Cane and Able Exercise Physiology

27/10/2024

I am so very honoured to announce that I was recently interviewed by the QUT Alumni team to discuss my business, goals, and journey so far. Their past interviewees have achieved some truly amazing things, so I feel incredibly lucky to be able to share my story amongst so many accomplished and inspiring people.

I can't thank my wife, sister and every other phenomenal person in my life for all of their support and encouragement over the years. Sincerely, thank you all.

You can read the full interview on the QUT website at the following link here:

Based on your professional level and experience, combined with your individual needs and motivations, there are several different study formats for you to choose from to help you achieve your career goals.

09/10/2024

Gamifying exercise in the workplace has significant benefits for workers' health! 🏆

New research from the Uni of SA assessed data from over 11,500 participants across 73 companies, and revealed that workplace initiatives to gamify completing just 15 minutes of exercise a day at work lead to substantial increases in physical activity levels and sizable health benefits for workers such as improved sleep quality, energy, mood, fitness and overall health. 🫀 💪

This is fantastic news, as currently almost one in four (23.9%) of people aged 15 years and over meet the physical activity guidelines in Australia, and nearly half (46.9%) of all employed adults aged 18-64 years describe their day at work as mostly sitting. 📊

Research like this is super exciting and offers valuable insights on how companies and employees can take easy steps towards better health. Whether it's a lunchtime walk, yoga/stretching break from desk work, or an active 'walk and talk' meeting, aiming to be active for just 15 minutes a day is a great scalable and sustainable goal that any workplace can implement to support the health of their employees, Research has clearly shown how physically active employees are happier, healthier, more productive, less stressed and are far less likely to get sick so it's not only a win for workers, but for businesses too! 📈

You can read the full research article here: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/13/1255

Reference article: "Evaluation of the "15 Minute Challenge”: A Workplace Health and Wellbeing Program" (2024), authored by Ben Singh, Ty Ferguson, Artem Deev, Anton Deev, and Carol A. Maher.

12/07/2024

Cupcakes! An amazing client brought these beautiful (and very delicious) handmade cupcakes as a gift to their reassessment appointment yesterday.

We've been working together now for nearly 8 weeks managing their chronic back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, and it's honestly been rewarding enough just seeing all of their progress and the change it's had to their life.

Previously standing for just 10 minutes or performing many movements like bending forward could cause severe back pain, which significantly impacted on many daily activities and quality of life. Now, this client is able to stand for hour-long activities with their children; bake incredible cupcakes like these for school events with no issues; and hasn't experienced movement-related pain or symptoms over the past 3 weeks.

It's been an absolute pleasure working with this client, seeing how engaged they are to learn more about their pain and their determination in regularly completing their exercise prescription to manage it long term.

I'm looking forward to seeing their progress over the coming months, and to push towards all the new goals they've set now living pain-free.

24/06/2024

I had such a fantastic day out at the Vision Australia Open Day recently, meeting some really amazing people doing so much for the blind and low vision community across Queensland. Vision Australia organised such a fantastic event bringing together so many parts of our community, and highlighting all the ways they support the careers, health and lives of people who are blind/low vision. As a fantastic auditory backdrop to it all, they also showcased some incredible blind/low vision musicians such as Clear Vision (awesome name by the way!) and many others. Oh, and how could I forget to add, I got to meet some ridiculously cute guide dogs!

I also got to finally meet Associate Professor Emma Beckman in person! Just a few of Assoc. Professor Beckman's roles are the Para Sport High Performance Manager at the Queensland Academy of Sport; Associate Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Queensland; and a Board Director at Exercise and Sports Science Australia. With all her other commitments, this wonderful human has always somehow found the time to be so supportive over the past months, and I'm so grateful to have been invited to share the stall with UQ (also represented by the awesome Bridget Dodds) at this Open Day. I'm really looking forward to working together in the future to further support people living with blindness/low vision like me to thrive with physical activity and sport.

Getting active with exercise or sport as someone who is blind or has low vision comes with extra challenges, but it has had such a profound effect on my own life and it's something I'm extremely passionate about. I'm so happy to have been a small part of this awesome day, and to have met so many others enthusiastically promoting accessibility, exercise and blind/low vision sport.

04/06/2024

I'm happy to announce that I'll be participating in the Push Up Challenge again this year to raise awareness for mental health, especially for those living with disabilities and chronic illness, across Australia.

My amazing family will also be participating for the first time this year (due to some gentle nudges from me)! I'll be trying to by completing 3,249 push ups over 24 days from 5th - 28th June, in remembrance of the lives tragically lost to su***de last year in Australia.

The challenge starts tomorrow, but it's not too late to sign up and get involved too! It's a fantastic way to get active and be part of a community event working to raise awareness and funds for a very important cause.

You can visit my challenge profile below if you'd like, or find information about how to get involved. All donations go entirely and directly to Headspace, Lifeline and the Push for Better Foundation.

Profile link:

Help raise funds for much-needed mental health services and initiatives by donating to my page. I’m completing The Push-Up Challenge to support this great cause and would love your help to reach my fundraising target.

14/02/2024

Love is in the air! 🥰

We frequently are quick to show so much love and compassion to those we care about, but new research shows that being self-compassionate may be crucial in reaching exercise and weight loss goals. 💓

Researchers from Drexel University in the U.S. found that participants that showed themselves more compassion after lapses in eating and exercise behaviours, reported significantly better mood and improved self-control over their future behaviours.

Reaching exercise and weight loss goals can often be a long and challenging journey, but this research highlights that being kind to yourself when facing setbacks can make all the difference. Instead of succumbing to self-criticism, try to show the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a friend or loved one. ❤️

You can read the full research article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666323024716?via%3Dihub
Reference article: "The Role of Self-compassion and its Individual Components in Adaptive Responses to Dietary Lapses" (2024), authored by Charlotte J. Hagerman, Marny M. Ehmann, Lauren C. Taylor, and Evan M. Forman.

10/01/2024

New international research, including a team of clinical experts from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, uncovers a fascinating link between regular exercise and improved brain health! 🧠

🔬 MRI scans of 10,125 individuals showed engaging in regular exercise, such as walking or sports, leads to larger brain volumes in key areas critical for learning, memory and information processing. "Exercise not only lowers dementia risk but also maintains vital brain size as we age," says lead researcher, Dr Cyrus A. Raji. The study also showed that even modest levels of physical activity, such as taking just 4,000 steps a day, had a positive effect on brain health.

This research highlights another amazing reason to get and stay active! Whether it's a daily walk or a favorite sport, making regular physical activity a part of your life can have significant and lasting benefits for our brain health 🏃‍♂️

You can read the full research article here: https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad230740

Reference Article: "Exercise-Related Physical Activity Relates to Brain Volumes in 10,125 Individuals" (Nov 2023), authored by Cyrus A. Raji, Somayeh Meysami, Sam Hashemi, Saurabh Garg, Nasrin Akbari, Gouda Ahmed, Yosef Gavriel Chodakiewitz, Thanh Duc Nguyen, Kellyann Niotis, David A. Merrill, and Rajpaul Attariwala.

13/12/2023

🌬️ Breathing a Sigh of Relief: Exercise and Asthma Management! 🩺

Exciting news in the world of asthma research! 📚 A new meta-analysis published in the Annals of Medicine underscores the vital role of tailored exercise in managing asthma. 🏋️‍♂️

The analysis, led by Dr. Shuangtao Xing, examined data from 28 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and revealed the significant impact specific exercise types have in boosting respiratory function for adults. 🫁

Breathing training, aerobic exercise, and yoga were found to be the most effective at improving lung function for those living with asthma, showing promising avenues for effective management. 🧘‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Ready to breathe easier? Making regular exercise part of your weekly routine can be a powerful ally in your asthma management! 💪

You can read the article here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230811115519.htm

Or the full research study here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2023.2237031

06/12/2023

🏃‍♂️ Take the Stairs for a Healthier Heart! 💓

Climbing just five flights of stairs a day can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%! 📉

Dr Lu Qi, the lead researcher from the groundbreaking study, explains how short bursts of high-intensity stair climbing can enhance your cardiorespiratory fitness and lipid profile. Even if you can't meet the current physical activity recommendations, stair climbing is a fantastic option! 🚶‍♀️

The study analyzed data from 450,000 adults, considering family history, risk factors, and genetic risks. The results are in: Daily stair climbing significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially for those less susceptible. And guess what? It can even effectively offset the risk for those with higher susceptibility too! 🆙

Stairs are everywhere, and they're your affordable ticket to a healthier heart. So, while the elevator is tempting, choosing the stairs as part of your daily routine will have your heart saying "thank you"! 💓

You can read the article here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230929131402.htm

Or the full research study here: https://www.atherosclerosis-journal.com/article/S0021-9150(23)05221-8/fulltext

29/11/2023

💡 New discovery could be a game-changer in understanding the role of exercise in the fight against Alzheimer's Disease (AD). 🧠

The evidence is clear that exercise is beneficial for the brain, but the exact mechanism of how it works in AD has remained a mystery. 🤔

A new study by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital revealed that irisin, a muscle-derived hormone that increases with exercise, has a direct link to AD. 🏥Showing that irisin treatment can significantly reduce amyloid beta deposits in the brain, a hallmark of AD. 🧬

Here's the magic: Irisin increases the activity of neprilysin, an enzyme that breaks down amyloid beta. This leads to a reduction in amyloid beta pathology in the brain and a potential breakthrough in AD treatment. 🔬

But that's not all! The researchers identified the receptor that irisin binds to on brain cells, astrocytes, and the key signaling pathways involved. This is a big discovery that opens up new target pathways for future Alzheimer's therapies. 💊

It's still early days, but it offers hope in the quest to prevent and treat this devastating disease. 🙌 The potential here is huge and gives another great reason to keep as active as you can no matter your age! 🏃‍♀️

You can read the article here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230908125947.htm

Or the full research study here: https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(23)00623-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0896627323006232%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

22/11/2023

🧒 Boosting Kids' Resilience: Exercise vs. Stress 🧠

Exercise is a common and well-established way for adults to help relieve stress, but what about our little ones? Can exercise help kids tackle the pressures of school and other stressful situations? 🏫 A new study from Switzerland aimed to find out!

Here's the scoop: Kids aged 10-13 wore movement sensors, participated in both stressful and non-stressful tasks, and then had their cortisol levels (the stress hormone) measured. 🧪

The results? Children who followed the international physical activity recommendations of one hour of daily exercise had lower cortisol levels during stressful and even non-stressful situations. 😅

Why? 🤔 Exercise might train their brains to view cortisol as a positive thing, helping them stay calm during challenging moments, like exams! 📚💯

Encouraging your youngsters to stay active is not only fantastic for their physical health, but can have a big impact for a brighter and stress-resilient future! 🌟

You can read the article here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230905124926.htm

Or the full research study here: https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(23)00182-2/fulltext

15/11/2023

⏰ Exercise Timing is a Key to Defence Against Diabetes 🛡️

New research from Harvard and Cambridge reveals the key to reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes lies in WHEN you exercise. 🕒 Analysis of 93,095 participants found that morning and afternoon physical activity lowers the risk by 10% and 9%, respectively. ⬇️ But evening exercise didn't show the same benefits.

Exercise intensity during these time was also found to have a linear preventative effect, with higher intensity exercise conferring an even greater reduction in risk. 📈

Getting active during your mornings and afternoons can make a big difference in your prevention of diabetes. 💪

You can read the article here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230921105751.htm

Or the research study here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-023-06001-7