

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Asthma is a chronic disorder of the lungs and airways, characterised by wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest. These symptoms are caused by increased sensitivity of the airway to stimuli or ‘triggers’. Common triggers include allergens (dust, pollen), chest infections, emotional factors (stress, heavy laughter), smoke (cigarette or fire), and perhaps most relevant to this time of year, cold/dry air and exercise. The severity of the condition can range from mild, occasional symptoms, to constant and severe. In most cases, the symptoms resolve quickly, either on their own or with the use of inhaled medication.…

Staying vocal about neck injuries in sport

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A much lesser known type of injury that can occur in sport, in particular contact sports is injury to the larynx or voice box.

 

With the winter sports season set to kick off, physiotherapy clinics in the region gear up for the typical influx of ankle, knee and hamstring injuries.

There has been plenty of preseason preparation that players can undertake to minimise these typical musculoskeletal injuries. Once injuries occur, timely assessment and treatment of injuries hopefully assist players back onto the field as soon as possible.…

Keeping girls in sport the name of the game

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With the recent excitement surrounding women in high level AFL, soccer, cricket and the national netball league, our nation appears to be captivated by women in sport.

So it would appear that more females are playing sport, but sadly, this is not the case.

By the age of 13, 50% of girls have dropped out of sport. The Australian Federal Government has recently launched an initiative focusing on sport as a preventative physical and mental health measure.…

Pilates is terrific exercise

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As a physiotherapist if there was an exercise class that I feel everyone could benefit from I would say Pilates.

The Pilates concept was developed in the early 1900s by Joseph Pilates. He believed that injuries were caused by imbalances in the body and poor patterns of movement. He observed that when a person had weakness or pain, they overcompensated and overdeveloped another area to achieve a certain movement. This in turn, can result in further pain and injury. Pilates is an excellent way of strengthening, increasing spinal mobility, stretching and improving general function and wellbeing by concentrating on correct movement patterns.…

Cool off burning goals

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It’s that time of year again, where we commit ourselves to a New Year’s resolution.

For many of us, these goals are orientated around fitness and health. You may have noticed with previous New Year’s resolutions that the first couple of weeks are easy as your motivation levels are high and you want to lose the festive kilos. We often go into the year with plenty of energy and sometimes we can overdo it. Injury and the effects of the heat can make us fall into our old habits and our goals get put on the back burner until the next year. …