Today in Australia many people are suffering from mental illness. The research suggests that 20% of all Australians, or 4.8 million people, are directly affected by mental illness or symptoms in line with mental illness.

Psychology Professor, Jordan Peterson says that people rarely come to him with mental illness, instead;

“People come to you because their lives are so damn complicated they cannot stay on top of them in any way that doesn’t make them look like they’re just going to get more complicated.” 

He believes that this creates symptoms which mimic the state of mind similar to that of mental illness and plenty of research show that a simple daily routine is a key to keeping your mental and physical health in top shape.

So, where to begin? Replace the chaos with order, replace the unnecessary with the necessary and throw out anything that you feel adds to the disorder in your life and more importantly, your mind. This can be achieved through active sports. In particular with younger people where evidence shows a reduction 14% in anxiety and a reduction in depression of 9% for those who are actively involved in a sport. Here consistency too is crucial, and this is where massage can help.

Not only will massage reduce the stress hormone cortisol, regular remedial massage will reduce sports-related fatigue significantly and with that will decrease the possibility of your taking time away from that sport.

 

Written By, Phil Gow (Senior Remedial Therapist & Newmarket Practice Manager)

*Disclaimer*

We are not experts in this area and are only hoping to raise awareness. If you or anyone you know is feeling down, stressed or just generally needs someone to talk to, please head to https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/what-is-mental-health.  Another great APP to assist in feeling overwhelmed or stressed is Headspace, its FREE and suited for all, a guided meditation app that truly helps you unplug! Head to the link for more info -  https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app 

What is exercise physiology?

Specialised exercise or movement planning that will prevent and manage injuries and musculoskeletal aches and pains, as well as chronic pain, chronic disease, depression and weight management. These plans are designed and delivered by an exercise physiologist, who will be University-qualified and recognized by Exercise and Sports Science Australia, one of the strictest governing bodies for exercise physiology worldwide.

As the resident exercise physiologist at No More Knots, I work with clients to help them move more easily, build strength and endurance, and improve energy levels, overall wellbeing, and quality of life.

How does exercise physiology link in with remedial massagetherapy?

In my opinion, you can’t do better than the combination of remedial massage therapy and exercise physiology to get your body feeling tops.

Our massage therapists work with clients to help provide immediate relief of muscle and joint-related aches and pains, and work with clients to prevent the return of these problems. Part of this process includes helping a client achieve more optimal muscle tension and length.

Exercise physiology builds on this by teaching clients how to use their muscles in a way that will help prevent tension build up. Programs are designed to build strength and muscle endurance to help create balance in the body, improve posture, and to minimize the risks of overuse, injury, and general aches and pains. Some clients also choose to use exercise physiology sessions to learn to do exercises correctly or refine their technique, or to help take their sports performance to the next level.

Can I get health fund rebates for my exercise physiology sessions?

Exercise physiology sessions are covered by Medicare in some cases, and also by many private health funds.

If you want to claim with Medicare, you can get up to five allied health sessions per year under a Chronic Disease Management plan, which can cover chronic muscle and joint conditions and pain. You’ll need a referral from your GP in order to claim with a CDM.

If you’re claiming with a private health fund, with you can generally claim on the spot through our HICAPS machine, which is really handy. Rebates vary, so the best thing you can do is give your health fund a call to see what kind of coverage you have.

How do exercise physiology sessions work at No More Knots?

We use a two-step process to get you started with our exercise physiology sessions. When you book in for your Initial Appointment, you’ll be asked to fill in a comprehensive health and injury history form. At your first session, we’ll review that together, and then discuss your goals and what steps you can take to achieve them. I’ll also guide you through a simple movement screen so that I can see what your physical starting point is. This usually takes the bulk of the initial appointment, but if we have time left over, I’ll give you some exercises that you can start right away.

At your second session, I’ll have a full program for you when you come in. You’ll work through the program to make sure that you are comfortable and confident with the movements, and at this point we’ll also make any needed adjustments. I’ll provide you with guidelines for how much movement you’ll need to do to keep progressing, and the ideal timeframe for your next appointment.

How often do people have exercise physiology appointments?

I usually see people every two to three weeks as they’re starting out, as most clients progress through the early stages quite quickly. My goal is to get you moving well on your own as quickly as reasonably possible – I’m not going to ask you to come back for a program update until I think you’ll need it. Once good movement patterns and physical strength is established, I try to see people every two to three months to maintain progress and prevent boredom!

All that said, I love hanging out with my clients and if you want to come every week as you would with a personal trainer, we will make that work too!

What should I wear to my exercise physiology appointments?

You don’t have to wear anything special, just clothes that you can move in comfortably. Bear in mind that your program will likely have you going through movements and positions that may be somewhat unusual or with greater range than you’re used to. 


 

Is this going to be hard???

Less than you think!

I make sure that your program is matched to your current abilities – the goal is to provide a program that is somewhat challenging, but also something that you absolutely can do, see progress with, and not be really, really sore from!

If you’re just getting started, you’ll have a low-intensity start, with an initial focus on DIY massage to support the work your remedial massage therapist is doing, plus stretching and mobility exercises to improve movement quality. You’ll also start with a component of low-intensity strength training, if your body is ready for that. From low-intensity strength training, we increase the challenge of the exercises, and will start you on building some cardiovascular fitness as appropriate. We’ll make it as easy as possible on your mind and your body. You might even have some fun!

Written By, Erin Haske 



#exercisephysiology #NMKxEP #EPbrisbane

Do you often come into a massage and say to your therapist that you’re stressed? You can feel the tension in your muscles build as you start to feel this way and you may even get some uncomfortable aches and pains. You’ve taken that step and had a massage to ease the tension, the weight has been lifted off your shoulders and you walk out feeling lighter and feeling tall. It might be a month later the same physical feeling comes back, headaches, foggy head. Are you taking the right approach?

Image by Beyond Rest  beyondrest.com.au

In some cases your physical aches and pains can be triggered by your emotional stresses in life. Which is where Float Tanks can come into the picture. Some great benefits can come from both massage and Floating. When combined they can be even better. There has been a lot of hype around recently and research into exactly how effective they can be.

“Stress, depression, anxiety, and worst pain were significantly decreased whereas optimism and sleep quality significantly increased for the flotation-REST group.”

For people who have been recommended meditation and find it difficult to practice, sensory deprivation can help you be in an environment where there is no external stimulus and you have the time just to yourself. In the tank you can reach mental stillness, which is a sort after state often found through meditation. This practice can boost your creativity, increase mental clarity and obtain effective physical and emotional stress relief.

First time floaters find that it takes longer to ease into the new environment, which is why some initial floats are 90 minutes. This may seem like a long time but as you become accustomed to the process you can fall into the parasympathetic state with more ease each time.

Another amazing thing that happens with massage and floating is that they both activate your parasympathetic nervous system and you relax. One sign during a massage is that you might hear your stomach gurgling during the treatment or falling asleep too. Dopamine and Endorphins are released into the body, which help with improving your mood and your pain levels naturally.

Floating can help to improve your muscle tone and absorb minerals too. Many times you have heard your therapist tell you to have an Epsom salt bath post treatment- well the float tanks are filled with a lot of it. It aids in your buoyancy while floating to feel that sense of weightlessness. At the same time you absorb some through your largest organ- your skin.

“I love floating. The weightlessness and serenity of the tank allows my otherwise over stimulated mind to relax into a deep meditative state naturally. You can have very lucid and creative thoughts in there but mostly I enjoy walking out feeling calm, refreshed and energized.”

Dušan, NMK Therapist

Floating might be something new and fantastic you haven’t discovered yet. All these benefits are waiting for you in the float tank. Some of our clients enjoy alternating Floating and Massage once a fortnight to help keep them mentally and physically healthy. If you’d like to give it a go, head on over to your closest Float therapy clinic for your first float…


Image by https://levels.io/float-tank/

1. Kjellgren A, Westman J. Beneficial effects of treatment with sensory isolation in flotation-tank as a preventive health-care intervention – a randomized controlled pilot trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2014;14:417. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-417. 

#floattank #sensorydeprivation #relax #experience