Home/Outdoor Full-body workout B

Home/Outdoor Full-body workout B

Exercises, Habits, Personal Training
Resistance band and bodyweight exercises can be very useful in maintaining your fitness especially during this period where gyms are closed. Here are some examples/suggestions on how you can mix and match your workout, but feel free to follow accordingly too. The program can be found at the end, so do scroll down for more info. Instructions: 1. Pick a resistance that you could manage with proper form 2. Always make sure the object you secure the bands to is stable and strong 3. Always perform each exercise in a controlled manner   Sample Program Exercise Sets Reps Band deadlift 3 15 Band bend over row 3 15 - - - Band Lat pull down 3 15 Step up 3 20 - - - Band single arm lats pull down…
Read More
Home/Outdoor Full-body workout A

Home/Outdoor Full-body workout A

Exercises, Habits, Personal Training
Resistance band and bodyweight exercises can be very useful in maintaining your fitness especially during this period where gyms are closed. Here are some examples/suggestions on how you can mix and match your workout, but feel free to follow accordingly too. The program can be found at the end, so do scroll down for more info. Instructions: 1. Pick a resistance that you could manage with proper form 2. Always make sure the object you secure the bands to is stable and strong 3. Always perform each exercise in a controlled manner (Legs, Shoulder, Lats, Core) Sample program Exercise Sets Reps Band Rows(Neutral) 3 15 Squats 3 20 - - - Band Single arm row 3 15 Lunges 3 20 - - - Band Rows(palm face up) 3 15 Step…
Read More
Runners Series 2: Exercises for ITB Syndrome

Runners Series 2: Exercises for ITB Syndrome

Exercises
Runners Series Part 2: ITB Syndrome What is ITB Syndrome? ITB is short for Iliotibial band. The ITB is located at the lateral (outer) part of the thigh, connecting the hip and the knee joint. ITB syndrome is classified as an overused injury of the connective tissue. Common complaints are pain and tenderness at the area outside the knee. The most common cause of ITB syndrome  is instability of the knee joint or the hip. Resting is a good option to relieve pain, but the pain may resurface again without fixing the root cause -- instability. Sometimes prevention is the cure. Give these preventative exercises a try and see if that it helps. If not, contact us to book a Sports Therapy session and we’ll examine what needs to be strengthened…
Read More
Runners Series: Exercises for Anterior Knee Pain

Runners Series: Exercises for Anterior Knee Pain

Exercises
Running has always been the number one go-to cardiovascular exercise for many. However, many also stop running for good after facing knee discomfort or pain. Running is a high impact activity. Research shows that the amount of force placed on the knee tendon while running is about 4.7-6.9 times the body weight and knee joint compression force is about 7 – 11 times the body weight (Stan L James, MD: Running Injuries to the Knee. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 1995;3:309-318.) A marathon runner takes an average of 25,000 steps during a race, not forgetting all of the other mileage clocked leading to the marathon day. Imagine how much of a load is put on the knee joint! Four of the most common injuries are usually anterior knee pain, iliotibial-band (ITB) syndrome, Achilles…
Read More
Stress and Recovery

Stress and Recovery

Habits, Personal Training
What is Stress? Stress is a response designed to get our attention, manage a threat, deal with any damage(injury) and return the body back its own baseline. For example, when we exercise, we break into a sweat and feel thirsty. These are stress responses - your body is trying to regulate its own core temperature (manage threat), and feeling thirsty (getting your attention to drink more water) helps your body return to normal function. There are many other factors contributing to stress, such as physical, mental, emotional, existential, social and environmental stress, but I will just be focusing on the physical (exercise) stress for now. [caption id="attachment_546" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo by Gabriel on Unsplash[/caption] Stress and Recovery should be linked in exercise planning When we respond, recover and adapt well, stress make us…
Read More
2 ways to start a habit – make time and take action

2 ways to start a habit – make time and take action

Habits
[caption id="attachment_470" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash[/caption] The hardest part about starting a habit is starting. Have you heard yourself say these all-too-familiar words: ”I am too busy” or “I have no time?” Instead of making a lengthy to-do list that overwhelms you and promptly gets ignored, why not try the following steps? 1. Make time for things that matter to you Making time is a crucial habit. If you don’t make time, time will fly by from the many other obligations that come out of nowhere. There will never be a perfect time, only time you set aside. Learn to identify what is important for your own self-development and health, eg. getting healthier or losing that extra 10kg. Learn to say no to others and allocate that “me” time for…
Read More
Why You Should Hire a Trainer

Why You Should Hire a Trainer

Personal Training
[caption id="attachment_364" align="aligncenter" width="640"] You've got a friend in me[/caption] Have you ever said to yourself: I'm not making any progress I'm not going to the gym enough I'm not pushing myself hard enough And it always ends with this: I should probably hire a trainer. You start to question yourself. Do I really need to spend money on a trainer if I can do it myself? Maybe I should hire an online coach instead? Maybe a training partner/crew will work just as well? A personal trainer would improve your life by leaps and bounds. And here's how. This post was inspired by The Key for Progress: Recognizing and Overcoming Laziness. Head over if you'd like to read detailed research findings and facts. We Are All Lazy And it's not your…
Read More
3 Simple Desk Exercises

3 Simple Desk Exercises

Exercises, neck pain
Here are a few simple desk exercises that you can perform at work or at home! Upper Traps (Neck/Upper Back) The upper traps muscle may get tight due to stress or bad posture (the elevation of the shoulder associated with bad workplace ergonomics). Start by doing this simple exercise: Sit on your right palm to create an anchor point. Tilt your head towards your left shoulder. If you need more resistance use your left hand to pull your head towards your left shoulder. Breathe deeply into the belly through your nose and breathe out from the mouth. Feel your trap muscle relax. Hold for 30secs to 1min. *** Please do not hold your breath. *** Front of Neck We often feel like the back of our neck is "strained or…
Read More
6 Easy Stretches To Try

6 Easy Stretches To Try

Exercises
Tired of sitting for hours in the office? Go outdoors, catch some fresh air and don't forget to stretch while you clear your mind. 1. Calves stretch Find a wall or railing Bring your right foot to the back and bend the left knee forwards You should be able to feel a stretch in the right lower part of the leg towards the ankle Breathe in and out fully and feel the muscle relax for 30 secs to 1min. [caption id="attachment_283" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Calves Stretch[/caption] 2. Stretching the quads (front of the thigh) This can be beneficial for people who sit a lot daily. Tight quads can cause lower back pain. Find something stationary for balance purposes as your aim is to stretch not balance Lift your left feet with your…
Read More