Mindful Movement Classes
The Mindful Movement Class incorporates the Feldenkrais Method facilitating learning about movement, posture and breathing to ultimately increase the ease and range of our movement, improve flexibility and coordination.
Through gentle movement lessons, you become more aware of how your habits may restrict your moving through life easily and pleasurably. You can learn new, easier options for movement.
What are the benefits?
- You will discover how habitual posture can contribute to pain and limit movement
- You can learn new and easier ways to do familiar tasks
- You will improve balance, increase flexibility and coordination
- You’ll be able to breathe more fully and deeply
- You’ll discover how to recognise and ease tension.
Who can benefit?
- People of all ages, from babies and children through to senior citizens
- Dancers, musicians, athletes and actors with recurrent injury and pain, or those simply wishing to improve performance
- People whose work may involve repetitive tasks
- People living with difficulties such as stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, injury or learning difficulties.
Strength & Balance Classes
Falls and fall-related injuries are a major cause of mortality and morbidity as we age. Currently, a serious fall related injury is the leading predictor of loss of independence. Staying active in your twilight years is extremely important. Physical activity focusing on strength and flexibility can enhance balance and mobility, reduce the risk of falling and help to manage a fear of falling.
Unley Physiotherapy has developed strength and balance classes to support active ageing and reduce the risks of falls and fall related injuries, enabling you to remain as mobile and independent as possible.
Prior to attending classes, you will benefit from a personal assessment to ascertain your current level of functioning. This enables your physiotherapist to adapt exercises to your needs and ability and to ensure you are exercising in a safe and effective manner.
Classes run for 60 minutes, focusing on strength and balance exercises and education.
Too Fit To Fracture
When we talk about unhealthy bones, we use two words, osteoporosis (OP) and osteopenia. Both refer to the loss of bone mineral density with osteoporosis referring to a more significant loss.
Osteoporosis affects men and women differently with women four times more likely to develop the condition. OP is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in Australia yet it receives little attention. In South Australia, 67% of people over the age of 50 have poor bone health, which is expected to increase to 69% by 2022 as our population ages. Fractures often a secondary effect from OP. In the 10 years from 2012 to 2022, it is expected that the occurrence of osteoporotic fractures will increase by 31%, which equals 42 fractures every single day. The most alarming statistic is that 1 in 6 of these fractures will be to the hip. Hip fractures are one of the most concerning osteoporotic fractures, often requiring surgery and a long rehabilitation.
The cost of osteoporosis and its secondary effects to South Australia is a staggering $255 million.
In 2017 the Royal Australian College of GPs got together and produced their new Osteoporosis Clinical Practice Guideline. It is a document that summarises the best available evidence for treating and managing people with osteoporosis.
The recommendations for those with Osteoporosis:
- For people over 50 years of age, resistance exercise 2-3 per week
- Resistance exercises should be varied, vigorous and progressive
- High-intensity resistance and balance training for the elderly helps prevent further bone loss, improves activities of daily living, decreases muscle loss and decreases falls/fracture risk.
A common myth is that if you walk, you’re working on your bone density. Whilst walking is a great form of exercise it is not an effective exercise in preventing bone loss.
At Unley Physiotherapy we provide physiotherapist supervised exercise classes (known as uFIT) and for patients with Osteoporosis we create specific osteoporosis preventative exercise programs based on the most recent available evidence.
