One of the consequences of sitting in a chair for long periods of time is shortened hip flexors. This can cause not only stiff hips but lower back pain & long term it will negatively effect your posture. Opening up your hips is just one component to reversing chair-itis and it is a good place to start! The longer you spend in a chair the more time you need to spend stretching your hips. Here are some tips to reverse the effects of sitting all day on your hips: Spend at least 2 minutes per day in a passive hip stretch Opt for the floor instead of a chair as much as you can. Try out alter ..read more

Want to know the benefits of better ankle mobility? Well, the biggest one is more range & more strength in your ankles. This means more MOVEMENT POTENTIAL which equals mitigation of injuries YES PLEASE! Every human should be working to optimise their ankle mobility and function, but unfortunately it is missing in many fitness programs. HERE IS WHERE WE SUGGEST TO START… Go barefoot more often. This will allow more natural foot & ankle function everyday. In The A Life Anywhere we run all our classes barefoot! Wear barefoot shoes any other time. We love wearing our Feelgrounds&nb ..read more

As I sit and reflect back on the community we created in 2021, I am in awe that our values and message on movement has rippled out and affected so many peoples lives! I want to say thank you for being such a special part of our community. And as we kick off 2022 I want to share with you some of our most valuable lessons in movement: There is no such thing as good or bad movement exercises. Every one has different strengths, weaknesses and limitations which means there is no one cookie approach that works every time. When you learn to more about your body when you move you can become your ..read more

How do you wind down at the end of the day? Do you consciously try to wind down? A lot of the time when I ask my patients how they like to wind down – a lot don’t make a conscious effort to do so, and/or assume I’m about to chastise them for not having a meditation practice. Meditation is fantastic, however it isn’t for everyone, if you don’t like it – thats fine! But it is important to have a practice that you can use to ground, and refresh after our busy lifestyle and give the nervous system a chance to unpack and reset. So, here are a few suggestions that aren’t meditation, that may intrigu ..read more

WHAT ARE TOE SPACERS? Toe spacers are a nifty little invention, that are designed to do exactly what they sound like – space out those toes of yours! A lot like the toe spacer you may have used when painting your toe nails – however these are made out of squishy silicone that makes the gadget more functional (so you can weight bear easily wearing them). When you slip your toes through the gaps in the silicone, you’ll feel a firm-ish block in between each space that is designed to widen the gap between adjacent toes. Why should I give them a try? The toe spacer is designed to improve the health ..read more

By Dr Fauntine Lariba (Osteopath) Lower back pain is common amongst a number of adults and especially in those who find themselves sedentary for prolonged hours at work. Below are five simple considerations that could prevent this pain from escalating into an injury that requires time, money and energy to manage.  DISCLAIMER: This list is by no means exhaustive and a consultation with an Osteopath for further screening and individualised management is still recommended.  1. Common postures Throughout our work day we will subconsciously assume the same postures. When thinking about po ..read more

Have you noticed feeling tighter in the jaw or a bit headache-y after a day of wearing your mask? Next time you’re wearing your mask, check in with how you are breathing and holding your jaw – you may be unconsciously doing so differently! Without even realising you may be gritting your teeth, clenching through the jaw, jutting out your chin to move the mask away, or breathing more through your mouth instead of your nose. This can cause the muscles of the jaw to become over worked and irritated – leaving your jaw feeling stiff and sore. This pain can then also refer up into the head and cause ..read more

It has happened to most of us! (usually in times of stress) You wake up in the morning with a sore neck wondering what on earth you were dreaming about to wake up in this state. Then the stress kicks in, the googling begins and off you go down the rabbit hole. But what can you do to help yourself in this situation? Try not to panic Firstly, try not to panic! This is easier said than done. Panic and stress heightens the sympathetic nervous system, your fight or flight system. This increases the sensitivity of your nerves so they become more sensitive to pain and perceive the pain as more dang ..read more

If you have read part 1 of “5 quick and easy ways to improve your sleep hygiene”, you’ll be well on your way to cleaner sleep. Part 2 delves a little deeper into lifestyle changes that correlate with sleep improvement. You will most likely be able to relate to one or more of these common factors influencing our sleep. We’ll be covering: Caffeine Alcohol Regular exercise Room temperature The bedroom is for sleeping Caffeine When we think about caffeine, we think coffee, right? But caffeine is in a whole range of products including tea leaves and cacao. It makes us feel energised, but it can i ..read more

Yoga is often seen as a very therapeutic form of exercise. However, there is still a risk of injury. Yoga can flare-up pre-existing injuries and it can cause new injuries too. When it comes to injury prevention in the studio there are several things you can do: Talk to your teacher about your past injuries or conditions. If your teacher knows your body, they can offer alternatives, things to avoid and they can watch your technique to see what you’re doing that may aggravate your tissues. Listening to your body is imperative. If there is pain, you need to back off, it’s your body trying to ..read more