Colon Hydrotherapy... is it all it's cracked up to be?

Colon hydrotherapy… what is it? Is it all cracked up to be (oops, pardon the pun!)? Or is it a load of shit? I could go on and I am sure you could add yours as well…

One of the interesting parts of my job is that various businesses want me to sample their wares. I figure I need to give things a test run, so I can give others my honest opinion. But when I was given the opportunity to experience colon hydrotherapy for myself, I did pause … for about 2 weeks! In my defense, I cringe and my face involuntary contorts just at the idea of people mucking with my bottom. But in the name of science, I decided a road test on behalf of my clients would be an interesting process. Being a woman of the world, I of course went straight to my friends and clients to ask what they thought or knew of colon hydrotherapy. Initially my own views were that the colon surely is a self-cleansing organ: as long as one had plenty of fibre and a regular sitting, surely that should do the trick? One of my clients (who is also doctor) also shared my belief and she added that tearing the bowel lining could be a possible risk and the surgery to repair it was fairly horrific. Hmmm, that gave me food for thought.

Upon asking a few more women, I was surprised about the positivity around the subject. A few had tried it, swore over its medicinal purposes, even quoted stories about people dislodging stuff from their anus that eventually cured them of some weird disorders that no one else had been able to solve. Many more were keen to do it, as they had read about it, but did not know of where to go. I must admit, thinking of dislodging stuff from the bowels - my mind did flit to a possible piece of Lego, circa 1974 or my tooth from 1976 that I was never able to claim the financial goods from the tooth fairy, since I swallowed the bugger while eating an apple. The mind boggles… what will the average person dredge from their colon?

The obligatory search on the Internet revealed that the origins of colon therapy are in Egypt, Greece and India… apparently westerners were the last on the bandwagon around the 1800’s. The belief prevails that our colon harbors remnants of previous undigested meals that “clog” up and promote the breeding of unhealthy bacteria and toxins, which poison us from within. One article claimed that regular colon cleansing gave her sparkling complexion and a flatter tummy.

I went back to the practioner in question, with a few more of my own questions. I really needed to know more about the process before baring my butt. The best revelation was concerning my belief that the practitioner would be there, administering to my colon and flushing my dignity along with my waste. This was the case in the past, but this is an remnant from the past. Now an “open” method of irrigation was practiced, which meant that I administered it to myself, in the privacy of a santised room. The practitioner told me that it could be, if I allowed it, a healing and grounding experience. And that the viewing tube made quite compulsive viewing.

Hello Tooth Fairy! And with that, I made the appointment!

Returning To Exercise After Giving Birth

by Michelle Wright

note: this article was previously published on Family Capers

When is the best time to return to exercise after giving birth? What sort of exercise should you be doing? Will your body return to how it was?

The guidelines on when to return to exercise can seem a little vague and often rely on how you feel postpartum. Don’t underestimate the marathon your body has endured. Both carrying and delivering a baby takes a huge toll on your body, no matter how fit you are or were. It doesn’t matter if you left the hospital in your skinny jeans, or in your husband’s trackies!

Exercising post pregnancy can begin the day of or after giving birth (both vaginal or C-section), but it is the style of training at this point that is most crucial. Athletes, upon completing a marathon, take time off their regular training to allow their body to rest and recover.

I like to think of exercising post-pregnancy as training from the inside out. Just like running an efficient car, the most important work goes on beneath the hood! The pelvic floor (PF) is probably one of the most under-appreciated functioning muscles in the human body. The PF is hung like a hammock between your legs and during pregnancy, incurs stress from holding Baby (and other important bits) up and out of the way. It is attached to another under-appreciated working muscle, your transverse abdominus. Understanding a little about your anatomy can make a huge difference in appreciating the very important role these two muscles play during pregnancy and especially post-pregnancy in aiding a return to a strong and shapely body.

Quite simply, if these muscles are not strong you may be plagued with sore lower back (exacerbated by constantly leaning down and picking up an ever-growing baby), a belly that remains bulbous and looking still pregnant (yikes!) or a degree of incontinence. The good news does not end there! Reluctance to acknowledge these two important muscles and heading back to your training because you “feel okay” may contribute to a condition called prolapse. This may rear its ugly head through another period of change in your body, menopause, and can be further aggravated if obesity is a factor. A prolapse, in simple terms, is when the bits that are supposed to be held up and out of the way, fall down. Yes, quite literally. Your underpants can catch them, but the whole situation is really not ideal.

Incontinence Australia estimates that 1 in 3 post-pregnant women and 1 in 5 Australians (yes, that means blokes also need to be aware of their pelvic floor) suffer from some level of stress incontinence, the involuntary loss of urine that occurs during physical activity, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise. If you are not into facts and figures just check out the products next to the sanitary needs aisle in the supermarket — I swear the options in adult incontinence pads and pants have doubled in the last 3 years alone. But if facts and figures are your thing then please pay a visit to http://www.continence.org.au/site/index.cfm?display=112756

So, will this problem be resolved simply by doing pelvic floor exercises? The simple answer is yes, but it is not the whole answer. Every six months or so I take my car to the mechanic. I leave it there for half a day and when I pick it up, I pay the bill and leave. The reality is that I have no idea what he does under the hood. He may tell me, but bless! I have already zoned out because I have only a very basic knowledge of what all the working parts are and what they do!

Understanding what goes on under your “hood” may be a little the same. Visiting your GP, midwife, your mother… they will have similar sort of explanation of what a pelvic floor contraction should feel like. You’ve heard the drill: lift up and squeeze as if you were stopping the flow of urine. But all of this is happening internally, so how do we know that it is not getting lost in translation? The pelvic floor is not an external muscle, like the bicep, that we can see flex to confirm that we are indeed working it correctly.

With pelvic floor contractions, precision is the key! Put simply, if you involve other bigger muscles (like the obliques) as you are contracting, then you may be bearing down on your pelvic floor and further exacerbating this overworked and under acknowledged little darling!

Fortunately, help is at hand! Most of us are visual learners and seeing the correct contraction at the same time as performing it can greatly enhance our understanding, via the use of Real Time Ultra Sound Technology. This is quite readily available at any women’s specialist physiotherapist and often just one session with a qualified physio can give you exact feedback on not only the condition of these muscles, but also confirm that you are contracting them correctly.

It is simply a case of “you don’t know what you don’t know”. The novice can leave after even one session equipped with knowledge that may very well serve you for the rest of your life. Cheaper than a car service and much more interesting than a crash course in mechanics, this knowledge will help you to exercise correctly, allowing you to push confidently pass the incontinence product aisle of the supermarket with confidence.

Exciting new updates!

We've been very busy since our last blog update! Firstly, our website at www.mishfit.com.au has been given a complete makeover and is more streamlined, with additional information regarding exercising guidelines for both pregnant and post-natal women.

It also provides details of mishfit's newest location: East Brighton! This week is the opening of our new location and to celebrate, all mishfit mothers sessions at the East Brighton studios are free! All women who book and attend sessions at mishfit Brighton will go into the draw for prizes, to be drawn at the end of the term.

We're very excited about bringing mishfit to Brighton and would love to see you and your friends there! Bookings are essential ... see www.mishfit.com.au to book online.

mishfit Brighton is located at:

Pilates@Brighton
2/643 Nepean Highway
Brighton East
(Melway ref: Map 67 K12)

The current class schedule at Brighton is:

• Monday 1.30pm - 2.30pm
• Tuesday 7.00pm – 8.00 pm
• Wednesday 9.30am – 10.30 am
• Thursday 7.00pm – 8.00 pm
• Friday 1.30 pm - 2.30 pm

Note: there are currently no Zumba classes at mishfit Brighton.

We have also updated our online booking system with the Brighton location and schedule and the ability to book classes there. Please take a look at the website for the links to follow.

Finally, for both Northcote and Brighton, you are now able to pay for mishfit sessions using your credit card via the online booking site. If you wish to pay via bank transfer, please contact Mish on 1300 mishfit (1300 647 4348) to discuss the procedure.

Now the school holidays are over, we're looking forward to seeing our regular clients again at Northcote, as well as welcoming new mums and mums-to-be at Brighton!

Mish
www.mishfit.com.au

Are All Exercise Options Created Equal?

by Michelle Wright

note: this article was previously published on Family Capers

As a personal trainer and exercise lover, I’m often asked what the best exercise is for getting fit and returning to that pre-baby figure. The lay exerciser can be bamboozled with the variety of options out there so I’ve always believed it’s my duty to do the field work and base my advice on personal experience.

To date I have Stepped into Life (great if the sun is shining, but not if the sun shines too much and you have run away kids), had a work out in 30 minutes (Curves) and one in 29 minutes (Contours). I’ve wobbled on vibration trainers, Les Mill’ed every body program, free-styled and bootcamped. I have visited country gyms in New Zealand (where they keep their shades on … inside), swam in the Brixton Baths (London) and Zumba’ed in New York. It may surprise you to learn that I often engage a Personal Trainer while on holiday (always up for learning new skills and motivational techniques) and have cycled both outdoors and indoors.

I’ve visited posh gyms (Kensington Close Health Club London, where the bathrooms are to die for), YMCA’s, ladies only and Melbourne boutique personal training studios. I’ve posed as a pregnant woman and bounced extremely vigorously on swiss balls (Preggi Bellies) and donned a swimsuit to join the Aqua Mums (I admitted I was not pregnant, but trying ;) While I really was pregnant, I participated in yoga. I have mat pilated and reformer pilated and learned how to teach pilates using a GYMSTICK™. I have held chi balls and saluted to the sun, and watched my share of exercise infomercials (what else can you do while breastfeeding during the night?)

So what’s the best? What is the ultimate? What exercise option delivers on the promise and can surpass all others?

The answer is none … and all! Exercise has to be enjoyable in order for it to be maintained for life. We know that we should be putting together 30 minutes of moderate exercise most, if not every day, and if we are able to, enjoy some regular vigorous activity for extra health and fitness (based on the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults) – yet we are human! Some of us are extremely self-disciplined and maintain a routine easily and enjoy the familiarity of the same gym, the same exercise program, the same walk. Yet how many of us have taken out gym, health club or Personal Training studio memberships, only to let them lapse. And then allow the guilt of not attending, seeing those payments continuing to be deducted for months before we make that dreaded call that somehow makes us feel like we have failed them?

Even the most innovative exercise program can tire and bore the veteran. Les Mills, who are the “McDonalds” of group fitness, constantly re-invent and innovate what they already do well, so that the serial attendee as well as the casual gym-goer will be caught up in the momentum and return. But should that be our complete diet? We are consumers of variety, fashion and current passion … so why should that not extend to our exercise consumption?

Go on! I give you permission to be a gym slut. (‘Gym junkie’ is so yesterday.) Change your program to deal with the different stages of your life, experience the new. Make a date with a friend, not for the movies, but for a free trial offer at a new fitness centre, or even a fitness fashion store to sample their complimentary fitness classes (see www.lululemon.com) and reaffirm that variety truly is the spice of life.