Geoff Alley D.C - Chiropractor/Health and Wellness Coach

12/03/2026

Making New Zealand healthy again requires a bold, collective shift in how we think about health not just as the absence of disease, but as the presence of physical, mental, social, and environmental wellbeing.

Right now, New Zealand, like many developed nations, faces a growing burden of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and mental health disorders that are largely preventable. To reverse this trend, we need to move beyond a reactive, disease-focused healthcare system and build a proactive, prevention-first health culture. That means addressing the root causes of poor health: poor diet, lack of physical activity, chronic stress, social disconnection, and environmental degradation.

First, we must invest in community-based, accessible health education that empowers individuals with the knowledge and tools to make better choices from food and movement to sleep and stress management. Secondly, policies must support health at every level and importantly, the health system must be reoriented to value holistic, integrative care where lifestyle medicine, and patient-centered approaches are recognised as valid and essential.

Ultimately, making New Zealand healthy again isn’t just about reforming healthcare it’s about reshaping our society to prioritise wellbeing over convenience, profit, or short-term fixes. It’s a collective responsibility that requires political courage, cultural humility, and grassroots mobilisation. When enough people demand a healthier, more equitable future, change becomes not only possible, but inevitable.

True change doesn’t start at the top, it starts with us. Change will happen not due to facts but due to numbers. Not thousands but hundreds of thousands of us. Join Us and Contribute "Strength is not that of one, but of many" Change requires public awareness, engagement, and belief that better

09/03/2026

Hi, Dr Geoff here again. Just a few spots left to fill in the transformational challenge for Over 50s Men. Spaces are limited.

Is it time to kick start your health journey? Feeling stuck and in a rut? Feeling run down and needing some help?

Join me as I facilitate a group of like minded Men in a 50 Day challenge that will transform your life and create daily habits that will last you a lifetime. (Details attached)

For just $95 secure your spot NOW. Spaces are limited.

We will begin on Tuesday April 7th ( after Easter) but our first ‘meeting’ will be via Zoom at 7pm the week before, Tuesday March 28th then a live Zoom every Tuesday at 7pm throughout the challenge.

Daily check ins via Facebook Messenger and a 36 page PDF to help keep you on track.

Our first Zoom will be with Dr Jeanette Rapson a certified Nutritionist who will take you through the details around ‘healthy eating’

Don’t miss out on this life changing opportunity to get your life back and LIVE with purpose, energy and vitality.

Contact me via email on geoff@bayschiro.co.nz or message me on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1E87HenJA7/ or mobile 021434234.

Secure your spot today. Just $95 gets you full access.

*Access to email, Messenger and Zoom is essential

03/03/2026

A deep squat (often called “ass-to-grass” or full-depth squat, or as I often say “sh*tting over a hole” 🤪..where the buttocks go below the knees, hips drop low, and ideally heels stay flat on the ground) offers several key benefits for men over 50, particularly when performed with good form and progressively built up.

This movement goes beyond basic squats by demanding (and building) greater range of motion in the hips, knees, and ankles.

Here are the main advantages, especially relevant as you age:

• Improved hip, knee, and ankle mobility/flexibility — Modern lifestyles (sitting a lot) cause tightness and loss of range in these joints. Deep squats stretch and open the hips, improve ankle dorsiflexion, and counteract stiffness. This helps maintain everyday movements like getting up from the floor, bending to pick things up, or even using low toilets/resting positions common in some cultures. Better mobility reduces injury risk and supports long-term independence.

• Enhanced lower body strength and muscle activation — Going below parallel recruits the glutes, inner thighs (adductors), hamstrings, and quads more fully than shallower squats. This leads to greater overall leg strength, better posterior chain development, and improved stability around the knees and hips—crucial for preventing falls and maintaining power as muscle mass naturally declines with age.

• Better balance, core control, and posture — The full depth challenges your core to stabilize the spine (keeping it neutral), improves overall balance, and strengthens lower back muscles. This can help with spinal health, reduce lower back pain risk (by loosening tight hips that contribute to it), and support better posture.

• Joint health and resilience — When done correctly (no excessive “butt wink” or knee collapse), deep squats strengthen supporting muscles and connective tissues around the knees and hips without increasing injury risk—in fact, research suggests they can be safe and beneficial for knee joint structures. They also promote synovial fluid circulation for lubrication.

• Functional longevity and anti-aging effects — Many experts highlight deep squatting (or holding the position) as a “longevity essential.” It mimics natural resting postures lost in chair-based societies, helps preserve bone density through weight-bearing, reduces fall risk via better strength/balance, and supports active aging. Some sources link compound moves like squats to hormonal benefits (e.g., potential boosts in testosterone and growth hormone from larger muscle recruitment), though this is more pronounced with resistance/weighted variations.

Over 50 — Start gradually (e.g., hold onto a stable surface like a doorframe or do partial depths first) to build ankle/hip mobility and avoid forcing it.

Poor form (e.g., rounding the lower back or knees caving in) can stress joints. If you have existing knee, hip, or back issues, consult a qualified health professional (Chiropractor) first…many recommend it as safe and helpful when progressed properly.

Overall, incorporating deep squats (or holds) a few times a week can be one of the most effective, low-equipment ways to stay strong, mobile, and functional well into later years.

01/03/2026

The transformational challenge for Over 50s Men is back.

Is it time to kick start your health journey? Feeling stuck and in a rut? Feeling run down and needing some help?

Join me as I facilitate a group of like minded Men in a 50 Day challenge that will transform your life and create daily habits that will last you a lifetime.

For just $95 secure your spot NOW. We will begin on Tuesday April 7th ( after Easter) but our first ‘meeting’ will be via Zoom at 7pm the week before, Tuesday March 28th then a live Zoom every Tuesday at 7pm throughout the challenge.

Daily check ins via Messenger and a 36 page PDF to help keep you on track.

Our first Zoom will be with Dr Jeanette Rapson a certified Nutritionist who will take you through the details around ‘healthy eating’

Don’t miss out on this life changing opportunity to get your life back and LIVE.

Contact me via email on geoff@bayschiro.co.nz or DM me here on FB or on Instagram here 👉🏼 https://www.instagram.com/drgeoffalleydc?igsh=MXhycXFwNTNwMDF4YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Secure your spot today. Just $95 gets you full access.

26/02/2026

MMA Fighter Jesse Taylor has a big fight on March 7th at the Shuriken Nz Fight Series. Jesse gets regular tune ups with me to stay on top of his game. It’s essential that these top level athletes are finely tuned.

Here is some of the routine I work through with my patients in clinic.

Good luck for your fight Jesse. We’ve got your back!!

05/02/2026

THE POWER OF VISUALIZATION. It’s an essential and powerful tool.

In 2009 I was preparing the North Harbour Rugby 7s team to compete at the National 7s tournament in Queenstown in January of that year.

Amongst all the skills and fitness drills and the repeated game scenarios and plans was the introduction of visualization and implementing mental skills training.

Part of this was my idea to train at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon in the heat of the day leading up to the tournament while other teams trained on midweek nights when it was cooler.

The reason being was two fold. 1/ to get our guys familiar with the heat that we would be experiencing in mid summer Queenstown but more importantly 2/ the National 7s final was due to be played live on TV at 5pm on a Sunday…

So every Sunday I’d run some killer sessions, testing the fitness levels and pushing them hard in the heat, all the while asking them why I was doing it. Yes, to test their fitness levels and to get them hardened for a gruelling tournament but mostly it was to test their mental toughness…to see how deep they could reach in to themselves under stress and duress. The guys all knew my reasonings for pushing them so hard.

At every fitness session there was one kid who stood out and was repeatedly at the head of the bunch. That was Luke Hamilton, and to make a point early on in the campaign I went away from the norm, and named Luke in my team to go to the Nationals several weeks before the squad was picked.

This was done in front of the team one Sunday afternoon to send a clear message that fitness levels were crucial to achieve and if you weren’t up to standard then you won’t be getting picked.

I also asked the question as the guys were all bent over with their lungs burning and their legs feeling like jelly.. “Who now can chase someone 80 metres, turn over the ball, and run 90 metres back to score the winning try?”

Luke Hamilton put his hand up every time 😊

I would then ask the team to visualize themselves running on to the field in the final. I’d say things like “it is 4pm now, in 6 weeks we will have just finished our semi final. In an hour we play the final….”

Then “In 4 weeks…”

Then “In 2 weeks…”

So every session I was programming and preparing the squad to do what we had set out to do.

Win a National Championship.

And every session I’d say to our Captain Viliami Ma’afu and the squad, “ in 4 weeks visualize Vili holding up that trophy as National Champions live on National TV….”

So there was far more to our preparation than just physical skill sessions and fitness. We had visualized ourselves playing and winning and holding up the trophy and prepared ourselves accordingly.

In Queenstown, all went according to script and the lads played some exceptional footy. As expected Queenstown turned on the heat and it was tough going in those hot conditions but our boys were loving it.

And then the semi final came and went. We were in the final at 5pm, live on National TV. Exactly as we had visualized.

Now for the master plan. We played a very strong Counties side in the final. They had beaten us in pool play just the day before and were unbeaten. We felt we could match them one on one and with some tweaks in our game plan and two positional switches we felt we were in a good space but we had massive confidence in our fitness levels, and in the heat of the day in a ten minute each way final after 2 grueling days of 7s, it’d be a survival of the fittest.

With 2 minutes left to play we were down by 2 points. Counties made a slight break and threatened to score but we scrambled well and deep in our half we turned the ball over through Malakai Ravulo, who then offloaded to our skipper, Vili.

By now all the energy was sapped out of all the players. The intensity of a final after 2 full days in the heat plus extended minutes meant these guys were in to the 19th minute of a fast paced final.

The lungs were burning, tongues hanging out and legs giving way under fatigue.

As Vili ran upfield and near halfway there was only one Counties player in the way. Everyone else was absolutely gassed from both sides.

Except one.

Luke Hamilton.

And out of the jogging pack he came bursting through to take the final pass from Vili to run 50 metres…

One problem. NZs fastest player was tracking him.

Sherwin Stowers had extreme pace, far quicker than Luke. But Luke had the stamina and the ability to maintain his pace for repeated sets of speed.

So when Sherwin had to put the foot down to catch Luke, there was nothing in the tank for him and Luke outpaced him to score the match winner.

All that visualization and ‘hard yards’ around training under fatigue, chasing down players, turning the ball over then running it back to score the match winner came to fruition.

And the ‘coup de grace’ was seeing our Captain lift the trophy high as National Champions.

“What the mind believes, the body achieves.”

This is a little snippet of our podcast from Season 2 Episode 3 with our special guest Bruce ‘Pike’ Wigglesworth ( the assistant manager in 2009)

You can find the full episode on Spotify here 👉🏼 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5SegpgPMYp2cR7orbe4vUf?si=s1WXLOjFQMyHzj3l3dPPIg

On Apple Podcasts here 👉🏼 https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/straight-up-speaking-from-the-heart-and-soul-about/id1831155768

Please follow us on Instagram here 👉🏼 https://www.instagram.com/straight_up_no_excuses?igsh=MWhjNnNjdnhhM3M4aQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

01/02/2026

This one was for all my fellow over 50s Men.

Those of us whose bodies are but a shadow of our former selves. The slow failure of our knees and hips, the constant strained joints and a range of movement far shorter than previous years.

Our Muscle mass that seemingly shrinks daily and a yearning for those best physical years that are so far behind us now.

Yes, this was also for my ego. The battle within the battle. My fight to not let age get the better of me and to prove to myself that I can still move. And to hopefully inspire my children and my loved ones to reach for the stars and keep pushing.

My biggest critic is me. And my biggest motivator is YOU.

The journey to get here has been a hell of a ride. The training, the nutrition, the recoveries, the sacrifices and the mental fight to get up and just do it. It wasn’t easy but gee it was so worth it.

I started well. An easy first few runs and ski erg. The sled push and pull took a bit out of me but I was able to suck in some big ones and get my heart rate down quickly to move on. The burpee broad jumps were killers and I had to really slow my run pace down for that next 1km after that to recover and by the time I hit the rower I was feeling good again and I’d had a gel and some electrolytes coming in to that station.

I smashed the Farmers Carry ( 2nd in my age group) unbroken and then met the sandbag lunges. These absolutely destroyed me and my lack of prep for this particular exercise coupled with old injuries made for a tortuous station.

I honestly couldn’t have got through this one without my support team yelling out encouragement. These guys were my absolute rock and I cant thank you enough ❤️

When we talk about “digging deep” and “emptying the tank” it’s for these moments.

Over 12 minutes on this station for 100m with a 20kg sandbag says it all.

Then the ‘run’ that took over ten minutes after that…Coming in to the final station, the wall balls. By now my legs were like jelly and my lungs were screaming and I was dizzy and feeling sick. It was only afterwards checking my stats that I realized my heart rate spiked to 192!

But I carried on through all the no reps to inch my way to the magical 100 and then to the finish. I was ecstatic to finish but admittedly slightly disappointed with the time because those last 2 stations plus the run took me 34 minutes alone. But I was 19th in my age grade ( 55-59) and next year I’ll be 60 so I may have a crack at that 60+ bracket.

Yes, I have the Hyrox bug 😊

My whoop watch told me that out of 37,000 Men aged over 50 on Friday, my strain level ranked #2 in the world.

Hard bloody yakka.

My why? Why not. I work in an industry where I’m privileged to help people get their lives back on track physically.

I see people every day who are lost and have a feeling of hopelessness because they’re either overweight, grossly unfit, on cocktails of meds or struggle to see the good in their life or all of the above.

They have a fear of dying but fail to see that they have a fear of not living. This is not the life you were destined to have. You can have vitality and strength, energy and life. It starts one step at a time, physically, mentally and spiritually.

In these cases I’m not just a Chiropractor helping my patients negotiate some back pain. Im also the Rugby Coach, ex player, Mentor and Guide. I become a psychologist and psychiatrist too because there is far more underlying their condition than just a sore back.

We identify the ‘3 T’s’ which are Trauma, Thoughts and Toxins. Or Physical, Emotional and Environmental reasons for dis-ease.

These people are what motivates me to run programmes for Over 50s Men. Our su***de rates are through the roof. The pressures to be providers and protectors are enormous and we drive ourselves in to the ground to live up to expectations.

Instead of looking to physical fitness as a means to keep ourselves above water, we do the opposite and turn to the demon drink… And life goes in to a downward spiral.

I hear you and I see you.

And never say never. NEVER. EVER. It takes discipline but it also takes a ‘why.’

If not for you, then do it for your loved ones. You and them deserve the best possible version of you.

I aint perfect, far from it, but I’m trying my best. And I’ll be moving on to my next goal whatever that may be because age is just a number and I refuse to be dictated to by that.

Looking after ourselves is not selfish. It is essential.

Charity Boxing fight age 52:

Last rugby game on NH Stadium for the Knights age 56:

First Hyrox age 58:

What next?

23/01/2026

One week until and I gave it one last big shift in a simulation.

800m run, 800m ski erg, 800m run, 180kg sled push 40m, 800m run, 100kg Sled Pull 40m, 800m run, 800m row, 800m run, 2 x 28kg farmers carry 160m, 800m run, 60m burpee broadjumps, 800m run, 25kg sandbag lunges 40m, 800m run and 40 x 9kg wallballs.

Not gunna lie, the lunges and wallballs killed me but my engine felt great 🔥🔥 I just hope my tyres hold up 🤣

Now it’s rest and recovery week with some walks, stretches, fine tuning and another ice bath/sauna session on Tuesday.

My whoop told me I’m ranked number 10 out of 36.5k Men over 50 in the world today! Not bad 😬

Friday is D-Day 😎 let’s see how this old body holds up.

17/01/2026

My just 12 days away. My nemesis… the Burpee Broadjumps! These ain’t pretty 🤦‍♂️ but I got them done. This morning in the rain I did 100 metres of these either side of 10 x 100m stride outs.

During the race this is station number 4. In between each station is a 1km run. And yes, the legs do hurt 🤣

3 more big training days then I’ll taper right down. This aging body needs more recovery time these days and that’s very important.

Not aiming for time, just to finish but of course the competitive instinct will kick in… 🤦‍♂️ let’s see what happens and maybe I’ll aim for the Pro division when I hit 60 next year 🫣🤪

“Here is the standard station order for Open Men, with details on requirements and weights (based on official specs for the current/2025-26 season):
1. SkiErg — 1,000 meters on the Concept2 SkiErg machine (full-body pulling motion, damper typically preset).
2. Sled Push — 50 meters total (usually 4 × 12.5 m shuttles) with a sled weighing 152 kg (including sled).
3. Sled Pull — 50 meters total (usually 4 × 12.5 m shuttles, pulling backward with a rope) with a sled weighing 103 kg (including sled).
4. Burpee Broad Jumps — 80 meters (perform a burpee, then broad jump forward; chest to ground, no reps count—just cover distance).
5. Rowing — 1,000 meters on the Concept2 rower (full-body cardio pull).
6. Farmers Carry (Kettlebell Farmers Carry) — 200 meters carrying two kettlebells (one in each hand), 2 × 24 kg.
7. Sandbag Lunges — 100 meters of walking lunges with sandbag on back/shoulders, 20 kg (knee must touch ground each step, no dropping the bag).
8. Wall Balls — 100 repetitions throwing a medicine ball to a target at 3 m height, using a 6 kg ball (full squat below parallel each rep).”

10/01/2026

It’s such a shame that many people politicise ‘health.’
Please don’t shoot the messenger. At least have a listen to the message.
Who would not want positive changes to their health? Diet is a huge part of the overall package so what is being said here makes absolute sense.
Unfortunately because of some people’s political leanings they’ll ignore the obvious data and facts and scientific studies and instead they’ll say this is false. How on earth can anyone come to that conclusion??
Health does not come at the bottom of a pill jar or at the end of a needle.
Make some changes today for your better long term health outcomes.
You won’t regret it ❤️

10/01/2026

My took a huge leap forward this morning when I completed 8kms on the treadmill with 51 minutes continuous running. This is massive for me. I’ve had to change my mind set from “I’m not a runner” to “I need to get it done” and RUN. And run some more.

With just under 3 weeks left until in Auckland this was an important step in my training… being able to hit that Zone2-3 for an extended period. involves 8 x 1km runs plus 8 stations. For so long I’ve struggled with my running, not from a heart rate/fatigue view but from an ‘achy joints, old man’ view.

This morning, while slow, was a huge milestone for this 103 kg and soon to be 59 year old and I’m bloody stoked.

My message today as always is JUST DO IT. Get comfortable being uncomfortable and get out of your comfort zone. Another day down is also another day less for us all and there’s no better time than now to set some goals and get the most out of your life.

Treat the New Years ‘goals’ not as a resolution but as a re-solution. You’ve always known the solution right? Well, now there’s no excuses. Good luck