Treatment Table Podcast

From Rehab to Pole Dancing: The Surprising Way to Build Strength & Confidence

• Mathew Ah Chow • Season 1 • Episode 12

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0:00 | 36:10

Most people train to get stronger.

But very few actually feel more confident, more connected, or more in control of their body.

So what’s missing?

In this episode of The Treatment Table, I sit down with physiotherapist and pole instructor Doris Davids to explore a completely different approach to movement, one that goes beyond rehab and traditional gym training.

From working in neurological rehab to teaching pole dancing, Doris shares how movement can transform not just your strength, but your confidence, body awareness, and mindset.

We unpack:

  •  Why getting strong doesn’t always mean feeling confident 
  •  The limitations of traditional gym training 
  •  How pole dancing builds strength, control, and self-expression 
  •  The role of coordination and body awareness in injury prevention 
  •  Breaking stigma around movement, confidence, and body image 
  •  Training through pregnancy and returning safely post-birth 
  •  The power of community in staying consistent 

This episode will challenge how you think about exercise — and might just change the way you train.

🔑 Key Takeaways

  •  Strength alone isn’t enough - coordination and control matter 
  •  Confidence is built through capability, not appearance 
  •  Movement should feel engaging, not just repetitive 
  •  Community is one of the biggest drivers of consistency 
  •  The best training is the one that keeps you coming back 

🎯 Who This Episode Is For

  •  You feel bored or stuck in your current training 
  •  You’ve lost motivation or consistency with exercise 
  •  You want to feel more confident in your body 
  •  You’re dealing with recurring injuries 
  •  You’re looking for a more enjoyable way to move 

💪 Exercise of the Week

Build upper body strength and control:

Level 1: Bar Rows
Focus: Shoulder engagement + control

Level 2: Active Dead Hang
Focus: Stability + endurance

Level 3: Hanging Core Holds (Knees or L-Sit)
Focus: Strength + coordination

👉 Keep movements slow, controlled, and intentional.

📲 Connect with Doris

Instagram: @InkandSquats
Clinic: Body and Movement Collective
Pole Classes: Just Pole Fitness 

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We’re currently planning Season 2 — let us know who you want on the show.
Send us a message on Instagram or email us at treatmenttablepodcast@gmail.com.

🎧 Episode Resources & Links

See you next week on the Treatment Table!

SPEAKER_01

It was lifting like girls, just lifting other girls up. It wasn't ever a competition. It was just everyone cheering each other on. It was amazing. Feeling and that support you get, even in your nitnailing what we call a basic trick. Everyone would just be so joyful for you, and that just stays with you. The focus on getting your next trick or getting stronger in a trick you already know is what we focus on as opposed to oh, you look a certain way.

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to the treatment table podcast, your guide to a healthier, happier. I'm your host, Doctor of Physiotherapy Matthew Archell, and each week we share simple strategies to help you move better, feel better, and live healthier. So before we dive in today, please make sure you follow and subscribe to the Treatment Table Podcast so you don't miss out on our weekly tips to help you stay inactive and pain free. Most people think of exercise as a chore, boring, hard, and sometimes painful. But what if you found a form of movement that was inspiring, uplifting, creative, sexy, filled you with confidence, and yet still made you incredibly strong, flexible, and fit. And that's why today's conversation is different. Today we are joined by Doris Davids, a physiotherapist with over 10 years' experience in rehab working across neurology, orthopedics, and private practice. She's helped hundreds of people rebuild their bodies after injury, illness, and life-changing health conditions. But outside of the clinic, Doris loves the gym, yoga, whole dancing, and she's a mom to a young boy and a fur baby too. But what's incredible about Doris is that she didn't just stay active through her pregnancy, she danced and moved all the way right to the very end and was back dancing as soon as she could. In this episode, we're going to dive into what movement really means, not just performance or rehab, but for confidence, creativity, and connection to your body. So thank you, Doris, for joining us on the treatment table.

SPEAKER_01

Hi Matt, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00

So, Doris, outside of being a physio, what's life like for you?

SPEAKER_01

Outside of being a physio, I wear a lot of hats. So some days I put on my pole instructor hat, some days I put on my pole student hat. Some days I put on my yoga hat. But all the time I have my mum hat on.

SPEAKER_00

I don't know this answer, but why did you want to become a physio? What got you into physio?

SPEAKER_01

When I was in high school and I was doing my HSC, I had friends I already knew knee, and they were all doing like commerce and law, and it sounded really boring. And I wanted to do something where I wasn't just stuck in an office all day. So I really wanted to help people. Probably that's what got you into it as well. And I wanted to get into medicine initially because I thought, oh my god, doctors are amazing. They can fix people, right? I didn't get the marks to get into the program. And then my brother said, do physio or something. So I did physio because I got the marks to get into physio.

SPEAKER_00

Well dumb. That's still pretty good to get marks straight into physio from school. I didn't have the marks to get straight into physio.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Took me a while, but we got there. And then you ended up as a neurophysio. How did that happen?

SPEAKER_01

Um, so I did the allocation program after I finished uni. So I got a taste of the public hospital system and I really enjoyed the rehab rotation of that allocation program. Um, I got to spend more time with each patient. It wasn't like I had to rush and see them and discharge them. They had really um disabling things happen to them and they couldn't go home and look after themselves. And I really enjoyed seeing that change over time where I got to see them every day, teach them how to exercise, teach them how to walk, and I found that really rewarding. So when I went to look for a full-time job after my program ended, I went into rehab and I stayed there.

SPEAKER_00

What kind of conditions are you treating in the neuroside of rehab?

SPEAKER_01

Um, so rehab side, uh, it can be strokes, it can be uh traumatic brain injuries, it can be spinal cord injuries, traumatic and non-traumatic, uh Gianbari syndrome, Parkinson's, anything neurological.

SPEAKER_00

And now you also do private practice as well, working with pole injuries and pole dancing injuries?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so um after I had my baby, I needed something a bit more flexible. I couldn't return to working at the hospital full-time. Just mentally, physically, that was a little bit too exhausting for me to commit to. So I had this really amazing opportunity to work with the poll doctor. So the clinic I work at is called the Body and Movement Collective. It used to be only Kairos, but um my boss wanted to expand it into a more multidisciplinary team. And so I came into the picture, and it's been really fun. I've met a lot of elite athletes, and it's been just such an honor to be able to help people return to their sport. It's just like so different to what I was used to because I was changed from hospital. Yeah, I was treating patients I couldn't even sit, or they didn't even know what day it was, and now I'm treating people whose injuries are just stopping them from flipping. It's just such a massive contrast, but I love both of it.

SPEAKER_00

That's cool. What got you into pole dancing in the first place?

SPEAKER_01

I wanted to do something different, don't we all? Um, I actually did pole dancing the first time, like I don't know, early 2010s, like 2013 or something. But back then, pole was still relatively like a new sport. Um, and this is a good part where I'd like to acknowledge where pole dancing came from, the the art and dance we know it today. Um it originated from you know, sex workers and strippers um in the industry to allow us to dance the way we dance today. And um, I don't know if everyone knows that, so I just wanted to acknowledge that before we move forward talking about it. And from there, the sport has blossomed, transitioned into all different genres. You know, there's old school, which is more the classic style, there's more exotic or exo-hard style. There's all different styles. There's even like more Olympic style sport where they give you points for tricks. So it's it's just so vast and different that when you start this sport, you can go into any of those avenues and just have a great time, no matter what you're good at.

SPEAKER_00

And are there guys doing it as well? Or is it only girls?

SPEAKER_01

No, there's lots of guys doing it, and they're really good at it because they're really strong. And I'm telling you, the Russian guys are the best at it because they're really strong and flexible and they do crazy, impossible things.

SPEAKER_00

It's a lot of calisthenic strength, isn't it? So that ability to kind of hold your body weight up in crazy positions.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, well, it's it's it's just vertical. The pole is just vertical. That's the only difference. So you know, people love seeing like what we call it an iron X, but I think people think it's a flag. Flag. Yeah, we call it an iron X. But it's really, really cool. I think going back to your question of why I'm I got into it. Um, so initially I tried it in about 2013, I want to say, and it was a really new sport then, so there wasn't really much of a curriculum. I think like when I went to class, they would just teach you all sorts of tricks, and I really didn't have the strength or the coordination for it, and I kept getting injured because poll is a really complex sport, and we do sell it to be really inclusive and really fun, but at the same time, you need to be really coordinated and know how to switch things on in order to safely progress, and we really didn't have that earlier on, so I actually took a big break from it and came back to it just before COVID happened, and that's when I really, really got into it, and I just loved it because the sport had grown into such a beautiful art. There were a lot more dance lessons, like before, I think it was more tricks-focused, and then it kind of grew into more choreo-based, more sensual, flowy movements, which I adore, and that's what I mainly teach as well, and so I think that's what really locked me into it.

SPEAKER_00

Was there something that you were missing in your training that drew you back to it?

SPEAKER_01

So I gymmed all of my 20s because I broke up with my boyfriend and had nothing better to do. So I was like, I just want to get really strong. I want to be stronger than the boys, but I never did anything creative. Like, yes, got a big butt or whatever, but I was really stiff as well. I never trained flexibility because I never needed it. So I would get like back pain, neck pain, just because I never stretched. I know I'm a physio, but I need a physio too. And then when I started Polygon, because I I I just felt like I needed something different. I was getting bored of going to the gym for like two hours and doing the same thing. I just found it so refreshing. Not only because, you know, it was so much fun learning and challenging your body to do things that are different, but the community itself was also like nothing I'd ever experienced. I think generally, it might be different nowadays, but 10 years ago, I feel like society pitched women against women. But when I got into the pole community, it was so uplifting, like girls just lifting other girls up. It wasn't ever a competition. It was just everyone cheering each other on. It was amazing. That feeling and that support you get, even in your nailing what we call like a basic trick, everyone would just be so joyful for you. And that's that just stays with you.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's amazing. That community and that celebration of wins, even if it's small, really gives you that dopamine hit to make you want to come back and do more and train more and then you know provide more to that community. So that's something that's really special. Um, you know, you don't really get that if you're just lifting weight to the gym or you know, doing doing a workout. So that makes a lot of sense. And then I guess were you always someone that was creative or enjoyed dance, or was that something that you found through poll?

SPEAKER_01

Um, I don't think I was a very good dancer, especially when I first started poll. I was terrible. I'd look back on my videos when I was a baby poller, and it's really cringe. I can't watch them, but I'll have to look at them one day because you want to see progress. Um, but I put a lot of hours and time into it to make it look pretty good now because I have to teach, I have to look somewhat decent. Um, no one wants to learn from someone that doesn't look decent. So I put a lot of hours in um to make it look good, and I learnt from a lot of really good instructors to help get me there as well.

SPEAKER_00

So you don't have to be necessarily a good dancer to start poll.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, you don't have to be strong, you don't have to be flexible. Uh it helps, but definitely just taking that first step to doing it, you're already, you know, you're already in. We've got you. You're not leaving us.

SPEAKER_00

And how did it change your connection with your body?

SPEAKER_01

I think I've always had fairly good awareness of my body being a physio and always being at the gym, but Paul challenged it in a way that I'd never thought possible. Because when you're spinning really fast and you're trying not to throw up, and your hair is stuck, and you're twisted and contorted into really weird positions, and you're in pain because your skin's gripping you, it really then makes you have to challenge how you coordinate and what needs to switch on and what needs to switch off in order for you to not fly off the pole and die. But we like that. Every polar complains about that, but we love it.

SPEAKER_00

Sounds crazy.

SPEAKER_01

It is.

SPEAKER_00

That's crazy. And in terms of, I guess one of the things that I can only imagine being quite confronting is a not just spinning around the pole, but the confidence to get up and dance in front of other people, and sometimes with the crazy heels you're wearing. What advice do you have to people that maybe are interested in trying it, but you know, don't have the confidence, are very shy, and are a little bit intimidated to start?

SPEAKER_01

I think you have to remember that everyone else feels that way too, especially if you're a beginner. But when you're in a class, no one's looking at you. They're all worried about themselves. The mirrors are there for feedback so you can see what you're doing, so you don't fall off and die. But every other person's too worried about what they're doing to look at you.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and then I was also thinking about is there still a lot of stigma? You know, we mentioned about where pole dancing originated from. Is there still a lot of stigma around pole? Um, you know, having treated some pole um athletes before, I I guess I see it more as a sport, but is there still a bit of stigma around where it's come from and to where it is today?

SPEAKER_01

There is so much stigma to the point where, you know, the things we talk about needs to be censored if we want to post it on social media. And so many of my instructors that, you know, work in that industry, they lose their whole Instagram page because of what they post or what they say. So that's it's definitely an issue, and that's we need to talk about it and advocate for them because that's their livelihood and that's their job. That's how they make their money and pay their mortgage. So I think we need to definitely pay respect to that and know that's where it comes from. And you know, it's a proper industry. We need to respect that.

SPEAKER_00

One of the things that you've mentioned is obviously, you know, it takes a lot of confidence to be up on heels with not wearing much clothing. And what I can only imagine, as I said, as a woman going to one of these classes that is quite intimidating. But from what I see and what I hear about is that there is this incredible reconnection with their body and their self-image and the confidence that they get from joining this community and this growth. Where does that come from?

SPEAKER_01

So when beginners start pole, and there's memes about this on social media, term one, they're fully dressed, t-shirts, gym shorts, and they very quickly realize they can't grip onto the pole sufficiently because you need your skin to grip to the pole. And so it's a very slippery slope into wearing not very much at all. Because you start taking layers off, and then you build confidence from that because you're actually nailing the tricks. No one actually cares what you look like. Polars can come in all different sizes. We're skinny, we're chubby, we're tall, skinny, like short, whatever. It doesn't really matter. What brings us joy is that we nailed that trick and how we look nailing that trick and whether our feet are flexed or not. Your instructor won't yell at you if you know you've put on five kilos, but they will yell at you if your feet are flexed. And I think the focus on, you know, getting your next trick or getting stronger in a trick you already know is what we focus on as opposed to oh, you look a certain way. And then the more you attend, the more you see other women, doesn't matter what size, it's just flaunting what they've got, wearing whatever they want. And that's so empowering. Because after I had a baby, you know, I'm pretty confident, but after I had a baby, I had a C section, and there's bits that I'm like, oh, I don't know about that. But then I wore what I wanted and no one said anything. They were like, You look great, oh my god, we're so glad you're back. And I was like, okay, then I don't care either. And I focus on how I feel when I'm spinning around or doing crazy tricks around the pole. And I think that's where my confidence comes from.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's amazing. And when I think back to my first time doing jujitsu and how intimidating that was, and you feel like everyone's watching you, and definitely now reflecting back, you know, no one's watching you, everyone's so involved in what they're doing and trying to improve themselves. Um, that you, you know, you think everyone's watching and you feel really embarrassed. But like you said, once you start really getting involved and become mindful and think about what you need to do, and it's similar to jujitsu, where I guess the difference is we're gonna get choked out, you're gonna fall off a pole hanging upside down. Um, you need to be very mindful and present at that time, right? Because it probably is quite dangerous in that sense.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, it can be very dangerous. I have fallen on my head before, but accidents happen, and um I'm quite confident in how I fall. But yes, we do have to be really mindful what we're doing in polls. So you need to have an instructor that you really um gel with because you'll trust them to either spot you or give you the correct cues that suit you and your body shape. Because one cue might work for you but not work for another person, and that's okay if one instructor doesn't do that for you. It doesn't mean they're not a good instructor, it might just mean you need to find it in someone else that understands how you think and how you, you know, communicate. But I think the concentration it takes to learn new tricks and to not fall off and die is really good for your mental mental health. Because a lot of people say going to poll, you know, going to the studio it's therapy. They literally go, I'm going to therapy. And they're actually at the poll studio because that's where nothing else matters. Just how you're moving, how you're feeling, that's what matters. And I think a lot of you know, my friends and my students, that's what they come for when they come to the studio. They leave the world behind, they have that moment just to focus on them and on themselves and their body and their mind, and they love it.

SPEAKER_00

Amazing, amazing. And you touched on this a little bit before, but I I want to dive into how did you manage to change your training style and what you're doing? Because from what the from the outside, I'm sure it looked very risky and dangerous, but you were still dancing and doing pole while pregnant up to how many weeks?

SPEAKER_01

I had my baby at 38 weeks and five days, and I danced up to two days before I had him. Yeah, it's wild.

SPEAKER_00

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

Um, I was very blessed with a very smooth pregnancy, no health issues, no injuries, nothing like that. That doesn't always happen. And I think being a physio, I was very, you know, spoke about this before, very aware of my body, what I'm capable of doing, what I'm not capable of doing. Um I didn't really change anything drastically because, like you said, I'm always being super active. So there was nothing that I felt like I couldn't do. Um, and I have really good health providers that sort of said, Yeah, you're fine, like keep doing what you're doing. Um, I did go and see a women's health physio just once off to make sure I wasn't doing too much because I have a tendency to do that. And she was quite confused why I went to see her. I was just like, I just need you to tell me not to go too hard because I need someone to do that for me. And the only thing I couldn't really do was overarch in my back, because when you're pregnant, everything's you know, spreading and opening, and we just didn't want to overdo it. Um, but that's just my personal journey in my pregnancy, so that's why it's so important to have health providers that you trust to give you the right advice, uh, depending on how your body's coping. Because there's, you know, a lot of pregnancies that don't go this smoothly, and it's not shameful to have to stop and pause what you're doing. But on the other end of the spectrum, there's a lot of fear-mongering about, oh, you shouldn't be spinning like that, or you shouldn't be going upside down. But that that advice is really damaging because unless they're a health professional in that field, they shouldn't be telling you what you can and can't do. So I've had pregnant women come and be like, I'm too scared to poll because I'm in my first trimester or whatever. And I've said, Well, has anything changed for you? You know, have you has your doctor said you can't do certain things because of your condition? And they're like, Well, no, like, you know, so and so said I shouldn't do that because that looks dangerous. I'm like, well, it's not. As long as you're engaging correctly and you know what you're doing, I probably wouldn't learn super hectic new tricks, but if you're already in control, it's fairly safe to continue what you're already doing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's right. And it goes across all different types of movements and gym and sport. As long as you're doing what you've already been doing, you've got that control and the muscles and the stability in those positions, then it's completely fine. But how did you manage? Because I'm sure you would have copped a lot of slack, um, or people saying, you know, you really shouldn't be doing that, or you were well supported.

SPEAKER_01

The people I have around me, I pick and choose them. So if people were to say if people around me were to give me crappy advice, I'd probably tell them it's not your position to tell me. But I think they also people around me also know that I'm a health professional. So they probably wouldn't say that to me. But it would make me really angry if they tried. So they probably wouldn't try. Yeah, but I think the main point is I surround myself with people that trust me to know what I'm doing. Um, unless they have like valuable feedback, valuable feedback for me. Yes.

SPEAKER_00

Alright, so you danced two days before you had your boy, and then how soon did you return back to dancing after?

SPEAKER_01

I was trying to induce him by dancing. That's why I was dancing right up to the end because they were gonna they were gonna induce me on the Friday anyway. So I was like, but if I break my waters and dance, then I don't have to get an induction. It didn't happen. I got induced. I had an emergency C section because I didn't want to dilate. And I was a bit disappointing, you know. We all have our birth plans and it never goes according to plan. So I had a big scar. It's actually quite small. They're very, they're very clever now, you know. Um, my husband's like, wow, it looks so neat. And I was like, it's bloody painful. And I thought I was really good with pain, but oh my god, I felt like I was getting stabbed every time I had to get up or stand up to feed the baby. So, you know, guidelines are like, you know, six weeks off exercise. And I was like, I'm a super woman, I'm gonna try a bit earlier. Yeah, shouldn't have, because it was quite painful. And mind you, I did really light stuff. I did like wall push-ups, I did like some static core stuff. I was so wrecked the next day. So I was like, okay, I'll rest. By about week four, I was feeling so much better. So then I resumed the really light stuff, like you know, modified planking and like light Pilates stuff. Um, and then by week six, I was actually feeling so much better. So then I went into the studio, and surprisingly, I hadn't lost a whole lot of um strength or anything because when I danced throughout my whole pregnancy, it was like I was doing a graded resistance training program because as I was putting on weight, I was still like pulling up and lifting myself. So I surprisingly didn't lose a whole lot of um strength. My endurance wasn't as good because I was really puffed towards the end of my pregnancy, but I was really lucky, like I felt like everything felt great. I didn't have any major complications or anything like that. And I think definitely dancing throughout my pregnancy helped me. I don't want to say the word bounce back, but return to my sport like quite early, and I haven't stopped since.

unknown

It's great.

SPEAKER_00

Well done. It was really incredible to see you dance all the way through and then recover, return really quickly. And I think you know, it shows your awareness to your own body and listening to your body, but also putting in the hours of work, you know. Like you said, you weren't doing too too many crazy things. Um, from the outside, it does look a bit crazy, but obviously you know what's safe and what's not safe as an instructor. Coming back to your role as a pole physio, what are some of the common injuries that you see?

SPEAKER_01

Rotator cuff. Um, pole as is a very upper body strength sport, in case you didn't notice. We're hanging off one shoulder a lot of the time. Um, so a lot of the time I see rotator cuff injuries just either from overuse or they're just not strong enough to start with, and they're sort of like hanging out and not engaging in their shoulder properly when we're when we're when they're learning new tricks. The other one hamstrings from drop splitting, and most of the time it's not during class, it's like they're drunk at a pub and they want to pop a cool drop split and they're not warm, they haven't trained into that range, and they've texted me or booked in and be like, Oh, like I think I did something to my hamstring. I'm like, Did you drop split? And they're like, maybe. And I'm like, Yeah, don't do that. So a lot of like tendonitisy stuff happening. Okay. Those are the top two.

SPEAKER_00

Top two.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And then what kind of prevention work do you do for the rotator cuff? So the muscles that support around your shoulder. And particularly for those pull-in based, yeah, what's your go-to exercises for that?

SPEAKER_01

So much resistance bandwork. Yeah. Lots of stability, mindfulness, connection as well. Because everyone can do it, but whether they're doing it properly or not, and then whether they're using it when you're learning something new is another thing. Because you can do it when you're concentrating, but when you're hanging, spinning like a hundred kilometers an hour, it's much harder to do. So that stuff takes time. So a lot of off-the-pole conditioning helps with injury prevention when you're on the pole.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's really interesting. And I see that a lot, you know, it's particularly return to sport. You know, you can do all your exercises in isolation, but then putting them into dynamic movements where it's faster. Um, what kind of tips or prompts or um advice do you give to that return to sport? You know, because it's hard to focus on everything when so many things are happening at the same time.

SPEAKER_01

It varies for every patient because there's patients that are like me and are really gung ho and will probably do way too much. So for those patients, I will literally limit them. You can try that move twice on each side, and I'm very strict about it. And if I'm worried that they'll go too hard, I will see them more often because I will check in with them, I'll give them rules to follow. If they're a bit more like relaxed, and probably I know they won't do too much, then they're allowed to do a little bit more. But I in saying that, I think most people aren't as body aware as we want them to be. So having that consistent follow-up and checking in with them really, really helps. And I always remind my patients like pole is really intense. At the gym, you can control the weight that you're, you know, you're pulling. You can be doing five kilos, seven and a half, you can control it a lot more. When you're hanging off the pole, that's your whole body weight. So I don't expect you to do three sets of ten or whatever the number is now on the pole. Yep. So that's why I would limit the reps they do if they're injured. But even if they're not injured, I would still limit that number because it's a lot, it's a lot harder to control.

SPEAKER_00

It is, it is. And so as long as it's a graded return, yes, and then trying to limit that intensity before they go back to 100%. Yeah. I think most of us try and do back to 110% to test it and then it breaks.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, they patients tend to do that, and I think to us it makes sense, but to a lot of people, it's not common knowledge. So that's where checking in with your physio really helps because sometimes you don't know. And a lot of the time with tendernitis, you don't feel it till the next day or even two days later. You know, you'll feel really good during your session. You're like, oh my god, I'm fixed. I did like 10 inverts, which is when we go upside down and spare our legs. We did so good, my shoulder felt really good. And then the next morning you wake up in excruciating pain. And that's why we have those limits. You know, we say, just do two and then see how you feel, because it's better to do less and not have a full flare-up, and we can manage it a lot easier than go 110% and have a full flare-up, and then your physio goes, No, you have to stop for like six weeks or something.

SPEAKER_00

Amazing. Very similar conversations. It's good to hear.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Where can our listeners find out more information about you and your physio?

SPEAKER_01

So my Instagram account is at Ink and Squats. It used to be a gym page, and the name kind of stuck, and everyone knows me as that, so I'm not changing it. You can find me as a physio at Body and Movement Collective. We're in Croydon. I work there Wednesdays and Saturdays. If you want to come to my pole classes, I work at Just Pole Fitness in Smithfield.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you so much, Doris, for sharing your story, your passion, and your energy. And today's world, I think we are more isolated, more disconnected from ourselves and from others. And it's amazing to hear that there's groups out there that support each other regardless of who they are, what shape they are, uh, whether they're wearing clothes or not wearing clothes. And it's great that it's such a supportive, healthy environment that is making people healthier and happier. So thank you for coming on today.

SPEAKER_01

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_00

So, inspired from today's conversation with Doris, this exercise of the week is all about upper body strength. We're gonna work through three levels. It's gonna give you options to progress. So, from level one, what we're gonna work on is a bar row. So, this is gonna be where you are gonna work off a bar or a pull-up bar or set up a rings if you have them at home. And this is where you keep your whole body straight. And like Doris said, what you want to do is connect your mind to your shoulders. So it's really about squeezing your shoulder blades back and pulling your body up, chest towards the bar, keeping your back straight as possible and keeping your elbows in. You want to hold it at the top and then slowly lower down. Keep the control, make sure you're just moving up and down. So to start with the level one, you can start off easy, work around about a 45 degree angle. And then if you're feeling that is easy, what you can do is reduce the angle. So then your body becomes more horizontal in parallel to the ground. If you need clarification with that, make sure you check out our Instagram page, the treatment table podcast. Level two, we're gonna work towards a dead hang. So this is where you're gonna actively hang off a bar. Although it says dead hang, we're not just hanging off by our ligaments. We are actively squeezing back through our shoulder blades. So you want to engage your core, pull your ribs in, squeeze your shoulder blades back, and you want to really hold as strong as you can and for as long as you can. Ideally, we're gonna aim for 20 to 30 second holds, two to three sets. At level three, this is where it gets fun, and you can start to play around with some more core activation and some more tricks. But we're gonna do our same dead hang position, and then we're gonna try and hold our knees tucked, or if you can, an else it. So where that's where you extend your legs out to 90 degrees with your knees straight. And don't forget, as Doris says, make sure you point those toes. Keep it slow, controlled, no swinging, no swaying, and squeeze those shoulder blades together. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode, and I hope you can also find a tribe or community that pushes you to live a healthier and happier life. If you found it already, keep going, because that tribe is gonna make sure that you stay on track, it's gonna keep you accountable, and it's gonna keep you happier. Now, before you go, please make sure you subscribe and follow so you don't miss out on our future guests and tips. We are close to the end of our very first season on the Treatment Table Podcast. So if you've enjoyed this season, please let us know what guests you'd love to have back, what topics you'd love to hear next, because we are busy planning our season two. Send us an email at treatmenttablepodcast at gmail.com or send me a DM on the Treatment Table Podcast Instagram page. We'll link these in the show notes. We will see you next week on the treatment table.