EXERCISE VIDEOS

The piriformis is a small muscle located deep in the buttock, behind the gluteus maximus. It runs diagonally from the lower spine to the upper surface of the femur, with the sciatic nerve running underneath or through the muscle. The piriformis muscle helps the hip rotate, turning the leg and foot outward. ✅1.Start by lying on your front, supported by your arms. Take one leg and bring it forward by the ankle and place it diagonally across your body. Allow your weight to enhance the stretch, breathing deeply. Hold for 40 seconds. Repeat on the other side. ✅2. Start on your back and raise your legs with the knees bent. Bring one ankle over the other leg and place just above your knee. Grab your thigh of the supporting leg and gently pull towards you. Hold for 40 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

POST EXERCISE STRETCH 👉Here is a nice quick warm down to add into your routine!! 👉 Stretching after you have done a workout/ exercised can really help your recovery and improve your game for the next time. As always if you have any questions please give me a shout!!!

SHOULDER NECK AND BACK STRETCHES 👉This gentle Shoulder, Neck and Back stretching sequence is the perfect thing if your feeling a little tight in the shoulders. 👉This is perfect first thing in the morning or as a wind down at the end of your day. Remember to keep moving everyone!! As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch!!

This 10 Minute Hip stretch video will take you through some basic but really nice stretches you can do yourself at home. This is great if you struggle with flexibility and mobility in the hips and legs or generally if you just feel a bit tight. As always if you need any advice please let me know!!

What is a Trigger Point? 👉Trigger point is a sensitive area in the muscle or connective tissue (fascia) that becomes painful when compressed. Pressing on a trigger point can cause referred pain and can help identify the external area in the body generating the pain. On the other hand, trigger points can also be a point from which pain radiates throughout the muscle and fascia causing myofascial pain syndromes. Trigger point myotherapy targets these sensitive sites of the body to apply concentrated amounts of pressure to relieve muscle spasm. 👉The idea behind trigger point therapy is to find the area in the tissue; this can either be a small nodule in the tissue, or a particularly painful patch in the muscle. You can do this by gently palpating the area in which you have pain or tightness in your body- a great place to start is the legs as it is easy for you to access and a large area for you to feel for differences. When you have found the area in which you would like to treat, gently press down on the spot and you want to bring yourself up to a pain level of about 7 on your individual pain scale (1 = nothing, 10= the most you can stand) so your discomfort needs to be quite high in order for this to work. 👉When you have reached your 7 keep the pressure the same. After a while you will feel your discomfort subside. When you reach about a 4 on your pain scale gently release your pressure and softly massage the area you have been pressing. This will help to move any toxins that have just been released into your lymphatic system to become waste. 👉If while you are pressing your trigger point you feel pain or sensation elsewhere in your body, gently remove where you are pressing and move onto where you felt the ‘new’ pain. This is called chasing the pain. As always if you have any questions or need some advice please get in touch!

SPINAL STRETCHES FOR POSTURAL CORRECTION 👉If you struggle with back pain it could be your spinal posture. There are a few easy stretches and exercises we can do that will help our spine have more movement and flexibility, re-gain a good strong posture and limit any future back pain. 👉Take a look at the following stretches and exercises to see if can help you gain mobility and reduce any back pain. With these exercises the power is in the breath. Make sure you are inhaling fully and deeply and exhaling all your air slowly before the next breath. 👉Sitting on the floor with crossed legs, place your hand on the opposite knee and reach the other hand behind you. Allow your head to turn over the shoulder to took behind you. Hold for at least 40 second. Repeat on the other side. 👉Sitting crossed legged on the floor place both hands on your knees. Curve your spine so you are looking upwards, hold and breath deeply for 5 breaths. Return to neutral and curve your spine so you are looking down. Hold and breath for 5 breaths repeat at least thee times in each position. 👉Lying flat on your stomach place your hands in front of you with the elbows bent. Curve and squeeze your back muscles to pull your chest off the floor, breath. Lower yourself back down slowly and breath. Repeat 5 times. To make this harder try placing your hands by your head. 👉Position yourself on your hands and knees, ensure your knees are directly below your hips and your hands are directly below your shoulders. Arch your spine upwards and look down. Breath. Take an inhale, and on the exhale reverse this position by bring your spine downwards and looking up. Breath. Repeat 5 times. 👉As always if you need any guidance just give me a shout!

When we talk about our core, most people think of our stomach muscles like our Abs and think a six pack means you have a strong core. 👉Our Pelvic Floor is actually our core and importantly if we have a weak one or we don’t look after it this can lead us to have a lot of pain or discomfort- specifically in the lower back and the hips. 💪By following these exercises regularly, we can ensure our core is strong and can allow us to correct our posture, limit back and hip pain and importantly keep your internal organs where they are meant to be. ✅Lie on your back with your knees bent; place a tennis ball or rolled up towel between them and breath. ✅Exhale strongly and when your lungs feel empty breath deeply and allow them to fill fully- repeat. ✅After a couple of breaths, start to squeeze your tummy during your exhale and release on the inhale - like you are pulling your bellybutton to the floor- continue to breath deeply. ✅When you feel happy completing the above, continue to squeeze your tummy whilst squeezing your pelvic floor (This should feel like your trying to stop yourself having a wee) at the same time. ✅And Finally, at the same time as above squeeze the tennis ball between your legs too. 👉Carry on breathing deeply for a few breaths, then allow your breathing to go back to normal and relax. Any questions please let me know!

It is a common misconception that to strengthen the shoulder joint we need to focus on the big muscles that surround it like the deltoids, latts and triceps. While these still play an important role in shoulder movement the main muscles we should be focusing on are the Rotator cuff muscles; Subscapularis, Infraspinatus, supraspinatus and Teres minor. Here are some strengthening and stabilising exercises you can do at home that will help you have a stronger shoulder joint and improved proprioception that will help prevent injuries. ✅ Upper plank position. Making sure the hands are directly in line with the shoulders and that the shoulders are relaxed. Hold for 40 seconds. ✅ Repeat using a wobble board. (if you don’t have a wobble board an un-even surface like a rolled-up towel will get the same results). ✅ Repeat- making this harder now by adding a leg movement. Ensuring you are stabilised through the shoulders. 👉Try 5 on each side and increase when you are ready. As always, I’m available if you need any tips/advice!

SCIATICA LIKE SYMPTOMES? HOW TO EASE YOUR PAIN. 👉A lot of people who get pain in the lower back and down through the buttocks into the thigh believe they have sciatica and many are misdiagnosed with this condition. Sciatica refers to a condition that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. However, a lot of this pain can be due to tight hips, nerve impingement and postural imbalances. 👉If you struggle with pain like this have a go at these exercises twice daily to see if they an help ease your symptoms. 👉Sitting on a chair, allow your body to ‘slump’ forwards and place one leg (the effected side) straight in front of you. Allow your head to bend forward and point your toe towards your body. Bring your head back up and point your toe forwards. Repeat this action in a rhythmic fashion but not too quickly. If you feel any pain only move your head or toe until you feel a twinge then move back- repeat. Do this for a couple of minutes. 👉Repeat the above standing. 👉These exercises allow the nerve to be fully lengthened and compressed to floss out any impingement. As always, Get in touch if you need any advice!