Talking to an audience of H.R. professionals, occupational health specialists and business coaches, Greg and Simon demonstrated how exercise, good diet and relaxation are the route to improved performance in the work place. Highlights included:

Long Term Conditions
Research data, White Papers and Government campaigns show the need to get the nation moving. Long term conditions such as obesity, diabetes and mental health issues coupled with an aging population are taking their toll not only on the NHS but also on performance in the workplace.

Value of Work Site Health Promotion Activities
A series of Work Site Health Promotion studies showed a direct correlation between exercise, improved physical capacity and Cardio Vascular Health. Simple activities such as organized group walks, 4 x 30 minutes weekly, over an 8 week period produced stunning results.

Defining Stress
Stress at work seems a characteristic of our times. Defining it as a psychological or physiological state that occurs when a load exceeds a threshold, the cost of stress through its effect on health, with reduced life expectancy and cardiovascular disease; on productivity, with over 50% of absence directly due to stress and 13.8 million days lost per annum; and on the economy is estimated at over £300million.

The London Bug

Central Health was featured in the launch issue of The London Bug in December and Natasha Price joined the editorial team as Contributing Editor in the January issue.

Twitter

Click here to follow Central Health Physiotherapy on Twitter

Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships 2010

Brendon Zeman will provide physiotherapy coverage at the championships in Birmingham in March. This will be Brendon's last assignment on behalf of Central Health Physiotherapy before disappearing to pastures new!

New Performance Master Classes

These half-day workshops provide a challenging, interactive look at factors that can affect performance in the workplace. They take attendees on a personal journey looking at their strengths and weaknesses, as well as giving them an insight into the science, physiology and psychology behind performance optimisation.

The Performance Master Classes will also introduce sophisticated technology currently used by many of the world's leading sporting organisations and show how it is helping the world of elite sport and business to enhance performance.

By the end of the session delegates should have a very personal understanding of not just how to cope, but how to perform at a high level. They will leave with some immediate strategies to ensure that they have the resilience to perform day in, day out.

Who should attend: Members of staff in mid to large organisations
Where: At your company premises
Cost: £50 per person, minimum 16 people
Contact details: Simon Shepard, 020 7806 4010

Women's Health Physiotherapy at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth

This service provides inpatient and outpatient care for all Obstetric and Gynaecology related issues. It includes a specialist outpatient service for women with continence problems and pelvic floor dysfunctions such as stress incontinence, prolapses and sexual discomfort. In addition, the service provides assessment and treatment for any woman suffering from musculoskeletal problems such as low back pain and pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy or post-nataly. All women having their baby at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth are seen by an experienced Physiotherapist on the postnatal wards following their delivery for pelvic floor education, back care advice and specific exercises and advice on how to safely strengthen their abdominal muscles and regain their pre-pregnancy physique.

Please address any referrals to Claire-Anne Head at the Physiotherapy department at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth or contact the department directly on 020 7806 4010.

Neurological Physiotherapy at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth

It is recognised that many neurological conditions require ongoing therapy to continue and maintain improvements in your ability to move and perform the tasks you want to do.

Our Physiotherapists are able to assess your capabilities and will work with you to identify and achieve realistic goals by providing treatment which may involve the following:

• Gait retraining to promote safe and functional walking • Normalizing movement in the affected muscle groups • Trunk stability and strengthening • Balance and coordination re-training • Improving exercise tolerance and conditioning • Functional activities to promote independence and participation in daily life This service is available at our clinic at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth and at home. We accept self referrals as well as referrals from your GP or Specialist Consultant.

Please contact Hema Chhima at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth with any queries on 020 7806 4010.

New Clinic in Fashionable Notting Hill Area

Gary Viljoen

Amanda Thomson is leaving as Inpatient Physiotherapy Manager to head for a year in Melbourne with her new husband.

Amanda will be missed by all, but the services will be continued with no interruption with Lauren Kerr taking over as Inpatient Lead and Gary Viljoen stepping in as Lead Respiratory Physiotherapist.

Proactive Occupational Therapy Team

The Occupational Therapists at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth and St John's Hospice, set up an OT promotion exhibition table at the entrance of the hospital to celebrate OT Week last November.

Promotional items were obtained from the College of Occupational Therapists to help promote the various roles and areas of work OT's are involved in.

It was a good opportunity to create awareness of the service offered at the Hospital. This year the team hopes to include a tea party on one of the OT Week days and potential referrers will be invited and encouraged to attend.

New People

Welcome to:

Claire-Anne Head - the new lead for Women's Health Physiotherapy based at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, Claire-Anne is highly experienced having led a large Women's Health Physiotherapy team in a well established NHS London teaching hospital as well as having much experience of working within this speciality in the private sector.

René Pretorius - René joins the Lifestyle Consultants team and will be working at the Performance and Wellbeing Centre. Qualified as a Biokineticist she has worked with healthcare professionals in the area of Occupational Health, Wellness and Performance enhancement, delivering outcome focused rehabilitation programmes in both public and private sectors.

Engagement

FREE 30-minute mini Health and Wellbeing Assessment in January and February; and then only £30 in March

Assess your:
• Fitness (Real time HR Monitoring)
• Cardiovascular risk factors (BP)
• Body Composition (Waist circumference and BMI)

Get advice on:
• Health & Wellbeing

For further information or to book an assessment, please email or call us on 020 7404 6343