Archive for November, 2017

Cracked Heels

Why do heels crack?

Cracked heels are caused by cracking or splitting of the skin – this may be due to dryness or callus build-up which splits when under pressure.
When skin becomes thickened or dry, it loses its elasticity and becomes less supple. When day-to-day pressures are placed on the heel from activities such as walking, it can cause the skin to split which can be painful. Additionally, there are many medical conditions that can cause dryness of the heels such as diabetes, psoriasis, lichen planus, heart disease and many more.

 

How can I get rid of this?

With some minor cracks or dryness to your heels you should be able to treat this at home but for the best results and especially more extensive cracking, seeing a Podiatrist is your best option.

The Podiatrist will be able to provide a diagnosis of any underlying medical condition which may have been causing the cracked heels. They will also remove any dry or thickened skin in a quick and easy manner. By seeing a Podiatrist get this excess skin removed, will then make it much more manageable to treat at home in between podiatry appointments through filing regularly; around 3 times a week, and creaming daily with a urea-based cream.

 

If you would like to see one of our Podiatrists, you can book an appointment online or give us a call on 01380 730473

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How Reformer Pilates Can Help Build Your ​Core Strength

Building your core strength is vital to preventing injury and improving the way your body moves. Here, our Pilates instructor Danny explains how Reformer Pilates can help build your core strength. 

 

What is the core?

The core is often mistakenly thought of as just the stomach muscles – the abdominals. Although the abdominals play a part in core strength there is a lot more to it than that.

The core is the muscles of the torso, so pretty much everything apart from your arms and the legs. These core muscles need to work in synergy to provide you with stability and control of movement. I’m sure you know someone who has hurt their back picking up a child or putting a suitcase in an overhead locker. A strong core will greatly reduce your risk of such injuries.

 

The role posture plays on your core strength

Posture adaptations can cause a change in the length of your core muscles. If the muscles of the front of your torso are ‘pulled long’ they are in a weak position and therefore inhibited. If the muscles of the back are ‘shortened’ they can become overactive and feel tight. Attempting to improve your core strength from a compromised position can do more harm than good.

By fixing posture your core muscles return to their preferred length, this allows them to work together as a unit, improving movement quality and reducing pain.

 

How Reformer Pilates can improve your posture and therefore, core strength

At Hatts, our Reformer Pilates classes focus on correcting posture in order for you to then integrate the core muscles effectively through a wide variety of ranges and planes of movement.

This approach prepares your body for other activities, meaning you can lift, twist sit and stand pain-free and continue to do so in the future.

 

So, improving your core strength with Reformer Pilates can help you move better, feel better, and can even help you look better. For more information on how to become a Pilates member at Hatts, check out our Pilates page. 

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Be The Best Version Of You This New Year’s

It seems safe to say that many of us are guilty of not sticking to our New Years Resolutions. In fact, research demonstrates that by the end of the first week in January, 77% of people will have already given up. A common New Years Resolution is to get fitter and healthier but even then, roughly 50% of people who start an exercise program will have given up before reaching the 6-month mark.

 

With getting fitter, healthier, and losing weight being the three most popular resolutions, surely there is some way of achieving and maintaining these goals. Taking action towards achieving a fitness goal can have huge positive benefits on the quality of our lives so we’d be mad not to at least try! One of our Physios, Sam has suggested some key points as to what we can do to make sticking to those goals easier.

 

1. Understand the true benefits of staying active – recommendations by the World Health Organization states that adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. This can seem a lot however broken down that’s only 30 minutes 5 days a week. The research shows the benefits of this are massive, including lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, and depression as well as maintaining a healthy weight and fitness level. Now, who wouldn’t want to benefit in this way?

 

2. Exercising with other people helps – one way to help you stay on track with your exercise is to do it with other people. The social benefit of exercising can often be a huge driver and makes it much easier to stick to over a long period of time. Group exercise is often great fun and the instructors and other group members are there to support you. It can be common for people to feel anxious when starting a class with other people but why not take a leap of faith this New Year as you’ll be much more likely to stick to it than if you’re doing it alone.

 

3. It gets easier the longer you stick to it! – the hardest part is sticking to a lifestyle change early on. Reminding ourselves that it’s only going to get easier is a great help. As with anything, the first few times feel like an effort, but soon it becomes part of your weekly routine, such as doing the weekly shop or putting the washing in. The more you persist, the easier it will get to start moving, plus you will undoubtedly feel FANTASTIC!

 

And, you are not alone! We can help and support you along your journey and get you into that routine quicker than you could have imagined. How? With our fantastic exercise classes or 1:1 support with expert clinicians. Whether it be Strength and Conditioning or Pilates, you’ll be looking forward to your exercise class and driven to improve your health and fitness with our support and guidance.

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Swift Verruca Treatment Explained

If you suffer from persistent verrucas, or know someone that does, then the Swift Microwave Verruca treatment could be the solution you have been waiting for.

 

What are verrucas?

Verrucas are plantar warts commonly found on the foot caused by strains of the human papilloma virus infecting the outer layer of the skin. They can appear on any aspect of the foot but usually present on the weight bearing surfaces.

 

Visual representation of skin with Verrucas

Visual representation of skin without Verrucas

 

What are the symptoms of verrucas?

Initially, verrucae can present as a small whitey pink bump but in the later stages, they often have a rough cauliflower-like appearance with central black dots. Verrucae can develop as one singular wart or multiple tightly packed individual warts. If the verrucae forms on a weight-bearing surface such as the heel it will usually protrude into the skin may acquire an overlying spongy callus and can be painful when walking. If it develops on a non-weight-bearing surface such as the side of a toe, it will protrude outwards and might not cause any pain unless squeezed.

 

The Solution – Swift Microwave Technology

Key features:

  • Success rate approximately 84%
  • Involves the application of microwave therapy to the verrucae
  • Minimal discomfort and noninvasive treatment
  • No need to rest after treatment and no post-treatment dressings required
  • Requires up to 4 treatment sessions

Your treatment package includes:

  • Up to 4 weekly treatment sessions
  • Follow up review 8 weeks after last treatment session
  • Further follow up review 8 weeks later

 


 

If you suspect you have verrucas, book in to see one of our podiatrists who can confirm a diagnosis and create an individualised treatment plan for you.

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