We’re living during strange times with the COVID-19 pandemic. No hand shakes; we grab beers online, we exercise in front of a screen and probably some work in their pyjamas. At OITOO – Personal Training we decided to make the most out of this and take the rare chance to learn more about fitness, injury rehabilitation and even life. This is the first interview of our Online Chats series.
Erik is an Osteopath with 7 years experience. He graduated from the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in London and is also trained in medical acupuncture.
How would you describe your approach? What’s unique about it?
My treatments are focused on finding imbalances in the body and trying to figure out where the root cause of the problem is. Every patient is different, therefore the treatments should never be the same from patient to patient.
What are your top recommendations to avoid injury?
Keeping a mobile/flexible body all throughout, warming up and cooling down well before and after each exercise and maintaining a healthy nutrition and hydration.
Do you find any differences between athletes and non-athletes when you treat them?
Athletes are generally more aware of their own bodies and usually take on the homework/exercises better. They generally respond quicker to treatment too.
In your opinion, how important is that your clients continue with appropriate exercise after/while you see them?
It is very important to keep up with the exercises to speed up recovery and/or prevent the problem coming back.
What exercise progressions would you suggest to recover from injuries?
Firstly, make sure that the swelling and pain goes down. Then work on the ROM and muscle conditioning. Start with isometric exercises, then progress into isokinetic exercises incresing the speed and resistance slowly. Finally the patient can start performing exercises that will be specific to their sport/training ie running drills for a runner.
We live in a society that uses google as an expert consultant. From influencers to random internet videos why should individuals with injuries or wanting to exercise look for a personalised and professional approach?
Because every person is different and not one exercise will work for everyone.
Fun Fads – what’s the first thing that comes to your head when you read about the following fads
Diet x,y,z:
Having a healthy nutrition is very important, however dieting for an x amount of time and then going back to the unhealthy habits is not good. Therefore maintaining a balanced, rich and varied diet is the key.
What’s the best exercise for back pain?
There is no one exercise that will be universally good for everyone.
Massage Gun tools:
I use them at work and I find they help release the muscle tension, even though there is no scientific evidence supporting this.
Social Media Influencers workouts/tips:
I don’t really follow this as most of them don’t know what they’re talking about.
If you have any questions contact us here. If you wanna know more about Erik check our his page here.
