Strength Training and Injury Prevention – Jake Showler

Guest Post by Jake Showler at https://www.showlerphysiotherapy.co.uk/

 

Strength Training and Injury Prevention – Jake Showler

As a chartered Physiotherapist running my own business (Showler Physiotherapy  https://www.showlerphysiotherapy.co.uk) I fully support the use of strength training in injury prevention and reducing pain. Carry on reading to learn about the benefits of strength training and how it can help prevent injury.

What Injuries can strength training help with?

Improving your muscle strength can help with a wide range of injuries. One common injury is the hamstring strain. This commonly affects footballers and sprinters. It usually happens when the individual is at a high speed. The muscle is then put through a force it cannot withstand, leading to the injury. The key way to rehab and prevent a hamstring strain is a graded strengthening programme.

Why does strength training help injury prevention?

Increased muscle strength / power is strongly linked to injury prevention. This is one reason why elite athletes work closely with coaches in the gym to improve their strength. By improving the strength of the muscle it increases its resistance to tensile forces put on the tissue, which can cause tears. Strength training can also help address muscle imbalances and weaknesses in key areas which may be contributing to pain and injury.

Strength training does not just increase muscle strength. It can also increase bone density, tendon strength and ligament strength. One common injury in team sports is the anterior cruciate ligament tear. Strength training has been show on MRI scans to increase the thickness of the ligament helping to prevent injury.

What are the best exercises?

A quality Personal Trainer will be able to advise you on the correct exercises to build your strength and can adapt this for upper and lower body training. As a rule of thumb, the best exercises involve multiple joints and take the body through a large movement also called compound exercises. Examples of these include the squat, deadlift and bench press. Whilst the exercises should also aim to replicate movements you may perform playing sport where able.

Why does this matter to you?

If you want to recover from an injury, prevent future injury and improve your overall health strength training is a great way to do so. This should be performed with a qualified coach such as Shaun where able to ensure you are doing the right exercises at the right intensity. Starting a strength training programme will help you achieve the fitness goals you want to, especially if you struggle with repeat injuries.

What is the drawback to strength training?

As with any activity there are minor risks in strength training. These can often be prevented by seeking an expert Personal Trainer for guidance. One example is poor form leading to injury. By working with a Personal Trainer you can improve this form to reduce pain. When starting strength training you may find your muscles are sore for a few days, this is also called Delayed Onset of Muscles Soreness (DOMS). A Personal Trainer can advise on the correct recovery and nutritional advice to help with this.

As a Physiotherapist I recommend everyone wanting to improve their fitness should complete strength training alongside a personal trainer.

Jake Showler – https://www.showlerphysiotherapy.co.uk/

Posted in Fitness, Health | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Fastest Way to Lose Weight

Are you ready to read the biggest secret on how to lose fat fast? Well… I lied! I’m sorry but I needed to get your attention and hopefully now that you’re reading this, you’ll stick around and listen to what I have to say, as it is written with your best intentions in mind.

 

Is This You?
Losing weight fast will result in one thing, gaining weight fast. You’ve either been there yourself or you’ve witnessed a friend or colleague shed loads of lbs, but then a few months later they’ve put it all back on, if not more. It genuinely upsets and frustrates me to see this, and I see it mostly with females who want more than anything to achieve their ideal physique but approach it the wrong way over and over. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Diet’s Don’t Work
“But I lost 4 stone doing the Latvian boiled egg diet” you may defensively say. Sure, but are you still 4 stone lighter? And do you now hate boiled eggs and Latvia? That’s my point. Say hello to that 4 stone when you inevitably return back to your normal eating habits. What if you tried a smarter approach?

Habit of This, Habit of That
The key to success! Change your bad habits and you will change your body. It sounds easy, but it’s usually very challenging when you consider many people have an emotional attachment and response with food. Feeling stressed from work? Eat junk. Feeling fat? Eat junk. Feeling lonely? Eat junk.


Give me Answers, PT Shaun!

  • If you recognise you’re an emotional eater then you will need to address that by looking at stress management techniques, changing your environment, or speaking to a professional.
  • Change your eating habits SLOWLY. Stay out of the deep end and gently paddle at the shallow end, as you’re less likely to drown. Over time, that’s going to have the biggest and a longest lasting impact, and you’ll find yourself comfortably swimming alongside a humpback in the middle of the ocean…this analogy has gone too far.
  • Exercise at home, exercise in the gym, exercise in the park, exercise wherever and however! It’s important for you to move more than you currently do, even if that means taking the stairs instead of the magic carpet.

So, what small change are you going to make today?

I hope you got something out of reading my words, and if you did I would love to hear from you. If you need any more advice on how to lose weight sustainably by eating good food and exercising at your current level of fitness, please get in touch.

Contact Me

 

Posted in Health | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Wake Up

Feeling tired, lethargic and exhausted? Why not reach for a stimulant laced beverage like an espresso or energy drink…

Well first ask yourself why you need energy. How did you sleep last night? Not very well? Ok, well why not?

Ask Yourself:

  • Why am I tired?
  • Did I go to bed at a reasonable time?
  • Did I eat a healthy balanced diet the day before?
  • Am I stressed?
  • Can I get to bed earlier tomorrow night?
  • Then ask yourself, what can I do to stop myself from being so tired?

Let’s Fix It:

  1. Go to Bed Earlier – a simple one, but sometimes the simple things are the best.
  2. Wake up Later – Another simple one but if you prepare for the day the night before, you’ll have more time in the morning to sleep.
  3. Power Naps – I for one find myself tired because I work long hours so power naps of 20-30 minutes are essential and bring me from being a zombie to human again, albeit for a few hours.
  4. Eat Real Food – Never underestimate the power of healthy natural foods, as covering all your nutritional requirements means you will function more optimally.
  5. Exercise – It’s a great way to start the day, but also a great way to end the day as well. Exercise can make you tired (depending on the type of training) but also it can help to relieve stress which may be keeping you awake.
  6. Relax – Meditating, day dreaming, listening to calming music and pondering next to a pond.
  7. Reading – A bedtime ritual like reading can help send you off to sleep, especially if it’s a book “written” by a talentless television celebrity.
    Hide the Gadgets – Put away your mobile phone or tablet whilst you’re in bed because the blue light it emits disrupts your circadian rhythms.
  8. Have a Coffee – Yes, you read that right. Sometimes you just don’t have the time to sleep because of work or family commitments so coffee and energy drinks certainly have their place, but relying on them for energy all of the time will not be good for your health in the long term. Your body is tired for a reason, listen to it.

Remember, our body has a very large amount of energy storage so don’t worry, you’re not going to run out, unless you find yourself stranded in the desert somewhere which is unlikely, and even if that does happen I’m sure you’d find a tasty scorpion to keep you going.

Posted in Health | Leave a comment

Women and Weightlifting

Ladies, do you want to be stronger, fitter, healthier, toned and empowered?

Of course you do! So tell me why so many of you are afraid of strength training? You’re not going to be muscley or “hench” as the youth may refer to it. Let’s bust a myth as to why you won’t get “mahoosive”:

  • You don’t have enough testosterone: I’m a man (with a beard and everything) and I have a hard enough time building muscle with my 20x more testosterone, so you’ve got no chance.
  • No other bullet points needed.

Why would I want to lift heavy weights anyway, Shaun?

Because I said so! Only kidding, here’s why (more bullet points, because everyone loves a bullet point):

  • Combats weakness and frailty
  • Builds strength (obviously)
  • Preserves and/or increases bone density
  • Improves your balance and coordination
  • It can reduce the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and reduce depression
  • May help to improve your sleep

I’m going to set you all a challenge: The next time you’re in the gym, I want you to pick up a heavier dumbbell or put the pin in a heavier weight. Grunting is optional. The important point here though is correct form over everything else.

What can I do for you?

I’m Shaun, a Personal Trainer and I want to help you hit your goals which you’ve been trying to achieve but you’ve never really got there. Just give me a call, text, facsimile, page, telegram, carrier pigeon and we can talk about what you want and how I can get you to where you want to be.

Posted in Fitness | Leave a comment