The Centre for Strong Medicine

13/08/2023

What a great day for the first of many Centre for Strong Medicine team. Massive effort by everyone. Cannot wait for next year and all events in between !!!

18/07/2023

Here is a link to the interview mentioned.

18/07/2023

For all of those who may have missed the segment this morning, the team at the clinic have put together a group to conquer the Kokoda track in July 2024.

The contingent going is made up of all ages, including the brains and motivation behind the adventure Denis.
He is 85 years young and was featured on Studio 10 this morning.

For Denis, this is a goal he has thought of attempting for quite some time.
For the Centre for STRONG Medicine team, this is an example that age should not be thought of as a barrier to accomplishing even the largest and most ambitious goals.

Here are some pictures of the team in training.

17/07/2023

MEDIA ALERT!!!! make sure you tune into channel 10 at 10:30 this morning for an interview with Professor Maria and one of our patients, Denis, for some exciting news about one of our upcoming adventures

15/05/2023

Here is Richard.
At 99 years young, he continues to exercise with us to improve his balance, mobility , and quality of life.

Here he is on the seated hip machine, strengthening his hip abductors, which are a crucial muscle group to help with balance and to reduce the risk of hip fractures.

Hip fractures are a common cause of nursing home admissions, and patients continually express the desire to remain independent.

Richard continues to demonstrate that exercise is beneficial at any age, and perhaps more than ever in our later years.

11/05/2023

The Centre for Strong Medicine is registering a team in for the !!!!
Here is Wal practicing for Heartbreak Hill and going Strong 💪💪
Let us know if you want to join our awesome team.

01/07/2022

*****OSTEOPOROSIS*****

Bones throughout our bodies are continuously being broken down and replaced. This cycle is normal and most of the time well regulated so that our bones remain strong and healthy.
As we age, from about 50 years onward, the rate of new bone being laid down slows down while the rate of bone breakdown remains the same. This leads to lower bone density and weaker bones more susceptible to fractures. When the bone density reaches a certain weakness, this is referred to as Osteoporosis (or Osteopenia if it is borderline).
Women are often at an increased risk particularly at menopause, when levels of estrogen fall. But men are also at risk. Some other risk factors making people more or less at risk for this condition include low levels of calcium, low vitamin D, low potassium or protein intake, physical inactivity, to***co consumption, overuse of alcohol, and some long-term medications.

Having weakened bones is obviously not ideal, but can become extremely dangerous in people with low level balance as they are at increased risk of falls and fractures.
Common osteoporotic fracture cites include the hips, spine, and wrist.

When diagnosed with Osteoporosis there are some medications that Doctors will often prescribe to help the bone density, however what is often left out is the incredible effect that resistance or strength training has on stimulating bone growth.

Not only does resistance training help with increasing muscle and bone mass, but it also helps with balance and mobility and many other conditions which is why it should form an integral part of the treatment and management for osteoporosis or osteopenia.
If any of this sounds familiar to you or someone you know, do not hesitate to contact us at the clinic for more information.

31/05/2022

WORKOUT WEDNESDAYS
With Bill.

Bill is now 82 years young and has been exercising at the Centre for Strong Medicine since August 2020 when he was initially referred for an exercise program to address his progressive frailty and increasing difficulty with his mobility.

One of the exercises Bill does in the gym is the Leg Press machine. This exercise works primarily on the Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Gluteal muscle groups which are really important in the actions of walking, rising from a seated position and maintaining your balance.

Since he has started, Bill's strength as measured by 1 Repetition Max (1RM) has increased by 37% !!!
Which earns him the spotlight for this week.
You can see his record breaking performance below.

The 1 RM strength test is often considered as the ‘gold standard’ for assessing strength. It is defined as the maximal weight an individual can lift for only one repetition with correct technique.
A common misconception is that as we age we should focus on light to moderate-intensity exercise for fear of injury or other adverse events.

Thankfully, this is becoming an outdated opinion. Research and our patients at the Centre for Strong Medicine clearly show that not only is high-intensity training safe when delivered by trained professionals, but it also is a much more powerful medicine in reversing age related conditions such as loss of muscle and bone mass as well as many others.

Way to go Bill.
We are all super proud of your efforts.

30/05/2022

*****Osteoarthritis*****

‘Arthritis’ is a name for a group of conditions affecting the joints.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down. Osteoarthritis can damage any joint, however, the most commonly affected are in the hands, knees, hips, and spine.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease meaning that if not addressed, it will worsen over time, often resulting in chronic pain. Joint pain and stiffness can become severe enough to make daily tasks difficult and prevent you from continuing activities you enjoy. Depression and sleep disturbances can also result from the pain and disability associated with osteoarthritis.

AND NOW SOME GOOD NEWS!

Many things can be done to manage the symptoms of Osteoarthritis.
One of these is EXERCISE with resistance training helping to strengthen the muscles around the affected areas. This approach is very well studied including research by our very own Professor Maria Fiatarone Singh, who has published findings that resistance training improved muscle strength and self-reported measures of pain and physical function in over 50–75% of patients. Increasing muscle strength will support and protect the joints- not to mention ease pain and stiffness, as well as increase functional capacity to continue enjoying all sorts of activities in life.
When done safely, resistance training can be powerful medicine in the management of Osteoarthritis and something the Exercise Physiologists at the Centre for Strong Medicine specialise in.
If you hear of anyone struggling with arthritis do not hesitate to get in touch.
It is NOT something to simply have to put up with!

25/05/2022

****CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE****

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a condition, which sees a build-up of plaque, also known as atherosclerosis, in the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. This build-up can cause a narrowing and subsequent blockage of oxygen to the heart, which may in some cases lead to a heart attack or other cardiovascular issues.

CAD is the leading cause of death in Australia with an estimated 580,000 Australians aged over 18 having coronary heart disease between 2017 and 18. Additionally, 42% of all CAD-related deaths resulted from a heart attack.

Risk factors associated with developing CAD include PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, poor diet, and overweight/obesity to name a few.

HOW CAN WE MANAGE or PREVENT GETTING CAD?

EXERCISE!!!

EXERCISE may be one of the best treatments for managing and preventing CAD, and has been established as safe, hugely beneficial and should form an integral part of the management of Coronary Artery Disease once identified.

Many patients at the Centre for Strong Medicine have some degree of Coronary Artery Disease and demonstrate every week how beneficial regular exercise can be in its management.

Other benefits of exercise include:
· Improving quality of life,
· Increasing cardiorespiratory fitness,
· Increasing blood flow and oxygen to the muscles,
· Reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms,
· Reduce fatigue, and breathlessness.

23/05/2022

A cardiac exercise stress test shows how well your heart handles exercise. This test involves patients walking on a treadmill, which makes the heart work progressively harder.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors the heart's electrical rhythms and blood pressure is also recorded.

Stress tests look for abnormalities in blood pressure, heart rate, or the electrical rhythms in the heart, which can help identify and diagnose possible coronary artery disease (more to come on that), causes of chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness and light-headedness.

At the Centre for Strong Medicine, we use stress tests to help create a safe exercise plan for patients with heart disease or associated risk factors, as exercising is key in managing these types of conditions.

And what a view we have here at Strong that you can enjoy at the same time :)

17/05/2022

As many have heard by now, it is with incredible sadness that we continue to mourn the passing of Associate Professor Nalin Singh.


He was a man of many gifts and an unfailing passion and drive to provide the highest level of care to all his patients.



The Centre for Strong Medicine was the vehicle to deliver Associate Professor Singh’s passion and life’s work of integrating exercise into the mainstream care and management of patients suffering from chronic conditions.



Thankfully this mission lives on at the clinic as his wife, Professor Maria Fiatarone Singh, has taken up the position of Specialist Geriatrician and Director of the Centre. Alongside the team of Exercise Physiologists, The Centre for Strong Medicine continues to offer and deliver individualised exercise programs to patients suffering from chronic illness.



We are incredibly proud to continue Associate Professor Singh’s work.

17/05/2022

17/05/2022

Receiving Referrals

15/02/2020

It was a busy morning today at the Centre for STRONG Medicine 🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♂️

26/01/2020

Meet Mr Ballukar, one of our hardest working patients. Here he is working hard at improving his walking, and gaining more confidence in the process each time! Florian recently worked with him and assisted Mr Ballukar to walk with just a walking stick and not his Four-Wheeled Walker! This was a massive step for Mr Ballukar and we look forward to seeing how much more he can improve!