James Daley: The Cycling Column - Comment, Motoring - Independent.co.uk

James Daley: The Cycling Column - Comment, Motoring - Independent.co.uk

Pick a card...any card.

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH – December 16th
Location: Balance (London Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic)

Thanks to all who came along and contributed to a satisfying morning session of training - a deck of cards bodyweight circuit and 30 minutes introducing kettlebell juggling to those that havent and trying a few new things for those that have juggled before.

There are many examples on the internet of workouts based around a deck of cards. You turn the top card and the card that shows tells you what exercise and how many reps you do.

There are some people who have made specific packs of cards with specific exercises on them.

Yesterday we went a bit more freestyle and allowed a random bodyweight session to unfold. We took it in turns to turn the card and select the exercise based on the menu below.

Either way it was going to be challenging but the randomness and collective input made for a great session.

Here's how we put it together.....

Repetitions:
Joker = 50 reps any exercise

Aces = 20 reps

Picture cards (jack, queen, king) = 10 reps

Numbered cards = numbers on cards (!!!)

PICTURE CARDS = pick a total body drill, and decide whether reps are per side or total

· Burpee (any variation)
· Get up (any variation)
· Bridges (gymnastic/ju jitsu)
· Bear crawls (and variations)

RED = upper body

· Hindu PUP
· Handstand
· Plyo PUP (including catch press from crouch)
· Dips
· Pull ups

BLACK = lower body

· Squat
· Step back stay low
· Jump squats
· Drop squats
· Lateral hop jumps

We had 3 jokers in the pack - the joker cards were used for 50 burpees, 50 brazilian ju jitsu style get ups, 50 situps (V- situps for the stupid ones).

It was a demanding session involving over 600 reps. If any of this doesnt make sense call or email me and i shall explain what we did in more detail.

We recovered a short while, then went though some kettlebell juggling. Some good style was on show, particularly in the footwork which enabled us to avoid broken toes and ankles!

Then the usual suspects went for chicken.

Next session January 19th, 4-6pm

Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greetings

On behalf of everyone here at Balance may we wish you a very

Merry Christmas!

Health, love, peace, and an injury free 2008 to you all!

We appreciate your custom and ongoing support. We want to assure you that we will be continuing to work hard to improve every aspect of our business to provide you with the best value and most effective service in the country.


Jingle Bells - Kettlebells now available to buy at Balance

We now stock and can provide you with Russian kettlebells produced for us by London Kettlebells.The majority of people who search Google for kettlebells in the uk end up at the business of Ken Liu and Steve Aish to make their online purchases.

Because we now act as London Kettlebells retail outlet you can benefit from the same low prices without the cost of delivery by picking up from us. Even more importantly than saving money you can learn how to train effectively with this excellent piece of equipment.

• Call Jonathan Lewis on 07960861267, email him on jonathan@balancephysio.com or contact the reception team at Balance on 020 7627 2308 and tell us your requirements.
  

Try before you buy
Because the coaches of Balance have good and intelligent experiences in the Russian kettlebell training system you can trust us to provide you with the best guidance when selecting the right weight bell to buy and how to use it most effectively.

Do not assume that every trainer out there claiming to be a kettlebell coach can do this.

If your trainer is not spending their time grounding you in the swing, clean, snatch and jerk, has not taken you through or talked about the importance of a joint mobility programme, and does not combine bodyweight drills and athletic movement skills in your programme - you need to ask them why.

Call Jonathan Lewis on 07960861267, email him on jonathan@balancephysio.com or contact the reception team at Balance on 020 7627 2308 to arrange a 15 minute "try before you buy" session.

Open Day December 1st 2007

Thanks to everyone who came along to the Open Day of Saturday December 1st. It was great to see so many new faces and show you a little of what we have to offer.

For many who have never stepped inside a Back pain and sports injury clinic in London before we hope it set a benchmark for you, an expectation for the kind of team and facility that you need when you are in pain or have been injured.

For those who have had treatment from physiotherapists, an osteopath or chiropractic previously we're sure the difference was noticeable and you recognised the greater opportunity you have for betterment at Balance with the health and fitness professionals that work in the team.

Physiotherapy
Street Physio was enjoyed by the people out parading Clapham High Street: Ato Chandler and Sally Murray spread the word on the day to explain the Balance approach and how much more effective this approach is in providing:

***long term solutions to back pain,
***treatment and prevention of sports injuries
***an optimal period of recovery, strengthening and return to full duties and activities following surgery

Back at Balance's Headquarters some of our large team of physiotherapists and our podiatrist were on hand to answer the varied and common questions that people have in relation to their aches, pains, injuries, stiff joints and inflexible frames. Whether sporting, occupational, medical, health or fitness related Balance approaches your problem as one of human performance.

Strength, conditioning and fitness team.

As is becoming ever more the case people were curious to find out more about Russian Kettlebell training, why it is receiving so much attention in the media and is being brought into mainstream gyms.

Since we have been using kettlebells for so long, have gained our knowledge over a prolonged period of time, direct from the people who really know, we are able to give a much clearer picture of the kettlebells benefits and its correct use. Not to mention the other essential tool we have to powerfully develop our athleticism - our own bodyweight.

Dietician
Rees Collings set up a great food display to challenge peoples perceptions of what's good, bad and ugly in our day time snacking rituals.

Sports massage
Lynn Rae - possibly the most hardworking person of the day - was kept busy demonstrating her deep tissue skills for what seemed like the whole 4 hours. She represented a large team of individuals who provide soft tissue massage at Balance, only taking breaks for mince pies and champagne - unsanctioned by Rees.

Pilates Sanctuary
Many came specifically to visit the Pilates Sanctuary and Julia and Alice are sure to be having a busy New Year as you all start a fresh, in pursuit of greater health and fitness.

For anyone who didn't know that we now have an equipped studio for small group and individual pilates teaching call Julia Skene-Wenzel on 07903236088.

CycleFit
It was great to see the professional set up that is Cycle Fit www.cyclefit.co.uk come south from Covent Garden to spend the day with us.

We already work closely together combining our knowledge of biomechanics and the movement issues and injuries cyclists are vulnerable to with CycleFit's inside out knowledge of putting bike and human together in synchrony. Despite this collaboration it was invaluable to have them with us to help our cyclists and triathletes understand how essential it is to fit the bike to the individual.

Free Taster Day at our London injury clinic

On Saturday December 1st between 11am and 3pm you will be able to visit Balance SW4 and see exactly what the facility can do for you.

Balance has been open for over 6 years now, for 4 of those years Julia Skene-Wenzel has been teaching Pilates matwork classes in our first floor studio.

Now the Pilates Sanctuary has been created and we have turned over some our space to Julia and co-founder Alice so they can now offer one to one and small group sessions using equipment specifically designed for Pilates.

To mark the set up of this new pilates centre in Clapham, SW4 we decided to have a Taster day.

Not just so you can see what pilates can do for you but so you can discover the depth of knowledge that exists at Balance to assist recovery and heighten health, fitness, vitality and well being.

For more info go here: Taster Day - Saturday December 1st


Hope to see you then.

The Amish Workout on Yahoo! Health

The Amish Workout on Yahoo! Health:
First published online 24th August 2007.

The Amish are an interesting culture - a throwback to days and times long gone. Simple living, some might say "backwards." Yet in many ways, they may be light years ahead of many of us more "modern" types.

The Amish were "green" well before it became vogue. Horse and buggy instead of cars. Candlelight at home. Solar panels and windmills to generate energy. They leave a carbon footprint the size of a gnat. According to Daniel Miller, an Amish busnesman, "the world may run out of oil and gas, but we will always have the sun and the wind."

Another way the Amish have pulled away from the average American is in their fitness levels. Although the Amish typically shun all outside sources of energy, they have no shortage of internal energy when it comes to using their bodies.

They don't have any health clubs, and a personal trainer would certainly go out of business if they had to rely on Amish communities for clients. So how do the Amish do it? The answer is simple - the old-fashioned way.

I was recently in Lancaster PA, and could not help but notice not only the horse and buggy I was driving behind (I didn't beep...honestly), but also the Amish walking, biking, and working hard in the fields, on the farms, and in their shops and around their homes.

Constant motion was the constant. I doubt that "sedentary" would describe any of them, at any age. There was no time in front of television, computers, or video games - and I did not see a single iPod.

This lifestyle pattern that I observed firsthand has also been scientifically studied, with some very meaningful and telling results.

Dr. David Bassett from the University of Tennessee monitored physical activity and other health-related parameters in both Amish adults and children, and compared them to the rest of us.

Amish men averaged 10 hours of vigorous activity daily. Using a pedometer it was determined that Amish men take over 18,000 steps a day and Amish women, despite usually being homemakers, logged over 14,000 steps a day.

Their activity levels amounted to six times the amount of weekly physical activity than in the adults of most modernized nations.

In addition only 4 percent of the Amish were obese, and only 26 percent were overweight - compared to the U.S., where approximately 30 percent are obese and over 60 percent are overweight!

In a second study of Amish children, Dr. Bassett found similar healthy trends. The Amish youth had extremely high levels of physical activity, and obesity was rare - not exactly the snapshot of our average American child.

One fairly remarkable study finding was that in the Amish community, the number of steps taken per day was the same for children and adults.

In sharp contrast, in "modern" America, not only are our children much less active (than their Amish counterparts), but activity levels steadily decline into adulthood, where sedentary behavior rules. This is a major health issue since being sedentary is as dangerous to your health as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

I knew the Amish were a strong, fit bunch but I was surprised there was not more obesity, given their relatively high fat, high sugar, meat and potato, cake and pie diet. Hence the power of physical activity combined with moderation.

Despite the above, and I don't think you'll be seeing "The Amish Diet" or "The Amish Workout" book anytime soon. The real take-home message is that just being more active and avoiding sedentary behavior can go a long long way toward improving your overall health profile.

Planned exercise sessions are important but on days where there are time constraints or other issues, don't fret-just keep moving. This fits with Dr. Stephen Blair's scientific body of work from the Cooper Clinic in which he showed that individuals who were relatively "active" (i.e. avoid sedentary behavior) reaped significant health benefits in terms of longevity and disease prevention.

They almost did as well as those involved in planned daily exercise routines. The key is to look for ways in everyday life to keep moving. Take a walk, use the stairs, wash your car, and mow the lawn. It all adds up and will complement those trips to the gym.

It seems that sometimes we must take a few steps backwards to move ourselves forward.

What do you think your grandparents or greatgrandparents were doing on a day like today - but way back then. How different was their lifestyle than yours when they were your age? Were they more active than you? Would they be suprised at your daily routines?

2007 DrNick.com . All Rights Reserved.

Pilates Sanctuary at London Physiotherapists facility SW4 (Clapham)

Balance physiotherapy London home - Physio Clapham: "Pilates Sanctuary at Balance Julia Skene-Wenzel and Alice Croucher formed Pilates Sanctuary in November 2006 with the aim of providing high quality Pilates instruction in the Clapham area of South London. Both trained with the Pilates Foundation... [read more] "

Balance physiotherapy London news - Strength, conditioning and fitness training - Physio Clapham

Balance physiotherapy London news - Strength, conditioning and fitness training - Physio Clapham: "The Undisputed: L.A Boxing and Kettlebell Training Holiday 2008 The team that brought you the adrenaline packed tv show, ‘The Contender’ (well, sort of!) proudly present The Undisputed. A fun and intense week of boxing and kettlebell training in a unique location in the Hollywood Valley, Los Angeles."