There are so many old expressions that spring to mind when we are talking about pain, particularly in relation to exercise. ‘Pain is weakness leaving the body’ is the classic one I grew up with in the rugby sheds of New Zealand. These expressions usually revolve around the fact that being in pain creates the opportunity for us to experience growth and pleasure. Now this may have been true to those who originally made those statements, but if we are talking about pain in relation to the human body and movement, there are a few extra things to consider before pushing through to the glory we've been promised.

Online Pilates Classes

If there is one thing this pandemic has shown us, is that technology has provided a fantastic platform to help keep us connected when we can’t physically be with each other. At a personal level, being based in Melbourne and having our families based in WA and NZ has meant that although we haven’t been able to physically see our families, we’ve still been able to share the highs and lows of the last few months, and enjoy casting shared thoughts in to an unpredictable future. Is it ideal? Far from it. Is it okay as a temporary measure? It’s certainly better than nothing - faster than a letter in the mail, and a bit more lively than a phone call.

healthy livingRobert Carruthers21 July 2020pilates, Group Classes, online pilatesComment

Pilates and Osteoporosis

At its most simple, Osteoporosis basically means brittle bone. Bone is naturally porous, and is a living tissue that is simultaneously being made by certain cells, while being broken down others. Up until around the age of 30, the rate at which bone is being made is greater than it is being broken down. After around 30, the rate it is broken down slowly exceeds the rate at which it is made. This gradually results in our bones becoming more hollow and brittle over time.

healthy livingRobert Carruthers21 July 2020osteoporosis, osteopenia, Clinical PilatesComment

Functional Neurology

After the huge success the 2018 AMN Academy Mastermind retreat was, Rob quickly signed up for the next retreat, this time held in Ubud, Bali. Rob knew whatever was covered would be really helpful for functional neurology treatment sessions at Movementality, and it was also a fantastic opportunity to hang out and work with some of the best practitioners in the world. This group of practitioners are always helping people with all sorts of ailments that would otherwise be left in the ‘too-hard’ basket by most health practitioners - insomnia, scoliosis, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain etc… So what an opportunity to pick the brains of these incredible minds in hopes of better utilising the AMN system for helping our clients move better, and reduce strain on their delicate physiological systems.

healthy livingRobert Carruthers21 April 2020Functional Neurology, brain healthComment

A Healthy Lifestyle, Revisited

At Movementality, we believe a healthy lifestyle revolves around finding a healthy balance between a strong and nourish body, a sharp and clear mind, and strong but kind spirit. This is not an easy balance to maintain with the many different stressors and lifestyle factors that work against us. But having a positive mindset, and fostering productive habits around clean food, adequate sleep, consistent exercise, plenty of social time and regular meditation can all help with keeping the balance. And when you feel more balanced, you are more likely to feel like you can take control of your own happiness. Creating and paying attention to this mind-body-spirit balance will allow you to feel when things start to go awry, and better prepare you for the myriad of unpredictable daily stressors we all regularly face.

healthy livingGuest User19 December 2019healthy lifestyle, health, wellness, pilates, richmond pilates, melbourne pilates, clean livingComment

Breathing for Pilates, and everyday life

Late last year I attended a two day BreatheAbility breathing course with physiotherapist and Breathing Educator Tess Graham. Tess Graham trained with Ukrainian doctor Konstantin Buteyko in the early 1990’s. Buteyko is renowned for his work on breathing retraining for asthmatics and founding the Buteyko Institute. Tess herself has over 6500 hours of clinical experience as a breathing specialist and believes she cured two of her children of their asthma. Naturally, being curious and a Pilates instructor, I was eager to learn about her techniques for breathing retaining which, until now, I hadn’t heard of.

healthy living, PilatesRobert Carruthers5 March 2019breath work, pilatesComment

Vestibular system and Bone Health

Recently, many people have asked me, "What's that new thing over in the corner?" If you did, its likely I encouraged you to step on and have a turn; an unfamiliar vibration experience that at first "feels a bit weird" but usually leaves you feeling pretty great afterwards. If you're still wondering what I'm talking about, we recently got a Vibeplate. No, it wasn't purchased late-night from a TV infomercial and no doesn't come with one of those belts that vibrate you to lose weight. So, (I hear you wonder) what's so great about the Vibeplate then and more importantly, why do I need it?