Excel Life 6
- 1. 6BUILDING THE ULTIMATE BACK SEPTEMBER 2016 Looking for a tailored program? What you need to know Benefits, flavours & more The wonder of chia & berries LET’S FOCUS ON YOU LIFT WITH CARE TEA TIME? SENSATIONAL SMOOTHIES ISSUE No. Part 2: A GREAT BUTT = A GREAT BACK
- 2. Tea time? The wonderful world of Pukka teas. Put a spring in your step with Pukka teas There’s nothing better than curling up with a delicious cup of tea and at Excel Physiotherapy and Wellness we’re loving our extensive range of healthy pukka teas. Did you know that Pukka is organic, fairly traded and in many cases FairWild? Established in 2008, the FairWild Foundation is focused on promoting the sustainable use of wild-collected ingredients, with a fair deal for all those involved throughout the supply chain process. “I adore the delicious range of Pukka teas at Excel. You can really taste the quality of the tea and the diversity of flavours. It’s the best way to start the day and the expert team at Excel provide you with an overview of all the benefits at their daily tea event!” Every day is a good day for tea time. We are delighted to announce that we have a daily tea tasting at Excel – so why not pop by to try one of our pukka teas? It’s a great way to meet the Excel team and catch-up with Excel friends over a cup of tea. Excel client Crystelle Cordero, Media and Communications Manager at ANZ Stadium Y Z0 2 EXCELLIFE
- 3. FROM THE EDITOR Ready to excel in your life? INTRODUCTORY NOTE Thank you from us all Health improvements, one step at a time Tim Ellis Managing Director and Principal Physiotherapist BA (Hons) BSc (Hons) MHSc (Hons) Excel Physiotherapy and Wellness We are delighted to share with you our new edition of Excel Life – bringing to life the latest insights, articles and news on fitness, physiotherapy, wellness and more. We recently celebrated our second birthday here at Excel Physiotherapy and Wellness! Having seen over 2,000 physio clients in our first two years we’re proud to be part of the growing business and residential community in Mascot – and we want to extend our thanks to all our readers, clients and friends who are such an integral and special part of our practice. Tim Ellis Excel Physiotherapy and Wellness We just celebrated our 2nd birthday at Excel Physiotherapy and Wellness Our primary purpose is always to operate with integrity and help you to push your health forwards. In this issue I’ve expanded on my previous Building the Ultimate Back article, to talk about the importance of that most talked about muscle, gluteus maximus. We also catch up on our news and events, including the exciting progress of our starred client, Brett Scruse who won the World Veterans BMX Champion in Columbia in May. From massages to tailored exercise programs, tea recommendations to a delicious smoothie – our latest edition of Excel Life will put a spring in your step. We hope you enjoy the articles and look forward to seeing you again soon! 3excelphysio.com.au
- 4. In the last edition of Excel Life I mentioned how inspired I was to meet this Canadian Professor and back pain expert, who really brought to life the key components to consider around building the ultimate back. In the article I wrote about how I concur with McGill about the importance of a daily walking programme for all back pain patients, incorporated into your routine. I also spoke about the increasing importance of muscle endurance and showed you the ‘Big 3’ strengthening exercises – the side plank, the bird dog and the slow curl up. All of these have been shown to help prevent lower back pain. Hello wonderful Excel Life readers! It’s Tim here, Managing Director of Excel and I couldn’t wait for this next edition of Excel Life to be published as I wanted to continue sharing my thoughts with you on the insights I gained from attending a three day course by Professor Stuart McGill. PART 2: A GREAT BUTT = A GREAT BACK Building the Ultimate A RECAP REMINDER Professor Stuart McGill 4 EXCELLIFE
- 5. The Slow Curl Up The Side Plank The Bird Dog A GLANCE AT THE GLUTEAL There is so much to explore when it comes to the gluteal muscles. I was most fortunate to work with Professor Jenny McConnell in 2001 in tackling this issue in my Masters thesis. I’ve also had the pleasure and opportunity of attending the courses of my good friend, Francine St George (MSc (Med), BSc (Anat), PGD Physio, PGD Sport Sc) of the Phyiso Posture and Fitness Clinic in Randwick – to gain further insights and findings on this topic. What’s definitely apparent is that the gluteal muscles are complex. They come in different bundles and the most simplistic classification is: • gluteus medius • gluteus minimus and • gluteus maximus. FUTURE FOCUSED In this edition we’ll delve a bit further and look at some of the key factors that you need to consider whatever your sport, hobby or recreational activity is – in order to avoid back pain in the future. It’s all about following the right steps now to ensure a pain free future. I agree with McGill on the importance of the hip muscle balance in preventing back pain and this is a key area that everyone should focus on. We live in an age where for many of us we are sitting still for large portions of the day. What this means is that with our modern sedentary lifestyles and long hours in the office, it’s becoming the norm for people to have weak and flat glutes. This framework doesn’t help at all and it’s critical that we go out of our way to improve the function of our oxygen and activity starved gluteal muscles! Back 5excelphysio.com.au
- 6. 6 EXCELLIFE A MICROSCOPE ON MAXIMUS STARTING A STRENGTHENING APPROACH Gluteus maximus is the one we’re going to talk about here. It may sound like a champion Roman gladiator – and that’s appropriate, because that is exactly how it needs to function! It fights all day to keep you upright and balanced – helping prevent any shock from heal strikes reverberating through the spine. It also aims to cushion your sacro-iliac joint. The gluteus maximus needs constant strengthening and this is something that most modern day workers agree on – so how do we got about strengthening it? Well, the Bird Dog (see Excel Life 5 & previous page) is a start and people recovering from acute episodes of back pain should perfect this first. For athletes, fitness professionals and gym goers, we need to go further in what can be done to increase strength. Most physiotherapists consider bridging as an excellent exercise for the gluteus maximus: Three key steps to keep in mind: • Lying on your back, push your heals down and gently contract the glutes. • THEN push up and hold for 30 seconds. • Repeat this three times. Glutes bridge - Step 1 Glutes bridge - Step 2 Glutes bridge - Step 2 Glutes Max- Anatomical
- 7. WHAT’S NEXT? As with any new exercise, to start off with this activity can be tough (really tough) – but it gets better, trust me! Eventually as you become more familiar with this process you can squeeze a ball between the knees and raise on leg. I have personally found this exercise to be quite simple and yet very effective – especially when I do it two to three times per week along side the side plank, bird dog and slow curl. It’s all about consistency and repetition and this approach has helped many of my patients. Having suffered a lumbar disc injury nineteen years ago I fully understand how debilitating low back pain and sciatica can be. When it comes to strength and resilience, I have found that by to keeping my hip muscles in great working order I have avoided recurrence. To further focus on strengthening I’ll also throw in a hip flexor stretch and rotator (piriformis) stretch – pictured above. So when you combine the above elements you can be sure to achieve: A GREAT BUTT = A GREAT BACK. 7excelphysio.com.au Glutes bridge - Muscles relax Glutes max - Muscles relax Glutes bridge- Muscles stretched Glutes max- Muscles stretched
- 8. 8 EXCELLIFE TAILORED EXERCISE PROGRAMS LET’S FOCUS ON YOUDid you know that your physiotherapists at Excel can provide you with one-on-one exercise programs in our custom made rehabilitation gym?
- 9. 9excelphysio.com.au In addition, Tim and Lawrence work in the field of restorative Pilates – fully utilising our reformers to give you an extra edge in your program. Designed for YOU Pilates for YOU Fitness for YOU Are YOU ready? Our expert physios, Tim, Lawrence, Timothy and Michelle can design and supervise you with free weights, Swiss Balls, foam rollers and balance boards. Sue Larkin takes small group Pilates classes and one on one sessions. In addition, Tim and Lawrence work in the field of restorative Pilates – fully utilising our reformers to give you an extra edge in your program. And don’t forget that physiotherapist designed and supervised exercise programmes are claimable through your private health fund. Special rates may apply through BUPA, Medibank and HCF. For a one-on-one exercise program just call us today on 1300 650 510 or book a 60 minute appointment online at www.excelphysio.com.au
- 10. 10 EXCELLIFE How careful are you? Lift with care Injuries can happen in an instant. That’s why it’s important to carefully think through your approach when it comes to lifting or moving items.
- 11. 11excelphysio.com.au The issue The outcome The approach According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2015 there were 181,000 workplace injuries reported that were directly attributable to lifting, pushing, pulling or bending. The most common body part that was affected was the lower back and in most cases full recovery occurs within six weeks. Unfortunately in the more severe cases, surgery can follow, or chronic low back pain may develop, causing further complications. To combat this critical issue, we’ve produced our ‘Lift with care’ poster – providing a snapshot of the 8 do’s and dont’s of lifting and carrying. If you’d like a copy of the poster, or the A4 version to put up in your workplace, then please email us info@excelphysio. com.au, or give us a call on 1300 650 510. Or just pop into Excel to pick one up! We’d love to meet you.
- 12. 12 EXCELLIFE It has been a very, very busy time over the winter months – with a plethora of exciting activities, events and updates. NEWS, REVIEWS & MORE A SPOTLIGHT ON EXCEL Terrific two Lights, camera, Excel BMX championship success We celebrated our second birthday in August with a staff outing to Strike Bowling in King Street Wharf, followed by sushi at in Darling Harbour! It was a wonderful event to celebrate the past two years and to raise a toast to all your wonderful colleagues and clients across the physiotherapy and wellness industry. We shot our first video in May – providing our clients with a quick and easy way to take a sneak peak inside our practice. Check out the video on our homepage at: www.excelphysio.com.au We celebrated with one of our longest and most loyal clients, Mr Brett Scruse who represented Australia and went on to win – YES WIN - the World Veteran’s BMX championship in Columbia. A huge congratulations to Brett from all of us at Excel.
- 13. 13excelphysio.com.au Paralympics sponsorship Yoga & Pilates Mascot Medical Practice Still in South America, we sponsored Matt Levy OAM who is competing in his fourth Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in the S8 swimming class. Matt who already has an Olympic gold from London 2012 has overcome incredible odds, being born with cerebral palsy and 15 weeks premature, to become a world champion. We started weekly corporate Yoga and Pilates Classes at our neighbour, Staples and continued to work closely with our other corporate neighbours: Qantas, Electrolux, TNT and Avis. Excitingly the new development in Mascot saw the opening of Mascot Medical Practice – Managing Director Tim and Practice Manager, Brenda Vien were thrilled to be invited to the launch party on 29 April and are very happy to be working closely with Dr. Krishna Sura and his team. To check out the Medical Practice, visit http://mascotmedical.com.au where you can book online. Also keep in mind that we bulkbill Medicare patients with an EPC referral from a GP.
- 14. 14 EXCELLIFE Ready, set, rebrand! Possibly our biggest project has been our subtle rebranding. Our business has matured over the years and we have listened to our customers and found that the biggest demand for our services was in the area of sports injuries and workplace injuries. Many of our injured workers are keen to return to a previous level of sports and fitness so we changed or logo and design to reflect the growth and development of our business. We also redesigned our website to reflect the changes in the practice. So, all in all, an exciting few months and we are looking forward to our third year in business at Excel! PHYSIOTHERAPY SPORTS INJURIES ACUPUNCTURE & DRY NEEDLING MASSAGE THERAPY PILATES YOGA
- 15. 15excelphysio.com.au Balance & Harmony Feel like a massage? Our experienced, health fund registered massage therapist, Marcos Julius has been with us for nearly a year now. Marcos believes strongly that every aspect of a person – body, mind and spirit – can benefit from massage therapy. “I truly believe in the healing process of massage therapy and the difference it can make in our lives. A balanced body is a healthy body and massage therapy is a way to achieve this – through a rejuvenating, restorative process.’ – Marcos Julius Check out our online bookings at www.excelphysio.com.au or call 1300 650 510
- 16. The wonder of chia & berries Did you know chia seeds are a superfood packed full of nutrients including essential fatty acids, protein, antioxidants, magnesium and zinc? To enjoy them why not try our almond milk chia and berry smoothie! It’s a delight to drink and easy to make. SENSATIONAL SMOOTHIES Three simple steps: 1. First soak the chia seeds in almond milk (or soy) for five to minutes, until they begin to swell. 2. Pour the milk and chia into a glass or bowl. 3. Add blueberries, strawberries and raspberries (full of vitamins C, K, manganese and the antioxidants: resveratrol and lutein) and decorate with a healthy fresh sprig of mint. Enjoy for a healthy breakfast or mid afternoon pick me up! 214 – 220 Coward Street, Mascot, New South Wales 2020 www.excelphysio.com.au info@.excelphysio.com.au STUDIO WEBSITE EMAIL