​A lot of individuals will experience lower back pain at some point in their life, as it is fairly common. In the old days' bed rest was recommended if your back was “playing-up,” while in the present day it is suggested to continue working out. Of course, the workouts that you perform have to be fitting, we are not proposing to go for a run or lift heavy weights, as that would not be the smartest thing to do. Still, there are quite a few excellent workouts you can perform which should aid in relieving your lower back pain. These exercises are tremendously mild, but of course, pay attention to your body and discontinue if you start having any pain.
The workouts act by elongating out muscles that are generally taut when you have lower back pain and firming up muscles which have a tendency to be weak. Of course, there are a lot of causes for having lower back pain, so it is probably wise to get it checked out by a physical therapist or a doctor.
Make certain you warm-up your muscles in advance to stretching them (you could even perform a few breathing exercises to get you in the mood). You should under no circumstances spring up in the course of stretching, and all stretches should be gentle and measured. Do not overstretch, stretch your muscles until you feel a minor stretch only, and maintain every stretch for 20-30 seconds.

                                             Image source: https://www.self.com

It is also nice to stretch out your hip as your hip flexor muscles are every so often taut when you have lower back pain. When the hip flexors are taut it can change your stance resulting in what is designated as ‘Donald duck posture’ where your butt sticks out too far. This stiffens up your lower back and can result in lower back pain. To stretch the hip flexors, go down on your knees with one knee on the ground and the other foot in front with the knee bent. Thrust the hips onward and retain your back in an upright position. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds. Recap two times on each side.

Most people's warm up routine consists of a few random stretches of the calves, hamstrings, lower back and a few other key problem areas that they might have
 
They might do a slow jog or some star jumps to get the body warm and the blood flowing
 
But is this an effective warm up? Is this actually allowing you to perform better during your workouts?
 
Have a read of this short article and decide how effective your warm up routine is.

One big mistake with warm up routines that I see are that people focus too much on static stretching - an example of this is lazily holding a hamstring stretch for 1-2 minutes. Although this type of stretching before workouts can temporarily increase flexibility, it also decreases strength and power output which is not ideal for any activities that require your muscles to contract.
 
If you are looking to improve performance, you should instead be focusing on dynamic stretching. The difference here is that you are actually engaging your brain and muscles through repeated and quick movements.
 
Below is an example of dynamic stretching for the hamstrings and posterior leg muscles

A runner should feel great when he or she is running on the spot and doing a few stairs, just like someone who squats heavy loads should be easily able to do some light squats.
 
So after getting some more range of motion, we need to prepare the muscles to contract!
 
Missing this important step can lead to feelings of "sluggishness" and might even lead to increased risk of injury... most people can't go from 0 to 100 safely and consistently without a good warm up
 
One of our favourites for lower body activation is the slow reverse-lunge. Try a few each side for 3-5 sets. Your goal is to keep your weight on your front leg and maintain full control on the way down.

​The final point I will touch on in terms of warm ups is to consider what you actually have to do during your workout. Are you trying to prepare your muscles to lift heavy weights (strength/power training), to produce lots of force quickly (such as sprinting), and in what range of motion?
 
Also consider the requirements of a runner versus a powerlifter during their sport - completely different, right? These two groups of people surely cannot have the same warm up routine if they want to perform at their best
 
These factors will determine what movement drills are most appropriate for you as you prepare for your workout
 
For runners, you should include some plyometric work such as box jumps or skipping in order to prepare your body to rapidly accept and produce force through your lower body.
 
If you're a powerlifter, your warm up should include some light squats which are focused on moving the bar as quickly as possible. This can include banded squats/deadlifts or box squats at <50% of your max.
 
I hope this challenged your thinking a little bit as you tweak your warm-up routine and perform better.

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About the Author:
Lawrence Khuu is a qualified Physiotherapist and Movement Specialist. His mission is to help motivated clients perform at their highest level through a combined hands-on treatment and exercise rehabilitation approach. He currently treats clients at Activ Therapy Casula.

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​So you have some knee issues after exercising or maybe a lot of walking during work
 
It can feel like general tightness around the kneecap or aching and burning underneath it
 
It's usually there for most of the day, gradually getting worse as the day progresses.
 
You've seen your GP... rest and Voltaren tablets is what he offers you. You try and persist in doing your exercise sessions but the pain is just too great!
 
What you need to do is rehabilitate the knee and improve your walking and running biomechanics

Using a foam roller or massage stick, gently massage the lower portion of your quad muscles (just above the kneecap)
 
These strong muscles can pull hard on your shin if they are overworking and cause increased forces on your anterior knee structures, making them hot, puffy and inflamed.
 
Spending even 1-2 minutes massaging these muscles can make a big difference to how your knee feels
 
They can be VERY tender so be careful with how much pressure you use!

​If you've read my previous blog posts, you'll know that the knee is primarily a hinge joint (it goes forward and back only) and the hips/feet largely influence how it moves
 
So it makes sense to ensure that these surrounding joints are strong and capable enough to control the knee, right?
 
There's a lot more to it but one of the most common deficits we see with our clients suffering from knee pain is a lack of lateral hip stability... this forces the poor knee into a compromised position
 
One of the easiest ways to restore lateral hip stability is with the super-popular Clamshell exercise
 
It's a really effective way to activate the outside part of your glutes so that they can offer more support and stability to the knee. Start with a towel between the thighs with no resistance, and gradually progress if you are able to perform over 15 repetitions easily.

​Your contact with the ground is through your feet (obviously)... so why don't many people pay attention to them when addressing running-related knee pain?
 
Through the gait cycle, your feet has to be able to land in supination, control pronation, and re-supinate in order to effectively absorb shock and create propulsion
 
Using orthotics or shoes that BLOCK pronation is not the answer
 
You need to be strong enough to CONTROL pronation if you want to be an effective runner
 
A simple drill to restore pronation control can be performed by standing on one leg while holding onto the wall for balance
 
Make sure this movement is coming from your ankle/foot, not your knees or hips.
 
Slowly allow the inner arch to drop while remaining in control at all times, then proceed to lift it back up. Play within the “safe range” – can you control this easily throughout the wrong range on one foot?

Try these before your next run... I'm sure your knees will thank you for it
 
If you liked this content and would like to find out more, follow us on Facebook @ActivTherapyCasula for the latest updates.

About the Author:
Lawrence Khuu is a qualified Physiotherapist and Movement Specialist. His mission is to help motivated clients perform at their highest level through a combined hands-on treatment and exercise rehabilitation approach. He currently treats clients at Activ Therapy Casula.

If you're serious about training, you'll know what the shoulder press is. Also called the military press, there are many variations including the seated press, dumbbell press and push press.

Because of the challenging nature of the movement, there are many people who will either avoid this exercise or injure themselves doing it.  

Believe it or not, there is A LOT more going on when you lift a weight over your head than you might initially think. We won't go through that today because I know you're not that interested... you just want to lift heavy weights safely, right?

So lets jump into a routine that will take you 10 minutes or less to improve your shoulder press strength.

Minutes 0-2 - Shoulder

Circles Start with a general warm up to get the blood flowing through your shoulders. This will make it easier to change the tissue around the shoulder in preparation for the next 8 minutes of this routine.

Begin with small circles which will get bigger and bigger. Make sure you are always in control of the movement rather than flailing your arms wildly. Change directions and repeat for 2 minutes.

Minutes 2-4 - Pec Minor + Collarbone Release

You will need to invest in a massage ball if you don't have one already. These muscles act to pull downwards on the shoulderblade which limits the ability for you to move your arm over your head (in a shoulder press motion)

Releasing these muscles can produce dramatic improvements in shoulder function. Follow the under-surface of the collarbone from the shoulder all the way to the chest.

Simply place a massage ball (or similar) on these muscles and slowly and gently roll over them, thinking about releasing all the tension from them. They can be VERY sore so be careful not to add too much pressure - more pressure is NOT better.

​Spend 1 minute each side and move on to the next sequence

Minutes 4-6 - Rhomboids Release

Using the massage ball, release these muscles while lying on your back or against a wall

Once again this can be very sore so be mindful with how much pressure you are applying.

​Work on the inside border of your shoulderblade and slowly work your way up towards your neck, spending 1 minute each side for a total of 2 minutes.

Minutes 6-8 - Thoracic Extension

Place the foam roller in the middle to upper part of your back Interlock your fingers and support your head as you slowly see-saw over the foam roller.

You may hear a few clicks which is okay as long as they are not painful. Gently make your way up and down the upper back/thorax in the same manner.

It may help to breathe in and out deeply, imagining all that tension leaving your body on the exhale.

​An important tip is to always keep the ribcage down rather than letting it lift upwards in order to protect your lower back Spend 2 minutes on the roller before moving on

Minutes 8-10 - Single Arm Press

Now that you've released the tight muscles holding you back, you need to train the correct muscles to help move your shoulder blades and give you a really solid overhead press.

Using a LIGHT weight (3-5kg for most people), carry the weight with the upper arm parallel to the ground and the forearm vertical (90/90 position).

​From here, use your shoulder to press the arm over your head. I find this drill very useful for teaching the shoulderblade how to contribute to the motion correctly Perform 2 sets of 10-15 each side

So there you have it!

Give this routine a try before any of your upper body or shoulder pressing days and see the difference it can make. If you liked this content and would like to find out more,

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Everyone knows about pilates and most know that it’s a great form of exercise for people across a wide age group.  Here are 5 reasons why it is a great form of exercise for women above 40.
 
Improved flexibility
We all see how flexible young children are and most of us have probably started to see that we aren’t as flexible as we once were.  There are a number of reasons for this, some we can’t do much about like the tissue and muscle changes that happen with age but there are some we can like our posture, our habits and exercise.
 
Pilates has a huge focus on flexibility with control which is more than just sitting and stretching your legs a few times a day.  It’s about developing flexibility that you can actually use and maintain.
 
Improved muscle tone and strength without high impact
Strength is something that tends to increase as we grow up, plateau around our 30s and then start a rapid decline after 40 or so.  Although there are physical changes in our body that cause this, we can do a lot to slow down the decline and reverse it.  Pilates is one way of strengthening and our opinion one of the big benefits is that it can be developed without doing high impact exercises that can accelerate degeneration in your joints.
 
Improved stabilisation of the spine
Back pain is the number one issue we see at our clinics and the older the age the more preventable the back issue.  This because a lot of lower back problems develop in our later use as a result of years of poor posture, lack of exercise, bad habits, injuries and poor management of those pain episodes.  A big factor in spine health is maintaining the activity and strength of the muscles that control your lower back and abdominals.
 
Modern pilates and in particular clinical pilates is specifically developed to target and work the muscles that stabilise and control the spine.
 
Improved breathing
Anyone that has done a pilates class has no doubt hear the instructor talk about how important the breathing is while they exercise.  Pilates helps our breathing in a number of ways. 
1.Improved lung capacity so we can get more air in and out of our lungs
2.Improved circulation that comes with deep breathing
3.Improved function of the diaphragm which is our main breathing muscle
4.Improved control of our breathing patterns, in particular when we are performing physical activity.  This makes us more efficient and promotes better function of our rib cage and all the muscles around it.
 
Improved coordination and balance
 
Coordination and balance tends to reduce gradually with age and the risk of falling is a major issue for all of us in our later years.  How well we are able to maintain balance and coordination can go a long way to reducing the risk of falls.
 
Pilates exercises emphasises the use and control of the small muscles in our body around our joints that help us maintain balance and control fine movement.  Pilates also helps improve the function of our nervous system through control of our breathing and developing good movement patterns.
 
So if you have considered whether pilates is useful then consider some of the above factors that make pilates a great form of exercise.

Are you sitting at a desk or in front of a computer for more than 3 hours a day? If so, chances are that you may suffer from the “Upper Cross Syndrome”. This posture is linked most commonly with upper back and neck pain, headaches, and pain at the front of the shoulder.
​
Your body is an excellent adaptation machine – if you are spending a lot of time in a certain position, your body will become really efficient at it! So if you are sitting and slouching a lot, you will eventually end up with rounded shoulders, a slouched back and a head-forward position.

​We see this so often at our clinics and are able to get instant relief for almost all of our clients through thorough assessment and specific treatment.
Fortunately, there are a few really effective ways to improve your posture and alleviate some of the symptoms you may be experiencing. Before starting, make sure you are safe and confident to perform all of these exercises by consulting with your doctor and health therapist.

​The pectoralis minor and the anterior deltoid are both muscles that contribute to that rounded shoulder position. This can lead to discomfort in the shoulder, as well as add tension to your neck. Releasing these muscles can provide immediate relief. To start, place a massage ball on the tender area on your chest just inside the armpit. Gently lean onto a wall/doorframe and allow the muscle to soften and release. A few relaxed and deep breaths can help a lot with this.

​Regaining the uprightness of your upper back is important in correctly positioning your neck and shoulder position. One of the best ways to achieve this is placing a foam roller/peanut ball on the floor under your upper back. Apply pressure by arching over the foam roller – make sure your lower back remains straight and support your neck with your hands if you need to. You may hear a few clicks – this is completely normal.

​This is an excellent exercise to strengthen the upper back and shoulder blade muscles to maintain your posture. Start by grasping a light resistance band approximately shoulder-width apart. Remain tall in the chest as you rotate your shoulders outwards as far as you can without arching your lower back. Hold this position for 10 seconds and slowly return back to the start. Repeat 10 times.

Try these exercises out and perform them daily. If you are experiencing any pain or increasing symptoms, STOP and consult a qualified professional before continuing.
​
Hope this helps,