27/11/15

Welcome to the first in our series of monthly Blizard newsletters, with our inaugural publication also being our first Christmas edition!

These newsletters will aim to firstly round up what has happened in and around the clinic over the course of the month, focussing particularly on physiotherapy articles and advice offered by our team of experts, as well as sporting events, client success stories, and much more.

We will also look ahead to the forthcoming months’ events, clinic activities, and offer advice on topics such as nutrition, injury prevention, training tips, as well as bring you news on some of the exciting new products hitting the shelves at our Blizard retail shop.

Physiotherapy News

Jenny Blizard’s new one hour physiotherapy appointment service

Jenny’s new one hour appointments are the clinic's biggest news item this month! We listened to feedback regarding longer appointment times, and responded by extending Jenny’s treatment sessions to an hour from November 23rd.

Her existing clients still have the option of having a 30 minute appointment with her or any of our expert physiotherapists. To find out more go to: http://www.blizardphysiotherapy.co.uk/section794844_325006.html

Women’s Health talks and confidential telephone consultation service



Jenny and Kate Stowers regular Women’s Health talks also continue to be in high demand, with group sessions covering a range of topics affecting women which can be helped by physiotherapy, such as pregnancy-related issues, or pelvic floor dysfunction.

These talks, together with Jenny and Kate’s free and completely confidential physiotherapy advice telephone consultation service, are so important for so many women. Studies have shown that staying fit and healthy is essential in the bid to remain active regardless of age or size, and that exercise helps women to combat osteoporosis and the effects of the menopause, amongst other benefits.

Jenny and Kate are always happy to talk for free to any groups of women of any size, from 45 minutes up to two hours. If you are interested in booking their services for free, please email: jenny@blizardphysiotherapy.co.uk

Helpful physiotherapy articles published on Achilles injuries, knee pain, DOMS and the importance of stretching



Jenny, Matthew Newton, Caroline Hennigan, Kate Stowers and Terri Coates are all highly qualified and respected physiotherapists, and thus have regular articles published in prominent publications.

This month we highlighted a number of Jenny’s excellent Athletics Weekly features, focussing on the following topics:

Stretching: She revealed just how important stretching, or mobilisation exercises, are to keep your muscles, myofascial tissue and the nervous system mobile without taking too much time out of your busy day. Read the full article here: http://www.blizardphysiotherapy.co.uk/section794844_324489.html

Achilles: This article highlighted how the nervous system can have a significant influence in longstanding Achilles injuries, and gives a number of practical suggestions for how athletes can self-manage the area.
These include reducing stress levels, improving posture when sitting, improved diet, hydration and sleep, as well as positive thinking, self massage, stretching and, happily, daily easy runs.
Read more here: http://www.blizardphysiotherapy.co.uk/section794844_325430.html

Knee Pain: Jenny focussed on how knee pains often originate, and how easy it can be to treat by one of our expert physiotherapists, and then self-manage at home by completing some basic exercises, and changing the way you perform the simple kneel to stand motion.
The full article including a video link to a helpful mobility exercise can be found here: http://www.blizardphysiotherapy.co.uk/section794844_324952.html

DOMS: To find out how you can relieve your DOMS after your racing exploits, or even to prevent these unpleasant symptoms occurring at all, read here for some helpful tips: http://www.blizardphysiotherapy.co.uk/section794844_325250.html

Sporting events, news and competitive highlights for November

Elite Team Blizard triathletes announced



This month our elite tier of Team Blizard was hugely boosted by the addition of our triathlete section, with Tom Morris, Jono Frary and Mike Chadwick forming a key part of our competitive team of athletes. Coach Frary helped Mike and Tom kickstart their winter's training with a swimming analysis session, before setting their next block of training, whilst also building up his own running, swimming and cycling fitness ahead of next year’s triathlon season.

Tom and Mike ‘High Tower’ had an excellent months’ racing in their new Team Blizard kit from Newline clothing (all stocked in our Blizard shop), with both placing highly at the competitive Leeds 10k road race, and Mike scooping the top prize overall at the One Step Beyond Off Road Duathlon series.

Fellow elite Team Blizard member, Fiona Davies, also continued her consistently strong racing performances at Leeds as well as at the Yorkshire Fell Championships, and will join many Blizard athletes at the Percy Pud 10k next month.

Our new retail shop and website are developed ready for an official launch in December!

We have been working hard behind the scenes to get a brand new website ready in time for Christmas, as well as building our shiny new retail shop to help you stock up on all your essential training and racing kit, physiotherapy, well-being and swimming equipment, as well as the full range of On Running shoes!

The website is close to completion, and already features a wealth of helpful articles and case studies focussing on all of our services, as well as information on our products for sale in the shop, physiotherapy features and videos, and regularly updated reports on everything Team Blizard!

Our new Blizard shop is already open for business every Wednesday 2-8pm and Saturday mornings, but you are all invited to our official open day on Saturday December 5th, where our team of experts will be on hand to offer advice while you browse our fantastic range of products from Lornah Sports, Newline, Finnis Swimming, as well as our physiotherapy kit and On Running shoes.

RACING ACTION

Blizard and Curly’s Normanby Hall Adventure Race is a huge success, and Team Blizard athletes excel in competitions everywhere



Hundreds of very brave souls tackled the muddy, hugely challenging near-10km course in freezing conditions on November 22nd, with elite Team Blizard athletes Tom and Mike joining Simon Griffin on the podium, while the rest of the field seemed to revel in scaling the many obstacles along the way! There are plenty more races in this series to come, so keep an eye on our website and social media feeds for all the latest information.
There were also Team Blizard runners in action at Clowne, Norwich, Ely, Hereward Relays, Leeds and many other events across the length and breadth of the country, with PBs featuring in the majority, particularly for those lactate threshold tested athletes.

Winter Essentials: Advice on how to prepare for the colder months ahead, with nutrition tips, physiotherapy advice, workshop news and kit from our new shop to keep you warm

WINTER NUTRITION

The importance of good nutrition through the cold months cannot be underestimated, with Vitamin D a particularly vital vitamin to include in your diet to help fend off illness, injury and Seasonal Affective Disorder. While it is well known that direct sunlight is the best way of absorbing Vitamin D, you can also find it in food sources such as fatty fish including salmon, tuna, and mackerel, fish liver oils, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.

Iron and Vitamin C rich foods such as spinach, steak, fresh fruit and vegetables are also a great way of getting as many immune-boosting nutrients into your system while the temperatures remain low and your body is most at risk of picking up bugs.

WINTER INJURY PREVENTION

It is so important to try and prevent injury happening in the first place, rather than allow niggles to turn into full blown injuries that sideline you for months, particularly through the challenging winter months when your body is more prone to picking up niggles training in the mud and the cold conditions.

This is why we emphasise the importance of having regular physiotherapy maintenance sessions, or monthly massages, with any one of our team of experts at Blizards.

Keeping on top of aches and pains throughout a major training block, particularly through the winter, will ensure you stay strong and allow your fitness to improve, meaning you will be able to tackle the cross country season with confidence, or for those triathletes out there, maintain an excellent cardiovascular system to ensure you’re ready for the spring and summer events next year.

INJURY PREVENTION CASE STUDIES

Our own Jono Frary knows full well the importance of keeping on top of potential problems. After breaking his arm, he suffered months of issues with it as a result, but as soon as he booked in for regular monthly physiotherapy with Jenny, he was able to resume full training and a demanding competition schedule.

Similarly, Blizard writer Ruth Jones had suffered with debilitating glute pains for years before getting regular treatment at the clinic, and, because she continues to keep on top of the issue on a monthly basis, she has been able to build up her fitness once again under the guidance of Dave Tune.

PLANNING AHEAD - JONO’S MONTHLY WORKSHOP & BLIZARD SHOP’S WINTER RANGE

Jono’s monthly advice clinic kicks off with a free Planning Workshop on Saturday December 19th, specifically aimed at triathletes. There will be a limited number of 10 spaces for the workshop, so book in early to guarantee your spot! Jono’s session will run from 8.30-10.30am at the Blizard shop in the clinic. Email info@blizardphysiotherapy.co.uk to book onto the workshop.

Also on hand to help you plan ahead for the wintry months training will be a great range of warm but breathable gloves and hats from top sporting range, Newline, on sale in our new Blizard retail shop from December 5th.

Thanks for reading our first monthly newsletter, and we look forward to featuring lots of you in our next one, which will be published at the end of this year! If you have any suggestions or requests for what you’d like to see in our December newsletter, please contact Ruth Jones at ruth.jones29@yahoo.co.uk.