Low back pain (LBP)is the leading cause of disability globally. In 2015, an estimated 7.3% of the world’s population had LBP at any one time — that’s 540 million people. In the US alone, the prevalence of LBP is between 10–30% of the population, with a lifetime prevalence between 65–80%. If you don’t currently have LBP, you probably will at some point.

The best thing you can do to reduce or avoid LBP is to perform the correct resistance exercises and maintain a healthy weight. Whilst this article’s focus is on resistance exercise, it cannot be overstated how important it…

It’s clear that minimizing sick days reduces disruption and increases productivity in the workplace. Although there is a myriad of reasons one can be ill, there is no doubt that pain is a common reason why sick leave is used. Musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of sick leave — whether it be low back or neck pain. Regular targeted exercise plays an important role in managing pain, allowing yourself or your employees to spend more time at work doing meaningful tasks. …

Most people know they should be performing key foundational movement patterns in the gym on a regular basis. Like the squat, lunge, hinge, and upper body push and pull variations. But the loaded carry — literally picking up a really heavy object and walking with it — is an often forgotten key movement pattern. I know don’t see it performed much in my gym.

And I think that’s for good reason too. Most don’t know how to perform them or simply aren’t convinced of their importance. There are three key reasons we should all be doing heavy-loaded carries — for…

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is nothing new, but for most, it is still not properly understood. HIIT is actually quite simple, and safe for a large portion of the population to perform. For these reasons, HIIT should be considered an effective training modality for most people. Because it can be performed in so many different ways it can be made suitable for all. Remember, a HIIT session can and will look different for everyone. Whether you’re training for a sporting event or trying to reduce the impact of your heart disease, you should always have HIIT in your arsenal.

HIIT for Fitness

The…

Whether you have a smartwatch or are considering picking one up, it’s important to understand which health metrics may be of value to you. This article discusses which physiological measures can be tracked via smartwatches, and how to apply each one based on your own requirements. Remember, always do your research before choosing a device to buy so that it has all the features of importance to you. Each smartwatch will also have its own level of reliability, which is also worth investigating.

Heart Rate

Probably one of the most known features of the modern smartwatch, the optical heart rate sensor that…

To improve one’s posture is to restore one’s muscular balance.

Our muscular balance has been compromised by our need to sit in a chair and look at a screen — usually done at the same time. What if you could help restore this balance with a few simple exercises that could be done every day in no more than 10 minutes? And what if these exercises required absolutely no equipment? Well, I hope you'd at least consider giving them a go.

It’s important to be realistic though. Performing these exercises alone will not restore one’s posture to an ideal state…

Aging is an inevitable part of life. But how we age — and how much we enjoy the aging process — is within our control. The natural deterioration of our bodies — which is said to begin as early as 30 — cannot be stopped, but it can be slowed. And slowed significantly for that matter. Using exercise to ‘treat’ the aging process is not unlike using exercise to treat any chronic disease.

As an Exercise Physiologist, I use exercise to treat arthritis, chronic pain, diabetes, and heart disease to name a few. The list goes on and on. The…