Incorporating regular strength training into your exercise program has a multitude of benefits including:

• Increased muscle strength and mass which is important for building and maintaining your capacity to complete activities of daily living, engage in competitive or recreational sport, and maintain your independence as you age.
  
• Increased bone density and overall bone health resulting from the forces placed on the bones during strength training which stimulates the growth of new bone cells.
  
• Improved control and management of chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression and anxiety among many others.

Ideally, strength exercises should be completed at least twice per week, consisting of different exercises targeting all the major muscle groups. Aim to complete 2-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions for most exercises.

You should have a couple of repetitions in reserve at the end of each set, if you are struggling to reach the number of reps you aimed for you need to make the exercise easier, and if you could easily do 5 or more reps than you did, it is time to make the exercise harder to ensure you continue to challenge the muscles and make progress.

If you don't have weights at home you can use anything from around the house; A backpack/shopping bag filled with items, big bottles of water or even just a brick.

​☎️ 6352 3131
✉️ [email protected]
ℹ️ www.tablelandsphysio.com.au

Many of us find it more difficult to maintain a regular exercise regime in the winter months. The reasons are fairly obvious, it’s cold and people want to spend less time outside and are also less likely get in the car to drive to the gym during the cold, short and dark days of winter. There are many reasons why it is important to maintain your exercise regime through the winter months, the reasons being if you reduce your activity levels you will likely see:

• Loss of physical functioning – loss of strength and muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness
• decline, decreased balance etc,
• Increases in body weight and waist circumference,
• Reduced motivation to re-engage with exercise,
• Various potential negative heath consequences such as increased blood pressure and poor blood glucose control.

Below are some of the benefits of exercising in cold weather and the importance of being active through winter:

1. Being cold!
Simply exposing the body to cold temperatures by exercising in cold weather stimulates thermogenesis, which refers to the bodies ability to generate its own heat. This seems fairly obvious and probably uninteresting, but cold induced thermogenesis, particularly when paired with the general benefits of an exercise session, has been shown to improve mood and energy levels, improve cognition, lead to better sleep, and improved immunity, and is now being investigated as a useful “anti-ageing” tool.

2. Immune health
Regular exercise is well established as a potent tool to improve immune function, which is particularly important in flu season, and of course in the age of COVID. This is due to an increase in the circulation of immune cells acutely after an exercise bout, a reduction in stress hormones with regular exercise, and by mitigating against the ageing related decline in immune function.

3. Sunshine
If you enjoy exercising outdoors, taking advantage of sunny days during winter is helpful to ensure your body is able to produce enough vitamin D, which is associated with reduced risk of osteoporosis, depression, and some cancers.

4. Mental Health
Ceasing or limiting your exercise in winter, along with general reductions in activity through the day as we spend more time indoors, can lead to issues with mood regulation and for many people increase symptoms of depression and anxiety. The release of endorphins and the reduction of stress hormones improve your mood, however consistency is key to ensure the long term benefits are achieved. Maintaining your normal routine will help you maintain your motivation and ensure you do not lose hard earned improvements through the winter months.

If you have any questions about the information above, or would like to make a booking with an Exercise Physiologist or Physiotherapist to assist you with your exercise programming through
winter, get in touch on 6352 3131, or book online at:
https://tablelands-sports-spinal-physiotherapy.cliniko.com/bookings?business_id=15597#service

Adam Brogan
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
M.Clin.Ex.Phys, B.Sp.&Ex.Sci. AEP, AES, ESSAM

☎️ 6352 3131
✉️ [email protected]
ℹ️ www.tablelandsphysio.com.au

Men’s Health and Exercise

There’s no better time than Men’s Health Week (14-20th June) to focus on some of the ways in which exercise can be used to improve the health and wellbeing of men in our community. Less than half of adult aged men in Australia engage in the minimum recommenced guidelines for exercise and less than ¼ engage in the recommenced levels of strength training, and levels of engagement decrease as men age. 


Physical Activity Guidelines:

• At least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week
• At least 2 strength training sessions per week 

Coronary artery disease (CAD), suicide/self-harm, and chronic back pain are the three leading causes of disability/disease in Australian men. Exercise is a well-known therapy for both CAD and chronic pain, however exercise also has enormous benefits when it comes to mental health which we will focus on here. 

Improvements in mental health resulting from regular exercise are very encouraging given the levels of mental illness in Australian men are so high, particularly in rural and regional areas. These improvements are related to both physiological and psychological changes that occur with exercise.

Most people are aware of exercise related increases in neurotransmitters called endorphins, which relieve pain and stress leading to better mood. Regular exercise also stimulates the growth of new neural connections in the brain which is key for brain health across the lifespan. Group exercise or team sports increase levels of social interaction which is beneficial for mental health, and exercise can also provide a sense of accomplishment when working towards and achieving a goal. 


Another area where exercise can have a major impact is in the workplace.

• Most severe workplace injuries in Australian workers result from body stressing injuries and falls/trips/slips in the workplace, and these are most commonly sustained by males, although the following applies to anybody, particularly those working in physically demanding roles such as those we see in many industries around the Lithgow region. 
• Many people in these roles feel that their work alone is enough exercise for them, and sometimes this may be the case, however in most cases more specific training can vastly improve your physical capacity to complete a specific work role, as well as reducing the mental stress related to work that so many experience.
• Reducing workplace injuries helps reduce the psychological and economic burden on individuals, families and our community resulting from time lost at work due to injury.  

Building towards at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise, and at least two days per week of some form of strength training is a great first line of defence for combating the most common causes of disease and disability in Australian men, and Men’s health week is a great time to start making changes. 

If you are unsure where to start, you can contact an Exercise Physiologist here at Tablelands Physio in Lithgow to receive a comprehensive assessment of your health status, and we can help plan and implement an effective exercise program that will set you up for success. Alternatively, you can drop in or call for some basic advice and guidance to get you started.  


Adam Brogan
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
M.Clin.Ex.Phys, B.Sp.&Ex.Sci. AEP, AES, ESSAM

​
6352 3131
[email protected]
www.tablelandsphysio.com.au

Book Online HERE

Loss of Proprioception, sounds scary? Not really…
 
Proprioception is the ability for your body to sense where a joint is in space. Proprioception is what makes it possible for you to put a spoon in your mouth with your eyes closed. It is also the reason we don’t roll our ankle every time we step awkwardly on a small rock or fall over going to the loo in the dark.
 
Every joint in the body contributes to proprioception, and if this area is injured it can make it harder to work out where your body is in space, what it is doing, and how to prevent further injury. The most common areas we see this problem is in the ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders and hands.
 
Proprioception in our lower limb and spine plays a huge role in our sense of balance. This is what makes it possible for us to correct our footing to prevent slips, trips and things like ankle rolling. This sense of proprioception comes from nerves within the skin, ligaments and muscles and is often disrupted after an injury to ligaments, tendons and muscles, or after prolonged periods of immobilisation (such as casts and braces).
 
Loss of proprioception in the knees or ankles can leave you feeling more unbalanced, or less stable than before. You may find yourself stumbling more frequently, rolling your ankle or having difficulty standing on 1 leg while putting your pants on – that may present a problem …. :)
 
When our proprioception is reduced we are more likely to re-injure the area or cause other problems.
Improving your proprioception after injury is an important part of rehab and allows you to get back to doing the sport you love or work you need to do.
 
Treatment may include balance exercises, hands on techniques, taping, and always targeted exercises specific to you and your injury.
 
Talk to us today about how we can help you regain your proprioception and prevent future injury!
 
☎️ 6352 3131
✉️ [email protected]
ℹ️ www.tablelandsphysio.com.au

​

Regular exercise is highly beneficial for people living with diabetes. Exercise can address many complications associated with Diabetes AND improve health, well being and physical function.

There are three main types of Diabetes Mellitus; Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes.
1)Type 1 diabetes (IDDM) Is caused by an autoimmune condition in which the pancreas does not produce insulin in levels required to maintain optimal blood glucose levels. This  is usually diagnosed in childhood.

2) Type 2 diabetes  (NIDDM)  generally develops later in life, and accounts for around 90% of all diabetes cases.

3) Gestational diabetes refers to a condition of high levels of blood glucose when pregnant. This also increases a woman’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

All three refer to a condition in which the body cannot adequately control the levels of glucose in the blood. Ongoing high levels of blood glucose increases the risk of many chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease.
Exercise, along with dietary intervention, is among the most potent therapy for the management and prevention of type two and gestational diabetes, and the management of type 1 diabetes.

Exercise will improve insulin sensitivity which results in improved glucose control. An Increase in muscle mass will allow for higher levels of glucose storage in the body and keeps the glucose out of the blood, reduces blood pressure, and aids with fat loss. 

The two main types of exercise to consider are aerobic and strength training.
Aerobic exercise -  build towards 210 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week (walking, running, swimming, cycling etc).
This is higher than the normal recommendation of 150 minutes per week.  This higher volume of exercise has been shown to produce significant benefits for people with diabetic complications.

Strength training will increase muscle size and strength and  allows for increased glucose storage in the muscles. Higher muscle strength will also help to increase a person’s capacity to carry out activities of daily living, improve bone density and joint health.
Strength training – undertake at least 2x/week in order to achieve significant adaptations.
 
Different intensities of exercise will change the level of glucose in the blood. For example,

• Low level aerobic exercise will lower blood glucose levels
• High level exercise can release glucose .

This is an important factor to consider if an individual has poor glucose control.  It becomes especially important to measure blood glucose levels when exercising (often before, during and after) to ensure they are not risking  hypoglycaemia (low sugars).
When first diagnosed or starting to exercise, it is important that the diabetic person has the support of a team of health professionals to design and monitor the exercise program and monitor the use of medication as required.
In the long term, regular exercise will lead to a reduction in blood glucose levels, and allow for better glucose control in their day to day life.

For more information, or to book a consultation, please call 02 6352 3131.

Adam Brogan
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
M.Clin.Ex.Phys, B.Sp.&Ex.Sci, AEP, AES, ESSAM

The grasses are growing with the warm weather and rain we have been having, and lots of people are out making hay.
This means people are out on tractors, trucks and headers looking backwards, and often doing this one sided, causing neck pain.
So what can you do?
- Sit taller with good posture (no slouching)
- Try and change up the direction you are looking back so it’s not the same side all the time
- Do some gentle neck stretches (ear to shoulder)
- Get out of the tractor more often (try every hour or so) to move your body around

With the exciting news of gyms reopening this weekend, it is more important than ever to remember to ease back into exercise post-coronavirus. It is advised when returning to gym programs, to take 30 percent off your weights for the first few sessions, before adding 10 percent each week thereafter.

It is also important to remember to stretch, warm up, and cool down (especially in these winter months). Look after your form, check your posture, and if you are having problems, pop in to the practice to have a chat to one of our Physios or EP, or have a chat to a local PT.

Let’s go and support our local gyms who have been doing it tough these last few months.

Sore knee? Here is a really simple exercise to do early after you have hurt your knee. The main aim is to increase movement of the knee and activate the quad muscle, which is the protector of the knee. Roll up a towel and give it a go!