Over the years researchers have spent a lot of time trying to figure this out. A major problem with this question is that the ‘best’ shoe is a subjective title. Ultimately, it comes down to your individual foot type and objectives. However, there are key things that you might like to keep in mind. There are four primary paradigms that have been applied to choosing the right shoe, each of which we can learn from. These are:
So, how do you pick the ‘best’ shoe…
Firstly, I would say that finding the right shoe is much easier when you go to a store that has a good understanding of the shoes they stock and is able to assess your individual needs. Beyond that, find a shoe that is comfortable, only you can tell this and you simply need to try them on. Within the scope of what is comfortable, look for something that is a little softer if you are a loud runner, or perhaps has some medial support (pronation control) if you have fatigue-related concerns. If you are looking for a shoe to run fast in, consider having multiple pairs, a performance option, as well as a more typical option.
I would argue, yes. The reason for this is variation. Running-related injuries are (in most cases) caused due to the repetitive loading that comes from doing the same thing (running) for so many kilometres. Mixing things up is an excellent way to help minimise your risk of injury. Alternating your training runs, your surfaces (road, trail, etc) AND your footwear, are all good ideas.
Keep an open mind when you go to the shoe store. Technology has moved a long way in the world of footwear, and it continues to shift rapidly. If you generally buy shoes online and just get a repeat of the same model every time, you may be missing some new and even better options that have been developed. Go into a technical shoe retailer next time you are in need of a pair and find out what the options are. You may be surprised.
As discussed above, the idea of a carbon-plated shoe is to make the forefoot stiff and maximise power at push-off whilst reducing the workload of your toes. We are all probably familiar with Nike’s offering in this space. Watching Eliud Kipchoge break 2 hours for the marathon was incredible and has really given this technology a boost.
These shoes are excellent if applied correctly. The thing that you need to watch out for is that not all carbon-plated shoes are created equally. Some are stiffer than others, this is good as it allows you a greater choice to get something that works for you. Basically, the stiffer the shoe, the faster you need to be running to get the benefit from it. Performance should not be reserved for the elite and there are plenty of options for stiff-plated shoes even if you’re not attempting to run world records. If you are more of a mid-pack runner and want to look into this, perhaps consider a shoe that is not quite as stiff as this will allow you to move through it with enough momentum and will maximise the performance effects that you get out.
The industry standard answer to this question is around 800-1,000km. To break this down, if you run 20km per week, this is a year. 40km per week is 6 months, and so on. If you run between multiple shoes this is a little more complicated to track. If you run with a GPS watch and use Garmin Connect, Strava, or anything similar, you will be able to record shoe mileage on there. This is a very useful tool as you can upload your shoe details and then when you complete a run, tag the appropriate shoe, and this will keep track of mileage.
For a more general way to tell if your shoes are worn out look at the following things:
So, what does this all mean? Shoes can make a big difference to our running (performance as well as the likelihood of injury), this can be positive or negative. The best shoe is going to be an individual choice, not necessarily the same as your mate who recently bought X shoe. Spend some time finding out what is best for you and what you are trying to achieve. Go to a shoe store that is able to help, and if you are having difficulty finding the right shoe or if injuries are persisting, consider seeing a Podiatrist.
If you have been suffering from injuries and want to speak to Aaron about your footwear then book in at Auckland Physiotherapy now. Call 093664480 or email [email protected].
Fitting exercise into our busy lives is one of the biggest challenges we face. If that’s a hurdle for you, you aren’t alone—even as a personal trainer, I struggle with it! We are all human beings and we often have hectic schedules.
Here’s the good news: scheduling your exercise doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, there are lots of fun ways you can make sure you incorporate exercise into your life; see the tips and tricks below to help you get that movement in!
Some people love a schedule and like to know exactly what they’re doing and when. Others prefer to be more flexible. However, if time is of the essence then it is important to schedule your exercise into your daily routine—just like you would do with a work meeting. Planning out your week will help you focus on when you can exercise or fit in your personal training session.
Life does get in the way, and you will also need to be flexible with your schedule. Sometimes things come up that you have no control over and you have to skip a session. Of course, sometimes it’s OK to swap a workout for downtime—but a solid plan can prevent this from becoming a habit.
More exercise in your life requires more time spent, and that can be difficult to find! One solution is simply to set the alarm for 20-30 minutes earlier and do your exercise before you start your busy day. Alternatively, you can make time at the end of the day once your tasks have been ticked off.
You do need to think about what time of the day you feel exercise is going to suit both your lifestyle and your energy levels. Some people are too tired to exercise at the end of the day and prefer to go to bed earlier and wake earlier to do their workout. Others might find it impossible to get up any earlier and prefer to make it the last thing on their schedule.
Another great way to fit exercise into your regular schedule is to include it in your commute. Walk to the office if you can rather than take the car. If you have a fit bit or smartwatch you can also monitor how many steps you walk each day and make a plan to fit more in.
You could try cycling to work, or running if it’s feasible. Using your travel time to exercise instead of sitting in traffic is an easy and extremely effective way of creating opportunities in a packed schedule.
If you live many miles from work, turning your commute into a workout isn’t practical—but how about using your lunch break to exercise? Take your gym gear with you and either run, walk, venture to a park, or go to the gym if there’s one at work or nearby. Alternatively, you could play squash or badminton, go for a swim, or maybe even fit in a quick personal training session. If there aren’t showers at the office, there could be a leisure centre close by where you could grab a shower before heading back to work. Be creative!
Lunchtime workouts are a wonderful way of getting extra energy for your afternoon. The break from your laptop/computer/phone/home is mentally invigorating too. Getting out in the fresh air and upping that heart rate is all good news for your cardiovascular system and your general wellbeing. Just don’t forget to eat as well!
Thanks to the huge market of online workouts — particularly prolific now due to more people working from home — you don’t even have to step outside your front door to do some exercise. Online programmes offer detailed advice and tips on what exercises to do and for which parts of the body. They also offer a variety of workouts/routines with and without home gym equipment to make it easy to organise your time and effort. Working out at home is often much easier to fit into a busy lifestyle.
This is one of my favourites and something that I have been doing for years as I know that it works so well for me. Making arrangements to work out with your friends is another brilliant way of fitting exercise into your life. It’s motivating and inspiring to be with others who share your passion for fitness and if your friends are at a similar ability level, you can motivate each other to push on to new heights. Group exercise also falls into this category: team sports, gym classes, or something like a swim team or running group.
From a practical point of view, working out together is a great way of keeping in touch. Also, if you know that skipping a session may let others down, you are more likely to stick to the plan. Personally, I know that at the end of the shared session—whatever it may be—I find that I have always enjoyed it and am ready to plan the next one!
However you choose to fit exercise in, remember this: it is about getting active and moving! Something is always better than nothing. Even if it’s only 20 minutes, you will be achieving something for your health and fitness. A brisk walk, a light stretch, an energetic period of housework… The key is always in moving your body and increasing your heart rate.
Low back pain is common and can have a detrimental impact on the ability to continue to work and your favourite activities. Despite the large impact on life, most cases of low back pain are not serious and do not require medical intervention. Even persistent and disabling chronic low back pain is not synonymous with significant tissue damage and pathology. It may seem counterintuitive, but severity of pain does not directly correlate to the severity of injury.
Recent MRI studies have shown that disc bulges, degeneration, osteophytes and other scary sounding findings are actually very common and many people have these findings on imaging but have no pain at all. In fact many of these changes may occur naturally as we age. Furthermore, we know that unnecessary x-ray and MRI among people with low back pain can lead to fear avoidance behaviours and negative coping strategies that can delay their recovery at best, and lead to poorer outcomes at worst.
Although unlikely to be serious, the specific cause of your low back pain may be complex with many factors contributing to your pain. It’s not all about injured tissues. Contrary to common belief, the degree and type of tissue injury is just one factor among many that will directly influence your pain. Moreover, if your pain has lasted longer than 3 months, factors other than tissue damage are more likely to be contributing to your pain. This is because tissue (i.e. nerve, muscle, joint, disc) healing occurs within the first few weeks to months.
Low back pain is best seen as a protective mechanism in response to your body’s perceived level of danger, threat or disruption to maintaining a balance within your body systems. Many contributing factors can have a beneficial or negative impact on the presence of your pain. This multi-factorial blend of physical factors (load management, tissue injury), psychological factors (ways of thinking about your injury, fear avoidance behaviours), social factors (stress, job demand flexibility, and home environment), lifestyle factors, among others can be involved and should be considered in treatment of your low back pain.
So what does this mean? Even in cases of severe pain, your low back pain is unlikely to need medical or surgical intervention. Treatment of your low back pain should include consideration of all potential factors contributing to your pain - not just the tissue that you have injured. Also, you are unlikely to need imaging to identify the source of your pain. In fact, this may work against you if you are responding well to physiotherapy care.
We know that a positive mindset is associated with lower levels of pain and disability. Once serious red flags are ruled out, a focus on movement within tolerable levels, graduated return to activity and exercise is recommended. Knowing the facts better prepares you to progress towards recovery. Check out these top 10 facts below:
Adapted from O’Sullivan, Caneiro, O’Sullivan, Lin, Bunzli, Wernli & O’Keefe. (2020). Back to basics: 10 facts every person should know about back pain. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(10), 698-699. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-101611
No referral is required to receive physiotherapy care. A clinical assessment by one of our physiotherapists will first rule out any red flags indicating serious pathology (with imaging only if necessary) followed by a physical assessment and a tailored treatment plan.
Your physiotherapist will work with you offering manual therapy to manage pain, expertise in load management and exercise prescription, assist you in developing positive coping strategies, identification of your specific contributing factors to your pain and assistance with a graduated return to doing the things you love. If required, other healthcare practitioners may be included in your treatment such as sports doctors, pain specialists or surgeons. You can expect expert advice and treatment allowing you to feel better, sooner.
Want to get started right now? General advice for people suffering from low back pain includes keeping active within tolerable limits, avoiding bed rest, using non-steroidal pain medication if required and continuing to work if possible (with job modifications if necessary).
Not sure if physiotherapy can help you? Book a complimentary 15-minute telephone consultation to discuss your specific case with a physiotherapist and receive advice on your next best move.
Are you eligible for the Careway Pathway? Careway is an escalated care pathway that ACC fully funds. If eligible, an individualized treatment plan will be devised on entry by a physiotherapist to assist you in achieving your goals. Following this, you will be connected with a team of healthcare professionals ensuring faster, coordinated care in diagnosis and delivery of treatment, facilitating a faster recovery. Your healthcare team may include sports physicians, physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons, vocational therapists, and pain management specialists. With no out-of-pocket costs and a connected team of health professionals, you will get the treatment you need -when you need it. Allowing you to get better, faster.
Learn more about how physiotherapy can help you with your low back pain and determine if you are eligible for the Careway pathway. Call us or book your appointment online today.
Traditionally, yoga is a physical and mental practice that originated in India. However, despite its ancient origins, yoga has continued to develop over time and is suited to everyone.
Yoga is a mind and body practice. It combines physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation/relaxation. A regular yoga practice promotes strength, flexibility and calmness, which supports a well-balanced, active lifestyle.
During class, your teacher will guide you through various postures and breathwork. You can expect a warm-up with basic postures and breathing exercises. The class will then flow into a combination of movements and poses to challenge you physically. To cool down, more stretches and breath work will be incorporated.
It is a great form of progressive exercise for rehabilitation purposes after injury or for those who struggle with chronic pain. Whether you are recovering from injury, surgery, chronic back pain or looking to improve your general well-being, yoga can be of benefit.
For those deskbound at work, go ahead and try these! Performing these types of yoga stretches periodically throughout the day will help combat postural imbalances associated with desk-based work and stress.
It’s important to find a knowledgeable teacher who will guide you through your yoga journey safely and efficiently. Our yoga teacher at Auckland Physiotherapy, Mira, is both a physiotherapist and movement practitioner, having completed her yoga training back in 2018.
We look forward to seeing new faces join our studio for physiotherapy-based yoga classes, which include duet and private classes depending on your needs. We'll be starting these classes in July, so register your interest below and we'll let you know as soon as you can book in.
Most people who are unfamiliar with the Pilates method may think that the main benefits are simply improvements in posture and flexibility, but it goes far beyond that!
Whether you are looking to rehabilitate an injury, improve overall strength and mobility, or enhance athletic/sports performance, Pilates is an excellent exercise method to add to your lifestyle.
Pilates is low-impact, yet highly effective for enhancing your mind-body connection, regardless of your fitness level. There is a strong emphasis on sufficient breathing and working the body as an integrated whole, which massively improves your coordination and musculoskeletal function. Ultimately, this prevents the risk of injury and thus promotes a better quality of life.
Wanting to feel less ‘stiff’ in the joints and more supple and mobile? Pilates engages your body through different planes of movement in a controlled and repetitive manner. This stretches and strengthens the deep muscles surrounding your joints, so that you are able to move your joints comfortably and confidently through a range of motion that they were designed for.
Your core not only comprises the abdominal muscles, but also the diaphragm, deep postural muscles in the spine and pelvic floor. Challenging your core with a variety of movement patterns, along with the correct breathing technique, can help strengthen and stabilise your core and translate to everyday activity and/or athletic performance.
I’ve only named a few of the myriad benefits Pilates has on your overall well-being. So, the next best thing you can do now is to give it a go (with consistency and effort, of course) and experience the positive changes for yourself! Contact Auckland Physiotherapy to help you begin your journey into the world of Pilates.
Well… How are you feeling?
Whether you are currently pregnant, or you are in the process of recovering from childbirth, surely you are appreciating just how much your body can transform to meet the demands of growing a baby. This can shake the confidence of even the most body-aware women. What activities are safe? What is beneficial? What is just normal pregnancy discomfort and what can be eased with some clinical management?
The childbearing years are a journey through a period of what can feel like constant change for our bodies.
The pre and postnatal WOFs are designed for those who are really after information and feedback in a one-off session (though the WOF can lead on to further management if this is indicated). If there are specific concerns or questions, these will be addressed, and if further clinical management is indicated this can flow on in consecutive sessions.
The WOF session is really guided by what you need; what are your concerns, how are you going with exercise, what is your history with exercise, do you have any history of incontinence or perineal problems, and what are your goals? Though there is plenty to go through even if you don’t have a complete list of questions!
What you can expect from your pregnancy WOF:
What you can expect from your postnatal WOF:
NB: if you have had any perineal pain or trauma, it is more likely that you will need a postnatal women's health appointment, and possibly some follow up, where we will focus more on the perineum recovery and any concerns related to this.
We have loads of information on our women's health section of our website, including conditions specific to women's and pelvic health that we manage daily in our clinic, as well as an online shop for many products related to pregnancy, postpartum, and pelvic health.
Someone once asked me, is the point of meditation to clear your mind and think of nothing?
The brain is like the heart... the heart continually beats, just like the brain continually thinks. We have 60,000-80,000 thoughts a day! It is pretty impossible to stop thoughts from coming during meditation. So please don't think this is the ultimate goal!
The point of mindfulness meditation is to give your brain a new task and to simply observe your thoughts without judgement, bodily sensations, and breathing, and learn to control how you are reacting to these thoughts, feelings and sensations. This can then result in feeling calmer, an increased sense of acceptance and letting go through forgiveness, and it can improve resilience, gratitude, and patience in daily life.
The first challenge of meditation is to be able to sit with yourself in stillness, with your thoughts and tuning into your body and breath.
SO... is mindfulness & meditation practise for everyone? In extreme and acute mental health situations, one should be cautious as it can turn up the volume of your thoughts and awareness. But otherwise, in most cases, it is a very beneficial tool to help improve mental well being. Research has shown that mindfulness practice and meditation are effective and holistic methods to reduce stress, ease the anxious mind, improve discipline and emotional intelligence and resilience, improve sleep and develop a happier, more positive perspective on life.
My bespoke 4-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course is carefully designed to teach you the principles and practice of mindfulness, for the lifestyle challenges we can face day-to-day. Individual, smaller group or corporate sessions are also an option should you wish to do this.
Learn to find the balance between 'doing and being modes', and that calm clarity between your thoughts and reactions.
Contact Renée for a free phone consultation regarding her Mindfulness courses and individual sessions, and to also ensure eligibility to join. Email Renee at [email protected] or book HERE for a complimentary phone call.
We are almost a quarter of the way through 2022, a year where we all started off with more hope that this year would be different and we’d get back to living life the way we did before. But so far that hasn’t been the case and for many people, it might feel like the hangover of last year’s lockdown hasn’t subsided...
If you’re feeling unmotivated, out of sorts and generally still a bit (or a lot) stressed then know that you aren’t alone. The ongoing effects of this pandemic are still bubbling away. From talking with many of the team here at AP it’s a trend we’re definitely seeing more of in the clinic - our clients are reporting more niggling and nagging injuries that are taking longer to settle, ongoing stress and anxiety, poor sleep patterns, altered work, home life and exercise regimes and an overall difficulty getting back into any sort of routine as everything around us continues in a state of flux.
As a health coach, a huge part of my job is to help people change their behaviour to support and optimise their health, particularly through times of adversity. I know that our team here at AP has an armoury of tools that we teach people time and time again. Very often, we see them pick up those tools, make some changes and go away feeling better. But does it last? Just because we told you to do it, will the change stick? What makes you carry on with those health-enhancing behaviours once your appointments stop? Very often, life gets busy and good intentions fall by the wayside. And given that we’re all humans here too, we know that the wayside is usually mere seconds away!
So how do you prioritise your physical and emotional wellbeing? How do you choose strategies and coping tools that not only work for you but are ones that you’ll keep practising even when times are tough?
If you’re still reading this blog, chances are you’ve already started to consider looking after your wellbeing. And somewhere in that thought process, you may have begun to consider why it’s important to you. So, let's have a go at making that a little more formal.
What would your answer to this question be?
“Why is it important for me to look after my physical and emotional health?”
Your first answer will give you some information but is likely to be a bit on the superficial side. So let's ask ‘why’ again and keep going until we start to hit the real heart of the matter. It might look something like this:
Answer one: because I’ve been feeling really stressed
Why is it important to you to feel less stressed?
Answer two: because I become a really grumpy person when I’m stressed
Why is it important not to be so grumpy?
Answer three: because I often feel guilty at the end of the day for being that way with my family
Why is it important to you to change how you feel at the end of the day?
Answer four: because I’m so busy and I feel like I have so little time with my family that I want it to be happier. Life seems to move so fast and I don’t want to miss out on the time we do have together.
Why is that important?
Answer five: because I want them to feel loved and connected to me
Asking why (as many times as you need to, there’s no magic number) can start to give you a sense of what’s driving you to consider your wellbeing. You can see in this example that talking about the desire to decrease an unpleasant feeling, in this case stress, moved to unearth a couple of fairly powerful values: love and connection. This exercise requires you to slow down and consciously consider the deeper drivers that underpin your motivation in any given instance.
This simple exercise of asking ‘why’, applied to all sorts of situations, can really start to help you gain a little clarity. You may not come up with all the answers right away and that’s perfectly ok. Think of this as an experiment; you’re constantly collecting data and learning more about what’s worth keeping and what’s worth chucking. Along the way, you’ll begin to uncover a clearer sense of who you want to be, and that’s pretty crucial if you want to be effective in making change.
So, you’re beginning to understand your ‘why’ - but what helps you steer the course?
They are, at the simplest level, the things you find meaning in life. They’re what you care about and consider to be important. For example, ‘kindness’, ‘connection’ and ‘achievement’ are all values, as are ‘health’, ‘community’ and ‘challenge’. When we have clarity over our values, we can use them as a filter for our decisions and as a guide to our actions. This helps us to make more ‘towards moves’ in line with what we really care about, rather than being dragged along by life in a series of ‘away moves’ which leaves us feeling unhappy, unmotivated and unfulfilled.
So how do you know which values are important to you? There are many different exercises to help uncover the answers to this but let’s have a crack at this visualisation exercise…
Close your eyes and imagine you’re sitting in a nice room or a beautiful garden, somewhere you feel comfortable. Take a moment to acknowledge the body you are in and the mind that comes with you. This body, this mind, has been with you for many years, working hard to make a happy life.
Now imagine you’re in your later years, sitting in the same spot contemplating the life you’ve lived. As you look back, you feel a deep sense of satisfaction, joy and contentment. Life hasn’t always been easy but you’ve managed to stay true to yourself to the best of your ability.
Which core values are represented in this life?
What values came through for you? Generosity? Knowledge? Creativity? Health? The list can be long and if you’re just beginning this journey maybe talking about values with people you trust could help further define them.
Now here’s where you often start to have more questions than answers. A few common ones might be:
Are any values more important than others? Nope!
Should my values always stay the same? Nope!
Can I have more than one value? Sure!
Life changes and so it makes sense that your values change as you go through different stages. What matters here is that you have some sense of what’s important to you. The impetus to keep going when the going gets tough…
So you’ve defined your ‘why’ and your underpinning values. This has helped to hone in on what’s important to you, identify what to prioritise and where to put your precious time and energy. Having a clear sense of your values ultimately enhances your motivation, making it more likely you’ll stick with your plan of change. But what about actually doing it? How do you ensure that when (not if) your initial plan starts to waiver, you can stick with it?
In his book ‘Atomic Habits’ James Clear defines three levels of behaviour at which change can occur:
Outcome - what you get
Processes - what you do
Identity - what you believe
Most of us will be familiar with setting a goal based on the outcome we want, like being able to run 5km, earning more money or losing weight. So then we decide on a process to achieve that goal and go about implementing it. More often than not, life gets busy, we have setbacks and it gets hard to maintain that process so we fall off the wagon.
How about if we flipped the way we set our goals? This is called identity or values-based goal setting. We start with ‘our why’ or our values and create a process that reflects that, and whilst we care about the outcome, it’s not the main driver for our behaviour or actions.
We hone our focus on the process. Here it's all about small wins. Changing habits is a tricky business and your brain can be pretty hard-wired to work a certain way. If you’re trying to change things up, the kindest way to do this is through a series of small wins. Translated, that means MAKE IT EASY, so easy that you almost can’t fail. I think we can all relate to the idea that we need success to help us move forward, repeatedly setting ourselves an unsustainable target isn’t worth anyone’s time and energy.
So you’ve figured out your ‘why’, you're becoming clearer on your values and you have some small actions you can take to achieve that values-based goal. Hopefully, if you’ve made the actions small enough then chances are you’re already feeling pretty confident to get going with that today. And if you keep applying this formula you’re well placed to implement some really great tools to look after yourself and re-create some routine in your life.
Still feeling a little lost? Maybe you want to delve into what this looks like specifically for you? No problem! Book in for a complimentary 30-minute Health Coaching call to give you a taste of what Health Coaching could do for you. Or if you’re already sure that Health Coaching would be of benefit to you, you can book online to get started straight away with one of our package deals.
Compiled by our Director, Senior Physiotherapist and Pilates Instructor Helen Dudley. To book an appointment with Helen, or read her Meet the Team profile CLICK HERE.
Incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine at an inappropriate time or place. For a lot of us, incontinence can be an everyday occurrence that puts strain on our mental health and can limit our physical activities and enjoyment. This taboo problem is unfortunately all too common so if you do experience incontinence, whether it is a few drops every now and then to full bladder leakage, you’re not alone. In fact;
- 1 in 3 women have some degree of urinary incontinence
- In women 45-60 years old, this number increases to 50%
- 13% of men have urinary incontinence
As Physios, we obviously advocate the assessment and rehabilitation of incontinence issues with a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, especially as the research is so propelling as to the success of treatment. In fact, 70% of women with incontinence will get significant improvements with appropriate treatment.
In saying that, we also understand that it can be very debilitating to every day life so management is just as important to enable you to live well and do the things you love. In the past, this has meant using pads that are uncomfortable and not environmentally sound. That is why we were so excited and had to share this great new product with you.
Awwa is a great NZ female founded company that provides pee-proof pants for people of all shapes and sizes. They have a great ethos; making sustainable and climate positive products that are made of natural, organic and recycled fabrics. The pee-proof underwear wicks moisture away from the body and locks it into the centre layer, meaning you feel dry and smell fresh all day long.
Here is more information taken from their website:
How Does AWWA work for bladder leakage?
Our innovative hi tech layers have been developed especially to absord fluid but keep you dry and fresh.
1 - The top layer, sits closest to your skin and wicks moisture away fast and keeps you feeling dry.
2 - An antimicrobial layer that fights odours and bacteria
3 - A super absorbent layer that safely holds 18 ml of fluid (that you do NOT feel)
4 - Bottom layer, is a leak proof barrier
Do they smell?
Our high tech layers mean that all liquid and odour are locked in the middle layer so there’s no smell.
Do you feel wet wearing them?
Absolutely not!
How long can you wear incontinence underwear before changing them?
This comes down to what you’re comfortable with, but our underwear can hold up to 18ml so you should be able to wear one pair all day long.
They are great for periods too. Our absorbent technology supports you through pregnancy and incontinence. Making us period proof, postpartum proof and pee proof with a range of absorbency levels and styles to suit you.
What AWWA styles do you recommend for incontinence?
We recommend the Eva brief, Cotton Brief or Skye High styles
AP have created a health solution company called The Health Collective. The collective consists of a group of trusted experts in the health and wellness field that have personally selected products that will assist our communities health and wellness.
We stock a wide range of select locally produced, ethically sourced, sustainable products to help you keep healthy, recover from injury, support you while you work and play, help you to sleep and relax and to support women during pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.
Compiled by our Masters trained Physiotherapist Chris Smith. To book an appointment with Chris, or read his Meet the Team profile CLICK HERE.
Foam rollers have grown in popularity over the last decade as a key piece of kit in gyms and home exercise settings. Their uses may vary from warm up prior to exercise, to for recovery afterwards, or simply to increase flexibility to aid in an exercise program. But what benefits do foam rollers provide us with and how might these be achieved in practice?
Research
A recent research review looking at the efficacy of foam rollers found they were better for some things that others (see here). For example, there may be a benefit in sprint performance following pre-foam rolling prior to sports activity. However, in recreational athletes, up to 62% of the population are likely to experience benefits in flexibility from pre-foam rolling as a warm-up prior to sport. Furthermore, this increased flexibility has been shown to be produced from as little as 30 seconds on a foam roller in the hamstring muscles. It has been suggested that these benefits may be due to increase in intramuscular temperature and blood flow. Also, foam rolling may stimulate pressure cells in our muscles which relay information to our brain to reduce pain sensation. This in turn may increase our stretch response to enable us to get a little more range in our downward dog!
When it comes to recovery, the main finding was that post-exercise foam rolling can help with reducing muscle pain sensation or soreness. This is important as muscle soreness has the potential to reduce performance in relation to sprinting, jumping and strength training. Therefore, if we can reduce soreness through foam rolling then this may provide some benefit to further athletic performance. However, this should not be used as an alternative to appropriate physical and mental rest, sleep and nutrition in your training to allow appropriate muscle and soft tissue recovery.
Application
Foam rollers can be likened to a form of self massage, providing some of the health benefits of manual therapy applied by a physiotherapist or massage therapist, although without that human connection and therapeutic relationship, which has a large role to play in positive outcomes. However, multiple lockdowns this year have left us working from home without the option of visiting our favorite therapists.Therefore, a foam roller provides a great self-management option during lockdown, holidays or when away on business and you can't see your therapist.
Take home message
A foam roller can be a great addition to your warm up routine. Only spend 30-60 seconds on each area and then perform a dynamic warm up and stretch routine after to increase flexibility and blood flow prior to exercise. There is no need to spend 10 minutes rolling an area. If you’re going to roll for recovery 2 x 45-60 seconds on each major muscle group to reduce muscle soreness as part of a cool down, which should include adequate physical and mental rest, sleep and nutrition.
If you don't yet have a foam roller as part of your exercise equipment visit our online store to see our range on offer.
