As a health and fitness provider for adults – many of whom I’ve had the privilege of working with for decades – I also have the challenge of keeping my body and my clients’ bodies working as well and optimally as possible over those many years!
Part of that challenge is dealing with our mutual and individual aches, pains, illness and injury and sometimes inviting myself/clients to do what they don’t always want to, or have been told differently to do (due to hearsay, old training techniques and out dated information).
Im going to give a little guidance about when to rest and when to adapt and train with niggles, aches and pains etc.!
Let’s talk about common issues (particularly but not exclusively to menopausal women) such as gluteal tendinopathy, often treated as bursitis in previous years, and related knee pain.
When an injured tendon hurts, the instinct to stop moving it entirely and wait for the pain to subside is understandable. However, clinical experts and sports medicine professionals now agree that complete rest is highly ineffective for long-term recovery. Tendons are load-dependent tissues that require controlled stress to rebuild and adapt.
Why Complete Rest Fails
While resting an aggravated tendon for a few days can help calm initial inflammation or pain, prolonged inactivity triggers a “catabolic” state, causing the tissue to break down and weaken rather than heal.
- Tissue Weakness and Atrophy: Tendons are designed to withstand tension and stress. When the load drops to zero, the tendon loses its stiffness, strength, and load-bearing capacity.
- The “Use It or Lose It” Principle: If you immobilise the area for too long, the tendon fibres fail to organise properly. Once you attempt to resume normal daily activities or sports, the tendon is even less prepared to handle the strain than it was before the rest.
- The Cycle of Re-injury: Resting provides temporary symptom relief, but it does nothing to restore the functional capacity of the tendon. This often leads to a frustrating cycle where the pain returns the moment you become active again.
The Solution: Strategic Load Management
True tendon recovery is an active process that requires carefully managed load, also known as “relative rest”. Instead of stopping all movement, the goal is to modify the activity that irritates the tendon while introducing controlled, progressive loading.
- Remove Aggravating Activity: Temporarily stop or reduce the specific movements that cause high levels of pain (e.g., jumping for an Achilles issue, or heavy overhead presses for a shoulder tendon, running for lateral hip and knee pain)
- Introduce Controlled Stress: Controlled exercises, such as slow, low-weight, and high-repetition movements with a focus on the eccentric phase ( the lengthening under control phase), promote local blood flow and stimulate tendon cells (tenocytes) to produce healthy collagen fibres.
- Gradual Progression: Recovery requires time—often taking weeks to months. The tendon’s ability to handle stress must be methodically rebuilt to ensure the tissue becomes strong, flexible, and resilient against future injuries.
A sports physio/therapist can help you determine the appropriate amount of load for your specific stage of recovery.
I’m happy to dovetail in with your treatment plan after medical diagnosis and already receive referrals from Medics/Osteopaths/Chiropractors/Physios
Gluteal tendinopathy and knee pain are often related because the muscles that control the hip directly dictate how the knee moves and bears weight. When the tendons of the side hip muscles (the gluteus medius and minimus) become irritated or weak, it creates a biomechanical domino effect that frequently manifests as pain in the knee and thus dysfunction.
- Direct Referred Pain
The nervous system frequently misinterprets the source of discomfort from gluteal tendinopathy. While the primary issue resides at the region of the greater trochanter (the bony bump on the outside of the hip), the pain signals regularly travel downward. Patients often feel a radiating ache that tracks straight down the lateral thigh and ends directly at the outside of the knee. In this scenario, the knee itself is perfectly healthy, but it is transmitting the referred pain coming from the hip.
- The Biomechanical Chain Reaction
The gluteus medius and minimus serve as the primary stabilisers of the pelvis. When you walk, run, or stand on one leg, these muscles contract to keep your hips level, also safely returning the pelvis to neutral . If these tendons are damaged or under/over loaded, they fail to stabilise the joint properly.
- The Trendelenburg Drop: One hip drops downward during walking or running due to weakness in the opposing glutes.
- Knee Valgus: To compensate for the dropped hip, the thighbone rotates inward, forcing the knee to fall inward.
- Joint Strain: This inward collapse places immense, unnatural pressure on the kneecap (patellofemoral joint) and the surrounding ligaments.
Note; there is often ankle dysfunction below and/or back pain above due to the cascading influence of gluteal weakness
- The Iliotibial (IT) Band Connection
The iliotibial band is a thick tract of connective tissue running from the outside of the hip down to the outside of the knee. The gluteal muscles attach directly into this band. When gluteal tendinopathy causes the hip mechanics to fail, the IT band frequently becomes excessively tight to compensate for the structural instability. This tight tissue rubs abrasively against the lateral side of the knee joint, resulting in a secondary condition known as IT Band Syndrome.
Rebuilding Without Complete Rest
Applying the concept of progressive loading to this specific pairing requires targeted, compression-free movement:
- Avoid Compression: Do not cross your legs when sitting and avoid sleeping directly on the painful hip, if you must then place a pillow between the knees to reduce the knee drop of upper leg, as this squashes the gluteal tendon against the bone.
- Utilize Isometrics: Start with side-lying or standing hip abductions against a wall. This co-activates the gluteal muscles and provides immediate pain relief without moving the irritated tendon. Do this in front of a mirror or with a spotter to ensure alignment or you will compound the issue. Take as much support that is needed to allow correct movement
- Strengthen the Chain: Transition to slow, controlled glute bridges and split squats, one leg balances. Focus on keeping the knee tracked directly over the second toe to break the habit of rolling the knees and ankles inward. ( ankle strengthening work can help )
- Don’t over stretch: compressing and stretching an irritated tendon has shown to make the condition worse. Start with static strengthening, add controlled range of movement with resistance and then layer in stretching.
Remember you have a whole body that needs movement so whilst you are ‘re-habbing’ an injury, keep the rest of your body and mind strong and flexible with regular exercise.
Of course optimal nutrition, hydration and sleep will all have a tremendous influence of rate and level of recovery- don’t over look the basics
And I’m here to help.
The week ahead…
Portobello Mushrooms
Recipe and picture from Eating Well website
Its BBQ season and as I’m a veggie no one really knows what to do for me (apart from cardboard burgers and sausages!)
If you have a vegetarian guest how about offering these (I bet your sausage loving guests will like them too).
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
- 4 portobello mushrooms (about 14 ounces), stems and gills removed (see Tip)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh mozzarella pearls, drained and patted dry
- ½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons best-quality balsamic vinegar
Directions: Oven Version, you can also wrap in foil and place on BBQ
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Using a silicone brush, coat mushrooms all over with the oil mixture. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until the mushrooms are mostly soft, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon oil together in a medium bowl. Once the mushrooms have softened, remove from the oven and fill with the tomato mixture. Bake until the cheese is fully melted and the tomatoes have wilted, about 12 to 15 minutes more. Drizzle each mushroom with 1/2 teaspoon vinegar and serve.
Have a fabulous week.
Love ya !
Helen x
DYBO Live & Online – This week’s Classes are as follows:.
At All Hallows, Farnham & DYBO Studio, Church Crookham (Book in Advance only): Zoom class details further down the page.
Monday (AH)
6.30pm: Boogie Fit
7.30pm: Total Tone – with bands, handweights and mat.
Tuesday (AH)
6.30pm: 5 in 1 Fitness – with bands, hand-weights and mat. Plus Ketttle bells if you have one
7.30pm: Dance Fit & Fab
Wednesday (DYBO Studio)
6.30pm: Old Skool Step – Step, hand weights and band.
7.30pm: Barre Fit – something to assist balance like a barre, ) supplied if you attend in studio) eg. chair, worktop, mantlepiece etc.
Thursday (AH)
6.15pm: Contemporary Stretch – various equipment used at each class, contact me for info.
7.30pm: Dancespiration
Friday (DYBO Studio)
6.30pm: Friday Fitness Yoga Express
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Joining us at All Hallows or The DYBO Church Crookham Studio? – Protocols and Information
I’m so happy to be able to run Face to Face classes at All Hallows and at the DYBO Studio in Church Crookham. My primary objective is to ensure that we all have a wonderful time with effective and fun classes that are engaging, relaxed and of course, safe.
Preparation
1) Firstly ensure that you have booked by sending us an email info@dybo.co.uk confirming all the classes you wish to attend plus your payment method, be it as a member, using your voucher, or pay as you go. No on the door bookings or payments can be taken. Bookings are not refundable or transferable. I will keep records of all attending, please also keep a record of your own attendance too.
2) Preparing your kit bag/box. This depends upon the class you are attending.
Boogie Fit, Dance Fit and Dancespiration crew will only require your indoor trainers/dance shoes to change in to, sweat towel, and drink.
Total Tone and 5 in 1 crew – in order to prevent cross contamination currently I am not sharing equipment in a group exercise setting so you will need your mat, a resistance band and light hand weights/equivalent in addition to your trainers, sweat towel and drink.
Contemporary Stretch crew need a mat, band, chi ball and on the last Thursday of the Month you will need 2 x tennis balls and a sock for our Trigger Point and Myofascial release class !
3) Re borrowing equipment – if you would like to try a class or have forgotten equipment then you may borrow equipment on that occasion and please ensure that you sanitise it before and afterwards (sanitising products supplied). I can assist you with sourcing your own equipment inexpensively, moving forward.
On the night
*When you arrive at All Hallows, enter the school via the gates to the left as you face the school and follow the road around the school buildings.
*Please park in the playing courts and walk between the old school building and new sports hall, up a few steps on to the outside seating area, the studio door is to your right.
*Participants are required to arrive 5-10 mins before the class.
*Please change into your clean trainers for indoor activity as you enter, ie. slip off your outdoor shoes, place in your bag, or leave at the door , and change into your indoor trainers . This is to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of the space, avoiding stones and glass being walked in and potentially causing injury and to protect the lovely new wood floor.
*The toilets are open to use but please arrive changed, ready for activity so as to keep use time minimal and avoiding queues.
*After a wonderful class change from your indoor trainers to outdoor shoes and sanitise your hands again if you wish.
*Please tell friends and family about our wonderful classes!
When joining me at the DYBO Studio (No.42, GU52 0YA) I will send information directly, including entrance code for the Studio and please note, advanced booking is required.
Fees, you have THREE options!
Please note that all Classes must be booked and paid for in advance and are non transferable or refundable.
Online payments only.
50 min Class – £9.00, 60/65 min Class – £9.50
10 Class Voucher: £85 (to be used within 12 weeks of purchase).
Membership: £59, unlimited classes, plus a bonus of free access to all class recordings on our DYBO TV channel, and another bonus of a £5 discount for one to one services for current membership holders.
To be paid by the 1st day of the month (at the latest) and is valid from the first to last day of calendar month.
One full month’s notice of membership suspension/cancellation is required with one membership restart permitted within a 12 month period.
Bank details are UK Fitness Academy Ltd.
Sort Code 09-01-28, Acc No. 04284324
Please email me when you have made a payment and use your name and what it’s for as a reference. eg. Jane Smith Class Voucher
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Joining us on Zoom? – Links and Information
Monday
6.30pm: Boogie Fit
7.30pm: Total Tone
Tuesday
6.30pm 5 in 1 Fitness Class
7.30pm Dance Fit & Fab
Wednesday
6.30pm Old Skool, Step & Strength – Step, hand weights and band.
7.15pm Barre Fit – Something to assist balance like a barre, eg. chair, worktop, mantlepiece etc.
Thursday
6.15pm Contemporary Stretch
7.30pm Dancespiration
Friday
6.30pm Friday Fitness Yoga Express
****** All the above classes change and vary weekly! *****
How to prepare your Zoom environment
- You need space to move 2 side steps, 4 walks forward, 4 backward. Move trip hazards and furniture as much as you can (get help, be careful!) to give you maximum space for upper and lower body movement. Roll up rugs or secure them so they don’t slip or cause you to trip.
- Plugging your device in to your TV with an HDMI cable is brilliant as it gives you a good picture of you (like a mirror) and me – as well as boosting the sound if you go through the TV/Hi-Fi sound system. If you can place your device under the TV, then even better.
- I know some of you are using your phones – try to plug in to a speaker system (even those little speakers we have when we go on holiday would help) so that you can hear better as you move back from the phone. Angie has tried Bluetooth earphones and it worked well.
- Ensure you have maximum access to your Wi-Fi in the house and as close to the router as is feasible. Take phones off the Wi-Fi system and pop them on to your 4/5G network or place on airplane mode, unless that’s what you are using to join us, obviously. Ask family to do the same for the duration of your class – keep them off the internet whilst you need the bandwidth. The more bandwidth you have, the better the picture and sound and the less likely you are to lose the feed. Your health is a priority at this time and I’m sure they can do something else for that short time!
- Ventilate your exercise space, have plenty of water and towels to hand, keep your exercise equipment close – if you need anything, let me know.
- Wear correct footwear for your activity – putting an old pair of socks over the toes and ball of your trainers will help reduce friction when exercising on carpet (if they are a really old pair, cutting the toes open and then just having them over the ball of the foot is even better). It’s up to you if you want to dance or train in bare feet but be careful if you don’t usually do this as it takes time for the muscles and connective tissue of the feet and rest of the body to adapt to barefoot training.
- Make your own gym equipment. Save laundry liquid or milk bottles – you can fill them with water or wet sand/rice etc. to add weight and make a dumbell/kettlebell. I recommend you make a few in differing weights and you have written on them so you know what they weigh and seal the caps with tape to prevent leakage. Get a heavy duty shopping bag and put weighty items in it, check they can’t fall out and you have a kettlebell alternative. Make your own hurdles, put cushions, pillows, boxes, books on the floor to jump over. Use household items as floor markers for circuit activities. The stairs and outdoor steps are great temporary steps/benches for cardio and upper body work. The garden is a great open space to make an assault course or if you can get a signal, take your class or PT session outside, but do make it safe.
Disclaimer
I declare that all of the information I have given (both written and verbal) is accurate and truthful. I know of no reason why I cannot participate fully in any exercise programme and I do not deem it necessary to consult my medical Practitioner/GP/specialist. I undertake to inform my instructor should any information change.
I understand that I participate at my own risk and that any information given is not intended to replace or represent medical advice. I agree to comply with all terms conditions and class protocols and instructions as outlined above and whilst attending DYBO classes/training.
Do not attend classes if experiencing symptoms of Covid 19, Flu or airborne transmissible infection or have tested positive.
