By Info Healthy recipes • Injury prevention • Physiotherapy tips • Sport performance • Sports injuries 0 Comments

How do we balance physiological stress and mechanical stress?

Last time we learnt all about exercise LOAD and the role of mechanical stress. This time we complete the equation and discuss the other form of stress in this load equation and how we can modulate it to prevent injury.
LOAD = mechanical stress + PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS
Modulating your workouts involves consideration of the mechanical stress applied during your previous workouts, current and future exercise, while constantly assessing what physiological stressors you have been exposed to during your work and personal life.

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By Info Exercise • Injury prevention • Physiotherapy tips • Sport performance • Sports injuries 0 Comments

The No.1 injury prevention strategy – Modulate your STRESS (Part 2)

Physiological stress: Friend or Foe?
When we fail to respond suitably to an emotional or physical ‘threat’, whether it be real or perceived, our body initiates a ‘Fight or Flight’ response and our adrenal glands release a substance called cortisol. This is known as the ‘stress hormone’. During this response, our body sends stored energy to our working muscles and also suppresses the functions of growth, repair, digestion, sexual drive and the immune system, so as to conserve valuable energy. If the ‘Fight or Flight’ response is turned on too often or we remain continually in a state of ‘Fight or Flight’, very typical in modern life, this can cause immense wear and tear on the cells of our body.

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By Info Exercise • Injury prevention • Physiotherapy tips • Sport performance • Sports injuries 0 Comments

How do you monitor the amount of mechanical stress applied to your body?

INTENSITY (how hard you exercise): Intensity is the most important factor to consider when monitoring mechanical stress and the main contributor to the occurrence of injury. The harder you exercise, the more mechanical stress you are exposing your body to, e.g. going from a slow jog to running faster, or lifting increasingly heavier weights. Harder exercise sessions should be introduced very GRADUALLY to avoid injury and enhance adaptation.

 

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By Info Injury prevention • Sport performance • Sports injuries 0 Comments

The No.1 Injury Prevention Strategy – Mechanical stress: Friend or Foe?

It is around this time of year – approx. 6 to 8 weeks after implementing our New Year’s resolution to “get fit” – that injury is often experienced.  “I was exercising so well, why did I get injured?” is a question often asked when clients come in to see us at InTouch Physiotherapy. The answer is encompassed in your exercise LOAD and why it can be your best friend or worst enemy.

LOAD = MECHANICAL STRESS + physiological stress (I will talk about physiological stress in another post)

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By Info Exercise • Injury prevention • Knee Injuries • Muscles • Physiotherapy tips • Ski • Sport performance • Sports injuries 0 Comments

What exercises are good for skiing?

Exercise good for ski

Prepare your body for skiing and snowboarding

This exercise routine should be effective if done regularly. We usually recommend three times a week. Don’t hesitate to come in if you are not sure about what to do to get fit for skiing and general advice on how to prevent skiing injuries.

Watch out the exercise demos by our physiotherapist – Paul:
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By Info Exercise • Hip • Injury prevention • Muscles • Physiotherapy tips • Sport performance • Sports injuries • Yoga 0 Comments

Hip opening sequence for pain-free yoga practice

Do you ever experience pain in your back while doing back bending poses (eg. upward dog, wheel)? Or knee pain while doing a lotus pose?

It may not be your back or your knees that give you the sharp pain, but instead one of the common causes is due to the tightness in your hip and buttock muscles (gluteus, piriformis, tensor fascia latae). The reason is that when you are doing a back bending with tight glutes, the mobility of the pelvis and the lower back decrease leading to a “blocking” in the lower back. On the other hand, if you try to get into a lotus pose with tight glutes, you may tend to rotate from your knees instead of from your hips, which may cause a twist or sprain in your knees. Read more