By Mark Simpson, Accredited Exercise Physiologist

Junior athletes present us with a unique opportunity to teach good movement patterns at a developmental age as they have the ability to learn new skills/movement patterns at a rapid rate. Not only does this decrease injury risk in the short term, but lays the movement foundations for success later in life.

By Ben Southam, Accredited Exercise Physiologist

Research has shown that exercise may be just as effective, if not, more effective than medication and psychotherapy at reducing symptoms associated with mental illnesses. 

As the weather starts to get warmer and the days become longer Australians will hit the pavement in numbers. In fact, to put things in perspective, 200 million people worldwide have taken up running in the past 5-10 years labelling this decade “the second running boom” (the first being back in 1970-80 when the brand Nike was born). In Australia, 8% of people aged 15 years and over consider themselves “runners”. That’s 1.65 million people!

Body composition, we’ve all heard of it right, but what does it really mean? How does it influence our health? And most importantly, how do we change it?

Muhammad Ali, Michael J Fox, Billy Connolly and millions of others have all been diagnosed with it. In Australia it is the second most common neurodegenerative disease behind dementia, with 32 Australians diagnosed each day. The disease in question is Parkinson’s disease.

Understand the effects of Ankylosing Spondylitis and how you can help yourself manage it.

Although cerebral palsy is a permanent life-long condition, some of these signs of cerebral palsy can improve over time with the help of an exercise intervention program.

You have injured your back; you have severe back pain, even some altered sensation down your legs. You’ve been told you have a herniated (bulged) lumbar disc. You’ve tried exercise, medication and rest to get better but nothing has worked thus far. So where do you go from here?

When significant bone tissue has been lost, or weakened osteoporosis occurs, leading to increased risks of fractures. This is a huge health issue that affects 2 in 3 women and 1 in 3 men over the age of 60 in Australia. Read more to find out how exercise can help manage this condition!

So you think you have Achilles Tendinopathy, what now?

45% of workers today will experience some form of neck pain during their working life, so it is becoming increasingly prevalent that you may, or perhaps already have, experienced some form of neck pain. How to we manage and treat it?

Physical inactivity - the greatest public health problem of the 21st century - from Exercise is Medicine Australia. 

Exercise throughout pregnancy can be an area of confusion for many women. With the right information family doctors can feel comfortable and confident referring pregnant and post-partum women for exercise therapy as an essential component of their care plan.

When is it appropriate for children to perform strength training???
Resistance training at any age is a highly effective way to improve sporting performance, reduce injury risk, improve quality of life and decrease risk of chronic disease.

These days with the increasing speed and skill of the game, footy players are suffering from all sorts of injuries. These injuries range from soft tissue to bone breaks; and without proper strength and conditioning your body will continue to break down. Additionally, it is imperative that you recover well from your match, as this will allow you to back up matches with training.

It is recommended that women can begin exercise six weeks after giving birth. It is beneficial to be screened and guided by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist before you undertake any physical activity to reduce risk of injury, herniation, or other pregnancy related complications.

The overwhelming importance of activity and exercise to help manage and overcome back pain.

Not only is sitting too long damaging our spinal health through disc compression and the creation of muscle imbalances (psoas anyone?) - but the lack of blood flow resulting from prolonged sitting is also slowing down our metabolism (and our brains). Read More…

The knee is a complex joint relying heavily on the support of surrounding muscles to prevent injury and improve movement efficiency.