WEBVTT - OG influencer Amanda Bisk’s tips will improve your flexibility

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, hello, welcome to the Body and Soul podcast Got

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<v Speaker 1>Healthy Ish I and Felicity Halle I hope you are

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<v Speaker 1>indeed feeling healthy ish. Joining me today is former Australian

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<v Speaker 1>pol vater and exercise physiologist Amanda bisk Now. She is

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<v Speaker 1>one of the original fitness influencers, and today she's discussing

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<v Speaker 1>the importance of flexibility and shares easy ways to increase

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<v Speaker 1>yours every day. If you like what you hear from

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<v Speaker 1>Amanda listening to Extra Healthy Ish, where she shares her

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<v Speaker 1>biggest fitness learnings over her well history in the social

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<v Speaker 1>media space, you can grab our sister podcast, Extra HEALTHI

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<v Speaker 1>Ish wherever you get your podcasts. Amanda, nice to have

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<v Speaker 1>you on the podcast. How are you, Oh, I'm good.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much for having me. You know, we

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<v Speaker 2>know each other from way back.

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<v Speaker 3>We were just talking about that and I was actually

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<v Speaker 3>so excited to wake up and talk to you this night.

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<v Speaker 1>Well likewise, I know listeners, we well we were just

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<v Speaker 1>working out maybe eight years a decade when Amanda appeared

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<v Speaker 1>on the cover of Women's Health when I was editing that.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's nice to have you back on and talking

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<v Speaker 1>about well, your jam which is really flexibility. Why is

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<v Speaker 1>this so important? I mean, this is this is your

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<v Speaker 1>life in many ways, this is what you sell and

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<v Speaker 1>this is what you do. Why is it important? Well,

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<v Speaker 1>not just for you, but for the rest of us.

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<v Speaker 3>I think if you think about, you know, babies and

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<v Speaker 3>little kids, how mobile and flexible they are. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>we are born flexible, and I think it is so

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<v Speaker 3>important to try and maintain that flexibility throughout life because

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<v Speaker 3>it does give us youth and longevity, It keeps us

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<v Speaker 3>injury free, it helps us feel good. I mean, there's

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<v Speaker 3>so many benefits, and I think it's just, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>so important, you know, to maintain that through our whole

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<v Speaker 3>entire life moving into later life.

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<v Speaker 2>Because you know, we all just want to feel good.

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<v Speaker 1>So yeah, I know I do. Look at well, my

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<v Speaker 1>kids and my six year old who loves gymnastics, and

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<v Speaker 1>she can just go into the splits in a second,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm like, oh my goodness, I'm so envious. But

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<v Speaker 1>adults some seem more flexible than others, especially when I

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<v Speaker 1>go to yoga, and you, of course you are the

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<v Speaker 1>most flexible of us all. Is it? Some of our

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<v Speaker 1>bodies the physiology just more flexible than others.

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<v Speaker 3>That definitely does play a factor, not only things like

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<v Speaker 3>what your tendons and ligaments are consisting of, but also

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<v Speaker 3>the shape of your joints as well. That place a factor.

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<v Speaker 3>But I think in general everybody can achieve better flexibility

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<v Speaker 3>and mobility. It's just about really exposing yourself to that

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<v Speaker 3>as often as possible.

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<v Speaker 1>So how do we do that? What should we do?

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<v Speaker 1>Give us some tips because I feel like it's a

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<v Speaker 1>hot topic, especially mobility flexibility. It's such a hot topic

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<v Speaker 1>right now, So how can we increase our flexibility?

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<v Speaker 3>So flexibility is a funny one, the mobility as well.

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<v Speaker 3>The more you visit different positions and stretches, the more

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<v Speaker 3>your body is going to be used to that. So

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<v Speaker 3>I think the key to achieving better mobility and better

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<v Speaker 3>flexibility is just exposing your body more regularly to different movements.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, where creatures of habit.

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<v Speaker 2>We love to.

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<v Speaker 3>Do things that we're really comfortable with, and I think

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<v Speaker 3>with flexibility and mobility, it really forces us to kind

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<v Speaker 3>of explore the edges of our movement, which sometimes can

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<v Speaker 3>be uncomfortable, can be painful, can be scary, but I

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<v Speaker 3>think it's really important. It's also like you know, in life,

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<v Speaker 3>it's important we test our edges, so the more you

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<v Speaker 3>can visit different positions and including it in your warm

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<v Speaker 3>up if you're going to the gym, like that is

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<v Speaker 3>the most perfect time.

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<v Speaker 2>Like that is something I have.

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<v Speaker 3>Incorporated into my life is you know, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 3>be working out anyway, and I need to do a

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<v Speaker 3>warm up before I work out, So why not incorporate

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<v Speaker 3>some mobility and flexibility before I do?

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<v Speaker 1>Now, how long do you spend doing that and what

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<v Speaker 1>sort of moves do you do?

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<v Speaker 3>So I would say my warm up would be about

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<v Speaker 3>ten to fifteen minutes, just depending and this is probably

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<v Speaker 3>before something like a weight session or a running session

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<v Speaker 3>at the track. And I would definitely try and do

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of hip mobility. The hips can be very

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<v Speaker 3>very tight. It's also if anyone here is done yoga before,

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<v Speaker 3>it's where we store a lot of emotional energy as well.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh yes, yeah, I've done that, have had after classes.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh my gosh.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, So I think the hips are a really important area.

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<v Speaker 3>So you know things like hamstring stretches, hip flexus stretches,

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<v Speaker 3>glut stretches, and doing mobility exercises as well, so you know,

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<v Speaker 3>like leg swings and hamstring scoops and all the things

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<v Speaker 3>that really helped to open.

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<v Speaker 2>Up and mobilize the hips.

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<v Speaker 3>And I also love doing any sort of mobility for

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<v Speaker 3>the shoulders. I feel like that's really important as well,

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<v Speaker 3>because you know, we're all used to sitting down at

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<v Speaker 3>a desk or sitting on the.

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<v Speaker 2>Couch or driving the car hunched over.

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<v Speaker 3>So anything that can really open up the front of

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<v Speaker 3>the body, I think is really important as well, and

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<v Speaker 3>I like to include it in my warm up.

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<v Speaker 1>What sort of moves do you do for that?

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<v Speaker 3>So anything with like spinal rotation, so arm swings, armed circles,

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<v Speaker 3>you know that good old doorway peck stretch. That's a

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<v Speaker 3>great yeah, Reaching arms up and over the head, reaching

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<v Speaker 3>side to side, anything where you're opening up.

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<v Speaker 2>The front of the body.

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<v Speaker 3>Now.

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<v Speaker 1>I also read a tip of yours that instead of

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<v Speaker 1>just resting between sets if you're doing strength training at

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<v Speaker 1>the gym or at home, instead of reaching for your phone,

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<v Speaker 1>to actually do some stretching. I thought this was a

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<v Speaker 1>brilliant tip because so many of us, Oh, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I just have to rest my body for an hour

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<v Speaker 1>or two. Oh what's happening on Instagram? Blah blah blah,

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<v Speaker 1>such a great tip.

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<v Speaker 2>It actually is so good.

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<v Speaker 3>And this is something that my partner incorporated into his

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<v Speaker 3>workouts and he instantly was like, oh my gosh, I

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<v Speaker 3>have the best session. Not only was I not on

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<v Speaker 3>my phone and getting distracted, but I really felt that

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<v Speaker 3>my exercises that I was doing were so much better

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<v Speaker 3>because I was working on this mobility and I was

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<v Speaker 3>feeling really free and.

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<v Speaker 2>Open and energized.

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<v Speaker 3>So yeah, definitely making the most of that time in

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<v Speaker 3>between your exercises, is you know, like gold, what.

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<v Speaker 1>Else do you do for flexibility aside from the warm

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<v Speaker 1>ups at the gym? Because you are just extremely flexible,

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<v Speaker 1>what else do you do to make sure you maintain this?

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<v Speaker 3>So to be honest, apart from you know, trying to

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<v Speaker 3>mold it into my life as much as I can

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<v Speaker 3>around workouts, I probably have one session.

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<v Speaker 2>In the week where I really really think.

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<v Speaker 3>About pre and rehab exercises where I include mobility and

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<v Speaker 3>flexibility as well, and I think this is kind of

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<v Speaker 3>my check in for the week, so I can kind

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<v Speaker 3>of be like, oh, where's my body at this week?

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<v Speaker 3>What does my body need? Where do I need a stretch?

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<v Speaker 3>And it's usually the time that I do those stretches that.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't like.

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<v Speaker 1>What are those?

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<v Speaker 2>Oh I'm really inflexible. Could you imagine?

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<v Speaker 1>No, I can't carry on in.

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<v Speaker 2>My side bending.

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<v Speaker 3>I remember I went to a yoga class in Bali

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<v Speaker 3>and I was doing yoga the whole time and we

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<v Speaker 3>got to.

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<v Speaker 2>This side bending stretch and the teacher was like, oh, wow,

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<v Speaker 2>can you not go any further? And I was like no,

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<v Speaker 2>and she was like, that is a surprise. So side

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<v Speaker 2>bending for me is tough. And I think that's because

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<v Speaker 2>I have a tight lower backs.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, that you just made us all feel seen that

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<v Speaker 1>you do struggle with some flexibility.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Now, just quickly before we go, I have to

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<v Speaker 1>give a shout out to Xpro, a festival coming well

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<v Speaker 1>near you in Perth and for the rest of us

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<v Speaker 1>if you want to travel over. There's what's this all about?

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<v Speaker 3>So Expro is a fitness festival and summit. There's two days.

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<v Speaker 3>So the first day on the eighth is the summit,

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<v Speaker 3>so we have fitness experts speaking and you can go

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<v Speaker 3>and go to the summit and learn all the things.

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<v Speaker 3>And then on the ninth it's actually the festival day,

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<v Speaker 3>which is exactly what it.

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<v Speaker 1>Kind of says on the tin.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, exactly.

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<v Speaker 3>It is a festival of fitness, which is so cool,

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<v Speaker 3>and the fact that it's here in Scarborough Beach, it's

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<v Speaker 3>my hometown.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm so excited. It's going to be right on the beach.

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<v Speaker 3>We have a beautiful amphitheater there with lots of different stages,

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<v Speaker 3>so if you are into fitness and any type of fitness, it.

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<v Speaker 2>Is the place to be.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, we're going to have workouts, yoga, pilates, there's

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<v Speaker 3>you know those trampoline jump things.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, there's bikes.

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<v Speaker 3>There's everything. It's going to be so cool. I'm going

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<v Speaker 3>to be running a mobility class and also hit workout

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<v Speaker 3>on the main stage, so I'm really excited to be

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<v Speaker 3>sharing that as well with everybody.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I'm loving that We're seeing so many fitness festivals

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<v Speaker 1>popping up around a street and I think it's such

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<v Speaker 1>a great thing. And this one especially I'm giving a

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<v Speaker 1>shout out because it's got a very impressive list of

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<v Speaker 1>all lineup of people who are like yourself taking classes.

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<v Speaker 1>So thanks for coming on Healthyish and telling us all

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<v Speaker 1>about it.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>And folks. I will leave a link to that festival

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<v Speaker 1>in Wa on the eighth and ninth of November. In

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<v Speaker 1>the show notes, well, I hope you enjoyed the tips

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<v Speaker 1>from Amanda, some great ones there. Just put your phone

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<v Speaker 1>down and perhaps still a few stretches instead between your

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<v Speaker 1>sets in the gym. If you did enjoy it, jump

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<v Speaker 1>on rate and review this episode. Subscribe to this podcast

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<v Speaker 1>anything else, head to body and sooul dot com dot

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<v Speaker 1>you follow us on socials, Grab our print edition which

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<v Speaker 1>is out in your local Sunday paper, and until tomorrow,

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<v Speaker 1>stay healthy ish