Southwest Wellness Centre

08/09/2025

The 10 year club begins!

A Welcome to (and thanks for creating) the 10 year club to our amazing Sharon.

On Sunday Sharon ticked over 10 years with Southwest Wellness Centre and I couldn't be more thankful for having her with us and by my side for all that time.

Sharon started with us on reception and still to this day customers love seeing her friendly face when they walk in the door. Sharon now works with all of our NDIS clients and support coordinators managing all our NDIS.

Sharon is always bubbly and positive and full of passion for what she does, the clients and our centre.

A fun fact about Sharon... her hair.. all natural??? How does she keep such non grey perfect golden hair, she says the secret is never dying it, I say we just haven't stressed her enough it seems lol...

I am beyond grateful to everything she has done. She is a bit like a mum for me at the centre and for everyone else as well.

Thank you Shazzie for all you do and thank you for 10 years with the centre.

Bec

08/09/2025

🏃‍♂️ Marathon Recovery Tips 👌

The Sydney Marathon is now done and dusted, so it’s time to focus on recovering from the big day. Recovering well after a marathon is just as important as the training that got you there, helping your body heal, reduce injury risk, and setting you up for future running success. Here’s how to recover after finishing a marathon:

😴 First 1-2 Days
Prioritise rest: Sleep is your best recovery tool. More sleep than usual can be beneficial.

😣Manage soreness: Gentle compression, foam rolling, or massage guns can help with muscle pain.

🧘‍♀️ Gentle movement: Slow walking or light stretching are good for keeping joints moving.

🥗Nutrient-dense meals: Focus on protein for muscle repair and carbohydrates for muscle glycogen replacement

🏊🏻 Short-Term Recovery (Days 3–7) Active recovery: Walking, swimming, or easy cycling. Avoid faster running until soreness fades.

🙌 Self-massage or professional massage: A sports massage or self-massage (eg. foam rolling, massage gun) can help improve circulation and reduce sensation of muscle tightness and soreness.

💦 Stay hydrated: Your body is still repairing, and water intake helps this process.

🏃‍♂️ Longer-Term Recovery (Weeks 2–4) Gradual return to running: Start with short, easy runs after legs feel recovered.

👂 Listen to your body: Some runners feel ready in a week, others need up to a month before
returning to usual training.

🧠Mental recovery: Post-marathon blues are common. Setting new, smaller goals to stay
motivated can be helpful.

08/09/2025

😃Let’s Talk! Book a Session with Loretta Today

Our registered psychologist, Loretta has a way of making people feel heard, understood, and supported, exactly when they need it most. She has helped many people work through anxiety, trauma, and everyday challenges with care and professionalism.

Loretta creates a space where you can talk openly, feel supported, and start making real progress. No pressure, no judgment, just genuine support from someone who brings empathy, experience, and real understanding to every conversation.

📍 Find us at Unit 1, 5 Exchange Parade, Smeaton Grange

☎️ Reach out to book a session or learn more about how we can help (02) 4647 1134 or book online at https://book.nookal.com/bookings/book/E93a9B8b-1BD9-CE35-fD5f-d651A8c6e172/location/ZTTUB

Nookal - Online Bookings

03/09/2025

🦵 Single Leg Balance and Ageing

The single-leg balance test is a simple, quick way to assess physical function and can give valuable insight into how well your body is ageing.

The test involves standing barefoot on one leg, with arms by your side and eyes looking straight ahead. If you can’t balance on one leg for 10 seconds, it may indicate increased health risks.

Here’s how it relates to ageing:
🔹Decline in coordination and neuromuscular control: Balance relies on your brain, nerves, muscles, and joints all working together – these functions tend to decline with age. Difficulty balancing may suggest age-related deterioration in these systems.

🔹Predictive of mortality risk: A 2022 study in British Journal of Sports Medicine found that middle-aged and older adults who couldn’t complete the 10-second balance test had nearly double the risk of death over the next 10 years, even after adjusting for age, weight, and health conditions.

🔹Linked to fall risk: Falls are a major cause of injury and death in older adults. Balance impairment is an early warning sign of frailty or musculoskeletal decline.

01/09/2025

🚶‍♀️🚶🚶🏻‍♂️Is 7,000 Steps the new 10,000 steps? 🚶‍♀️🚶🚶🏻‍♂️

10,000 steps a day has been touted as the magic number for health benefits, but new research is showing that there may be different amounts that benefit different people.

Studies following over 160,000 people found that walking around 7,000 steps a day is enough to deliver big health benefits. At this level, risks of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, dementia, depression, and early death drop significantly, almost as much as
10,000 steps.

You don’t have to reach 7,000 right away to start seeing benefits. Even smaller increases, like going from 2,000 to 4,000 steps a day, can improve heart health and lower overall risk.

The benefits keep adding up the more you move, but the biggest gains happen when you go from very low step counts to moderate levels.

There’s also an age factor: younger adults often see peak benefits closer to 8,000–10,000 steps, while older adults may get most benefits between 6,000–8,000 steps. Aiming for
what’s realistic for you and building gradually is the best approach to being active and increasing step counts. Step counts are not the only health factor to consider but they can give a snapshot of activity levels and disease risk.

29/08/2025

🎉 The Sydney Marathon is on tomorrow! Good luck to Trevor and Ryan who have both been training hard leading up to this event! 👏

See below 🏃‍♂️⬇️ for how Trevor has been preparing for the Sydney Marathon.

The marathon is a big bucket-list event for runners of all abilities, taking many months to prepare for. You can’t “fake it till you make it” or wing-it, dedicated training is required to complete this event.

One of our EPs, Trevor, will be completing the Sydney marathon – his first marathon!

Here’s how he has been preparing for the Sydney Marathon over the past 4 months:

🔹Gradual increase in long run duration and distance – starting at 1hr 20 mins, increasing an average of around 10 minutes per week to 3 hours (reaching 30km distance) (you don’t necessarily need to run full marathon distance in training). Some sessions have included 4-5 hill repeats.

🔹Completing a half marathon (Hunter Valley Winery Run) and several half-marathon distance (and longer) training runs.

🔹Maintaining 1-2 faster runs each week – Tuesday night track run with the Campbelltown Joggers (3k) and Saturday morning parkrun (5k).

🔹One mid-week run on Thursdays – 30-45 minutes (4.5-7km) at easy pace.

🔹Strength + flexibility training 4x per week – 2x upper body sessions (completed on shorter running days), 2x lower body days (completed on non-running days).

This program won’t be suitable for everyone, though is an example of a program that suited Trevor and his needs and schedule, building off his regular program.

27/08/2025

🧠How Much of the Brain Does Aerobic Exercise Use?

The human brain is quite marvellous and complicated. All regions of the brain are active at different times, depending on what we’re doing. Aerobic exercise has many benefits that contribute to improved overall health, including brain health.

There’s no exact percentage of the brain that aerobic exercise uses (brain “usage” doesn’t work like that) though it engages a large portion of the brain, both directly and indirectly:

🧠 Motor control areas – such as the motor cortex, cerebellum, and basal ganglia, which coordinate movement.

🧠 Sensory areas – process balance, vision, and body awareness (referred to as proprioception).

🧠 Autonomic centres in the brainstem – these regulate heart rate, breathing, and
blood pressure during exercise.

🧠 Frontal lobe – helps with planning, focus, and motivation.

🧠 Hippocampus & prefrontal cortex – become more active and can even grow
stronger over time with regular aerobic activity, supporting memory and executive function (planning, focus)

🧠 Reward pathways – involve dopamine and endorphins that contribute to the “exercise high”.

Aerobic exercise is one of the best ways to improve your brain health. 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity (or any combination of these) aerobic exercise is the weekly physical activity guideline, with walking, running, cycling,
rowing, swimming, and cross-training being great aerobic exercise options.

26/08/2025

🏃‍♂️ 🏃 🏃‍♀️ Advice for Sydney Marathon Runners

The Sydney Marathon is nearly upon us – less than a week to go! In this final week of preparation, it’s best to resist the temptation to try anything new, so no new shoes, gear, or fuelling strategies (hopefully you’ve been practicing this in your long or marathon- specific runs during training!). As difficult as it may be, it’s important to trust your training and stick with what your body already knows, so you can feel confident and not undo your hard work.

If you’re a first-time marathoner, focus on pacing yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement at the start, but running too fast early on can cost you later. Stick to the plan you’ve trained with and pacing you’re comfortable with, fuel regularly, and remember that the goal is to cross that finish line strong, not fast.

🎉 Celebrate every kilometre; you’re achieving something incredible that less than 1% of the population have achieved!

If you’re an experienced marathoner, you already know the grind, but don’t overlook the basics. Learn from your past races – reflect on what worked and what didn’t with pacing, fuelling, and nutrition strategies. Don’t go out too fast, listen to your body, and dig deep during the tough kilometres from 30km onwards – your training has prepared you for this!

No matter your marathon experience level, remember that marathons are about resilience, community, and testing your limits. Trust your training, enjoy the atmosphere and the views, and keep moving one leg in front of the other – let’s do this! 💪

26/08/2025

🤔 How Do You Know if an Exercise Physiologist Is Right for You? 🏃‍♂️

When it comes to improving your health, managing a chronic condition, or enhancing performance, the right guidance makes all the difference.

Exercise Physiologists’ can help you by offering evidence-based strategies tailored to your unique body and goals,
taking in to account any pre or existing injuries and health conditions.

❓What Does an Exercise Physiologist Do?
An exercise physiologist is a healthcare professional trained to understand how the body responds to physical activity. They design and deliver safe, effective exercise programs for people of all fitness levels, including those with medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis.

Unlike personal trainers, exercise physiologists are equipped with a university level degree in exercise science, masters in exercise physiology and often work in clinical settings.

Their role involves:
✅ Conducting health assessments

✅ Creating tailored exercise programs/prescriptions

✅ Help manage chronic diseases through physical activity

✅ Monitoring progress and adjusting programs

✅ Working alongside doctors, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals

❓Is an Exercise Physiologist Right for You?
Here are a few signs that working with an exercise physiologist might be a good move:

1. You’re Living With a Health Condition
If you have a chronic condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or chronic pain, an exercise physiologist can design a program that’s safe and effective.

2. You’re Recovering From Injury or Illness. Whether you’ve had surgery or you're coming back from an illness, an exercise physiologist can help you rebuild strength and mobility without risking re-injury.

3. You Want a Science-Based Plan
If you're tired of guessing what works and want an evidence-based exercise program tailored to you, an exercise physiologist is your go to.

4. You're Focused on Prevention
Even if you’re healthy now, seeing an exercise physiologist can help prevent futureproblems, improve fitness, and reduce the risk of lifestyle-related diseases.

Choosing the right exercise professional depends on your goals and current health. If you're managing a medical condition, recovering from an injury, or just want a personalised, expert approach to exercise, an accredited exercise physiologist might
be exactly what you need.

25/08/2025

🏋🏻‍♀️Squat variations for different muscle focus
 
Work smarter, not harder - squats are a powerhouse move, but how you squat can shift the focus to different muscle groups. Here’s how to tailor your squat based on what you want to target:

🎯 Glute focus - Box Squats with Barbell

🎯 Quad focus - Heel-Elevated Squats with Dumbbell Goblet Hold

🎯 Hamstring and glute focus - Bulgarian Split Squats with Dumbbell hold

🎯 Adductor/Abductor focus - Cossack Squats with Dumbbell

🎯 Balance focus - Bosu Squats

No matter which variation of squat you choose to include in your workout, it is essential to maintain correct form, not just for exercise effectiveness but for injury prevention. In general, it is important to:

✔️ Keep your knees and toes in alignment
✔️ Aim to have your knees track over your second/third toes to not let them cave inward
✔️ Keep a strong core and back
✔️ Engage abdominal muscles and keep your spine neutral with no arching or rounding.
✔️ You can also maintain a neutral neck position by looking at a spot on the ground about 1-2 metres in front of your feet
✔️ Push through your heels and midfoot
✔️ Don’t let your heels leave contact with the ground
✔️ Control your depth
✔️ Squat as low as you can while maintaining form.
✔️ Prioritise quality movement over how deep you go.

22/08/2025

🏃‍♂️🦶 Foot Care for Runners 🏃‍♂️🦶

Your feet carry you through every kilometre as you run, so looking after them is important!

Looking after your feet is helpful for preventing issues and keeping them healthy so you can run your best. Here are some tips for looking after your feet:

👟 Choose the right shoes – The right pair of running shoes should suit your gait, foot shape, and the surfaces you run on. Poor fitting shoes can lead to blisters, bruised toenails, or long-term injuries.

🦶 Keep nails trimmed – Cutting your toenails helps prevent painful black toenails and irritation inside your shoes. Long or uneven nails can rub against socks and cause unnecessary friction.

💦 Moisturise & protect – Hydrated skin is less likely to crack and peel, which keeps your feet more resilient during high mileage. For longer runs, using an anti-friction balm can reduce chafing and minimise the risk of blisters forming.

🧦 Change socks often – Moisture-wicking socks help keep your feet dry, reducing the chance of blisters and fungal infections. Always swap out damp or sweaty socks quickly to keep your feet in top condition.

👂 Listen to niggles – Small aches or hot spots shouldn’t be ignored. Addressing them right away can stop a minor irritation from turning into an injury. A podiatrist or physiotherapist can help with this.