SPORT ENGLAND CAMPAIGNS TO GET WOMEN EXERCISING....

A campaign has been launched to tackle the barriers that stop millions of women from taking exercise and getting fit.

Sport England’s This girl can campaign will aim to show ‘real women’ exercising, and change the widely-held view that active females must be Lycra-clad and super-fit.

Research commissioned by the sport promotion body found that 2 million fewer women in England aged from 14-40 played sport regularly than men, but that 75 per cent of women would like to be more active.

The findings show that the biggest barrier to women exercising is a fear of being judged. Sport England chief executive Jennie Price said: ‘We want to tell the real story of women who exercise and play sport. They come in all shapes and sizes and all levels of ability. They have a myriad of reasons for doing what they do.

‘This campaign says it really doesn’t matter if you are a bit rubbish or completely brilliant, the main thing is that you are a woman and you are doing something, and that deserves to be celebrated.’

Taken from the CSP's Frontline Magazine

HOW TO AVOID SLIPS, TRIPS & FALLS

I've just read in my professional journal that 'Falls leave 1.2 million in A&E and cost the NHS £1.6 million'.  

We all fall from time to time but more so as children and as older people.   As children on the whole tend to bounce back pretty well I thought I would focus on falls amongst the older population and whether that's you or someone you know I hope that you'll find the information and handy hints below helpful.

You'll probably know that as we get older our bones tend to grow thinner and weaker, our muscles can become weaker and our balance becomes less good which can all lead to an increase in prevalence of slips, trip and falls.  

With an ever increasing older population this is not just a problem for the NHS where the queues are long and the financial cost is high but it can also be a huge problem for the person who has fallen too.  At the very least it is likely that a lack of confidence in mobilising will result following a fall.  If an injury has occurred such as a fracture, surgery may be required resulting in time in hospital or possibly plastercast which in turn will require help from others, possibly a change of home situation and reduction in independence.   

To help reduce the incidence of slips, trips and falls it's vital that we take action.  The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have put together a fantastic 12 point list of handy hints (listed below) that help to identify key areas of problems and suggest ways to address them. I have added a couple of things to the lists which I know from experience can be a problem.

• 1. Mop up spillages straight away so there is no risk of slipping
• 2. Take particular care when getting up in the night to go to the bathroom. You may need to do this more urgently and frequently as you grow older. If you are at risk of tripping in the dark, have a night light or a lamp with a switch nearby. Find CSP advice on continence here.
• 3. Remove trip-hazards like clutter, trailing wires and frayed carpet
• 4. Use non-slip mats and rugs, or put a carpet grip underneath.  In areas where you don't necessarily need a rug it might be easier to take it up.
• 5. Use a grip mat in the bath and shower, and have grab rails for getting in and out
• 6. Use high-wattage light bulbs
• 7. If you are falling frequently, organise your home to keep climbing, stretching and bending to a minimum and to avoid bumping into furniture. For example, move crockery that you use regularly to a waist-high shelf
• 8. Get help with tasks you can't do safely on your own
• 9. Avoid walking on slippery floors in socks or tights
• 10. Avoid long, trailing clothes that might trip you up. If you are unable to tack up a hem, then put a belt around your waist and pull the excess material over the belt.  Watch out for rugs too which might get caught up when getting out of a chair
• 11. Wear well-fitting slippers and shoes in good condition that support the ankle and have a good grip on the sole.
• 12. Maintain good physical fitness, muscle strength, balance and flexibility 

SPORTING INJURY MANAGEMENT

For many of us keeping fit is a hugely important part of daily life.  We strive to keep healthy and do some form of exercise on a regular exercise to maintain or improve our shape, fitness or general health.

However a huge number of us, whilst doing our exercises, will experience aches and pains that are not just from working the muscles but due to something which ‘doesn’t feel quite right’ - you’ll know the difference.  From listening to patients I think the majority of people would opt to take some rest from that activity and hope it improves, they might put some ice on it or do a few stretches to see what happens.  After a few weeks, feeling a bit fed up from not being able to do what they enjoy/need to do they’ll return to the activity and hope for the best.  However in my experience this is when they consider coming for physio too as they realise that things aren’t quite a well as they’d hoped.

Sound familiar?

The acronym RICE rest, ice, compress, elevate is certainly a good place to start and many things respond well to it and improve faster than if it hadn’t been done.   But why?  

Rest - gives time for healing - a couple of days will have a huge impact, 

Ice - this helps with pain relief and swelling, 

Compress - helps to reduce the swelling, and 

Elevate - helps the swelling move the lymph glands which are found around our hips in our lower limbs and armpits in our upper.   

A support in the first few days may also be helpful such as a sling or pair of crutches.  If you think that something has been badly damaged it’s worth going to the GP or seeing a physio to find out the best plan of action.  

ATTENTION CYCLISTS DO YOU KNOW ABOUT COLLIDEOSCOPE?

I've just read about this great new, free app Collideoscope which has been developed with the aim of helping cyclists identify accident hotspots with a view to preventing injuries etc.

I think this is a fantastic idea as it allows cyclists to be better informed of problem areas but also gives an opportunity to inform others.  I've read that the plan behind the development of this app is to find out how many people are having cycling collisions and crashes, what the outcomes are and where they are happening.  This information can be used not only day to day but also to influence public policy.

ARE YOU STRESSED AT WORK? YOU'RE NOT ALONE....SOME HANDY HINTS TO HELP

The Labour Force Survey reports that in 2013/14

• The total number of cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety was 487 000 (39%) out of a total of 1 241 000 cases for all work-related illnesses, and 
• The number of new cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety was 244 000.  
• Resulting in a total of 11.3 million working days lost over 2013/14

The HSE define work-related stress, depression and anxiety as 'a harmful reaction people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work' which can include not just the workload itself but also changes at work and interpersonal relationships.

In my experience the additional stressors I have noticed include hot desking, especially where bits of equipment don't work properly, job insecurity, lack of recognition from management, difficult to achieve deadlines and no time to even stop for lunch.  

Recently I was on a business course and we were told that employees were happiest when they were working at 80-85% of capacity, busy but not frantic.  

So what changes can be made to make sure that you're happy at work this year?

Why not start with the things you can control.

*  Make sure your workstation, chair, laptop etc are set up correctly for you.  If you're hot desking ensure  you make the changes at the start of the day so you're comfortable all day.  If you need any help on what to do check out my new website ergonomics at the physio place.  If you need extra equipment make sure you have it available and that it works well for you.

* Factor in a break from your desk every hour, even if you're just standing up. 

* Try varying the jobs you need to do throughout the day

* Make sure you take a lunch break. So many people eat something at their desk and continue working or 'googling'.  Continuing with the same posture and tasks throughout the day is a know contributor to aches and pains.

*Take regular exercise even if it's just a short walk.  A change of scene together with some exercise will help recharge you and help with your circulation too 

* If you're struggling with your workload it's unrealistic you need to speak up, your manager may not be aware that you're struggling.

I appreciate that actioning these things can seem like a mountain to climb but why not try adding in a couple of these suggestions each week and by the end of the month you might be feeling like you're back in the driving seat.

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