​We've all heard that exercise is good for your mental health, and the age-old wisdom behind this statement holds truer than ever. Beyond its well documented physical benefits, regular physical activity plays a vital role in supporting and enhancing our mental wellbeing. In this blog, we will delve into five essential ways that exercise positively impacts our mental health, offering you even more reasons to lace up those runners and get moving. So, if you need some motivation to prioritise your physical health and mental wellness, read on to discover the powerful connections between exercise and mental wellbeing.

Incorporating exercise into your daily routine is a powerful and natural way to enhance your mental health. Not only does it improve your mood, stimulate creative thinking, and enhance and protect cognitive function, but it also aids in decision making, planning, and memory recall. The benefits of exercise extend far beyond physical fitness, making it an essential component of a holistic approach to mental wellbeing. So, the next time you're feeling stressed or struggling with a complex problem, consider taking a break and going for a run, walk, or weights session – your mind will thank you.

Feeling inspired to embrace exercise and start feeling the positive effects on your mental health as well as your physical. Come on down to Simply Stronger, where our exercise physiologists can help you to build an exercise plan that works for you. We work with you, taking a holistic approach to your health. Looking at not only what exercises will help to support your physical and mental wellbeing, but also how best to use this exercise to fit into your life. We are all unique and deserve an approach that support you as a whole person.

Today we herald in Women's Health Week and this year the theme is "Grow your knowledge". As such we thought we would start the campaign sharing with you four lesser known facts about women's health. The facts I have chosen to share are all lessons I have been surprised to learn about myself. They feel like they should be common knowledge, but somehow they aren't. Let's change that.

You read that right, menopause is a single day.
I had no idea. I honestly thought menopause was the whole  time period when your hormones change, as you move out of your reproductive years. That period of time is actually perimenopause.
Perimenopause is the time where you still have cycles, but they are changing, becoming shorter and eventually less frequent leading to menopause. Being the day that marks 12 months since your last menstruation. Everything after this is referred to as post menopause.

Growing up we are led to believe that periods are painful and that this experience is normal. I always thought of myself as one of the lucky ones with very little discomfort during menstruation. 
​Periods can have many symptoms associated with them but pain shouldn't be one of them. This normalisation of painful periods by society and the medical profession can make it hard for people experiencing painful periods to be heard and believed. Did you know the average time it takes to be diagnosed with endometriosis is 6.5 years! 11% of our population live with this disease, yet it takes on average 6.5 years. 
Well I can certainly believe that. A few years ago I began to experience painful periods along with excessive bleeding even after my period had ended. While I din't have endometriosis I have managed to grow a uterine fibroid. The first two delightful internal ultrasounds both found the solo fibroid but each time I was told it couldn't possibly be responsible for the symptoms I was reporting. Spoilers, it was. Painful periods are not normal, spread the word.

​Yep, period poop is a thing.
I had no idea, knowing this was something I experienced but not really discussing it with anyone until I read in Maisie Hill's book Period Power that it is so common. Now I talk about it often, removing the taboo of talking about periods.
​In the lead up to menstruation, prostaglandins stimulate the smooth muscle of the uterus to contract, helping it to shed the lining. These little prostaglandins can also stimulate the bowel creating and increased need to poop in the lead up and during menstruation. 

Challenging the concept of "Bad Posture"
Posture has been a topic of concern for generations, with many people associating it with health problems and physical discomfort. We have been taught to believe that "bad posture" can lead to a myriad of issues, from back pain to decreased lung capacity. However, it's time to question whether the concept of "bad posture" is an accurate representation of how our bodies function. In this blog, we'll explore the notion that there is no such thing as bad posture and how adopting a more holistic perspective on our body mechanics can lead to a healthier and more accepting approach to our physical selves.

The Myth of "Bad Posture"
The term "bad posture" implies that there is a correct, one-size-fits-all way of holding our bodies, but this idea oversimplifies the complexity of human anatomy. Each person's body is unique, and what might be considered "bad posture" for one individual could be completely normal and functional for another.
Our bodies are incredibly adaptable and more resilient than we think. They can adjust to various positions and movements, and adapt to the load they are exposed to. Rather than focusing on the rigid idea of "good or bad posture," it is essential to understand that our bodies are designed to move and change their alignment based on our activities and needs.

Embracing Diversity in Postures
The human body is not meant to be static or fixed in a single position. Our ancestors, who led a more active and varied lifestyle, did not have the luxury of ergonomically designed chairs or desks. They moved, squatted, and knelt in different postures throughout the day, which helped them build strength, flexibility, and resilience.

Today, we should strive to embrace this diversity of movement in our daily lives. Instead of obsessing over maintaining a supposedly "ideal posture," we should focus on incorporating more movement and variety into our routines. Whether it's through strength training, stretching, or regular breaks from sitting, giving our bodies the opportunity to experience different postures can promote a healthier musculoskeletal system.

Comfortable and Capable Posture
Instead of thinking about our posture as good or bad we should consider

• what is a comfortable posture for me?
• What posture makes me feel capable? 

​​Our goal as exercise physiologists is to help people to improve their function. When it comes to posture we aim to support people to feel confident, strong and able. 

You can begin by paying attention to how your body feels during various activities, this can help you recognise when we need to shift positions or take breaks. Holding certain postures for extended times is simply a fact of modern life. For some of us this can feel quite comfortable, for other however it can be tiring and lead to discomfort. In out next blog post we will explore six exercises to help you unwind a static posture. So make sure you're following us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all our tips over the month of August as we discuss posture all month long.

How much should I be doing?
The best starting point is to look at meeting the Australian Guidlines for Exercise and Physical Activity, which we have discussed previously. But a combination of both aerobic and resistance exercises throughout the week will be most beneficial for both immediate and long term management and control of diabetes. 

The best thing about exercise, is that we don't need specialised equipment to get started. You can start with aerobic exercises like going out for a walk around a local park, or just around the block. For resistance training it can be exercises like squats, push ups and step ups. As Exercise Physiologist we can help you get moving and stay active with exercise programs that are designed specifically for you, taking into account of your unique goals and needs. ​

There are many ways you can see an EP at Simply Stronger. ​

• We work with you to understand your goals and motivation to develop a home based exercise program you can implement yourself.
• We can even come to your home to help build your program or train with you their.
• We can build you a gym program for use at your local gym and help you to progress it at your pace.
• Come and train with us at Simply Stronger in our 1:1 sessions or small groups.
• Combine these approaches.

Take control of your health and book in to see an one of our EPs today. ​

There are many ways you can see an EP at Simply Stronger. ​

• We work with you to understand your goals and motivation to develop a home based exercise program you can implement yourself.
• We can even come to your home to help build your program or train with you their.
• We can build you a gym program for use at your local gym and help you to progress it at your pace.
• Come and train with us at Simply Stronger in our 1:1 sessions or small groups.
• Combine these approaches.

Take control of your health and book in to see an one of our EPs today. ​

Blood Glucose?
Your blood glucose level is the amount of sugar (glucose) present in your bloodstream. Glucose is the body's main source of energy and comes from the digestion of carbohydrates in our diet. It then gets transported through the blood to different parts of the body for energy production.

Having the right level of glucose in your blood is important for your overall health. Our bodies manage our blood glucose levels using hormones called insulin and glucagon, which are produced by the pancreas.
When our blood glucose levels are elevated insulin helps lower our levels by moving glucose from the blood into cells. Conversely when more glucose is needed within the blood glucagon raises releases stored glucose from the liver. 

Normal blood glucose levels can vary, but typically, blood glucose levels will generally sit between 4.0 and 7.8mmol.L (millimoles per litre of blood). 

Low blood glucose levels, known as hypoglycemia, can occur due to certain medications, underlying health issues or if it has simply been too long since consuming sugar. High blood glucose levels known as hyperglycemia is common in diabetes, where the body doesn't produce enough insulin or doesn't use it effectively resulting in high levels of blood glucose. Prolonged abnormal blood glucose levels can indicate conditions like diabetes, where cells do not react to insulin correctly or become resistant to insulin itself. 

People with diabetes need to regularly monitor their blood glucose levels.  To do this they can use a blood glucose meter which measures glucose levels from a small blood sample obtained by pricking a finger. Monitoring helps them manage their condition by helping them track the impact of diet, exercise, medications, and informed decisions about how to use these along with insulin dosage to keep their blood glucose under control.

Next week
Coming up next week we explain role exercise plays in managing your blood glucose levels.

Healthy Habit 3 - Keeping Active

Other healthy habits for us to consider is physical activity, again a majority of men in Australia are not meeting the national guidelines which in itself increase chronic disease risk. This reduced physical activity also negatively impacts the mental health of men in Australia too. Exercise has been proven to provide a major positive effect on mental health as well as our physical health. By starting to try and meet the national guidelines (discussed here) is another great step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Getting started
As Exercise Physiologists our job is not just exercise prescription, but also education. Often that education involves finding ways to help our clients change their current habits, to try and include more of these healthy habits we've been discussing. We take the time in our sessions to get a better understanding of our clients goals, what motivates them and why, to ensure we set attainable goals together. An approach we have had great success with is setting smaller goals that lead towards our main goal. That way our goals don't look so far away, and we can start to build some really positive momentum towards our more long term goal, even when we do hit some speed bumps along the way, having these habits in place can keep us moving forwards. 

As some of you may be aware, last year I tore my ACL and have been embarking on a long recovery back into playing sports. Now this rehab can take anywhere between 12-18 months and I can tell you that it has not been all smooth sailing for me. But being able to set up smaller goals all along this journey has helped me to stay committed  to achieving this long term goal. I have felt like my goals have been progressing constantly throughout as I have achieved one after the other. Starting with simply being able to bend my knee, then being able to walk without any aid, walking pain-free, being able to squat, to jump, to run... etc. All of these successes has made it so I can see the progress and feel that sense of achievement on a consistent basis.  ​

​Exercise Physiology – More than just exercise prescription:
 
As exercise physiologists we often get asked many different questions about our profession both from clients, members of the public and even our family and friends. I can't tell you how many times I have been asked by my family "What exactly is an Exercise Physiologist?". Other than a long and confusing title, I like to explain that an EP is someone who uses exercise prescription to improve an individual's health, wellbeing and function. Like specialised personal training. That's the short version, the elevator pitch. With Exercise Right Week coming up this month, what better time to dive a little deeper and discuss what makes us as EPs different from other health professionals like PTs and physios, and what you can expect from seeing an EP at Simply Stronger. 

Getting to know you
We take the time to get to know our clients, we want to know what makes them tick. By getting to know the ins and outs of our clients we can better understand the things they like about exercise, and the things they don't. We can figure out what impacts their ability to exercise both in a positive and negative way and then use this information to build a more personalised and achievable exercise plan. Sometimes our clients will have blocks they don't even realize that is limiting their activity. By obtaining as much information in the initial assessment as we can, we then tailor their plan to suite all of their needs. 
 
Extensive exercise knowledge
Something that differentiates us from other health professionals is our extensive knowledge around exercise. Within our studies and training we focus deeply on how exercise can be prescribed , but also how it can be modified and changed to suite everyone’s needs. This means that any exercise can be changed to better fit the individual that walks in the door. At Simply Stronger you will often here us say "everything is modifiable" and it's true. We constantly tweak and adapt exercises to subtly or sometimes not so subtly change the goal and subsequent outcome of the exercise. This while used every day in face to face sessions, has also proven to be enormously beneficial when developing home exercise programs, travel programs and gym programs with various equipment.

The key to success
When you receive an exercise plan from us, it will involve all the specific details of your individualised exercise prescription. Explaining what exercises to complete, when and how, I think we can all agree is vital. However, the key to your success is understanding why. Why this exercise, why this prescription, what will this exercise do for you and your health?
We provide you with this education because when you have the context of why, you are so much more likely to complete your program. Without the why it has no context and no meaning, so why would you do it.

As exercise physiologists we also focus on a more holistic approach to our treatment and services. By doing this, we ensure that we understand what drives our clients to complete their exercises, while also having a true awareness of the challenges they face when it comes to completing exercise. We work together with our clients to develop goals that feel achievable and realistic to you, our clients. 

As one of our clients recently stated “It’s the small and achievable goals that become habits”. Over the years this client has been attending Simply Stronger, she has found our consistent messaging and education has empowered her to both see and understand her progress. 

We hope this gives you a little more insight to what an EP is and what we do for our clients. We would love it if you shared this with your friends because let's be honest, most people don't know who we are either.