Q: I’ve been told by a medical professional that I need to improve my core strength, but what exactly does that mean and why is it important?

Core strength with Colina Morrison

Your core, or powerhouse, as it’s often referred to in Pilates, is the physical centre of your body and the point at which all movements should initiate from. It is the area from the bottom of your rib cage, to a line across your hips at the front of your body and the base of your lower back.

Using your core is important in everyday movements such as lifting, twisting, reaching and bending. When your core muscles are weak, injuries can often result when performing such movements. When used correctly, your core will help your limbs move in a balanced and controlled way.

Strengthening your core can improve the following weaknesses:

• Poor posture
• Lower back pain
• Bad balance
• General muscle weakness

Pilates is a system of mind-body conditioning that focuses on the core-stabilising muscles of the body, which is why medical professionals often refer patients to Pilates. Through a range of core strengthening exercises, Pilates teaches body awareness and healthy posture while enhancing physical strength, flexibility and co-ordination. Once you have learnt to activate and isolate your core muscles you can then learn to move the larger, more superficial muscles more effectively. Pilates offers a functional training solution to those with restricted mobility as well as elite athletes. No matter what your age or fitness level, Pilates can help you improve your core strength.

CGM Pilates
Kon-Tiki Business Centre,
55 Plaza Parade, Maroochydore
Phone: 0405 559 840
cgmpilates.com

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Q: Dermalux LED light therapy is the buzzword in skincare at the moment, but does the science actually back up the results claimed?

Dermalux LED light therapy with Jo Anne McDonald and Angela Espie

We’ve always been told stay out of the sun, so the latest in skin care innovation seems to defy that logic. However, LED light therapy is a non-harmful treatment that uses different wavelengths of safe light to regenerate and heal the skin – reversing signs of ageing and providing a solution for people suffering with pimples and acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, pigmentation, rosacea, pain and inflammatory conditions.

The treatment involves lying under a curved lamp, that shines rows of tiny LED lights onto your skin and the sensation is not dissimilar to lying on the beach on a warm, sunny day.

There are three colours of LED lights, each with different wavelengths which are absorbed by different layers of the skin and have different healing properties: blue is antibacterial (perfect for acne), red has a rejuvenating and anti-inflammatory effect and boosts hydration, and near infrared light is the most deeply absorbed and helps promote the production of collagen to counteract skin damage and visible signs of ageing.

A treatment lasts up to 20 minutes and can use one, two or all three of the light wavelengths. To get the best results, it’s important to have a course of frequent LED light treatments encompassing all three wavelengths to target different layers of skin. And as LED light therapy is non-invasive, you can keep having the treatments whenever you need an extra boost of brightness or a breakout suddenly appears.

La Clinique
Brightwater Retail Centre,
Shop 3B Attenuata Drive, Mountain Creek
laclinique.com.au