Ten Tips of Christmas: Tip 10

December 23, 2011 By

How to hit the spot with…a tennis ball

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A trigger point is a hyperirritable spot within a taut band of soft tissue. It is called a Trigger Point because it ‘triggers’ a painful response. Trigger points develop when the area is stressed repetitively and chronically, there is postural imbalance, overuse or compensatory movements.

To relieve a Trigger Point apply pressure directly to the sore spot. This temporarily starves the area of oxygen and applies a localised stretch to the spasm. This is where a tennis ball comes in so handy as it can be difficult to palpate and apply pressure to yourself.

Common trigger points are found in the upper trapezius, Quadratus Lumborum, the Piriformis and there are a great number in each calf.

To release these points of pain, lay down on your back, place the tennis ball under the trigger point and RELAX.

Keep the pressure on until the pain decreases. It is perfectly normal to feel like the pain is spreading or to feel a referred pain somewhere seemingly unconnected.

Take just 5 minutes out every day to enjoy some much needed pain relief!

Sarah Franklin, Sports Massage Therapist @ Victory Health and Performance

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Sports Massage 3 Pack with Sarah Franklin for £200. This includes a full postural assessment and Post Care Advice including further hints and tips that you can perform at home to maximise the benefits from your treatments. Email Sarah to book your first session sarahf@victoryhealthandperformance.com.

Merry Christmas and here’s to a pain free 2012!

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Ten Tips of Christmas: Tip 9

December 22, 2011 By

Get Some Good Quality Sleep This Xmas!

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So you’ve survived this year, congratulations! How many nights per week have you slept 8 hours or more? Not many I bet. If you somehow managed to get more than four 8-hour-sleeps per week, well done – you’re in the top 10% of healthy sleepers in London.

But if not, your body’s levels of cortisol – its main stress hormone – have been consistently elevated, lowering your testosterone, your growth hormone and massively increasing your likelihood of gaining body fat and suffering various other stress-related damages!

My challenge for you this Christmas is to commit to getting between 8 and 9 hours sleep for as many nights as possible and drop those cortisol levels for a continuous period. If you start remembering dreams upon waking, you’re doing well.

And for next year, download a cool little (free) iPhone app I found called “Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock.” It listens in when you’re asleep (creepy, I know), records your sleep phases, and adjusts the time of your alarm to wake you when you’re in the lightest phase nearest to your alarm time. It will wake you up feeling much more refreshed, un-stressed and ready for the day.

Sweet dreams!

Richard Thompson, Foundry trainer

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Ten Tips of Christmas: Tip 7

December 20, 2011 By

Being a Bah Humbug isn’t good for the waistline

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It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.
Abraham Lincoln

Some of you may know I used to smoke. Tsk, naughty Dave, go stand in the corner! I can only tell you that despite hating the feeling of waking up with a mouth like an ash tray it filled a psychological need at that time in my life so I don’t beat myself up about it. I simply asked for help from people close to me, changed the reason for that behaviour and have never looked back.

Smoking was not good for me; but equally I don’t believe being obsessively pious is particularly healthy either. Getting stressed out about our occasional self destructive urges doesn’t help with the behaviour we want to change. Instead we just feel self loathing, elevated stress levels and in my case a healthy dollop of Catholic guilt.

Another perfect example is alcohol. Whilst it’s true that no study has ever proved a causal relationship between moderate drinking and lower risk of death, we do know the two often go together, probably because moderate drinking is something healthy people tend to do, rather than something that makes people healthy. A few drinks can relax us physically and mentally and help with social situations.

“The moderate drinkers tend to do everything right — they exercise, they don’t smoke, they eat right and they drink moderately”

Kaye Middleton Fillmore, a retired sociologist from the University of California, San Francisco.

Foundry director Graeme Marsh delivers a very popular executive seminar entitled “The executive athlete.” It used to be called “Why stress is making you fat, sick and miserable” but we figured that was a bit too blunt. That said, the previous title does get to the crux of the issue. Stress can cause, or is linked to, the following conditions…take a deep breath…abdominal fat, cardiovascular disease, adrenal fatigue, metabolic syndrome, digestive problems, skin problems and rashes, memory loss and poor concentration, hypertension, speeding the progression of HIV/Aids, varicose veins, haemorrhoids and even the dreaded gingivitis. Stress and anxiety and the resulting lack of sleep are far more damaging than the odd glass of wine and mince pie and then feeling guilty about it for days.

Positive coping strategies:

  1. Exercise Regularly.
    This is a bit of a gimme as everyone who comes through our doors will understand to some degree that exercise releases endorphins, the mind-body’s natural painkiller and mood calmer. However even if we can’t make the gym or stick to our exercise programmes over the holiday brisk walking is an excellent alternative. A vigorous 2-3 miles allows us to experience a tangible sense of accomplishment and control and some time out.
  2. Deep Belly Breathing.
    This is easy to do and very relaxing. Try this basic exercise anytime you need to relax or relieve stress.
  • Sit in a comfortable position.
  • Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
  • Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
  • Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out.
  • Do this breathing 3 to 10 times. Take your time with each breath.
  1. A Gratitude Journal.
    Whilst this might sound a bit New Agey you’d be surprised how effective these can be. Everyone has lain in bed with thoughts racing and felt the panic of being unable to sleep only add to the anxiety. A great strategy is to keep a book by your bedside and just write a few down a few simple things you’re really happy about it life. No matter how bad things get there will always be something positive so set it down, in concrete…or even paper. It can be a very helpful way of reflecting on the positives in life or even to identify the positives in a bad situation.

Damn it, they’re so bloody good I reckon even Chuck Norris has a Gratitude Journal (with one entry repeated on every day: “I am thankful for being Chuck Norris”)

  1. Holy Basil (tulsi).
    Whilst it has demonstrated anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, science is taking a huge interest in a supplement called Holy Basil for its compelling effects on stress. Multiple studies have found that supplementation with various extracts of holy basil decreases stress hormone levels, corticosterone in particular. It’s not recommended for those who are pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive.

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Ten Tips of Christmas: Tip 6

December 19, 2011 By

Escape the madness through exercise!

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Christmas is here and I can imagine your thoughts are similar to mine:

  • “How do I get out of yet another conversation about the ‘good old days’ with the elders?!”
  • “Will the kids ever get tired and calm down?”
  • “How do I stop feeling so guilty from eating my body weight in cheese balls?”
  • “When can I sneak off and do a workout without the elders and kids noticing?”

The answer is simple – TIMING!

Christmas is a time where shared pleasure and joy are vital for success, any disruption to the ‘joy balance’ can have dramatic consequences. I remember one Christmas my dad came home from walking the dog ten minutes late and therefore, in my mother’s opinion, “ruined” dinner. It’s safe to say that the dog ate better than my Dad on that occasion. Everything is reliant on timing and balance at Christmas; get these right and you’ll be full of joy.

And then there’s all those fun activities involving cards, trivial pursuit and the endless explanation of the rules. Amongst this, I bet it’s pretty tricky fitting in an epic workout in with even more fun activities such as chess with Granddad, helping Mum with cleaning up whilst keeping Grandma at bay by pretending her ‘help’ is really appreciated!

So, how does one manage to do any exercise during this joy-disaster seesaw? (And no, chess does not constitute as exercise unfortunately… Twister might though!) Well, I have a few tips for you and hopefully that seesaw will stay level:

Step 1

Wait until all house guests are all sat down comfortably, beverage in hand, and TV on.

Step 2

Leave the room full of goodies – aka mince pies, sugar mice and cheese balls.

Step 3

Close the door to the sound of Grandma complaining ‘under her breath’ to Granddad that the turkey was too dry for her liking!

Step 4

Turn the stereo from “Do They Know It’s Christmas” to something a little more inspirational.

Step 5

Enjoy the following workout and be at one with yourself again!

Fee’s Workout – “Refill your mind, body and soul with Christmas Cheer”.

I predict we will all struggle to get to a gym/park due to the imminent snow that will undoubtedly destroy everybody’s plans to leave the house, so here is a workout for you to try at home. You’ll notice that there are no fancy pieces of equipment here (except the TRX/suspension trainer if you have one) so everybody should be able to follow this without difficulty.

 

  • Body weight deep Squats (3×10)
  • Slow Press Ups (3×10)
  • Plank with alternate leg raise (3x45s)

 

  • Single Leg Dead Lift (3×8 each leg)
  • TRX Rows/Broom Handle Rows (3×10)
  • TRX Rolls Outs/Walk outs(3×10)

 

  • High Box Step Ups (or pouffe tramples if equipment allows!) (3×8 each leg)
  • Mountain Climbers (3x30s)
  • Glute/Hamstring Bridges (3×8 each leg)

 

Seasonal stresses are hard work as it is – so why not use exercise as a cleansing piece of ‘you-time’ to escape the madness. It is a clinical fact that exercise can significantly increase energy levels, mood, and self-esteem; so why should this stop at Christmas? You’ll be amazed at how joyous this will make you feel! – you’ll have Yuletide bells ringing Inside and Out!

So after the workout, get back in that living room and continue with the ‘effortless’ flow of light-hearted banter, hugs and LOLs (Lots of Laughs for those oldies who aren’t up to speed with social media!).

Fee’s Top Tinsel Tips for a Tip-Top Time

  • Remain Calm!!
  • Put that very expensive vase DOWN!
  • Reassure the elders that you will return in half an hour and not to panic.
  • Spread the word of your amazing exercise experience to the able-bodied folk.
  • Pretend that the red glow and huge grin are a result of the 10 pairs of socks you received as presents.

Merry Christmas!

Fee Pocock, Foundry Trainer and England International Rugby Player

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Ten Tips of Christmas: Tip 5

December 16, 2011 By

Supplement The Winter for a Healthy Festive Season

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It’s easy to think of this time of year as the season of excess…. drinking, eating, partying and late nights. However it can still prove difficult when it comes to winter health, stress management and general sanity. Before spending your money on well-advertised “remedies” for anything, we like to demand evidence of efficacy via replicable, double-blind, randomized trials of sufficient size to produce statistically significant results. Since you’ll be too busy drinking mulled wine to do that we’ve done it for you…

So, to help beat the winter blues, boost your immune system and get a good night’s sleep, here are our Top 5 supplements for the Christmas season (all of which have a strong evidence base behind them).

1. Echinacea, nature’s booster for your immune system

Nature's immune system booster

Whilst the exact mechanism and results for Echinacea are still up for debate, we know that it stimulates and boosts the immune system and is a natural antibiotic.  This is why many people use to treat infections, to combat low resistance to sickness and to enhance the immune system. Research suggests that you bombard your system with Echinacea at the first sign of infection until it’s gone to stand the best chance of reducing your illness.

2. Vitamin D, to beat the winter blues

A large number of studies link low vitamin D levels and influenza, as well as respiratory infections more generally. Alongside its many health benefits, research into vitamin D has also shown that it has the potential to combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) sometimes referred to as the ‘winter blues’ or ‘winter depression’.  In one study, just five days of treatment with vitamin D (at a dose of 400 or 800 IU per day) was found to improve winter mood.

3. Zinc, your personal guardian vs the common cold

Many studies suggest that zinc may have antiviral properties, and can prevent the formation of certain proteins that cold viruses use to reproduce themselves. The NHS says taking zinc syrup, tablets or lozenges may be an effective treatment for the common cold. A 2011 Cochrane review suggests that taking zinc supplements within a day of the symptoms starting will speed up recovery and lessen the severity of symptoms.

4. Magnesium, for an improved night’s sleep

Want to make the most of a good night’s sleep? Not only will a good night’s sleep enable you to wake rejuvenated and fresh, your body will also have had time to repair and reset your systems. Our bodies use magnesium in more than 300 metabolic reactions. Magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, steadies heart rhythms, and supports our immune systems. Additionally magnesium regulates blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and enhances metabolism.

Studies suggest that if magnesium deficient people simply add a magnesium supplement to their diet, many health problems, including sleep disorders, could be resolved.  Many people are deficient in magnesium these days, which is exacerbated by alcohol (at the Christmas party), caffeine (for the next day), and sugar (erm…pretty much everything).

5. Valerian, helps you drift off into a deep peaceful sleep

Sleep easy with Valerian tea

Valerian Tea has a mild calming effect that does not usually result in sleepiness the next day. As a sleep aid, valerian seems to be most effective for people who have trouble falling asleep and who consider themselves to be poor sleepers. It also has had good results for people who wake up during the night. Studies have also shown it to be an effective remedy for the reduction of anxiety.

Finally, take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the festive season in the best winter health.

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Ten Tips of Christmas: Tip 3

December 14, 2011 By

The unmentionable consequences of overindulging

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If you’ve overindulged the night before, you might find that your stomach doesn’t agree with you the morning after: not much fun! You can take refuge in Alka Seltzer and Imodium; but here’s a more natural way to treat your body and help it to recover from the excesses you’ve subjected it to: intestinal massage.

This technique helps to move any deposits around your bowel and colon if you’ve got a runny tummy or a lot of abdominal gas; or it improves your digestive function if you’re a little constipated. I’ve used it successfully in the past to treat patients with IBS and coeliac symptoms.

When you do this, you must have your hips and knees bent as this reduces any stretch on the abdominal muscles (you want to massage the digestive system, not the muscle) – good positions are either sitting down, or lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. It’s probably worth doing this in private as you may produce some pretty odd noises!

The intestine is shaped like a horseshoe, starting at the bottom right of your belly, then up to just under your ribs on the right side, across to the left, and then down to the bottom left. And that’s the direction in which you want to massage it.

Staying relaxed, and breathing gently, use your fingertips, fists or palms to work in small circles, massaging gently at first and then gradually more firmly, working your way up the ascending colon, across the transverse colon, and then down the descending colon.

If you find a blockage, a painful spot, or a pocket of gas, linger there for a little while until it starts to move.

You can do this for as short or as long a period as you like, and as often as you need to… but if you’re doing it properly, you’ll find that your stomach responds and you recover from the gastric symptoms of your hangover much more quickly than usual!

Nell Mead, Rehab Director @  The Foundry and Clinical Director @ Victory Health and Performance

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Ten Tips of Christmas: Tip 2

December 13, 2011 By

Ease your Boxing Day hangover by stretching your entire body in one move

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We all know that stretching after exercise is good for us, but we rarely take the time to do it.  When we exercise our muscles can become overdeveloped which can mean less mobility, reduced speed, and greater risk of injury. Post workout stretching can help to restore your central nervous system and shorten your recovery time. If you are pushed for time then Downward Facing Dog stretches out your whole body in one go. It also helps to clear your head after a night on the booze!

  1. Start on the floor, on your hands and knees.
  2. Place your wrists belows your shoulders and your knees below your hips.
  3. Make sure your hands are shoulder width apart and your knees are hip width apart.
  4. Tuck your toes under and straighten your legs, bringing your buttocks up into the air.
  5. Keep your feet hip width apart and slowly walk the feet out on the spot, a couple of times on each foot. If the backs of your legs are screaming at you then walk each foot out 10 times.
  6. Then slowly draw your heels down to
    the floor, as far as you can comfortably go, and straighten your knees.
  7. Look down at your hands and make sure your middle finger is pointing forward (this will help to keep the wrists and shoulders in a straight line)
  8. Spread your fingers and press your palms into the floor.
  9. Let your head relax. This is Downward Facing Dog.
  10. Hold for 5 breaths, then drop down onto your knees. Take your knees apart and press your buttocks towards your heels. Rest the forehead on the floor with your arms stretched out in front. Bend the elbows and rest the forearms on the floor.
  11. Stay here in Child’s Pose for 5 breaths.
  12. Repeat 3-5 times.

Jo Lawson, Yoga Instructor @ Shoreditch Pilates

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