Archive for January, 2018

More Than Just A Massage

Posted by Steph Hatt in Treatment & Rehab on January 26th, 2018

As part of your treatment at Hatt’s, you may be advised that a massage will be greatly beneficial for your recovery. Often, massage is perceived as being a therapeutic treatment designed purely for relaxation and stress relief. Whilst this is true in some cases, massage can also be used to aid recovery from injury and restore movement in the body. This type of massage therapy is often thought of as being a more ‘active’ form of massage which is becoming increasingly more effective at releasing tight muscles and restoring movement to joints or limbs.

If you are recommended a massage as part of your treatment plan, it may be that you would benefit greatly from a more active massage. This is likely to involve a mixture of both passive and active movements to encourage movement and release of tightness.

The difference between active and passive movements is the position you may be in for your massage. For example, rather than lying face down, you may be in a seated position to enhance effective neck release or lying on your side to support certain back, shoulder or hip releases. Your therapist will decide which massage techniques best suit your needs as your treatment will be fully bespoke to you and your condition.

Your massage is likely to contain a mixture of both active and passive techniques, ensuring that it’s both effective and relaxing. After all, a key component of a massage is to release tension and loosen your muscles. Techniques that may be included in your massage are the following:

Muscle energy (a form of stretch)
Trigger point
Hot stones
Sports massage
Myofascial release

If you would like to know more about our massage service then give us a call on 01380 730473 to speak to our patient services team. You can also take a look at the massage page on our website for some FAQ and further articles of interest.

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Is Pilates Right For Me?

Posted by Steph Hatt in Exercise & Movement on January 26th, 2018

With so many exercise classes available, how do you choose which ones is best for you? Our Pilates instructor and Physio Jill has put together an introduction to Pilates, to help give you a better idea of whether Pilates is for you.

Pilates was originally designed by Joseph Pilates many years ago as a method to improve his own fitness and this has been modified to give us Pilates as we know it today. Pilates, in a nutshell, helps improve your flexibility, posture, and core strength. Your deepest abdominal muscle, when working, should contract very gently and act like an inner corset helping to maintain the alignment of your spine. This should be working whether you are sitting at your desk, doing your housework, your gardening, or your sport.

As to whether it’s for you – there really aren’t many people who wouldn’t benefit from Pilates. If you’re used to fast-paced high-impact aerobic exercise, then this will be quite a change for you but it does beautifully complement this sort of exercise. I’ve seen many a runner or triathlete who think they are very fit but when it comes down to it, their core stability is nothing short of shocking and they wonder why they keep acquiring injuries. If you’ve suffered from back pain and stiffness, as many of us have at some time, Pilates is the perfect choice of exercise. Whether you are new to exercise and don’t know where to start or would just like to build up some core strength and flexibility before venturing into other activities, there is no doubt you will get great results from Pilates.

Pilates is also good for your mind as well as your body – concentrating on engaging the correct muscles and moving in and out of different exercise positions, leaves little time for thinking about what’s for tea or your lengthy to-do list. So step off that whirling merry-go-round and slow life down for an hour of ‘you time’. It’s also a great opportunity to exercise in a group environment making it a more interesting and dynamic experience.

At Hatts we offer Matwork and Reformer classes and cater for beginners through to advanced levels. Always check with your GP and inform your Pilates instructor of any health issues that may affect your ability to do Pilates before joining a class. We also offer 1:1 Pilates classes for those who would prefer this to a class environment.

If this sounds like the class for you, speak to one of our patient services team about the options available. You can either try a single class or take advantage of our QuickStart programme, where you’ll get one 1:1 session plus 3 group classes with our specialist Pilates instructors for £110 in total (usually £180). For more information, visit our Pilates web page or give us a call on 01380 730473.

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