Flexibility for Injury Prevention and Performance 1
For many people stretching (flexibility training) is an important part of their pre and post exercise routine. However, in recent times the effectiveness of it has been questioned. When stretching, we need to consider when and how it should be performed in order to...
What’s My Threshold?
This is a transcript to the "What's My Threshold?" audio article available to Optimal Movement Members. For more information on becoming a member please click here. You've probably ridden along in pack or ran within a group and heard someone say "I'm sticking below...
Lactate
Lactate and lactic acid have had their fair share of controversy over the years. Many people have heard of one or both of these molecules but knowing what their functions are and why they’re important to us in endurance sports is a complicated procedure! So, where do...
How to Be Healthy
Now we have cleanly categorised the elements of health through our "What is Health?" article whilst also acknowledging the overlapping between the categories, we can now look to implement successful strategies that maximise your health. It is important to remember...
What is Health?
This is a transcript to the audio "What is Health?" that is available to Optimal Movement Members. For more information on membership click here. Many people think health and fitness correlate with each other, this simply isn't the case. Someone can be super...
Lactate 2
Our previous Lactate article (here) described what lactate is, how it is used and common misconceptions surrounding the molecule. This article explains why it could be beneficial to understand the levels of lactate your body produces to make your training more...
Fascia – The Forgotten System
You all know that everything in the body is connected, but structurally do you know how so? The clue maybe in the title! The fascial system was once thought of as nothing more than a covering layer to hold the important tissues of our body in place. That may be one of...
COVID-19 Clinic Update
COVID-19 Clinic Update: Optimal Movement is currently closed for appointments in person. If you have an appointment booked then please do not attend the clinic, your therapist will be in touch with further information. Phone/video injury appointments and coaching...
Training during the Pandemic – Advice for Endurance Runners & Triathletes
The majority of athletes we treat and coach have been training hard for events that have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mentally this can be very difficult when you have been putting hour after hour in on the road or in the pool. Daily routines and...
Yoga For Runners
Do you ever stop to ask yourself why you run or why you started in the first place? It can be a difficult question to answer and one that may change over time. However research suggests that the majority of people are initially motivated to dust of those trainers and...
Foam Rollers – Keep Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’?
At Optimal Movement we often recommend foam rolling to aid in the recovery from injury and ultimately to improve performance. Many people have a foam roller at home but don't use it. A lot of the time it ends up being used as an over-sized doorstop or makeshift...
An Optimally Functioning Ankle
An optimally functioning ankle is important for everyone, but even more so for anyone participating in sports. When talking about the ankle joint it’s hard not to include the foot alongside the limb that sits on top of it. These two complex systems of bones,...
The Importance of Running Technique
We're going to start by asking a question: "When training for an endurance event which is most important: Mileage or Technique?" They're both very important aspects of run training and it's unlikely that you'll be able to reach high mileage without a decent level of...
Optimal Activation Sequence – Glutes
We often see injuries originating from an unstable and uncoordinated pelvis and spine. One of the key muscle groups that help to keep this region of our body happy are the glutes (gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus). One of the most powerful groups of muscles in the...
Get Stronger and Improve your Cycling Economy
"Strength training improves cycling economy." We will support this statement with science and research then we’ll talk about how to implement it into your training. What do we mean by strength training and cycling economy? Cycling Economy = the steady state...
Post-Natal Exercise
Starting exercise after you have given birth can be a daunting process. Regardless of whether you are a seasoned athlete, trying to get back into shape after having a baby or whether you are starting from scratch, it is daunting wondering how your body is going to...
Hydration for Performance
The weather outside is frightful, it’s cold and wet, your motivation to get out the door is at an all-time low and all you can think about is that drastic temperature change as soon as you step through your front door. Once you do venture outside, and even upon your...
Optimise Your Movement
From the day you are born you start developing movement patterns to allow yourself to do the things you want to do. One of your biggest movement achievements of your life is to go from crawling to walking. You probably can't remember but this doesn't happen straight...