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Your health matters. The services that we offer target a variety of conditions from musculoskeletal disorders to cancer, neurological disorders and more. Here at our ‘Health Matters’ health blog, you’ll find a wealth of information including articles, case studies and health podcasts on a range of such conditions.
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April 27, 2023 Jessica PercyBone HealthDiabetesMusculoskeletal

How Exercise Physiology Supports Weight Management

Exercise – it’s like a superpower for our bodies, providing countless benefits for physical and mental health. While weight loss is often seen as the ultimate goal of exercise, it’s important to realise that most of us don’t need to lose weight to reap the endless rewards of movement. 

In fact, many of us who engage in regular exercise do so for reasons that far exceed weight loss. This includes stress relief, improved mood, social interaction, improved cognition, or simply for the enjoyment of movement. 

However, for those who are dealing with weight-related health issues such as obesity, diabetes, or heart disease, weight loss can be an important goal for improving overall health and reducing disease risk. In this blog, we’ll explore the role exercise physiology has in weight loss – particularly for those who may need to lose weight to manage health conditions. 

Weight does not equal health  

Before we go any further, it’s important to realise that weight does not equal health. Using your body weight as the key metric for your overall health and well-being is an outdated and inaccurate measure. There is a growing body of research that suggests weight is not the sole determinant of health, and that people of all body sizes can be healthy.  

That’s not to say that exercise doesn’t play a major role in leading a healthy lifestyle. Exercise offers so many benefits that far outweigh the results on the scales. However, exercising with the main objective of weight loss is rarely necessary or sustainable.  

In fact, a study by the Journal of Health Psychology found that participants who exercised for weight loss were less likely to stick with their exercise program than those who exercised for reasons such as enjoyment, stress relief, or improved health.  

A separate study suggested that those who focused on achieving specific exercise-related goals, such as running a 5K or lifting a certain amount of weight, were more successful in sticking with their exercise program. 

That being said, weight loss can still be a powerful motivator for some people, particularly those who are dealing with weight-related health issues. It’s important for each individual to find their own motivation for exercise, whether it’s improving overall health, reducing stress, or achieving specific fitness goals. 

With so many reasons to get moving, we encourage our clients to dig a little deeper to find their ‘why’?  

Exercise for weight loss 

As we touched on above, there are some cases when losing weight may be necessary to manage certain health conditions. Carrying excess weight can put a strain on many of the body’s systems, including the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, and the musculoskeletal system. There are several health conditions that can be linked to excess weight, and weight loss may be an appropriate goal for managing these conditions.

These include: 

  • Type 2 diabetes: Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and weight loss can help improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control. 
  • Cardiovascular disease: Obesity is also a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions. Weight loss can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of these conditions. 
  • Joint pain: Carrying excess weight can put extra stress on the joints, leading to conditions such as osteoarthritis. Weight loss can help reduce joint pain and improve mobility. 

How exercise physiology can help with weight loss 

When it comes to weight loss, exercise physiology plays a vital role in helping clients understand the mechanisms by which exercise can help them lose weight.  

At Akins Health, our team specialises in devising exercise programs that help manage conditions such as obesity, heart disease, and joint pain. We work closely with our clients to structure a program that not only promotes weight loss but also improves strength, endurance, mobility and functionality – depending on the client’s unique needs and goals.   

Through our programming, we incorporate a range of different exercises for weight loss that can be effective for managing overall health. Generally, this includes a blend of cardiovascular training, and strength training. Often our clients may be new to exercise. We find pilates is one of the best exercises for weight loss – particularly for those starting out on their exercise journey. 

Pilates emphasises the use of the smaller muscles in the body to support its structure. It is suitable for people of all ages, genders, abilities, and fitness levels, including beginners and elite athletes, because of its low impact nature. Pilates can also be customised for special needs, such as treating clinical conditions. With its focus on the connection between the mind and body and its ability to offer a variety of benefits to individuals at different levels of fitness, Pilates is a highly effective form of exercise. 

In most cases, an exercise plan for weight loss is the result of extensive collaboration between our exercise physiologists and personal trainers. The expertise of exercise physiologists can help personal trainers design workout programs that are tailored to the unique needs and goals of each individual, and how to modify exercise programs for individuals with health issues.  

If you’re interested in incorporating exercise into your weight management plan or improving your overall health and wellness, our team of exercise physiologists and personal trainers are here to help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn how we can work together to help you unlock the joy of movement.  

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March 15, 2023 Jessica PercyWomen's Health

Pelvic Floor Therapy: What is it and how can it benefit you?

Pelvic floor therapy is a technical term for an exercise program that aims to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. Weakness in the pelvic floor can often be to blame for symptoms such as incontinence. Urinary incontinence affects almost 38% of Australian women and up to 10% of Australian men. 

As one of Atkins’ exercise physiologists specialising in women’s health, I regularly work with patients to manage symptoms associated with weak pelvic floors.  In today’s blog I’ll take you through what exactly the pelvic floor is, why it’s so important, and how you can introduce pelvic floor training into your daily routine.  

What is your pelvic floor? 

Your pelvic floor is like a hammock of muscles that sit between your pubic bone and your tailbone. The pelvic floor has several roles. It controls your urinary and bowel movements, and it’s essential for sexual function. Think of it as a support system for your bladder, your bowel and your uterus. To function efficiently, this hammock of muscles need to be able to contract, lift and hold, as well as relax.  

What is pelvic floor therapy? 

Pelvic floor therapy is a type of exercise therapy used in the rehabilitation and prehabilitation of the pelvic floor muscles. In a nutshell, it’s a collection of exercises we use to either prevent injury or dysfunction from occurring or relieve the symptoms associated with dysfunction. The main goal is to improve pelvic floor function through exercises, lifestyle modifications, and education. 

What causes pelvic floor muscle weakness 

Anyone can experience pelvic floor dysfunction – regardless of age, gender or genetics. However, certain groups are more likely to experience pelvic floor dysfunction. Conditions or events that may trigger a change in the pelvic floor include: 

  • Stress urinary incontinence 
  • Prolapse 
  • Hormone changes (such as menopause) 
  • Childbirth – particularly from prolonged labour 
  • Obesity 
  • Certain surgeries 
  • Heavy lifting 

What are the benefits of pelvic floor therapy? 

Training the muscles of the pelvic floor can be beneficial in both a preventative and a restorative sense. A strong pelvic floor can help increase the resilience of the muscles following pelvic surgery. It can also reduce the risk of developing incontinence or prolapse.  

On the flip side, pelvic floor exercise therapy can help manage symptoms associated with the following: 

  • Urinary incontinence  
  • Stool Leakage 
  • Stool urgency and frequency 
  • Pelvic organ prolapse 
  • Abdominal pain 
  • Pregnancy pain 
  • Pelvic pain 
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) 
  • Endometriosis 

Who is pelvic floor physical therapy for? 

Many of us neglect our pelvic floor muscles until something goes wrong – even I am guilty of this. But proactively training and strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor is something people of all ages can benefit from.  

I work with young gymnasts who are prone to stress incontinence, through to postmenopausal women who are adapting to the changes in their bodies. Pelvic floor physical therapy can be an effective treatment for: 

  • Patients who have recently undergone abdominal, prostate, or pelvic surgery 
  • Athletes who participate in sports that are prone to causing stress incontinence (gymnastics, athletics, dancing) 
  • Individuals with an overactive pelvic floor 
  • Post-menopausal women 
  • Prenatal and postpartum mothers 

Men can benefit from pelvic floor therapy as well as women. The treatment is commonly misconceived as a women-only exercise. However, we often use pelvic floor training as a rehabilitation treatment plan following prostate cancer surgery.  

How to strengthen the pelvic floor 

The pelvic floor is actually considered part of your ‘core’. Many of us think of the core as another term for the abdominals. The core actually extends from the diaphragm to the pelvis and incorporates the abdominals, as well as the muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. This is why many pelvic floor exercises may look and feel similar to exercises we typically associate with core strengthening.  

It can be difficult to isolate and voluntarily contract and relax the pelvic floor at first. This movement is often referred to as a ‘kegel’ exercise. These exercises can be performed daily. Try the steps below to practice contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor: 

  1. Start by lying on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat. Take a gentle inhale breath for 5 seconds, breathing into your tummy, and gently exhale for 5 seconds.
  2. Think of your pelvic floor like an elevator, with closing doors, a G floor, and1st floor.
  3. Start your pelvic floor contraction by ‘closing the elevator doors’ like you are trying to stop the flow of urine.
  4. Then, gently lift and contract the pelvic floor elevator up to the 1st floor.
  5. Now relax your pelvic floor, by letting it down back to the G floor, and allowing the doors to open.
  6. Repeat this up to ten times.  

While Kegels are a highly effective form of physical therapy exercises for the pelvic floor, it’s important to recognise that they aren’t a one-trick fix. A pelvic floor strengthening plan should incorporate exercises that work the surrounding muscles. It’s important to not only strengthen the pelvic floor, but the muscles around it too. This includes the transverse abdominals, hip adductors and abductors, and glutes. These exercises can be incorporated as part of a strength training program, and can be performed up to three times per week.  

Common exercises to strengthen these muscles, and in turn – the pelvic floor, include: 

  • Glute bridges 
  • Sit-to-stands 
  • Clamshells 
  • Bird dogs 
  • Dead bugs 

Pelvic floor exercises for men and women are the same, despite the fact that they may be in response to different conditions. 

An exercise physiologist can help prescribe you a personalised pelvic floor therapy plan, tailored to your needs. If you’re seeking long-term relief from pelvic floor troubles, the solution is just a consult away.  

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February 3, 2023 Carlo AlimboyongAthletic PerformanceMusculoskeletal

How to introduce full body exercises to your program

Exercise plans are our bread and butter at Atkins Health. We know the ins and outs of movement like no one else. Over time we have built up an arsenal of techniques that help our clients achieve the best outcome possible. Every exercise and fitness plan we implement is different, but there are a few staples that we lean on to build out an effective program. Full body exercises are an efficient, comprehensive approach to training the body. They can be applied to a range of goals – from improving mobility, to maintaining strength, or remedying injury.  The following provides a summary of full body exercises – including what they are, why they work, and how to incorporate them into your training.  

What are full body exercises? 

Full body exercises, also known as compound movements, target several muscle groups in the body at once. While most movements will engage more than one muscle at a time, the best full body exercises will engage various body parts at once. For example, a bicep curl will engage both the front and back of the upper arm, but little more. A squat, however, engages the legs, core and back, all at once.  

Popular full-body resistance exercises include: 

  • Pushups  
  • Lunges 
  • Squats 
  • Dips  
  • Step-ups 
  • Deadlift 
  • Bench press 

These movements will typically be more fatiguing than isolated exercises, which makes them highly beneficial for several reasons.  

Full bodyweight exercises aren’t just used in strength training. At Atkins, we’re big believers in the benefits of full body mobility exercises. Mobility training is a helpful tool for preventing injury, rehabilitating injuries and increasing the efficiency of training. A mobility routine may often be used in place of full body warm-up exercises

Benefits of these exercises in training 

Full-body exercises are a highly efficient way of training the body, however, they’re not appropriate for everyone. If they are not executed with the proper technique, they can result in injury. Furthermore, they can often exacerbate underlying muscle imbalances or weakness.

However, when performed correctly, full-body exercises have proven to be hugely beneficial.

This training technique is particularly popular among athletes due to how closely the exercises can replicate natural movements executed in sport.

Here are a few reasons why we love prescribing full-body exercises for our clients:

  • Workout more efficiently, activating more muscles in a short space of time
  • Helps improve coordination and balance
  • Helps improve joint mobility and stability
  • Simultaneously trains the cardiovascular system by increasing heart rate during movement
  • Exercise the same muscle group for longer periods with lower levels of fatigue
  • Can lift heavier weights and build strength quicker

Your exercise physiologist (EP) will be able to determine how you can benefit most from incorporating full-body exercises.

How to introduce exercises safely and effectively 

Because these movements activate so many muscles at once, it’s important to ensure they are performed correctly. An EP can help identify appropriate exercises for your goals and demonstrate how to perform them safely and effectively.  

It’s also important to avoid overusing full body exercises in your program. Although they’re a great way to improve strength and cardiovascular fitness, over reliance on such taxing movements can be damaging to the body. Your EP can also help devise an appropriate way to incorporate full body exercises as part of a broader exercise plan.  

At Atkins Health, we love to incorporate a blend of full body movements into our classes. Devised by our leading team of experts, our group classes blend individual programming that is specific to  your goals, with the joy and energy of a social environmen

If you’re ready to take the plunge into full-body exercising, we can’t wait to take you on the journey. Our team of talented EP’s can kickstart your exercise program, no matter what level of ability, fitness or confidence you are at. Get in touch today to find out more.   

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January 20, 2023 Lorenzo PacisNeurologicalStroke

Stroke rehabilitation: How exercise physiology can help

Life after a stroke can be challenging. Daily activities, from dressing to speaking, can suddenly become difficult without assistance. In this article, I have put together some of the common questions I get asked about stroke rehabilitation.

A stroke is a serious medical emergency in which the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, causing brain cells to die.

10% of stroke sufferers will recover fully, while 25% will recover partially without being able to do everything they previously could.

Ongoing rehabilitation and treatment can help increase the chances of regaining functionality. As exercise physiologists, one of our main goals when helping clients with stroke recovery is to restore and maintain their level of function.

Over the last eight years, I’ve worked with stroke patients to help them regain independence and confidence through movement.

Here’s how we do it.

What effect can a stroke have on the body? 

The impacts of stroke vary significantly from person to person. Lasting complications can depend on the severity of the stroke, as well as any underlying conditions that were already present. 

 Long-term complications commonly include the following: 

  • Weakness or absence of movement in limbs 
  • Fatigue 
  • Trouble speaking and swallowing 
  • Sensory changes 
  • Difficulty reading or writing 
  • Perceptual changes 
  • Difficulty walking 
  • Memory difficulties  

The most common denominator across all the clients I’ve seen is the impact on their ability to perform activities involved with day-to-day life. This can be something as simple as getting changed and eating, or it might be more significant mobility issues, such as the ability to walk. 

How does EP help stroke rehabilitation 

Recovery from a stroke takes time, but it can often transform a person’s quality of life. Exercise plays a crucial role in rewiring neural pathways that were lost as a result of the stroke.  

The 6-8 month window immediately following the stroke is a critical period in which the most recovery occurs through exercise intervention. 

Even if a limb has suffered a complete loss of movement, improvements can be transferred by working on the opposite limb. Research shows that when we train the unaffected limb, roughly 30% transfers over to the affected limb.  

Our primary goal is to restore function on the unaffected limb, by matters of neuroplasticity. In a nutshell, we are regenerating the nerves that connect to the affected limb so that they’re able to use that limb to a certain extent. 

The types of exercise we implement can include cardio and mobility training, but will mostly be focused on resistance training. This can take place at home, in the clinic, or in a gym setting. 

Pathways for stroke rehabilitation 

At Atkins, we offer four ‘pathways’ to stroke rehabilitation. These pathways allow us to cater our treatment approach to different goals. We refer to them as: 

  • results pathway 
  • support pathway 
  • client-managed pathway 
  • group class pathway 

The results pathway is mainly for clients who want to see results quickly and who we feel require ongoing support to reach their goals. It includes 2-3 weekly sessions under our guidance.  

Clients on our support pathway typically come in and see us once a week. This is often suitable for clients who are capable of performing the exercises independently, but who still require regular support to keep them progressing.  

A client on the client-managed pathway will come in every so often – about once a month. During these sessions, we’ll check compliance with their at-home programs and make any adjustments necessary.  

And finally, we have the group class pathway which can work complementary to the client-managed pathway. This is also for clients who are very independent. It allows them to perform the exercises on their own, while also offering a social aspect and feedback from the instructor throughout the session. It helps clients ensure their technique is correct and that they’re complying with their programs.  

Squad Atkins is one of our most popular classes and allows clients to carry out their individual programs in a lively and supportive environment. 

Atkins Health Stroke Treatment

Just last month I had a client come to me with the goal to get back into running after suffering a stroke a year ago. He’s very functional but was struggling with his gait. His level of commitment immediately stood out to me. His determination to come in every single week has already seen his walking improve significantly in just a few weeks. There’s still a long way to go, but already he’s much happier with how much he’s progressed and how much he’s actually improved.  

Locations for Stroke Rehabilitation Services

We offer exercise physiology for stroke rehabilitation at all Atkins Health locations as well as in home visits.

At Atkins, it’s never too late to start your recovery journey. We can accommodate treatment on a group or individual basis, always catering to your unique goals and programming.  

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