Alternative ways to burn calories

Some days training in the gym just isn't attractive. Some days you can simply be too physically and mentally tired to lift weights or go for a run. Some days the weather is too nice to be inside training for hours and its far more attractive to be out in the sunshine catching the rays.

Going to the gym isn't the only way you're going to burn calories, even though its a sure good one! There are plenty of other non-exercise activities that you can do to stay healthy and active.

Here are 11 ways to keep active without the gym...

1. Park further away - If it's necessary that you must drive to work or to the shops then why not find a car park further away than your usual one and get in some extra steps. 
2. Take the stairs - Raise that height rate, rather than being lazy! It's even better if you have some added weight from shopping bags. Each week at University we had a seminar at the top of the tallest building (10 floors up)! You'd be surprised the number of Sports Therapy students who took the elevator instead... 
3. Take breaks at work - Get up, stretch and go for a wander to make that cuppa! It's a lot healthier for your eyes and neck too!
4. Stretch on the floor while watching TV - people always say they have no time for stretching, foam rolling or mobility work. what a load of rubbish! How often do you think they spend sat on their backside on the sofa watching TV? I reckon a lot! Well why not spend that time doing something useful like some static stretching to fix the tightness of your hip flexors from sitting at a desk all day when at work?! Use your time efficiently!
5. Go for a lunch time walk - Instead of sitting at your desk to eat, get outside for a wander. Try a different route to the park bench each day!
6. Walk instead of driving when able to - Speed walking could be more beneficial that getting in your 10,00 steps a day. New research by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University suggests that 3 bursts of 10 minute speed walking (about 3,000 steps) could improve your level of fitness. Check out this BBC documentary called 'The Truth about... Getting Fit' for more information.
7. Go for a daily walk/jog - grab your friend or partner and go for a walk around the block. The fresh air, a laugh and good conversation will do you good. Plus, these short walks are always my best time for planning. New thoughts pop up all over the place! Perfect when you have writers block! You could even listen to a podcast and use the time to learn something new. 
8. Use your weekends properly - you know they aren't just mean't for going out to drink... Explore your local area, take in the sights and meet new people!
9. Tidy the garden or clean the house - squatting while planting seeds, rows while pulling up weeds, practising your overhead movement while dusting - you have your very own gym at home! 
10. Wash the car yourself - save some money and wash your car yourself. Cleaning and polishing can be sweaty work!
11. Change you work place equipment  - Consider a standing desk or a Swiss ball to replace your chair. It'll save the fidgeting from sitting down too long!

Do you feel you're fit and healthy enough? Could you make small changes to your day to improve your health?

Try these and let me know how you get on!

A Winter Essential

If you’re to get one thing this winter let it be this... the Swell bottle.

I won my swell bottle through a Flybery competition and wow, it’s not only gorgeous, it actually works!! 

It’s the blooming best drink bottle I’ve ever had! Perfect for my long days in the cold coaching and working as a therapist. I’ll make a fresh coffee at approx 5.50am and no lies, when I go to take a drink after work at 6pm the coffee is at a perfect drinking temperature! Not cold and not too hot. Plus, there’s no metal-ly taste that you get with cheaper thermos bottles. 

These bottles are perfect for the outdoors type or those with a long commute. 

Here are the pros - 

• These bottles are sustainable! By purchasing a Swell bottle you won’t waste your money at Starbucks using plastic cups that are only to be thrown away after use. 
• Drinks stay hot for 12 hours and cold for 24hrs! (I've tried it, it works!!!)  The opening is even large enough to slot in ice cubes if you fancied something ultra cool.
• They don’t leak or give you that funny coffee moustache you get when walking and sipping.
• The 17oz Swell bottle holds a lot of coffee - probably the perfect amount for me! It's bigger than any Costa you’d get. But if you want something smaller, they do smaller sizes in the 'tumblers' and 'travellers'.
• Varied designs of pretty patterns - the Swell bottle is designed for all. From marble effects to bottles covered in swarovski crystals to glitter, to prints, to matt plain designs. 
• Triple-walled technology allows your bottle to remain warm without nasty condensation. 
• The bottles are BPA free, so you won't be left with a nasty taste in your mouth.
• Travel friendly - the 17oz bottle fits perfectly in my car holder and the secure top doesn't leak when the bottle is flung in my bag to go coaching.
• Not only are the bottles great, but Swell are also a partner of UNICEF USA, giving back to the wider community. What's not to love? 

The cons? I can't find any...

Here are my favourites Swell bottle designs - 

Teakwood Design

The White Marble - my own bottle 

Onyx Tumber

If you're a travelling therapist like myself, who's often on the road visiting Starbucks and Costa to keep the energy levels high, and then stood in the cold for hours on end... Grab yourself one of these bottles! They are a life-saver!

A year full of promise

I'm not one for waiting for the New Year until I start practising a new training programme or a certain mindset - there is no time like the present! Yet, this year there are particular goals that I am putting down as 'New Years Resolutions' which I can't begin while I'm on my winter holiday and will certainly take some time to complete. That being said, I've been making plans to help me start them.
Here are my goals for the coming year. 

Last year I started a nutritional diploma course. With a busy year due to a new direction of my research, my study of this course fell away. In 2018 I'm determined to keep it going and complete it within a few months - To 'blast it out'!

Over the past year as I begun my second blog Gridiron Strong and got it going, I paid less attention to this blog. Turns out, Performance Sports Therapy is pretty popular (thanks guys!), so I've decided to keep on top of it. My sports therapy and American Football focus is still likely to be over at Gridiron Strong (so make sure you go check that out), but lifestyle and blog posts (which I quite enjoy writing) will be kept here. 

Over at Gridiron Strong I have big plans (not that I will disclose them all quite yet). One area I'm happy to disclose is that of my plans to try my hand at vlogging. You can find my YouTube channel here. 

I plan to be super busy in 2018 (not that I haven't in 2017) but along with travelling with my new job at GB Women's Flag Football, I am super excited to begin research with fellow researchers in the North East. So lots of time will be spent with my head stuck in journal articles and with fingers covered in highlighter colours. Alongside this, I have plans for my clinical work in my business Performance Sports Therapy. 

Due to being so busy I know I will need to ensure I take time for myself. To do this and remain focused on my goals I plan to practice meditation, mindfulness and gratitude. Over the past year I have practised gratitude by using my bullet journal and found it quite rewarding. I tried meditation at times but struggled. This year I really want to get to grips with it as I understand that it can be very beneficial! 

Despite what some may think, the North East of England is an incredibly beautiful place! Having lived there for 7 years I know there is so much more to see! I'm going to make sure that Richard and I get a weekend off once in a while to enjoy the local countryside. Perhaps go back to Kielder to star gaze, explore more of Northumberland's castles and beaches or go up to Scotland.

With so much planned, 2018 looks to be a great year!

Do you have any New Years Resolutions for 2018? I want to hear!

2017 in photos

2017 has been a very busy year! Here are some highlights!

Jan

I launched Gridiron Strong and visited Kielder forest for the first time.

Feb

Sadly the football season with the Newcastle Raiders ended.

March

I worked with Chris Rennison-Rae on an awesome dance shoot in Newcastle.

April

Football season with the Newcastle Vikings began!

May 

My sister visited and we travelled around Tynemouth by bike.

June

I potted my own veg in our backyard!

July

I moved my sports injury clinic to FSI Gym.

August

We had a great holiday in Devon. I can successfully use a stand-up paddle board! And I modelled the new Greg Norman Golf Collection for ProQuip Uk.

September

I began coaching with Durham University American Football Team. And launched the Gridiron Strong Pitch-side Injury Care e-book.

October

I shot with Dan Beegan Photography on Tynemouth's beautiful beaches.

November

I covered the Opal Series Tournaments.

December

I secured my new position with GB women's Flag Football.

What a year it's been!

Flag Football - Opal Series

Over the months of September to December 2017 I was lucky to work at the Northern Conference Womens Opal Series Tournament in Sheffield and then the finals for BAFA.

Having never previously worked with the sport of flag football, but just tackle football, it was great to learn about the game and worked with the women involved with the day. (Big thanks to the East Kilbride Pirates who provided me with a warm drink when I was frozen!) Although I have a great love of tackle football, I thoroughly enjoyed working with/watching flag football and I'm now a big fan!

Despite flag being 'non-contact' it was very interesting to learn of the beliefs (of some) within the flag-football culture that injuries (especially concussion injuries) do not occur within the sport. Well, by the end of the series, we saw this wasn't the case. At the final especially (and understandably) I was very busy with injuries!

It is also very clear that player education around injury care is vital within the sport of flag football. Something which I have been developing on my blog site specific to American Football 'Gridiron Strong' and hope to continue with my research.

I am delighted to say that in the new year I will be working with the Womens GB Flag Team!

I'm thoroughly looking forward to working with the athletes and coaching staff, especially at our tournament vs Sweden in February. If you're in Glasgow on Feb 3rd then come along to watch!

Thank you to SamCrowPhotography for the snaps!

BackBaller Review

Recently I was kindly sent the BackBaller by its creators in Ireland.  

Upon first opening I was impressed by the sturdy quality of the product, which includes: two (removable) high density foam rollers; a plastic frame and two instructions manuals.

To keep it short and sweet (as I have filmed a full vlog review on my Gridiron Strong YouTube) here’s what I thought of the BackBaller.

The Pros

Changeable rollers – I particularly like this feature as it allows the BackBaller to adjust to individual’s different anatomy.

The colour - Lime green colour is my favourite colour so I was particularly happy when I opened the box. For those of you who aren’t so keen on green, the BackBaller is also available in bright pink.

The design - The design of the roller ensures that pressure is taken off the vertebral column, allowing for safer rolling.
The programme - The BackBaller comes with two handy leaflets - one for the wall and one for your pocket. These outline the recommended BackBaller programme. Perfect if you need some guidance!

Versatility – The BackBaller targeted areas that other rollers previously haven’t. For instance, my upper back felt so good during and following use of the BackBaller and I’ve never had that feeling before. The ridges on the roller just seem to target areas perfectly.

Non-moving – This BackBaller roller doesn’t move on the floor when you’re rolling, ensuring deep soft-tissue release. This is due to the plastic frame and its neoprene grip feet.

The Cons

The Price - The usual price of the back baller is £90. I don’t think I would pay full price, despite its top quality. It is currently available at £55 so get it quick while it’s on offer!

2 colour options – There are only two colour options – green and pink – but it’s the quality of the product that really matters.  

The Weight – The BackBaller is heavier and larger than other rollers, but I would argue that is still transportable, and definitely worth a little extra weight as it is very versatile.

I would suggest the BackBaller is a worthwhile investment for sports teams to keep at their training facility. A couple of these would be ideal for teams to use pre-and post games.

Take a look at my vlog review on my Gridiron Strong channel here. 

Win Forever | Book Review and my reflections

Who wrote it? 
Pete Carroll, current NFL Head Coach to the Seattle SeaHawks.

Who's it for? 
Athletes and coaches in any sport wishing to know more about the famous and successful 'Win Forever' philosophy.

What's actually in there? 
Pete Carroll covers his life as an NFL and college coach, his relationship with athletes and staff and how he created a philosophy to help him become won of the most successful coaches in football today.

Quote from book.
'Competition to me is not about beating your opponent. It is about doing your best; it is about striving to reach your potential; and it is about being in relentless pursuit of a competitive edge in everything you do.'

Would I recommend it? 
I would definitely recommend this book to coaches and players in any sport who wish to boost their game mindset.

This book will forever stay on my book case to refer to. 

My reflections

I was recommended this book by two good friends and coaches at Durham University.

I have always loved an autobiography from sports men and women and so I was intrigued to read one by one of the greatest American Football coaches, Pete Carroll.

From the beginning I was completely hooked on his story telling and coaching philosophy

'aspiring to be the best you can be, or as i like to refer to it, "maximising your potential". But Winning Forever is not about the final score; its about competing and striving to be the best. if you are in this pursuit, then you're already winning.'

The energy that Pete Carroll appears to have 27/4 in regards to every aspect of his life is inspiring. I hope that I can bring  that energy and enthusiasm to my coaching!


I like and appreciate how Carroll takes you through the ups and downs of being an NFL and college team coach. I have a lot of appreciation for the work he and his staff do, as well as his family supporting him through the long hours and travelling.

One of my highlight quotes from the book is 'in order to be successful, you must have a consistent philopshy. If you change who you are from year to year, he explained, you're never going to be great at anything'.

I'm still working on my philosophy. This book certainly made me think about my own coaching techniques and how I can improve them to get the most out of the individuals I work with.

Check out my site Gridiron Strong for more about American Football.

End of the Season

Well this season at the Newcastle Vikings has been another huge success (despite what some would perceive as difficulties). We moved up to Division 1 and ran the season with lower numbers than previously.... and with no head coach! Finishing the season we placed 3rd in the division. Things can only get better for us!

I'm super proud of the achievements of our team and love all of the guys I get to work with each week. We have such laughs! Thanks to them for being super supportive of my new venture Gridiron Strong too! 

We couldn't do it all without our general manager Mick who works tirelessly each week to make sure each game runs smoothly. Thanks Mick! 

Off season begins soon so it'll be time to put in the hard work for the next season in Div1. 

Next comes the Uniball season when I'll be working with a new North East team (exciting news to come!). 

Newcastle's Strongest 2017

On Sunday I worked at Newcastle's Strongest 2017 held at FSI gym in North Tyneside. 

The day ran from 10am-4pm with 2 categories; novice and intermediate. 

Each had 5 events each. 

These were- 

Event 1 

Log floor to overhead/Yoke overhead press 

Men Novice: 90kg/80kg

Men Inters 100kg/90kg

Event 2

Rising Car Deadlift

Men Novice: 180kg-190kg-200kg-210kg-220kg-230kg

Men Inters: 210kg-220kg-230kg-240kg-250kg-260kg

Event 3

Squat to box for reps 

Men Noice: 150kg

Men Inters: 190kg

Event 4

Sandbag Carry 20m/Seated arm over arm 20m

Men Novice: Sandbag - 100kg/240kg

Men Inters: Sandbag- 110kg/280kg

Event 5

Atlas stones 

Mens Novice: 77kg-90kg-110kg-130kg-145kg

Mens Inters: 90kg-110kg-120kg-145kg-160kg

Throughout the day I offered athletes treatment to help enhance and promote recovery between events. It was a busy one at times!

The event was well attended, raising £400 for Cancer Research, 

All athletes did extremely well. I'm particularly happy for one of my clinic clients (and previous rugby players) Owen Irving who came 3rd in the Novice Competition. He's overcome some injuries in the last few months to achieve a great result! On wards & upwards! 

Secondly, congratulations to Fin and Adam who both train at FSI who took 1st place in both categories. It appears FSI is the place to train... (and to come for sports injury advice).

Here are some photos from the event -

Interview | Strongman James Landless

Source: Power News by World Heavy Events Association

This weekend James Landless competes in the BNSF Britain's Strongest Man. I have been working with James on the run up to this competition to help manage his physical condition and enhance performance. Here I interview James on his journey so far... 

1. Tell us about yourself. 

Well I'm a stone mason through the day and a strongman at night so they go hand in hand with each other. Each one helping the other. Strength helps when I’m working, and stamina, flexibility and moving awkward objects helps the strongman training . But my hobby is definitely my sport. Outside of strongman training I enjoy socialising with friends.

2. Tell us about the highlight of your strongman career so far.

I was drawn to the sport accidentally as I had always fancied doing some sort of competition to push myself and I wasn't too keen on the dieting phase for bodybuilding. So I thought I would have a go at strongman.

The highlight of my career would have to be when I won northern England's strongest natural man for the first time. It came as a shock moving straight from novice level to a high level of competition. At that time I had only been training for 6 months as a strongman and was quite raw on all the events.

3. As Strongman training consists of a lot of lifting already, what type of supplementary training do you find necessary to do? What benefits have you seen from this training? 

I find that I benefit mostly by training body parts like a bodybuilder would. For example I would train back by itself and hit deadlift as a compound movement and pick 2-3 movements that would assist in building the back and strengthening the deadlift. For example I would warm up on pulldowns, and deadlifts reps and sets would vary week to week . Then I'd hit heavy barbell rows, pull ups and then maybe if I was feeling like I wanted a bit more, I would do some hyper-extensions.

4. What is your top tip for recovery?

My best advice for recovery would be eat, sleep, stretch and relax . My training has been full on for 18 months now and I've realised that you need to switch off from it and still make time for family and friends. Don't worry about being a bit rough the next day and not being able to eat a big breakfast. Building strength is a long process so balance is the key to consistent training for progression in the sport.

5. Can you summarise your own personal approach to training and nutrition?

My personal approach to training and nutrition is to look at my upcoming competition, try and separate all the events into training days to suit body parts. Then I’ll programme a session on a weekend where I do a couple of movement events - something like stones or another loading event. 
As far as nutrition goes I take it day by day aiming to hit around 50g protein per meal and some healthy carbs and maybe a bit of fat.

6. You used to compete in American Football. What have you learnt by playing the game and is there anything you feel you have reapplied when competing as a Strongman?

From playing American football I learned to be able to switch on and switch off quickly which is great for strongman. Strongman competitions are quite long and usually only consist of 5-6 events so you need to be able to switch on, smash it, then switch of after to conserve energy and focus your mind on the next event.

7. Your next competition is this weekend! Can you tell us a little about how you have been preparing for this competition? 

I'm preparing for my next competition by just slowly increasing weight so I peak at the comp weights in competition. I take a laid-back approach and am very careful in what I do. As soon as I get the events through for a competition I will not do any unnecessary exercises or activities to avoid injury.

 8. Do you have any future plans or goals within the sport of Strongman? 

My main goal is to win Britain’s Strongest Natural Man just once then I will retire from that organisation, take a year off while dropping around 3 stone (just to make normal life/work easier). Then I will focus on more of a power-lifting style training week e.g. deadlifts, squats and pressing (this will be the main focus) and maybe once a month or so do a light run through of strongman events to keep my hand in it.

Good luck to James this weekend competing! I am sure he will absolutely smash it!

If you fancy going to watch this competition then click here to find the details.

Watch James lift on his Instagram account here.  

I've Moved!

I’ve moved!

Last week I have moved my clinic to FSI gym in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, a weightlifting gym which offers the top training facilitates in the North East. 

I love the new environment and the great team to work alongside. Its like one big playground!

I’m looking forward to working at the events which the gym holds, such as Newcastle’s Strongest 2017 on 6^th August.

Whilst in this new location I am looking forward to developing Gridiron Strong and offering more services at Performance Sports Therapy.

Here are some photos of the new set up. Check it out!

I’ve already been super busy since I’ve moved in so make sure you book an appointment in early!

Interview | Dance Student Zoe Norbury

Tell us about yourself

Hello!! My name is Zoe, I’m 20 years old and I study BA (Hons) Dance at De Montfort University in Leicester. As well as being a lover for contemporary dance, I also live for being active, whether that be throwing weights in the gym and doing circuits, playing sports (I play Netball at uni) or just getting outdoors, I must be up and doing something. I also have my own little blog on Instagram and Wordpress where I share all things food, fitness and life-related, spreading positivity and self-love every day. I am a huge chocoholic and peanut butter addict so expect to see many pictures featuring the two!

What type of supplementary training do you do? What benefits have you seen from this training?

I find myself in the gym quite regularly, aiming to be there 3-4 times a week and ensuring I get in some rest days. I vary my training in each workout, so one day I will focus on just weights for strength training, slowly increasing the weights when I feel is needed. I will also do some circuit training, adding in a mixture of weight, body-weight/plyometric exercises to keep up my fitness and I just love feeling like a ninja.

Since beginning supplementary training, I’ve noticed a variety of benefits. My strength has increased majorly – I’ve noticed that my balance has improved and I’m able to control movements much more. Another benefit is that my fitness feels are at a high, meaning that I am able to take part in class without being out of breath easily and so can fully focus.

At what age or stage in your dance career did you realise supplementary training was necessary?

I realised that it felt necessary when I was in my final year of sixth form - pretty much when I started my whole journey into fitness and healthy eating. I started with HIIT training and then was encouraged by Youtubers/bloggers, my dad (who was a personal trainer) and my older brother to start introducing weights into my training. As the year went by I noticed how much stronger and confident I was in my dance training. I was able to maintain a good level of fitness, control my movements and balance, and I was able to perform with more power.

Can you summarise your own personal approach to supplementary training and nutrition?

My approach is to be balanced, and I am constantly preaching this. I started my training the wrong way: overtraining, eating way too little and restricting myself from foods if they weren’t ‘clean’. It took me a long time to realise how wrong this was and I began to research more into how I should train and rekindle my love for fitness and food. I now train at least 3-4 times (sometimes 2 if I am busy) a week and if I feel like I am too tired or injured, I listen to my body and make sure I rest. It is so crucial to allow our bodies to recover! As with nutrition, I learnt that food is fuel and to not categorise into ‘good’ or ‘bad’ which completely changed my mindset. I now make sure I am eating enough food every day, ensuring that I eat plenty of carbs (the beauty that gives us energy), protein and fats, as well as lots of veggies and chocolate, of course. Everything in moderation and it’s all about finding your own balance.

From your blog and Instagram it’s clear that you love food! Can you tell us your favourite snack to nibble on between classes?

I love food!! It makes me happy and fuels my body! Most of my technique classes are early morning so I always have breakfast which is a huge feature on my Instagram – zoats (oats with courgette). I will have this with a scoop of protein, berries, peanut butter and some form of chocolate (I find that starting my day with some chocolate stops me from wanting to eat all of it at the end of the day). If I have an afternoon class, I make sure I have some carbs beforehand and I love bananas! Sweet, tasty and gives me energy for the class.

How do you juggle your studies and make time for supplementary training?

I always organise my weeks with my weekly planner. I write down my timetabled classes and work the gym into it, making sure that I have enough rest time but also time to let off steam in the gym. I aim to have gym sessions on days when the technique class isn’t too intense otherwise my body will be exhausted and injuries could occur.

As a student dancer do you feel you are sufficiently educated and supported in injury care/management and methods to reduce injury? 

In all honesty, no. These topics aren’t sufficiently covered on my course and it is down to us to research these topics if we wish to do so (I tend to take out a couple of books from the library when I feel like I need more information). We do learn about anatomy and physiology on my course, however, it is more about the Alexander Technique and how we should direct ourselves in order to be more at a mechanical advantage. I feel that learning about injury care and safe dance practice should be enforced more onto any dance course as not many student dancers (or even some professional dancers) are entirely educated on how to reduce the risk of injury or how to treat them. I would love to be able to have a career in this sector, I want to help others take care of themselves.

Do you have a favourite exercise you’d like to share? 

Oh this is a tough one! I enjoy doing squats with the bar because I love seeing my strength slowly increase, it amazes me how strong our bodies are! However, I am a big lover of plyometric training and do love different variations of burpees (e.g. regular, to the floor, with a sandbag) and also lunge jumps! Call me crazy, but I love seeing how much endurance I have and how powerful I am when jumping. It’s great for the legs and glutes, and as dancers we need to have a strong base.

Thanks to Zoe for a great insight into her life as a Dance degree student! So glad to hear of such a positive attitude to dancer health. But it certainly sounds like there is a need for better education on degree courses...

Find Zoe on social media here and here. 

Everyday care for the dancer’s feet

The foot and ankle are a vulnerable area for the dancer, accounting for 65% of all injuries within professional dancers and 53.4% within elite pre-professional dance students. Dancers are constantly on their feet and despite the effortless look, there is no doubt that this art puts incredible strain on the lower limbs. 

A combination of flexibility, stability and dynamic strength are required at the ankle and foot for a healthy dancer’s foot. However, despite the intense training, injuries in this area are highly common.

Foot injuries can be caused by a number of factors including;

•             ill-fitting shoes,

•             an increase of training intensity too quickly,

•             poor dance technique,

•             over training

Chronic injuries at the foot, due to overtraining, are more common than acute injuries.

Below are some tips of how you can take care of your feet each day, with an aim to prevent injury.

Everyday care

Remove the waddle

As a dancer it is very important to look after your feet when outside of the studio. Dancers often adopt the dancers “waddle” out of habit due to their turnout training. However, mechanically, the feet are not designed to be turned outwards, therefore it is important to note when walking and jogging to place your feet in parallel.

Rest and recover

Additionally, allowing your feet to rest and recover is highly important and beneficial, in order to help prevent injuries due to overtraining. Possible ways of doing this is by soaking the feet, simply taking the weight off your feet or having a massage in the arch of the foot and Achilles tendon insertion.

Wear the correct footwear

When buying shoes, ensure you wear properly fitted shoes. Not only dance shoes, but any casual pumps too. After a long day training you do not want to put extra strain on your feet. I would suggest purchasing a well-fitting pair of running trainers for these occasions.

Prepare your feet

In the morning you might feel stiffness in the foot and ankle. Why not prepare the feet first thing? Even before class? This will feel like a breath of fresh air and help enhance movement quality.

Try this plantar fascia roll.

1.            Using a hockey ball, roll deeply into the plantar fascia on the foot for 2-3 minutes. Ensure you cover the whole underside of the foot.

2.            Repeat on the other foot.

You'll feel like you're walking on air!

Strengthening the ankle and foot is highly important in order to prevent fatigue, a leading cause in injury. View my article on improving ankle strength here and warming up the ankle and foot here.

Look after blisters

Blisters are a common complaint for ballet dancers caused by moisture and repeated friction from (most commonly) pointe shoes. Taping susceptible areas of the feet can help prevent blisters yet don’t work 100% of the time.

When blisters come up it is unadvisable to burst blisters. Doing so could lead to infection. It is best to leave the blister to heal in the open air, however dance class schedules and pain can restrict this. Therefore you can drain a blister using a sterilised needle to ‘pop’ the blister. It is important to keep the roof of the blister intact to allow as cover which will help avoid infection. It is then best to cover this area with a clean dressing.  

Avoid bunions

Toe spacers or improvised toe spaces help to improve the alignment of the big toe. I would recommend fixing these in place before class with a bit of tape.

If you suffer from bunions then seek a good pointe shoe fitter who can offer you a shoe with the correct support and angling to remove pressure from the bunion.

At the end of the day have an ice pack to hand to sooth any bunion pain.

Do you have any rituals you go through each day to look after your feet? Let me know below!

 Photo credit: Rennison-Rae Photography