We're not stuck in lockdown, we're safe in lockdown

I hope this finds everyone safe and well.

It’s been a challenging few weeks getting used to our new socially distant lives, with many of us working from home and trying to educate our children too.

I’ve been working over the last few weeks to get reformPhysio & Pilates fully operational online.

Pilates

Pilates classes are now successfully up and running (booking here), with four classes a week running on live on Zoom. I love the live aspect of the classes as it still allows me to see everyone, input/correct form and most importantly get a bit of chat! There have been some new faces and the classes have now spread out of Aberdeen. My aim is to try and go international!

Online Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy appointments are also up and running using my usual booking software, with no additional downloads required. There’s great instructions here.

As so many of us are busier in the garden or maybe starting a new form of exercise, injuries and niggles will still happen. Although I can’t offer any hands on treatment, an online Physiotherapy appointment is still a really valuable resource. There appointments will aim to get to the bottom of your problem and provide individualised exercise and advice to get you back up and running.

Ask the Physio

Last week I asked facebook and instagram followers for any requests on specific content they would like to see. I have since been working at putting videos online to meet these topics. My first post was regarding hamstring strength, there will be some foam rolling videos to follow along with calf strengthening advice. Self assessment of RAD has also been posted. Please get in touch with anything else you’d like to see.

Online Physiotherapy appointments

We are now up and running with Online Physiotherapy appointments. All appointments can be booked via the ‘book now’ tab. This will take you into our booking system which supports booking, payment and the running of the video appointment. Once you have booked your appointment you will receive a confirmation email with a link to your online appointment. At the time of your appointment, click that link & we will see you there!

The technology is super simple, no additional apps to download and it works across all platforms.

Online Pilates

This week saw reformPhysio & Pilates trial our first online Pilates class. I decided to use Zoom, to allow me to see and correct class participants. We had a couple of teething issues, which have now been resolved so I am delighted to now roll out weekly classes on a Monday evening.

Classes will be booked on a weekly basis using eventbrite. This gives a little more flexibility as everyone’s circumstances are changing so quickly at the moment.

The first Monday class on 30th April was fully booked within 2 hours! So there is now a poll running on the reformPhysio & Pilates facebook page to gauge interest in other class times/availabilities.

To ensure I conform with my insurance requirements I will be sending out health screening questionnaires before the classes to anyone who has not previously attended.

I look forward to seeing you online soon!

Laura

Important service update

If someone had said a month ago that our schools would be closing from now until the summer I never would have believed it. But here we are a month down the line, with schools closing, social distancing now part of our common parlance and daily updates about panic buying. It’s a very unsettling time.

I made the decision on Monday to cancel all Pilates classes until further notice & am in the process of providing refunds to everyone that attends. I was hoping to continue providing Physiotherapy consultations.

Since that decision was made my family have self isolated as my daughter developed a cough which met the criteria for isolation. We are hoping that we may be able to access testing as my husband is a frontline NHS staff member & we think they might want him back at work! Hopefully we will test negative and be able to get back out there a little earlier than originally thought.

As the rules are changing so quickly regarding working practices and social distancing, I am cancelling all appointments within the next fortnight and not rebooking them. I will reassess the situation at the time I am out of isolation. If it is appropriate to continue to see people within the clinic I most certainly will, with extra precautions in place eg 15min intervals between patients. If this is not possible and there is demand, I will offer online consultations. I am contacting everyone individually to discuss this.

Lets finish on a positive note!

I have had the most amazing feedback from everyone regarding Pilates classes and I am excited (terrified) at the prospect of developing an online service.

The sense of community in Kingswells has been phenomenal. Our neighbour dropped in cupcakes, we’ve been inundated with offers of help from friends and a scheme for ensuring every street has a contact for offering assistance with shopping etc has been rolled out. It’s pretty awesome.

And while we’re able to, we are prioritising time outside and started work on the veggie patch today. I think we might need a good one this year.

Thanks everyone for your understanding & get in touch if you have any questions.

Covid-19

It’s been a bit of an unsettling time recently with the rise of Covid-19/Coronavirus. Here at reformPhysio & Pilates we are following current government guidance, so service is continuing pretty much as normal in both our Physiotherapy service and during Pilates classes.

During Pilates classes you will notice mats being sanitised after each class (your help with this is much appreciated) and you may notice a decrease or change in the small equipment used as we want to ensure everything is cleaned between classes. You are more than welcome to bring your own mat to the class if you would prefer. We would encourage you to wash your hands prior to the class and on your return home. Please do not come to the class if you are feeling unwell.

There will be little noticeable change to Physiotherapy consultations, but we would encourage hand washing when you arrive for your appointment and when you return home. As mentioned above, please do not attend for Physiotherapy appointments if you are feeling unwell.

We hope to continue to run our Physiotherapy & Pilates services for as long as possible and will keep you updated with any changes as they become necessary and inline with government guidance.

McCullagh International meet 2020

Here we are at the end of the second month of reformPhysio & Pilates and it’s been a busy one. There are now five Pilates classes up and running in two locations in Aberdeen, alongside two clinical mornings in Craigiebuckler. In addition to this there was also a four day working trip to the McCullagh International meet in Bangor, Northern Ireland. I’ve decided to put together a post about my trip, which I hope you find interesting, Laura.

What is the McCullagh International meet?

This is a four day long course (50m) swimming event in Northern Ireland offering a full Olympic programme. This year the meet was formatted with heats in the evening and finals in the morning, mirroring the format of this year’s Tokyo Olympics. There was an exciting line up of swimmers this year as athletes are preparing for the Olympic trials in London in April.

What does a Physio pack?

Packing for a swimming meet is a piece of cake compared to any pitch side physio work! There’s no need for plasters (hopefully) or rolls of Kinesiotape (not allowed for competition) & we were lucky enough to borrow a Physio couch from Irish swimming (thanks so much!), so aside from ensuring the shorts were packed (it’s hot poolside) and a few other basics: spiky balls, peanut, foam roller/yoga wheel, massage oil, there isn’t much to carry.

What does a Physio actually do all day?

When you travel as part of the team, you are that, part of the team and not just the physio. Amongst other things, I’ve been known to do the supermarket shopping for a team, monitor sun tan lotion usage, lead morning warm up runs and pool side pilates sessions.

More specifically, at a swim meet a Physio can be involved in delivering the pre pool routine. There's a great link here to pre-pool routines for anyone new to this.

We also monitor the swimmers after a race, treating any issues that may have arisen or carrying out soft tissue work to facilitate the recovery process.

It’s also a great opportunity to watch the racing! Ultimately our goal with Physiotherapy input is to see improved performance in the pool and racing is the culmination of weeks/months of prior input. It can be a good measure of where the athlete is in their training schedule and allows us to identify any further areas to work on.

Is it fun?

I absolutely love travelling with Sports teams and swimming is no different. Being completely immersed in the sport for a few days can lead a better understanding of the demands of the sport on the athletes body & to new ideas for Physiotherapy treatments/exercises.

New Postnatal Pilates classes at Ferryhill Parish Church

We are delighted to be launching new Postnatal Pilates classes at Ferryhill Parish Church on a Wednesday morning, from 26th February.

These are relaxed classes, with exercises designed to specifically target the parts of the body changed by pregnancy. Pilates can be a great adjunct to other exercise, or a gentle reintroduction to exercise postnatally. Babies are most welcome to join us in the class.

The classes will be running in a 6 week block, costing £48. The first session will be a half price taster, so you can try the class before you sign up.

Please get in touch for more information or to book your space.

Changing your running cadence

As running season begins, we’ve had a few discussions this week about changing running cadence. We thought it would be useful to pull together our knowledge and advice into a blog post.

What is running cadence?

Simply put, its the number of strides you take within a minute. Most fitness trackers will record this, accuracy can vary though so it can be useful to count your steps over a thirty second period and multiply by two (doing this on a treadmill or flat route will give you a clearer result).

Why do Physio’s care about cadence?

increasing running cadence between 5-15% can decrease the force going through the front of the knee by up to 20%. This can be a really useful consideration in runners with pain in the front of the knee (patellofemoral pain).

Increased cadence can also encourage increased midfoot strike. This is positive as heel striking can lead to a breaking effect which can cause deceleration and lead to injuries.

What is the optimum cadence?

Cadence can vary widely and each person will have a slightly different ‘optimum’, but it’s usually considered to be between 170-180 strides per minute.

How do we change cadence?

Current advice is to increase cadence by up to 7.5%. It’s very specific, but higher than this can be hard to sustain. In our experience, using a metronome app for short periods running on the treadmill, has been the easiest way to achieve a difference. As you increase cadence, try and maintain the same pace. Trying to alter cadence while running outdoors initially, can be challenging due to the variability of the terrain. With practice, the cadence changes will become easier to maintain and will then translate from the treadmill into those outdoor/longer runs.

Good luck & get in touch if you have any questions.

So it began..

After 9 years of working under the umbrella of a bigger company, it has been so exciting to launch reformPhysio & Pilates and get our first week under our belts.

Laura has started three new Pilates classes and was delighted to meet some new and old faces into the classes. Laura has most recently been teaching Advanced pilates, so it has been really great going back to planning beginners classes, focussing on body awareness and correct muscle recruitment.

We’ve been made to feel so welcome at The Little Clinic, and the feedback from clients regarding the premises has been 100% positive, it’s a great space to work from. Again, it’s been a delight to see some returning faces and welcome new clients too.

We look forward to meeting many more new faces over the coming months.

What’s next?

Our next project is to work on gaining provider status with the key private healthcare providers. We’ll keep you updated with this.

January Sale

We are delighted to be able to offer 10% off all Physiotherapy appointments in the month of January. Appointments are available on Monday and Friday mornings at The Little Clinic, 68c Countesswells Road, Aberdeen.

Use the book now tab from the home screen (drop down menu if you’re on a mobile) to take advantage of this great offer.