Lower Back Pain - some useful stats and info!

Estimates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011-12 National Health Survey indicates that about 3 million Australians (13.6% of the population) have back problems. It has been estimated that 70-90% of people suffer from lower back pain in some form at some point in their lives. From an employer’s point of view lower back pain is associated with both Presenteeism and Absenteeism.

Back problems can have many causes: issues with posture and injuries, diseases such as osteoarthritis, disc disease, osteoporosis, and some genetic conditions. Other factors may increase the risk of developing back problems, such as age, physical fitness, smoking, being overweight, and the type of work a person does.

Many people work in offices or at desks and it is quite simple to develop lower back pain from incorrect ergonomics and bad posture. Lower back pain is not always immediate and can develop over time as a cumulative effect. Because the body is misaligned day after day some muscle groups work harder and over compensate, whilst others can become weak.

Stretching can help with muscular lower back problems. Done consistently this can increase strength and decrease pain.
If you are new to exercise or uncertain about whether stretching is right for you, always consult with a health or exercise specialist. 

By Chris Peters - Bayswater 247 Fitness General Manager

For more info check out our Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/NewtownGym

And website: http://newtowngym.com.au/trial/

#chronicbackpain  

#lowerbackpain

#goodposture

Heel Pain - The Symptoms and Risk Factors

This is part two of Lisa Hall's  (Newtown Gym's resident expert Physiotherapist) in depth look at
#‎heelpain‬ and #‎Plantarfasciitis‬

What are the Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis? You'll typically first notice early plantar fasciitis pain under your heelor in your foot arch in the morning or after resting.Your heel pain will be worse with the first steps and improves with activity as it warms up.
How Does Plantar Fasciitis Progress?As plantar fasciitis deteriorates, the pain will be present more often. You can determine what stage your are in using the following guidelines:1.     No Heel Pain - Normal!
2.     Heel pain after exercise.
3.     Heel pain before and after exercise.
4.     Heel pain before, during and after exercise.
5.     Heel pain all the time. Including at rest!
This symptom progression is consistent with the four stages of a typical overuse injury.
Ultimately, further trauma and delayed healing will result in the formation of calcium (bone) within the plantar fascia. When this occurs adjacent to the heel bone it is known as heel spurs, which have a longer rehabilitation period.

How is Plantar Fasciitis Diagnosed?Plantar fasciitis is usually diagnosed by your physiotherapist or sports doctor based on your symptoms, history and clinical examination.After confirming your plantar fasciitis they will investigate WHY you are likely to be predisposed to plantar fasciitis and develop a treatment plan to decrease your chance of future bouts.
X-rays may show calcification within the plantar fascia or at its insertion into the calcaneus, which is known as a calcaneal or heel spur.Ultrasound scans and MRI are used to identify any plantar fasciitis tears, inflammation or calcification.Pathology tests (including screening for HLA B27 antigen) may identify spondyloarthritis, which can cause symptoms similar to plantar fasciitis.

Risk Factors for Plantar FasciitisYou are more likely to develop plantar fasciitis if you are:Active - Sports that place excessive stress on the heel bone and attached tissue, especially if you have tight calf muscles or a stiff ankle from a previous ankle sprain, which limits ankle movement eg. Running, ballet dancing and aerobics.
Overweight - Carrying around extra weight increases the strain and stress on your plantar fascia.
Pregnant – The weight gain and swelling associated with pregnancy can cause ligaments to become more relaxed, which can lead to mechanical problems and inflammation.
On your feet – Having a job that requires a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces ie factory workers, teachers and waitresses.
Flat Feet or High Foot Arches – Changes in the arch of your foot changes the shock absorption ability and can stretch and strain the plantar fascia, which then has to absorb the additional force.
Middle-Aged or Older – With ageing the arch of your foot may begin to sag – putting extra stress on the plantar fascia.
Wearing shoes with poor support.Weak Foot Arch Muscles. Muscle fatigue allows your plantar fascia to overstress and cause injury.
Arthritis. Some types of arthritis can cause inflammation in the tendons in the bottom of your foot, which may lead to plantar fasciitis.
Diabetes. Although doctors don't know why, plantar fasciitis occurs more often in people with diabetes.

To get more information and to find out about plantar fasciitis treatment options: contact our highly experienced resident Physiotherapist, Lisa Hall : http://www.physiofirstnewtown.com.au/

Contact:Tel: Mob: 0401 059606Facsimile: 02 95577619Email: lisahall@physiofirstnewtown.com.au

Newtown Gym : www.newtowngym.com.au

  #heelspur #newtowngym #flatfeet #riskfactorsplantarfasciitis

Our Member success stories are about you (our members) achieving something outstanding. One such member is RobPatton who recently completed the 100km trail on ANZAC Day for the charity “Soldier On” who help sufferers of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) 
Our regular Facebook readers will of course remember that we interviewed Rob before the fund raiser and we also just caught up with him to see how it all went.
In summary the 100km was: Very challenging, although his plan to pace himself worked well and he finished in a strong position still.
Most rewarding part and what kept him going: Helping others to keep going! He helped an older participant who was struggling because he had chosen a pace that was far too fast, too early. And a mother from Perth who is a PT and was distraught at the prospect of not finishing the trail was spirited on by Rob’s encouragement (and a ride home at the end of the trail thanks to Rob’s wife).
How much did he raise ... Rob reached his target and raised $1978
How long did the 100km take? A very good time of 17 hrs and 35 minutes.
Other secrets to finishing the 100km.... Cheese sandwiches and 5 rest breaks!
We all say congrats here at Newtown Gym!
www.newtowngym.com.au

Stress - do we bring it on ourselves?

Andi Ipschitz from Ignite4Life is a close friend of our Pilates instructor Robert Rhode and will be writing articles for us on the issues of stress, depression and anxiety. Please note that these articles are based on her experiences as an energy healer and neither Andi nor Newtown Gym are pubishing these articles as a prescription or solution to mind based issues. They are intended to bring out points for discussion only. We always recommend seeking professional help or contacting support lines (ie beyond blue) should you be adversely affected by any mind related issues (ie depression)

Here is Andi's article on Stress and how we often bring it upon ourselves...

Stress, can we bring it on ourselves?

In today’s society we all feel the effects of stress in our daily lives. I’m always hearing how stressed everyone is, trying to get through the day with the countless lists of tasks that need to be done. Along with looking after kids, trying to fit in some exercise and social time with friends and family. Stress seems to be the never-ending cycle that we all seem to be in and it’s starting to take its toll!
So what is stress exactly?

Stress is the body’s physical, mental or chemical reaction when we get excited or confused or we otherwise feel unsafe or threatened. Stress is the outcome of you and I reacting. If daily demands are easy and well balanced, we’re fine.  It’s when we decide the pressure is unreasonable or the situation is upsetting, that the potential for damage occurs. That’s when we’ll say we’re feeling stressed.
Over and above the basic functions of day-to-day living - biochemical chain reactions or “stress” reactions could be labelled as bad when the body over-reacts to demands made on it. It means you experience certain acute physical symptoms when you are presented with things that trigger a state of alert in your system. Your body goes into the “high gear mode.” This means your heart beats faster, your breathing rate increases, you sweat more, your muscles tense, and various chemical reactions take place in your brain.
Stress can be important when we are faced with life threatening circumstances. This is known as the ‘fight or flight’ it heightens our abilities to think quickly, move fast and allow us to get out of potential near death situations.
Nobody else can actually give you stress, you have to react to something and allow yourself to become stressed. We need to understand that the only thing you can control is YOU. It takes awhile to get used to the idea that being stressed-out is in fact a choice. That indeed, after your first spontaneous reaction, you can accept the stress reactions and feel overwhelmed or, you can practice stress management and become calm.
Stress can lead to depression very easily, when we don’t understand that we can control our life situations, it’s very easy to become the victim of our circumstances. When we are in a prolonged period of living in blame, denial or make excuses, we lose our own self –empowerment, this can lead to depression. Unfortunately this is a program that has been built into us since birth. Today’s media, world leaders and religion haven’t made it easy for us to feel in control of our own lives in the western world.
On the flipside, panic attacks and anxiety are also linked to stress. We humans have on average between 50,000 – 70,000 thoughts are day. Can you imagine what our stress levels would rise to if the majority of thoughts were fear based and negative?
Anxiety stems from a need to be perfect, quite often the high achiever can suffer from this. When we come from a negative mindset of ‘I need to get this done perfectly or I’m a failure” a feeling of unease occurs within, leading to a build up of pressure to perform and eventually panic stations alert. Again anxiety is self -inflicted based on the patterns of thoughts we think before attempting a task. By becoming self -aware and cognitively being able to manage your thought patterns you can stop the anxiety and panic attacks from emanating.

By Andi Ipschitz:
enquire.ignite4life@gmail.com

#copewithstress #managedepression #depression #howtodealwithdepression

Ever wondered about the secret to getting that elusive sixpack?

Rohan reveals how to reveal those elusive stomach muscles..

The abdominal area is where most bodies store some fat. The result is this area is often not the way we would like it to look. Having a strong and defined midsection results from a combination of two things – strong muscles in that area, and reducing the fat layer over the muscles. In short, diet and exercise.

The stronger your abs are, the more they can be seen. As they strengthen, these muscles get rounder forming the so called “six-pack”. To strengthen them, aim to do some core work every day. They can take it, after all they are already used to doing low-level work all day every day to stabilise you – they just like to complain a lot about doing hard work! To stimulate significant growth, you need to challenge these muscles hard, i.e. training to failure with more than just body weight.

However, no matter how strong your abs are, if they’re covered by a thick layer of fat they won’t be seen. That’s why diet is vital! Aim to eat a little less energy than the amount of energy you spend each day. Most smartphone fitness apps or online sites can determine your energy needs. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegies and limit foods you know aren’t great – those high in fat and sugar. This will help reduce body fat levels.

There aren’t short cuts for abs. But maybe it’s time to just do the work to get the result … it is achievable.

Rohan Tate
Personal Trainer
Rotation Fitness
0466 288 714
rotationfitness@gmail.com
‪#‎mensfitness‬
‪#‎abs‬
‪#‎flatstomach‬
#newtowngym

‪#‎upperbodyworkout‬

What causes heel pain?

This is part one of two articles on   by our resident physio Lisa Hall 

What causes heel pain?

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common heel pain causes.
Your plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue originating on the bottom surface of the calcaneus (heel bone) and extending along the sole of the foot towards the toes.
Your plantar fascia acts as a passive limitation to the over flattening of you arch. When your plantar fascia develops micro tears or becomes inflammed it is known as plantar fasciitis.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is one of those injuries that magically seems to appear for no apparent reason. However, plantar fasciitis is caused by one of two methods. 
They are either traction or compression injuries. 
Plantar fasciitis is most often associated with impact and running sports, especially those that involve toe running rather than heel running styles. 
It is also commonly diagnosed in individuals with poor foot biomechanics that stress the plantar fascia. Flat feet or weak foot arch control muscles are two common causes of plantar fasciitis.

Traction Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis symptoms are usually exacerbated via "traction" (or stretching) forces on the plantar fascia. In simple terms, you plantar fascia is repeatedly overstretched. The most common reason for the overstretching are an elongated arch due to either poor foot biomechanics (eg overpronation) or weakness of your foot arch muscles.

Compression Plantar Fasciitis

Compression type plantar fascia injuries have a traumatic history. Landing on a sharp object that bruises your plantar fascia is your most likely truma.
The location of plantar fasciitis pain will be further under your arch than under your heel, which is more likely to be a fat pad contusion if a single trauma caused your pain.
The compression type plantar fasciitis can confused with a fat pad contusion that is often described as a "stone bruise".

To get more information and to find out about plantar fasciitis treatment options:  contact our highly experienced resident Physiotherapist, Lisa Hall :  http://www.physiofirstnewtown.com.au/
Contact:
Tel: Mob: 0401 059606
Facsimile: 02 95577619
Email: lisahall@physiofirstnewtown.com.au

  

This is the first of many weekly fitness posts by one of our resident PTs and fitness expert : Rohan Tate.

At this time of year, many people are restarting their fitness regimes, or trying to get into their best shape ready for Mardi Gras (note the pic of our members from a past parade!). Here are three things which are important to help you stay on track.

Firstly, set a definite goal. It’s always easier to be working towards something defined rather than just ‘seeing how you go’. Make sure your goal is reasonable, motivating, and measurable so you know if you’re on track towards achieving it. For example, fitting into a certain pair of jeans, losing a fixed amount of weight, or going to the gym a defined number of times each week.

Secondly, be consistent. You can want something as much as you like, but if you are serious about achieving it, make a plan and stick to it. Having a fixed time frame can be useful to keep you motivated to make as much difference as you can to work towards your goal.

Thirdly, improving any aspect of your health is a balance of exercise, diet, and sleep! You need to address all of these things to get the most out of the effort you put in at the gym.

Today is the best day to start the process. Time to stop procrastinating and just start! You can do it. Get moving in the right direction!

Rohan Tate
Personal Trainer
Rotation Fitness
0466 288 714
rotationfitness@gmail.com
#gayandlesbianmardigras #getabsfast #gay #gaylife
#rapidweightloss #muscle