b3athlete – "BIGGER, BOLDER, BRAVER"

There is no such thing as “Can’t”…

The ocean unleashed it’s fury on Teahupoo, Tahiti last week during the ASP Billabong Pro. The event was postponed when 30 foot waves battered the region. It didn’t stop the world’s best big wave surfers from stepping up to the plate for their adrenaline fix.

Hey gang,

I’ve just committed to 5 mins per day, per leg of the “couch stretch”. I’m going to do it every day for one week to test the result…

The aim of this stretch for me, among other things, is to lengthen my hip flexors and psoas. These muscles attach to the bottom of the spine and when tight can cause some nasty lower back pain. After all the treatments and needles, could this be the simple solution to my problems???

I am one day down and I have to be honest, my back feels noticeably better.

Time to stop being lazy and just get it done!

I am no medical expert, nor am I a Physio, Mio, Osteo, Chiro or whatever else out there that ends in o. But as an athlete I am on a constant journey to discover more about my physical self.

Perhaps I am behind the 8 ball, but it was only recently that I was introduced to the word fascia. Apparently it’s something I should have known about a long time ago, mainly because our bodies are riddled with it.

Fascia is the connective tissue that slides under, over and around every organ, ligament and muscle in our bodies. In order for the body to function smoothly the fascia must be lubricated, allowing it to slide smoothly against our tissues. If it begins to stick (technical term) in one area of the body, because it’s joined throughout problems can occur in other places.

If you are still wondering what on earth I am talking about, the next time you rip into a whole chicken look for the thin sheath that kinda looks like latex, that’s fascia. It’s strong stuff!

An effective way of unsticking fascia is to grab a foam roller and roll out all over your body. A roller can be used on the quads, hamstrings, calves, back and lats. It helps to separate the fascia from the muscles.

I recently watched a video on the Crossfit Games site where Matt Chan was using something that resembled a rolling pin to un-stick his fascia during the Games. So there, all the cool kids are doin it…

Another great tool is “the ball”. That could be a remedial spikey ball for beginners, a tennis ball for intermediate, or a hockey ball for the tough guys. It’s particularly effective for the glutes and hips. Try tensing as hard as you can on top of the ball, take a deep breath and breath out, relaxing as best you can onto the ball. Keep rolling around on it to find the sticky bits (don’t worry, you know when you hit them).

My final words of wisdom, as explained by my physio recently, DRINK WATER! Once you have drunk enough, DRINK SOME MORE. 70% – 80% of our bodies is made up of H2o. Water is to the body is what oil is to an engine. Around 2.4 liters is the minimum for an average adult per day. If you exercise, think 3 liters!!!

What is Facsia? Explained on you tube…

Let’s take a deep breath on the rehab/recovery stuff. Instead let’s concentrate on what can happen if you a) have shitty movement patterns due to poor core stabilisation of the pelvis and b) don’t listen to your body when it’s telling you something is wrong…

Without going into too much detail, the first jab was ok, not too painful (local anesthetic helped). The second one had me leaping off the table! I had two nurses telling me to relax and breath. I’m thinking “I’m not in f*cking labour. This is much worse!” (sorry ladies)

The long of the short is I was lying on that table today because I didn’t listen to my body. That’s about to change…