It was fantastic to be chosen for the latest issue of the 'Sussex Life Magazine'.

Hazel Sillver wrote a fabulous article on how to find a 'new lease of life in retirement' and has suggested 17 activities that are on offer in Sussex for the over 60s.

We are very proud to be part of Hazel's article and even more pleased that it was the first on the list and the only one from Worthing.

The article suggests a range of activities from Nordic Walking, Gardening, Dancing, Bridge, Cycling and Book clubs.

Hazel has captured what we offer the over 50s at Sussex Physio Pilates perfectly. She talks about how all of our Pilates teachers are Chartered Physiotherapists and that we have 4 Platinum Pilates classes across the week.

The Platinum Pilates classes are a friendly Physio-based Clinical Pilates class dedicated to the needs of the over 50s that focus on muscle tone, balance, osteoporosis prevention/management, posture and reducing aches & pains.

Patients sometimes remark that being a Physiotherapist doing assessments and manual therapy 'must keep you fit'.

I agree with them up to a point, it does indeed require a fair amount of physical work to do physiotherapy treatment, but a lot of the movements are quite repetitive. If I miss a lunch break then I might be a bit tired and achy by the end of the day. If I work over a certain number of hours then I'm achy by the end of the week. If I don't do extra fitness such as running or swimming then my upper back gets stiff from leaning over the treatment couch. On balance I would actually say that I need to keep myself fit for my work rather than relying on my job to keep me fit.

I am one of the lucky ones though. I am not sitting at a desk all day and my job does not require long hours of driving, talking on the phone or sitting in meetings. Many people's long tiring days are then finished off with a few precious minutes sitting on the sofa before bed and then the whole cycle starts again without the body having done many movements apart from sitting. So many jobs nowadays can be very sedentary with long hours driven by stressful deadlines and heavy work loads. I see many patients who's musculoskeletal problems seem to be prolonged by their static work postures.

This is why the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is once again promoting WorkOut@Work (W@W!) for 2016.

http://www.csp.org.uk/news-events/events/workoutwork-2016

This is an established campaign which aims to:

'Inspire employees to address poor work habits e.g. not taking breaks or over-working, and increase levels of physical activity during the working day, so that health is improved and sickness absence reduced.'

In previous years employees have enjoyed a brisk lunch time walk, raised awareness of taking proper breaks away from their desks, completed cycle challenges, work based exercise classes or participated in desk based stretching sessions. These are all ways of creating a bit of variety from static postures, raising the heart rate and enjoying some post work-out endorphins during the working day.

Does this sound like something that your work place could benefit from?

Here at Sussex Physio Pilates we are proactive in promoting exercise as a method for preventing injury and pain.

If you would like more information about 'WorkOut@Work' or maybe some help putting on an event at your work place to promote physical activity among your colleagues, then we would love to hear from you, as we can help get your work force moving and 'Fit for Work'.

Heather Lowman-Riggs

Chartered Physiotherapist

Have you ever had a running injury? 

The onset of back, hip, knee, ankle or foot pain can be all too familiar for many runners, especially when increasing their volume of running. 

A half hour run can equate to 6,000 steps. So when increasing that to 3 times a week, maybe for 45 mins each run, you're looking at 27,000 steps a week.
 
......Suddenly an imbalance or compensation of your running style can take its toll and pain/inflammation results as a ligament joint etc is overloaded.

At this point rest is key. - Don't run through pain. 

But once the pain 'the symptoms'  have settled, the pain may unfortunately return when you re-start your training. Its therefore crucial to ask (and find out) 'What was the cause of the pain?' 

A Physiotherapy assessment of your running style, biomechanics and functional testing of important muscle groups can be key. As can making sure your training program is realistic, and suitable for your level of running and fitness. If you've only been running for a few months, a program that is increasing your mileage on a weekly basis may not be for you! Having rest days from your running is vital. Even if you're not getting any issues with your running - let your body recoup!

Finally good footwear is also important. Getting the right running trainers to suit suit your foot mechanics can really help with aligning your legs and back when you run. Specialist running retailers can help you here. In Worthing I'd recommend RUN, near West Worthing Station, they know their stuff.

As a Physiotherapist I've been working with Runners for 15 years, and would like to thank Mike Antoniades of 'The Running School' for an excellent course this weekend on 'Rehabilitation of Runners'.  Always good to learn new approaches from such knowledgeable Individuals. 

Happy Running, and remember to listen to your body, as much as you listen to your MP3 : ) 

Claire

Physiotherapy Assessments are available at our clinic room near Worthing station.

Please contact us for more details or to make an appointment.