Category: – Exercise & Sport

Poor Posture and Slouching – A Double Edged Sword!

by Jane Torvaney, Physiotherapist, Scotland

We all know that poor posture and slouching is not good for our posture – our spine is in a poor position and at risk due to the pressure going through it, our feet tend to dangle and don’t support us. Our chins poke forward, our shoulders roll inwards, our chest and internal organs get crushed when we slouch and therefore can’t work freely. If you try this yourself you can immediately feel the impact it has on your body.

Not a very loving way to treat ourselves!

But do you ever think about how you relate to other people when you slouch? Or how others relate to you when you slouch?

Continue reading “Poor Posture and Slouching – A Double Edged Sword!” →

Self-Abusing – Not What you Think it Is

by Rosie Bason, Mullumbimby, NSW

I used to hear the word abuse and what came to my mind was someone getting beaten up or bashed.

To me the word abuse looked like a physical blow to the body by someone else, or the verbal abuse when someone was being spoken to like a piece of…

What I had not ever seen was that abuse in the body can mean so much more, and that it can be done by me, to myself. I wasn’t even aware that I was being abusive… self-abusing, that is! Continue reading “Self-Abusing – Not What you Think it Is” →

Overcoming my Horse Addiction

by Rosie Bason, Mullumbimby, NSW

Horses have had a major role in my life. When I was 9 years old I experienced my first riding lessons. That was it, I was in, hooked. I didn’t realise until later in life that I had a horse addiction.

I really wanted to get into the horse community so I volunteered at local stables and pretty much did anything in exchange for lessons. My parents would not pay for them so I found a way. As my horse addiction grew, I soon became ‘wanted’ as I was one of the riders who had the guts to ride all the difficult horses that no one else wanted to ride.

I loved it because it made me feel needed. I loved it because when I rode a difficult horse, I was seen and recognised. It didn’t matter to me if I would get thrown off, or the danger I put myself in, what mattered was I was noticed. I was taught to be strong, to dominate as well as be quite unkind to horses, all in the name of training. Continue reading “Overcoming my Horse Addiction” →

The Joy of Simply Swimming

by Josephine Bell, Personal Assistant, Pottsville

I’ve been staying in a hotel for about a week. Above us is an elegant rooftop swimming pool with spa and sauna facilities. Early yesterday morning I found myself feeling that a swim would be nice. It’s something I very seldom do, but this time I had even packed a pair of goggles as well as my bathers, so I was well prepared and had everything I needed for an enjoyable experience. Continue reading “The Joy of Simply Swimming” →

Making Time To Walk Is Changing My Life…

by Abby Hinchcliffe, HR Assistant/ Uni Student, Goonellabah, Australia

I work full-time and have been studying part-time for the last five years. I have had my ups and downs and often feel overwhelmed by how much there is to do at home, at work and with my studies… it has been easy for me to feel bogged down with life.

Last week I had a sleepover at a friend’s house who happens to be a student of Universal Medicine – I am too. My friend is in the routine of waking up early and going for quite a long walk; it takes over an hour and has a lot of steps. I decided to give it a go and see what it was like. Continue reading “Making Time To Walk Is Changing My Life…” →

Rediscovering Our Body’s Lovely Flow

by Kate Greenaway BAppSc (Physiotherapy), Australia

Recently I had a fascinating experience that highlighted to me the difference between moving and exercising in a gentle flowing way, or pounding and pushing the body. I was packing my car after a lovely time exercising in the local pool – two middle-aged men were running down a steep cement driveway near me – they were literally pounding and jarring their bodies. They were red and puffy in their faces and they looked miserable. I was feeling really fluid and content in my body from the gentle moving and swimming that I had just done, and then to feel what these men were doing to their bodies almost made me wince as they slammed their bodies with each step. From my work in physiotherapy over the last 28 years I know this sort of activity to be extremely damaging to the joints of the legs and spine, and to the deep soft tissue that supports them. Continue reading “Rediscovering Our Body’s Lovely Flow” →