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Up-regulation and down-regulation might sound complicated, but they are just terms that highlight the state of your nervous systems during common everyday practices like moments of mindful breathing or stressful work tasks.
Up-regulation refers to increasing arousal and activation in your nervous system, this is super-important to be on-point during tasks and activities which require a high level of attention and output, while down-regulation the nervous system is about calming the body and mind and bringing it back to a state of balance.
Sadly, this modern world puts us in a state of almost continuous up regulation or hyperarousal whereby there is increased activity of our sympathetic nervous system.
So how does this affect our recovery and movement? Longterm this can lead to an anxious, tense state, with physiological consequences such a shortness of breath and altered breathing patterns, therefore increasing our levels of C02 which links to are inflammatory status and hypersensitivity of our nervous system. Digestive problems and nausea are also commonplace, alongside increased heart rate and increased respiratory rate......and above all poor sleep.
As a Physio, working with individuals who are symptomatic of various pain conditions the importance of implementing some sort of down-regulation into their program is absolutely paramount not only to reduce central sensitivity and perceptions of pain, but also to improve sleep quality and regeneration. This is the same with athletes who find arousal curve can peak during competition and then struggle to return to resting state. In the modern world, with a huge amount of incoming data each day - we can all benefit from self-led practices to help us down-regulate our nervous system, your mind and body will thank you.
When down regulating for recovery we recommend;
Removing sources of external stimulation. Grab a mat, calm the mind and engage in something similar to the mindful practices, there are many ways to do this;
Mindful Movement, any movement practice where we aim to bring our full attention to the present moment to experience, the here and now. We bring our awareness to our movement and focus on our breath or the way our body feels as it moves. There are many ways to do this, Yoga and Tai Chi are two common examples, find what works for you, keep the temple slow and consistent, to down-regulate this should be hard
Box breathing, involves breathing in and for counts of four. You begin this exercise by breathing out slowly through your mouth and counting to four. From there, you will breathe in through your nose for the count of four, trying to make sure your breath is coming from your stomach, and not in the apex of your chest. Try to notice and focus on how the breath feels as you breathe in. After this step, you will hold your breath for a count of four, followed by exhaling through your mouth for a count of four. Once you have exhaled, you will hold your breath again for a count of four, and then repeat the cycle as many times as needed until you start to feel calmer. Most people require at least three to four cycles of this breathing exercise to start feeling a relaxation response.
Hum Breathing, activate the Vagus Nerve which our internal alarm system off, and switches on the rest and digest part of the nervous system. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and as you exhale you will hum until all the breath has left your lungs. Then, simply repeat five to ten times, or however many times you need! Try this exercise the next time you feel anxious or overwhelmed and pay attention to any release of tension in your bod
Static Stretching decrease neural excitability and sensitivity, thus helping to down-regulate you as a whole. So to wrap up your breathing session with some static stretching can also induce a rebound effect on muscle blood flow, reducing flow during the stretch, but quickly elevating it afterwards aiding recovery. Combined with some breath work this can be a good way to wind-down, relax and promote recovery.
All this lead to better Sleep – the basis of athletic recovery. Sleeping reduces your bodies need for oxygen and the amount of energy needed for digestion, as a result, the body can devote more energy to building and transporting the proteins and fatty acids needed to recover from your previous slog. Growth hormone is also secreted during your sleep hours and is integral for this type of tissue regeneration and repair. The average person requires approximately 7-9 hours of sleep per night to promote wellbeing, but the key here is consistency, we can’t bank sleep or easily catch up – so it’s about finding your rhythm.
Putting the above together for 10-15 minutes in a session can make all the difference to your wellness, sleep and readiness to take on the next day.
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Foam Rolling or Self Massage is a recovery tools that swings in and out of favour. Its can make you feel good, but what do they actually do? And should we be doing them?
The key to this debate, is centred around the narrative that goes alongside their use. Is it a magic bullet that should be used in isolation? No. Should it be part of an athlete’s tool box to help them get move into active recovery. Absolutely.
First and foremost, we need to get the staples of recovery right. Sleep. Hydration. Nutrition. Then comes the ‘active recovery jigsaw’.
The day after a hard exercise session, we can be sore, achy, our nervous system is fatigued and our range is restricted. We don’t relish getting up the next day, but we need to get moving to engage in some light active recovery sessions to stimulate and support the bodies recovery mechanisms. But getting straight into that is hard going.
Research has consistently has demonstrated self-massage reduces perceptions of soreness and fatigue post exercise, it feels great, but what is it doing? Is it breaking down scar tissue, or changing muscle tissue at a cellular level or increasing blood flow? Probably not. The likely mechanism cited in the research is the localised desensitisation of the nervous system. Allowing those sore, tight spots in muscle tissue to fade. Is there any evidence for vibration or fancy undulating surfaces over straight forward pressure - termed as ischemic pressure. No. Simple is king.
So we can start our recovery session by grabbing the Roller, Peanut or Sphere and gently rolling out areas that have been worked hard and feel sore – to desensitise them. The research suggests aiming for 60 – 90 secs on the main muscle groups involved in running, namely, glutes, quads, hammies, calfs and even the soles of your feet.
We then have to capitalise on this as the window of desensitisation is short-lived, so get your mat out and work into some active recovery. Something like a light five to ten-minute yoga flow routine to slightly elevate your heart rate to encourage your metabolism, to increase blood flow and to lightly load tissue creating length through their range in multiple directions.
Putting the above together for 10-15 minutes in a session can make all the difference to your readiness to take on the next day. Give it a go and tell us how your feel!!
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WHAT?
The Sharapova exercise can be used as a posterior shoulder capacity test,as well as an exercise. It is used to improve the coordination and the strength of the muscles of the back of the shoulder, in particular the external rotators of the deep shoulder muscles or ‘rotator cuff’. Muscle strengthening and coordination improves stability and the ability to produce force, which makes the shoulder joint and surrounding tissue more resistant to some types of injury. Testing one limb against the other can offer insight into asymmetry or highlight relative weakness which may contribute to current or future injuries and if addressed offer potential performance gains.
*note it is common for the dominant limb to be stronger than the non dominant.
WHY?
In simple terms, this test offers an indication of the capacity of the muscles of the posterior shoulder, vital for all overhead movements and incredibly important in all sports and physical activities (think throwing, racket sports, swimming, climbing, gymnastics to name a few). Whilst an asymmetry doesn't mean there is a problem it may be useful to be aware of any difference in the presence of symptoms and potentially in both improving function and preventing injury. Exercises such as this one, when repeated consistently, can increase the ability of the body to cope with these forces.
HOW?
Strength training improves the capacity and endurance of the muscle and tendons - in this case, the posterior shoulder musculature. Over time, with consistency and sufficient loading, training can affect the size and capacity of these muscles, including the fascicle size, their number and the overall muscle architecture. This enables greater force production and the ability to repeatedly produce this force. The Sharapova can be simply regressed by using a lower tension band or reducing the excursion of the arm and progressed by adding a higher tension band or increasing excursion. Adjusting other variables like speed and volume can also change the intensity of the exercise.
SUMMARY
The Sharapova exercise is a simple test and conditioning drill for the shoulder. It works well with people of all ages and doesn't require any specialist equipment other than an activation band. We recommend the use of a metronome to move in time with, increasing reliability and repeatability of the test. How much and how often depends on a number of other factors (such as strength level, recovery status, other training load, prior history) but we suggest aiming for somewhere around 2-3x per week, completing 3-5 sets and working towards fatigue (2-3 reps in reserve). This can be incorporated into warm ups or key moments in your day like before your morning coffee! Of course, you can adjust the volume and intensity as necessary. It can be really useful to seek advice from a medical or health and fitness professional such as a Physiotherapist. We highly recommend this in the presence of injury.
It's important to note that injury, and injury prevention, are multifactorial and complex. Testing the posterior shoulder in this way can be useful as part of a broader assessment whilst also addressing other factors such as appropriate training, nutrition and recovery. This exercise could be used in conjunction with other strength and conditioning drills as part of a rehabilitation program or for maintenance of shoulder health.
]]>When looking into materials for our Recovery products we knew two things. The product and material must function really well and secondly it must be an environmentally ‘better’ choice. Once we started looking into Cork we couldnt look back.
Cork is a type of non-timber forest product (NTFP) that can be harvested without cutting down the tree, generating sources of income whilst keeping forests and habitats intact. NTFPs often offer environmental benefits as they can support the livelihood of smallholders and communities whilst contributing to the sustainable management of the forests and woodlands from which they originate.
Cork-oak bark is harvested from living trees much like a Sheep being sheared for its wool. This process causes regeneration of the bark. Amazingly, debarked cork trees can absorb three to five times more carbon dioxide than non harvested trees. The bark can then be processed under compression to form useful shapes like our Peanut, Anywhere Roller, Sphere, Block and Brick. The finished products retain a lovely organic look and feel and a great texture for self massage.
We use high density cork, sourced from Portugal, where our manufacturer and cork forests are within close proximity, to keep their carbon footprint to a minimum. They are VEGAN and REACH certified and operate at near zero waste.
Cork also has natural antibacterial, antiallergenic and antistatic properties, with 98.6% of bacteria killed within 90 minutes of impact, so unlike other rollers, microbes and sweat won’t hang around. Lots to like…
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WHAT?
The reciprocal reach exercise can be used to assess and improve shoulder mobility. Some shoulder and upper limb injuries may be associated with loss of movement at the shoulder joint. This test combines the movements of flexion-adduction-external rotation and extension-adduction-internal rotation of the glenohumeral joint offering an insight into mobility and function. Testing one way and then the other, can indicate asymmetry or highlight relative differences in range of movement which may contribute to current or future injuries. If this is addressed it can offer potential function and performance gains.
WHY?
Simply put, this test is a simple indicator of shoulder health. Whilst an asymmetry doesn't mean there is a problem it may be useful to know in the presence of symptoms and potentially in both improving function and preventing injury. This simple test can be useful for anyone of any age and may be particularly useful for those who participate in activities and sports requiring the use of the arms!
HOW?
If you notice an asymmetry or find this movement difficult to access you can use the same position to develop your range of motion. Regular mobilisation either in the form of short repeated holds or a sustained stretch can be used here. It's worth noting, often a deficit in range may be associated with a strength deficit. We recommend seeking advice from a health and fitness professional like a Physiotherapist.
SUMMARY
The reciprocal reach is a simple test and mobility drill for the shoulders. They work well with people of all ages and don’t require any specialist equipment. We recommend the use of a MoveWell Sustain Strap to aid this exercise. The strap offers an easy way to grip and assist the movement. As always, how much and how often depends on a number of other factors but we suggest aiming to do this as regularly as daily to improve range of movement or perhaps weekly for maintenance. This can be incorporated into warm ups or key moments in your day like a morning routine, or can be added to other training sessions for time efficiency. Of course, you can adjust the frequency and intensity as needed. In the presence of injury we always recommend you seek help from an appropriately qualified practitioner.
It's important to note that injury, and injury prevention, are multifactorial and complex. The reciprocal reach can be a useful test and tool and should be used in conjunction with other strength and conditioning drills with other factors such as appropriate training, nutrition and recovery playing hugely important roles.
]]>In this mini series we explore simple ways to improve performance by exploring symmetry. In this instance we are looking at the single leg bridge. This simple test and conditioning drill can help highlight asymmetry and potentially reduce the potential for injuries across the spectrum of ages and abilities.
WHAT?
The single-leg heel bridge exercise can be used to improve coordination and the strength of your posterior chain, primarily, the Glute and Hamstring muscles. Muscle strengthening and coordination improves force production and muscular endurance, which may make our bodies more resistant to some types of injury. Testing one limb against the other can offer insight into asymmetry or highlight relative weakness which may contribute to current or future injuries and if addressed offer potential performance gains.
WHY?
Movement such as running, jumping and changing direction require propulsion and produce high ground reaction forces. Exercises such as the single-leg bridge, when repeated consistently, can increase the ability to produce and absorb with these forces.
HOW?
Strength training improves the capacity and endurance of the muscle and tendons - in this case, the muscles involved in producing hip extension. Over time with consistency, and sufficient loading, training can affect the size and capacity of these muscles, including fascicle length and the overall muscle architecture enabling greater force production and the ability to repeatedly produce this force. The single leg bridge can be simply regressed to a double leg version, progressed by adding weight or a resistance band or by adjusting other variables like speed and volume.
SUMMARY
Single-leg bridges are simple to test and use as a conditioning drill. They work well with people of all ages and don’t require any specialist equipment. We recommend the use of a metronome to move in time with, increasing reliability and repeatability of the test. How much and how often depends on a number of other factors (such as strength level, recovery status, other training load, prior history) but we suggest aiming for somewhere around 2-3x per week, completing 3-5 sets and working towards fatigue (2-3 reps in reserve). This can be incorporated into warm ups or key moments in your day like a morning routine, or can be added to other training sessions for time efficiency. Of course, you can adjust the volume and intensity as necessary. With this in mind, it can be really useful to seek advice from a medical or health and fitness professional such as a Physiotherapist, in fact we highly recommend this in the presence of injury - PM us as we probably know one in your area!
It's important to note that injury, and injury prevention, are multifactorial and complex. Single-leg bridges can be a useful test and tool and should be used in conjunction with other strength and conditioning drills with other factors such as appropriate training, nutrition and recovery playing hugely important roles.
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This simple test and conditioning drill can help highlight asymmetry and potentially reduce the risk of lower leg injuries across the spectrum of ages and abilities.
WHAT?
The single-leg heel raise exercise can be used to improve coordination and the strength of your Calf muscles, primarily, the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles. Muscle strengthening and coordination improves balance and stability, which makes the ankles more resistant to some types of injury. Testing one limb against the other can offer insight into asymmetry or highlight relative weakness which may contribute to current or future injuries and if addressed offer potential performance gains.
WHY?
Running, jumping and changing direction produce high ground reaction forces. Exercises such as the single-leg heel raise, when repeated consistently, can increase the ability to cope with these forces.
HOW?
Strength training improves the capacity and endurance of the muscle and tendons - in this case, the lower leg muscles. Over time with consistency, and sufficient loading, training can affect the size and capacity of these muscles, including fascicle length and the overall muscle architecture enabling greater force production and the ability to repeatedly produce this force. The single leg heel raise can be simply regressed to a double leg version, progressed by adding weight or by adjusting other variables like speed and volume.
SUMMARY
Single-leg heel raises are simple to test and use as a conditioning drill. They work well with people of all ages and don’t require any specialist equipment. We recommend the use of a metronome to move in time with, increasing reliability and repeatability of the test. How much and how often depends on a number of other factors (such as strength level, recovery status, other training load, prior history) but we suggest aiming for somewhere around 2-3x per week, completing 3-5 sets and working towards fatigue (2-3 reps in reserve). This can be incorporated into warm ups,key moments in your day like brushing your teeth! Or other sessions for time efficiency. Of course, you can adjust the volume and intensity as necessary. With this in mind, it can be really useful to seek advice from a medical or health and fitness professional such as a Physiotherapist, in fact we highly recommend this in the presence of injury - PM us as we probably know one in your area!
It's important to note that injury, and injury prevention, are multifactorial and complex. Single-leg heel raises can be a useful test and tool and should be used in conjunction with other strength and conditioning drills with other factors such as appropriate training, nutrition and recovery playing hugely important roles.
]]>At MoveWell we love getting out there....whether it's on a bike, a run, a paddle, we love it all. As Chartered Physios we recognise the value in the movement continuum. Health is a precursor to Fitness and Performance. And perhaps ultimately more importantly at least in our eyes 'health is wealth'. Conditioning, mobility and strength work all have an important role in maximising our enjoyment of our precious activity time. Fitness is specific, health is broad. To have a high fitness peak and almost more importantly to maintain it, health is the underpinning factor.
We provide sustainable movement products for fitness and injury rehab. Our products are made from responsibly sourced natural or recycled materials. Simple and effective products that help to facilitate movement.
Over 50 clinics, studios and individual practitioners in the UK already trust and value working with us and we are looking to grow and extend our network of forward thinking clinics, studios, retailers and practitioners who work with us…perhaps this is you?
Our Associates Package provides an additional revenue opportunity for your clinic or studio. We offer you our products discounted by up to 50% for demo use, alongside a unique web-code offering your clients a discount and a kickback on any sales made using your code. No need to hold stock. You can provide your patients with a better choice, and generate additional income for your business.
Additionally, all MoveWell sales (web & wholesale) protect rainforest thanks to our partnership with Tr[1]be - 12 tress are protected for every purchase made. We provide a real time counter and metrics via our impact page so you can see the difference that you and your clientele are contributing to.
As an industry our standard has been poor quality, plastic products, that are hard to recycle and don't biodegrade. We felt a dissatisfaction with directing people towards large online retailers that our clients found difficult to navigate. We wanted to provide them with a better choice. Better for the environment and better for their wellbeing. Perhaps you feel the same?
Full details here
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Aisling, the name behind The Green Physio, is an experienced Chartered Physiotherapist and a MoveWell Associate, who specialises in hypermobility and connective tissue disorders such as Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. The Green Physio is also part of our MoveWell Associates network. Aisling has hypermobility herself and knows first hand what it is like to manage this condition. It affects people in many different ways and to hugely varying degrees, however these are her 5 key factors that she recommends anyone with the condition to focus on when managing hypermobility:
Understand your condition
One of the best things you can do, regardless of which type or level of hypermobility you have, is to have a good understanding of the condition and why it affects you in the ways that it does. Understanding it can help to give you a sense of control over the condition, which helps with acceptance and reduces the commonly associated anxiety and fear of movement/activity. Whilst there is lots of good information online, it is important to be under the care of a specialist rheumatologist and/or physiotherapist who can give reliable and knowledge-based information, guidance, advice and treatment. Ultimately, we must understand that although it is a condition we have to learn to live with, there are so many ways that we can make it much more tolerable so that you can continue living the life you want to.
Strengthen
Most of us know that strength is hugely important for any hypermobile joint. It improves control, stability, balance and proprioception (our body’s awareness of where that part of our body is), function, movement patterns, power and ultimately confidence in that part of our body. Every individual will have their own areas that they need to work on, therefore it is important to seek advice from a professional to get an individualised, guided strength program that is specific to you. It is often a long and gradual process, and frequently takes longer than those without a connective tissue problem, however perseverance is key… you can do it!
Mobilise
People are often afraid to work on mobility given that the name of the condition denotes that there is already too much mobility. While this is the case in certain joints in the body, due to a laxity (or looseness) in the ligaments that support and stabilse a joint, there can still be joints that are actually hypomobile (stiff). On top of this, muscles can be working extra hard to stabilise and support the joints where the ligaments aren’t doing so, and so those muscles can become tight. Therefore, mobilising both certain joints as well as soft tissues can be a key part of managing pain and symptoms, and creating better quality range of movement. This may include a controlled and guided stretching program, as well as soft-tissue or joint mobilisation using things like a foam roller or massage ball.
Managing flare ups
I talk a lot about physical flare-ups with my clients, and while it is important to understand that this a normal characteristic of the condition, it is also important to remember these are ‘flare-ups’. They are a short period in time and importantly they do not mean we’re going backwards in our progress. A flare-up means in that moment we have taken our tissue past its current tolerance level, and we need to return to our previous baseline. The more tissue tolerance we build, the greater the baseline and over time the less flare-ups. If we remind ourselves that this is not representing anything other than a flare-up, it will keep the mental stress and fear out of the picture, which are emotions that can make them worse. Ultimately, it’s the movement every day that helps keep our tissues healthy, and over time we understand our body more, the signals or warning signs it gives you, and when to stop and scale back.
Mindfulness
Connective tissue disorders can be very anxiety-inducing, due to frequent fear of injury or flare ups. Another way that we can learn to understand how this condition affects us better is to understand the triggers for mental and emotional flare-ups too, and what strategies work for us to reduce them. For some of us, taking time out in nature helps, or engaging in arts and crafts, or relaxation and meditation (this can just be sitting quietly and being present in your body, just letting distracting thoughts pass by). For others it’s exercise. Find out what soothes your nervous system, and plan activities as much as possible so that you don’t get overloaded. This can have huge benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing as well as helping things like fatigue. And whilst we are mentioning fatigue, I cannot stress enough, don’t feel guilty about taking time out. It is a necessary part of your ‘treatment plan’ and managing this condition. And often we find that further help is required, such as counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, etc. So don’t be afraid to get a helping hand… there’s a lot for us to manage afterall!
To find out more about Hypermobility you can read Aisling’s blog on The Green Physio website.
]]>All three Universities in their own right are creating outstanding hubs for performance, where student athletes can continue their education and work to develop and perform in their chosen sport. Many have taken this pathway on to careers in professional sport and international competition. Just look at international rugby for a plethora of examples. Equally, among their peers, a quick glance at the BUCS (British University & Colleges Sport) league tables or the national leagues shows you that these institutions are right at the fore in this space and it is testament to the fact that they are doing good things.
It's the combined drive and mindset to support students and reduce impact that has led these three great performance programmes to work with MoveWell, where we have provided bespoke packs which promote and facilitate self-care and athlete led wellness - sustainable health habits with sustainably made products - now that's got a nice ring to it!
We spoke to Matt Paine, Head of Performance Sport at Bristol who gave us this insight into his thoughts: ‘we chose to work with MoveWell for our performance scholars because the packs provide a great toolkit for promoting athlete wellbeing and open up lots of useful conversations’ He went on to say ‘ As an institution we are committed to improving sustainability and reducing environmental impact and MoveWell products are second to none in that respect’.
Each institution has used their packs slightly differently. Exeter Uni Head of Performance Nicky Savil put her thoughts into words for us. ‘We’ve really enjoyed using the MoveWell prehab bundles as prizes for our performance athletes of the month. It’s been great to ensure athletes receive recognition for some fantastic achievements but also a lot of hard work behind the scenes that can sometimes go unnoticed. The MoveWell prehab bundles have proved really popular and its brilliant for us to reward with something beneficial to their prehab and recovery. With many of our teams travelling nationally for BUCS Wednesday or weekend leagues the travel size element of the products are great and makes for no excuses on the road!’
Hartpury College and University are looking to use their packs in their Rugby development pathway for the 2023/24 season and are also stocking them in their Sports Medicine Clinic. Richard Mack Head of Medical Services and Senior Lecturer in Sports Therapy had this to say ‘I am always looking for quality products that can help our student athletes reach their potential. What initially impressed me with the MoveWell products was their quality and design alongside the company's desire to produce sustainable goods. After using the products we have found them also to be robust and we are excited to start using the MoveWell packs with our athletes to help with movement and recovery.’
It seems the link between human health and the health of our planet is getting clearer and clearer. These performance driven institutions recognise and value the importance of promoting sustainable health habits with sustainably sourced products. We wish all three and their students the best of luck as the academic year draws to a close and wish to extend our thanks and gratitude for working with MoveWell. Watch this space for more on this subject as we look at individual case studies in subsequent posts.
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….it’s a routine I’ve curated over the years, to be ready for early free surfs, photoshoots and competition, but I’ve found starting my day like this to be really beneficial if it’s a day of other work commitments too. My days are often pretty front loaded, early surfs have often been the norm as I try to dodge crowds, or howling winds and work around the tides.
I wake up pretty early, I like to give myself time to get the fundamentals in place, helping me be where I need to be, when I’m on the water or at work. 5am to 5.30am is a pretty normal wake up time and gives me plenty of time to prepare. I watch the sunrise, when I can, is a primal thing for me, getting that natural light in, triggers the start of the day and sets up my rhythm.
The main objective in the morning is to get my body moving, and at times put it back together from the day before, whether that be surfing, training or just life….i’m renovating a house at the moment! I spend a good hour, or more, mobilising. I try hard not to rush this, I really like to take my time here, to feel into it. I have to do this consciously, breathwork helps me to retain focus here, I’ve got really into breathwork in various forms over the years and it’s become a crucial part of my routine.
Getting into my body, I like to work on the areas that need it first, so if I’m carrying a niggle, I do the prehab or rehab first to make sure it’s done, anchored in my day. For me at the moment, this is working on my hip flexors, doing some lengthening work through eccentric work and dynamic stretches. This has a direct correlation to how my lower back is feeling, so it is paramount in my routine at the moment. I take on good advice here, but I also really tune into how I’m feeling, as this can vary day to day, I adapt to that. Then I work on the more surf-specific movements, for me the important ones here are getting some rotation through my hips, lower-back and mid-back, nice dynamic movements, starting slow and building intensity. It usually ends with a bit of light loading and core activation to wake those neural pathways specific to surfing.
I’m conscious to get some water onboard in the morning alongside this, then I get the kettle on and put together a good breakfast in the gaps between the above. I usually have one or two coffees in the morning, when I enjoy them the most and can get the caffeine metabolised and out of my system, so it doesn’t affect my sleep.
If I can combine, some movement and mobility, with some breathwork, and see the sunrise, that’s the dream start. If this is an hour, I reap the benefits, or on some of those busy days it could just be 5-10 minutes and I still notice significant wins in my focus and readiness, in this era of whirlwinds, giving yourself sometime in the morning really pays off!
The early morning is also my productive time, as there’s less distractions, I’ve co-founded a surfboard brand, FORM Surfboard and have numerous commitments with other brands, so I’ll use a portion of this time to check in on emails, if anything is pressing I can reply and I can also prioritise the admin tasks for my day, I find this clears my head and helps my productivity.
Then, I grab my coffee and check the surf. That fresh air is really important to consolidate my routine, whatever the day holds. My body is ready, my mind is calm and the movement through fresh air seems to compound that. If I’m surfing, it’s time to see what the surfs doing, hopefully it’s pumping, that helps too! Otherwise, it’s life commitments, but at least I’m ready!
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Jo has been running ultras at an International level since 2014. Here are 5 key ultra-training tips that she has learnt along the way....
Goals
Pick a race that motivates YOU…. not your friends or your ego. You want to be inspired to train when life gets busy. You also want a reason to keep pushing in the race when it gets tough and knowing how much effort you put into the training is a huge factor; 'not only did I put many hours into training for this, I made day to day sacrifices and I’m paying for the experience, so giving up is not an option'.
Long runs
'The race is long but the long runs don’t need to be'. I learnt this from David Roche, US Ultra Running coach. He talks about the long days being a stress on the biomechanical and neuromuscular systems; as the runner fatigues, ground-contact time can increase and form can deteriorate which leads to inefficiencies despite maintaining the output and ultimately this creates an imbalance in stress levels for the body. The odd longer run can be useful if the runner hasn’t raced many ultras, it can build confidence in ability, practise fuelling and become routine in controlling the controllables (fuel, hydration, clothing, pack organisation and focus), learning to pace and get you used to the highs and lows of running for hours! But don’t over do them!
Back to Back long runs
When I started training for ultras, I did two long runs on consecutive days, this was because my first race was Marathon des Sables which is a stage race. The purpose of them was to prepare my legs for the fatigue of running beyond a marathon and get used to pacing myself. However, they don’t allow for recovery adaptations and for me this meant a few weeks later getting ill or injured.
A far more optimal alternative is to incorporate some intensity in a long run. This can be done as 'progression runs', where you slowly increase the pace of the long run or perhaps run faster initially for a set period and then settle into an easy pace for the remainder. This creates musculoskeletal stress and optimal adaptation afterwards as you rest/ recover.
Speed is still essential
Speed training helps running economy; the relationship between oxygen consumption and running speed. Running fast on the flat correlates with running fast up hills and most ultra are off road and hilly. Also, maximal top end running economy has a mutual relationship with submaximal running economy, so over time, incorporating speed means improvement! Working on speed on both flats and ups, will work in every direction.
Make it specific
There are many ways to train. One of the successful and popular is the 80% easy and 20% harder intensity training method. 80% of your training time should be done at an easy effort (progressing towards steady on those good days) which establishes laying down some good solid foundations. One of these easy runs is the longer run and ideally should be done with specificity to your chosen goal, for example, running on trails if it’s a trail race. A lot of races are hilly and yet we don’t all live in the mountains so I use my treadmill to get those long ascents in; depending on the gradients of the course profile I may run or just uphill hike to be as specific as possible building confidence that I can achieve my goals.
Most importantly, enjoying setting those goals, training for them, recovering properly and achieving them!
See you out there : )
Find out more about Jo @therunningsquirrel
See Jo for advice @ www.oceanphysio.com
When it comes to the management of pain we have been inadvertently juggling with our eyes closed for decades. I’ve watched the pendulum swing from one in-vogue treatment to the next, some to be demonised and then re-embraced in the blink of an eye. The truth is some of these treatments can have benefits, at the right time and as part of a wider treatment strategy. For some, it’s the dated rationale and narrative given by the practitioner that lets them down. However, one thing is clear, our thoughts and feelings play a major role in shaping our experience with pain. The path to better management and treatment of pain, is to embrace the subjectivity of the experience.
Our response to pain is complex, more complex than senses like smell and hearing which comprise a direct neural connection between the nose / ear and respective regions of the brain. With pain we know that emotions can manifest in physical symptoms, this relationship is complex, but we must understand that there are overlapping brain mechanisms at play.
To help us consider this further, it helps to understand the three broad categories we use to in contemporary clinical practice:
Nocioceptive Pain, the classic response above to touching something hot, or to an injury or acute inflammation. This is common in the world of a physio working in sport and no doubt in the everyday lives of you and I.
Neuropathic Pain, caused by damage to, or inflammation around, sensory nerves, a classic example being the burning pain and paraesthesia associated with true ‘sciatic’ pain. Again, this is a common presentation in the general population.
With these two categories, it is worth noting that the vast majority of minor tissue damage sustained by your body, through low grain strains and sprains, heal within 2-3 weeks, higher level damage such as tears and breaks (unless there are complications) will heal from damage within three months.
In some healthcare instances, once the pain is reviewed and cleared as structural or neuromuscular, it can take 12 weeks before anyone looks at it. The problem with this, is the profound changes it can induce on the way someone moves (or often, doesn’t move) around their pain in that time, and importantly the way they view their pain. This can lead to neuromuscular pain lasting longer than three months, after the damage has been repaired, this is termed ‘chronic pain’. This is where things can get complicated and where the third type of pain is important;
Nocioplastic pain, where the brain's pain centre becomes hyper-vigilant, it has rejigged and learned to send disproportionate pain signals. This is known as central centralisation - an over-sensitisation of pain pathways that may require therapies that differ from acute pain management. We know that chronic pain is much more than a physical sensation - it’s a complex emotional experience too and it should be treated accordingly.
In the modern world we are often over-stimulated, dealing with a volume of information and pressure, that it could be argued, our brains are unable to effectively process on a day to day basis. This may lead to a hyper-sensitised nervous system. If an appropriate multi-faceted approach isn’t considered when considering pain in a hyper-sensitised system, the brain centre can respond disproportionately to minor injury or inflammation, perceiving them as a major threat and resulting in high levels of pain. In some cases with central sensitisation, there is no ‘physical pain stimulus (nocioceptive stimulus)’ or ‘tissue damage’ at all, but the brain still perceives high level pain signals.
It’s important to note that negative mental states, such as tiredness, anxiety and detrimental or catastrophic beliefs fuelled by misinformation can create this perfect storm and lead to a vicious cycle of pain. This heightened sensitivity to potential threats, can make an individual more receptive to pain signals and heighten the urge to withdraw themselves, potentially leading to a lack of drive to pursue challenging and meaningful things in life and result in being more sensitive to negative experiences - characteristics that are synonymous with depression. The relationship with challenge or fear has become over sensitive. Some studies suggest 75% of people with chronic pain have anxiety and depression - yet we continue to focus ‘pain related’ treatment on the physical symptoms alone.
There is no immunity here. We must recognise this can affect us all at different stages. A few poor nights of sleep, a few life stressors and a caffeine low can easily leave us walking a tight-rope. I’ve sat with Professional Rugby Players and Special Forces Operatives alike, who are considered resilient in every respect and witnessed this perfect storm. In these instances, mis-information and catastrophic beliefs (stuff they have heard in the locker room!) have led to an additional ‘Nocioplastic’ driver to their pain perception. Unless this is addressed, by considering the mis-information / beliefs and implementing good education, you could be setting the pain pathway in action and grossly detracting from their rehabilitation path. At times Health Professionals can be guilty of using big words, or off the cuff statements that can unintentionally drive fear and fuel anxiety, having a detrimental effect.
So, what can we do about it? Pain requires a multifaceted approach. There is no magic bullet. Many treatments only have partial or short-term efficacy when used in isolation and only work for some patients. As I physio – I structure my rehab programs on three main principles;
Education – to deliver a clear understanding, expected timeframes and address the patient’s beliefs around their pain – the aim here is to address the emotional issues that can arise and put the individual firmly in the driving seat. In this frenetic world, it is clear that we need to equip people with strategies to calm their nervous systems, an active process, not a passive one. There are promising pain education therapies and mindfulness programs that have emerged in the past decade, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, My Surgical Success, Empowered Relief and Pain Reprocessing Therapy have all been shown to have positive effects on the top-down self-management of pain.
Movement and Loading – this is the key! The regression and progression of movement, loading and rehab exercises are key to appropriately stimulate injured or inflamed tissue, to address the structural damage and create change at a tissue level. This is well accepted and more often than not well executed. However, we should also understand that often, this is also providing ‘graded exposure’ to movement, i.e. building an individuals confidence as we slowly increase range, and load and therefore address any nocioplastic elements of an individual's pain presentation.
Consideration of these three principles during a period of injury and pain rehabilitation can be helpful to help ensure a comprehensive treatment strategy. In my experience, those who are proactive and armed with appropriate education and active interventions to help themselves do well. In addition to this, spending time in the day calming the nervous systems and understanding how to self-modulate pain, helps to avoid the unnecessary use of pharmaceuticals, or passive short-term fixes on the couch of a one-trick pony.
We know our relationships with pain are complex and truly take shape in the early stages of development, hence there is so much variation in our experiences. To make the best of a painful episode, addressing our inner narrative through and ensuring good information is key, wherever possible ensuring the locus of control is with us and that we are empowered by self-administered pain management strategies, lastly building our movement and loading tolerance progressively will lead to increased capacity, resilience and ultimately a faster recovery!
MoveWell co-founder, Physio and Skier Henry Abrahams talks us through the importance of simple, but evidence-based, pre-ski warm up and post ski recovery strategies, that can be easily implemented to ensure you are primed when you next get on the slopes!
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We’ve all been there. Day two of a snow trip and our legs are baked from all the fun of day one. Whilst the main thing you can do to prevent, or at least minimise this feeling is to work hard at your Strength & Conditioning exercises before you head out, once in resort, the good news is, there is more you can do to aid recovery. Incorporating some of the Movement Preparation and Warm Up suggestions from below, alongside following some of the simple Recovery advice outlined in the latter part of this blog, can make all the difference. Read on to find out how.
Snowsports: Movement Preparation and Warm Up.
As already alluded to, the ultimate movement preparation is prior conditioning (watch this space for a separate blog on this topic). However, movement prep and warming up can be a big factor in feeling good and in reducing likelihood of injury. Snowsports generally require heavy eccentric muscle contractions as we slow ourselves down and absorb the impacts of descending the mountain. Eccentric muscle contractions are those where the muscles and tendons are lengthening under tension and are known to cause the most muscle loading and later soreness. Hence why we often feel pretty heavy in the legs after a big day especially when we haven't been on the slopes for a while. When compared to other sports, warm ups on the snow are not always something we consider. As a general guide, starting slowly and building up is a good way to go and this is something most people naturally do, but there's more that can be done.
We ‘prepare’ in order to improve performance, reduce the risk of certain injuries and improve our ability to do what we love to do, however, if you're waking up in resort perhaps a little jaded from what came before, but keen to hit the first lift, there probably isn't time to go through a routine like the pro’s. These guys and girls might make the time to jump on a bike, complete a mobility session and then ‘lift’ or perform some high intensity movements to ‘potentiate’ their tissues and energy systems ready to go. Realistically, the vast majority of us don’t need to spend longer than 5-10 mins addressing the key factors of an evidence-based preparation routine. One simple warm up profile is a ‘RAMP’ routine. This includes Raising the heart rate and body temperature, Activating key muscle groups, Mobilising key joints and Potentiating or performing high speed, high demand movements similar to those in the activity about to be done. What follows is an outline of a simple ‘Warm-Up’ sequence following a ‘RAMP’ profile and the rationale for each stage.
Raise - The aim here is to raise our body temperature and increase blood flow to the working tissues, preparing the neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems for the demands they will be placed under. This is the bit when a pro might jump on the Watt Bike, headphones on and tracksuit fully zipped! In a chalet or hotel this might be as simple as making sure you are warm with a shower, bath or hot tub or a few mini squats, a couple of times up and down the stairs or a little jog on the spot to get things moving and elevating body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate. Alongside this, a deep breathing routine, will help to expand your thorax, open airways and get you ready to roll.
Activate - The key muscle groups to get moving for snowsports are the glutes and quads. Some glute bridges, a step up or mini squat and perhaps a lunge will get things moving. For the snowboarders in particular some thoracic and shoulder loading like a Bear Crawl or side plank may also be beneficial. The aim here is not to build fatigue but to get the body ready for more intense activity so just do enough to feel you're working. The MoveWell Anywhere Mat is perfect for doing this. It's travel ready, super light, folds up small and makes a perfect surface for these drills and the ones that follow.
Mobilise - Including some hip and thoracic mobilisations will likely benefit most snowsport enthusiasts heading out for the day. Hip internal rotation is particularly important for those skiers hoping to hit deep carve turns. Grab the MoveWell Peanut, Roller or Sphere and giving the glutes and quads a roll for a couple of mins is a great start. Additionally, getting some Hip internal and external rotation going can be done very simply with some ‘Hip Wipers’ and ‘Spiderman’ mobes perhaps combined with a Downward Facing Dog to add some posterior chain action.
Potentiate - To finish up, a few squat jumps or jumping lunges work a treat to get the body ready for the intensity of what's to come. These movements should be done at high-intensity to stimulate both neural and soft tissues alike. No need to go mad though, just 5-10 reps needed and you're ready to go!
Snowsports: Recovery
Here are a few things to think about at the end of a day on the Mountain. Feeling ready to go again can be a challenge for those of us not lucky enough to be skiing and boarding on a regular basis. Exposure to the high demands of bombing down the hill and inadequate recovery can lead to soreness and a reduction in performance and sometimes enjoyment. Ultimately some soreness is difficult to mitigate, but there are some easy going things you can focus on and prioritise during your trip to maximise your time on the slopes…Simple recovery strategies can reduce perceived muscle soreness and promote regeneration. By prioritising the fundamentals of recovery outlined below you can make the most of your time away.
Sleep - This is huge. Not always the easiest thing when you are staying in the mountains with the lure of Apres extending into the night and good times to be had. During our sleep our bodies repair and regenerate. We are also able to reinforce learning - something particularly useful when trying to push on with new skills. The average person requires approximately seven to nine hours of sleep per night to promote wellbeing, but optimal sleep durations seem to be fairly individual. The key here though is consistency - finding and sticking as closely as possible to your ‘optimal’. In practical terms, whilst in the mountains key things to consider for sleep quality are likely to be setting a comfortable room temperature and sleep environment, so you are able to sleep with minimal disruption. A cool room is recommended for a good night's sleep. Sounds simple but so many of us I’m sure have been caught out in the roasting hot Chalet or freezing cold having left a window open. Additionally, taking a warm bath or shower an hour or so before bedtime can not only help to relax achy muscles, but it also tells the the brain that you are overheating, meaning you start to shed heat rapidly as soon as you get out, having a cooling effect on your body before bed and therefore promoting sleep. The other big things to consider are caffeine and alcohol intake. Responses to caffeine are individual but typically avoiding intake later in the day is likely to benefit sleep. Alcohol intake is also known to hugely affect sleep quality and recovery. For those really looking to maximise time on the slopes this is definitely one to consider.
Nutrition and Hydration - Optimal nutrition is a complex, heavily debated subject for a multitude of reasons, so we’ll keep this fairly light. Besides, whilst nutritional advice is outside of our main areas of expertise, it is something we value very highly and recognise as extremely important to all aspects of training and recovery. We know that re-fuelling effectively after exercise will restore muscle and liver glycogen stores, replace fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat, promote muscle repair and support your immune system. During and immediately after a big day on the slopes, start replacing fluid and electrolyte losses. Water is good or dilute water with a little natural fruit juice to help absorption. Your urine colour and frequency of needing to go are the super simple indicators for monitoring hydration. You should also consider food intake through the day on the hill. As a guide a post session snack should provide an immediate intake of protein combined with carbohydrate, these get to work enhancing muscle tissue synthesis. Your recovery nutrition should aim to include a balanced whole foods meal within two to three hours of activity. As per general guidelines, this meal should contain a combination of carbohydrate, protein and some fat. Maybe something to consider when working out which tit-bit to dip in the fondue! The key takeaway here is to stay fuelled and hydrated - packing water and a snack or two is a great place to start.
Hot and Cold Immersion - Cold-water immersion has received a lot of exposure lately for its positive effect on health. It is also effective for managing muscle soreness by reducing body tissue temperatures and blood flow, which then leads to reductions in inflammation, cardiovascular strain and perceived pain. This helps to improve our recovery by reducing delayed-onset muscle soreness and improving autonomic nervous system function. A cold plunge is not always the first thing on your mind when you get in from a cold day on the mountain but can work really well to reduce soreness. Hot-water immersion has minimal scientific support of its benefits in recovery, however the increase in body temperatures does lead to improved blood flow which helps to remove post-exercise metabolic waste. Often people prefer the use of hot over cold water immersion because they find it more comfortable and relaxing. Plus you are way more likely to find a hot tub than a cold plunge pool in a ski resort! As mentioned already, there may be some benefit of hot baths to aid sleep through relaxation and thermoregulation and in addition hot water baths may be useful prior to self-massage to relax tight muscles. In summary cold is king, or a contrast of both – if you can work the logistics out!
Active Recovery, Massage and Stretching - Massage has consistently been demonstrated to reduce perceptions of soreness and fatigue post exercise, the likely mechanism is through desensitisation of the nervous system. Unless you have unlimited access to masseuse, in a few hours after the day ends, it can be really helpful to grab your MoveWell Cork Roller, Peanut or Sphere and gently roll out areas that have been worked hard. We suggest aim for 60 – 90 secs on the main muscle groups involved in snowsports, namely quads, glutes and paraspinal muscles. If time allows, follow this with some active recovery, such as a light five to ten minute yoga flow routine to increase blood flow and lightly load tissue creating length through their range in multiple directions. While static stretching on its own is unlikely to have much impact on your recovery, static stretching can induce a rebound effect on muscle blood flow, reducing flow during the stretch, but quickly elevating it afterwards potentially aiding recovery. Static stretches also decrease neural excitability and sensitivity, thus helping to rejuvenate a state of balance after exercise, combined with some breath work this can be a good way to wind-down and relax. Putting the above together for 10-15 minutes in the evening can make all the difference to your readiness to take on the next day…give it a try and see what works for you!
Anything else? In terms of clinical evidence there is very little for some of the other adjuncts and gizmos available – vibration, upper body compression garments, expensive supplements, to name a few. The fundamentals of sleep, nutrition, hydration and active recovery provide the majority of benefits. These simple, cheap, time efficient changes can boost your readiness and enjoyment for the days to follow – so enjoy!
In summary, a few minutes dedicated to moving your body at both ends of the day in combination with good sleep, nutrition and hydration could make a significant difference to your performance and enjoyment of your time in the mountains. We hope the above has given you some ideas of things to try, next time you're hitting the slopes.
Spend 5 minutes of your morning freeing up your movement, and focussing your mind, with MoveWell Associate @maxinedean. This energising yoga flow routine gives emphasis to your hamstrings, hips and thoracic spine, as these are the areas that can become restricted in our modern lives. Give your movement 5 minutes, your body and mind will thank you.
1. Childs pose with side stretch. Options for a wide or narrow leg child pose. Hold with your arms out in front of you, then walk them out to the right side of the mat, sitting your left hip back down towards your heel to feel a stretch through the left side body, repeat on the right.
2. Cat cow. Move with the breath, inhaling lift your tail bone and chest and as you exhale round through the spine and tuck the tailbone.
3. Thread the needle. In four point kneeling lift one arm up towards the sky before feeding it under the other, bring your shoulder to the ground and your same cheek to the mat.
4. Dynamic downward facing dog. It may feel good to keep it dynamic first thing by either lifting and lowering the heals or peddling out through your feet.
5. Low lunge to half split variations. See options to alter the sensation in your half splits by moving the blocks either inside our outside the leg being stretched. In your low lunge take this opportunity to stretch further in to the hip flexor of the back leg by reaching hands to the sky and leaning towards the opposite side.
6. Lizard pose with variations.
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We live on a blue planet. Our oceans and seas cover over 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface, they feed us, regulate our climate, and generate most of the oxygen we breathe.
Our oceans are facing unprecedented threats as a result of our consumption, waste and lifestyles. Every year, an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic waste end up in the world’s oceans. Climate change is damaging coral reefs and other key ecosystems; overfishing is threatening the stability of fish stocks; nutrient pollution is contributing to the creation of dead zones; and nearly 80 per cent of the world’s wastewater is discharged without treatment.
MoveWell was born by the sea. Our simple motive was to provide the a better choice and reduce the amount of plastic and single use products that are recommended in thousands of clinics, on a daily basis, across the world. We are supported by a growing number of Associates and Brand Advocates that support our vision. We are hugely proud to be working alongside and learning from, Dr Easkey Britton - @easkeysurf, a life long ocean pioneer, surfer, scientist, author, social and environmental activist. In this article Easkey shares 5 simple things we can all do to help protect our Ocean Environment.
Become ocean literate. To be ocean literate means to understand how and why humans and the ocean are inextricably interconnected. We Are Ocean believe that by accelerating Ocean Literacy, “we will live in a society that understands the importance of the ocean to humankind, can talk about the ocean in a meaningful way and are able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and it’s resources.” It means understanding the language of the sea and how it shapes and supports every aspect of our lives, from the air we breathe, the water we drink, to regulating our weather and climate, and even providing life-saving and cancer-curing medicines.
Restore your ocean connection. Pay more attention to your ocean connection. Step outside, or better yet step into water or the sea, and feel the gratitude we owe this blue planet for her beauty and abundance she has to offer. Research is evidencing how engaging with ‘blue space’ or water environments, especially the sea, can improve our wellbeing, altering our bio-chemistry, lighting up our mood and lowering stress hormones. One simple way to connect with the ocean, wherever you are, is to consciously breathe. We are always connected through our breath to the ocean. Our breath mirrors the ebb and flow of the tide, and calms our nervous system.
Act mindfully. The authors of ‘The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis,’ emphasise the importance of a mindfulness practice that can help you “learn to create a gap of light between yourself, the world and your reactions.” Why does this matter for protecting our ocean? Everything we consume has an impact on the ocean, with 98% of all waste ending up in the sea where the cumulative effect of pollutants is reducing the resilience of entire ocean ecosystems with unpredictable and potentially disastrous consequences not only for marine life but human health too. Cultivating greater mindfulness allows us to become more conscious of our actions, to act as citizens and not consumers, to become aware of the power of our decisions and ‘vote’ by spending our money on ethical and sustainable products. Or better yet, reduce, reuse and recycle. One simple yet effective example of this ‘mindfulness-in-action’ is the Think Before You Flush campaign.
Reduce your carbon footprint. The climate, ocean and human health are all interlinked in complex and dynamic ways. The ocean has buffered us from the worst effects of climate change by absorbing 90% of global carbon dioxide emissions at a terrible cost leading to ocean warming and acidification - where the chemistry of the entire ocean is being drastically altered, dissolving the building blocks of life in the ocean. Doing all that we can do reduce fossil fuel emissions is essential for the survival of the ocean. Take a look at your life and identify how you can begin to reduce your carbon footprint by at least 50% in the next 10 years, in order to keep on track to meet global emission reduction targets. Slowing down just a little and, where possible, travelling less, or taking the bike / public transport / car pooling all helps. Buy products made to last, support local growers, eat less meat, only eat locally and sustainably caught seafood, switch to 100% renewable electricity. And most importantly, engage in politics and make climate change your number one issue. To quote Rebecca Solnit, “the billionaires and the fossil-fuel corporations are intensely engaged in politics and count on us staying on the sidelines… they are afraid of us, if we wake up, if we show up, if we exercise our power to counter theirs.” We are not powerless.
Give back. Participating in organised beach cleans (or street cleans) and taking part in initiatives like the 2 Minute Beach Clean can help foster greater social connection, as well as doing something good by taking care of your coast or local environment. Although it does not directly tackle the causes of marine pollution it does help ignite greater awareness and collective action.
What actually is the immune system?
Although we speak about our immune system as though it is one thing, it's a beautifully complex collection of multiple different types of cells (called white blood cells of which there are many, many types), tissues like the gut and organs including the bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes. It can be found everywhere in the body but tends to be clustered at the barriers to the body - for example the digestive tract and lungs - where there is greatest exposure to things in our environment that could make us sick like germs and pollutants. It also includes things like mucus and the microbiota (good bacteria found on us and in us) as these work together with immune cells to protect us. Rather than a binary switch that we want to turn on, 'boost' even, it's more like a set of rheostats that need balancing, not boosting. Switching on when appropriate and off again when not needed.
As we step into the new year, we are still in the middle of winter snot season with many viruses preferring to circulate during cooler climes. This is why you are 80% more likely to get a cold during winter. While I’d argue that taking care of your immune system should be a priority for life and longevity, not just for the seasonal colds and flu (or the latest pandemic), we should all be taking extra steps to safeguard out immunity this winter.
There is a plethora of things that can influence our immunity. Some, like genetics, we can’t control but there are lots of things we can do. Here are five tips to help keep you well this winter, even though you might just feel like hibernating until spring.
For more immune-nourishing tips and tricks follow:
www.instagram.com/dr_jenna_macciochi
Grab a copy of my Winter Wellness Guide here:
https://www.drjennamacciochi.com/immunity-community-products-1
]]>This is a question we are often asked and the answer is fairly straightforward…..‘to offer a better choice’
Lifelong friends, we have grown up with a love of the outdoors and have always been inspired by movement and performance. Realising the simple benefits of these interests in combination, we have spent years as Physiotherapists working across the spectrum of human performance, demonstrating the fundamentals of rehab, training and living well, and their key role in gaining good outcomes. These fundamentals are simple, and so often missed. The health and fitness industry can overcomplicate the message. An ego driven message creates fear, which can paralyse, paralysis rarely leads to effecting change. Our experiences have led us to believe in simple, effective solutions that have a butterfly effect and create significant change – we want to build a brand that helps to deliver that message, leading to a healthier, happier community.
Alongside this, healthcare is often reactive, seeing a problem for the first time, when it is very much a problem. Working in elite sport, simple preventative strategies are integral in fending off both physical and mental complications. These strategies are often simple everyday practices. Thankfully, there is a paradigm shift towards active participation in preventative health strategy beyond elite sport, however we still see ever increasing levels of reversible illness and chronic disease, the message still struggles to get out there – MoveWell aims to encourage movement, make it fun, progressive, accessible and anywhere – one step at time chipping away at a reactive culture.
Perhaps our greatest drive to start MoveWell was to create a better choice for the planet and do our best to protect the planet for our children to enjoy. Environmentally, we know we are at a tipping point, the facts are clear. We now need palatable solutions. Although population health and the health of the planet are intrinsically linked, we continue blindly onwards, seemingly separating the two. It’s a stark fact that globally, healthcare accounts for a disproportionate 4.4% of carbon emissions per annum, more than the global aviation industry. The health and fitness of our planet is our health and fitness, in the past 40 years it is estimated we have wiped out 50% of the biodiversity on our planet, whilst seeing an unprecedented rise in chronic reversible physical and mental illness across the globe. For too long we have tried to separate our species from the biodiversity surrounding us, our health from the health of our planet, now we know this has been to the great detriment of our population’s health. We were warned 30 years ago, but the impacts of climate change are no longer subtle. There is still time if we act now, with determination and urgency, we can’t leave this up to the politicians, it’s up to all of us. As health and fitness professionals we have been part of this, the NHS alone produces more than 25 million tonnes of CO2 per year, that’s more than Sri Lanka and more than the combined total of all of the planes taking off from Heathrow Airport in a year. Everything we buy has a carbon footprint, in the past 40 years we have been using and recommending cheap petrochemical products, loaded with BPA’s that are manufactured in port conditions and air freighted around the world. We pile-up single use products, passive ineffectual modalities that create reliance and no long-term benefits. This is our small contribution. Without education there is no awareness and a better choice there is no change.
MoveWell is here to offer sustainable rehab and fitness products for sustainable healthy living….in our minds the perfect combination. Let’s do this.
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In the Second of our mini series for Carve Magazine entitled ‘go to go....again’ focussing on post surf recovery strategies. Featuring MoveWell Advocates - Pro Surfer Alan Stokes and Irish Big Wave Surfer Easkey Britton.
Click this link for access to the full article MoveWell x Carve - go to go.....again!
]]>Workday Coffee & Movement break In the third and final part of our Rituals/While you Brew mini series MoveWell co-founder, Physio and personal trainer Henry gives us some pragmatic ideas on how you might best use your brewing time during your work day coffee break to relieve office aches and pains.
Right, here we go. We’ve got 10 mins until we are back at the electronic coal face for a Teams/Zoom/Meets call for what feels like the umptenth time today already. Let's make the most of it with an Exhale Coffee loaded with anti-oxidants and make use of the 3-4minutes brewing time for a little MoveWell inspired movement break!
We all know the feeling, sitting at the computer and not moving enough can leave you feeling a bit stiff around the neck and shoulders. For this reason, in this little routine, I’ve focussed on the neck, thoracic region and shoulders as these are the ones people are most likely to present with in the clinic. Using the Peanut, spend 1-2mins or so massaging the back of the neck and upper spine. The shape of the Peanut is fantastic for this, it feels like it cradles the spine and offers some pressure to the muscles on either side. Tip; keep the movements fairly small and move the Peanut rather than trying to roll a large section of the spine with one movement.
Having used the Peanut to desensitise and get these areas moving, I then focus on the posterior part of the shoulder. I then use an Activation Band to work my shoulder and upper back musculature, which can become deactivated and weak in a protracted postion at the desk, with a ‘Sharapova’ & ‘W’ to ‘I’ exercises repeating enough times to get some fatigue in the muscle tissues, a micro-dose of exercise and boost to circulation and possibly even productivity. That is all. Super quick and super simple. Maybe I should do this little ritual every workday? Anyway, time’s up, press or pour the coffee and enjoy…. Oh and don’t forget that meeting!
MoveWell provides a range of portable, environmentally-conscious products for injury rehabilitation, fitness training & wellbeing. You can find out more about us at her on our website or on Instagram @movewell_uk
]]>In the first of our mini series for Carve Magazine entitled ‘the ready state’ focussing on pre-surf preparation and warm-up strategies. Featuring MoveWell Advocates - Pro Surfer Alan Stokes and Irish Big Wave Surfer Easkey Britton.
Click this link for access to the full article MoveWell x Carve - the Ready State
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In the second of our Rituals/While you Brew mini series MoveWell co-founder, Physio and personal trainer Henry gives us some ideas on how you might best use your brewing time to recover from physical activity and perhaps the associated muscle soreness. This example would work particularly well for a runner but could be easily adapted or used as it is for almost any sport or physical activity.
Yesterday was a big day and today everythings feeling a little bit sore. Perhaps it was your long run or a massive surf, a tough training session, a local derby or you pumped out a big ride on the bike. Whatever it was, today you're feeling it. Which means, it's probably time for a coffee, so why not make use of the recommended 3-4mins brewing time and do a little bit of active recovery using the MoveWell 100% natural cork Anywhere Roller.
Self Myofascial Release also known as Self Massage or foam rolling can be a useful way to reduce perceived muscle soreness. The primary reason for this is not because you’re massaging knots or breaking down fascial adhesions but because of neural-modulation. I know...We haven't even had a coffee yet and I’m spouting about neural-modulation! But, put simply this refers to a desensitising effect and more simply still a reduced feeling of muscle soreness. If you're interested to know more, we have done a more in-depth post on it but for now lets get moving.
In this video I've focused on 4 areas: calves, quads and glutes and thoracic (or mid) spine. These can of course be changed to your personal preference or to align more with your sport/activity. For example swimmers and surfers might well want to incorporate something for the posterior shoulder. Drop your Anywhere Mat on the ground grab your preferred MoveWell Natural Cork Roller/Peanut/Sphere and you're off. You can roll both limbs simultaneously or individually aiming for 45 seconds or so per body part. It doesn't have to be agony but feeling some mild discomfort is part of the process that leads to Neural-Modulation and the desensitising of muscle soreness, so to some degree a little discomfort is important. You with me? Good, cause that's it. We are done, it's coffee time, enjoy.
MoveWell provides a range of portable, environmentally-conscious products for injury rehabilitation, fitness training & wellbeing. You can find out more about us at our website or on Instagram @movewell_uk
Introducing Exhale Coffee - these guys roast ridiculously healthy coffee! Their coffee is sustainably sourced with proven health and performance benefits. Sound good? We thought so. In support of their journey we have teamed up with Exhale to produce a series of short edits that highlights ways of using your 4-5 mins brewing time to better your body.
In the first of our Rituals | While you Brew mini series MoveWell co-founder, Physio and personal trainer Henry gives us some ideas on how you might best use your brewing time to prepare for physical activity. This example would work particularly well for a runner but could be easily adapted or used as it is for almost any sport or physical activity.
We all know it's a good idea to warm up pre exercise and many of us also enjoy a pre-workout Coffee, so combining the two and making use of the 3-4mins recommended brewing time prior to physical activity has got to be a win, right?
Lets get to it…A warm up should replicate the activity you're going to do, so typically speaking doing the movement patterns (and where appropriate skills) with gradually increasing intensity is a good way to go. Here we are looking not just at warming up but also at physical and mental preparation. While all the goodness and flavour in your exhale coffee is doing its thing, it is the perfect time to get moving and prepare both your body and mind for your activity.
As a Physio I often talk to my clients (everyone from sedentary adults through to Olympians) about the power of consistency and utilising warm up and recovery time to not just get warm but to also incorporate rehab or specific conditioning exercises. In Physio terms we might call this micro-dosing, small blocks of a movement or conditioning that start to add up over time and also help prep for the activity immediately ahead.
So, the coffee is brewing, depending on your chosen brewing method you've got a few mins. What do you do? Here are my thoughts for a good starting point. Grab a Sphere or one of our other natural Cork self-myofacial release products and throw the Anywhere Mat on the deck. For me I feel bang for buck with the glute and plantar-fascia rolling I've done in the video. Don't spend long on this, 30-60 seconds massaging will have a short term effect on range of motion that you can build into and can be useful to desensitise tissues and get moving. Give it a try. Next up using an Activation band I’m doing Monster Steps and Glute bridges to activate or load up the muscles around my hips and trunk to gradually prepare the tissues for more intense loading during exercise or sport.
These movements might be part of a broader group of exercises that I might do or recommend for conditioning throughout the week but are perfect here in combination with some mental preparation perhaps through visualisation (in my mind i'm cruising along a ridge line) to prepare for the Run or activity ahead. See what works for you…Ok, Coffee time…..Lets Go!
We recently started our journey towards B-Corp certification, this is something that we knew we wanted be a part of from the outset. So what is B-corp and why are we doing it? A brief description of our journey so far and the reasons we want to be B-Corp certified follow…
In short, B-Corp certification means that a company is able to demonstrate high levels of both environmental and social performance. We feel it offers some recognition of the painstaking hard-work we have put in, to do things right. In addition, it offers help to identify and clarify the things we can do better. We feel the B-corp network also offers opportunity for growth, both from customers recognising and valuing the B-corp status and from the network of like minded businesses that the B-corp network incorporates.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me explain a little bit more about the B-Corp movement and their mission to ‘Make Business a Force for Good’. A quick glance at the homepage tells you this is a global network of close to 5000 businesses. It defines itself as a ‘nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet’. Within the growing network is a huge variety of companies, in terms of both what they do, and the size of the businesses. The network includes everything from manufacturing to finance businesses, from start ups (like MoveWell) looking to do things well from the outset, too huge multinationals making changes in how they operate, the network encompasses them all. The key factor, at least in my mind, is a recognition from all the parties involved that we need to operate in a better way for the environment and health of our planet and for the people involved. This belief stems from my own personal experiences. As a customer it’s hard to know the environmental and social impact of a product or business. We (MoveWell) hope that obtaining B-Corp certification will help us to demonstrate to customers what we are all about, namely offering our customers better choice by reducing the environmental impact of rehab and fitness products and making sure the business we work with uphold the environmental and social standards we subscribe to as a future B-Corp.
So, how are we actually going about getting certified? To start our journey into certification we contacted the Future Leap sustainable Business Hub in Bristol. They put us in touch with Andy at Business on Purpose who runs workshops to help aspiring B-corps like us to work their way through the B-Impact assessment. The Process involves answering a series of questions about your company's practices and outputs across five categories: governance, workers, community, the environment, and customers. The B-Impact assessment gives a score and helps identify room for improvement. We are doing this as a part of a cohort of around 10 businesses working through the assessment with Andy's guidance. As I write this, this is where we are presently. The next step will be to submit our B-Impact assessment followed by an audit. We are hoping to achieve B-corp Pending status which recognises amongst other things that we currently don't have a full year of accounts for audit. Later down the line we will resubmit and complete another audit prior to hopefully gaining the full B-corp status. However it doesn't stop there…once full certification is obtained, businesses recertify every three years to demonstrate ongoing commitment to the process and continued improvement. Sounds like something worth being involved in, at least we think so!
To keep up to date with our B-Corp mission you can subscribe to our mailing list here. We will also post some updates on our progress via our instagram page. Why not follow us @movewell_uk or find out more about B-Corp here.
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In sourcing our products, we have done our best to balance material choices and manufacturing processes with transport/distance. Our aim has been to create durable robust products that remain fit for purpose, minimising the need to replace them and thus reducing product obsolescence. We have asked suppliers to minimise packaging materials and we have recycled all the packaging from our suppliers, we have not used air freight and where possible, we have sourced and manufactured as close to home as we can viably do so.
Product specifics
Anywhere Matt
Made from 100% natural rubber, we believe this is one of the most environmentally friendly products of its type. We are proud to be working with a manufacturer who have not only patented a non-glue, non-toxic, adhesive process but are committed to a pollution-free manufacturing process and the recycling of their industrial waste, alongside the recycling of post-consumer exercise and yoga matts creating a closed-loop process. The natural rubber and patented non-glue adhesive used to make our Anywhere Mat are onwardly biodegradable or recyclable should you ever decide to replace it.
Activation and Multi Bands
Made from recycled polyester (RPet) and fully onwardly recyclable, we believe our band products are the most environmentally friendly products of this type on the market. Our bands provide a robust, high-quality, responsible alternative to the conventional virgin latex and plastic products. Our Oeko-Tex certified material is sourced from Spain and the bands are manufactured locally in the UK to minimise transport impact.
Cork Products (Anywhere Roller, Peanut and Sphere)
Sourced and made in Portugal using FSC certified cork. This natural product is harvested from the cork tree and doesn't result in the tree being cut down. In fact, the harvesting process is entirely sustainable and doesn't harm the cork oak tree at all. As cork is a natural product, all of our cork products are biodegradable. We use a VEGAN and REACH certified manufacturer, who operate at near zero waste.
Packs (Essentials and Complete)
Made from Recycled Polyester (RPet) we think our pack bags are the perfect store for our environmentally friendly products. The bags are made from 100% Recycled Post Consumer Plastic in the form of Recycled Polyethylene Tetraphyte (RPET), produced in a factory with SEDEX 4 accreditation.
Labelling
We have utilised recycled coffee cup paper (recycled and onwardly recyclable) and grass paper (compostable) to reduce our environmental impact whilst still providing detailed product information.
Packaging
We have chosen to use simple, minimalist packaging for our products. All of the packaging is reusable or onwardly recyclable. The exception to this is the tube for the anywhere Mat (used when bought individually) which has plastic inserts. To counter this we are providing a free returns service for this so that we can reuse the packaging.
Fulfilment
Our product fulfilment is being done locally to reduce unnecessary transport of goods. The company we use recycle all of their waste and we use recyclable outer packaging for all shipments.
Is MoveWell a B-Corp?
We are starting our journey to becoming a B-Corp certified business in March 2022 and are committed to this process for our development. We hope to attain pending B-Corp status in October 2022 and become fully certified in January 2023. We value what B-Corp is doing and recognise that this will help us to get better as well as offering our customers a recognisable standard.
Where can MoveWell further improve its products and processes?
We are always looking to improve our products and the way we do things for our customers and the environment. We are aware that this is an ongoing process and we are committed to continued improvement. Below are some of the ways we are hoping to improve our products and processes.
How does preventive health benefit our environment?
Proactive approach - Our knowledge as experienced physiotherapists has helped us develop a range that provides both therapist and customer with a great tool kit that can be used anywhere.
Less reactive health resources used - In the short term this reduces use of latex and plastic based products and provides durable alternatives. As a longer term view, improving health and fitness has a more positive effect on health and could help reduce the need for many medical interventions and resources across a lifetime.
Increase in able walkers / cyclists - As we move towards reduced car usage, being self propelled and the health and fitness to do so will be even more important
Happier proactive people - a win-win situation for health and the environment
]]>A number of potential benefits for Self-Massage are cited. These include:
How well founded are these claims? Two recent systematic reviews (1&3) of the clinical evidence-base looking at Self-Massage (SM) have found have a range of valuable effects, including:
The first two stages of an effective warm routine should incorporate the following;
STAGE 1 THERMOREGULATION
Raise temperature and increase blood flow to the muscles, preparing the cardiovascular systems for the demands to place upon it.
STAGE 2 DYNAMIC MOBILITY
Preparing articular joints and supporting tissue for the ROM and the movements they are likely to be out through. Considering predominant planes of motions and movement demands.
Although stretching alone has been shown to affect range of motion (ROM) in the short-term, these studies have also suggested an impairment in subsequent power out-put and therefore on undesirable effect on performance. Foam Rolling has therefore been advocated as an alternative to static stretching, to be used in the initial stages of a warm-up, prior to task specific dynamic movements and then activation through load acceptance.
Optimising joint ROM is paramount prior to sport to ensure the joint is primed to move and take load through its range, reducing likelihood injury. One study looking at specifically at knee ROM and the effects of foam rolling of the quadricep group, demonstrated 12.7% and 10.3% increases in knee-joint flexion at two minutes and ten minutes respectively, following two 1-minute bouts of foam rolling. A further study demonstrated quadriceps ROM into flexion remained 11% and 9% greater at 48 hours and 72 hours, respectively after treating exercise-induced muscle soreness with a foam roller (3).
In addition to this, California State University looked at which type of roller leads to the best results. In short, higher density rollers led to a slight increase in ROM, but importantly, vibration and the surface texture led to no increase in ROM (1).
In light of this, MoveWell is happy to advocate the use of effectual foam rolling in the initial part of a warm-up, to desensitise tight tissue prior to task the specific dynamic movements, activation and load acceptance phases. We have bought to market a range of SM tools that are simple and effective. Made from Cork – a responsibly sourced natural material, high density, with anti-bacterial and microbial properties.
Massage and SM have consistently been demonstrated to neuromodulate sensitive tissue and reduce perceptions of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). In 2018, Dupuy et al (2) completed a comprehensive meta-analysis into an evidenced-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques. 99 high quality studies were reviewed and ‘faster recovery’ was determined by several different outcomes, including perceived muscle soreness, perceived fatigue, inflammation (as measured by proxy blood markers like interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein), and muscle damage (as measured by the proxy blood marker creatine kinase). The results highlighted that active recovery, massage, compression garments, immersion, contrast water therapy, and cryotherapy all had positive effects on perceived muscle soreness. Importantly, the best results for mitigating the effects of DOMS, fatigue and inflammation came from massage. It can then be postulated that SM is a cost-effective way of achieving an effective recovery by as we are able to complete at the correct times post exercise and consistently.
We should be clear that SM is part of the jigsaw and athletic recovery should be complimented by the following key elements to allow your body the best chance to recover:
At MoveWell we have created travel ready packages to enable both consistency in SMR and our activation bands to enable neuromuscular preparation and load acceptance through movement and positions that are specific to the activity being undertaken.
Massage in both passive form and SM, is best utilised during the correct stages of therapeutic rehabilitation to neuromodulate sensitive tissue allowing access to an increased range of motion or pain control enables greater immediate participation in rehabilitation exercises and normalising functional movement. SM has been shown to effectively modulate painful neuromuscular stimuli (3). This allows a window of increased AROM through which mobility and graduated loading exercises are less painful, more effective and more easily progressed.
The observance of the increased pain pressure threshold (PPT) after foam rolling has now been well documented in the evidence base. Researchers theorize that pressure from the roller elicits a response from cutaneous and mechanoreceptors, the resulting nociceptive response triggers either the gate theory of pain pathway or the diffuse noxious inhibitory control theory pathway. Another study into ankle ROM (3) demonstrated a crossover effect by increasing ROM in the contralateral (untreated) leg. This crossover result suggests an additional global neural response.
MoveWell advocate the use for SM in the right scenario and the correct stages stages of healing in a therapeutic rehabilitation setting. However, this should be determined by a health professional with appropriate experience.
Once we have raised our temperature and prepared our joints and soft tissue to work through their optimal ROM, the next stage is to gradually get your body ready for the demands you are about to impose on it, whether that be rehabilitation exercise or high intensity exercise/sport – we should prepare the system to operate effectively. This staged approach has been repeatedly proven to prevent injuries and reduced recovery times. In essence, neuromuscular preparation is incorporated into stages 3 and 4 of this model:
STAGE 3 PRE-ACTIVATION
Waking up and preparing muscle groups specific to the plane of movements required in the task being undertaken. Starting with de-loaded movements and graduating the load into the next phase.
STAGE 4 LOAD ACCEPTANCE
Preparing for expected load requirements by performing sports specific movements up-to the loading requirements in a controlled environment.
Are activation bands essential to sports preparation? No. So, what do they add? The bands enable us to graduate load through the pre-activation phase and into the load acceptance phase directly before starting the activity. This effectively prepares muscle and tendons for sports specific loading, importantly in a more functional position for the activity being under-taken. Plus, they can make your warm-up routine more fun and interesting when compared to non-specific, on the floor, against gravity exercises that are often used.
In light of this, MoveWell have developed our activation bands in three resistances, which can be doubled up to increase external load and used to functionally load the system in a graduated way. In addition to this, our multiband also offer a different way to vary the movements to achieve a task specific loading as required.
As a rule of thumb a pre-exercise warm up should be between 5-10 mins long and graduate movement amplitude and tissue loading through the discussed four phases;
• STAGE 1 THERMOREGULATION
• STAGE 2 DYNAMIC MOBILITY
• STAGE 3 PRE-ACTIVATION
• STAGE 4 LOAD ACCEPTANCE
It should be understood that, if the individual has been static or cold for a long period, e.g. desk based or driving, directly prior to exercise, a warm-up should be slightly longer i.e.15 mins enabling gentle progression. Equally, if an individual has been more active prior, then warm-up could be shorter and focus on the specific elements of the task demands.
In addition, warm-up duration should be tailored to the task in hand. For low intensity tasks – e.g. zone 2 running, which is being completed predominantly in one plane of motion, an athlete may opt for a shorter focused warm-up to stave off injury and build gently load intensity into the run (See Jo Meeks Q&A). However, a CrossFit athlete about to complete a high intensity, high load, WOD for example would need to consider a longer 15-20 minute warm up to ensure they have effectively optimised joint ROM, then activated and graduated load through there system in all planes of motion to near task loading requirements– to ensure less shock to the system and pre-disposition to injury.
The length of time is really going to depend on your activity specific fitness level and task demands. Recovery should be incorporated into your routine as part of intense blocks of exercise.
For example, if you’re a distance runner, active recovery directly post run may come in the form of 5-15 minutes of brisk walking and a 5-minute roll and stretch routine – whereby relevant muscle groups are being used at a lower intensity. An active recovery session on a day off, may come in the form of a 20-40 min walk / bike spin and a 20-minute roll and stretch session. For higher intensity exercise across all planes of movement, active recovery directly post session should shift the emphasis to replicate much lower intensity work through those planes of movement, combined with stretching – a 5-minute spin and a 5-10-minute roll and stretch session can go a long way. An active recovery session on a day off, may come in the form of a 20-40 min walk / bike spin / swim and a 20-minute roll and stretch session.
REFs:
1. Filley, A., (2020) Rolling, Rolling, Rolling. Sports Injury Bulletin - https://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/rollin-rollin-rolling/
2. Dupuy, O., Douzi, W., Theurot, D., Bosquet, L. and Dugué, B. (2018) An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. April 26; 9:403. Front Physiol.
3. Hamiliton, A., (2018) Roll away the blues. Sports Injury Bulletin - https://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/roll-away-the-blues/
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