Recently I’ve come to realise something. Once I explore the logic, it makes total sense, but for the longest time I’d never really explored it. It’s the potential that having our technologically impressive smart watches and Fitbits attached to us 24/7 might not be as harmless as their manufacturers make it out to be. And here’s why...

They’re making us weak…

When someone sees me for a Functional Neurology session, I always do a lot of manual muscle testing - the reason being it allows me to easily show someone which muscle areas are functioning well under load, and which are struggle or simply aren’t firing at all.

There are so many old expressions that spring to mind when we are talking about pain, particularly in relation to exercise. ‘Pain is weakness leaving the body’ is the classic one I grew up with in the rugby sheds of New Zealand. These expressions usually revolve around the fact that being in pain creates the opportunity for us to experience growth and pleasure. Now this may have been true to those who originally made those statements, but if we are talking about pain in relation to the human body and movement, there are a few extra things to consider before pushing through to the glory we've been promised.

If there is one thing this pandemic has shown us, is that technology has provided a fantastic platform to help keep us connected when we can’t physically be with each other. At a personal level, being based in Melbourne and having our families based in WA and NZ has meant that although we haven’t been able to physically see our families, we’ve still been able to share the highs and lows of the last few months, and enjoy casting shared thoughts in to an unpredictable future. Is it ideal? Far from it. Is it okay as a temporary measure? It’s certainly better than nothing - faster than a letter in the mail, and a bit more lively than a phone call.

At its most simple, Osteoporosis basically means brittle bone. Bone is naturally porous, and is a living tissue that is simultaneously being made by certain cells, while being broken down others. Up until around the age of 30, the rate at which bone is being made is greater than it is being broken down. After around 30, the rate it is broken down slowly exceeds the rate at which it is made. This gradually results in our bones becoming more hollow and brittle over time.

After the huge success the 2018 AMN Academy Mastermind retreat was, Rob quickly signed up for the next retreat, this time held in Ubud, Bali. Rob knew whatever was covered would be really helpful for functional neurology treatment sessions at Movementality, and it was also a fantastic opportunity to hang out and work with some of the best practitioners in the world. This group of practitioners are always helping people with all sorts of ailments that would otherwise be left in the ‘too-hard’ basket by most health practitioners - insomnia, scoliosis, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain etc… So what an opportunity to pick the brains of these incredible minds in hopes of better utilising the AMN system for helping our clients move better, and reduce strain on their delicate physiological systems.

At Movementality, we believe a healthy lifestyle revolves around finding a healthy balance between a strong and nourish body, a sharp and clear mind, and strong but kind spirit. This is not an easy balance to maintain with the many different stressors and lifestyle factors that work against us. But having a positive mindset, and fostering productive habits around clean food, adequate sleep, consistent exercise, plenty of social time and regular meditation can all help with keeping the balance. And when you feel more balanced, you are more likely to feel like you can take control of your own happiness. Creating and paying attention to this mind-body-spirit balance will allow you to feel when things start to go awry, and better prepare you for the myriad of unpredictable daily stressors we all regularly face.

Late last year I attended a two day BreatheAbility breathing course with physiotherapist and Breathing Educator Tess Graham. Tess Graham trained with Ukrainian doctor Konstantin Buteyko in the early 1990’s. Buteyko is renowned for his work on breathing retraining for asthmatics and founding the Buteyko Institute.  Tess herself has over 6500 hours of clinical experience as a breathing specialist and believes she cured two of her children of their asthma. Naturally, being curious and a Pilates instructor, I was eager to learn about her techniques for breathing retaining which, until now, I hadn’t heard of.

A healthy lifestyle - what the heck is it?! 
Well Sam and I gave you some ideas last year, but it really changes depending on who you ask. Which also makes it a very confusing topic to delve in to for anyone interested in 'cleaning up' their health. And seeing as how we are running a business which is designed to help you with getting a better understanding of how your body works, I thought it might be helpful to share some information around the reasonably well recognized, but lesser known things you can be doing to help yourself.

Now this advice is certainly not aimed to be medical based advice and obviously speak to your medical practitioner before you start making any drastic life changes, and equally I'm really happy to discuss aspects of this information to help you better understand it. 

This is what my day sounds like sometimes: 'What do you think of my new running shoes?', 'That feels amazing, I've been wearing heels all day!', and 'Do you think there is any hope for my bunions?'

This is just the tip of the ice berg... Deep down we all know we need to be looking after our feet, but we don't always know how or what is best for them? Perhaps it is those $300 podiatrist prescribed runners or perhaps it is spending more time in bare-feet. The reality is everybody has different requirements, and I'm not interested in getting into the debate on what footwear is best (unless you ask, and I'll happily give you my point of view based off your current situation...). But what I am interested in is providing a fantastic Pilates experience for our clients, and a massive part of that is getting our feet as healthy as possible.

In the previous post, I mentioned the webinar series I took part in last year. The focus of the series was around new methodologies for working with movement dysfunction and pain. ​​​​Today, I am going to review the session of Annette Verpilot of Posture Pro, who spoke about the fundamental link between our eyes and our posture.

So I want you to think about this: you came to Pilates about five years ago with lower back pain or some other ailment that was preventing you from the daily activities you enjoyed. Frustrated and bewildered by Pilates you persevered for the first month or so, not really having any clue why you were doing some of the things you were doing.  Most likely, you enjoyed that often you got to lie down and breathe for an hour... it helped you relax. Your instructor was kind, she/he was encouraging and helped you understand why your back was giving you grief. Soon you found yourself moving more freely as the pain subsided and eventually disappeared completely. Eureka! You were cured and you loved your instructor and Pilates for helping you with that. You began singing the praises of Pilates and vowed to attend every week to ensure the upkeep of your newly found mobility and freedom in your spine.