This Saturday in Edinburgh – Jonathan Lewis, Physiotherapist, Movement Strength and Conditioning coach is teaching alongside Keith Openshaw of Mad Dog Functional Training Sytems the first of a series of workshops they have written for fitness professionals, physiotherapist, sports therapists, osteopaths and chiropractors. Flow Restoration – Kettlebells for Injury Rehabilitation is a 1 day introduction to the subject (though its a subject that you could fill an MSc with).

For an overview of the workshop take a look at the Simple Strength website, our hosts in Edinburgh this Saturday. http://simplestrength.com/workshops-2/

This workshop wil be running in London and the East Midlands soon so if you are interestred in knowing more please contact either Jonathan or Keith.

On May 29th Jonathan Lewis and Keith Openshaw (Mad Dog Functional Training Systems) are teaching the a workshop in Edinburgh which will be the first of a series “Flow Restoration”. The Edinburgh workshop is “Flow Restoration – Kettlebells for Injury Rehabilitation”. If you are a physiotherapist/personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach or any other professional wanting to know more than contact Jonathan at Balance or Rannoch Donald begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting in Edinburgh http://simplestrength.com/

But was it is flow?

Flow can equally be a mental state as it is a physical expression. It is seamless transitions from one posture to the next, one sequence of movement to next, a change in direction, a shift in energy systems. Flow ultimately becomes completely smooth and unconscious. Keith Openshaw writes in the workshop manual about the mental state of flow “several terms can give its meaning such as ‘super clarity’ being ‘in the zone’ or ‘totally psyched’ but flow is a way of ‘lifting you from ordinary to optimal’ “.

Our workshop will not go anywhere close to teaching what is demonstrated below but its a great piece of footage showing how humans can flow. However whatever level you are at when flow is interrupted through injury a system is required to restore what has been lost.

Not only does the team at Balance deliver trigger point therapy but we also educate our clients about TrP therapy and how they can do it themselves using Trigger Point Performance kits and individual products.

The more we do it the better the results our clients can achieve for themselves and gain independence with the tools we recommend.

Here is just one comment directed at the TPT page on Facebook:

“Your Ultimate 6 kit helped get me through Boston [Marathon]. Sciatic pains for 2 weeks before. Ran pain free. Thank you!”

Having been at the TPT HQ in Austin Texas a couple of weeks back I have been able to pass on some additional teaching points to Kellie and Trevor (the Balance sports massage team) and Jason Progl (movement, strength and conditioning coach) so they can educate even more effectively the benefits to be had by their clients inducing trigger point release on themselves.

Trigger Point Performance HQ, Austin, Texas

To see the Trigger Point Performance Products online CLICK this underlined link TPT Kits.

for more info contact Jonathan Lewis via our contact page, Twitter, or feel free to look me up on facebook.

Balance Performance #Running Clinic info: http://bit.ly/cp1Oe5 our expertise goes beyond high quality rehab and the Alter-G, we do PBs too!

We have long catered for runners – from novice marathoners to elite and professional runners – but we have refocussed some of our existing services and changed the structure some to better cater for a runners requirements. Early feedback is very positive.

We hope London’s runners, triathletes and recreational marathoners will see that Balance is a place to get expert advice on getting personal bests not just high quality rehabilitation.

Click here for the Running Clinic page

BBC Science Reporter Victoria Gill’s article is linked to below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8483401.stm

It describes research that came to the obvious conclusion that if you give a human the chance to take the path of least resistance they will take it, even if the consequences are a down turn in long term efficiency. Well thats my interpretation, but to be true to the article here is the opening paragraph:

Wearing cushioned running shoes may have changed the way in which many of us run, new research suggests.

Using slow-motion footage, scientists have discovered that experienced barefoot runners land very differently from runners who wear shoes.

The researchers showed that runners who have trained barefoot tend to strike the ground with their forefoot or mid-foot, rather than their heel.

At Balance we often talk about taking a long term perspective and discourage our clients from looking for the short term quick fix  (whether to be pain free without concern for recurrence, getting fit, getting strong, losing weight, making money etc) but as with all aspects of life its a lot more complicated when you think it through. So once you have read this article dont throw your trainers in the bin and hit Battersea Park for a barefoot 10k using the pose running technique – at least not straight away. There are several more possibilities avaialable to you.

Have a read and if you’d like to share your opinion or ask ours  get in contact with one of the team Paula (author of Running Repairs ), Mick Habgood (podiatrist and running orthotic specialist), Raph (an experienced physio in international athletics and many a “minimal shoe” runner), Frances (triathlon specialist and G-trainer expert) or Sian (currently researching MBT footwear at clinics across London). You can also contact Jonathan (the blog writer) who will happily discuss evolution, sociology, the weakening of human kind and how to prevent it! Send an email by clicking this highlighted link: Contact Page

Mick and Paula will be adding their comments here soon.

Updated news piece on main site:  http://bit.ly/cxTTQj

Mick and Graham "working" and forging links in Chamonix

Just read a well balanced article from the New York Times on self-massage products. The journalist has consulted a number of sources including sports massage consumers, foam roller users, a triathlon coach, an Ironman triathlete and chiropractor, author of “Self-Massage for Athletes” Rich Poley, and the founder and creator of Trigger Point Performance Therapy products Cassidy Phillips.

The article is based around the following: “Devices for self-massage have become more common as more people compete in endurance sports and, more recently, as the recession has made professional rubdowns look prohibitively expensive. Trainers usually recommend a massage every week or every other week for people who are training for a marathon or triathlon, but the costs do add up: according to the American Massage Therapy Association, the average price of a massage is $63 an hour.”

The article’s quote from TPT founder Cassidy Phillips puts self massage and going to see a professional masseur in the context of oral hygiene. “You brush away some plaque yourself,” he said, “but you still go to the dentist for a thorough cleaning.”

Here’s the article:  http://bit.ly/8lUYu2
click for the Self-massage and Trigger Point range from Balance.

Ultimate 6 package - part of Balance's range of self-massage products

This a video I found on the Running Competitor website posted by a company promoting the G-trainer for weight loss and elite running performance. Forze like to say “Get Lean, Run Faster!”. Well produced piece of video and a nice explanation of how the G-trainer treadmill works.

Enjoy…

For some time we have sold Trigger Point Performance’s (TPT) “Quadballer” as it is a highly effective tool for removing the tension so many of our clients display in their quads, hip flexors, ITB (iliotibial band), hamstrings and low back. The quadballer allows you to roll through all of these areas whilst keeping your hands free and is used in positions that allow you to breathe, relax and focus on your intention (to become supple, pliable and extensible).

It is a great adjunct to sports massage and as part of your injury prevention regime or rehabilitation following sports injuries or surgery. More than a few of the professional tennis players we worked with at the Wimbledon Grand Slam this year took quadballers off our hands after they experienced it – also because of its size and portability.

For an independent review of the quadballer click here http://tinyurl.com/quadballer-review

Despite it’s superiority many of our clients have wanted cheaper alternatives so would go for foam rollers (we stock 15cm x 90cm foam rollers especially for upper back mobility and core work) but now TPT have saved us by producing the Grid.

It offers the effectiveness, size and portability of the Quadroller and we are offering it at a lower cost than our foam roller.

This is a summary of the Grids properties:

“Green” technology – Constructed with less foam than traditional foam rollers – Designed to withstand constant, heavy, and repeated use without breaking down – Built from EVA foam

Variable zones of density (they call them “the Matrix & Distrodensity™ Zones”!!) to allow for targeted massage with 3 areas described as “flat and wide; narrow firm and rigid; and targeted and precise” and allow for a more realistic massage experience.

As with foam roller producers TPT describe “Core body workout versatility” to “achieve a comprehensive core body workout”. I believe there are better approaches to producing trunk strength and control but it obviously gives some options.

Anyway we are pleased because the Grid now gives an extra option for our clients whether long distance runners, endurance athletes, yoga or kettlebell practitioners or anyone else who needs to work on their suppleness and recover from high training loads.

- Quadballer for a more intense and prolonged effect.
- Foam roller softer on lower limb but useful for upper back mobility and self-massage
- The Grid – economical version of quadballer but highly effective and also with 1 year warranty.

Running shoes get a thumbs down from various critics (taken a little of context to be fair). Mick Habgood, podiatrist, and running orthotic specialist offers an alternative view in response:

This is the original article published in the Daily Mail:
http://tinyurl.com/cerpyu

Asics running shoes and a very barefoot at Balance

Here is the alternate view from Mick:

Companies like those mentioned seem to create their idea of the ultimate shoe with the perfect foot in mind – A foot that is neither flat nor high arch, functionally stable throughout foot strike and not hypermobile through propulsion. Do we really need a battery powered cushioning unit that adapts after each strike? Do we really need a shoe with a midsole that looks like and mimics the plantar fascia? In reality, probably not. But we are trapped between marketing geniuses and companies that need to continue developing new concepts or they are at risk of becoming the next ‘has been’.

The principles of barefoot running are fairly sound and I’ll be the first to admit that if we never had shoes, I probably wouldn’t be doing what I do. The reality is that we have become accustomed to wearing footwear, our intrinsic muscles and ligaments have become weaker and yes, we have become more susceptible to injuries. But this doesn’t mean we should throw away our favourite running shoes, as an immediate change to running the same distances barefoot, will most likely end with in injury at a statistical rate much higher than any of those mentioned in the article.

The first trick to minimising running injuries is choosing the right shoe for you, and this is where the battle can either be won or lost. A shoe can have all the features in the world but if it’s not right for you, it will probably do more harm than good. For the consumer, purchasing the running shoe that best fits your requirements is a confusing process. Footwear companies tend to categorise their numerous running shoes as either ‘Cushioning’, ‘Structured Cushioning’, ‘Motion Control’ or as part of the newest group, the ‘Guidance’ shoe. The best practice would be to get your foot mechanics and running style assessed by your sports / biomechanical Podiatrist. However, if this is not a viable option, having your running shoes fitted by well-trained staff at a specialist running shop is imperative.

The development of barefoot running shoes has quite possibly made the footwear industry stand up and question the effectiveness of their own products. However, it’s important to keep in mind that some of these brands have been associated with the more fashion conscious runner in the past. Is this development their way of making a comeback statement to the running footwear industry?

At the end of the day, barefoot running is a good concept but adapt wisely as it’s not for everyone. The average runner is a weekend warrior who beats the pavement hard and heavy. Choose the most appropriate running shoe based on its specifications, not looks and if you are unsure, seek the answers from your running specialist.

If you want to share your views or let us know what you think, as well as emailing us you can join us on facebook – http://tinyurl.com/balance-on-facebook or Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/BalancePhysio.com