The human body is designed for activity. However, given physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles are on the rise many of us are probably not even aware of this. Technological advances have reduced the need for hard physical labour and consequently, we are more susceptible to a range of health issues. It is this reduced level of baseline fitness that often predisposes someone to injury.

Follow these simple injury prevention strategies:

Let’s get physically active. Physical activity helps create regular healthy habits to counteract high-risk situations such as prolonged sitting. It is a fundamental component of a healthy lifestyle as it promotes a multitude of physical, psychological and lifestyle benefits.Adequate technique and posture are essential. Five controlled repetitions at the gym are more effective and much safer than twenty-five fast and uncontrolled repetition.Posture up! The more time you spend in a poor posture, the more likely your body begins to default to this position. Muscles begin to function inefficiently and then eventually when they have all but given up...pain occurs!Relaxed and correct core activation will help stabilise and control the movement through physical activity. The pelvic floor and lumbar multifidus muscles are important in protecting your back with loading.Controlling picking up/putting down weights is just as important as performing the exercise. Often people try so hard to maintain good form throughout the set, then as soon as the set is done they carelessly and subconsciously drop the weights which predisposes them to injury.Listen to your body. If you are run-down, tired, injured or ill do not train through it.Avoid over training as your body needs adequate rest and recovery to perform at its best and to achieve optimum fitness and strength results.Staying for the warm-down despite how rushed you may be, espacially if you have worked hard allow your body to have five minutes to recover, or walk aound the block beofre getting in the car.Remedial massage is great after high-intensity training to assist with muscle recovery and flexibility.Don’t DIY. Seek professional help. More often than not, self-appointed treatment options are just maskers of pain and don’t alleviate the true cause. Common mistakes are ‘cracking’ stiff joints, pulsed stretching with bad technique, misusing and become over-dependent on braces/strapping/aids, self-massage, and manipulation. As an exercise practitioner, we can help you by teaching how to self manage your injuries and provide you the support you need while exercising through your injury, but in some instances, a physiotherapist may be your first port of call. Pain can be persistent and outright frustrating. Get ahead and do your body a favour by implementing these healthy habits and behaviours today!

Pain can be persistent and outright frustrating. Get ahead and do your body a favour by implementing these healthy habits and behaviours today!

Pain is one of the most common symptoms of a complaint, yet one of the most poorly understood concepts by health professionals and patients alike. Depending on the situation, it can be helpful, debilitating, and can save or make your life very difficult. Take for instance someone who is suffering a heart attack. They experience pain and immediately alert someone, who then calls paramedics and hopefully saves a life. Compare this to the 50-year-old labourer who has no mechanism of injury, but has terrible back pain, and is unable to work. They both have pain, yet in one instance it is useful, in the other extremely limiting. Why is that? It a nutshell, pain is a warning system for the body. It doesn’t mean that something IS going wrong. It simply means something MIGHT go wrong! If you held your hand over a naked flame, you will eventually feel pain, before having to take it off. Your hand might feel hot to touch, but it probably isn’t burnt. In this case, your brain picked up that something MIGHT go wrong and sent you a signal (pain) to take your hand away. This is called ‘acute pain’. Chronic pain is slightly different and occurs when the brain has become highly sensitised to certain movements or sensations. If someone hurt their back bending forward, they might become highly wary of bending forward. As a result, to protect them from ‘hurting’ themselves again, their brain will send pain signals to stop them from bending forward. Again, your brain thinks that something MIGHT go wrong. Now imagine if this happens over the course of months, even years. Eventually, your brain will be sending pain signals every time you move! The pain is not made up, it isn’t over-exaggerated, and it is very real. There can be many external influences on pain as well. For example, if you have had a friend who overcame a similar issue quickly you may act more positively towards the pain, compared to if that person never overcame the pain. A 12-year-old child who wants to play sport may be able to get over pain quickly. A mother who has sustained terrible burns may rush back into a fire to save a child, without feeling any pain. Again, in all these examples it is about the brain deciding if the ‘injury’ is a threat. So what is the solution? often it comes down to breaking down the desired movements into simple parts, and practicing the simple parts as pain-free as possible while acknowledging that a little bit of pain is okay, as it does not mean that something terrible will happen! If you would like assistance with persistent pain, come in to see us. We will be able to assess your pain, write a program that is progressive, support you through your program and teach you how to better self manage your pain with the guidance of our exercise physiologist. Its time to rethink pain - https://www.tamethebeast.org/

You’ve been told that you should do Pilates, right? ….and perhaps you have heard a little about what it is however you are still unsure about how to go about finding the right class for you.

There are many types of Pilates classes out there and just rocking up to the first one you find; may leave you feeling unenthusiastic about your Pilates journey and see you give up before you get started!

Let’s talk a little about some of the classes you may find when you start to look around.

Pilates mat class – this could be a small or a very large group class (think gym classes) – these are great if you are looking for a general Pilates fitness class and you don’t have injuries or conditions that require individual attention from the instructor to help you not only manage this throughout the class but to teach you exercises relevant to your specific needs. Whilst you may get a little of this in a mat class depending on the instructor and environment, its not the best place for an injured body.Pilates large group reformer class – the reformer is a wonderful piece of equipment that uses spring loaded tension to assist or challenge the Pilates client depending on the exercise. Again, if you are looking for general fitness and don’t require that individual attention to manage your injuries or conditions, then this is a wonderful way to enjoy the benefits of Pilates in a larger group.Pilates studio or small reformer group sessions – generally from 1 – 3 clients per session, using reformer and other pieces of spring loaded Pilates equipment. This type of Pilates class is for you if you: have rehabilitation needs or conditions that require individual attention from the instructor, exercise is totally new to you or perhaps you know you will take a while to learn and feel comfortable with a new type of movement practice, you don’t like larger group exercise environments or your preference is to be in a smaller group session.

Of course, there will be variations of all of the above types of classes as Pilates becomes more and more popular each year and studios set up the model that they think works best for their style and their local client needs.

How do you work out, which class is for you?

Ask yourself the following:

What do I want to achieve from Pilates? (general fitness, strength to support another sporting activity, rehabilitate an injury or long-term condition management, increase flexibility, reduce pain, strength to support the aging process, want to meet other people)What is the best location for me? (close to home or close to work)What is my availability to attend classes? (mornings, nights, anytime as I am retired 😊)Is it important what my instructor is like? Are there qualities that I would like in my health professional?Are the qualifications of the instructor important to me (you will find trained professionals ranging from personal trainers, fitness instructors, qualified Pilates instructors, exercise physiologist and physiotherapists all offering Pilates)What is my budget for looking after my health and fitness? (many people put this last on their list of priorities – but what would your quality of life be like without your health and fitness?)

Perhaps you know the answers to some or all these questions. Now its time to ask around for referrals from friends and contacts, search on google ‘Pilates (suburb/area)’ or ask on local social media groups to find Pilates providers/studios. Give them a call and have a conversation about what you are looking for. Like anything, if you know what you want and have clear intentions, you are sure to find the perfect fit!

Narelle Jones

Pilates Instructor – Diploma of Contemporary Pilates & Teaching Methodology

Exercise Physiologists are allied health professionals who have the skills to support your rehabilitation and recovery from a physical, mental, and social perspective. An exercise physiologist can:

Help you understand your diagnosis and condition, and how this may impact on your ability to perform your daily activities and your workAssist you with setting goals for your daily life and your work lifePrescribe you with the right type of exercise to help achieve your goalsHelp you develop a plan so you can independently continue your journey to recovery

Exercise Physiologists who work as Occupational Rehabilitation Consultants can support your rehabilitation by:

Collaborating with you, your medical team, and your employer to ensure that your rehabilitation is safe, durable and appropriateHelping you to understand your rights and responsibilities within the compensation scheme

Our three tips for returning to work

1. Ask questions,and lots of them!

Ask your medical team questions about your diagnosis, treatments, expected outcomes and time-frames for recovery. Talk your employer about options to return to work, even if you are not 100% well. Lastly, ask you Rehabilitation Consultant for support with returning to work and obtaining information

2. Return to work as soon as possible

Talk to your medical team about what you are physically able to do and then chat to your employer. Ask for a Rehabilitation Consultant to help you with the process.

3. Stay active and stay positve

Try to continue your normal routine even if it means making a few adjustments. Ask for help if you are feeling down or worried. There are plenty of support services that can help you.

Classes coming Soon.

Losing some of our balance is part of the ageing process. This can become a problem for older adults, making them more susceptible to falls and injury. The good news? Exercise and balance training can help to prevent falls.

What causes Falls?

Frequent falls can not only lead to injuries, but can also hinder one’s ability to live independently. Although losing our balance appears to be the number one cause of falls in older adults, we can start to have falls for a number of reasons. Some of these include:

Loss of lower limb strength/sensationCognitive impairments/slowed reaction timesMultiple medicationsPoor eye sightPoor grip strength

The good news? Exercise can help!

Although exercise may not be able to improve things like eyesight, it can significantly improve your strength, body awareness and help improve your cognitive ability!

Exercise alone has been shown to effectively prevent falls when delivered to people within the community. The amount of risk reduction and rate of falls reduction has been shown to be anywhere between 20% – 35% with the introduction of a balance and strength program.

What type of exercise and how much?

The CSIRO & Exercise & Sports Science Australia recommend completing at least 2 hours of structured exercise per week for the prevention of falls. This exercise should not only include balance exercises, but also some strength training! This also doesn’t mean that 2 hours has to be done in a single session. Do what works best for you. It may be 20 minutes of training everyday of the week, 30 minutes every second day, or an hour of exercise completed twice a week.

Balance Training

Balance training should be of a difficulty that poses a challenge and may cause one to lose their balance, but does not place them at risk of having a fall. Some balance exercises may include:

Standing on unstable surfacesAdapting and holding difficult posturesFunctional exercises like step taps

Strength Training

A decrease in lower limb (and even upper limb) strength has been identified as a risk factor for falls. It’s therefore important to train for strength too. It’s never too late to start lifting weights! Strength training may include using your own bodyweight, bands, weights and cable machines to provide resistance. We can even often target strength and balance with the same exercises. Win-win!

Exercise to Avoid

Interestingly, those people who are susceptible to falls and already have frequent falls aren’t recommended to walk as a form of exercise. Walking increases the exposure and chance that we may catch our foot on one of those sneaky cracks in the pavement and fall. Research suggests it’s best to get balanced and strong again before heading out for a stroll.

Other benefits of Exercise

Although exercise is a fantastic way to decrease your falls risk, there are more benefits! You can improve flexibility, manage weight, and reduce your risk of developing chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Regular physical activity can also improve your mental health.

Who should I see to get an exercise Program?

The best place to start is to see your local GP. They may refer you to an allied health professional, like an Exercise Physiologist, to help manage your individual situation. Exercise Physiologists are university educated health professionals whom use exercise in acute, sub-acute and chronic medical conditions to help manage and improve your condition/s. Click here to find one near you!

At least 80% of people will suffer one episode of back pain during their lifetime. These days many people work sitting in front of a computer, It is no surprise they find it hard to sit up with proper posture for eight hours, which leads to compression of the spine, posture and ultimately back pain which has a compound effect on your lifestyle. Reformer Pilate is recommended for back pain because it is such an effective and safe way to strengthen your core muscles and increase flexibility, which reduces pressure on your spine.

Pilates trains the deep muscles in your abdomen and back to be strong and efficient in everything you do. What does this mean to you? Move with confidence, know your body will support you and trust that you wll be ok performing your everyday tasks.

Here is some reason why it’s so important to do Pilates Reformer

Comfortable Equipment

Even though it looks like torture equipment, the Reformer is actually safe and comfortable. You can do many different exercises while lying down. It has a headrest where you can comfortably place your head. If you do exercises on a Reformer, you will notice that the movements are easier than when you’re doing them on a mat, everything feels smoother and less clunky and eventually, you will move freely as well.everything feels smoother, with the reformer supporting and guiding your body.

Versatile

You can exercise on a reformer safely in many different positions such as standing, sitting, kneeling, side lying, which challenges all you daily functional movement to your level and eventually progressing to more complex movments. The Reformer has springs that will make your muscles work differently from the traditional floor exercises. The springs bring a challenge to your balance, motor control, and core strength as you work on improving your postural alignment. Always remember that whilst it is common for us to have back pain, it doesn’t mean you have to live with it.

Improved Movement

Reformer Pilates will help you move better. Poor posture can cause imbalances in your body which can lead to back pain. The Reformer’s sliding carriage and springs help you build good movement habits by gradually decreasing the amount of assistance and gradually increasing the resistance.while increasing your strength and stability.

Low Impact

Reformer Pilates is low impact and a very controlled exercise. A lot of the exercises can be taught lying down or seated, giving you support and confidence to perform the exercise without putting your back at risk

Activating and strengthening muscles

Where tight muscles affect posture and cause pain, there are also muscles in a weak or underactive position. Typically, we see weak core (muscles of the stomach and around the spine) and Gluteal (buttocks). Strengthening these muscle groups will help keep your body in a better posture which will put less strain on your back. Reformer Pilates can be used to isolate these weak points and ensure they activate during exercises to help strengthen them quicker.

Progressive

Reformer Pilates is as relevant to athletes as it is to a retired gardener. As you progress and your back pain reduces, your exercises can progress too – making them more challenging and taking your strength, flexibility, and fitness to new heights.

Restoring Flexibility

Reformer Pilates is more than just stretching. The springs and sliding carriage of the Reformer will guide you with exercises ranges of movement you don’t use (but should) in your normal day. This can help relieve the stiffness built up through your daily routine and ease back pain

At Evolve, we use a combination of the Reformer and other small equipment to help our clients release, mobilise, strengthen and lengthen their bodies. Private or Duo sessions allow us to give you individualised care to free you from pain and help you to achieve your fitness goals.

With over 2.2 million Australians over the age of 50 affected by osteoporosis, it’s easy to see why looking after bone health is important as you age. But what are the best exercises for preventing and managing osteoporosis?

What is Osteoporosis?

Throughout our lifetime, our bones are constantly going through a process called “bone remodelling”. New bone cells are produces (bone formation) and old bone cells are gotten rid of (bone resorption). In osteoporosis, the rate of bone resorption is increased with no increase in bone formation. This means that we get rid of old bone cells at a faster rate than we create our new ones, causing an overall change in structural integrity of our bones.

Osteoporosis is classified based on your Bone Mineral Density (BMD). When you go for a bone mineral density scan, you will receive a T-score which represents the density of your bone. They will then classify your bone health into three categories:

Learn how to Exercise Right for Active Ageing.

Best exercise for Osteoporosis

Strength Training

Strength training is one of the best exercises for osteoporosis. Application of sufficient load on the skeletal system helps stimulate bone formation. The most effective way to do this is through a well-designed resistance training intervention. In fact, numerous studies show that resistance training causes significant improvements in BMD.

Plometric Training

“Plyometrics” are explosive, powerful exercises that are trained to activate the quick response and elastic properties of the major muscles. It causes the participant to exert a high degree of force for a short period of time. Examples includes exercises like jumping, skipping and hopping. Research shows that jumping combined with resistance training show greater improvements in BMD than strength training alone.

Sound extreme? It doesn’t have to be.

Plyometrics don’t have to be super explosive movements like you see athletes performing. It can be simple step down patterns from a step or forward/backward hopping patterns on the ground. The key is to start slowly and progressively overload under guidance of an expert.

Learn how to Exercise Right for Active Ageing.

Aerobic Training

Although many aerobic exercise interventions are not as successful in improving BMD, they should still be considered as part of the overall training plan. They help with weight management, and can therefore help to unload joints of the lower limb. They are also crucial for overall health and well-being.

Things to remember

Always chat to your GP and get advice from an exercise expert before starting a new exercise regime. An Accredited Exercise Physiologist is specially qualified to prescribe exercise for those with osteopenia or osteoporosis, and will work alongside your GP to ensure exercise prescription is safe and effective.

Tips for getting started

See a qualified professional – When it comes to exercise, a “generic” program isn’t always the best way to start your strength training. Having an individualised strength program that is based on your assessment findings will be extremely beneficial.

Set exercise goals – It will help to keep you motivated and focused. Make sure they are S.M.A.R.T goals.

Use the right resistance – Establishing suitable resistance training loads will allow you to perform strength training safely and effectively.

Check in with yourself – Make sure you track your muscle and joint soreness each day, and be sure to let your Exercise Physiologist know how you’re feeling. This will help to establish the proper training loads moving forward.

Progressive overload is key – Progressively overloading your skeletal system improves your muscular strength and ensures you continue to see results.

Find Balance – Incorporating a balance component help to prevent falls and reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures.

To wrap it up

If you have osteoporosis and are looking for ways to help manage your symptoms, I implore you to undertake a resistance training program. This should be done in consultation with your GP and an exercise physiologistto allow maximal safety and effectiveness.

Pilates and Weight training is different but they are actually well matched and can complement each other. Pilates has a strong posture and stability focus and will teach you to feel and engage many muscles that you may have never connected to before. It's easy to go to the gym and lift weights (as long as you can find the motivation). However, many people don’t actually know what they are working out and what muscles they need to switch on to stabilise the body to then perform a movement. After all, we respond better to performing anything when we understand the whys, whats, and hows behind it. I have a number of clients that lift heavy weights at the gym and come to me for pilates to improve form and help manage aches and pains. These are seasoned lifters, Initially, I will talk to them about releasing their muscles – it makes sense to release the tightness in your muscles so that your joints sit comfortably in the right place to perform an exercise, we work through some wonderful release exercises.Another area of misinformation is in regards to the core and its role in lifting weights bracing your tummy before a lift is apparent but requires pelvic floor muscles and other muscles for a safe and beneficial lift. The seasoned weight lifters like doing lat pulldown or chin ups. With light springs on, I instruct the lifter to pull the bar down – it seems so light that its likes pulling the bar down without any springs. Then, comes teaching the exercise by having them disconnect from their Lat and connect it before pulling the bar down, the spring tension now feels much heavier, it's common for me to see upper traps tightness and no Lat connection to perform this movement. This is very common with well- developed lats, loaded weights without correct activation will overuse the upper trap and poor performing lats. Consequently, we have extremely developed, rock hard, tight upper traps that contribute to poor form when performing exercises that carry on to daily activities.

Ultimately both individually designed weight training programs and Pilates can be used to correct imbalances and improve postural alignment. Conversely, poorly taught weight training and Pilates can create imbalances and cause injury. Here at Evolve, we are fortunate to teach both disciplines- weight training and pilates, we have seen improvements in clients who attend both these disciplines on a weekly basis. Increasing strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, core activation, postural awareness, weight loss, motivation and muscle release are a few of the results of this wonderful combination. Our hands-on approach (which you can only get if you are working one on one or in very small groups) in both exercise programs, enhances client connection to their bodies.

If you’re looking to slow down ageing and stay younger and vibrant through your 40s and well beyond , then science shows again and again that resistance training with weights is vital. Improved brain function, health, metabolism, blood sugar control and overall decreased risk of all-cause mortality are just some of the headline benefits of lifting weights, there is also increase in strength, mobility, muscle density and increased metabolism. If you a complete beginner or an advanced trainee, here are a few things that are highly applicable to this age group.Staying injury free Picking up a niggle when you’re in your 40s will take a lot longer to recover from than when in your 20s, and so avoiding this will keep you training for longer, meaning a more frequent stimulus for growth, and ultimately more muscle. Keeping yourself healthy should be a number one priority, no matter what your age group. A frequent stimulus is the most important consideration in your 40s and beyond, so it is key to not miss out on vital training time.

Incorporate lots of variety in training One of the most important variables in hypertrophy, whilst avoiding the ‘niggly’ over-use injuries so prevalent as your age, is to incorporate lots of variety in your training. For middle-aged clients, rotating through exercises with different implements and strength curves can be a good way to stay healthy and strong.

Increase your time under tension One of the best ways to train as you age is to find ways to increase time under tension on your muscles and the difficulty of exercises. So using light weights but doing high reps and making sure your technique or form is perfect during the exercise will be of great benefit.

Reduce the frequency of spinal loading Grouping lower back-intensive exercises into one day a week can be a great way to allow recovery for the often-vulnerable lower back structures. On this note, squats and deadlifts may not be necessary at all in their true form if you are a beginner with no movement capability, as this will often do more harm than good, so half squats and lunges with lots of reps are fine here.

Stabilise When encountering new trainees in their 40s and beyond, one of the key issues we see is a lack of stability in their joints. So, utilising isometrics, holding a position, unilateral work, so one arm row and slow tempos initially can help bring up this vital aspect of fitness.

Focus on quality Often with beginner clients above 40, in particular, focusing on perhaps four to five exercises per workout at the maximum is all that’s needed. Simply picking an upper body ‘push and pull’ session, and lower body ‘push and pull’, rotating, and keeping an eye on quality is an excellent way to train.

Warm up, mobilise and stretch Spending 10 to 15 minutes a day on mobility and flexibility will pay huge dividends when it comes to staying healthy as you age. For clients in their 40s an beyond, this is critical as the ability to ‘get away with’ poor posture and technique diminishes, so the need to be warm and pliable prior to, and during training, is enhanced.

Keep active and enjoy it Simply staying active outside of the gym is vital, and often overlooked. A daily walk can play huge dividends on improving many of the factors that contribute to anabolic resistance – the muscle’s reduced ability to respond to an anabolic stimulus which worsens as you age, meaning a poor response to resistance training. So finding activity and sport you love and can enjoy with others will keep you active for decades, and help just as much as being in a gym can.

How often do you take time out for yourself? Do you have a daily timeout practice, weekly or perhaps once or twice a year? Or do you just keep going all day, everyday until you fall into bed at night exhausted?

Lets talk about why taking time out is essential for a healthy balanced life.

Because YOU are important – it’s a part of looking after the most important person in your life!

We often fall into roles in life with the belief that we have to put our personal needs second or maybe even last…. the role of a parent, carer, student, worker, business owner, daughter, son, teacher, friend… and the list goes on. Our beliefs may have formed from an early age with influences through our family of origin, schooling, social influences, religious practices or perhaps beliefs we have formed through discussions with friends, partners or colleagues later in life. How can we look after ourselves and have a balanced lifestyle with these nagging beliefs? How do we have timeout without guilt or other embedded negative feelings? This is challenging for many people.

I remember being told (by a former boss) that achieving a work/life balance is an impossible goal – I thought, are you kidding me? (admittedly, I was probably trying to secure the most suitable work hours that worked for me at the time, and so perhaps that was his way of saying no). However, anything is achievable if you have the mindset to support it. YOU are important and a part of nurturing yourself is to take time out in whatever form that is for you. This is called Self Love and you deserve every bit of it.

Your HEALTH is important!

The only person responsible for your health is you. Every thought, belief, action and behaviour can impact on our health on some level. If we never take time to quieten our mind, nurture our physical needs through exercise or self-care practices like massage, or ponder our beliefs about how the world works and what is our purpose, then we are really just on a roller-coaster ride that doesn’t stop to rest, rejuvenate, reflect, reboot and rebirth (grow). And then there’s our adrenal glands… this isn’t the place to go into how they function and the potential results of stress on the adrenals…. just remember that sometimes we think we are handling stress, but our body tells us different and the adrenals take the brunt of this. If you are feeling anxious, tired, physically sore or inflamed or numerous other symptoms (just look into Adrenal Fatigue), these could be signs that your adrenals are fatigued. Perhaps its time to stop and listen to your body (it knows best), even if you think you enjoy the roller-coaster, your body may not.

How to take time out! Food for thought…

Daily – Take time to breathe mindfully, meditate, take a walk somewhere that brings you calm, stretch your body, swim, read a book, chat (actually face to face or on the phone…texting has taken over our communication!) to someone you enjoy, make a meal that you love and eat it without distraction of others or electronics, look up to the sky, out to sea or sit with nature and think about all the things you are grateful for, have a bath…you may notice that these are all slow things…yes heading to the gym and doing a workout is also timeout, just remember to add some things in to your day that slow you down both physically and mentally and bring you calm and balance. Weekly – All of the daily activities listed above would also be great to do once a week. Or maybe go out with people that you have enjoy a laugh with, go on a hike, see a movie, have a massage, try a new activity – there are so many to choose from – just ask Google! Yearly – book that holiday or retreat. Will timeout for you mean being totally on your own or with others? Will it mean a holiday with family or without? Both are important – I love to go away with friends or family however I love the Ahhhhh feeling of going away where no one knows who I am… this could be participating in a course for the weekend or going on a health retreat. I find there is no better way to just be ME (whatever I am on that day – after all, we are never the same as we were yesterday) than to book into a course or a retreat. Whether I am familiar with the content that will be covered or not, there will always be some self-learning and most importantly, self-love experienced during my timeout 😊

Look after YOU – love YOU - take timeout – RETREAT to a place that brings you calm – Relax, Reconnect, Rejuvenate.

Narelle Jones, Pilates Instructor - Inspire Pilates

Retreat Facilitator -Inspire Balance Pilates Retreats

We know that Pilates is great for everyone! And that definitely applies to anyone with Osteoarthritis.Sometimes because our joints are stiff and sore, we just want to stay still and go into protective mode. But if you think about it, that’s not logical. Everything locking up, losing mobility and strength. After all, you have to ‘use it or lose it’ as the saying goes. Pilates is gentle and aims to workout without stressing your joints or add pressure to the surrounding ligaments and cartilage. Working with an Instructor who can individualise your session for your needs, means that you will be looked after however your body shows up on the day. Some days, you may just need mobilisation, stretching and light resistance work and other days your body is up for more challenge. You listen to your body and so will we!

Pilates focuses on precise, controlled movements and can offer you many health benefits. Pilates will help to lengthen your body, increase blood flow to muscles and tendons, which may help relieve soreness. With a focus on movement from your core, joint alignment, Pilates can help you through better posture and stronger stabilising muscles.

All Pilates exercises start in your core (your abdomen), stay in your core and end in your core. Before trying Pilates exercises, you must learn how to move from your core, and only then will you be able to realise the full benefit of Pilates.

Our aim – for you to leave your session feeling great, whether that’s physically, mentally or hopefully both!

Every Body loves to move, to get stronger and be more flexible which gives you the feeling of enhancement when we connect mind to body, using awareness and breath to perform movements with precision and control. Yes, Every Body can achieve the wonderful benefits of Pilates. As a Pilates instructor, I see clients that have poor body awareness, old injuries that flare up and existing ones that need to be managed, lack of cardio conditioning, lack of functional strength and have been disconnected from their bodies for a long period of time, therefore I am always trying to connect body and mind to help clients, gain a better understanding of movement by using core and breath, teaching clients to slow down before starting a session is essential in the Pilates method. Our current clients have come to Evolve to reduce their pain or rehabilitate following an injury, its common to see these clients not making the initial connections to the right muscles or not activating the deeper muscles during their other exercise activities. It’s also about connecting with people, whether it's me as the Instructor or with the group they are in, it’s connecting within that space with others that amplify their experience. Joseph Pilates said, “Pilates is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.” When you are totally connected in your Pilates practice, body, mind, and spirit are aligned. When you achieve this, you are in control of your body and where you take it within your Pilates Practice. I love to see people make those connections within their body. Pilates Instructor are qualified to guide you through your practice however as an Instructor, I feel an immense gratitude when I see people listening to their body and moving according to their body’s needs at that given moment in time. Yes, Pilates is for Every Body. Come and learn to connect with your body through movement, breathing, precision and control, your mind and body will reap the benefits!

I’ll see you soon for a Private or Duo Reformer session 😊

Pilates reformer provides a full body workout that can be adjusted to meet the needs of every individual. Tailored programs can assist people wanting to support their existing physical workouts (e.g. Cycling, surfing, dancing, weight training) through to those with rehabilitation needs requiring modifications. Through mind/body awareness, those regularly attending Pilates reformer classes can expect a stronger core, long lean muscles, better posture, balance, improved coordination, joint mobility and injury support.

Having sore muscles sometimes can discourage you from training or prevent you from getting back on track sooner, so here is a list of remedies that will help you get back on track, remember the best remedies is to know your limit when exercising and as a rule start slow when doing a new exercise. Remember always a long warm up and a long cool down is best.Persevere Your muscles can experience soreness simply from using them normally and not in any intense way. When achy, tired muscles become a nag, combat the pain with some exercise. Starting out, muscles might feel extra-achy, like they don’t want to go on. Weary muscles will often resist a workout at first but once you get into it, they usually loosen up and the ache disappears after a few minutes of brisk movement. Keep in mind that if muscles are sore from an intense bout of prior exercise, you should really go easy on them or you can easily pull or strain one or more muscles.A Hot Soak Taking the time to soak your tired or overused muscles in an extremely warm bath for 30-40 minutes accomplishes wonders for loosening up and relaxing the mind and body completely, creating an overall sync. While your muscles are stagnant and relaxed in the hot bath, the heat has the chance to offer some deep therapy. After a full soak, and perhaps even some gentle stretching while in the tub, getting out will feel so much easier than getting in.Ice the Pain Swelling is one of the key reasons muscles throw off intense pain and discomfort. Swelling is a renowned part of the muscle repair process, which can be undermined if you hit the gym again too hard and don’t allow for some recovery time. Icing the muscles can be the key to bringing down the swelling and relieving the relentless burn. This technique can accelerate muscle recovery and manage discomfort, simultaneously making the next day more manageable.Heat the Ache Where ice packs or baths combat inflammation and swelling, heat works to alleviate the pain directly. Over-the-counter heat rubs (like Tiger Balm and Deep Rub) offer relief through penetrating warmth, getting the blood moving to your overworked muscles. This helps to make them more limber and loose. Rubs can pump oxygen into tissues and dilate blood vessels, relaxing an overtaxed body.Work through the Pain A moderate workout can aid in recovery after intense exercise. Don’t jump back into anything intense. Take an easy and slow approach, indulging your muscles in some deep recovery with a relaxing yoga workout (where the stretching can also help immensely with the pain) or another light exercise that gets your blood moving at an easy speed and intensity.Repair with Massage A soothing massage can be just what the doctor ordered for sore muscles. A.R.T., or Active Release Technique, is a massage treatment you can use to treat tired, stiff muscles and loosen them up by working on individual tissues and in between them too. Stretching during a massage can also do wonders. Forget deep-tissue massages and focus on a gentle rub instead. This can ease inflammation and relax tight muscles.Food for recovery You can just as easily fuel your body with foods and drinks that can help with muscle recovery or eat these foods daily to help avoid muscles pain, stock your fridge and pantry with these ingredients, and start feeling the difference. Nuts, cottage cheese, turmeric ( as a hot drink or curries)spinach, salmon, green tea and manuka honey, all these foods help deliver either anti-inflammatory qualities or omega 3 and protein to help recovery. Keep in mind that muscle pains from exercising usually don’t last longer than a week. So, if the pain just won’t go away, seek a doctor. Alcohol makes muscle recovery even slower.Stretches Assisted stretches either with a personal trainer or a pilates trainer, while pilates instructor may use a reformer bed or a spinal corrector apparatus a personal trainer would use props like foam rollers, fit balls, assisted stretches, PNF stretches. and dynamic stretches. The outcome would be a speedy recovery, working with a Personal trainer or Pilates expert can help with the prevention of muscles soreness, by training with an expert we can symmetrically balance your muscle, show you how to train progressively and to always stretch the right muscles for better recovery. You can't always avoid sore muscles when exercising but you can prevent injuries and speed up recovery time.

Oh, the dreaded plateau…

You’ve been working hard on your fitness and its paid off. The weight started to drop! And then one day your results stopped. You keep putting in the same effort without any sign of improvement. You’ve hit a frustrating plateau. Or have you? Before you blame a fitness plateau for your lack of results let’s critically consider the following:Your Diet:

It’s human nature to begin to slip on your nutrition after a few weeks of stringent diligence. A small treat here, and a bit of something there, and before you know it you’ve fallen back into old eating habits. If your results have stopped then take the next few weeks to track your nutrition and hold yourself accountable for every bite.Your Workouts:

If your nutrition has truly stayed on point then your workouts could be the problem. Are you slacking on the final few reps? Have you reduced your overall intensity with your training? Did you skip a few sessions last week? Before you blame a plateau for your reduced results take a really hard look at your effort with exercise. Rededicate yourself to pushing as hard as you can, without injuries. Your Sleep:

This is a tough one for so many people, but you simply must be getting adequate sleep in order to lose fat and develop muscle. Your body needs close to eight hours of sleep each night in order to recover from your workouts and to maintain balanced hormone levels. Getting to bed on time is vitally important to your fitness results. If you have tackled the three steps above and still don’t see the number on your scale moving in the right direction, then move on to these next plateau-changing steps…Track Your Efforts:

It’s time to get meticulous with tracking your fitness efforts, from exactly what your workouts consist of, to exactly what and when you eat in order to constantly improve. Make it your goal to outdo yourself every day. If you’re constantly performing better today than you were yesterday, then your plateau will quickly become a distant memory.Track your results:

Simply checking your weight on the scale is not a thorough enough measurement of your progress. Start tracking additional metrics for change. Take your measurements. Take pictures of yourself weekly. It’s important to be fully aware of how your body is changing as a whole unit, not just the number on the scale. You may be surprised to find that your body fat has been dropping while your weight has stayed the same. Sometimes additional strategies for breaking through your fitness plateau is needed, maybe we can help.

You've let yourself go during the Christmas break or way before then!

It happens to the best of us. That moment when you realise that you’ve let yourself go, and you need to get back on track. Your first thought is to go on a ‘diet’ but as quickly as that enters your mind the ghosts of many diets past return…along with all the frustration. Then you wonder, why bother? The weight will come back, as it always has or you will stop again midway somewhere between work and life. The answer is not to go on another diet. The answer is to change your lifestyle.

Making the Change It’s time to lose your ‘all or nothing’ mentality. Embrace simple, small changes that will add up to big improvements in your lifestyle. An ongoing healthy lifestyle that supports your ideal body weight.

These are your 2 areas to change:

What You Eat Let’s face it, most of the foods you eat aren’t the healthiest. Some are downright terrible (the burger and fries you had last week). While others are simply excessive (the snacks you eat while watching TV).

The solution to cleaning up your daily diet is NOT to go back on a ‘diet’. In fact, I never want you to go on a ‘diet’ again. Instead, I want you to make permanent healthy changes to your eating habits. Here are some practical examples:

Choose salad over chips or friesDon’t add butter to your foodEat fresh produce with every mealLimit desserts to one or two per weekCut out mindless snackingDrink water,limit soft drinks.. and limit alcohol, why wait for Dry July!

I don’t expect you to eat a perfect diet every day of the week – that’d be ludicrous. You should, however, make MORE healthy choices every day than unhealthy ones.

How You Move Exercise is a huge component of a healthy lifestyle, and you’re not getting enough of it. How often does an entire week go by without you ever lacing up your workout shoes? Don’t disregard the importance and power of a good workout.

Your new healthy lifestyle means exercising on most days of the week.I understand how hard it is to find the motivation to stay consistent and to push yourself. Make exercise a no-brainer—contact us to get started on a lifestyle enhancing program today. Here are simple ways to move more:

Watch less TVStretch stiff muscles every dayPlay at the park with the kidsGo for a jogDo some pushups every morningTake the dog for a walkHave a home exercise program that you can follow - we can help.

While none of the above are meant as substitutes for a solid exercise routine, they are great ways to become more active and to improve your lifestyle.

Your lifestyle is the balance of all the choices that you make regarding your body. Swing the balance in your favor—make a majority of your choices health conscious.

You’ll be happy you made the decision to be better. Are you ready to transform your lifestyle and body? No more beating around the bush. The time is now.

Why is it that so many celebrities swear by Pilates?

Pilates enthusiasts claim it makes their bodies long and lean, improving muscle tone and lengthening the spine whilst giving a thorough and challenging workout.Others may assume it is a bit slow at times. So why is it that so many people, including celebrities, swear by Pilates?

Common answers focus on the benefits Pilates exercise has on posture, injury rehab, toning your body etc, arguably the greatest benefit of Pilates – it can drastically transform your sex life.

Pilates focuses on training your body holistically, digging deep and forcing you to activate deep intrinsic muscles that you might never have known existed before you tried Pilates. The pelvic floor is a great example of this. You might know the feeling of an activated pelvic floor muscle when you stop yourself urinating mid-flow. It is the area that spans underneath the pelvis and is a large sling of muscles and ligaments that help control your bladder and bowl and more importantly for some, it makes the vagina tighter and more toned, creating better orgasms and increasing pleasure in sex.

Through Pilates exercise you will train this area both explicitly and implicitly – meaning that you will strengthen it while you are performing the Pilates moves and poses and you will be trained to activate it just by focusing on it.

And don’t just take our word for it – there are a number of studies which show that pelvic floor muscle training exercises to help improve sexual response in both men and women. Most recently, a study published in the journal of sex and marital happiness showed that sexual function can be improved through Pilates exercise. Still not convinced?

Try Pilates for a month and see how you go!

Why are you still waiting for the right time to get fit?

You are busy and hectic. Your family member is sick. Your job is demanding. You are focused on planning a big life event. Your kids are pulling you in a million different directions and now is an emotional time.

There are a million and more excuses for why you haven’t made your body a priority…yet. At the back of your mind, you believe that the day will come when you are ready to take action in getting back in shape.

But that right time hasn’t come.

Let’s be honest with each other right now. The right time to get fit won’t ever magically appear. There will always be another life event to navigate. There’s always going to be someone you know who is sick…and you’ll even get sick at times. You will always have a reason to emotionally eat if you allow yourself that chaos.

So what’s the solution? Drift through life in a body that you aren’t happy with? Avoid mirrors and bathing suits and sleeveless tops? Comfort yourself with the thought that you’ll dial in your fitness one day…just not today?

I’d like you to consider that the right time to get fit is Right Now!

Not despite your current life challenges but BECAUSE of them.

How much more effective do you think you’ll be dealing with a busy schedule, sick relatives, big life events and active kids when you’re living in an energetic, functional and fit body?

Loads more effective!

Consider your current challenges as reasons why you MUST get fit NOW rather than excuses as to why you CAN’T get fit now. I know you can do this. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

to get started on your journey to a fit, active and super functional body!

It seems that many of our personal training programs are based around the need to compensate for over indulgence on thee weekend, or at festive times such as Easter and Christmas holidays. This is when things generally take a dive, but with guidance from your trainer in the months in between, you can make a difference and keep body fat at a lower percentage.

From a trainer perspective we could spend the first half of the week getting clients back into the fat burning phase because clients have over loaded on carbs on the weekend.

You must get your body in a fat burning state in order to get the results quicker.

What is the perfect condition for the body to drop body fat?

There is a certain state that lends itself well to dropping body fat. That state is slightly “carb depleted”. (The easiest way to do this is to increase your protein intake and reduce your carb intake).

When the body is storing a limited amount of carbs in the muscles, it tends to use stored body fat for energy. This is idea. But if they are “carbed up” all the time, they are very unlikely to get lean. So even though they have loads of energy to do a solid workout, most of the energy used is from the carbs component and not the fats, unless you would like to spend at least 2 hours per session to eventually deplete the carbs then continue to burn fats which is unrealistic.

We know that the body will use fuel accordingly

High intensity training will help you burn more total calories and mainly from carbs. During a long slower session you burn less calories however you burn more from body fat storage.

If you were to look at anyone that has lost weight successfully regardless of the diet they followed, you will find that some key point will sound similar in all the different diet patterns, the same rules apply more exercise and less calories consumed.

How to do cardio to quickly reduce the carbs in your system

Avoid long cardio workouts (more then 90 min) it’s just unrealistic for weight loss (even though it works). It's difficult to sustain.

Think along the lines of jogging medium to hard or riding a bike for 45-60 minutes. By doing a sustained jog or bike ride etc this is a good way to burn carbs and get back to the best condition to burn body fat. So instead of waiting for 2-3 days of clean eating to get back to a slightly carb depleted state, you can get there within a day.

When to incorporate long cardio sessions

This type of cardio should be used on a limited basis to get the body back to where it needs to be. Let’s say you ate pizza on Saturday and went to a BBQ on Sunday, then if you felt a bit “carbed up” you would do a longer more drawn out cardio session on Monday to get your body back to fat burning mode.

From that point on you would stick to HIIT (high intensity interval training) or body weight circuits. You would also clean up your diet for the remainder of the week.

Finally

The main thing to remember is that if you are eating less calories, you need to be careful that the cardio sessions are brief and focused . If your diet is carb loaded you will want to incorporate longer cardio sessions to get your body to the right condition. Once this is achieved you will want to stick with mainly HIIT and continue to tighten up your diet.

Need help to get back on track? Call our email us and let's get your program started.

Chocolate comes from plants, so it must be healthy, right? Wrong… it depends on what else is in the chocolate, and how close it is to the natural product. Choose the least processed chocolate, with the least milk solids, emulsifiers and added sugar. Chocolate is high in fat and sugar, so eat it in moderation.

Choose chocolate with the highest cocoa content, as cocoa is very high in flavanoids and in its powdered state is virtually calorie free. Add cocoa powder to smoothies or yoghurt. If you do have chocolate, have at least 70% dark chocolate as it contains twice as much antioxidants as milk chocolate.

Chocolate does have some other benefits if eaten in moderation

Dark Chocolate has been shown to help to prevent heart disease and cancerDark Chocolate improves mood by boosting the brains serotonin levelsChocolate is made up of about 300 chemicals, some which may have mood altering effects. (Phenyethylamine is said to simulate the feeling of falling in love).Chocolate contains a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals. (A B1 C D E)Chocolate contains flavonoids which may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer while slowing the ageing process.

If you must eat Chocolate, here are some tips for controlling your cravings and indulgences:

Dark is best. Research has shown that the benefits of Chocolate comes from the dark type more than the milk typeEat your chocolate with a nutrient rich food, like strawberries dipped in chocolateBuy smaller sizes, this will stop you over indulgingOrder fruit for dessert with a small chocolate treat on the side so it is not your main treatSavor, sit down and take your time and enjoy.

And no dribbling please!

Any committed journey to weight loss can take all your determination and will, but it’s no secret the final 5 kilos can be a real challenge, even for the most dedicated! With some focus and a plan of attack, you CAN shed those final kilos and reach your desired weight. Here are our 10 tips for finally getting the job done!1. Keep a simple food and exercise journal Doing this even for a short time will help to highlight any habits that could be getting in the way of reaching your end goal. It’s the perfect reflective tool to tap into your good weeks by emulating them, and reduce those frustrating bad weeks! Awareness is key.

2. A little preparation goes a long way This is the most important step "if you fail to plan, "you plan to fail”. Spend a few hours on the weekend getting what you need together for the following week. If you are serious about losing weight, your nutrition needs to become a priority for at least a month. It just so happens 1 month is the perfect amount of time to lose 5 kilos. Imagine that. It could only be a month away!3. High protein is your friend - especially at breakfast

Having more protein helps to boost metabolism, maintain and increase muscle tissue, and aid exercise recovery. Protein is digested more slowly than carbohydrates, which helps help curb your appetite and keep your hormones well regulated. Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day.

4. Increase your water intake – it makes all the difference

For many of us, our daily coffee habit, or a couple of wines with dinner are habits that have gradually crept into our lives. Increasing your water intake makes it naturally easier to reduce your milky coffee, alcohol, and calorie loaded juices. Drinking water before meals helps you eat less and keeps belly bloat in check, and a green tea is a great choice after each meal. Good hydration all day long can actually help you burn more calories, helping you reduce weight and stay healthier all year long. Swap to water or herbal tea and you are likely to see a reduction in weight.5. Mix it up - go for a variety of exercise

If you only have 5-10 kg to lose, chances are you are already exercising regularly. But, your body gets used to exercising in a certain way, so altering the variety, intensity and timing can be all you need to kick-start the fat burning process again. Alter whatever you are doing now, even if it’s a little. If you are on a treadmill maybe it's the speed or the elevation that needs changing, or it's time to start doing a circuit session instead of weight training.