Author: Dave Dat

Catching up with an old pal and seeing what they are up to can lead to new discoveries. This certainly came true for me recently. A friend I met up with told me about his new physio clinic, knowing that I am an athlete who might be interested in their business. He invited me afterward to visit Capital Physiotherapy new practice in Balwyn area. After he talked a bit about what they do, I decided to come by and see for myself.

I had heard about physio treatments before, although I thought their main clientele were those who need to undergo rehabilitation. But as my friend explained, I learned that they could also help those who are pregnant, older people and athletes. It was certainly an eye-opener to discover the breadth of their services.

Situated in the suburban area of Balwyn, I look forward being able to undergo some treatments in the close vicinity of my home. I could simply make an appointment on the way to or from my place. It would certainly be handy to not have to travel so far. As I train for various tournaments and runs, I can supplement that with the support of experts. The one-on-one approach to the procedure is also perfect for me to understand how I can improve and strengthen myself. 

How can someone like you or me benefit from having such a clinic in the neighborhood? As most of us are unaware of, physiotherapy is the treatment and management of various disorders of muscles, joints, and nerves. The goal is to restore their normal function if they have been compromised by injury, disease or even by aging. This means they offer services on the following: 

Pain Treatment

Any dysfunction in the above-mentioned parts of our body is manifested through pain. Sometimes we end up feeling stiffness in the back or neck, headaches or aching in other joints. Going to the clinic, you can expect that this pain will be reduced through various procedures, and at the same time, thoroughly assessed. Perhaps it might be a sign of an underlying condition, or because of an old injury or through misuse as well. You can expect a detailed diagnosis and their recommended approach to help manage whatever it is that causes the throbbing.

Rehabilitation

Post-operation patients can avail of rehab sessions to get them back to full mobility. The therapists will plan exercises based on your goals and needs. Moreover, they are within your current capabilities, increasing in intensity as you gain your strength.

A customized Clinical Pilates program can be used as part of the rehabilitation. Incorporating sport and play, these sessions can help improve your core strength and posture too. Athletes who are undergoing rehabilitation or therapy after a sports injury can benefit from such sessions and furthermore prevent future sprains and improve their performance.

Pregnancy Care

Acupuncture has been found to relieve expecting women of back pain common especially during the last trimester. At the same time, it is said to help shorten labor by preparing the body to give birth. Capital Physiotherapy has procedures specifically targeted to pregnant clients that are also proven safe to mother and baby. Pregnant mothers are then given physiotherapy care from the onset of their pregnancy up to the tome when they are about to give birth. s

Massage Therapy

The general massage parlor or spa offers these sessions that are mainly all about relieving any aches or swelling in the body. However, in a physiotherapy clinic, they go beyond that and their procedures can help and additionally, enhance your joint and muscle function. Moreover, it can help improve your general body tone and expand your range of movement. They are also sometimes offered in combination with other treatments to manage pain as well.

Sports Physiotherapy

Athletes like me sometimes put their bodies in extreme stress, increasing the risk of damage or sprains. Practices like taping can help prevent injury and reduce strain on tissues that are already damaged or vulnerable. Consulting with a physiotherapist can help identify possible weak areas and protect you as you practice your sport. After all, prevention is not only better than cure, but it can keep you doing what you enjoy. Most sportsmen or women had, in the past, to give up once they had accidents that ended up being irrecoverable.

It is easy to look past the physio clinic in the neighborhood, thinking that we might never really need to go in. But you might be surprised how they can help improve your life, even if you are not a professional athlete or in need of rehabilitation. They can help finally put an end to that persistent back ache that has been plaguing you for years, and furthermore just help you become healthier and more active for more years to come. After all, physiotherapy’s goal is to restore and maintain the normal function of your body, specifically those that are responsible for our mobility.

Young or old, you need to exercise regularly so that your body can keep its good health and capability to accomplish many things. However, it is important that you know the types of exercise or workout routines that you should be doing according to your age or age bracket. This means that the workouts you did in your 20s is different from those you did in your 30s and those you are now doing in your 40s. It keeps changing as you grow older.

For those in their 20s, they have to focus on power and agility for them to always feel great about their bodies. For 30 year olds, the focus should be on strength and stamina while for 40 year olds like you, your workouts should focus on flexibility and strength. What are the reasons for these differences in the way the body should be worked out? One major factor is the wear and tear process that makes it hard for the body to do things easily.

You may now ask about the best or recommended exercise for people over 40. But before that, it is important to have a clear idea about the kind of body you have when you are already in your 40s. If you’re in this age range already, you have nerve fibers that have lower effectiveness, heart beat that is slower, and muscle mass that is lower than the previous years. These changes cause reduced blood flow and delivery of nutrients and diminished coordination. With these, the workout routines you have to perform must emphasize on flexibility. In this way, you are making your body able to still complete even the complex tasks.

60-minute Workout for Strength and Flexibility

Since you are older, you don’t have to push yourself to exercise on a daily basis. This one hour program can be done three times a week. During breaks, you can still do other activities that can make you sweat. You can jog for a few minutes, complete several laps on the swimming pool, or simple trekking on nearby hills or elevated areas in your community.

During your regular exercise day, do the following:

Cardio for Strong and Healthy Heart

For this goal, you can alternately perform biking, rowing and running. These are recommended for people like you because your body can still deliver and successfully accomplish each exercise. For starters, achieve the pace that can allow you to keep a conversation for around five minutes. Follow this with 60-second sprint and repeat it five times. Allow two minutes for active recovery of your worked muscles.

Core for Well-toned Muscles

The usual core exercise to keep your body in great shape is planks. Do it for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times. For each session, hold your position for 30 seconds. Follow it with side planks. Do three repetitions for each side and hold your position for 10 to 30 seconds. This works the inner part of your muscles, which in turn keeps those sexy curves.

Flexibility for Ease in Movement

Before you do your stretching, complete foam rolling for 10 minutes. Follow it with 10 hip stretches and 10 lateral squats. Then, do hamstring stretches and doorway pec stretches also with 10 counts each. Lastly, do 3 B ridges and hold your position for 10 seconds each time.

Strength for Strong Body

Whether you are 41 or 49, you can still perform strength exercises such as push ups. Make sure that your feet is elevated on a bench with 12-inch height. Follow this with split or single-leg squats, inverted rows, and single straight-leg deadlifts. Perform each type with 3 sets and 10 repetitions for each set.

If you follow these recommended workouts, you can maintain not just a healthy but also an able body. To get the best results, do the flexibility exercises first for 15 minutes. Then follow it with strength for 25 minutes. Lastly, do cardio for 20 minutes.

The key in doing exercises during your 40s is to always start every session with a self-massage for 10 minutes. Use a foam roller to help your body achieve a normal blood flow. This happens when the roller smoothens the tangles and knots in your body that restrict normal bloodflow. The roller is very important because it relieves shoulder tension, stretches tight hamstrings, and soothes back pain.

To supplement your workout program, consume around 10 servings of vegetable and fruits every day. This is to make up for the lost energy and to supply the required amount of nutrients to keep joints and worked muscles healthy.

At the age 40, keeping up a healthy lifestyle is not hard to do. With discipline and determination, this can surely be achieved. Thus, you need not restrict yourself from activities you want to enjoy.

Beauty is simple to achieve. Most women are born with natural beauty. Some try to enhance their beauty by using beauty products. It is necessary to maintain your beauty with right products. Do not choose any over the counter products. You have to know whether it is right for your skin. If you know your skin type, you can easily select the right product.

At present, there are hundreds of beauty products easily available. Do not purchase just by seeing the wrapper or outer appearance.

It is recommended to use a good eyeliner that makes your eyes appear larger. It helps to create a beautiful big eyes effect. Purchase eyeliner from leading brands. You need to check whether the product is sensitive or right for your skin. People wearing contact lens find hard to get the right eye makeup products.

You have to test by applying in one eye. Wait for an hour. If you feel okay, you can continue to use the same product. It is not advised to purchase cheap eye makeup products. They are dangerous for your skin and eyes. Remember, each and every part of your body is important. You need to be careful when selecting and applying makeup.

Ensure to avoid thick or streaky nail polish. Remain patient while applying polish to your nail. It should be applied as thin as possible. When you apply it think, it has chances to streak. If you are applying two coats, you need to wait for a minute or two before the second coat. Do not apply nail polish in a hurry. It is best to plan your dress and nail color a day before. You can apply without hurry.

When you are using bobby pins, ensure it remains invisible. It should not be shiny or attractive. It remains as a distraction. It should be inserted behind your hair.

Eyebrows are important to get a beautiful look. It should be shaped according to your facial structure. It should look natural. You can apply olive oil or castor oil every night to improve the thickness of your eyebrows. You need to trim once or twice in a month to get a fab look.

If you have dry or frizzy hair, apply hair conditioner and make it look soft. It is important to use mild and branded products for your hair. Do not use shampoo that has powerful chemicals. Mild shampoos do not affect or hurt your hair. You can shampoo your hair once or twice in a week. If you have long hair, ensure to brush using wide tooth comb.

Do not brush harshly. You have to take care of your hair in a gentle manner. Do not try all the shampoos and oils you see in advertisements. It is best to stick with same shampoo. When you keep changing, it has chances to affect the roots. If you find ageing symptoms in your skin, you need to use anti-aging wrinkle creams. It is best to visit a dermatologist and get a right anti-aging cream as per your skin type. They would test your skin and suggest the right cream.