TrendHFL Issue Six - January 2013 by TrendHFL

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TREND HEALTH, FITNESS & LIFESTYLE

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New Year’s REVOLUTION We show you how to make it a case of new year, new you! LO O K GOO D

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ISSUE NUMBER: 6 - JANUARY 2013

THE EDITOR

Contents

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome, one and all, to 2013 - a year few of us had even contemplated with the furore and hype surrounding 2012. But now it’s here, let’s make the most of it, and we’ve packed together an issue to help you do just that. If you’re looking to make a change throughout 2013, then this issue is for you. We’ve got training plans, diet plans, tips on looking great - the works on making positive lifestyle choices throughout the year, and helping you start as you mean to go on. We’d love to hear about your progress too, so please get in touch to let us know how you’re getting on. Best wishes for a successful 2013, and as always, enjoy the issue!

e v e t S

Steve Walsh, Editor In Chief

FRESHEST

WARM-UP

5 Trend Notes Win £50 of gym equipment from Gorilla Sports! Plus we round-up the best bits from the TRENDHFL radar, and talk to Olympic Gold medallist Greg Rutherford! Our brilliant photographer Alisdair Tait sums up the year gone by in one awesome, still life image

MAGAZINE

TREND HEALTH, FITNESS &

WIN!! £50 of m t gy brillian ! gear

LIFESTYLE

Free!

HEALTH & FITNESS

12 Diet & Nutrition New Year’s REVOLUTION

to make it a We show you how , new you! case of new year LOOK GOO D

FEEL GOO D

D RENDHFL GOO BE Twitter.com/T

On the cover: An athlete gets ready to explode from the blocks Picture: Shutterstock

8 Moment In Time ONSHIRE’S NORTHAMPT

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Looking to control your weight a little better in 2013? We have the full briefing on how, including some suggested diet plans

15 Body Works Resident columnist Rob Harris focuses on using your body weight as he continues to tone

up your legs

18 Doctor’s Notes Pippa Bennett shares a few hints and tips on how to make healthy lifestyle choices for the new year

19 The Expert Legendary Northampton surgeon Bill Ribbans talks to us about ethics and shares a few anecdotes

FEATURES

23 New year, new you! Personal Trainer Dominic Aaron guides you through his kick-start programme, written exclusively for TRENDHFL readers, as he aims to have you starting the new year as you mean to go on

31 The truth about back pain 80% of us will suffer from back problems at some point, so it’s about time we educated

ourselves on the facts. Expert physiotherapist Mark Buckingham explains all

LIFE & STYLE

38 Trend Setter The best sports clothing and accessories

40 Beauty Beauty queen Aimee Garner talks new starts and mixing it up for the girls

41 Grooming Boys, it’s time to look after your skin, and we’re here to show you how in five simple steps

42 Staying In/Going Out The best films, books, music and games meets the places to go and things to see across January

48 Calendar Our essential monthly what’s-on spread is your one-stop-shop to guide you through the month Twitter.com/TRENDHFL

Portraits

Fine Art

Pets Children

Events

Sunnydene, Bakers Lane

www.alisdairtait.com

Walgrave, Northants. NN6 9QL

www.facebook.com/AlisdairTaitPhotography

alisdairtait@alisdairtait.com Mobile: 07903945229

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TREND Notes We round-up the best bits to come across the TREND radar

Fuel your goals across 2013 “Life is a sport. Make it count” Nike tell us, in what is by far our favourite slogan to propel us through the new year

THE Nike+ Fuelband has been around for a while now, but here at TRENDNotes we’ve been patiently waiting to see if it will take off and we’ve got a feeling 2013 may be it’s year. For those of you who don’t know, the gizmo measures your everyday activity and turns it into ‘NikeFuel’ - a universal metric of activity. It tracks calories burned, steps taken and a whole lot more as you run, walk, dance, shoot some hoops and generally get active, using a sports-tested accelerometer to measure your movement. Need to challenge yourself across 2013? Decide how active you want to be by setting a daily NikeFuel goal. Then, get moving and see your progress along the way. And as is mandatory nowadays, it syncs with it’s very own smartphone app so you can see your activity history, stay motivated and connect with chums. With Olympic athletes and celebrities starting to get on the bandwagon (tweeting their results as they go), it’s only a matter of time before it becomes part and parcel of the humble workout for those who like to stay tech-savy. It might just help you keep on track this year, too. www.nike.com

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The Warm-Up - Trend Notes

WIN! A Gorilla Sports Fit Pack! IF you’re anything like us, some days you’ll come up with any excuse to get out of going to the gym. But that doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t all love to be fitter, slimmer and leaner, which is where the Fit Pack from Gorilla Sports come in. It’s a cost effective and simple package of gym equipment that provides you with all you need to workout in the comfort of your own home, and comes with a free workout booklet to get you started. In fact, combine it with any issue of TRENDHFL and you’re on to a winner. Containing four pieces of kit – an adjustable fitness step, gym ball, pair of 2kg hand weights and a yoga mat – the Fit Pack brings the gym to you, meaning you can get hot and sweaty without even having to step outside. And priced at just £49.99, it’s the perfect accessory to help you stick to your new year’s resolution. Courtesy of our friends at Gorilla Sports, we’ve got a Fit Pack to give away to one of our lucky readers. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is email your details to us at info@TrendHFL.co.uk with the subject line: I’m feeling lucky!, or re-tweet one of our designated competition tweets. Entry closes at midnight on January 31st. Good luck! www.gorillasports.co.uk

Go Pro or go home

Document the adventure with the awesome Go Pro HERO3

EVERYONE knows that we love a gadget a TRENDHFL HQ, and while we were dreaming of getting out on the snow over Christmas, this little beauty caught our eye. The HERO3 is the most advanced action camera ever produced by adrenalin junkies Go Pro, and will attach to just about anything as you snowboard, ski, surf or do any number of hair-raising activities. Small and light enough to wear as your helmet cam but packing a punch that means it will record at 60 frames-per-second in 1080p HD mode, as well as taking 30, 12MP still images per second, we fully agree with Go Pro’s assessment that it is the world’s most versatile camera. Waterproof, Wi-Fi enabled, controllable by remote and priced at only £359.99, quite simply, we want one. www.gopro.com

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The Warm-Up - Trend Notes

TREND HEALTH & FITNESS & LIFESTYLE

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TREND Health, Fitness & Lifestyle magazine 10 Main Road Duston Northampton NN5 6JB info@TrendHFL.co.uk Editorial editor@TrendHFL.co.uk Editor In Chief: Steve Walsh: Email: steve. walsh@TrendHFLco.uk Tel: 07548 155 495 Thanks to: Katie Mitchell, Bill Ribbans, Alisdair Tait, Amanda Harris, Mark Buckingham TWO OF A KIND: Greg Rutherford chats to TRENDHFL editor Steve Walsh at the opening of the new County Clinic, an expert surgical practice that has entered in to partnership with Witty, Pask & Buckingham chartered physiotherapists on Billing Road, Northampton

Pictures: Katie Mitchell

Golden Greg in town Olympic champion Rutherford opens new centre of excellence

LONDON 2012 Gold medallist Greg Rutherford officially opened a new Northampton based medical centre of excellence before Christmas. And the long jump ace believes the town has some of the best medical minds around to help keep people in tip-top shape. Rutherford officially opened the newly built joint-premises of the County Clinic and Witty, Pask & Buckingham physiotherapists, a partnership which will combine surgical expertise with physiotherapy and chiropody skills. Himself a patient of the County Clinic’s Bill Ribbans (who is interviewed on page 19), Rutherford believes there is nowhere better to go for care than the Billing Road clinic. “I think this place is absolutely brilliant,” he said. “Not just from a

sporting side, but if you come here to be checked out by these guys, you are getting checked out by the best, that is what it comes down to. “From my point of view it is just up the road in Northampton, from my home in Milton Keynes, so it’s great. “There is a big time physiotherapist here in (TRENDHFL columnist) Mark Buckingham, a brilliant surgeon in Professor Bill Ribbans, and then everyone who is associated with the team - there are some very, very, very good practitioners who really will fix you. “That is a big thing to have. It is in a large catchment area - from my point of view I don’t have to go in to London which is useful - and it is really easy to get to for everybody else.” www.thecountyclinic.co.uk/ www.wpbphysio.co.uk

Advertising advertising@TrendHFL. co.uk Contact: Tracy Whittaker-Smith: Tel: 07544 391 675 Steve Walsh: Tel: 07548 155 495 Trend Health, Fitness & Lifestyle Magazine is owned and produced by Flux Publications Limited in the United Kingdom. Registered in England, company number: 7882277, VAT registration number: 127 6007 31. Distributed free online every month to thousands of consenting subscribers. Free to read online at www.TrendHFL.co.uk. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all editorial contained in Trend Health, Fitness & Lifestyle, Flux Publications Limited accepts no responsibility or liability for errors that may occur. All articles are written for Trend Health, Fitness & Lifestyle and may not be reproduced, wholly or partly, without the expressed prior permission of Flux Publications Limited. The statements and opinions contained in the articles within this site are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of Flux Publications Limited or its affiliates. The appearance of advertisements in Trend Health, Fitness & Lifestyle is not a warranty, endorsement or approval of the products and services. Flux Publications Limited disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from ideas or products referred to in articles or advertisements in Trend Health, Fitness & Lifestyle.

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The Warm-Up

MOMENT IN TIME

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The Warm-Up

GOODBYE TO 2012 TRENDHFL photographer Alisdair Tait sums up the past 12 months with a still life image of the Olympic torch, suspended by party balloons. 2012 will forever be remembered as the greatest year in British sport, with the London Olympics proving a stunning success. Thanks to Jaime Halsey for the loan of her Olympic torch!

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Health&Fitness Stay in shape with the help of our team of experts:

Rob Harris Accredited UKSCA strength and conditioning specialist, and senior regional ABA coach writes exclusively for you

Mark Buckingham Two time Olympic Physiotherapist tells you how to stay in shape every month in Recover

Dr Pippa Bennett Chief Medical officer of the Women’s Football Association writes exclusively for TrendHFL readers

Stay on target throughout 2013 Simple language steps will help you achieve your goals this year...

HOW many of us start the year with the best intentions - learning a language, climbing a mountain, or just losing a bit of weight only to get to February and forget all about it? According to the Mental Health Foundation, a massive 80% of us fail to achieve our new year’s resolutions. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) coaching company, Canary Coaching, tell us “one of the main reasons that people don’t achieve their goals is that they set unreasonable and vague targets which don’t fit in with the rest of their lives - somewhere down the line, usually around February, they realise that they haven’t left room for anything else, and then the pressure builds and they quit”. There are ways of helping ourselves stick to our 2013 goals, however, as Canary explain: “Firstly - make sure your resolution is an achievable goal, rather than a pie in the sky dream - this quick tool (PECSAW) will help work out answers for the following sections: “Positive. Talk in terms of what you do want rather than what you want to give up. For example, ‘I want to play the guitar, I want to be a size 10, I want to be a nonsmoker’ etc. “Evidence. What will be evidence that you’ve achieved

the goal - what will you see and hear? “Context. Frame the context in which you want to have these things - ‘I want to play the guitar in the evenings with my family’ or ‘I want to be a size 10 in July and for the rest of the year after that’. “Self Achievable. This is probably the most important. If you’re relying on the behaviour of someone else, then you don’t have control over whether you do it. So rather than ‘I want to have a published novel’, how about ‘I want to have finished writing my novel’. “Advantages and Disadvantages. Consider these carefully. What

will be the benefits/drawbacks of pursuing your goal? Considering these and acknowledging them means you’re much more likely to achieve. “Worthwhile. A final check. What will achieving this do for you? What are the benefits? What will it help you to avoid? “Using this tool makes ‘dream’ seem real and turns it into ‘wellformed outcome’. “You might want to go on from this into making a more solid timetable or timeline and get support from members of your family and friends.” www.canarycoaching.com

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Health & Fitness

Diet&Nutrition

Take control of your weight in 2013, before it controls you! It’s one of the most popular new year’s resolutions, but how can we finally lose that weight? Take control with our top tips

The Knowledge

he festive season has once again passed with fond memories of steaming Christmas pudding drizzled with brandy sauce, endless turkey topped with cranberry sauce and numerous alcoholic beverages and high-calorie sweets helping us celebrate Christmas and the new year in style. To lose weight is one ‘Exercise is a major of the most popular contributor to successful new year’s resolutions to the Journal weight loss, but it can all (according of Clinical Psychology: go to waste in the 2012) yet how many kitchen!’ people actually achieve and maintain their weight loss goals? Exercise is of course a major contributor to a successful weight loss program but hard work, sweat and tears can all go to waste in the kitchen!

Calorie Consumption Eating too little will result in the bodies’ mechanism slowing down to conserve energy. If exercising heavily while on a limited calorie consumption diet, your body may even turn to valued muscle and break it down to utilize protein as a means of energy. This is disastrous for weight control as muscle burns considerably more calories than fat even at rest (10 calories per pound versus three calories per pound for fat). Furthermore starvation diets lead to irritability, fatigue and increased likelihood to binge on treat foods.

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The key to successful weight loss is to realize current energy output and calorie consumption. This is achieved by knowing your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): the amount of calories your body uses when at rest. This is different for everyone and can be calculated using a range of calculations readily available on the net, which also allow for different activity levels that have a major impact on BMR. A general rule of thumb is to consume 500 calories less than your energy output per day, to prompt weight loss.

Fighting hunger But I get so hungry we hear your cry! The next step to successful and permanent weight loss is to consider the make up of your meals. The British Nutrition Foundation’s 2005 food plate recommends a third of diet from complex carbohydrates, a third from vegetables with the rest being made of an equal proportion of lean proteins, dairy and a small proportion of sweet foods. But do carbohydrates lead to weight gain? The glycemic index of carbohydrates will deter insulin response of the body. Carbohydrates with high glycemic index (GI) ratings create rapid rise in insulin levels, resulting in the body looking for more sugar to break down and consequently trigger the hunger pangs suffered by so many throughout each day Low GI foods have little effect on the insulin response and stabilize hunger and thereby create less drive to eat unnecessarily.

Health & Fitness With James Coe - Course Manager and lecturer for personal training at Moulton College, with Kirsty Bradshaw, Josh Neale and Craig Pannonzzo Tel: 01604 646274 ext: 643 Email: James.Coe@moulton.ac.uk

The fitness courses at Moulton have a wide range of industrial contacts and subsequently a high level of student employment. Studying personal training at Moulton College will provide mandatory fitness qualifications, valid commercial experience and additional qualifications such as a level 3 sports therapy.

Weight loss Furthermore, Science Daily (2009) found a strong relationship between incidents of heart disease and continued consumption of high GI foods, due to reduced elasticity of arteries which may lead to a heart attack!

Key principles Key principles to follow are to ensure that breakfast is always eaten; Your metabolism is slower in the morning after a restful nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep and breakfast containing low GI foods such eggs, oat bran, and bran flakes will kick-start it back in to action. Throughout the day low GI snacks such as dried

apricots or apples keep your metabolic rate ticking over while providing sustained energy. Practical lunch ideas include mixed grain bread, lentils and most vegetables combined with lean protein sources such as chicken. Ideally dinner should also be based around vegetables and lean proteins. In summary a successful and permanent weight loss plan is based upon tipping the calories consumed verses energy expenditure balance to a slight negative and eradicating the high GI addictive hunger curve suffered by so many. Switch to low GI foods to help control your weight while providing a steady release of energy.

The Diet Plan

our daily energy expenditure largely dictates your dietary requirements. Non-active population examples include people with desk bound jobs with little walking in the day, or other jobs such as driving that require little physical exertion. The key importance in these types of jobs is to ensure concentration levels are stablised throughout the day with slow release carbohydrates, healthy fats for immune system support and protein requirements for general health.

Protein and carbohydrates Current recommendations suggest 45-60% of your dietary intake be based around carbohydrates. For the non-active individual 45-50% would be ideal as physical demands are limited. Current protein recommendation suggest 10-30% of your diet, but non-active individuals would require approximately 10-15% as the body would be under less physical stress, therefore requiring less repair. Fat intake recommendations are no more than 30% of diet on a daily basis. To analyse your current diet you will need to consider percentage of calorie intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats rather than grams consumed.

The calorie lesson There are four calories in each gram of carbohydrate and protein whilst fat has nine calories

per gram. For example, a typical serving of your favourite cookie may contain 30g of carbohydrate (=120 calories), 3g of protein (=12 calories) and 10g of fat (=90 calories). The total calories would be 222 calories, 54% from carbohydrate calories, 40% from fat calories and 6% from protein. If the above had been calculated in terms of grams for fat, protein and carbohydrates, fat content would have only represented 23% of the product, therefore calories represent the real picture of what you are eating energy wise!

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Health & Fitness

Diet&Nutrition Diet plans Below are three examples of daily diet plans for non-active, active and very active populations. The diet plans are based on male weighing 75-80kg with a basal metabolic rate of 1822 calories per day. To personalise, dietary intake will need to be adjusted according to your own basal metabolic rate calculations. Click HERE for the BMR calculator (external link).

The non-active diet Breakfast 50g of porridge oats made with water and mixed fruit. Kcal = 310 (80 protein, 200 carbs, 30 fat) Mid-Morning Nuts/apple/banana or fruit Tea. Kcal = 210 (15 protein, 125 carbs, 70 fat) Lunch Half can of tuna with salad/ avocado/lentils (kidney beans/ black eye beans/chick peas). Kcal = 499 (168 protein, 160 carbs, 171 fat)

The very-active diet Dinner Broccoli, aubergine, corgettes stir fry in olive oil, half chicken breast. Kcal = 300-400 (90 protein, 32 carbs, 261 fat) Pieces of fruit (strawberry/apricots/ melon): Kcal = 260 (16 protein, 244 carbs, 0 fat) Totals: 1800 KCal (364 Protein, 893 Carbohydrate, 551 Fat)

Lunch A cup of wholegrain cous cous with beetroot, diced peppers, tomatoes, chopped kale, diced turkey breast and low fat sauce to garnish. Kcal = 562 (192 protein, 280 carbs, 90 fat)

The active diet

Breakfast Scrambled egg (two eggs) with sliced tomato and mushroom. Or an average bowl of fruit and nut wholegrain cereal. Kcal = 603 (116 protein, 316 carbs, 171 fat) Mid-Morning Low fat natural yogurt, low fat cereal bar. Kcal = 362 (45 protein, 236 carbs, 81 fat) Lunch Cup of wholegrain rice, peppers, celery, diced chicken breast, low fat sauce to season. Kcal = 426 (100 protein, 236 carbs, 90 fat) Mid afternoon Wholegrain toast with organic

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Breakfast Omlette (three eggs, two whole/one just egg white) with spinach and mushroom or bowl of wholegrain oats with banana and honey topping, made with water/ low fat milk or soya milk. Kcal = 774 (148 protein, 464 carbs, 162 fat) Mid-morning Cup of organic/natural vegetable soup or two rashers of low fat bacon/ham with seasoning of choice. Kcal = 532 (108 protein, 136 carbs, 288 fat)

Mid Afternoon Banana/wholegrain Rice Cakes with low fat spread. Kcal = 250 (12 protein, 164 carbs, 19 fat)

Moderate to hard physical exertion three to five times a week.

Hard physical activity five to seven times a week, physical jobs or hard fitness/sport training.

peanut butter. If you wish to avoid bread, a low fat natural cereal bar and piece of fruit. Kcal = 352 (44 protein, 200 carbs, 81 108) Dinner Sweet Potato, butter nut squash, corgettes, fish, (salmon or tuna steak). Kcal = 533 (164 protein, 270 carbs, 117 fat) Totals: 2318 KCal (469 Protein, 1240 Carbohydrate, 567 Fat)

Mid Afternoon Bowl of low fat fruit and nut cereal with banana/dried fruit topped with low fat natural yogurt. Kcal = 493 (64 protein, 368 carbs, 63 fat) Dinner Pan fried rump steak with boiled/roasted potatoes and stir fried broccoli/ parsnips. Slice of organic/ homemade cake/ fruit scones (made with alternatives to white flour, low GI and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play havoc with energy levels). Kcal = 777 (160 protein, 392 carbs, 236 fat) Totals: 3138 KCal (672 Protein, 1640 Carbohydrate, 839 Fat)

Health & Fitness

BodyWorks

Use your body weight to kick-start your leg training

PICTURES BY KATIE MITCHELL

In month three of his lower body programme, expert strength and conditioning coach Rob Harris shows you how to vary your training, using only your body weight... benefits as squat training, helping you build strength and increase muscle tone. ver the past two months, Using your body weight we’ve looked at the alone is ideal for those ‘Using benefits of squat looking to stay light and training, an exercise that your body lean. Increasing the provides a foundation repetitions and sets will weight alone for nearly every increase the training functional athletic is ideal for those effect, while you can movement in sport and also alter the speed looking to stay light leisure activities around of movement and and lean’ today. rest time to personal There are other, lower preference, and to help level exercises we can add a cardiovascular effect do, however, that when put to the workout. together can provide the same

The Knowledge

Knee drives

The step-up with knee drive is an intermediate lower body exercise. This is a challenging exercise that requires balance and coordination and helps build strength and improve core stability. Weighted, it is a useful alternative to the squat and is effective in building leg strength, power and cardiovascular abilities. Muscles Worked: quadriceps and hamstrings. Technique: Step with one foot up on a step and if required, hold a weight or barbell. Keep your back straight, chin parallel to the floor, while pulling through the heel to lift yourself up onto the step. Drive your knee at the top of the motion, then lower your body back down to the starting position, keeping good form and control the entire time.

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Health & Fitness

By Rob Harris An accredited UKSCA strength & conditioning specialist, Rob has over 20 years experience in the physical preparation of high performance athletes, with a history of proven results. Tel: 07776 220145 Email: rob@synergy3training.co.uk

Legs

Kneeling hamstring curls

The kneeling hamstring is an advanced strength-training exercise, used to develop lower body strength and prevent injuries in athletes. It uses your own body weight as resistance and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require any additional equipment. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s typical to have difficulty with this exercise, so be prepared to be challenged and expect a need to build up strength before completing the entire exercise as intended. Muscles Worked: Hamstrings (Semitendinosus and semimembranosus and biceps femoris) Technique: To complete the kneeling hamstring curl, begin in a kneeling position with either a partner gripping your ankles and holding down your feet firmly against the floor or hooking your feet underneath an implement that will keep your feet secure. Rise all the way up so that your knee joint is at 90 degrees. Slowly lean forward while keeping your torso in a straight line and tilt towards the floor in front of you. Continue as far as you can and then slowly return back up to starting position.

One leg supine glute bridge

The one leg supine glute bridge is a compound resistance training exercise that is an advanced version of the simple supine bridge workout. It makes for an extremely high difficulty exercise. Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back and abs. Technique: To begin this exercise, lie down on a mat with one knee bent. Make sure that you extend your opposite knee in such a way so that the heel is about four feet off the ground. The next step is to elevate your hips as high as you can. You should place your arms by your sides to increase the difficulty level of this exercise, or leave on the ground for support as shown in the picture. Hold the position for a couple of seconds and then lower your hips back to the floor. Repeat on the opposite leg to complete one rep.

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Health & Fitness

Doctor’s Notes

By Dr Pippa Bennett Pippa is the Chief Medical officer of the Women’s Football Association

Take the stairs, not the lift! The Knowledge

id you know that physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of deaths due to heart disease, strokes, diabetes and cancer? Physical inactivity is related to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose levels, but the good news is we don’t have to start running marathons to make a change - just be active! Could you take the stairs rather than the lift? Could you get off the bus one stop earlier and power walk home? We all need to spend less time on our sofas in front of the TV or our laptops and get active. So what are the guidelines? 1. Adults should aim to be active daily. Over a week, activity should add up to at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) of moderate intensity activity in bouts of 10 minutes or more – one way to approach this is to do 30 minutes on at least five days per week. 2. Alternatively, comparable benefits can be achieved through 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity spread across the week or combinations of moderate and vigorous intensity activity. 3. Adults should also undertake physical activity to improve muscle strength on at least two days per week. 4. We should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods. Moderate intensity physical activities include walking and cycling and will cause adults to get warmer and breathe harder, and their hearts to beat faster, but they should still be able to carry on a conversation. Vigorous intensity physical activities such as running, swimming of football will cause adults to get warmer and breathe

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much harder and their hearts to beat rapidly, making it more difficult to carry on a conversation. Physical activities that strengthen muscles involve using body weight or working against resistance. This should involve using all the major muscle groups. Examples include exercising

with weights and carrying or moving heavy loads such as groceries. So for 2013 lets get off our sofas, get out on our bikes, put our walking shoes or trainers on and get moving!

Pippa

Health & Fitness - The Expert

The Surgeon

Highly-regarded Northampton-based orthopaedic surgeon, Professor Bill Ribbans, talks to us about his role as the go-to expert for the sporting world, and the questionable ethics in sport...

Fact File Name: Bill Ribbans Occupation: Orthopaedic surgeon Work Place: The County Clinic, Billing Road, Northampton

What is an orthopaedic surgeon?

“An orthopaedic surgeon is someone with a basic medical qualification who has gone on to further training in looking after a range of disorders, principally involving the muscles, joints, bones, tendons and ligaments. “You can broadly split it up in to acute trauma – breaks and fractures – and then dealing with the more chronic problems, for instance arthritis. “Orthopaedics nowadays has become increasingly specialised. Twenty years ago when I started as a consultant, most orthopaedic surgeons would look after everything - spines, fingers, shoulders, hips, children, adults. Nowadays everyone has become more and more specialised, it is unusual to get somebody who does everything.”

Which areas do you specialise in yourself?

“Nowadays most of my work is with knees, ankles and feet.”

You’ve worked on several high profile cases, such as operating on Michael Schumacher…

“There was the Schumacher case (Professor Ribbans points to a signed photograph on the wall of his office). That was 13 years ago now, back in 1999, when he crashed in to the wall at Silverstone. “That was an interesting few days!”

Professor Bill Ribbans is a director at the County Clinic, which endeavours to optimise the health and well-being of all its patients through the application of evidencebased modern medical and surgical practice For more information, visit www.thecountyclinic. co.uk

How does it make you feel, to be a go-to expert for high level sports people? It must mean you are at the top of your profession… ”I’m always slightly wary of that sort of question! When I see some of my colleagues operating, I realise how good they are. “I think if you have a genuine interest in sport and you are an orthopaedic surgeon then it is a very nice combination.”

Is that what made you want to do the job?

“My father was a sports journalist, my sister is a journalist and I thought I would probably finish up as a sports journalist.

“I’d always had that love of sport. Nowadays there is a career pathway of being a sports physician, whereas when I was in training in the 1970s, those didn’t exist, so the only way you could really be involved in sport as a career was through orthopaedics or rheumatology, but that has now changed. “Having enjoyed sport myself, to now be involved with high level people is very rewarding.”

What sort of thing does the job involve?

“I think one thing you need if you want to do sport as part of your orthopaedic portfolio, is you have got to understand the sport and you have got to understand the sportsman and sportswoman, because so many problems are created by technical aspects of the sport. “Over the years you begin to see reoccurring patterns. I’ve looked after the English National Ballet for 23 years and you learn an awful lot about it. You learn that from the physios and the dancers themselves. “I advise UK Athletics on a lot of areas, particularly the foot and ankle problems, and a lot of the long distance female runners all have similar problems. It is more than just looking at the x-ray and scan, you’ve got to be aware of all the problems those girls will run in to with their eating disorders, their vitamin D deficiencies – it is a lot more scientific than it was.”

So how has that changed the way you have had to work over the years?

“As well as acquiring the knowledge of the technical side, I think being prepared to work in a multi-disciplinary environment is critical. “The sports science and rehabilitation knowledge has improved so much that being able to listen and learn from physiotherapists, from sports scientists and other key members is very important. “In that sense I’m not that keen on us being regarded purely as technicians, which there seems to be an increasing tendency to do – it is a little bit more than just showing us where to cut.”

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Professor Bill Ribbans (left) is pictured with London 2012 Olympic Long Jump Gold medallist Greg Rutherford at the official opening of his new venture, the County Clinic, recently. The practice will operate alongside the established Witty, Pask & Buckingham physiotherapists. Picture: Katie Mitchell 20

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ALL SMILES: Greg Rutherford, Professor Bill Ribbans and colleagues look on as they prepare for pictures at the launch of the County Clinic

So give me an outline of what you do across a typical week…

“I’m very lucky in that I’ve got several different facets to my week. “Most people think that orthopaedic surgeons will be found in the operating theatre, which obviously is a key thing but less than half the patients that come and see me will need an operation. Nowadays there are so many other things that we can do to try to avoid surgery. “So I spend about three, half days a week operating. I spend twice that amount of time in outpatients – seeing patients before surgery, assessing them, investigating and seeing them post-operation. “Then on top of that I work at the University of Northampton, where I am the chair in sports medicine.”

You recently wrote a paper on the ethics of sports medicine, which is something you’ve said interests you...

“I think there is a problem at the elite end of sport in that there is an insatiable appetite on behalf of the public to know everything about their teams and favourite sports stars. “I think we have to be careful because if I was to speak to the local newspaper and say ‘we’ve just gone off and injected so-and-sos hemorrhoids’, and it went in to the local paper, they’d have reason to be extremely upset

and probably report me to the general medical council. “However (Chelsea and England footballer) John Terry’s scan results were all over the newspapers very quickly after his scan recently. “The rules are very clear: The patient has to give permission, whether they are a sportsman or not. The worst people (at leaking confidential medical records) are managers.”

Where does the problem lie then – is it with players, coaching staff or medical staff?

“Nobody has ever reported anybody. The problem with the sports teams, what we found with our research at the University of Northampton, was that those sports that are more individual such as athletics and cycling, the sportsmen tend to have greater independence and control. “Whereas if you are part of a football or rugby club, you tend to be more controlled. You are owned, you are a machine in these organisations. “The players need to be educated to stand up for their own rights and the medical staff also need to be aware, and ask for permission to release scan results and such in to the public domain.

What other projects are you involved with at the moment?

“I’m also the medical director at Moulton College, where we are trying to lead the way in

the evaluation of treatments. One of the problems with sport – whether someone is having an injection or going in to a cryotherapy chamber that is -140 degrees C - is that evidence has never stood in the way of something being used by professional sports people, so what we want to do is try to bring some scientific rigor to some of these things. “We all hope that these things work and are working, but the problem with sport is that people don’t want to wait a couple of years while we put together a decent paper and get it published. “Over the years I’ve been involved with numerous sports clubs. For many, many years with the Saints I went with them home and away. I’ve had some great times with it. I played sport to a reasonably high level but never to the level that I wished, so to be in an England rugby changing room, to be at Edgbaston in 2005 for the Ashes – it’s a great privilege.”

Any memories that particularly stick out?

“I remember the first England rugby game I did was actually Jonny Wilkinson’s debut, we were playing Ireland and two of the Irish lads knocked themselves out right in the middle of the pitch. “The Irish doctor ran on and I realised he couldn’t look after both of them, so I ran on the pitch and (Matt) Dawson and (Paul) Grayson were the England half-backs. They said to me ‘Bill, what are you doing here?’I said ‘I’m looking after you today’. “The Irish lad was really quite groggy but the Irish doctor said to him, ‘oh get up!’ “I said no, we’ve got 80,000 people watching, I don’t know how many people on television, we’re doing this properly! “We got him in the changing room and he made a very rapid recovery and he actually wanted to go back on. He played for London Irish and I knew they were playing Saints next week, so I said, you’re not going back on, and what’s more, you’re out for three weeks!”

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New year, new you! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the classic new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution: To get fit. But many attack it in the wrong way only to have to make the same pledge year after year. With this in mind, we asked expert Personal Trainer Dominic Aaron to put together a fitness programme designed to put you on the right track to achieving your 2013 goals. What follows is his four week master plan to get you in shape for 2013... Words: Dominic Aaron Pictures: Shutterstock

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o follow the four week Kick-start training plan I have designed, you will have to be committed, determined, and prepared to work hard. But in return you will see your body composition change and real results. I have devised a four week plan aimed at improving your overall body composition, which means less fat and more lean muscle. You can also expect to feel more energized, have increased cardiovascular efficiency and have a stronger core and full body strength. All workouts can be performed

‘I aim to prove you don’t need to spend hours in the gym’ Dominic Aaron with little or no equipment at all, making it easy to fit them around hectic lifestyles. They should last around 30-45 minutes in duration as I aim to prove that you don’t need to spend hours in the gym to achieve the body you deserve. With each exercise you will find a detailed description of how to perform it correctly. Make sure you pay good attention to the form you should be using as well as the rest period’s between your exercises and sets. This will be your fitness blueprint to follow for the next four weeks in order to reset your fitness and lifestyle. It takes about 30 days to establish a habit or routine, so this should give you enough time to get fit and stay fit! Be sure to warm-up for 5-10 minutes with aerobic exercise such as jogging or jumping jacks before starting, in order to get your heart rate up. You should feel warm and red in the face by the end of your warm-up. Cool down in the opposite way but include

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static stretching for your whole body in order to ease pain the next day and increase mobility and strength. The programme is based around metabolic bodyweight circuit training, which will burn through unwanted fat, increase your metabolism, build strength and

get you fitter. Each circuit need to be completed three times a week and should be accompanied by another couple of days active recovery, such as running, swimming, dancing or walking. Sound good? Let’s get started!

Nutrition and lifestyle analysis On average, people gain 5lbs in the four weeks up to Christmas. The cold weather, shorter days and Christmas parties make it far too easy to opt for comfort and convenience over healthy choices. The four week kick-start programme will help you turn unwanted fat storage in to lean muscle, decrease fatigue and increase energy. First, though, you need to assess your lifestyle as it stands and try to understand your daily habits, routines and choices regarding food intake and exercise. The best way to do this is with a food diary. Log everything you eat and all the activity you do for a whole week. Include the time of day when things take place as well as commenting on appetite cravings, mood and emotions. This will help you see any unhealthy patterns that may be leading to weight gain. Once you have assessed your lifestyle, it’s time to start putting things in to place in order to change these habits for good. We aren’t looking for a quick fix here, it should be seen as a way of empowering your life for good. Over the next four weeks, I want you to follow a set of rules devised to help you live a healthier lifestyle. I tend to get my clients to write these down everywhere they go; the fridge, their desk at work, in the car, everywhere! I find that following a set of rules makes it feel less stressful, and in turn allows your food choices to be less restricted and sets you up to make choices for yourself regarding your nutrition. For an average adult to lose a healthy 1lb of weight a week they need to consume 500 kcal’s less, per day, than what they would normally be doing. So Men should drop from 2500 kcal’s to 2000 kcal’s and women should drop their caloric intake from 2000 kcal’s to 1500 kcal’s.

My healthy eating for life rules: • Record all your nutrition intake in a food diary EVERYDAY for the next four weeks. • DON’T skip breakfast! • Aim to eat three main meals along with two power snacks in the day to help regulate blood sugar levels. • No fast food! Prepare all your meals at home so you know what is going into them. • No refined sugar - so no fizzy drinks, sweets and treats and added sugar in food and drinks. • Choose green tea over regular tea or coffee for it’s fat burning properties. • Add more protein into your diet to suppress cravings. Include it in every meal of the day! • Choose more low GI carbohydrates with your meals to help keep you feeling full. • Eliminate wheat from your diet to combat bloating and additional water weight being stored. • Aim for at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

Week one This circuit will allow you to get used to using your bodyweight as resistance, then will progress every week, so don’t get too comfortable with the simplicity of the routine. This will build up some endurance tolerance and muscular strength preparing you for the harder weeks in the programme. Complete the exercises, one after another, with no rest between them for the time given. Repeat the circuit three times, resting for two minutes between each round of the circuit. Rules: • No rest between exercises • Three minutes rest after each circuit • Complete circuit three times • Complete session three times across week one, with two ‘active rest’ days Wall sit – 30 seconds Stand with your back up against a wall with your feet about a foot or so away from the wall itself. Slowly lower your back down the wall so that you are in a seated position with only your legs supporting yourself. You should look like you are sat on a chair whilst in this position. Hold this for 30 seconds, keeping you body as still as possible, try not to go too low or stay up to high. Press-ups – 30 seconds Assume a traditional pressup position with your back straight and your arms slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Slowly lower yourself to the ground, stopping just before your nose touches the floor. Push through the ground to force your body back to starting position with almost full extended arms. You can also perform this on your knees until your strength improves.

Alternating lunges – 30 seconds From a standing position, take a large stride forward with either leg. From there, lower your knee to the ground, going as far as you can before it touches the floor. Be sure to keep your knee

behind your leading toe at all times. Push off from the ground with as much force as you can, allowing your foot to come back to a regular standing position. Repeat with the other leg. Static plank – 30 seconds Assume a regular pressup position, but allow your elbows to lie on the ground behind your hands. Brace your core and hold this potion for 30 seconds. Make sure your feet, hips and shoulders are all in line throughout the entire movement. Imagine a pole resting on your head and your heels, this is the position you need to maintain through the movement. High knees – 30 seconds From a regular standing position, exaggerate a jog on the spot, getting your knees as high as possible at a relatively quick tempo. Aim to get your knees up to your chest and continue this 30 seconds. Twitter.com/TRENDHFL

Week two This circuit will progress on what you have accomplished in week one. You will begin to incorporate more movement into each exercise, which will promote functional strength and optimal movement whilst giving you an intense metabolic workout. Rules: • No rest between exercises • Three minutes rest after each circuit • Complete circuit four times • Complete session three times across week two, with two ‘active rest’ days Squats – 30 seconds Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and cross your arms over your chest touching your shoulders. Keeping all your weight on your heels, slowly begin to lower your bottom to the ground. Keep your hips back and imagine you’re about to sit on a chair. Be sure to keep your knees behind your toes during the whole movement. Go down as far as is comfortable before driving all the way back up to a standing position. Press-ups to single arm rows – 30 seconds Perform a regular pressup as instructed in week one, but with your legs slightly wider apart as it is a more unstable movement. On the drive back up from the floor, when your arms are almost straight, lift one arm off the ground, keeping your elbow

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tight to your body until your hand is touching your hip. Squeeze your back together in order to get the most out of this exercise. Lower your hand back to the ground before going straight in to another press-up. Repeat with the opposite arm for 30 seconds. Reverse Lunges – 30 seconds From a standing position, take a large stride backwards with either leg. From there, lower your knee to the ground, going as far as you can before it touches the floor. Be sure to keep your knee behind your leading toe at all times. Push off from the ground with as much force as you can, allowing your foot to come back to a regular standing position. Repeat with the other leg.

Side plank with reach – 15 seconds each side Lie on your side with one heel on top of another and your torso resting on your elbow. Whilst keeping a straight body, lift your hips of the ground and extend your free arm overhead inline with your resting arm. Your body should be completely straight from your heels to your head. With your extended arm, reach underneath your body and squeeze your abs tight, then return to an extended arm. If you are struggling with this, leave the movement out and concentrate on holding a static side plank with an extended arm. On the spot sprint – 30 seconds In an energetic and exaggerated way, sprint on the spot. Keeping your arms driving back and forth and your legs off the ground at all times. Continue for 30 seconds as quick as you can, being sure to keep your head up and your breathing consistent throughout.

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Week three This is where it gets tough. We will incorporate plyometrics and energetic movements into the circuit, to challenge your fitness levels as well as your strength. To further increase the intensity of this week, the time for each exercise has been increased. Rules: • No rest between exercises • Three minutes rest after each circuit • Complete circuit four times • Complete session three times across week three, with two ‘active rest’ days

Squats jumps– 45 seconds Adopt a regular squat position, just like in week two, but keep your arms by your side. Lower yourself down to the ground, however on the way back up, push through your heels and jump into the air, tucking your knees up to your chest. Use your arms to help drive this movement by lifting them overhead when you jump. Make sure you land with soft knees and that you have stabilized yourself before lowering into another squat. Aim for as many reps within the time given. Press-ups to mountain climbers – 45 seconds Perform a regular press-up as instructed in week one. When you have returned to the starting position, tuck one of your legs in so that your knee is close to your chest. Squeeze your core 28

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tight with this one. Bring your leg back to an extended position and repeat with the other leg before performing another press-up. Don’t rush the mountain climbers and make sure your back is not arched throughout. Alternating lunges with rotation – 45 seconds For these you will need to perform the same alternating lunges from week one, however, when you are in a lunged position with your back knee close to the ground, twist your torso towards your leading leg through the waist. Keep your arms out in front of you throughout this movement, so that your legs stay forwards but your torso twists, giving your core a challenging movement to complete. Moving plank – 45 seconds Adopt a static plank position

as instructed in week one. From here, lift one elbow up off the ground and place one of your palms flat on the ground. Now, pushing on your resting palm, lift the other elbow off the ground and place that palm on the ground, so you should now be in a press up position with a straight back. Take one palm off the ground and rest on your elbow, then do the same with other arm in a controlled manner. Continue this movement, to further challenge the instability of the plank. Brace your core throughout and do not rush through it. High knees into on the spot sprint – 60 seconds This week we will combine the two movements performed in weeks one and two. So, you will perform 30 seconds of high knees straight into 30 seconds of sprinting on the spot.

Week four This is the toughest week of the programme, progressing on what you’ve been doing and combing endurance, strength and aerobic exercises to create a challenging circuit. It is going to be intense, so get ready to work hard for your final week of the kick-start programme! Rules: • No rest between exercises • Two minutes rest after each circuit • Complete circuit four times • Complete session three times across week four, with two ‘active rest’ days Fast squats into squat jumps – 60 seconds Perform a regular squat but at twice the speed you would normally perform it this will work a different type of muscle fibre to challenge your strength. Keep your back straight throughout and your breathing steady. Continue for 30 seconds before launching into 30 seconds of squat jumps. Make them as energetic and big as you can, tucking you knees right up and your arms into the air. Press-ups to leg extension – 60 seconds Perform a regular press-up as instructed in week one, but with your legs slightly wider apart as it is a more unstable movement. Once you have performed this movement, lift one arm off the ground and allow your opposite leg to cross

over your other leg into the air and extend out to the side of you. This will naturally twist your body in order to stabilize. Return to the stating position and repeat another press-up before doing the same with the other leg. Alternating plyometric lunges – 60 seconds Take a step forward and lower yourself into a lunged position. Just like a squat jump, explode through the ground launching your body upward, off the ground. In the air, swap your legs round so you land in another lunge with the opposite leg. Repeat for 60 seconds, ensuring you take care when landing, making sure to stabilize yourself. Moving plank – 60 seconds Adopt a static plank position, as in week one.

From here, lift one elbow up off the ground and place one of your palms flat on the ground. Now, pushing on your resting palm, lift the other elbow off the ground and place that palm on the ground, so you should now be in a press-up position with a straight back. Take one palm off the ground and rest on your elbow, then do the same with the other arm in a controlled manner. Continue this movement, to further challenge the instability of the plank. Brace your core throughout and do not rush through it. On the spot sprint – 60 seconds In an energetic and exaggerated way, sprint on the spot. Keeping your arms driving back and forth and your legs off the ground at all times. Continue for 60 seconds as quickly as you can, being sure to keep your head up and your breathing consistent throughout.

TRENDHFL would like to thank Dominic Aaron for his help with this feature. If you’re interested in talking to Dominic about personal training, get in touch at www.dafitnesspt.co.uk Twitter.com/TRENDHFL

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A massive 80% of us will suffer from it during our lifetimes, but few know the causes or the correct treatments. So we asked expert physiotherapist, Mark Buckingham, to reveal:

The truth about back pain

Words: Mark Buckingham Pictures: Katie Mitchell

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ver 90% of the population suffer from a bad back at some point in their life. Most of these are simple strains and tightness caused by poor posture, unaccustomed lifting or bending and general weakness in the trunk, occurring amongst the super-fit of us, as well as those of us who live more pedestrian lives. In runners, for example, the control of the spine is very important because of the repeated impacts that come with each step; around 600 per kilometer. With throwers, there are the rapid twists through the spine while in jumpers, there are the impacts of take-off and landing. Many athletes also lift weights which again all loads through the spine. It is not surprising that low back pain is the most common thing seen in my physiotherapy clinic and even if it is not directly painful, spinal dysfunction can cause many other issues down the ‘chain’. The purpose of this article is to describe the types of pain and how to assess them and give them meaning. There are some simple exercises that can be helpful to self-treat an acute episode. There are others that work on the control and stability of the spine - the lack of which is a major cause of problems. Pain in the spine is often accompanied by discomfort to the side of the back as well as pain and tightness in the bum muscles and into the hamstring. This is referred pain. Its origin is in the back where the nerve is being irritated. There are three main areas in which the causes of back pain occur: Facet joints, discs and nerves. I will try to set out some simple ways of differentiating between each of them. This can only be taken as a guide as different issues will give similar symptoms and it is always difficult to be objective on yourself! There are other causes of back pain and if in doubt please consult your doctor or a physiotherapist.

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Facet Joints What happens? These are the two joints at the back of the spine which slide and glide to allow flexion or extension (forward or backwards bend). They can become bruised and inflamed as well as ‘caught’ on themselves, either from stiffness or actual locking.

How to test: These are often more painful to bend backwards and on one particular movement, which they cannot do due to being stuck. They are generally comfortable when static but sore to move.

How to treat: The solution to the acute stage is to get the spasm in the muscles surrounding the joint to relax as much as possible and then restore movement to the joint. Start with heat and relaxation to allow things to calm, then work through the exercises below to rotate and flex the spine. These need to be eased into and not forced. Gentle rocking and stretching is the best approach. Once you can restore the movement then it is essential to keep it despite things being sore for a few days. The back will inevitably stiffen overnight and further work with the exercises will help this alongside further heat (hot water bottle/heat pack/ hot bath). The bruising and inflammation will take a few days to settle, much in the same way as a sprained ankle. Over the counter antiinflammatory and pain killing drugs are helpful, but always read the label and leaflet included to check it is appropriate.

Physio treatment This will comprise of an assessment to determine the exact cause and then TOP: Hug your knees and rock backwards and forwards several times, to treatment and advice. help loosen your facet joints. Your physio will generally work on manual treatments BOTTOM: A rotational stretch, which to mobilise the muscles is described below on the right-hand and joints, possibly with a page. manipulation or ‘crunch’ to free a particularly stuck joint. There will be advice on care and some specific exercises for you to work on the joints yourself.

Discs What happens?

These are the most painful and debilitating thing to go wrong in the back. The disc is a fibrous plate that sits between the round bodies of the vertebrae. They are fibrous around the outside and jelly like in the middle. (The jelly turns to fibre as you go through your 40’s). The main issue with these in younger people is that the disc splits and bulges. This is painful in itself but a decent size bulge can press on the nerves just behind the disc and cause more pain and referred symptoms like pain, pins and needles, weakness and numbness in the leg.

How to test:

to stand or lay. They are, however, very much position dependant and static positions, if they are the wrong ones for you, can be very uncomfortable. The presence of leg pain is usually an indication of a disc issue. There is more often than not pain at the attempt of a bend forwards, sitting pain and difficulty in getting up from sitting. Pain can be bad in certain positions at night and particularly bad in the morning for a couple of hours. Coughing or sneezing is agony! There is pain on straight leg raise, which is a sign that the nerve is being pressed. This means that when your leg is taken up, as in the pictures below, the range available on the affected leg is at least 20% reduced by pain in the leg and the back.

These are usually more painful to sit and bend than

WARNING! If you have spine or back pain and experience any change in your bowel or bladder control you should contact your GP or Accident and Emergency immediately for further investigations and advice. Reduced range in a straight leg raise due to pain in the back, as shown in the difference between the two pictures on the left, is a classic sign of a disc problem.

How to treat:

This depends a little on how it started. If it was an acute onset – so a lift and an ‘ouch’- then the initial thing is rest for a day or so to allow the acute inflammation to settle down. This need not be complete rest, but lay down at least 20 minutes per hour and then move around; a short walk and a few exercises would be beneficial. The simplest and most effective two exercises when the back is in the acute phase are extension and rotation. For extension: Lay face down and use your arms like you are doing a press up, as shown in the picture on the right. However your tummy stays in contact with the floor and you arch the back. Only move as far as is possible in comfort. Repeat 15 times for a couple of sets every hour. For rotation: As shown in the bottom picture on the left page, this is performed with the most painful side of the back uppermost. Keep the shoulders

Back extension, as described on the left relatively flat and turn your hip underneath you. Bring the top leg over and help with your hand. Have the lower leg straight. Turn as far as is comfortable and rock for 20 seconds and repeat six to 10 times, increasing the distance each time if possible. continued overleaf

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Discs continued An acute disc prolapse will take from a few days to six weeks to resolve. After the first few days you will be feeling a bit more mobile and less sore. As long as you are making tangible progress then keep going. However, if you are not feeling better then seek help from your GP for drugs to help relax the muscles, reduce the inflammation and control the pain. These can be more effective than over the counter drugs for the level of pain associated with a disc issue. It is also not the time to be a martyr. Taking the drugs helps the body to heal itself so why not aid that process? As you become more mobile then you can start to be more active. The disc is starting to heal. However it is still fragile

– think of it as a newly formed scab. Avoid movements that hurt (Easy to say I know). This is when the ‘scab’ is being stressed and is likely to be damaged, causing more pain and a delayed healing process. Exercise like easy swimming and walking are most useful, within pain levels. Avoid sharp pain, though an ache is acceptable.

Physio treatment

This constitutes a full assessment and manual work to restore ranges and reduce spasm. There will be advice for the self-treatment and a decision as to whether there needs to be referral for investigations such as an MRI scan. Physio treatment has been proven to be very effective in the treatment of low back pain.

Nerves These can become very irritable, especially in long term back pain cases. The cause of the back pain may well have settled – most disc and facets do in six weeks, but there can often be symptoms that linger. These have several guises, actual pain – mostly aches, numbness, pins and needles and weakness.

What happens?

When the nerve is irritated by the mechanical cause of the original back pain, it alters its behavior. In actual fact the nerve grows more nerve endings and the threshold at which the nerve endings send signals to the brain is lower. Thus the nerve is sensitive to stimulus that would ordinarily not cause an issue.

How to test:

Essentially you will want to get back to normal activities and moving around relatively freely. Indeed when you are moving the symptoms tend to be at their best. It is when you stop that they kick in. Though the more you have done, pain free or not, the worse it is. Testing is not easy and is based more on symptoms than easily seen discrepancies. The straight leg raise test, seen previously in the section on discs, can be revealing, though not always - but it is worth checking. There are some tests that can be used by your physio to assist the diagnosis if you are concerned and it would be worth getting this opinion.

How to treat:

Once you are happy that the mechanical reasons for the nerve being pinched have eased, then it is time to work on the mobility of the nerve. The nerves need to move in relation to their sur-

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The sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down your leg, is the most common nerve associated with lower back pain. The images above show how to mobilise it.

roundings just as much as the rest of the body structures. If it is immobile then it becomes stiff which contributes to the pain. Also the nerve becomes somewhat swollen and the nerve endings irritable as described. Restoring normal motion to the nerve goes a long way to reducing this irritability and stiffness. You do this by simple stretching movements but very carefully as an irritable nerve is easily flared up. Use the seated stretch position, shown on the left, to mobilise the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the most commonly implicated in low back pain. Position yourself as shown in the image. Take your chin to your chest then extend the leg with the foot pointed away. Then pull your foot up at the same time as lifting your head upwards. You may feel a bit of a pull but essentially it should be pain free. Repeat this motion 20 times, twice in a row and then four times a day. This will have the effect of

mobilising the nerve and easing the symptoms over a few days. There is always protective muscle tightness with nerve related pains. Stretching for the hip, the bum muscles, the hamstrings and the lower back into flexion can also be useful. These need to be easy, comfortable stretches (although there does need to be a stretch!). There should not be nerve pain as such. Repeat these, as shown in the images below, four times a day for a couple of minutes each.

Physio treatment:

A good assessment which tells you that your symptoms are the irritated nerve and that the mechanical aspect of the problem are resolving is helpful from a mental perspective. Knowing what you are dealing with is half the battle. Your physio will work on the nerve mobility and the tightness in the muscles as well as help you with advice on how best to treat this issue.

Ball glute stretch

Hamstring stretch

Sitting with your knee held to your chest and the foot crossed over the other leg, place the ball in to the bum muscle and fiddle with the position to find the sorest part. It will be obvious when you find it! Lean over onto the ball and wiggle!

Place the heel of the leg to be stretched on a step or chair. Lean forwards through the hip, keeping the back straight. The stretch should be felt in the back of the thigh.

In conclusion Low back pain is immensely debilitating but extremely common. There are many different causes and those described above are the most common. We have not About Mark Buckingham touched on specific bone issues or on the long term Mark was head physiotherapist for Team causes and weaknesses that lead to episodes. Try the GB athletics at the Sydney 2000 and Athens above assessments and exercise and see if they help. The 2004 Olympics, and is a director of Witty, vast majority of cases settle in a few weeks without any Pask & Buckingham physiotherapists, more treatment required. It is only when episodes beBilling Road, Northampton come frequent that you should really seek help. For appointments call 01604 601641

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Life&Style

Trend Setter + Beauty + Grooming + Staying In + Going Out + What’s On

Sporting style

More than just sweating in baggy trousers AS part of our guide to starting the year as you mean to go on, we’ve packed this month’s Life & Style with hints, tips and products that will help you be the best you can be at the start of 2013. So over the page you’ll find the best fitness products and clothing in Trend Setter, perfect to accompany our training features and help you stay in shape. But sporting style isn’t just about looking good while you’re working up a sweat, as you can see by these preview images of the Adidas/Porsche Design spring/summer 2013 collection, a

range of luxury sportswear for men engineered to perform from the links to the shore to the open road with impeccable modern style. The award-winning collaboration between the two design giants is known for its meticulous craftsmanship and technical sophistication, with the brand’s signature Driving range headlining the spring line. The ELSW Formotion Driving shoe (below right) is the lead piece of the spring driving range, crafted with a thin, ultra-lightweight upper that has been perforated for increased breathability, while an innovative heel technology offers perfect comfort at the pedals. But our favourite is by far the racing green driver jacket (left).

In this month’s Life&Style FITNESS FASHION

BEAUTY QUEEN

Trend Setter takes on the best health & fitness clothes and accessories for the start of 2013 page38

TRENDHFL’S top beauty columnist, Aimee Garner, gives you her postChristmas tips page40 Twitter.com/TRENDHFL

Life & Style - Trend Setter

WARM-UP Ronhill beanie hat & glove set, £17, www.johnlewis.co.uk

TUMMY TONE Tummy control swimsuit, £28, www.adidas.co.uk

LIGHT THE WAY Running light, £11, www.adidas.co.uk

PRO POWER Reebok Pro resistance tubes, £25, www.johnlewis.co.uk

SONIC BOOM! Under Armour Sonic Capri pants, £32, www.next.co.uk

TRAINER TONE NX tone trainers, £40, www.next.co.uk

BAG IT UP Climacool Training Adidas shoulder bag, £22, www.adidas.co.uk

MUST HAVE Under Armour Still Gotta Have It bra, £17, www.next.co.uk

YUMMY YOGA Berlie yoga top, £40, www.sheactive.co.uk

PUMPING IRON Reebok dumbbell set, £50, www.johnlewis.co.uk

RUNNING TIGHT Nike Filament tight pant, £30, www.jdsports.co.uk

SHORT STYLE Berlie yoga shorts, £25, www.sheactive.co.uk

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Life & Style - Trend Setter

EXERCISE TIME Nike GPS sports watch, £129, www.nike.com

PRO POWER Pro Combat Hypercool compression shorts, £28, www.nike.com

FLY-BY Reebok ZigNano Fly 2, £45, www.reebok.co.uk

STRIPE STYLE Men’s 3-Stripes full-zip hooded sweatshirt, £35, www.adidas.co.uk

RUN RIOT Asics running Shorts, £35, www.asics.co.uk

CORE COMBAT Nike Pro Combat Core compression shirt, £25, www.nike.com

TRAINING TRACK Men’s fleece track pant, £40, www.adidas.co.uk

STAY COOL Nike Dri-Fit training shirt, £16, www.nike.com

READY TO RUN Asics short sleeve Tee, £30, www.asics.co.uk

RUNNING FREE Nike Free Run+ 3, £80, www.nike.com

PULSE POWER Adidas miCoach iPhone heart rate monitor www.adidas.co.uk

SLICK SOCKS Adidas ankle socks, £7, www.adidas.co.uk

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Life & Style - Beauty

With Aimee Garner Aimee is a freelance hair and makeup artist based in and around Northamptonshire, who is known for creating exceptional looks which have earned her a leading reputation in the media industry. Contact Aimee at: www.aimeegarnermua.co.uk & sales@aimeegarnermua.co.uk

Mix it up for the new year “When the new year comes around, we all feel like a change. So I’m going to show you how to alter your beauty regime with some simple steps that alter the way you look and feel!” Skin To start your beauty transformation, a very simple way to make you feel more healthy and get that dewy winter glow is to start looking after your skin. Firstly, lay off the alcohol and swap for water. This will hydrate your skin during the colder months and remove any toxins that may be in your body. Also cut out chocolate! Although very tasty

it doesn’t help those of you with spot-prone skin. Another quick fix to getting that flawless look is by changing your foundation. It forms the base for every makeup you do so getting the right one is essential. So many of us wear the wrong colour and slap it on too thick! Always ensure you get matched up properly at a make-up counter, and before you buy make sure you see the swatch in the daylight. Another top tip is to have a day off from wearing makeup, to make sure your skin gets a chance to renew it’s essential oils.

Nails Influenced by 2012, polished and decorative nails are still big news for spring 2013. For those of you that prefer a quick fix to feeling good, this is best done by going for a bright nail polish. This spring’s colours consist of jade green, red, grey and bright purple. Alternatively, if you’re like me and are fed up of hours of tirelessly drying your nails

for them to be chipped just minutes after, go to a beautician who specialises in gel nails. Gels are chip-resistant, in a wide variety of colours and stay on for up to two weeks. Personally, I couldn’t live without them and I’m sure once you try it you won’t go back! For the more adventurous people out there, try the stick-on transfer nails which come in a variety of patterns or MUA’s nail constellations. These are show stoppers and pack real wow factor!

Hair The best way to achieve a new look this year is by changing your hair colour or trying a different style. If you want to change colour, be sure to go to a hairdressers as the results from a bottle can be unpredictable.

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A big trend for 2013 is to keep colours very natural with tonal browns and honey blondes. In terms of cuts and styles, many of the en vogue looks for the new year feature long. tousled waves alongside twisted, knotted up dos. These styles are easy to master and can be done on all lengths of hair.

Life & Style - Grooming

Five simple steps will give you smooth, suave skin

Skin-care is no longer just a woman’s domain - a good routine will leave you looking and feeling better than ever...

Cleanse Cleansing is simply the most important thing you can do for your face. A man’s skin has larger pores than our female counterparts and neglecting to wash away the excess oil and dirt can leave them clogged, which leaves the skin prone to breakouts. Look for a basic gel that’s strong enough to cut through grease but gentle and affordable enough to be used at least once a day.

Exfoliate Exfoliating two or three times a week will help dislodge dirt that normal washing won’t get to, while it will also help you get a better shave. Look for a scrub with granules to help smooth the skin.

Moisturise If washing properly is the base level of

skin care, moisturising is half a notch ahead of that. Skin gets dry after showering, loses elasticity through aging and gets irritated by shaving, but a good moisturiser fixes all three by replenishing the skin’s moisture content.

Look after your eyes The soft skin around your eyes is one of the first areas on a man to show signs of aging with creases and wrinkles, but regularly using an eye cream can prevent that. Dabbing a cream gently on the edge of the bone around the eye on a daily basis will deliver maximum effectiveness.

Protect your lips We all know that our lips are prone to severe dryness and cracking thanks to changes in the elements, and this constant stress makes things worse over time. Simply apply a lip-balm regularly and you’ll be fine. Twitter.com/TRENDHFL

Life & Style - Staying In

Train like a champion DAVID ‘THE HAYEMAKER’ HAYE hardly needs any introductions, but just in case you needed reminding of his credentials; Haye is one of only two boxers in history to unify the World Cruiserweight Titles and then venture to heavyweight and win the Heavyweight Championship of the World. Renowned for his physical conditioning and immense levels of fitness, following any workout from the Hayemaker is sure to get you in shape. And as the product blurb tells us, “The Hayemaker puts over 20 years of elitelevel boxing experience into creating the perfect workout for all abilities, one that improves fitness, muscle tone and core strength. “With an upbeat funk and soul soundtrack to set the mood, you’ll be fighting fit in no time!” Amen to that. Out January 7th

BOXSET IF ever there was a month designed to accompany the humble boxset, January is it. In need of a rest after the festive season of excess, slump on the sofa whilst catching up on the fifth season of BBC fantasy drama Merlin. Follow young King Arthur and wise sorcerer Merlin across the mythical city of Camelot as they investigate some unexplained disappearances. Out January 21st

BOOK AN interesting take on the world of dieting; Scientific trials of intermittent fasting have shown that it help the pounds fly off and also lowers your risk of a range of diseases. Out January 10th

MUSIC

FILM

BACKED by his hugely popular Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Jools Holland has persuaded some very special guests to join him in the recording studio to lend their extraordinary vocal talents to a special collaboration album. The Golden Age of Song is a mix of timeless classics, undiscovered gems and some new songs penned by the man himself. Collaborators include Jessie J, Tom Jones, Rumer, James Morrison, Paloma Faith, and Paul Weller. Out now

LIAM NEESON returns as Bryan Mills, the retired CIA agent with ‘a particular set’ of skills, who stopped at nothing to save his daughter Kim from Albanian kidnappers. When the father of one of the kidnappers swears revenge and takes Bryan and his wife hostage during their family vacation in Istanbul, Bryan enlists Kim to help them escape. Out February 4th

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GAME EXPERIENCE over 40 incredible missions across three classic Hitman Games, all presented in glorious HD. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the franchise, this is your opportunity to take on the contracts that defined the series and fully established Agent 47 as the World’s Ultimate Assassin. Featuring Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money. Out February 1st

Life & Style - Going Out BURLESQUE THERE’S a host of fabulous shows coming to the Royal & Derngate this month, top of the bill though is this awardwinning performance of tassels, tease and titivating laughter on January 12th. A sellout on its last visit, this stunning Burleque night of sophisticated tease combines beautiful choreography, hilarious routines, classic comedy, atmospheric music and daring magic – delivered as part of the most highly regarded production of its kind in the UK. Tickets £18.50/www. royalandderngate.co.uk

Brilliant ballet is one not to miss MUSIC THEY may not be appearing until March 2nd but now is the time to grab your tickets for Bridgend’s finest rockers, Funeral For A Friend as they come to The Roadmender. With a new drummer, Rise to Remain’s Pat Lundy, now on the roster and a new album promising a return to a heavier sound, this will be a gig not to be missed. New album ‘Conduit’ is out on January 28th and includes the single ‘Best friends and hospital beds’. www.funeralforafriend. com

THE universally-loved and critically acclaimed Moscow City Ballet is in town for one week only from January 21st and judging by recent reviews, it’s at it’s artistic best. With the outstanding orchestra, choreography, beautiful costumes and sets, and stand-out virtuoso performances, it has been repeatedly winning rave reviews from critics. This January it brings two of the most famous ballets of all time to Royal & Derngate in Northampton, their stunning performance of the timeless love story Sleeping Beauty is a jewel

in their repertoire, while their version of The Nutcracker has an appealing, innovative freshness. You can see Sleeping Beauty from Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd while The Nutcracker will be on show from Thursday 24th through to Saturday 26th. The perfect start to the New Year for lovers of performance art, this is one not to be missed. Wednesday and Saturday include Matinee performances. Tickets £17.50-£34/ www.royalandderngate.co.uk

FILM NEW for 2013, the Picturedrome in Northampton presents a classic flick every Sunday evening. The perfect way to re-discover classic films and old favorites on a lazy Sunday, expect gems such as Star Wars, The Godfather, The Lord of The Rings, Toy Story and Top Gun (pictured). Sure to put a smile on your face at the end of the weekend! www.richardsonsevents.co.uk Twitter.com/TRENDHFL

January 2013 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

09 PLAY

Get ready for an energetic night out with Robin Hood and his merry men, as tongue-in-cheek theatre company, Oddsocks, shake up the traditional tale.

www.thecastle.org.uk

21 COMEDY

OPERA

Iolanthe comes to the Derngate - poking fun at politicians and parliament all this week. www.royalandderngate. co.uk

29 MUSIC

The very talented John Smith performs as part of the Sofa Sessions in a VIP Private House concert. Tickets £10. rachel.tinsley@ntworld. com

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16 DANCE

Every Wednesday the Cripps Recreation Centre hosts Salsa Classes, with beginners welcome! Entry £8. www.mambovibes.com

17 MUSIC

Featuring west-end heavyweights Pete Eldridge, Jack Tanner and Kevin Oliver Jones, tribute band Hats Off To Led Zeppelin perform at The Core, Corby www.thecorecorby.com

23 FOOD

Wednesday is Pie & Pudding night at the Church restaurant. Enjoy a delicious, homemade pie followed by a sumptuous pudding - two tasty courses for just £15.

Want us to publicise your event? Email Highlights details to Editor@TrendHFL.co.uk! January 5th RUGBY

Friday

Saturday

Sunday 06

DJ SET

The Black Bottom Club host DJ Slinky. Covering a spectrum of musical treats during his monster mash up sets, Slinky is always guaranteed to take the roof off with his diverse collection. From disco to neo-soul, eighties to05 old rave classics, this boy’s back catalogue of classic dance floor killers are delivered to perfection and very hard to beat!

www.richardsonsevents.co.uk

Jordan Herbert, The Morning Chorus, Karl Phillips and the Midnight Ramblers take to the stage to help raise money for Cynthia Spencer Hospice at the Picturedrome.

Featuring the renowned Cock and Bull Band and Northamptonshire’s own Royal Oak Morris, Christchurch Hall, Northampton, host a barn dance from 8pm. Tickets £8/£5 students.

The Cobblers take to the field for the second time in 2013 as they take on Fleetwood Town at Sixfields. Tickets from £19. www.ntfc.co.uk

January 8th ART

MUSIC

19 26 DANCE

FOOTBALL

January 26th

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January 5th

Kobi Levi’s footwear art design combines the essence of daily objects with the shape of shoes seen here at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery until Saturday 17th February. www.northampton.gov.uk

18 MUSIC

Saints travel to Sandy Park to take on Exeter in the Aviva Premiership. For those who don’t want to make the trek, it’s live on Sky Sports at 3pm. www.northamptonsaints. co.uk

Stanwick working-mens club hosts Steve Turner’s band, Reelin n Rockin, with music from the 50s, 60s & 70s. Tel: 01933 622444

January 31st PROM SHOW

Free admission and refreshments, fashion shows by Askews Hairdressers and the opportunity to win your prom dress up to the value of £300 from Bonnie Brides, plus Grooms can win a £100 voucher to spend at Ballgown Heaven - it’s all happening at the Holiday Inn, Corby between 6-9pm. et.exhibitions@ northantsnews.co.uk

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