Kim Baxter Physiotherapy

09/02/2026

🎉Team Update🎉

We’re excited to welcome Ben Pestell to our growing team :)

Ben qualified as a Physiotherapist from Sheffield Hallam University with First Class Honours and has since worked across a range of NHS services.

With a particular passion for upper limb injuries, Ben has worked within hand therapy, general outpatients and fracture clinic settings in the NHS. Ben enjoys supporting people in returning to sport and helping them continue to pursue their passions following injury.

An active individual throughout his life including hockey and downhill mountain biking, Ben developed a strong interest in climbing, in 2017 with a focus on competition climbing. After moving to Sheffield for university, this quickly evolved into a passion for outdoor bouldering. He has climbed at a high level, achieving multiple 8B ascents, including The Ace. Despite this, you can rarely catch him on a rope as he’s scared of heights!

06/02/2026

Chuffed to finally send this burly Irn Bru climb after a few weeks of projecting 💪

Then topped it off by immediately sending a climb I’d completely written off as impossible — thought I wasn’t strong enough for the beta break and hated the heel hook in the “intended” beta. Turns out I was wrong 😅🔥

02/02/2026

🏃‍♀️ Training for the Sheffield Half on March 29th?

Here’s a 7-step guide to stay healthy and hit the start line strong! 💪

1️⃣ Gradually build long runs – Don’t rush to hit 21km. Increase distance slowly, and trust that on race day you will be able to go the extra mile!

2️⃣ Be flexible – Listen to your body. If you’re tired or sore, adjust your plan instead of pushing through.

3️⃣ Train for the hill and the descent – With some 300m of climb and descent, this isn’t your average half marathon. Train for the uphill but also the tough descent on tired legs. Focus on short strides and soft landings.

4️⃣ Strengthen your legs – Strength training helps you power up hills and absorb the downhill impact. Add a 20-min runner's workout!

5️⃣ Be realistic – Focus on consistent training, not huge leaps. Gradual progress is key!

6️⃣ Reassess goals – Haven’t hit 8km yet? Consider switching to a shorter race or adjust your race day goals (you can always run and walk the route).

7️⃣ Rest before race day – Cut back on running 10-14 days before the race.
If you apply these tips, you’ll give yourself every chance of arriving at Sheffield Half ready to rise to the challenge. Take in the views over the city, take in the encouragement from the crowds and enjoy getting out there and feeling the hard work pay off. 🏅

Follow link for full blog.

Come February and March in south-west Sheffield, Ecclesall and Ringinglow Roads are busy with runners training ahead of the Sheffield Half, this year held a bit earlier on 29th March. Whether you’re stepping up from 10km, looking to go quicker than last year or gearing up for the next installment ...

30/01/2026

Perimenopause & Muscle + Joint Pain

New research just published which reviewed-

📊 37 studies
👩‍🦰 93,000+ women

🔍 Key finding:
Muscle and joint pain is significantly more common during perimenopause and menopause compared to premenopause.

Pain peaks during perimenopause — and doesn’t keep increasing through menopause and beyond.

✨ This points to a major inflection point during the menopause transition, especially perimenopause.

If your body suddenly feels stiffer, achier, or more painful in this phase —

👉 it’s not random
👉 it’s not “just aging”
👉 and you’re definitely not alone

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12784006/

20/01/2026

💪 Curtsey Lunges: a challenging lunge variation.

I don’t use the curtsey lunge frequently in the clinic, but as an end-stage rehab exercise it can be very effective. It challenges lower-limb strength while introducing rotational load through the hip and knee.

I’ve included it in our Ageing Well strength class this block to help build confidence moving into more “awkward” or less familiar positions.

That said, it’s not suitable for everyone. Some patients and class members don’t tolerate curtsey lunges well—particularly those with hip joint or medial knee symptoms—as the movement can be quite provocative.

👉 When needed, we scale it back by:

Reducing the range of motion

Removing external load

Swapping to a reverse lunge

14/01/2026

Latest blog: Does strength training reduce the risk of running injuries? By Joe Dale

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise, certainly in this clinic, but it also comes with a frustratingly high rate of injuries. From shin splints and bone stress injuries to persistent tendon pain, many runners find themselves forced to reduce or stop training at some point.

Our latest blog is written by Joe Dale, our new osteopath at the clinic. Joe recently undertook a Postgraduate qualification in Sports and Exercise Medicine at Queen Mary’s University of London, where he explored his specialist interest in running injuries and how they can be prevented.

Strength training is often recommended to runners to improve performance and reduce injury risk—but how strong is the evidence behind this advice? As part of his postgraduate studies, Joe carried out a structured review of the research to find out whether strength training truly helps protect runners from injury. The results were encouraging, but not quite as straightforward as you might think.

In our latest blog, Joe breaks down what the research says, how the review was carried out, and what it all means for runners who want to stay healthy and keep training.

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise, certainly in this clinic, but it also comes with a frustratingly high rate of injuries.  From shin splints and bone stress injuries to persistent tendon pain, many runners find themselves forced to reduce or stop training at some point.

09/01/2026

❄️ It’s not the fun snow stuff!

One of the perks of having runners as physios (and osteo's) is that they can always get to work — even in the snow 🏃‍♀️❄️

Sally ran in and back both yesterday and today, and even managed to check out the Round Sheffield Run course on the way. Her verdict? Definitely not the nice, crunchy snow… and it’ll be very challenging if it freezes overnight.

Good luck to everyone running tomorrow — take care and stay safe! 💪👟

06/01/2026

🏃‍♂️ Marathon & Half Marathon Training Season Is Here 🏃‍♀️

January marks the start of marathon and half marathon training for many runners, with the long run being the key session each week.

📊 New research last year showed that building your long run too quickly significantly increased your risk of injury.

In clinic, we also see a lot of runners adding faster running into their long runs to get used to race pace — which can be risky.

👉 If you’re a seasoned marathon or half marathon runner and already well conditioned to long runs, this approach may help you progress.

⚠️ But if long runs are still new to you, adding extra pace creates more stress and puts you at an even higher risk of injury.

✅ Our advice:
• Build your long runs gradually
• Listen to your body
• Train at a level your body can cope with, not at a level you want it to cope with.

You can always run further and faster on race day if you’re healthy — but pushing too hard, too soon and getting injured could mean missing the race altogether.

⚖️ Think risk vs reward.

For most runners, long runs should stay easy or steady, unless you’ve completed multiple marathons or half marathons and are chasing that extra performance edge.

If you’re unsure how to structure your training or manage ni**les, we’re here to help 💪

02/01/2026

✨New Block of Classes Starting 5th January!✨

🏋️‍♀️ The next six week block runs from 5th January to 13th February
There are still a few spaces available, so if you’d like to book a spot or try a session to see if it’s for you, now’s the time!

📍 Runners Rehab (Monday 4.30pm, Thursday 6pm, 7pm)
Build strength and stability for running — prevent injuries and boost performance.

📍 Ageing Well Strength (Monday 9.30am, Thursday 12.30pm, 1.30pm, Friday 10.30pm)
Stay strong, healthy, and confident for the long term.

📍 Kettlebell (Monday 6pm)
Master technique and build power, endurance, and total-body strength.

All sessions are:
🔹 Physio led — focused on strength, confidence & control
🔹 Small group — personal attention & guidance
🔹 Suitable for all experience levels
🔹 Welcoming, inclusive & motivating

📧 To find out more or book your place:
👉 Email: kimbaxterphysiotherapy@gmail.com

19/12/2025

🎄 Christmas Running 🎄

January and February are often very busy months at the clinic, as many people increase their exercise and running. This usually happens when training begins for spring races or when New Year’s resolutions reignite old routines.

What you do over the Christmas period can play a big role in how well you’re able to hit January running (pun intended!).

Doing lots with too little sleep, and excess alcohol can leave you dealing with an injury or ni**le before you even start.

On the other hand, doing too little can reduce your tolerance for the training load that January often brings.

❄ ️ Avoid doing too little or stopping completely— you don’t want to start January playing catch-up with your training.

💤 Remember that poor sleep reduces tissue recovery, so avoid big training days after late nights.

🍷 Alcohol and hangovers can also impair recovery, so adjust training intensity accordingly.

🏃‍♂️ If you have some fun longer runs planned make sure you schedule adequate recovery around them.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy festive season 🎅🎄 🎄🏃‍♂️

16/12/2025

Crazy indoor orienteering race at Sheffield University Students’ Union on Saturday! 🧭

With multiple floors, barriers, and one-way systems, just finding a route to each control was incredibly challenging.

I was really pleased to get round without any navigational mistakes — even if I did have to stop dead a multiple times just to work out where on earth to go next!

Huge thanks to Sheffield University Orienteering and Fell Running for putting on such a brilliant event 🙌

12/12/2025

🎄 Final Week of Full Clinic Hours Before Christmas! 🎄

Next week is our last week of full opening hours before the Christmas break. Over the festive period we’ll still have limited availability with Sally and Lucy, and we’ll be back to normal hours from Friday 2nd January.

We’ve seen several Round Sheffield Run training injuries over the past couple of weeks! With race day coming up quickly, now’s a great time to get any ni**les checked. If you need an appointment, try to book in next week as Christmas availability will be limited.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
— Kim, Sally, Lucy & Joe 🎅✨