How To Deal With Chronic Pains – The Holistic Ways.

I am Dr. Abhishek, a naturopath with over 15 years of practicing and teaching Yoga, Pilates and mindful exercises. I have this incredible talent to help you break free from pains and limitations, improve your posture and body awareness so you can live mindful life.

I believe that our body is a complex machine and we need to deal with it in the Holistic Way.

In this article, I will try to highlight a few practical ways to manage chronic pains. And If you are suffering from chronic pains and physical limitations, you are definitely going to read this.

The Pain affects everyone in one way or another. The acute pain tends to resolve in a short time but has a sharp, aching sensation associated with it. On the other hand, the chronic pain is usually a dull and throbbing ache that could last for more than six months.

All pain starts as acute pain, in the form of injury, bad posture, or repeated movements and if not treated during the early onset, it can become chronic. Chronic pain affects a person’s everyday life without them realising it.

And most people, who suffer from chronic pain, have a reduced ability to function normally and the optimal efficiency of their work and duties are significantly reduced.

Chronic pain is also linked to depression, anxiety, and sleeping disorders, and may even reduce that person’s ability to stay normal. And, some chronic pains like arthritis, could inhibit mobility and flexibility. This results in a loss of contact with friends or families because you only wants to stay home and be left alone.

You may also have difficulty walking or carrying things which make you feel like a burden because you need to rely on other people. Plus you are unable to perform activities that you took for granted, such as running, dancing, or maintaining personal hygiene. And, in long term some conditions could even cause constipation or incontinence.

Therefore, it is crucial to properly manage your pain to be able to restore the quality of your life and your loved ones who are suffering from chronic pain, and not be restrained by the pain that can cause disability.

Often the feeling and sensation of pain is the sign that there is an ongoing inflammation and may be due to arthritis, sprains, headaches, lower back issues, and so on.

Proper treatment and plans are necessary to combat the chronic pains. I mean, How long can someone rely on Painkillers? Plus, the painkillers are not the only way to tackle pain, and the good ones are costly.

I am sure you have herd this before, but its so true that, by making changes in your lifestyle, you can be free from the pain in the long term. The three major changes required to be successful in dealing with these inflammatory pains are;

  1. Changing your diets,
  2. Restoring natural body heat, and
  3. Proper exercise.

Changing diet, sounds simple but it’s more complicated than that. It requires a proper evaluation of your current intake of nutrient rich food.

Most researches have proved that antioxidants are known to reduce inflammation. Antioxidants can be found in deep-coloured fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, prunes, pomegranates, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, red beans, and kidney beans.

Besides that, other good sources of antioxidants are spices and herbs such as cinnamon, oregano, turmeric, parsley, basil, and curry powder. By incorporating foods rich in antioxidants into your diet, you can reduce pain without relying on painkillers.

A diet compromising of salmon, olive oil, and flaxseed oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation.

Drinking hot liquids such as hot herbal teas with peppermint or wintergreen, and hot ginger tea with honey can help expel excess wind from the stomach and restore heat to the body.

Exercising is also good for the body and improves limb function. Muscles work as shock absorbers. By doing yoga, pilates on mat or reformer and strengthening exercises, they help the body to combat pain. However, a customised exercises regimen must be done regularly to get positive results.

It is essential to be able to accept pain as a part of your life that needs to be addressed before combating it. It is not impossible to get rid of the pain. With determination, making slight changes in your lifestyle, incorporating the right mindset, and genuine support from us, you will be able to overcome anything, including pain.

Until we meet, try to take charge of your pain today with these 10 simple steps:

  1. Keep yourself hydrated as dehydration can aggravate the symptoms of chronic conditions such as headaches and back pain. Drink loads of water! By drinking eight glasses of water a day, you are taking a simple step to keep your body hydrated, and it will thank you for that. Chronic pain tends to get worse when the body does not have enough water. It is best to avoid coffee, soda, or tea as they have diuretic effects that can cause dehydration.
  2. Load your body with nutritious foods that can help combat pain and reduce fatigue. Consume lots of leafy greens, foods with Omega3 fatty acids, asparagus, low-sugar fruits such as cherries, pineapples, plums, cranberries, and soy products. They can help alleviate pain and alkalinize your body to make it less acidic. These foods help to increase chronic pain resistance and are also fatigue busters.
  3. Avoid processed foods and foods containing chemicals that can increase inflammation such as dairy, chocolate, eggs, citrus fruits, high fat red meat, coffee, tea, sodas, red wine.
  4. Incorporate turmeric when you are cooking and take a Curcumin supplement. Originating from India, this brightly coloured spice is used for cooking delicious foods, while having anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric contains Curcumin and has been used for centuries to treat many health ailments such as chronic pain. It is a natural pain reliever without harming the liver or the kidneys.
  5. Keep a positive outlook. Thinking positively will help you to overcome blocks and lessen the pain you are feeling.
  6. Try to incorporate a form of exercise into your daily life. Exercise is beneficial by strengthening the body and increasing blood flow. Start with simple exercises or learn yoga to increase strength and flexibility. Yoga can calm the mind and reduce the stress caused by pain. You can also try pilates on mat or reformer it has low impact on your joints and will help you  strengthen your core.
  7. Distract yourself with activities that are not stressful such as listening to music, watching movies, and so on. It is vital to engage in activities that make you feel good. Humans are not able to work all the time. It is crucial to have a hobby that you enjoy and allow yourself time to engage in the hobby to distract yourself from the stress. By doing something that makes you feel good, you are indirectly releasing endorphins, which can reduce pain.
  8. Maintain a proper posture. Being in a C-slump, which is a bend back with the head in front of the spine, can impair nerve and blood flow. It is best to keep a straight back with your head resting on top of your spine. Remember, you are not a question mark. This can help prevent strain on your back and neck muscles. It is important to have a good posture not just to give a good impression to other people, but also for your health. Book a free consultation with Dr Abhishek to screen your posture and analyse functional movement patterns.
  9. Discuss your pain with a specialist. You may be able to find solutions to problems that cause your stress and helpful coping skills. Keep a diary that can help you keep track of your pain and record down medications that can help you and any adverse effects you experience while taking them. This can help you to be in more control of your pain. Book a free consultation with Dr Abhishek to make lifestyle changes by drawing a clear path through journaling for pain.
  10. Take rest whenever you feel pain. Pain could be an indication of the body telling you to stop overworking yourself. Sleeping is one of the ways for the body to rest and regenerate itself. By depriving the body of it, it will have low resistance towards pain.

The pain could occur with no apparent reason which puzzles prescribers and patients. It is important to bear in mind that chronic pain cannot be treated in one quick solution but needs an extensive personalised plan to manage.

So be patient!

Thank you for reading.

If you are suffering from pain please click here to book a free consultation and assessment session.

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Office Syndrome – What EXPERTS are NOT TELLING YOU!

What doctors are not telling you about office syndrome

Are you tired of your shoulder and neck pain? Or the symptoms of office syndrome?

If you are reading this, I assume you have tried every possible treatment like massage, physio, painkillers and acupuncture and all forms of physical exercises that claim to give you the relief from your pains and haven’t got any results or still hoping that continuing to a so-called general method will help you fix it and get rid of that pain?

What is Office Syndrome?

Do you have an office job? Do you spend at least 8 hours each day sitting on a chair in front of a computer? Then chances are you suffer from the office syndrome.

People suffering of the office syndrome have back, neck or shoulder pain, headaches, aching arms, numbness of the hands or feet, eye strain, dry eyes or glare and other complications.

How did you get Office Syndrome?

With the evolution of technology, most jobs nowadays involve 8 hours of sitting on a chair, in front of a computer. Sure, this is much easier and comfortable than doing physical labor, but it also causes a series of problems.

Sitting on a chair and staring at a monitor for so many hours every day can cause chronic pain, intervertebral disc disease and abnormalities in the spine.

This problem should be taken very seriously, If you do not plan to change career, you will probably do the same office job for the next 30 years or so. And even if you are feeling ok right now, you will definitely feel worse over the next years.

There are plenty of treatments out there that claim to be helpful, and I am sure you have tried some or all of them, by now you already know that, they will only give you temporary relief.

Why experts haven’t told you the most effective solution to your office syndrome?

There are many methods out there that only provide temporary pain relief or that do not work at all, and it seems that experts are hiding the most effective solution for the office syndrome. Some of the ineffective solutions include acupuncture, electrical treatment and general Yoga classes.

What if I told you that you are not given the complete treatments. To every professional you go, they are experts of one method, and you might be an absolutely new case, but they still impose same treatments on every patient that has worked for others without a thorough examination, assessments, posture analysis or habits checked and why in the first place you got that pain? They might notice that you have some posture issues but they still are only limited to reducing your pain, which eventually will come back or move to other weak parts of the body.

Why acupuncture is only a temporary solution to your office syndrome?

Pricking a needle on so-called “acupoints”, may relieve pain by releasing endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals, and by affecting the part of the brain that governs serotonin, a brain chemical involved with mood. If the acupuncture works on your body, you will start noticing that you are less stressed, you are sleeping better, having more energy, and your digestion is better. But all that can also be the result of simply doing proper exercises in their correct form.

Some people claim that acupuncture might be a solution, but that’s not really the best option. Acupuncture should be done by a specialist with lots of experience, otherwise just putting needles in random places of the body is useless.

Some people felt better with acupuncture, others haven’t felt anything, while others felt even worse. And even if the pain goes away for a short period of time during the session, it quickly returns. Not to mention that acupuncture requires a lot of time to get results, and not all people have the time, the money and the willpower to get stung with needles 2 to 3 times each week, over the course of a few months.

How Electric treatments in physiotherapy can not give you long term relief from your chronic pain?

The various electric treatments offered by Physiotherapists are not effective in getting rid of the chronic pains. The TENS therapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) provides short-term pain relief and involves placing electrodes on the skin and delivering low-voltage electrical current. This alters the normal perception of pain, and it can work for some types of pain. Similarly, the ultrasound and short wave diathermy provide deep healing which promotes healing of the soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the body.

But when it comes to chronic low back pain, arthritis, or symptoms related to office syn-drome, it is not effective and is not recommended by the American Academy of Neurology.

Why general Yoga classes are not going to fix your posture?

You believe it or not but the fact is 90% of Office syndrome is related to habitual postural misalignment. There are various solutions out there, and yoga seems to be one of them. Sure, it has multiple benefits for the mind, body, and soul, but regular yoga classes may not be the best choice. People with no experience and with back stiffness, pain and lack of mobility, go to these classes and try to replicate the complicated poses they see others do. Not only they risk injury, but they will definitely not improve their back condition and office syndrome.

Most classes will not give you options that are related to your posture, in reality, none of the Yoga teacher trainings educate the teachers to analyze the posture. If you are flexible one way and stiff the other way, you always have a tendency to do the yoga positions that are easier, for example, if your beck bend is very good you will usually like to do the backbends, And that’s what makes your body more imbalanced. Please don’t get me wrong, Yoga is my life and profession, its also my most preferable form of training to keeping my body in good condition and for that reason, general yoga classes are absolutely beneficial but they won’t help you improve your posture in particular.

Postural imbalances are best corrected in a gradual, systematic manner. Since we are not only biological but also psychological and spiritual in nature, a change in our biology will affect our minds and enhance our spiritual awareness as well. In a nutshell – Maintaining a good posture is an inside job.

That’s why small group classes or even private one on one sessions are so much better because its customized solution for your problem and the instructor will focus on your specific needs and will have you perform movements that are beneficial for YOU. You get all that at Abbysan that is affordable.

What’s the solution?

“Treat the disease not the symptoms.”

Hello, I am Dr. Abhishek, a registered Naturopath & Yoga therapist. My holistic approach, can provide you the ultimate solution and help you break free from your pain and poor posture once and for all.

A behavioral change is a long-term solution to office syndrome and is easier than treatment required when the illness becomes chronic.

My 3 Step Holistic Approach will help you FREE from YOUR PAIN and LIMITATIONS.

  • Step 1 – Yogkinesis Therapy
  • Step 2 – Habit Based Nutrition & Wellness Coaching
  • Step 3 – Lifestyle Coaching

Plus you will get a customized FIVE step program to self-management of chronic pain:

  1. Pain Journal.
  2. Eliminate inflammatory food from your diet.
  3. Proper Exercise & Posture.
  4. Proper Diet & Supplements.
  5. Try A Holistic Approach

If you are serious and committed to fixing your pain, Look know more book your free 30 minutes consultation today and find out more.

Book A Free Consultation

This solution is NOT for you

  • If you can not make time for your health.
  • If you are impatient or looking for the short cut.
  • If you don’t believe in the power of Nature.
  • If you only believe that medicine or surgery is the ultimate solution to a pain-free life.
  • If you are not willing to do what is actually right for your body.
  • If you are not ready or willing to change your habits.

BUNUS: Tips for office syndrome

  • Change your sitting or working position every twenty or thirty minutes
  • Stretch the muscles in your arms, hands, wrists and legs every hour. Get up and walk around.
  • Make sure your wrists are in a straight position; do not bend or twist them too often.
  • Give your eyes a rest from the computer every ten minutes
  • Sit with a straight posture
  • Do not sit on the edge of your seat
  • Set your computer and keyboard facing you.
  • The screen should be a little over your eye-line.
  • There should be a lot of space for you to use the mouse and mover your arms.
  • The computer should be arms-length away from you.

Why aren’t you as flexible as you were born?

Why aren't you flexible as born?

The human body is amazing and it never ceases to amaze – with the ability to learn new techniques and adapt over time in order to survive – however, there is one thing that it gradually ceases to do: be flexible.

A human fetus (unborn baby developing in the mother’s womb) spends whole of its time floating and somersaulting in amniotic fluid (water that breaks before a woman goes into labor). This could explain the smooth flexibility of babies. One can often see an infant suckling their big toe or tumbling left and right in their cots and cradles. This flexibility only increases during childhood when they get the hang of their bodily functions. The newly acquired skills of walking, running and jumping add to the mayhem as kids are seen playing everywhere. However, this privilege starts to decline as they get older.

The first slump in a kid’s flexibility is during their teenage years or adolescence. In this age, kids are having a rage in hormones and a lot of bones and joints are reaching ossification (bones become rigid and strong). The second slump occurs in their twenties – when they have reached their prime and are now regressing slowly to a degenerative phase of their life.

The question is : why does this happen? Why don’t we remain as flexible as when we are born? What factors affect this change?

1. Connective Tissues

Growth is a natural process. It happens to everyone. It is inevitable. No elixir in the world can prevent it from happening. We grow taller and more mature. We grow smarter and acquire new skills. Different organs and systems in our body contribute in growth. To the naked eye, it would appear that only our bones and muscles are getting bigger and longer. In reality, our entire body is made up of congregations of cells. Connective tissue is one of the most abundant kind of tissue present in the body. It holds various structures and fluids in place.

As we grow, our connective tissues also adapt to the surrounding conditions, environmental stress and genetic predisposition. The cells grow bigger and multiply into various progenies (families) until they can do no more. Their lifespan is spent and waste products accumulate as a result of it. Common among these inclusions (substances that are found suspended in cells) are lipids and pigments, eg lipofuschin, which is a fatty brown pigment. [1]

The impact of these wastes makes cells acquire a stiffer arrangement. Not only the vasculature (blood vessels like arteries, veins and capillaries that carry blood) or airways, tissues also have great trouble getting sufficient oxygen and nutrients. Thus, they end up getting stiff. This change, however, is not sudden.

2. Joint Structure Formation

When we are born, we are very small and flexible  This is because majority of the structures in our body have not undergone complete development. The bones have not been completely fused and hasn’t acquired complete length either.

Aging leads to ossification (becoming rigid) of bones and development of joints. As these elements fix, our body loses flexibility. It has also been observed in cases of immense stress that our muscles tend to become taut. Acute or chronic stress can directly injure muscle tissue by increasing damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a greater rate of accumulations in the cells  This cell damage leads to apoptosis (cell death) of muscle cells, and thus, contributing to increased rigidity and decreased mobility. [2]

3. Bone and Muscle Hardening

It is apparent that the body undergoes various changes with time. Our bones are initially soft and our movements more swift. However, it is our habits that shape how our body transforms. For example, how pelvic joint fuses and bones of the body become harder as we get involved in various day to day activities. Whether we are active or sedentary also determines the fate of our flexibility. The more active someone is, the more likely he or she is to be swift in their movements. It has also been noted that activities like stretching directly contributes to ease in mobility, whereas weight training and heavy duty activities decrease it.

But it is essential to note that activities are performed during a certain time frame. It is the long-term position of our body that ultimately determines our state. Just like prolonged collision with a water stream can form rivers or even crack open rocks, repetitive movements – or lack thereof – can leave lasting effects. Good posture is key.

Everyone must have heard phrases like “don’t make that face or it will stick that way” in their childhood. Well, there is some truth in it. How you stand or sit affects the alignment of your body. If you continuously cock your head forward near a screen or perhaps bend your neck to get a closer view of your phone every other minute, you might see a hump forming in some time. This is the effect of posture.

Other than the position we maintain while we’re wide awake, our sleeping positions also matter. On average, we sleep 6 to 8 hours a day, and some even 9 or 10 hours. The posture we maintain during this time can affect the mobility of our joints and the tautness of our muscles and fasciae (the connective tissue sleeves that cover muscles and associated structures in place, fitting like a glove).

4. Race

It is undeniable that our genetic makeup plays a major role in determining our adaptation in every aspect of life. Whether it is contributing to our intelligence or our physical characteristics. It has been observed that most Asians with have soft connective tissues as compared to the people of the West. [3]

5. Use It or Lose It

There is a simple theory called “use it or lose it”. According to this, if you keep on using your joints and performing everyday activities, you will remain able to move swiftly. It is seen that kids move around a lot and thus are immensely flexible but as they start to age, pain and inflammation, and a sedentary lifestyle prevents them from practicing and exercising their joints at the rate they used to. This leads to a disuse atrophy and joints become hypoflexible (less flexible). [4]

Thus, it can be summed up that healthy lifestyle modifications early on in life can contribute to a healthier and easier adulthood, with lesser obstacles in movement. Eating healthy foods, regularly exercising, and good posture can set you up for a flexible life.

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2147307/

[2] https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-body

[3] https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article-abstract/26/1/9/1781943?redirectedFrom=fulltext

[4] https://arapc.com/maintaining-flexibility-with-aging/

Why Yoga & Pilates Are Better Than Intense Workouts

Why Yoga & Pilates Are Better Than Intense Workouts

You see this every day on social media channels: people posting “motivational” fitness quotes such as “No Pain, No Gain” or “If it’s not hurting, it’s not working” or “Blood, sweat and tears”. People have the wrong impression that working out so intensely that they puke will eventually make them thinner and healthier.

But this is far from the truth, and exercising too intensely can do more harm than good. In this article, we’ll have a look at the negative side effects of over-training and then we’ll see a solution to this problem.

Overtraining is the condition where someone performs excessive training from which the body is not able to recover from. Studies have shown that overtraining is actually worse than under training, having negative side effects on the body, mind and health. Plus, it can also affect your skin and overall beauty.

The Side Effects Of Overtraining

Training super intensely requires multiple days of recovery (sometimes up to 2 weeks), but people keep on pushing themselves and train super hard almost every day. The side effects are felt both physically and mentally, and they are:

  1. Muscle Loss – when training hard (especially when using weights), micro-tears take place in the muscles. Then, in the next days, the body rebuilds those tears, but creates a bit more muscle as well, just to be prepared for the next intense workout. The rebuilding and recovery process requires plenty of time, plenty of protein and plenty of sleep. Considering that most people don’t consume enough protein and don’t sleep enough hours, they would need at least a week to recover, even if they wouldn’t work out at all in that time. But some continue to do intense workouts even with a bad diet and with not enough rest. So not only that the muscles don’t get a chance to rebuild themselves, but they end up being torn down over and over again. So that person loses muscle, which eventually slows down their metabolism.
  2. Joint Pain – if someone performs high-intensity workouts with a bad form on the exercises, they will end up with achy joints.
  3. Difficulty in Sleeping – overtraining can interfere with your sleeping pattern and you will have a hard time falling asleep.
  4. Getting Ill Frequently – working out too much and too hard will weaken the immune system. The combination of muscle loss, exhaustion and lack of sleep will make you get sick more often.
  5. Sore Muscles – when you start any form of exercise it’s normal to have a slight pain in the muscles. Normally this will go away in a few days. But with overtrained people, the pain does not go away and it can last for weeks.
  6. Fatigue – workouts are meant to make you feel good and energized. But if you overdo it, you will feel sluggish and exhausted, and will not look forward to the next workout or to any physical activity whatsoever.
  7. Mental Side Effects – overtraining for a long time can also give feelings of depression, anger, apathy and irritability. They go hand in hand with the lack of sleep.
  8. Skin Problems – some forms of exercises can create wrinkles and stretch marks, while hot yoga can make people dehydrated. Overheating and sweating can leave those with sensitive skin with added irritation. Also, people with rosacea or eczema will have worse skin after intense exercise. Sweating with makeup on and then sitting for minutes in the car without showering can cause acne breakouts. Frequent sweating can also cause dandruff to appear or to get worse. And last but not least, there is the issue of thigh chafing (thighs rubbing together and causing irritation and rashes).

The Solution

Being fit and healthy does not require strenuous and stressful exercises. You can look and feel great even with no gym sessions or cardio workouts. And when it comes to losing weight, 90% of the process takes place in the kitchen, not in the gym.

Yoga and Pilates can offer you a fit, flexible and balanced body, without requiring you to train so hard that you get “blood, sweat and tears”. The health benefits of these 2 activities include:

  • Improved flexibility
  • Increased muscle tone
  • Balanced muscular strength
  • Improved posture
  • Improved balance
  • Relaxation
  • Prevention of injuries
  • Increased lung capacity
  • Improved concentration
  • Improved body awareness
  • Less stress
  • And much more

In case you need a healthy diet approach, mindfulness coaching or Yoga & Pilates classes, the Abbysan Center is here to help. You can start with our 30-days Jump Start Program, which includes UNLIMITED group Yoga and Pilates classes, as well as posture screen, body metrics, a goal setting and strategy session and more.

If you also want to lose weight, sleep better and have more energy, we also invite you to check out our 10-Day Detox Program. Feel free to contact us for any questions you might have. The experienced trainers at the Abbysan Center are here to help!

7 Simple Ways To Treat Stiff Muscles

7 Simples Ways To Treat Stiff Muscles

Obviously, there are many factors and reasons for muscle tightness that ultimately leads to reduced joint range of motion.

Muscle “tightness” results from an increase in tension from active or passive mechanisms. Passively, muscles can become shortened through postural adaptation or scarring; actively, muscles can become shorter due to spasm or contraction. Regardless of the cause, tightness limits range of motion and may create a muscle imbalance, ultimately leading to more stiffness in our muscles and overall body.

There are top 3 reasons why in the first place our muscles get stiff.

1. Muscles Spasms
Muscles require Magnesium & Potassium for them to relax, and calcium for them to contract. When the two are imbalanced, it can lead to muscle spasms and contractions.

Muscle spasms are also caused due to muscle weakness and imbalance in muscle length and tension ratio. When the muscles cramp they create knots in the muscle fibers which in time makes the muscles stiff as the muscles lose their ability to fully relax or stretch.

2. Dehydration
Dehydration is also a contributing factor to stiff muscles. This is because muscles are active tissues and require lots of water. The water contains electrolytes that help transfer orders from your nervous system to your muscles and back. Without enough water, muscles lose their ability to communicate with the brain.

3. Inactivity
Inactivity is another culprit. Leaving your muscles in one state for a prolonged period (sleep or sitting in a chair for an extended period, for instance) can cause them to stiffen.

Another indirect cause of muscle stiffness is stress. When we’re stressed, our bodies tighten up in preparation for a “fight or flight” situation. Prolonged stress can lead to tightness in the muscles, resulting in strain.

7 Simple Ways To Treat Stiff Muscles

1. Proper Posture & Exercises
Exercising for 30 minutes each day or every other day can prevent most cases of muscle stiffness. Exercise keeps your muscles relaxed, and can even improve your mental state. Just don’t overdo it, because that’s when your muscles get stiff.

2. Salt Bath
Add 2-4 heaped tablespoons of baking soda to a hot bath and climb in for rapid muscular pain relief. You can even try replacing the baking soda with ¾ cup of Epsom salt if you wish to.

3. Supplements
Balance your magnesium and calcium levels by taking supplements, and consider making dietary changes like eating foods higher in magnesium such as spinach, artichokes, and dates. Taking additional magnesium (particularly at night) can help to reduce muscle cramps and spasms. It is also very helpful in reducing overall muscle soreness and aiding in a better night’s rest.

4. Apply Heat
Simply applying heat to muscles causes the tissue to expand and increase blood flow to the heated area. You can do this by taking a hot shower or massaging the stiff area with a heating pad.

5. Relax & Meditate
Calm yourself down. By reducing the level of stress in your life, your body will relax as well, reducing the likelihood of tight and stiff muscles. Getting a good massage can work wonders for stiff muscles. A licensed masseuse will be able to relieve stiff muscles in a single session, sending you home pain-free and much more relaxed.

6. Hydrate
Drink water or Isotonic drinks to keep your hydration and electrolytes at an adequate level. Men require 13 cups (3 liters) of water per day, while women need nine (2.2 liters).

7. Stretch & Tone
Stretching your muscles when you wake up can prevent muscles from stiffening. It increases blood flow throughout your body and prepares the muscles for the daily movements ahead.

The physical practices of yoga kеерs the muѕсlеѕ rеlаxеd іn movements so that muѕсlе fіbеr elongate. Thіѕ results іn іnсrеаѕеd flexibility and a ѕеnѕе of well-being.

Our yoga classes and teachers systematically encourage уоgа practitioner’s to engages the body in a stretch, extending and elongating into a pose as much as comfortable, not as much as possible. Thе breath is crucial in this work because it both focuses and calms the mind, while the spine is integral for physical balance, self-awareness is developed through the practices of yoga, is integral for emotional balance.

A unique benefit of pilates reformer is eccentric muscle control. The reformer is a set-up for eccentric contraction, this is when a muscle lengthens as it resists a force. That is one of the keys to achieving the long, strong muscles and ultimately the Toned Body without bulk that Pilates is known for.

6 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Do Large Group Pilates Classes

6 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Do Large Pilates Classes

Let’s say that you get a common cold. So you then call your doctor and you make an appointment in order to get a custom treatment. You meet with the doctor, he looks at you and asks you questions, and then prescribes a treatment. It’s the same for when you break your arm…you go to an orthopedic doctor and you get it fixed. When your child is sick you go to a pediatrician, and so on.

What do all of these situations have in common? Well, they are all specialists in their field and they are all offering individual consultations. In none of these cases, you don’t go to a group class.

So if you have back issues or a poor posture and you decide to try Pilates, why would you go to a class with 20 other people? Each one of them has their own health issues and limitations, so doing a generic Pilates program will definitely not help.

What should you do instead? 

Now let’s look in more detail at some of the reasons why group classes are not so effective when it comes to Pilates:

1. Safety – Pilates is not a dangerous activity, but there is a slight risk involved. Most people that begin doing it are out of shape and have a bad posture or various back issues, so even when doing very simple poses they can get injured.

This especially applies to Reformer Pilates classes, where those big devices can be overwhelming for some people. Those machines have lots of benefits, but only if they are used correctly.

When teaching to a large group of 20 or more people, the Pilates instructor will simply not have the time to show the movements to each and every person and to assist and correct everyone. Each person has its own issues and limitations, and there are certain exercises that work great and others that should be avoided. So the training program should be customized based on each person’s individual needs.

2. Getting Results – people don’t go to Pilates just for the fun of it, and they usually want to achieve a certain goal. And this can only be achieved by performing the movements with the correct form. Not knowing how to do each exercise correctly will not activate the right muscles and will not give the needed results.

3. Personalized Instructions – even if someone knows how to correctly perform all the movements, this still does not guarantee results. And this is because each person is unique, and each person has certain muscle imbalances or tightness. So the movements should be adjusted according to each participant’s needs.

4. Quantity Over Quality – personal trainers and group trainers need to make a living too, and sometimes they take shortcuts. They focus on training as many people as possible in order to earn as much money as possible and neglect the quality of each class.

This explains why individual classes are more expensive than group classes. But instead of wasting your money on group classes that don’t produce any results, it’s better to invest a bit more on individual classes that actually work.

5. Lack of Commitment – there are some exceptions here, but most classes do not follow a path toward an end-goal. You simply go there and perform just about the same movements every week. It’s better to show up and do something than to do nothing, but with the time you will get bored. This is why all the classes are full in January, and slowly decrease with each passing week.

Sure, some of the group classes have a certain path and they evolve over time. But this has a drawback as well: if some people miss a class or two, then they are left behind and it’s very hard to pick up when they come back.

So individual classes are much better, as you can do things at your own pace, and be able to keep up even when you missed a class or two.

6. Lack of Flexibility – group classes always takes place at the same hour and at the same day of the week. So if anything comes up and you can’t make it at that exact hour, then you missed your workout. This then leads to what we talked about at the previous point, and you end up quitting the class altogether. However, the private classes can be scheduled whenever you are available and can be postponed or moved according to your needs.

There were 6 important reasons why Pilates group classes are not effective. So what’s the solution? 1 on 1 class or at least classes with up to 3 people max. The Abbysan center offers both private classes and 3rio classes that have a maximum of 3 attendees. Our classes are highly personalized and adapted to your own needs and limitations. Find out more by visiting this link.

Why Dieting Doesn’t Work

Why Dieting Doesn’t Work

Low carb, keto, low fat, vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, South Beach, Atkins, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean…these are all popular diets that many people stick to religiously, claiming that they are feeling and looking better than ever. But think about the last time you tried any of these fad diets. Did they actually work? Sure, maybe you lost a few pounds at that time, but then you quickly gained them back when you introduced that food or macronutrient that was forbidden during the diet.

Most of these diets are not sustainable in the long term, and they only create a yo-yo effect. So people end up with the same weight as when they started, or even worse.

Why Diets Don’t Work

Most health professionals agree that diets don’t work, and here are a few reasons why:

  1. Weight Loss Is Just Temporary – studies have shown that as many as 60% of those who start a diet then gain back more than their initial weight
  2. Dieting Makes Your Brain Crave More – we need food to survive and that’s that. When you are restricting a certain food or macronutrient, the body will produce hormones that will make you hungry and will make that missing food taste even better in the future. So it will then be even harder to resist that sugar, or that fat or whatever you are restricting
  3. Dieting Damages The Relationship You Have With Food – instead of learning how to eat in a healthy manner, people are unsatisfied with their bodies and are turning to extreme diets. This makes them hate certain foods and then always feel guilty when eating them
  4. Dieting Causes Stress and Emotional Overeating – when faced with an extreme diet, the body releases cortisol which is the stress hormone. Then, people tend to feel more hungry and to eat more than they should be in order to relieve that stress
  5. Dieting Slows Down The Metabolism – this study has shown that weight cycling is associated with extra weight and abdominal fat accumulation. So the more yo-yo dieting you do, the harder it will be to lose weight and the easier it will be to gain it back
  6. Diets Lack Important Nutrients – whether you are restricting carbs, or fats, or meat, or vegetables, or any other group of foods, you are limiting certain nutrients that are important to the body. Studies have shown that each of the popular diets is deficient in certain micronutrients, which can be harmful on the long term
  7. People Diet for The Wrong Reasons – if you are obese with multiple health issues caused by the extra weight, then it is essential to get rid of it. But most people these days (especially women) are trying to lose weight for the wrong reasons. They have insecurities related to their bodies caused by the beauty and fashion industries that are putting skinny women on a pedestal. Women no longer feel beautiful even though they have a normal weight, and pursuit extreme diets

What Should You Do?

So if diets don’t work, what should you do in case you need to lose weight and to look better?

  1. Focus on Feeling Good, rather than Looking Good – it’s important to change your perspective and to focus on feeling good both on the short and the long term. And it’s clear that diets don’t make us feel good. They actually make us feel worse. One of the ways to notice what truly makes you feel good is mindfulness
  2. Accept Yourself – some men will simply never have six-pack abs, while some women will simply never have flat abs or a “thigh gap”. It’s important to try to become the best version of yourself, but without comparing to others that have different genetics, different health issues, different lifestyles and so on
  3. Focus on Being Healthy, Not on Losing Weight – adjust portion sizes, re-educate your eating habits, learn about what to eat and how to choose your food, eat mindfully and the weight will slowly take care of itself. And the difference is that this approach can be maintained in the long term, and it’s not just another yo-yo diet
  4. Change The Way You Think About Exercise – do what feels right and appropriate for your current fitness level instead of trying to force your body into extreme weightlifting techniques or other crazy sports. Low impact exercises performed regularly can be more beneficial than extreme sports have done sporadically. Movement can simply be a way to enjoy life, instead of a method to lose weight. Do it because you like to, not because you absolutely have to
  5. Enjoy life – being stressed leads to unhealthy binging and then to weight gain. But if you are happy and relaxed, you will make smarter choices. You don’t need to wait to have that “perfect body” in order to enjoy life. Start to live the rich and meaningful life you deserve right now!

In case you need a healthy diet approach, mindfulness coaching or Yoga & Pilates classes, the Abbysan Center is here to help!

HOW Poor Posture Affects Your Health & Athletic Performance

HOW Poor Posture Affects Your Health & Athletic Performance

The posture you have in the day to day life has a big impact on athletic performance, as well as on your mental and physical health. We are all told from a young age to not slouch and to stand up straight when walking, but so many people still do it throughout their adult life.

So why do people have a poor posture? Well, there are multiple reasons for this. Sometimes it’s because of accidents or injuries, other times it’s because of genetic factors, while other times it’s because of bad sitting habits. Just hunching over at a 60-degree angle to check your phone can put more than 60 lbs. of pressure on your cervical spine!

Other reasons include:

  • Poor sleep support (a bad pillow or mattress)
  • Being overweight
  • Stress
  • Muscular imbalances
  • Improper shoes
  • Standing with a bad form
  • Walking incorrectly

When people walk or stand incorrectly, bones and muscles line up incorrectly and eventually block the flow of the sciatic nerve. This can lead to sciatica, a painful and unpleasant condition.

The Main Cause of Poor Posture

But the main cause for poor posture is definitely prolonged sitting. A study held in 2012 found out that each week people spend around 28 hours standing, 11 hours lounging around and an astonishing 64 hours of sitting. The average of working out was just around 2 and a half hours per week.

So that means that people are sitting for about 9 hours each day, some even for more. And sitting for so long inevitably leads to slouching and poor posture. Even if you know how to sit perfectly, you won’t be able to hold that pose for 9 hours, and you will change positions, putting your back into awkward positions.

Slouching puts a lot of pressure on lower back muscles and the spine. Besides this, the hip flexors get tight, while the glutes become weak. Tight hip flexors limit the range of motion, while weak glutes can cause stability problems in the gym. So lots of hours of sitting on a chair can definitely affect performance when working out.

Not only the lower part of the body is affected, but so is the upper side. Most people keep their monitor or laptop way below their eye level, which makes them to constantly look down. As mentioned before, this puts a lot of pressure on the cervical spine, neck and shoulders. Then by going to the gym with these tight muscles and imbalances, people easily get injured.

Poor Posture Also Affects Your Heart

Dr. Joel Goldthwait noticed that the abdominal nerves and blood vessels are under tension in individuals with bad posture. Not only this, but he also found out that those people display various cardiac issues and impaired blood circulation.

So your poor posture directly affects how your body carries blood to all the major organs and muscles. A slow blood flow allows for fatty acids to clog the heart, which can then lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But it may also lead to varicose veins and even the formation of dangerous blood clots.

But This Is Not All

Poor posture has also been found to negatively affect digestion and breathing and puts a lot of strain on your heart. A study published in 2007 also found out that strain in the neck muscles may lead to higher blood pressure.

A poor blood circulation means that fewer nutrients flow to the brain, which impairs memory and concentration. And last but not least, all of these factors could lead to a stroke.

Not just physical health is affected by a poor posture, so is the mood. This study showed that people who had a good sitting posture had a better mood and a lower fear compared to slumped participants who had more negative emotions and a worse mood. So even when you are stressed, make sure to keep a good posture as this can improve your mood and self-esteem.

So a bad posture can damage joints, create muscular imbalances, stress organs, affect blood circulation and also create a bad mood. It’s clear that you need to take action right away, and we are here to help! We offer a wide variety of Yoga and Pilates programs, and we work with both professional athletes and regular people. After attending our classes, you will relieve stress, treat certain medical conditions, rehabilitate after injuries, have more mobility and a better posture. Check our website for more info and contact us today! The staff at the Abbysan Center will gladly assist you!

Be Pain Free – One Alternative

Be Pain Free - One Alternative

With half the celebrities around the world getting their pictures taken leaving Pilates classes, and perhaps your friends and neighbors reducing aches and pains and becoming fit with Pilates, you might be wondering about Pilates lessons for yourself.

What’s Pilates?

“A core workout” is the vaguest answer you will get in just one sentence. Still, surely there is more to it, and only a professional Pilates instructor will be able to give you a better answer.

“Excuse my technical terms in this article, but I can’t help it. I found most individuals rarely make an effort or want to learn more about themselves than they do about others.”

Restructure Your Core

Your Core is your entire body from your diaphragm to your pelvic floor. Pilates can help make your abs stronger or give you better muscular endurance in your Core. Honestly, the focus of a Pilates class is primarily on your inner unit “powerhouse.” That being the central focus of the Pilates programs at Abbysan Centre, it will also serve your back, arms, legs, neck, and feet!

Postural Balance

Technology has created a generation of back and neck pain. Pilates programs are used by everyone from athletes to office workers for their ability to develop strength and correct posture in the critical areas of the body such as hips, lower back, upper back, and neck.

Our Pilates programs will help counteract the effects of slouching and office syndrome. You will learn to release typically overactive regions of your body like the chest, front shoulders, upper back, and hip flexor muscles.

All of this significantly improves dynamic stability – the ability of the body to hold itself in better alignment for longer, maintaining an upright posture, balance, and responsiveness.

Rebuild muscle tone

You might know at least one Celebrities who credit Pilates as the reason for their toned muscles. It makes your arms lean and toned.

Maintaining the underlying tissue quality of Gluteal muscles is your best asset. It helps in maintaining pelvic stability, knee alignment, power in jumps, speed when running, and make your buttock look shapely in tights, of course. Do Pilates for a more extended, leaner muscle system making you stand taller and look slimmer!

Regain Control

Pilates includes balance and standing work. Most of us don’t move our spines in all different directions. A Pilates class will take your spine and neck through a various gentle range of motions (flexion, rotation, extension, and lateral flexion). If you feel tight from sitting or standing all day, these movements will get you loose and limber again.

All movements of Pilates easily be related to compound and dynamic functional movements. This is so beneficial in learning to regain control and re-educate your actions.

Functional movements refer to the actions that we are likely to perform during our daily life.

Equipment or No equipment – It works

All kinds of exercises use Pilates reformer to promote length, strength, flexibility, and balance. The reformer is the key to achieving the long, strong muscles without bulk. The exercises on reformers provide enough resistance and movement variety to help build strong bones.

You don’t need equipment — you can do a Pilates workout on Mat anywhere. Although Pilates can use a full studio, it can also be done just with your bodyweight. If you are committed, we can put together a custom Pilates routine for your holiday hotel rooms. Let us know!

Dancers love it

Pilates is the exercise of dancers. Think of the bodies you see in movies or on the stage — if you want long, lean muscles and ensure the safety of your joints, unlike the dancers; then this is the workout for you.

Best fit for Prenatal or Postnatal

Not only crucial for mums and mums-to-be, but Pilates will also strengthen your pelvic floor, which is a vital muscle for everyone. Your pelvic floor gives you control over your bladder and bowel, but can be weakened by childbirth, obesity and also if you lift a lot of heavyweights.

Athlete and Sport’s Conditioning

Late, Mr. Joseph Pilates initially developed the method as a rehabilitative tool. Joseph Pilates, a German gymnast, born in 1883, who believed that poor posture goes hand-in-hand with poor health and dedicated his life to teaching his exercise techniques. He had a strong belief that having an awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, we could develop the deep spinal and abdominal muscles, and reduce stress.

Elderly are not exceptions

Older people have many risk factors due to aging and lack of exercise. A decrease in balance, gait disabilities, and falls are most common and significantly affects their mobility in day-to-day life.

“Balance” is a very complicated function that maintains positions through diverse functional elements, and intervention of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. It takes almost 15-18 months for a newborn baby to be able to walk correctly.

Various sensory-motor neuron interacts in response to changes in gravity, the base of support, vision, physical stability, and the external environment, resulting instability of the body. Mat-based Pilates helps elderly male and females improve trunk stability, dynamic balance, and significantly decrease the sway length and sway speed.

Clinical Pilates

* Chronic Low back pain (LBP)

* Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD)

* Post Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)

* Multiple sclerosis

* Lymphedema after Breast Cancer Treatment

* Spinal Deformities

Supervised under dedicated instructor

Attending a scheduled class or a private session is the ideal way to start Pilates. Your instructor will be able to design a bespoke pilates program that you can also practice yourself between your sessions in the studio. You are getting the most out of your training, and in time you’ll be amazed by the results.

Our instructors are certified Pilates instructors as well as hold bachelor’s degrees in physiotherapy. We can create bespoke rehab and exercise programs for our clients with injuries or postural issues.

Warning!

  1. If you have an injury, consider doing a few one-on-one sessions with one of our Pilates specialists first to learn the basics. On a personal level, always remember the rule that if something hurts, don’t do it.
  2. Attending classes throughout pregnancy also significantly help and speeds up the process of getting your body back in shape after childbirth. Remember, as with any exercise, always check with your doctor first, and remember to tell your trainer that you are pregnant before commencing class.

Abbysan Studio is located at the entrance of boat lagoon in Phuket, offering highly effective body sculpting Pilates workouts.

Based on various studies indicate people who practice Pilates with proper technique over time see the following benefits:

  • Improved flexibility and mobility
  • Trunk stability
  • Core and pelvic floor strength
  • Injury prevention
  • Improved posture
  • Improved coordination and athletic performance in some sports.

Dr. Abhishek Agrawal

As a pilates instructor, I feel rewarded when my clients achieve their goals, be it getting pain-free or having more ease-of-movement.

Visit the following research links for your reference

Pilates: how does it work, and who needs it?

The Effects of Pilates Mat Exercise on the Balance Ability of Elderly Females

Effects of modified Pilates on the variability of inter-joint coordination during walking in the elderly.

Impact of Clinical Pilates Exercises on Patients Developing Lymphedema after Breast Cancer Treatment