Hi Team,

Following up from my last post, firstly thank you all for the lovely messages and support, little Aarya is keeping well and growing up so fast! As I mentioned, with the lack of time and gyms being closed, I have really enjoyed getting outside and into running.
The key positives I find running enjoyable is that: Firstly, it requires minimal equipment, I literally put on my runners and off I go. When you are lacking the time, I find it so efficient as you are not spending time driving to gym or club, don’t need to set up any equipment etc.

Secondly, you can achieve so much in a short amount of time. Unless you are a pro and have been running a while, but even a 20–30-minute run or longer a 45-1-hour run can have so many health benefits. You burn a tremendous amount of energy, feel fatigued, get a great sweat it out and help with cardiovascular strength and fitness. Again, it’s so effective. However, with running it will expose your weaknesses – whether its weakness in the hip, tight hip flexors, poor ankle mobility, poor knee or core strength and general muscle
imbalances can make their way to the forefront of your mind. So how do we combat that? Running must be to your current level. It’s not how far you think you can run or how quick you think you can run. It is ABSOLUTELY what you can currently do. So, if you are getting
back into running or wanting to start running, make sure it’s the right amount (distance) and right speed for you. We know if you run to far or to quick it can lead to injuries especially tendon injuries, as we know from the research tendons likes a gradual increase in load and hate a dramatic jump in load (speed or distance). If you are starting to run, here is a little guide that you can follow and modify it to your needs. Few tips to keep in mind, if you are running – keep at comfortable breathing levels – you should be able to hold a light conversation while running. If you are puffed out, lower the intensity.

Prior to starting, aim for a continuous walk for 30 minutes, for 3 x a week, for 4 weeks. Get some mileage into the legs, then you can start a beginners guide as listed below. This is a beginner’s guide to running and if you just starting out, we would love to see how you go after following the program. If a particular level is challenging for you then do not progress to the next level until you feel safe and confident. For more exercise prescription and helping you achieve your goals, book in to see any one of our specialist physiotherapist.

Hope you are all keeping safe and while the gyms are closed trial the running program.
Amar Sran

The benefits of exercise aren’t just limited to improving our cardio ability, it is also used to help recover from injuries. One of the most common injuries is lower back pain. In fact 80% of people experience lower back pain at least once in their life. With such a prevalent
condition it is important that it can be treated effectively.

Not all back pain is the same and they can vary in severity however the majority of cases can be solved with exercise. The latest research into exercise has shown there isn’t one particular type that can cure lower back pain. So are there specific exercises that can help lower back pain? Reality is, almost any form of exercise is beneficial for the lower back. More often than not it’s not the exercise to blame but whether you as the individual are capable enough to handle it.

For example, completing a deep squat might be too sore on the back. So instead of stopping your training and not squatting you can vary the movement to a high box squat or a lunge. This way your body is still benefiting from the exercise without exacerbating the pain.

The answer to lower back pain is to find movements your body doesn’t find painful and completing them at an acceptable intensity. Maybe substituting your usual run for a bike ride or instead of doing deadlifts at the gym you can do the row machine. There are many
alternatives but one thing for sure is, don’t completely neglect exercising whilst you are in pain!

As all of you knew I was eagerly waiting for the arrival of my first child. During our consultations with many of you we all guessed and punted on the sex of the child based on the shape of my wife’s belly, the moon, my wifes symptoms, the health of her hair and skin
and ultimately got so confused that we weren’t sure what indicated what. All we knew it was 50/50 and that I was nervous, anxious and excited about the changes this will bring to our life.

Firstly, for all the advise and guidance from my patients and staff, I am sincerely grateful as most were correct regarding the changes this child will bring. As some of you may know, we had a beautiful little girl, Aarya Sran (pronounced Aria). She is a bundle of joy and has brought immense joy and happiness which I have never experienced before in my life. It is truly magical and remarkable being a parent and a father to this beautiful girl.

My lifestyle has been very active and frantic with keeping fit, working and managing the business and I was anxious as to how her arrival would change all that. It has been difficult however, you just become more efficient with time. Prior to the arrival of Aarya, I felt I
wasted so much time with unimportant things and now, I find I can prioritise tasks throughout the day and still be able to train, work, do household chores and spend time with Aarya and my wife. Although most of the time working and training, I am thinking about Aarya! So the take home message from this blog would be that we have so much time throughout the day to make sure we are working towards what is important to you. Whether it is training, working, spending time with family and friends, prioritise each task and you will realise you will always have time to perform that task. We seem to make many excuses, as did I, but now as it seems I have no time, I actually have time.

So keep active, train hard and spend time with loved ones!

Thank you for your support and well wishes and I will see you soon.

Amar sran

Exercise is probably one of the most widely researched topics from training elite athletes to helping post trauma patients walk again. With the Olympics all wrapped up, most of us watched in awe as athletes from around the world showcased their skills in various sports. Whilst us Melbournians were cooped up at home in COVID it was fascinating to see so many
different events requiring different physical outputs. What I drew from the Olympics is that the human body is capable of so much. Yes these athletes probably dedicated their lives to this event but that’s just a testament to what we can achieve. I was particularly fascinated by the gymnasts and all the bending and twisting these athletes were able to manage. I know for a fact if I tried the Roman rings I’d fall face first back on the mat!

Although the Olympics are about the best competing in events, what I took from it was inspiration to continue training in these circumstances. I for one have often lacked motivation to workout especially when another lockdown is placed. However, watching the Olympics reminded me that exercise comes in many shapes and forms. So if you’re sitting at home and don’t feel like utilising the 2 hours of outdoor exercise try incorporating exercise into your day. Maybe try sitting and standing for a few minutes during a break or walk the long way to the kitchen!

Exercise doesn’t need to be fancy or cool but it needs to be done. So anytime you feel down or not feeling motivated remind yourself that you could be an Olympian too and go for that walk!

Stay focused, stay healthy and I’ll be seeing you soon.

Mayuran Manohararajan