Movement for Chronic/Persistent Pain: A quest toward resilience and autonomy

Persistent Pain affects our ability to perform meaningful and necessary activities of daily living. It negatively impacts our relationships, work performance and our sense of self confidence. What begins as a tissue related injury or ‘niggle’ which is adaptive and protective (so that we don’t further injure the tissue) becomes a maladaptive and increasingly emotionally charged daily experience that impacts multiple areas of our lives including relationships. Chronic pain has been referred to as a disease and an individual, familial, societal and economic burden to those affected.

Movement is a powerful ‘shifter’ of persistent pain. In fact, empirical research demonstrates its efficacy that exercise endogenously unlocks our own ‘drug cabinet’ (opioids/cannabinoids/anti-inflammatories) thereby positively affecting/interrupting the painful state. Moreover with consistent application exercise training can create permanent physiological adaptions in brain plasticity, change the way we psychologically and emotionally perceive pain - our pain narrative- as well as rebuild the architecture of the affected tissue.

Sessions, classes and workshops are aimed at those who wish to take charge of chronic pain to regain physical autonomy and self-confidence. From stiff, restrictive, overprotective back postures to flexible, ‘wiggly’, resilient , strong spines. From fear of loading knees to no fear, full body weight loading knees that will run, hike and play. These results are possible. Let’s work together toward what is possible.

Movement for Longevity: Saving movement years

There is a strong chance we may outlive our previous generation. Population data shows that by 2050 a third of the world’s population will be over the age 65 years old. That’s a whole bunch of senior citizens! How would you like your body to operate at the age of say, 80 years of age? Without doubt you would like to move well and do as many meaningful and necessary activities of daily living as possible. Empirical data also demonstrates that your genetic profile only accounts for 20% of how well you age. This means that 80% is within your control or in formal terms, determined by your epigenetics. How you move, eat, sleep will largely determine your vitality in 20-40 years’ time.

It may be helpful to view exercise in the similar way to how we manage money. We can save ‘movement years’ by practicing daily with the right dosage by not doing too much or too little and learning to move gracefully, effectively through our full range of movement. By choosing and managing what movement practices to invest in, whether it be Qigong, running, martial arts, surfing, weight training for example, we can influence how well our bodies age. Thus, the main question I aim to answer here is “can we bank / save high quality movement years?” If so, how much exercise should I do (how much should I invest?), what movement practices are helpful toward longevity-what investment portfolios should I look at?

Sessions, classes and workshops are aimed at those who wish to optimise movement capabilities as they age, mitigate common age-related problems such as back pain, joint-related issues such as osteoporosis, range of motion stiffness, loss of type 2 muscle (sarcopenia) and previous injuries that currently affect their activities of daily living. Let’s invest in building strong, capable bodies into our centenarian years. The adage applies: move well, age well.

Movement for Building the Complete Athlete

An Individual with a comprehensive movement ‘language and lexicon’ has an arsenal of movement variability skills at their disposal. They are ready to adapt and respond to multiple changes of the environment including sudden changes in speed, extra loads on their body, sudden elastic and spring loading requirements like jumping and landing onto variable surfaces. These individuals are capable of taking their bodies through various ranges of movements with ease.

Sessions, classes and workshops are specifically aimed at those who wish to fully optimise their sporting discipline. Here we optimise athletes’ strongest attributes, address and upgrade their weakest links in the chain by maximising neuromuscular reaction times, speed , force and control of high level motor tasks. in addition, this process includes ‘Prehab’ exercise practices which helps prevent future injuries to support longevity in their sport.