On: Keep paddling

Or walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, lifting, playing.

Anything that gets you hot and out of breath, 3 to 4 times a week.

As more research is carried out into the causes and underlying mechanisms of post disease processes such as long covid and ME/CFS, a number of the researchers are following paths that lead to dysfunctions in patients mitochondria.

For those who for whom school biology was a while ago, mitochondria are generally considered the power plants of the cells, turning energy you consume into energy your cells can use.

Of course, it’s more complex than that and they tend to have a number of other roles, but essentially the research is showing that problems with these tiny batteries can lead to bigger problems elsewhere.

Whilst treatment modalities are still being developed, and for lots of sufferers recovery is going to be challenging, requiring multidisciplinary support, for the rest of us, we can reduce the risk to ourselves but optimising the efficiency of our mitochondria.

How? Use them.

It has been shown that endurance exercise stresses them in just the right way to make them stronger.

Finding that sweet spot depends on a number of factors including your genetic predisposition, your training history and the epigenetic environment (a catch all phrase for the nutritional, psychological and environmental pressures), but for the 80% rule, anything at low to moderate intensity for long periods of time will have a positive effect.

Prepare for an unknown future.

Get stronger, move further, fuel better.

Of course, if you have any more questions, musculoskeletal restrictions or want more technical input, contact us.

On: Dosing

Posted by The Camford Clinic

On: Dosing.

The dose is important. If you take too little of a medicine, it is ineffective. If you take too much it will kill you.

The same stands for training, or almost any action. Too little and you will experience no benefit, too much and you will burn out. Of course, this effect tends to be cumulative, and with training, too much may not be immediately obvious.

Which is why finding your baseline, and seeking professional input is vital, particularly when starting out or attempting a specific goal.

Once you’ve set a goal, seek an expert to tune it and succeed.

On: Training

Posted by The Camford Clinic

You’ve been in the gym, in the pool, or on the road. You’re turning up, putting in the hours. And yet, you’re not improving. The weight isn’t shifting, the personal bests are not rolling in, the same old faces as the same competitions still shake your hand, the race finish time is about the same as last year. You can’t actually do more miles, or lift more weight, as other commitments would suffer, and you’re on the cusp of overtraining.

Frustration abounds.

But…. are you training or exercising? We can too often convince ourselves that we are training, simply because we are going through the motions and turning up. The difference? Exercise is exertion, training is progressive overload with rest and retesting points. Fitness posers exercise, gym bros exercise, older people in village halls exercise. Exercise is good, its vital to positive health, but past a certain point it won’t necessarily lead to the changes you’re wanting.

However.

Perhaps there is another way.

Take a break. A few days off, or if that sucks mentally, a few easy days. During that time, define some baseline movements that matter to your discipline. A defined distance for running, swimming or cycling. A set of lifts that matter, a benchmark workout.

Then go for it. Have a test week. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it, and if you can’t manage it, you can’t improve it.

See how good you are, push it and draw a line in the sand. Go far, go fast, go heavy.

Take the results, sit down, with an expert if you can, or yourself and a pad if you have a good training knowledge.

You can always get stronger, improve mobility, hone skill, but then look honestly at what you’re good at, what you need to improve, then broaden the scope. Actively look for the weaknesses. Can you improve your nutritional base line, your sleep, your recovery?

Write a plan, stick to it, record, then in 6 weeks, do it again.

You will get better.

Maybe, finally, your power to weight ratio will improve, your 5K time will crack the that precious mark, your bear complex will get better.

Test, reflect, plan, execute.

If you find mobility is an issue, an injury doesn’t respond to rest, you want some nutritional guidance, or another expert opinion, then come see us. With over 20 years therapeutic experience, 30 years of practical involvement in sport, and a unique perspective on life, we may be able to help.

Onwards.

What cost fitness?

Posted by The Camford Clinic

What cost fitness?

Occasionally, people complain about gym prices, the cost of personal trainers and kit.

Only occasionally though. Because if you understand the value, you wouldn’t complain about the cost. Other than kit. There’s always a new shiny toy to try, and past a certain point, none of which will really improve your performance.

If you’re stronger, you’re less likely to die early, unforeseen events excepting. If you’re fitter, you are more likely to survive a hospital admission (being admitted to hospital is really bad for your health). If you’re healthier, life seems easier, because you have a greater capacity for stress.

Now, fitness is different to wellness. Wellness is a never-ending feast of rubbish, where a huge number of people, both honest and exploitative play. You might benefit from a yoga and meditation session (both are demonstrably good for you), but you don’t need yoni steaming and jade eggs. And you certainly don’t need to spend 300 pounds on any of them.

Fitness is far more measurable and relatable.

At the most basic, you need nothing more than you already have to improve your fitness, other than knowledge.

However, if you know nothing, then the next step is to ask an expert, or at least a professional. This is where gyms, trainers and such come in.

Do not ask the internet, as you have no filter on what is good or bad. As an internet guru, I could tell you to do 5k every other day and 50 burpees for breakfast but if you’ve got a medical condition, or an injury, or the most exercise you take is picking up the remote when you turn off your laptop after working from home all day, then I may actually kill you. Unlikely, but possible.

Instead, find someone you can have a conversation with, who can answer pertinent questions and give you honest answers. You may need to pay for their time but hey, you wouldn’t ask your next door neighbour to help fit a kitchen unless they are already skilled in it.

If you can’t afford that route, then go to the library and read a book. Lots of fitness people have written books and at least they’re relatively validated. And the walk there is a good start.

So, to loop back to the start, pricing. A gym has significant running costs, a personal trainer is not working 40 hours a week and is self employed. In the end, it is a return on investment question “am I getting out what I am paying in?”

As an example, a local CrossFit box charges £75 per month for 3 sessions a week. But for that you are getting equipment, expertise, time, and a quality environment. A local council gym may charge £30 a month, but you won’t be getting the expertise and programming, so you’d better know what you’re doing on your own (hint- that 12 reps/3sets on each machine will rapidly lead to plateau and boredom).

How does this tie in to us? We are professionals. We treat injuries, and have over 20 years of working with people. We coach, and work with trainers who actually care and understand their jobs.

If you want to live longer, healthier and perhaps even happier, come talk to us.

The first step is the hardest, but the most rewarding.

On: Beyond movement

Posted by The Camford Clinic

There are the eight prescribed movement patterns: flex, extend, rotate, push, pull, squat, lunge, walk.

But beyond that is the ability to do them smoothly and under load.

For example, when out walking, without losing step, run your fingers along the ground. That involves walking, flexing, lunging and an element of rotation.

Now repeat the action raising your hand over head to touch a tree leaf. Again, walking, extending, rotation.

The more complex the move, the more we challenge our neuromuscular system, the less spare capacity we have and greater the risk of subtle injury due to compromise.

Therefore, we should train these elements. Not just the standard gymrat moves, but through play.

Look at an object and play with it. A plate carried overhead. A tree branch that can be climbed on or over, or under. A line on the pavement to walk along, skip over, or walk backwards over.

Look at the environment as a playground, and use it to improve the way you move.

Injury proof yourself through play.

On: Delayed Gratification

Posted by The Camford Clinic

There is a relatively well known psychological study where the experimenters place a marshmallow, or other tempting treat, on a plate in front of a child.They then leave the room, promising that, if that item is still there when they return, the child can have more of them. Of course, many of the children cannot resist the sweet and will consume it immediately. Others find ways to distract themselves until the adult returns.

What is particularly interesting is that those who are able to delay gratification and not eat the sweet tend to do better in other areas of life as they grow and develop, as though this skill is transferable.

Almost everyone struggles with weight loss. We all know the benefits of optimising our weight for health, but the reality is that the process is incredibly challenging. At least with a marshmallow you get 2 when the tester returns, in weight loss you simply don’t get negative things a long way down the line. Frankly, its is the ultimate delayed gratification, if we ignore the Abrahmic concepts of Heaven. The true payoff comes at the end of a life hopefully well lived, when you perhaps get to enjoy a longer healthspan.

Assuming that the rest of the body’s homeostatic mechanisms (hormonal balance, neurochemistry, renal function, cardiac function etc) are correct, then for all the diet tea adverts and weight loss pills, weight management really is an energy management equation with no shortcuts. Precisely how that energy is composed and therefore how your body uses it is another matter, but for the purposes of most people’s understanding, if you consume more than you require, if goes in the baggage and you end up carrying it around, leading to pain, dysfunction, and increased risk of disease and early death.

However, don’t eat that nice pizza / pasta / curry / noodle bowl or we may have to chop your leg off in 20 years time doesn’t ring true with the hungry monkey deep inside who thinks that tomorrow might not come either, food is scarce and resources need to be hoarded. We struggle to make the long term interventions that will make a difference because the pay off simply doesn’t exist on most people’s radar.

To manage the monkey, we need to work with it, not try to beat it. Eat a little less (especially energy dense, processed foods) move a little more, use resistance training to optimise muscle mass and reward yourself for the small wins. Just don’t obsess over the scales and remember there are no cheat days.

Be Ready….

Posted by The Camford Clinic

If you can run 10k in 40 minutes but not carry your buddy 200 yards, are you ready?

If you can squat twice your bodyweight but can’t even run for a bus, are you ready?

If you can walk for hours with a pack but can’t climb a rope, are you ready?

If you can’t swim 25m in a pool, clothed, are you ready?

You never know what life will throw at you. It may be carrying a sick child home from a day out, helping a friend move house, walking across town because the traffic is messed up, or even being caught up in a situation where your skills and fitness are vital to keep yourself, and those you’re responsible for, safe.

Chris Hadfield, in his book “An Astronauts Guide to life on Earth” has a point about being a zero. You might not be a direct asset to the situation at hand, but you really don’t want to be a burden. Being fit and ready to respond makes you a better zero.

We all like to think we’re fit, but have no idea what that actually means. Being able to run 10k fast is a skill but if you’re washed out for a week after, that isn’t so great. Being built like a rugby prop is useful, if you play rugby. But those guys and girls can also run very fast (at least the professionals), can you?

For its many detractors and weaknesses (not enough endurance based cardio respiratory training in most boxes), crossfit and its like offers a great way of being a better human. Not only do you get faster, fitter and stronger, you can develop mobility and recovery.

Of course, you don’t need to join an expensive box to improve. A few basic kettlebells, sandbag and jump rope are all you need to start.

And get some first aid training. The basics really are basic but could save your life and those who you love.

So be a better human and a positive asset to everyone around you. Get after it.

Linked below is a basic training plan and ready guide. It assumes you can move without pain but little else. Caveat: See a medical professional before starting any new form of exercise plan to make sure it isn’t going to kill you.

Be Ready V2

Open 16.4, its mental

Posted by The Camford Clinic

Scaled Workout

13 minute AMRAP

55 Deadlifts @61kg
55 Wall balls, 9kg to 9ft
55 Cals row
55 hand release pushups

Watching a team mate at the gym struggle through 16.4, it was interesting to note the effect of his mental state on his performance.

I know, from having trained with him, that he is stronger and better than me at all of the moves needed.

But for some reason, he was scared of it. He’d backed out at least once and finally had to face it to get an open score.

Training was not able to parse into competition and this is something you can see frequently. Strong guys and girls crumble under pressure and they perceive themselves as failing.

Dry run it. See the success in your head and take it on from a position of winning before you lift the bar the first time.

And in the end, he did well, getting a full round in before the clock ran out.

What Physios don’t want you to know

Posted by The Camford Clinic

And osteopaths, chiropractors or any other manual therapist.

Unless they are making special claims for their technique, which they can back up with evidence, the truth of the matter is that all manual therapies are doing one of three things-

Breaking down adhesions, scar tissue and restrictions, whether in fascia, muscle or connective tissue
Resetting the joint position sense and neural signalling around the affected area
Improving fluid flow and drainage of the tissue.

That’s it, that’s all we do. However, the reason you need to keep a good osteopath or physiotherapist on speed dial is because the real trick is knowing which one needs to be done, what tools and techniques should be used when, how and where, as the true cause of the problem may not be at the place it hurts.

One classic example of this, that many have suffered from and lots fail to treat effectively, is plantar fasciitis. The too familiar pain lancing into the sole of your foot when you first stand up, it is caused by inflammation and microtearing in the fibrous tissue running along the foot, generally near the heel. Traditional treatment is to brace, stretch and possibly inject cortisone, all of which take time and often fail to address the question why it failed in the first place.

A better complete approach, using the above concept, is to not just treat the foot locally, but look away for restrictions and signalling issues elsewhere as well. Only then, once the underlying issue is addressed, can real recovery and progress be made.

Gym free exercise of the day.

2 minutes breathing practice while swinging arms and legs to open the joints.

3 X 30 seconds skipping on the spot, imagining a rope if space / equipment restricts.

5 x 1 minute Burpee superman interupt. 30 secs recovery between sets.

Squat down, thrust legs back to pressup position, lower your chest to the floor then take hands up above the head to full extension. Raise opposite hand and leg off the floor. Repeat for the other side, then hands to chest, push up, legs back in to squat position and jump up.

2 minute breathing practice, with stretching.

Notes-

The objective of the warmup is to check and prepare joints for range of motion, followed by getting the cardiorespiratory system ready.

The core of the workout is to get every muscle in the body firing to stimulate a high level of intensity. By lifting the arms and legs off the ground, you break the fascial tension that can be used as a spring rebound mechanism, so it becomes harder.

Scaling if you are unable to do burpees or pressups would be 3 standing air squats with a pause at the bottom, followed by 3 kneeling pressups with hand / leg lift. If the pressups are still too challenging, wall pressups (pushing off the wall) followed by arm / leg extensions. If in doubt, try the one you think you might fail at to push yourself.

Why walking in their shoes will give you new insights.

Posted by The Camford Clinic

To understand someone better, it is said that we need to walk a mile in their shoes.

This is perhaps a little extreme but as with many statements, there is a lot of truth buried in there.

Walking in their shoes, or at least picking them up and looking closely at the wear patterns, both inside and out, will tell you much about the person’s interaction with the world. Do they currently have a prescription orthotic, or some form of insole? How has the outsole worn? Are both sides worn in the same way? Can you see the way the foot turns and loads inside the shoe?

By observing and considering the information provided, it can be possible to start gaining a better insight into how the person moves and hence any potential issues they may be adapting for.

If necessary, stand up and attempt to physically mimic their movement, and what leads them to that positioning.

Feeling it in your own body can be an eye opening experience and one that may hugely enhance your own practice.