Martin Haley - Solutions Fitness

01/05/2026

A former client, and friend, Elliott Thomas is currently training to be a Sports Massage Therapist back in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. He will qualify at the end of May and is offering vastly reduced cost sessions until he qualifies. After May, the cost of sessions will increase so why not get in touch with him and take advantage of this offer.

Session durations are 45 minutes, cost £10 (to cover travel, oils and laundry) and are mobile and at various times of the day. The beauty of this offer is that he gets more experience (always give some feedback) and you get to see if you are a good fit together at a great price.

And I have it on authority that he is good!

Contact Elliott on: 07971 533 097

19/04/2026

Do you consume Butter?

If you do, you need to watch this.

Again, the food industry causing possibly untold illness/disease with false advertising. Allegedly...

By the way, don't think using spreadables or Margerine Is better for you...

33 likes, 4 comments. "8 UK Butter Brands You MUST AVOID"

19/04/2026

This came up as a memory from 10 years ago, and is a cracker to share again.

If you're a runner, or someone into fitness, or someone who struggles with foot or lower body pain, this is for you.

If you wear Orthotics or love to wear Sketchers or Crocs to help your feet, this is also for you.

I've posted numerous times about Plantar Fasciitis, Orthotics, wearing flip flops and the like. But this article goes deeper into the mechanics. I studied with the author about 15 years ago in London.

Enjoy!

Article by Dr Kathy Dooley

Dooley Noted: 4/7/2016   As a former employee of the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, I know the DPM students learn their anatomy – as well as their gait cycles.    So, …

18/04/2026

Amazon Prime: The Cholesterol Code 1hr 45

This is a docufilm.

When an Engineer decided to change his diet and lose some weight, which he did following a Ketogenic diet, imagine his surprise when he was told his LDL Cholesterol had shot up.

As an engineer, this didn't make sense, so he set off on a mission to research everything he could.

This eventually led to a ground breaking study 'proving' that High LDL does NOT contribute to arterial plaque, and hence heart disease.

The American Heart Association refused to let them provide their evidence. Well, there's no money in good health, is there?

I started researching as much as possible about Cholesterol after reading 'The Cholesterol Con' by Dr Michael Kendrick in around 2008/9.

Statins (Cholesterol lowering drug) are the most profitable drug in history, or certainly were before the Plandemic.

If you're interested in this subject, around heart disease, Cholesterol, or even just the benefits of a Ketogenic diet or healthy lifestyle, take a gander at this...

07/04/2026

Almost all non-impact injuries, not all, are because of a change in your routine.

* you started back too much, too soon following a lay-off

* things were going well in training so you increased too much

* added too many variants all at once

For example, you exercise regularly but you had a lay-off due to a holiday or illness, say a week or two. When you're ready to return, you don't start back gradually with less workload, less regularity, but instead go right back to where you left off. Your body has become 'de-conditioned' and therefore, you overload it and it breaks down.

Or, the weather breaks and the sun comes out. You haven't touched the garden in months due to bad weather. You decide to make the most of things and get out into the garden and spend 6 hours weeding, bent over trimming edges, reaching above to cut tree branches. Again, your body hasn't done this work for several months and you overload it.

You have been training really well for some time and are really fit. You think adding in some extra training will bring even better results. You've been running or going to the gym 4 times per week, so decide to up that to 6 or even 7 days per week. you also increase your workouts from 45 minutes each to an hour and a half. It's just too much for your body to handle, so it breaks down.

Similarly, you've been going well and you add in too many variants. Maybe you've been running 4-5x per week and just coming off the winter where training has been steady slogs. You introduce some hill reps, you start generally running faster with either tempo runs or sprints. You increase your training to 7 days per week. You increase your long run from 10 miles to 18 miles.

Too many variants. Training is about your body adapting to load. You apply too many different loads and it cannot cope. You apply a single increase and allow yourself to recover, you're body will adapt.

Only add a single variant at a time. Adapt. Then choose another variant. Amount, duration, recovery (reduced), intensity/speed - only increase one at a time...

05/04/2026

Last one on 'fasting', well, for a while at least.

If you fast and take your measurements before and after, make sure you take them for a few days after finishing the fast.

I take my full measurements the day before the fast then again the day I finish. BUT, I always find the real difference is the day AFTER or even 2 days after.

I would say this is because your metabolism has slowed down during the fast and then when you eat again, your metabolism ramps up following this.

I took my measurements the morning after my recent 48 hour fast, so had eaten the previous evening. My weight was 11st 4lb (the final day of fasting it was 11st 5lb). Then the following day where I'd had a few meals, it was down again, now 11st 3lb.

I remember a few years ago following a 84 hour fast - from Sunday evening to Thursday late morning, I measured and was really disappointed in the results. Decided to check again over the following days and the results ramped up to something more like I was expecting.

Something to take on board...

03/04/2026

Did you know?

One of the biggest wins I find after completing a longer 'fast', over 24 hours, is that it brings my blood pressure reading back to a 'good' range.

One of the things that nudges me to go through a fast is when I see my readings start to climb.

This reading is after a coffee, an hours dog walk, and some jobs around the house.

Know Your Numbers...

01/04/2026

Just finishing our 48 hour water only fast. Don't worry, it's nothing to do with Easter.

Looking forward to my Dinner...



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25/03/2026

When taking a history from clients at the beginning of their session, especially new clients, I will often ask them about stress levels. "Are you a stressful person in general or have you been going through a period of stress?"

Usually the issue/pain they have is unexplainable. There was no injury. There was no 'reason' for the pain to develop.

So I ask about stress. Usually, the client will brush this aside as most feel admitting to any stress means they can't cope with something.

Stress comes in many forms - Physical, emotional, work, food, drink (alcohol, caffeine), environment (too hot, too cold), financial...

Sometimes it can be just a busy lifestyle where you are always on the go.

Stress, if too much over a long period of time, will lead to muscle tension - we hold ourselves in tension for long periods. It can lead to breathing incorrectly - shallow breathing into chest rather than Diaphragm, which will also lead to muscle tension due to insufficient Oxygen getting to muscles. We also use different (wrong) muscles when chest breathing as opposed to Diaphragm (Belly) breathing, which will lead to those muscles becoming chronically tense.

Your Diaphragm (breathing muscle) is the top of your 'Core' and if it is not functioning correctly, your 'Core' cannot function correctly, no matter how many abdominal exercises you do.

If the only thing I can determine is stress related issues, that changes the type of treatment I will give, but the client needs to work on removing that stress from their life as my treatment will only be a temporary fix.

When there is no injury or 'reason' for you pain, it is almost always going to be some form of stress that has caused it.

19/03/2026

Hola a todos.

Looking for a favour, por favor.

If anyone that has been happy with the treatment they've received from myself, or even appreciated the advice/content i put out, it would be great if you could add a short review on my Google Maps. If so, the link is below. Gracias...

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

19/03/2026

I mentioned a few posts ago about clients having regular maintenance sessions, and often clients ask me how often I go for a maintenance session.

Nowadays, it's almost never. "Gosh", hypocrite! Well...

Back in the UK, I had a few therapists that we would 'swap' sessions with each other every month or so. We worked the same and knew what we wanted.
Over time, they went out of the profession. Some because of the strains it puts on your body, such as hands, wrists, elbow, shoulders. Others found new openings in life.

Over the years, I tried various places that claimed they offered 'Deep Tissue or Sports Massage' but I always came away disappointed. They were usually just pamper sessions, which are fine, but not for me. I would always have treatment when abroad which were so much better.

But nowadays, I work on myself. Regularly.

3-4 times per week, I get the mats out on the floor then work myself with a Foam Roller or Tennis Ball. Foam Roller for legs and arms, Tennis Ball for Back and hips as it gets into places the Roller just can't. Sometimes I'll even use a Golf Ball!

Almost every evening while watching TV, usually Sport, I'll be sat there self massaging my hands, wrists and forearms then stretching them.
Jane sometimes asks what's wrong but there rarely is. I don't even know I'm doing it most of the time. Sometimes after a busy week, I'll find my forearms are a little tight while massaging them, so I work there a little more. This is my prevention.

We all need it. It's just most people don't think they do, and then it escalates into something more serious.

Here's my tools of choice...