Upminster Sports Massage & Pilates

What is your REAL motivator?

17/5/2016

What drives you on? Is it how you want to look? How about a different approach, how would you like to FEEL?

For clients who come to us because they want to change, the perfect bikini body or washboard abs is likely the only way they know how to define their goal due to society’s expectations. We need to find out if their goal is a memory or a dream for them and what feelings surround it. Do they want to feel beautiful, confident, sexy, and strong? It’s not just about the look.

Too often, trainers ask if the goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, or get stronger. Sometimes it’s just about feeling better, sleeping better and keeping up with the children. The greatest gift of personal training is changing lives.
If someone wants to change how they look on the outside, they can grab a magazine, lift some weights, buy new clothes, put on makeup and do their hair. But if you want to change your lives, how you feel about yourselves and the world, it takes teamwork. Changing how you feel cannot be achieved by following a magazine workout or by fumbling through a circuit. We are here to help you understand that. Day one is the key to a successful and sustainable relationship.
What actions can you take today to feel happier and more confident?

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April 15th, 2016

15/4/2016

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April 08th, 2016

8/4/2016

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Wow, what a start to 2016 for us.

So, welcome to our very first newsletter - March 2016

This is where we aim to keep you updated on all the exciting changes (well, we think they are exciting) news and special offers happening here at Upminster Sports Massage & Pilates.

Of course, if you're not interested in what's going on here you can simply scroll to the bottom of the page and click unsubscribe, but why would you want to?

Lets keep you interested!

We are giving away a FREE MOTR ® Core, Cardio & Strength Training Workshop, where you will be able to join in and find out what this new piece of equipment can offer. Workout with like minded people, motivate each other, challenge yourself and other MOTR® team members, back each other up when diet and exercise start to slip. You will Tone & Groan (especially at Neil's jokes) you will sweat, you will get rock solid Abs and you will work to get that summer beach body (only 14 weeks to go by the way).

We are one of the first studios to offer MOTR® training in the UK and this is your chance to become part of it. The MOTR® can offer a full 'nose to toes' workout, utilizing all those muscles that never see the light of day, this is core strength training at it's most functional!

Book your place on the FREE workshop, but hurry because due to keeping class numbers small, the spaces are VERY limited. There is a short video at the bottom of the page to show how the MOTR® can be used (they have made it look deceptively easy, you won't be that dry when we have finished!).

Cannot make the FREE workshops?...don't worry...Single Class Passes and packs of 3 x Class Passes are half price when purchased online by 27th April 2016, so G rab One Nowand come and try a class (Mon & Weds 7.45pm starting w/c 18th April) Group sizes are kept to a maximum of 8 participants for high quality teaching, as always.

Back to the exciting stuff....

The first thing you may have noticed is the name change to include Pilates.
Charlene & Neil both qualified as Pilates teachers in 2015, and are now running classes in various locations in Upminster & Cranham, as well as one to one and two to one Pilates sessions.

Neil left his job as a firefighter 3 months ago and is excited to finally be treating clients and teaching Pilates full time. Prior to his Pilates training he also qualified as a Biomechanics Coachand of course more recently a MOTR® Instructor. It's all about the movement...

We are also really pleased to introduce 2 new therapists to the team. We say new, they've actually been here for a few months now. Scott Tracey & Eleanor Mole qualified with the London School of Sports Massage, read more about them on our website.

But we have saved our biggest and most bold change to date til last, and that is our online booking system. Charlene (formerly Upminster's biggest technophobe!) has been working solidly behind the scenes for nearly 2 months getting this up and running, and it's now gone live. So you can book your appointments online either from your laptop/PC or mobile phone/tablet download the app by creating a FREE user account. Then you can choose your appointment at a time and day that suits and with the therapist of your choice. How easy is that?

We have also managed to find time (not sure how) to read a great book on Osteoporosis, the silent epidemic, highly recommend reading it.

Purchase MOTR® Class Passes
Reserve FREE MOTR ® Saturday 16th April 2016
Reserve FREE MOTR® Sunday 17th April 2016
Enjoy the rest of the Easter break!!

Until next time ....

All the best,
The Upminster Sports Massage & Pilates team

No lounging allowed!

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Pilates For Men

11/2/2016

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Pilates for Men!

Why Men Should be Doing Pilates?

Pilates offers Strength, Mobility and increased Flexibility.

1) All over Strength
Pilates offers functional strength, meaning the body must maintain correct posture and muscle patterns while building strength. This will help bring in those weaker muscles that have been neglected over time, to work alongside the dominant muscles, as they were intended.

2) Increased flexibility
Pilates uses specific exercises and techniques to increase range of motion in all joints and movements of the body.

3) Prevent and repair injuries
A bold statement but regularly taking part in a good Pilates class with supervision and attention to technique can help to correct dysfunctional movement patterns that can ultimately lead to injury. Pilates is fast becoming the go to form of exercise for medical professionals such as GP’s, physiotherapists and consultants to prescribe to their patients to aid recovery from injury and surgery.

4) Great Abs
Ok, a great looking six pack so admired by people and so unhealthily promoted in everyday media and fitness magazines is not going to appear just by doing Pilates or any other form of exercise for that matter, (read my other post on my opinion of this) a six pack is acquired in the kitchen, what you eat is ultimately going to contribute to the fat layer covering your Abs.
HOWEVER, Pilates will give you a rock solid core and the exercises given will increase your overall strength and stability enabling you to carry out your chosen activity safely without fear of your back `going’.

5) Physically challenging
Pilates can be one hell of a workout, once you have acquired the basic principles or foundations of Pilates, your body can be pushed, pulled and lengthened to its limits with the knowledge that you are able to do the exercises safely and effectively. But don’t forget it’s not always about how hard you can push yourself it’s doing movements with strength and control.

6) Improve your Golf
See how improved flexibility, Spinal mobility and hip strength can contribute to an improved drive (can’t do anything about your short game regrettably) I have clients regularly telling me how their Golf has improved as a direct result of Pilates. And not just Golf, Pilates has a proven benefit for all sports, use your new found core strength to not get knocked off the ball in your next football match, or see how it affects your scrummaging or agility on the field .

7) This list could go on forever
You get the point. Pilates is not just for women and dancers, there is a definite benefit for everyone to do Pilates especially men

Your body is a wonderful piece of machinery, which is often badly neglected and mistreated, Look after it and keep moving….

Neil Carpenter
Sports & Remedial Massage Therapist, STOTT Pilates Teacher
www.upminstersportsmassage.co.uk
For Bookings Click Here

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Common Cycling Injuries by Neil Carpenter

19/7/2014

With the current beautiful weather we are enjoying, you cannot help but notice the amount of outdoor activities increasing, particularly cycling, especially as we have just had the British leg of Tour De France coming through so close to home.

With this increase in cycling activity, we as Sports Massage Therapists see an increase of cycling related pain and injuries in our clinic, many of which could be avoided with a little know how.

Common injuries include:-

Ulna Neuropathy: This is a compression of the Ulna nerve caused by prolonged pressure on the handlebars resulting in numbness of the outside of the hand.

Piriformis Syndrome: This is generally due to overuse or strain caused by sub-optimal biomechanics and/or cycling position. The Piriformis muscle (deep in the buttock area) can get to a state where it starts to compress on the Sciatic nerve, causing numbness and/or pain into the hip and down the leg.

Knee Pain: Knee issues are very common in cyclists. Knee problems can range from Ligament damage and Meniscus tears to Bursitis and Tendinopathy. But the most common issue seen in cyclists time and time again in clinic is Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFS). This is where the under surface of the patella (knee cap) becomes inflamed. This is frequently due to overloading as a result of muscle imbalance and poor alignment and other biomechanical problems. It is important to address the underlying issues as PFS can be a precursor of Osteoarthritis.

Achilles Tendinopathy: This is a chronic overuse of the tendon that joins the calf muscles to the heel bone (Calcaneum).

Neck Pain: The hyperextended position of the neck (Cervical Spine) whilst on the bike puts cyclists at an increased risk of neck pain and postural problems. The deep flexors of the neck become weakened, which puts extra pressure and strain on other neck muscles which are overworking to compensate, such as the Upper Trapezius. This position is then regularly carried through to every day life, as our sedentary lifestyle reinforces the dysfunction and can lead to nerve entrapment in the neck and pain into the shoulders and into the arms.

Low back pain: This is frequently due to overtightness in the hip flexors causing pelvic dysfunction and also the position of the spine whilst cycling.

Considering the repetitive nature of the pedalling action, up to 5,000 evolutions an hour, it's no surprise that even a minor biomechanical issue can quickly escalate into a clinical injury.

How to minimise your risk:-

Bike set up is key! Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cyclist, professional bike fitting services should be utilised to ensure that your cycling position is optimal for comfort, efficiency and avoidance of overuse injuries.
Do not overtrain. As always with exercise, build up gradually and know your limits. Vary your training wherever possible and try to incorporate rest days between training sessions to allow your muscles to recover ... a fatigued muscle will not function efficiently and inefficient training can lead to injury.
Biomechanical assessment. Old injuries, postural habits and occupational positioning to name but a few, can have a detrimental and cumulative effect on the biomechanics of the body, leading to dysfunction and ultimately pain and injury. Book in with a therapist at Upminster Sports Massage to have the major parts of your body assessed for biomechanical dysfunction, and then learn how to correct it!
Stretching and mobilisation. Gently stretching your muscles on a daily basis can improve their condition, and mobilising your spine regularly can do wonders for your spinal health.
Sports Massage. Regular sports massage can help maintain balance within the soft tissues of the body thus aiding injury prevention and improving performance (both in sport and in every day life).

Every sport carries its own risk of injury and provided some of the steps above are taken to minimise your injury risk, cycling can be a good fun way to exercise, and on top of that you get to experience all the lovely Essex countryside and some of its pubs!

What is your REAL motivator?

April 15th, 2016

April 08th, 2016

Pilates For Men

Common Cycling Injuries by Neil Carpenter

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