1
00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,640
Speaker 1: Oh, hello, welcome to the Body and Soul podcast Got

2
00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,240
Speaker 1: Healthy Ish I and Felicity Halle I hope you are

3
00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:09,520
Speaker 1: indeed feeling healthy ish. Joining me today is former Australian

4
00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:13,440
Speaker 1: pol vater and exercise physiologist Amanda bisk Now. She is

5
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:18,160
Speaker 1: one of the original fitness influencers, and today she's discussing

6
00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:22,160
Speaker 1: the importance of flexibility and shares easy ways to increase

7
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,360
Speaker 1: yours every day. If you like what you hear from

8
00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,880
Speaker 1: Amanda listening to Extra Healthy Ish, where she shares her

9
00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,960
Speaker 1: biggest fitness learnings over her well history in the social

10
00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,960
Speaker 1: media space, you can grab our sister podcast, Extra HEALTHI

11
00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:51,319
Speaker 1: Ish wherever you get your podcasts. Amanda, nice to have

12
00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,240
Speaker 1: you on the podcast. How are you, Oh, I'm good.

13
00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,160
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me. You know, we

14
00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:58,480
Speaker 2: know each other from way back.

15
00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,080
Speaker 3: We were just talking about that and I was actually

16
00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,640
Speaker 3: so excited to wake up and talk to you this night.

17
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,200
Speaker 1: Well likewise, I know listeners, we well we were just

18
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,919
Speaker 1: working out maybe eight years a decade when Amanda appeared

19
00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:12,679
Speaker 1: on the cover of Women's Health when I was editing that.

20
00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,600
Speaker 1: So it's nice to have you back on and talking

21
00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:20,039
Speaker 1: about well, your jam which is really flexibility. Why is

22
00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,800
Speaker 1: this so important? I mean, this is this is your

23
00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:24,800
Speaker 1: life in many ways, this is what you sell and

24
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,200
Speaker 1: this is what you do. Why is it important? Well,

25
00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:28,679
Speaker 1: not just for you, but for the rest of us.

26
00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,520
Speaker 3: I think if you think about, you know, babies and

27
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,680
Speaker 3: little kids, how mobile and flexible they are. You know,

28
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,720
Speaker 3: we are born flexible, and I think it is so

29
00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,680
Speaker 3: important to try and maintain that flexibility throughout life because

30
00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:47,280
Speaker 3: it does give us youth and longevity, It keeps us

31
00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,240
Speaker 3: injury free, it helps us feel good. I mean, there's

32
00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,120
Speaker 3: so many benefits, and I think it's just, you know,

33
00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:57,920
Speaker 3: so important, you know, to maintain that through our whole

34
00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,040
Speaker 3: entire life moving into later life.

35
00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:02,600
Speaker 2: Because you know, we all just want to feel good.

36
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,360
Speaker 1: So yeah, I know I do. Look at well, my

37
00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,560
Speaker 1: kids and my six year old who loves gymnastics, and

38
00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:10,600
Speaker 1: she can just go into the splits in a second,

39
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,640
Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh my goodness, I'm so envious. But

40
00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,880
Speaker 1: adults some seem more flexible than others, especially when I

41
00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,120
Speaker 1: go to yoga, and you, of course you are the

42
00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,200
Speaker 1: most flexible of us all. Is it? Some of our

43
00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,960
Speaker 1: bodies the physiology just more flexible than others.

44
00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,720
Speaker 3: That definitely does play a factor, not only things like

45
00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,040
Speaker 3: what your tendons and ligaments are consisting of, but also

46
00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,040
Speaker 3: the shape of your joints as well. That place a factor.

47
00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:44,400
Speaker 3: But I think in general everybody can achieve better flexibility

48
00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,400
Speaker 3: and mobility. It's just about really exposing yourself to that

49
00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,040
Speaker 3: as often as possible.

50
00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:52,360
Speaker 1: So how do we do that? What should we do?

51
00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:54,880
Speaker 1: Give us some tips because I feel like it's a

52
00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,040
Speaker 1: hot topic, especially mobility flexibility. It's such a hot topic

53
00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,120
Speaker 1: right now, So how can we increase our flexibility?

54
00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,720
Speaker 3: So flexibility is a funny one, the mobility as well.

55
00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:11,919
Speaker 3: The more you visit different positions and stretches, the more

56
00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:13,639
Speaker 3: your body is going to be used to that. So

57
00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,280
Speaker 3: I think the key to achieving better mobility and better

58
00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:21,919
Speaker 3: flexibility is just exposing your body more regularly to different movements.

59
00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,239
Speaker 3: You know, where creatures of habit.

60
00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:25,280
Speaker 2: We love to.

61
00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,399
Speaker 3: Do things that we're really comfortable with, and I think

62
00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,280
Speaker 3: with flexibility and mobility, it really forces us to kind

63
00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,160
Speaker 3: of explore the edges of our movement, which sometimes can

64
00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,840
Speaker 3: be uncomfortable, can be painful, can be scary, but I

65
00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,600
Speaker 3: think it's really important. It's also like you know, in life,

66
00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,760
Speaker 3: it's important we test our edges, so the more you

67
00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:49,280
Speaker 3: can visit different positions and including it in your warm

68
00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,320
Speaker 3: up if you're going to the gym, like that is

69
00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:52,720
Speaker 3: the most perfect time.

70
00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:54,120
Speaker 2: Like that is something I have.

71
00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,440
Speaker 3: Incorporated into my life is you know, I'm going to

72
00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:59,360
Speaker 3: be working out anyway, and I need to do a

73
00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,960
Speaker 3: warm up before I work out, So why not incorporate

74
00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:03,960
Speaker 3: some mobility and flexibility before I do?

75
00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,160
Speaker 1: Now, how long do you spend doing that and what

76
00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:07,160
Speaker 1: sort of moves do you do?

77
00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,560
Speaker 3: So I would say my warm up would be about

78
00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,960
Speaker 3: ten to fifteen minutes, just depending and this is probably

79
00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,159
Speaker 3: before something like a weight session or a running session

80
00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,520
Speaker 3: at the track. And I would definitely try and do

81
00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,080
Speaker 3: a lot of hip mobility. The hips can be very

82
00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,080
Speaker 3: very tight. It's also if anyone here is done yoga before,

83
00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:30,920
Speaker 3: it's where we store a lot of emotional energy as well.

84
00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:35,000
Speaker 1: Oh yes, yeah, I've done that, have had after classes.

85
00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:36,000
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh.

86
00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,480
Speaker 3: Yes, So I think the hips are a really important area.

87
00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,839
Speaker 3: So you know things like hamstring stretches, hip flexus stretches,

88
00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:47,680
Speaker 3: glut stretches, and doing mobility exercises as well, so you know,

89
00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,080
Speaker 3: like leg swings and hamstring scoops and all the things

90
00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,520
Speaker 3: that really helped to open.

91
00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:55,599
Speaker 2: Up and mobilize the hips.

92
00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,599
Speaker 3: And I also love doing any sort of mobility for

93
00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,920
Speaker 3: the shoulders. I feel like that's really important as well,

94
00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,480
Speaker 3: because you know, we're all used to sitting down at

95
00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:04,880
Speaker 3: a desk or sitting on the.

96
00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:06,719
Speaker 2: Couch or driving the car hunched over.

97
00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,280
Speaker 3: So anything that can really open up the front of

98
00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:11,200
Speaker 3: the body, I think is really important as well, and

99
00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:12,840
Speaker 3: I like to include it in my warm up.

100
00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:14,680
Speaker 1: What sort of moves do you do for that?

101
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:20,560
Speaker 3: So anything with like spinal rotation, so arm swings, armed circles,

102
00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,919
Speaker 3: you know that good old doorway peck stretch. That's a

103
00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,640
Speaker 3: great yeah, Reaching arms up and over the head, reaching

104
00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,280
Speaker 3: side to side, anything where you're opening up.

105
00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:32,040
Speaker 2: The front of the body.

106
00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:32,960
Speaker 3: Now.

107
00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:36,159
Speaker 1: I also read a tip of yours that instead of

108
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,919
Speaker 1: just resting between sets if you're doing strength training at

109
00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,880
Speaker 1: the gym or at home, instead of reaching for your phone,

110
00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,960
Speaker 1: to actually do some stretching. I thought this was a

111
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,400
Speaker 1: brilliant tip because so many of us, Oh, you know,

112
00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:48,640
Speaker 1: I just have to rest my body for an hour

113
00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,160
Speaker 1: or two. Oh what's happening on Instagram? Blah blah blah,

114
00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:52,440
Speaker 1: such a great tip.

115
00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:54,120
Speaker 2: It actually is so good.

116
00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,719
Speaker 3: And this is something that my partner incorporated into his

117
00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,839
Speaker 3: workouts and he instantly was like, oh my gosh, I

118
00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,440
Speaker 3: have the best session. Not only was I not on

119
00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,679
Speaker 3: my phone and getting distracted, but I really felt that

120
00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,400
Speaker 3: my exercises that I was doing were so much better

121
00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,000
Speaker 3: because I was working on this mobility and I was

122
00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:13,800
Speaker 3: feeling really free and.

123
00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:15,360
Speaker 2: Open and energized.

124
00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,840
Speaker 3: So yeah, definitely making the most of that time in

125
00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:23,120
Speaker 3: between your exercises, is you know, like gold, what.

126
00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,680
Speaker 1: Else do you do for flexibility aside from the warm

127
00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:30,480
Speaker 1: ups at the gym? Because you are just extremely flexible,

128
00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,440
Speaker 1: what else do you do to make sure you maintain this?

129
00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,279
Speaker 3: So to be honest, apart from you know, trying to

130
00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,240
Speaker 3: mold it into my life as much as I can

131
00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,720
Speaker 3: around workouts, I probably have one session.

132
00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,600
Speaker 2: In the week where I really really think.

133
00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,760
Speaker 3: About pre and rehab exercises where I include mobility and

134
00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,799
Speaker 3: flexibility as well, and I think this is kind of

135
00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:54,880
Speaker 3: my check in for the week, so I can kind

136
00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,120
Speaker 3: of be like, oh, where's my body at this week?

137
00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,400
Speaker 3: What does my body need? Where do I need a stretch?

138
00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,760
Speaker 3: And it's usually the time that I do those stretches that.

139
00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:03,279
Speaker 2: I don't like.

140
00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:04,839
Speaker 1: What are those?

141
00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,440
Speaker 2: Oh I'm really inflexible. Could you imagine?

142
00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,160
Speaker 1: No, I can't carry on in.

143
00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:12,680
Speaker 2: My side bending.

144
00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,239
Speaker 3: I remember I went to a yoga class in Bali

145
00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,200
Speaker 3: and I was doing yoga the whole time and we

146
00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:18,640
Speaker 3: got to.

147
00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,800
Speaker 2: This side bending stretch and the teacher was like, oh, wow,

148
00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:24,800
Speaker 2: can you not go any further? And I was like no,

149
00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,520
Speaker 2: and she was like, that is a surprise. So side

150
00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,320
Speaker 2: bending for me is tough. And I think that's because

151
00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:31,520
Speaker 2: I have a tight lower backs.

152
00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,960
Speaker 1: Okay, that you just made us all feel seen that

153
00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,240
Speaker 1: you do struggle with some flexibility.

154
00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:36,800
Speaker 3: Thank you.

155
00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,320
Speaker 1: Yeah. Now, just quickly before we go, I have to

156
00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,480
Speaker 1: give a shout out to Xpro, a festival coming well

157
00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,000
Speaker 1: near you in Perth and for the rest of us

158
00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,160
Speaker 1: if you want to travel over. There's what's this all about?

159
00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,640
Speaker 3: So Expro is a fitness festival and summit. There's two days.

160
00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,280
Speaker 3: So the first day on the eighth is the summit,

161
00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,880
Speaker 3: so we have fitness experts speaking and you can go

162
00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,080
Speaker 3: and go to the summit and learn all the things.

163
00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,760
Speaker 3: And then on the ninth it's actually the festival day,

164
00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,640
Speaker 3: which is exactly what it.

165
00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:09,280
Speaker 1: Kind of says on the tin.

166
00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:10,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly.

167
00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,920
Speaker 3: It is a festival of fitness, which is so cool,

168
00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,880
Speaker 3: and the fact that it's here in Scarborough Beach, it's

169
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:17,560
Speaker 3: my hometown.

170
00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,000
Speaker 2: I'm so excited. It's going to be right on the beach.

171
00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,600
Speaker 3: We have a beautiful amphitheater there with lots of different stages,

172
00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,520
Speaker 3: so if you are into fitness and any type of fitness, it.

173
00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:29,840
Speaker 2: Is the place to be.

174
00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,600
Speaker 3: You know, we're going to have workouts, yoga, pilates, there's

175
00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:34,800
Speaker 3: you know those trampoline jump things.

176
00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,280
Speaker 1: Yes, there's bikes.

177
00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,120
Speaker 3: There's everything. It's going to be so cool. I'm going

178
00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:43,319
Speaker 3: to be running a mobility class and also hit workout

179
00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,360
Speaker 3: on the main stage, so I'm really excited to be

180
00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:46,880
Speaker 3: sharing that as well with everybody.

181
00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm loving that We're seeing so many fitness festivals

182
00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:51,400
Speaker 1: popping up around a street and I think it's such

183
00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,400
Speaker 1: a great thing. And this one especially I'm giving a

184
00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,080
Speaker 1: shout out because it's got a very impressive list of

185
00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,000
Speaker 1: all lineup of people who are like yourself taking classes.

186
00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,400
Speaker 1: So thanks for coming on Healthyish and telling us all

187
00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:02,800
Speaker 1: about it.

188
00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:04,679
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me.

189
00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,200
Speaker 1: And folks. I will leave a link to that festival

190
00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,760
Speaker 1: in Wa on the eighth and ninth of November. In

191
00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,720
Speaker 1: the show notes, well, I hope you enjoyed the tips

192
00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,200
Speaker 1: from Amanda, some great ones there. Just put your phone

193
00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,440
Speaker 1: down and perhaps still a few stretches instead between your

194
00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,240
Speaker 1: sets in the gym. If you did enjoy it, jump

195
00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,240
Speaker 1: on rate and review this episode. Subscribe to this podcast

196
00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:29,920
Speaker 1: anything else, head to body and sooul dot com dot

197
00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:31,880
Speaker 1: you follow us on socials, Grab our print edition which

198
00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,319
Speaker 1: is out in your local Sunday paper, and until tomorrow,

199
00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:39,360
Speaker 1: stay healthy ish