A large part of our focus at On the Bench is the treatment of aches, pains and injuries brought on, often, by a particular activity or event.  It's quite common for our clients to come in with a painful back, for example, and cite a step class or a weekend spent gardening as the source of the problem.

I have never run a marathon. The Great South Run and Half Marathon distance has (so far at least) been enough of a challenge for me. But I am in awe of everyone that takes on this massive challenge. Every year, I see people pre- and post-marathon events and have learned a lot from each of them. So here are my top tips for a speedy recovery from your marathon.

Armed with their completed homework sheets and tallied scores our band of health revolutionaries arrived at our second meeting eager to find out what all the questionnaires and food diaries had been leading up to.  After a quick totting up of scores each person had a starting point for their journey to better health, they had their metabolic type established for them.  This was just the beginning though (it would have been a really quick meeting otherwise!) as knowing your metabolic type is just the start of discovering the right mix of macronutrients  that fuel you best.

I was planning to write today's blog with a focus on the combined effects of Remedial Massage and Corrective exercise, how they complement each other and why they are such a powerful combination.  But then the sun came out, it's turned into a beautiful warm spring afternoon down here at the wharf, I was reminded of a talk I had with a client last night and plans changed.

We were talking about how things change, plans don't work out as you intended when you first set out along their path.  About how sometimes you arrive at an entirely unforeseen but entirely welcome destination and about changing perceptions of what we want and what we value.  It got me thinking about how lessons and learning will come to you from lots of different sources.  I'm positive that I learn as much from my clients as they do from me and that I am a better teacher for it.  We are I believe the sum total of our experiences.  This chat we had whilst taking a breather from wood chopping meandered a little (what a shocker, for a quiet fella I can talk when I get going!) but essentially the take home message was that enjoying the view as you travel toward your goals can provide life lessons as important as the goal itself so don't be in too great a hurry.

Original huh!?  I know, it's been said a thousand times in a thousand different ways but on a lovely sunny day forgive me this one little indulgence.  I'm off to enjoy a cup of minty tea on the balcony (fire escape steps) looking out over the Solent before circuit training. 

Do something that makes you stop and appreciate the moment today. 

Love and life.

Neil.

Last Thursday we launched our Healthy Lifestyle Club at On the Bench HQ in Portchester.  Half a dozen determined souls arrived, not really knowing what to expect from our self proclaimed "Health Revolution", but dead set on ditching the diets and fads in favour of a more sustainable solution to their health concerns.

As part of my New Year's Resolutions, I wanted to replace as many 'toxic' products with organic alternatives. With the press reporting in the past few weeks the link between parabens (used extensively in beauty and skincare products) and breast cancer, and revelations about leading cosmetic companies using lead in their lipsticks it seems a good time to elaborate on my own personal crusade!

We've long advocated and advised on the benefits of a diet of "real food" but what do we mean by that?  Well, we mean foods that are fresh, natural and un-processed.  Foods that you might have been able to get your hands on a thousand years ago.  Before we invented oh-so clever ways of making non-foods and chemicals into something edible.

So much of our modern diet is made up of non-foods, chemical and processed ingredients that it is actually toxic to the body.  The result of this is plain to see in our health and disease levels.  We are at present the sickest most medicated we have ever been and it's our nutrition that has got us to this sad state.

I haven't made any New Year's resolutions for several years now - because I never keep them. But this year I feel more motivated to make changes for the better so I thought I'd give it a go. And perhaps sharing my progress will help me stay on track and reach my goals.

So what's so different this year? Well, I have a significant birthday coming up and they tell me "life begins" so it's an added incentive for change. Plus, over the last two years I have managed to address a few minor health issues that used to get in my way (and provide an easy excuse when I couldn't be bothered).

The importance of fitness and exercise is becoming firmly established advice given to expectant mums which is great news, it’s something we've been advocating for years now. As we’re fond of saying: Pregnancy (let alone labour!) is an endurance event and you should train as such.

Whether you are planning a pregnancy, are currently pregnant or have just had a baby, there are bound to be a whole host of questions that you are looking to answer. Over the coming weeks, we will endeavour to do just that!

The big thing in the fitness industry over the last couple of years has been to jump on the “functional fitness” bandwagon. Bootcamp, P90X and Crossfit style workouts have soared in popularity emphasising as they do “big-bang” exercises like Olympic lifts, tyre flips, kettle bells etc, etc. These are all great things, compound lifting, training movements rather than muscles and the integration of core strength are all laudable goals and things I can get behind with just one little caveat: It must be suitable for the intended recipient of the exercise program.

Christmas is just one month away and no doubt your shopping is in full swing. Traipsing around crowded shopping centres and high streets, overloaded with heavy shopping bags can really take its toll on your body and your stress levels! So why not reward yourself with a relaxing back, neck and shoulders massage? It will ease muscle tension, aches and pains and soothe frazzled nerves, the perfect preparation for all the gift wrapping, cooking and entertaining still to come!

Functional training: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_training

Crossfit, functional training and the like are sweeping the globe becoming ever more popular.  The selling point of these workouts is the emphasis on making training fun using explosive efforts, unusual challenges and what I call "big-bang" exercises; these use lots of muscles simultaneously, challenging stability and strength across multiple joints

Sam and I strive to have a positive impact upon the lives of all our clients.  This is why we teamed up in the first place; to use our complimentary skills to get better long term results for our mutual clients.  It works and we want to do more of it!

To this end we will from now on be offering our fantastic assessment sessions with Neil for half of their usual price to everyone who comes in to see Sam for massage treatments.

An assessment comprises of:  Postural analysis, muscle tension tests and core strength and coordination tests.  We use all of this information to come up with a bespoke flexibility program and provide guidance about what sorts of exercises will help correct the imbalances that are so often at the heart of long term pain.  It forms the foundations of all our training programs and is a uniquely powerful step in your health and fitness goals.

To ask for more information or to arrange an appointment please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call us on 12393 233140.