Weaver Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic

26/08/2025

07/08/2025

07/08/2025

Walking barefoot on the beach isn’t just a relaxing summer pastime—it offers a range of surprising physical and mental health benefits. Here are the key benefits of walking barefoot on the beach, backed by science and holistic health principles:

🏖️ 1. Strengthens Your Feet and Lower Legs

The uneven surface of sand forces your muscles to work harder to stabilise each step. This:
• Improves foot and ankle strength
• Enhances balance and proprioception
• Strengthens calf, ankle, and intrinsic foot muscles

🌿 2. Natural Reflexology & Foot Massage

The varying textures of sand stimulate pressure points on the soles of your feet, similar to reflexology. This can:
• Relieve tension
• Promote circulation
• Encourage a sense of relaxation and wellbeing

🌎 3. Grounding (Earthing) Benefits

Walking barefoot connects your body directly to the Earth’s surface. This process—known as grounding—may:
• Reduce inflammation
• Improve sleep quality
• Lower stress hormones like cortisol
• Enhance overall emotional balance

🧠 4. Improves Mental Health & Reduces Stress

Spending time near the ocean while engaging in light physical activity:
• Boosts serotonin and dopamine
• Reduces anxiety and depression
• Encourages mindfulness and presence
• Combines the calming effect of nature with the rhythmic, meditative motion of walking

🦶 5. Exfoliates Your Feet Naturally

The sand acts as a natural exfoliant, helping to:
• Remove dead skin cells
• Keep your feet smooth and healthy
• Prevent the buildup of calluses

💓 6. Low-Impact Cardiovascular Exercise

Walking on sand burns more calories than walking on solid ground. It also:
• Is gentle on joints
• Improves circulation
• Supports heart health without the strain of intense exercise

🌞 7. Vitamin D Boost

Exposing your skin to sunlight (safely, with SPF) while walking along the beach helps your body:
• Produce vitamin D
• Strengthen your immune system
• Support bone and mood health

🌊 8. Connection with Nature

The combination of sea air, crashing waves, and the feeling of sand underfoot helps you:
• Disconnect from screens
• Feel more grounded and calm
• Deepen your sense of wellbeing and gratitude

🏃‍♂️ Tips for Walking Barefoot on the Beach:
• Start with short walks to let your feet adjust
• Walk closer to the water for firmer sand
• Avoid sharp shells or debris
• Stretch your calves and arches afterwards
• Hydrate and wear sunscreen

03/08/2025

The Health Benefits of Taking a Regular Sauna

Taking a regular sauna isn’t just a way to unwind—it offers powerful health benefits for your body and mind. Whether you use a traditional Finnish sauna or an infrared version, heat therapy is backed by science for its impact on cardiovascular health, stress relief, recovery, and overall wellbeing.

🔥 Improve Heart Health and Circulation

Regular sauna use increases your heart rate and boosts circulation, similar to moderate exercise. Studies show it can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and sudden cardiac death when used consistently 3–4 times per week.

😌 Reduce Stress and Support Mental Wellbeing

The heat of the sauna encourages your body to release endorphins while reducing cortisol (the stress hormone). This helps promote a sense of calm, mental clarity, and better sleep quality. Many sauna users report improved mood and reduced symptoms of anxiety.

💪 Aid Muscle Recovery and Relieve Pain

Saunas increase blood flow to muscles and joints, helping flush out lactic acid and reduce soreness after workouts. They’re also effective for managing joint stiffness, arthritis, and chronic pain, especially when combined with physiotherapy or exercise.

🌿 Detoxify and Support Skin Health

Deep sweating in the sauna can help eliminate toxins and impurities through the skin. It also opens pores, removes dead skin cells, and promotes a healthy glow.

🛌 Enhance Sleep Quality

As your body cools down post-sauna, it signals the brain to prepare for rest. Many people find they sleep deeper and wake feeling more refreshed after regular sauna use.

25/07/2025

According to a recent study, forward head position and blood flow to the brain are clinically observable by taking the carotid pulses and can lead to debilitating symptoms within the brain.

The carotid pulses are weaker when the head is in a forward position; however, the carotid pulses are stronger when the head is over the spine.

When the head is forward over the spine, the brain may not receive sufficient blood flow and oxygen due to compression of the carotid arteries. If this compression is severe enough, it can result in cerebral ischemia (CNS dysfunction). Clinically, we see disturbed sleeping patterns, increased anxiety, and mental sluggishness.

The March 2000 Mayo Clinic reported that prolonged FHP also leads to myospasm, disc herniations, arthritis, and pinched nerves.

Dr. Alf Breig, a Swedish neurosurgeon and Nobel Prize recipient, describes how the loss of a normal cervical lordotic curve creates dysfunction and disease.

Through cadaver studies, Dr. Breig demonstrated that neck flexion could stretch the spinal cord 5-7 cm causing tensioning of the meninges (covering of the brain and spinal cord) and elicit measurable pressure on brainstem nuclei (nerve control centers) which control all basic life functions. (Breig, Alf. Adverse Mechanical Tension in the Central Nervous System: An Analysis of Cause and Effect. 1978. Almqvuist & Wiksell International, Stockholm, Sweden. Pg. 177.)

New studies show that correction of cervical lordosis may be associated with an immediate increase in cerebral blood flow.

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15/07/2025

DO YOU TRAIN YOUR FEET?

Strong Feet, Strong Foundation – Expert Advice from Weaver Physio

The feet are packed with small, intrinsic muscles that all play a crucial role in creating your foot arch and stabilizing the base of your body. At Weaver Physio, we often see clients who have lost the natural ability to engage their foot muscles effectively—something essential for movement, balance, and injury prevention.

Many people unknowingly lose control and strength in their feet due to years of relying on cushioned shoes and orthotics. While these may offer short-term support, over time they can cause the foot’s natural musculature to become “sleepy” and weak. Just like any body part, if muscles aren’t used, they atrophy—leading to dependency on artificial support and a loss of natural function.

Your feet are designed to grip, grasp, and root into the ground through active muscle control. This foundational connection is key for everything from walking to running, squatting to jumping.

At Weaver Physio, we encourage training your feet to be strong and resilient. Start by gradually spending more time barefoot (where safe), doing foot-strengthening exercises, and learning to move without over-relying on orthotics and hyper-supportive footwear.

Rebuild your body’s natural base—your feet. Strengthen them and the rest of your body will follow.
http://www.weaverphysio.com

03/05/2025

Great advice 🙌💪🏻😊