Functional Fitness

What is functional fitness and why do we need it?

Functional fitness is the kind of fitness that enables you to perform real-life movements and activities. Functional fitness is important as it enables you to live independently and to undertake everyday tasks and activities, with minimal risk of injury.

How can I improve functional fitness?

Functional fitness training focuses on training your muscles to work together so they can perform movements required for day-to-day activities. Examples of such movements include squatting, reaching, pulling, and lifting that can help improve your functional fitness. Having good posture is also an important part of functional fitness.

Why is posture important?

Pain related to posture is very common, and experienced by many people who spend their working day seated in front of a computer. At Doctors of Osteo, we believe posture plays a key role in reducing pain and those ongoing ‘niggles’. Sitting at a desk all day can contribute to a slumped curve in your spine. Combined with weak core muscles, this can lead to tight neck muscles, sore wrist and shoulders, and back pain. In the long run this can result in a range of problems including:

• Upper back pain
• Low back pain
• Neck pain
• Shoulder and arm pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Poor circulation
• Muscle weakness and imbalance
• Muscle spasms
• Increased risk of joint degeneration
• Increased risk of spinal disc injury
• Numbness and tingling (i.e. thoracic outlet syndrome)
• Referred pain. As a result, it can be difficult to concentrate and work effectively while experiencing these types of pain.

What are the best functional exercises?

The best functional exercises for you are the ones that help you move better!

Our dedicated osteopaths provide personalised exercise programs to assist you in your road to recovery and restoration of strength. We will help identify poor muscle activation and improper muscle firing, and create individualised exercise programs based on your individual situation and needs.

These functional exercise programs include a combination of strength and stretching exercises specific to achieving your exercise goals, to help increase stability and performance, and to help prevent injury and pain. Our programs are designed for optimal results that are safe and effective for anyone, including the elderly and the elite athlete.

How do I know what functional training exercises to do?

Your strength and conditioning exercise program is delivered to you via email, so you can easily access it on your phone, tablet or laptop. The program will provide you with specific exercise videos for you to do at home, or in the workplace in order to improve your posture, and increase your flexibility, strength and mobility.

Through our online exercise program, you can track how you’re going with the exercises, as well as send messages to your Osteopath, and schedule an in-app video calls if you need help. Your practitioner can also send you feedback.

What are the benefits of an online exercise program?

Online exercise programs provide you with:

• Easy access any time of the day
• Easy-to-understand step-by-step instructions on how to perform each exercise
• The ability to set notifications to remind you to perform exercises and schedule in-app video calls if you need help
• The ability to show your PT or other health professionals your prescribed rehabilitation program to ensure greater consistency of care
• A printable PDF format in 10 different languages.

All messages sent through this app are sent as instant notifications to your practitioner.

Can you provide me with an ergonomic assessment for my posture?

Yes! We believe that prevention is better than cure, which is why we provide a thorough postural examination, both with your seated posture and your work station. This will help with the alignment of your joints, as well as help you better understand the best way for you sit and work to prevent pain in your day-to-day life.

By simply sending us a photo of your workstation, we can provide an ergonomic assessment of your workspace, and advise how you can improve it, in order to improve posture, and reduce the likelihood of injury. This, combined with the understanding of how you work, and what current issues you’re experiencing, will enable us to put together a personalised functional exercise program.

What other services do you provide to assist with posture?

We also offer bulk-billed X-rays to check the cause of your posture, and to look for issues such as scoliosis and osteoarthritis.

In addition, we are trained in correct manual handling techniques for people like construction workers and chefs, and correct lifting techniques for powerlifters, gym-goers and dancers.

With more people working from home than ever before, good posture has never been so important.