Matt Mcdonald and his friend Andy approached us at Balance as they are currently training for a very ambitious cycle expedition to ride from London to Sidney to raise awareness and money for the charity War Child. They are both local and Matt had previously been to Balance as a client and so was very keen to get our input to maximise their preparation. We immediately wanted to get involved and so have sponsored the guys and arranged for them to see several key people at Balance to ensure they are ready to take on the world!

They have just seen our dietician Rees Colling to ensure they stay fuelled up. They are also due to see Dr Stewart Laing our resident sports scientist, Stewart will be carrying out an in-depth hydration assessment, this will be key in staying healthy on their long trip and preventing illness. They are also going to have a session with one of our physios Martina to develop a comprehenve stretching program and also jump into one of our trigger point therapy workshops. Matt and Andy are taking advantage of our team to ensure that they are able to perform at their best and prevent any problems occuring.

http://www.thecyclediaries.com/

They have a great website so check it out and you can sponsor them too its all in a good cause!

Race walking is the only discipline of athletics in which consistency of movement quality determines the overall result - you may be disqualified until you cross the finish line

Balance Performance Physiotherapy Sports Physiotherapist Raphael Rinaldi was invited by the Australian Institute of Sport to support a group of 29 world class race walkers during a warm weather training camp in Canberra, Australia.

The group included Olympic medallists, England’s Commonwealth Champion Johanna Jackson, IAAF World Cup winners and world-c…lass race walkers joining the IAAF Race Challenge circuit that takes place around the world from March to September each year.

A former italian national champion Raph merged his knowledge on race walking technical demands with his extensive physiotherapy background in order to optimally manage athlete’s presenting problems throughout the camp and offer long term performance enhancement plans by working alongside coaching, medical and sport science staff.

Just want to make you all aware of a very exciting course coming up at Balance Performance Physiotherapy and presented by CJS Fitness on Sunday the 13th of March 10am – 5pm.

The course will be presented by Naeem Akram the “Running Engineer”, click on the link below to read more and book online.

There is an exceptionally good early bird special offer of £75.00 if booked before the 26th February, there is a further 10% off that price available to the Balance network by entering the discount code 2011BALANCEPOSE when booking, places are obviously limited so move quickly to guarantee your place.

After that date the price rises to £129, the 10% discount code offer will still apply.

http://poserunningworkshop.eventbrite.com/

See you there

A few examples of the versatility in bodyweight training that the Pulley suspension system of the WarMachine offers personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, bootcamp providers and anyone else who likes to take their physical training outdoors. Free flowing, fluid strength, conditioning, speed, power and endurance.

interested in future education workshops in pulley suspension training across Europe? go to http://www.warmachine-europe.com

want to buy and your from UK/Ireland? you can go direct to the product page: War Machine http://bit.ly/ijyJKr

Outside of Europe and want to know where you can find the WarMachine near you? go to http://www.crosscore-usa.com

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.

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

Saturday 21st November – 10am and 2pm

The World Record Club is looking for members to run their fastest miles on the G-trainer treadmill.

There are several categories to challenge yourself within:

• Mens 85% bodyweight
• Womens 85% bodyweight
• Mens 75% bodyweight
• Womens 85%
• plus Mens and Womens Masters Categories

If you havent run on this revolutionary piece of technology you can have a try out for free with us on Saturday and then if you are up for it take the challenge.

Its very simple…zip in, we’ll start it up, you run…fast…you say faster (you can say slower too of course!!)

• Discounts for G-trainer running sessions of 50% which means £12.50 for 30 minutes or £17.50 for 60 minutes

Apart from being healthy competition the benefits to running speed and overall performance are significant.

Thats why Manchester United bought one in the same week that Balance did.

There have been new year resolutions set early within the Balance team.

Two members of the Balance sports injury team – Frances Lynn and Paula Coates, have recently started their base training for individual endeavours in 2010.
With professional support from Pat Leahey at Provo2 (www.provo2.com) both girls have undergone metabolic testing and cycling power testing to tailor their individual training needs. Paula and Fran will be regularly updating this blog to keep you up to speed with their progresses.

Fran, one of our triathlon and cycling specialist physios, has entered an Ironman distance triathlon in Roth, Germany in July 2010. This has been voted in the top 10 best Triathlons in the world by 220 magazine. It is sadly now fully entered, but for more info on the race see www.challenge-roth.com.

Paula will be travelling further afield to the beautiful landscape of Cape Town, South Africa to compete in the Cape Argus Pick n Pay cycle tour. The 109km race claims to be the largest timed cycle race in the world. This can still be entered, for details see www.cycletour.co.za

Sunday 8th November, Fran says:

“Sorry for the delay in updating my progress, but I have been busy…training!  I am well into my 16-week base training plan that Pat has planned for me using the results of my metabolic tests done in September.  It is going well but has taken a lot of juggling to get most of my sessions in.  I find using my heart rate monitor really useful.  It makes me realise the mistakes I made in the past when training for my Olympic distance tri’s and even when I used to row.   The intensity of my sessions are much lower now, and as a result I am less tired following a session and experience fewer cravings or sugar lows throughout the day.

I am most pleased with my cycling training.  I am now up to 4hrs on my long ride, with a 1hour power interval session, and a 2 and half hour recovery ride.   I have had my road bike set up expertly done by Julian @ CYCLEFIT.  After some adjustments and a need to reduce my handlebar reach I have also invested in some new cycling shoes that I can fit my orthotics into (have a dodgy left big toe), they are great and make such a difference to my ongoing left pelvic pain I have had since pregnancy.  I have also supplemented my strength training with the help of CJ, and I have now started an intial 4 week kettlebell strengthening phase.

Part of my motivation for doing an Ironman triathlon next year is to give me a focus for my training and fitness.  I found it hard to routinely make time for myself after having my son 13 months ago, I felt weak, overweight (7kg and 5% bodyfat overweight at the 12 month mark) and lacking energy.  I now feel that I have a great structure of work, family, friends and training that is really coming together.  I am doing much more physical activity than 3 months ago, but week by week I am definitely feeling more vibrant and alert and importantly to me, stronger.  I will get my metabolic tests, cycle power tests and body statistics updated at the end of the month, and I am confident that I will have lost body fat and hopefully my VO2 max will have improved as well.  My running speed has certainly improved.  My mile PB at 75% bodyweight on the G-trainer has dropped from 5min23sec to 5min 11sec, I am gunning for the 5minute barrier at the next WRC Mile Challenge meet on 21st November.

Please let me know if there are other mum’s out there with sporting challenges for next year, whether its triathlon, marathon or anything that is a challenge to you.  Myself and the Balance team would love to hear about all of your plans.  Happy training!  Fran”

Wednesday 9th December, Fran says:

‘ I have my re-test tomorrow with Pat Leahey for my running VO2 max… a little nervous, I think my VO2 max will be better because I feel so much fitter than I did 3 months ago.  I don’t think I will have met my weight loss target of 7kg though, but have definitely lost some weight and feel stronger.  I have been carrying an injury for the past 3 weeks, because it has been my neck it has limited me in pretty much all 3 disciplines.  Have been working on core and flexibility but little else.  Back running and cycling this week a little edgy, but feels good to get the endorphines flowing again.  Lets see how it goes in the morning….’