Mount Osteo

How can reformer pilates help you build strength and maintain a healthy, strong body?

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1. Build Core Strength and Stability

  • Goal: Strengthen the core to improve posture, reduce back pain, and enhance overall functional movement.
  • Plan: Commit to 2-3 Reformer Pilates sessions per week focused on core-centric exercises like planks, roll-downs, and leg circles.

2. Improve Flexibility

  • Goal: Increase overall flexibility to prevent injury and improve range of motion.
  • Plan: Use the Reformer to stretch the hamstrings, hips, shoulders, and spine during every session.

3. Enhance Muscle Tone

  • Goal: Achieve lean muscle definition without bulk.
  • Plan: Focus on controlled resistance exercises with the springs to tone muscles like the arms, legs, and glutes.

4. Boost Balance and Coordination

  • Goal: Enhance body awareness and stability, especially for daily activities or sports.
  • Plan: Incorporate single-leg work and dynamic balance challenges on the Reformer.

5. Develop Consistency

  • Goal: Build a sustainable fitness routine.
  • Plan: Schedule Reformer Pilates classes on the same days each week to make it a non-negotiable part of your routine.

6. Support Recovery

  • Goal: Reduce soreness and improve recovery from other workouts.
  • Plan: Dedicate one weekly session to gentle, restorative Reformer exercises focusing on breathing and stretching.

7. Focus on Mental Wellness

  • Goal: Decrease stress and enhance mindfulness.
  • Plan: End each session with a few minutes of mindful breathing or meditation on the Reformer.

Reformer Pilates is a great low-impact way to work toward these goals, complementing other activities like cardio, strength training, or outdoor pursuits. Would you like suggestions on specific exercises or how to pair Pilates with other types of fitness?

Children and Osteopathy

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Osteopathic appointments can help children by addressing a variety of physical and developmental issues through a holistic approach. Here’s how osteopathic treatment may benefit children:

1. Improved Musculoskeletal Health

  • Birth Trauma: Many children, especially infants, may experience musculoskeletal strain during birth. Osteopaths can help release tension in areas like the neck, spine, and head, which might reduce issues like colic, irritability, or poor feeding.
  • Posture and Growth: As children grow, their bodies undergo changes that can lead to musculoskeletal imbalances. Osteopathic treatment can help with posture correction, aiding in balanced growth and reducing discomfort.
  • Injury Recovery: For children who are active or involved in sports, osteopaths can help them recover from injuries like sprains, strains, and other musculoskeletal issues.

2. Developmental Support

  • Motor Skills and Mobility: Osteopathy may support babies and young children with delayed motor milestones (e.g., rolling, crawling, walking) by improving joint mobility and muscle flexibility.
  • Head Shape (Plagiocephaly): Some infants develop flat spots on their head due to prolonged lying in one position. Osteopathy can gently address cranial tension and alignment to improve head shape.

3. Nervous System Support

  • Colic and Sleep Issues: Gentle osteopathic techniques, such as cranial osteopathy, may help soothe an infant’s nervous system, potentially reducing symptoms of colic, irritability, and sleep disturbances.
  • Breathing and Digestive Issues: Osteopathy can improve the function of the diaphragm, rib cage, and spine, which may help children who have respiratory or digestive problems, such as asthma or reflux.

4. Behavioral and Emotional Well-being

  • Osteopathy may help improve a child’s overall sense of well-being by reducing discomfort that could lead to stress or irritability. Improved physical comfort often correlates with better emotional balance and behavior.

5. Supporting Children with Specific Conditions

Osteopaths may assist with a range of specific pediatric conditions, including:

  • Torticollis (neck muscle tightness)
  • Ear infections and sinusitis (by improving drainage through gentle manipulations)
  • Cerebral palsy (by improving muscle tone and mobility)

Osteopathic treatment is typically gentle and non-invasive, making it suitable for children of all ages, including infants. It’s important to ensure that the osteopath is experienced in pediatric care to ensure safe and appropriate treatment.

Why would you see an Osteopath?

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Osteopathy is a holistic approach to healthcare that focuses on the musculoskeletal system, aiming to treat and prevent health issues by ensuring that the body’s structure and function work harmoniously. Here’s why you might consider seeing an osteopath and how their unique approach can benefit your overall well-being.

  1. Holistic Healthcare Approach
    Osteopaths treat the body as a whole rather than just focusing on the symptoms. They believe that the body’s structure (bones, muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues) and its function (how the body moves and works) are closely interrelated. By addressing the root cause of your health issues, osteopaths aim to restore balance and promote the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
  2. Comprehensive Pain Management
    One of the primary reasons people seek osteopathic treatment is for pain relief. Whether you’re dealing with chronic back pain, neck pain, joint pain, or headaches, osteopaths can offer effective treatment options. Techniques such as spinal manipulation, soft tissue work, and myofascial release help reduce pain, improve mobility, and enhance overall function.
  3. Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
    If you’re recovering from an injury or looking to prevent future injuries, an osteopath can provide valuable guidance. They assess your body mechanics, identify areas of weakness or tension, and develop a personalized treatment plan to strengthen your musculoskeletal system. This proactive approach not only aids in recovery but also helps prevent re-injury.
  4. Stress Reduction
    Stress can manifest physically in the body, leading to tension, pain, and other health issues. Osteopathic treatment can help alleviate physical symptoms of stress through techniques that relax muscles, improve circulation, and enhance overall bodily function. Additionally, osteopaths often provide advice on lifestyle changes and stress management techniques to support your mental and physical health.
  5. Improved Posture and Ergonomics
    Poor posture and ergonomics can lead to a variety of musculoskeletal problems, including back pain, neck strain, and repetitive strain injuries. Osteopaths can assess your posture and work environment, offering practical advice and exercises to correct imbalances and improve your ergonomic setup. This proactive approach helps prevent pain and discomfort associated with poor posture.
  6. Enhanced Sports Performance
    Athletes and active individuals can greatly benefit from osteopathic treatment. Osteopaths can help optimize your body’s function, improve flexibility, and enhance overall performance. They can also address sports-related injuries and provide strategies for injury prevention, ensuring you stay at the top of your game.
  7. Support During Pregnancy
    Pregnancy brings significant changes to a woman’s body, often resulting in back pain, pelvic pain, and other discomforts. Osteopaths can offer gentle, safe treatments to alleviate these issues, improve mobility, and support the body’s adjustments during pregnancy. Postpartum care is also available to help new mothers recover and regain strength.
  8. Chronic Condition Management
    For individuals with chronic conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, or digestive issues, osteopathic treatment can provide significant relief. By improving overall body function and addressing specific symptoms, osteopaths can help manage chronic pain, reduce inflammation, and enhance quality of life.
  9. Customized Treatment Plans
    Every individual is unique, and so are their health needs. Osteopaths take the time to understand your medical history, lifestyle, and specific concerns. They then develop a tailored treatment plan that addresses your unique needs and goals. This personalized approach ensures you receive the most effective and appropriate care for your condition.
  10. Complementary to Other Medical Treatments
    Osteopathy can be an excellent complement to other medical treatments you may be receiving. Osteopaths often work in collaboration with other healthcare providers, ensuring a coordinated approach to your health and well-being. This integrative approach can enhance the effectiveness of your overall treatment plan.

Seeing an osteopath offers numerous benefits, from pain relief and injury prevention to stress reduction and improved overall health. Their holistic approach and personalized treatment plans make osteopathy a valuable option for anyone seeking to enhance their well-being. If you’re experiencing pain, recovering from an injury, or simply looking to improve your health, consider scheduling an appointment with an osteopath to explore how their expertise can help you achieve your health goals.

Reformer Pilates for Beginners

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Want to get your journey into Reformer Pilates started?

Come join us in our beautiful studio in the heart of Mount Maunganui!

Here at Mount Pilates we have specially designed a ‘fundamentals course‘ that is a short, well programmed, affordable 5 classes that teaches you the basic Pilates principles in an effective, safe and informative way. Once you’ve completed this short course, we are so confident that you’ll have nailed the basics that you can then enter a session your instructor sees fit for you to progress into.

What can I expect from my first Reformer Pilates class at Mount Pilates?

We will stick to the basics

Our instructors are all experienced and know your first session on the Reformer can be a little daunting. You’ll probably feel a bit uncoordinated for the first while, but that’s ok, we’ve all been beginners once! So in this 5 session Fundamentals course we really focus on breaking things down and using simple terms to guide you through. We also watch you closely to keep you comfortable and happily answer any questions or queries for you throughout the session.

We keep it small

At Mount Pilates our classes are only small. We have a max of 5 people per session. We find this incredibly beneficial because this way our instructors are able to cater to any individual needs, questions or queries very easily! Also if you have any injuries or niggles that we need to be aware of, we can happily adjust any movements to suit your body and keep you safe. It also means you get to know your other class mates on a more personal level and generally progress together at a similar rate!

We make sure you have fun!

Our aim is to not only make sure this course is effective, but also fun! We know there is nothing worse than a boring exercise routine. That’s why we make sure you leave the studio smiling, looking forward to your next session with us.

I’m convinced, whats my next step?

Get your comfy gym clothes ready and see what class on our timetable suits you!

Our final word,

We really want to help you grow in confidence on the Reformer at a relatively quick, but safe pace. This is why we encourage all newbies to complete this course, that way we know you are as educated as you can be heading into class and can start reaping the benefits of Reformer Pilates as soon as possible.

So get the best possible start you can by joining us for Mount Maunganui’s finest beginners Reformer Pilates course!

Check out the other classes we offer for once your done!

What do Osteopaths do for babies and children?

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Osteopathy is commonly used as a holistic approach to recovery from birth for both mum and baby. While it’s easy to imagine how a mother may need healing after giving birth, it’s important to remember that it can be quite a journey for your baby as well. It’s not unusual for the very physical act of birth to leave it’s mark on your baby whether it has changed the shape of your baby’s head or made them favour turning their head one way. Less obvious strains in the shoulders, body, abdomen and limbs may affect your baby’s comfort or the function of their body such as their digestion or the ability to latch during feeding.

Mothers commonly turn to an osteopath to find solutions to irritability, colic and reflux, flat head, difficulty turning baby’s head, and suckling and latching problems. Osteopathy isn’t necessarily a cure for these conditions, but when there is physical strain or tightness, especially through the neck and back, osteopathic treatment can reduce baby’s discomfort, significantly reducing irritability and prolonged crying.

Osteopathy uses gentle techniques to remove the tension in the tissues that may be causing discomfort. It is never too early to bring your baby in for treatment – the longer a physical strain is ignored, the more compensatory physical adaptions your baby may make, often leading to further physical difficulties and a longer treatment process in the long run.


Here at Mount Osteopaths Leyla is our in house baby whisperer. With 3 children of her own and over 10 years of working with them, she has a wealth of experience treating babies and children and always does so with the utmost care, sensitivity and love. She will take a comprehensive history, examine how your child’s joints move, how the nervous system and gut feel and check the cranial bones of the skull. Treatment and examination will involve gentle movements and massage-type techniques. Keeping kids happy is a top priority and our sessions can be very creative – on a rug on the floor, with toys and a story from mum or dad. 

The benefits of Pilates for Surfers

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HOW PILATES CAN HELP YOU IN THE WAVES:

Pilates is becoming a popular workout and alternative training regime for surfers worldwide. Pilates is well known for its ability to assist in building flexibility, strength and endurance, aiding in injury prevention, improving pelvic and spinal alignment and helping our breathing.

So how can Pilates improve your performance on the waves?

1. Build strength: Surfing requires immense muscular strength, particularly in the upper body. However, the repetitive movements of swimming and paddling out can create imbalances and weaknesses in other parts of the body. Practicing pilates will allow you to focus on core stability and control, strengthening deeper stabilising muscles, allowing you to engage in the waves with more strength and power.

2. Improve flexibility: As a surfer, dynamic flexibility and ease of movement is truly important to not only surf with some style, but to stay injury free as well! Surfing frequently can result in tight, restricted muscles, in particular tight fascia muscles. This can lead to postural changes and create a cycle of symptoms, pain, and faulty movement patterns. So how can Pilates help this? Pilates includes a range of different muscle stretches which at the same time help to strengthen them too. By following these specifically designed techniques they ultimately help create optimum joint function and increase the amount of nutrient-dense blood that reaches tissue all over the body. This ensures muscle tissue resistance is reduced during exercise; thus assisting with a reduction in damage to muscle tissue. So flexibility goes hand in hand with improving performance, strength, balance and also for a quick recovery time and preventing injury.

3. Improve your balance: Balance is a fundamental skill that is needed for a great surf performance and reformer Pilates is a great controlled resistance form of exercise which is a sure fire way to drastically help this! The slow transitions between controlled movements in Pilates engages and stretches key muscle groups, whilst strengthening your core and thus improving your overall balance and stability. It’s actually been used time and time again as a successful way to improve balance amongst the elderly too, so it can definitely help you on your board!

4. Improve agility: Regular pilates practice can improve spatial awareness, coordination and reflexes. These benefits will no doubt increase your mobility and agility in and out of the surf. The waves are an unpredictable environment which requires the ability to make decisions fast – a balanced foundation of supple muscles and strength is vital for this.

5. Build endurance: The strenuous nature of surfing paired with an environment that provides extra resistance, often leads to fatigue. Pilates can strengthen your ability to focus and improve your concentration. Your pilates practice will teach you to “work smarter, not harder” allowing you to move more efficiently in the water, increasing your endurance and allowing you to stay out in the surf for longer periods of time!

So let’s look at incredible example of how Pilates helped sporting legend and Ironman, Kendrick Louis.

‘Louis incorporates at least three pilates classes into his weekly training schedule. As a result, he said his performance on the ironman circuit had improved tenfold.’

‘In April, Louis won his maiden ironman crown with victory in Perth. He claimed Manly’s first Australian ironman title and also recently won the North Wollongong round, the world ocean man title and helped Australia to victory at the World Surf Lifesaving Championships in Adelaide.’

“It (pilates) is one of those things that you don’t know how good it is until you actually do it,” he said.

How Pilates can help improve your running technique.

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Why Pilates?

Have you found when you google search running tips, one of the first things you see is that you’ve got to work on your posture?

Well for a runner, posture is one of the key ingredients to success! Good posture is very dependent on a strong core, and this is where Pilates comes in. Pilates is amazing for  supporting and strengthening the muscles of your torso, hips, shoulders and pelvis. By focusing on improving your core it can eventually lead to a huge positive difference in your posture, technique, balance and stability. It enables you to focus on where your head and neck are in relation to the spine and pelvis, on down through the legs and toes. This all adds up to more efficient movement and overall better running technique. 

Pilates exercises also create a stronger, more flexible spine and core, and also promotes faster recovery from strains or injuries.

Performance Benefits

A stronger and more stable core helps a runner:

  • Run more efficiently uphill with a stabilized musculature
  • Run more efficiently downhill with a stronger and more balanced sciatic area
  • Experience less tightening of the neck, head and shoulders
  • Increase oxygenation and stamina with a diaphragm that is able to fully expand
  • Focus on proper movement with better kinaesthetic awareness
  • Decrease fatigue because of less strain on the body
  • Shave seconds off your times because you move more efficiently
  • Run without pain!

If you’re looking to improve your running technique you should definitely consider joining us for some reformer Pilates sessions, you won’t regret it!

Pilates and the Immune System

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Pilates: Can it really help our immune system?

● The lymphatic system, which allows the body to dispose of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials, relies on movements and muscle contractions to circulate. Full body movements, such as pilates exercises, are important to continue to allow the lymphatic system to flow efficiently.

● Lymph and waste products are collected in nodes all over the body, but in some areas, such as the feet, groin, armpits and neck, it becomes harder for the system to drain effectively. Pilates
is productive in assisting the flow, acting as a ‘pumping station’. Elevated footwork, short spine exercises, and rolling your spine are just a few effective movements that help to assist the lymph to flow.

● Rhythmic pilates movements stimulate lymph flow as well as blood flow. Blood flow is vital in ensuring the body’s cells are receiving enough oxygen to function effectively and fight infection.

● In a world where shallow breathing is normal, pilates teaches us the importance of deep inhalation. Deep breath “supplies the blood stream with vitally necessary life giving oxygen…and stimulates all muscles into greater activity” (Pilates & Miller, 1945). (1)

● Pilates can also be used as an important tool in coping psychologically. The emphasis on breathing and mindful movement calms the mind and reduces stress. There is strong evidence to suggest that stress impairs immunity. (2)

● Sleep quality is notably improved following a pilates session. Adequate sleep allows the body’s cells to regenerate and have more strength to fight off infection.

● Evidence suggests that 2 pilates sessions per week, paired with a healthy diet and sleep routine, you are able to help your body to remain fighting fit! (3)

1 Pilates, J. H. & Miller, W.J. (1945). Return to life through contrology, Bodymind Publishing Inc.
2 McLeod, S. (1970). Stress illness and the immune system. Retrieved from
https://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-immune.html
3 The Mayo Clinic. (2019). Pilates for beginners: explore the core. Retrieved from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/pilates-for-beginners/art-20047673

Virtual Osteopathy Consultations

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Due to the recent Alert levels that have been implemented we have decided to follow government guidelines and temporarily close our Clinic doors. With this said however, we will not be cancelling our consultations!

We understand pain and injury do not take a rest and as a result of this, we believe more than ever it is vital to be able offer to you the possibility of maintaining some normality and routine when it comes your health and well-being care. So we are going to be offering Online Consultations!

What to expect from your online consultation

You’ll receive a link to the Zoom app with a personalised meeting code via email. At your scheduled appointment time we will call you using this secure program. We will take a case history and do a visual examination of your movements. We will then discuss and practice a set of self management techniques with you. These will include exercises, stretches, self-massage techniques and individualised ways to manage your stress-levels, sleep and any other health concerns. Following the consultation we will email out a summary of what was discussed and a link to our professional exercise app PhysiApp with a personalised programme of videos that you can follow.

If you have any questions about how this appointment works please email us at info@mountosteopaths.co.nz

Osteopathy and Headaches

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Headaches can come in many different types and so often they are considered “something you just have to put up with.” Some people are lucky enough to rarely suffer from them, whereas others can find that they impact their daily life constantly. Most people seek headache relief through over-the-counter pain medication, however this only provides a temporary form of relief without addressing the underlying causes of the problem.

Osteopaths regularly treat headaches in both adults and children and are incredibly skilled when it comes to assessing types of headaches and the most suitable course of treatment. Often it goes underestimated how much structural problems in the neck and upper back can be the hidden cause of unexplained headaches! This is why Osteopathy has proven a timeless path to take when looking into treating headaches. Not only can an Osteopath, diagnose what you are suffering with, but they can help relieve pain in the head and neck by utilising techniques such as soft tissue massage and gentle manipulation of the spine and joints.

Diagnosing the headaches/migraines

Osteopaths are incredibly skilled at diagnosing the type of headache or migraine you are experiencing. They will ask many questions, some of which you may think irrelevant but this is necessary for both your safety as a patient and for the osteopath to decide the correct route of treatment.

You are likely to be asked, when it started, location of pain, if there is a daily pattern, what kind of pain and how severe, duration of the headache, is it seconds, hours, days, is there a trigger or does a particular movement aggravate it, do you have visual changes or any fever, sore throat or a stiff neck. The reason they will ask so many questions is because headaches often have more than one cause—physical, psychological, and pharmacological – and each requires treatment. Osteopaths take into consideration all facets and help you to increase your awareness of aggravating factors so that you can make appropriate changes.

Treatment

Osteopaths use a holistic approach to treating pain. They may use many techniques to help ease headaches, from manipulation of the neck and upper spine joints to gentle soft tissue massage, cranial therapy, dry needling /trigger point therapy and acupuncture. Rehabilitation suggestions and advice also may be provided to address common triggers such as poor posture, stress, workplace ergonomics, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle in order to move more towards preventing future recurrence.

So can we help?

In general it has been proven countless times, that Osteopathy is a great road to take when it comes to treating headaches and migraines. It is so frustrating to hear that people suffer from headaches and never seek any care! Especially when it impacts on their quality of life! There is now good evidence that the most common form of headaches respond well to osteopathy treatment, so if you or somebody else you know suffer from headaches come in and see us. WE CAN HELP.