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Yucky Tummy? Headaches? Fatigue? Read on.

Melissa Gearing - Resident Medical Herbalist at Verve For Life

Melissa Gearing - Resident Medical Herbalist at Verve For Life

It is estimated 95% of people have food intolerance. Could you be one of them? Food intolerance affects your entire life. Feeling bloating, suffering headaches, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and fatigue are just the start. Symptoms can start to leak into how you train in the gym and hinder weight loss goals.

While calorie restriction is one method of weight loss, not eating enough can also drive inflammation and weight gain. Have you ever restricted your diet or reduced the amount of food you’re eating only to find the number on the scales climb?  What if you took out big attackers like gluten and dairy in hopes of cleaning up your diet and losing a few kilos’s only to find you feel more fatigued and there is still no change to your body?

If you experience some or all of the above symptoms you could have food intolerance. If you have had long term intolerances you likely have adrenal fatigue. What is food intolerance? This is when your body sees a particular food (or a few) as foreign invaders. Symptoms can occur hours or even days after ingestion, so it is very difficult to pin point the specific food. It is easy to address by identifying and eliminating these individual food intolerance culprits.

Go one step further. Yes, we can test for these foods and cut them out but it is important to identify the driving forces behind your symptoms and intolerances. A chicken and an egg situation indeed, but holistic treatment looks at all possibilities including adrenal fatigue, candida, autoimmune disease or leaky gut as players.

When your body is tired, your immune system is tired. While a healthy immune system will clean up after these attacking foods, a compromised immune system, like that experienced in adrenal fatigue, will be unable to do so. The body then reverts to a primitive state in which high stress and fatigue causes it to store everything in case of emergencies, hence the weight gain (and sugar cravings!). When the body is well balanced it will shed excess fat and maintain the body weight that is right for you.

Verve’s Medical Herbalist Melissa Gearing will guide you through the process of identifying your food intolerances, eradicating symptoms and begin the journey of finding natural health and your ideal weight. Isn’t it time you find out what your body is trying to tell you?

Food Detective is a simple test done here at Verve For Life, with results in 45 minutes. Please advise when making your booking if you require testing.

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Did Someone Say BINGO?

Did Someone Say BINGO?

Knock Knock

Who’s There?

Bee Eye

Bee Eye Who?

B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O ITS HALF WAY THROUGH VERVE BINGO…(corny much?)

So, it is half way though, how are you feeling? Are you feeling fitter? More flexible? Less stressed? How about those of you that have met new friends? Some of you have even bought new outfits to look fabulous in all our rooms!

Lots of you will have accomplished some movements that you probably thought you would never do. We want to hear if you’ve been pleasantly surprised by trying something new in your workout week. 

We’ve heard some of you are feeling amazing & have set new goals for the new year, which is fantastic! If you have not yet got around to it, never fear, be sure to use that complimentary goal setting session to really think about what it is you want, because we are here to HELP YOU GET IT.

There is such a wonderful buzz around the walls of Verve at the moment & we love seeing the yogi’s in the gym and the gymmies in that yoga room. How about those of you that have also tried Namastrong? We love seeing you getting the best of both worlds.

We love the vibe, we love you all, we just have to keep it up for another 2 weeks. Fill your card with that little Verve man to get yourself in the draw to win win win. 

See you EVERYWHERE!!

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It’s Thong Season Again!

FYI we are talking about the ones that go on your feet 😉

It’s Thong Season Again!

 

Coming into the summer months us Australians often make the annual switch from shoes to thongs. Whilst they are cooling, comfortable and feel somewhat luxurious (after a long Winter of shoes and socks), for some people wearing thongs can come at a great cost, the development of heel pain.

Plantar (Latin term for bottom of foot) Fasciitis (facia = Latin for tissue, itis = inflammation) is a painful condition effecting the heel, achilles and inner arch of the foot. 

In our Physiotherapy clinic we see a few main causes

Weak foot and calf muscles

Poor control of the pronating (rolling in) foot. In a nutshell – pronation = good, too much = bad, too little = terrible

Incorrect walking pattern including long strides

Tight hamstrings and calves

Footwear selection – in this case the glorious thongs are not at fault, it is relative inexperience of the user. To suddenly go from a lot of support to none means the tissues in your foot aren’t strong enough and can get inflamed. This unfortunately can lead to Plantar Fasciitis.

No need to despair though, the solution is simple!

 

Here are a few things you can try.

If you are currently suffering from heel pain, or you seem to get heel pain at this time of year, come in and see one of our Physiotherapists to get a tailored program to help you get back into  your favourite pluggers.

Grab on of our fantastic pairs of orthotic supported and stylish thongs.

OR

Learn to walk on your hands.

The choice is up to you.

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Let’s Play Some B I N G O !

Let’s Play Some B I N G O !

If you follow us on social media you may have been wondering what all the Bingo buzz is about.

We love many things here at Verve For Life, a few of which include sweating it out in the gym, blissing it out in yoga, and working that core in pilates. So for the month of November we want to you to try the things we love too!   The aim of Verve Bingo is to 1. get you trying new classes, 2. inspire and refresh your way of thinking, especially (but not exclusively) when it comes to exercise and 3. enhance the Vervie community by bringing you, our fantastic clients together to share your collective experience. 

So want to know how to get involved? It’s not too late… Sign up at reception, grab your card and getting cracking on those classes! Incase you were wondering we’ve listed the rules of play below.

One card per member. Pretty please don’t lose your card!

Have a crazy amount of fun!

Tell us what you think of the classes.

Bingo play starts 1st November, finished 30th November. Your card will need to be stamped between those dates on the way to or from class.

Once your Bingo card is full of stamps you go into the draw to WIN. WE REPEAT, you go into the draw, so each person that completes the challenge has an equal chance to win. (You gotta be in it to win it)

The prize? 3 months FREE on your membership! (One SGPT, one Yoga & one Triple A only) 

You MUST be registered.

 

Let’s Play Some B I N G O !
Yoga Bingo Card
Let’s Play Some B I N G O !
SGPT Bingo Card
Let’s Play Some B I N G O !
Triple A Bingo Card

Let’s Play Some B I N G O !
Let’s Play Some B I N G O !
Let’s Play Some B I N G O !


Extra points if you run up to the desk and yell BINGO! when your card is full 😉

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Wrap Up – Injury Prevention & Management

Wrap Up – Injury Prevention & Management

Last month saw the second installment of our Injury Prevention & Management barefoot seminar series hosted by Physiotherapist, Personal Trainer and CrossFit coach extraordinaire Leah Newton.

 With the first session focusing on the signs our body gives us when something is not quite right, our group of 40 plus participants learned these signs often show themselves in the form of pain but also in less obvious ways such as tightness, stiffness, aches and changes in sleep patterns. In learning how to deal with these signs the participants chatted all things mobility and posture and did some testing on each other to find out areas that they may need to invest a little more time and love into.

 Session two involved a more practical and instructional approach with lots of foam rolling, stretching and a little bit of play, a strong focus on mobility and general movement left everyone feeling stretched (!) and confident to read the signs and know how to deal with them effectively.

 Understanding how to effectively and efficiently maintain your body on a weekly basis through having a specific and purposeful mobility program will mean you are less likely to end up seeing us for a physiotherapy treatment. And when you do need physio (yes, sometimes you do need some physio love) remember we much prefer to see you when little niggles are popping up, rather than three months down the track when an injury has become a much bigger problem than it needs to be.

Will there be another Injury Prevention & Management seminar you ask?! Yes there definitely will be! As this is the kind of information that we feel everyone needs to know (and hearing it more than once always helps too). Leah will run another session within the next six months. So be sure to keep an eye out and block out your calendar.

The big take home from the series? When your body is letting you know that something is not quite right, don’t ignore it, address it quickly and your body will thank you for it!

 To all who came, listened, learned, played, (painfully) rolled and stretched, thank you! We hope that you have a greater understanding on how quality mobility time will get you closer to achieving your goals and we’re sure we will see you for the next series.

 

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October Long Weekend- it’s looking like a warm one.

It’s shaping up to be a delightful sunny long weekend. Start it off right with some Verve love!

Saturday & Sunday- classes as normal. Don’t forget on Saturdays, we have our Physio team here to take care of your aches & pains. As an extra special event, this Saturday we are also running our FIRST EVER Movement VFL Workshop. There are still a few spots left if you’d like to check it out. Here’s what you can expect:

What is mVmntVFL?? Stands for MOVEMENT, VERVE FOR LIFE…read on my friends…

October Long Weekend- it’s looking like a warm one.

This photo is ‘me’…the real me…the part of me I’ve discovered, that has helped make me feel whole…

Please don’t look & automatically think you’re not strong or flexible enough, please don’t look & instantly feel the fear of confrontation about not being able to do something, please don’t look & have your brain tell you that you can’t…..

If any of those reactions are you, then this workshop we are running IS FOR YOU…that’s what mVmntVFL is all about….finding those voids & helping to fill them…allowing you to discover your full potential…giving yourself the opportunity to dive in to the version of your Self that you are now, & seeing if it can be any better….any stronger…any more flexible…any more aware…

The mVmntVFL workshop this Saturday 11:30-4…all about the journey of unlocking movement potential in YOUR own body…but don’t worry, have no fear…there will be no crazy arm balancing…no big heavy weightlifting…nothing your already amazing Self will not be able to handle…but we will re-teach you to crawl, only with some funky patterns…re-teach you to balance, but in so many different ways…we will teach you how to function on all levels far more efficiently, effectively & enjoyably…

If you’re a CROSSFITTER….this mVmntVFL workshop will shape not only how you lift but how you move in general. You will find strength that alters your ability to push, to pull…you will find flexibility that deepens your joint space, open you up & unlock space that then gives you greater lifting & moving potential…whatever is limiting you right now, will slowly become a distant memory & your desire for more of everything will start happening…

If you’re a YOGI…please read the above paragraph!!! & then…your shapes will change through strength in those deep ranges we often fear to dive into…your fluidity, your flow, your breath…this mVmntVFL workshop will allow you to mould your yoga brain into a space that is more open, more free…you will even see your savasana change…

Call us today & secure your spot…GO ON…COME PLAY WITH US…

Monday- CLOSED

Back as normal on Tuesday…See you soon Vervies. xx

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Gym Junkies – it’s time to get bendy!

Gym Junkies – it’s time to get bendy!

Gym junkies – pay attention! You know who you are…

Sometimes it’s hard to say YES to yoga & no to yet another amazing WOD, right?! You say, “ahh, I’ll do yoga on the weekend” but what you really mean is “I’ll wait & see what the workout looks like before deciding”. We understand as we too have experienced this, however, yoga is awesome! Like really awesome. So amazing & something we firmly believe should be a part of everyones weekly dose of exercise, stretching, breathing, meditation & all of the above! 

So today, we are talking directly to all of you who, like us, often wag yoga for some more lifting, more running, more rowing…more of anything other than yoga. You – please read on…

Here it is, straight up, no B.S. Reasons to get yourselves in to the yoga studio.

  • It’s fun to get bendy! (…this also helps in the bedroom, or the kitchen, variety is the spice of life!)
  • It increases body awareness & boosts your mind-body connection.
  • You’ll notice improvements in your range of movement which will allow you to get deeper in your squats, a little lower in your deadlift & closer to your chest to bars. Yay! 
  • Your core strength will increase allowing greater support during your lifts, plus you’ll have awesome abs of steel.
  • It will give you a greater sense of balance & no, we aren’t just talking about developing a physical balance or training your stabiliser muscles throughout the body. Even though Yoga is excellent for this, we mean it will help calm your mind & balance the nervous system which is often put under stress when lifting heavy weights.
  • Better mobility – need we say more?!
  • Develop greater flexibility & strength in stretched positions which will transfer into movements you often need to get yourself into with load in the gym
  • Yoga can be a great way to prevent injury & combat general muscle soreness that we often get from high intensity training. Yoga is like detox for the body helping to flush out excess lactic acid from your muscles.
  • You will learn how to breathe…ahhh! 

Did we mention you should do (more) yoga? Check out our extensive timetable to get your practice started.

Yoga Basics: Part I – Why Om?

Yoga Basics: Part I – Why Om?

If you are new to Yoga or even if you have been practicing for a while, at some point the question “why do we Om?” has probably crossed your mind. 

‘Om-ing’ is a unique experience, sometimes soft or sometimes strong, chanting the mantra Om to begin your yoga practice (or to end a class) can have different effects for different people. It can be energising, or relaxing (or maybe both at the same time), if you have experienced rolling Oms you may have even found it quite emotional. The sacred syllable Om represents divinity and is the sound of creation. While chanting this mantra we hear the sounds and feel the vibrations in our body, this helps us to connect to the universe and when chanting in a group, creates unity within the class and helps to open a mind space ready to absorb the teachings of your instructor. It is normal to feel awkward if you are new to chanting, but be brave, Om along with your class mates and you will feel the benefits.

You can read here for some science behind the Om, and did you know there is more to Oming that just the chant? 5 Facts You May Not Know About Om

Sugar Free September

Sugar Free September

Are you looking for an opportunity to try a sugar free lifestyle- then here it is! Sugar FREE September…& just to be clear, we are referring to all added, refined sugars.

Sugar free September has caught on fast, with many people giving up the sweet stuff in search of a clearer mindset, improved focus & better overall health & well-being. Here at Verve For Life we have also ditched refined sugar for a cleaner way of living & would love you to join us.

If you are searching for the willpower to curb your sugar intake, maybe the benefits listed below will convince you to try it out for a month…maybe you’ll adopt it for life (mostly). Firstly, let’s start by talking about why you should give up refined sugar.

This is a question you should ask yourselves at the beginning of your sugar free journey, & it really is a personal one. Each of us are different & unique & so, our goals are varied. Maybe you just don’t “feel” great, you’d like to lose weight or you want to gain more mental clarity. These are all great reasons to give up the white stuff.

It’s time to look at those benefits we keep talking about. Have a look & then decide for yourself…to us, it’s a no brainer. Of course, we do understand that kicking this unhealthy habit is tough, however it does get easier. Here are just a few reasons to motivate you to try sugar free for the next month.

Weight loss- eliminating or cutting back on the amount of sugar you consume can lead to weight loss & the ability to maintain it. Plus, you’ll look & feel fabulous!

Improve your mental clarity- research indicates that sugar has been shown to contribute to that “fogginess” we sometimes experience. It is usually accompanied by negative thoughts, nervousness, anxiety & depression.

Higher, sustainable energy levels- excess sugar can rob you of your energy & leave you feeling lethargic. Instead choose sugar free foods to fuel your brain & body so that you get through your day with a bounce in your step.

Get rid of aches & pains – sugar triggers chemical reactions in your body that increase the inflammation. If you choose less sugar, you know what that means? Less inflammation…which leads to less pain. Ahh…it’s a win, win situation!

These are just a few reasons as to how removing refined sugars could benefit you. It’s been a life changing decision for many of us here at Verve, and we can recommend many great resources if you want to educate yourself further on this popular topic.

A good place to start this September is to pick the most sugary food you eat and start by just cutting that out, be it soft drink, chocolate, lollies or maybe a sugary cereal (swap it for oats). Take that first step towards healthier lifestyle.

Who we are and what we do

Hey there! Thanks for visiting our new Verve For Life blog.

You may already know about us here at Verve For Life, but if you don’t here is a quick run down. Verve For Life was born almost 10 years ago by two pretty awesome people Claire and Nathan Walshe.

It was Claire and Nath’s dream to create a caring, nurturing and vibrant space where people would come for many different reasons but would always leave feeling loved, and so Verve For Life was born! Verve has undergone a few makeovers, from starting in a teeny tiny one room clinic, to a purpose built facility with two yoga studios, a fully equipped gym, loads of treatment rooms and even a fun room for the kids, with a whole bunch of amazing stuff happening in between.

Verve is a unique place, offering loads of services including Yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, Small Group Personal Training, Physiotherapy, Massage and Herbal Medicine. You will also find us hosting community based events like fundraising benefit balls, free yoga classes, and health and fitness challenges. We like to think that we do many things well here, but the thing we love most of all is helping you. Upon walking through our doors for the first time our clients will comment on the general awesome vibe of Verve, we like to think we are a pretty fun bunch and we endeavour to make every visit memorable and to brighten your day.

This blog stuff is new for us but we thought hey, we have so many great happenings here, and interesting things we want to share so why not put it all out there so we can share the love. So even if you have never been within the four walls of Verve For Life come back regularly to get your weekly dose of health, happiness and love.

If you would like to see the awesomeness in person we are open early mornings-evenings, you can check out our contact details for the full opening hours. And don’t forget to check the our timetables to work out a time to get your ‘om’ on in yoga, or work up a sweat in the gym.

We hope to see you back here soon.

Peace.

Who we are and what we do