Tag Archive for: movement

We’re excited to now stock Tiny Treads at GV Sportscare! Barefoot toddler shoes!

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👣 We’re excited to now stock Tiny Treads at GV Sportscare!
Designed by our podiatrists, Tom and Ryan, Tiny Treads were created after they saw a gap in the market for affordable, flexible, wide-fitting toddler shoes that actually support natural foot development.
Unlike many toddler shoes, Tiny Treads feature:
✔️ Wide toe box to let little toes spread naturally
✔️ Flexible sole that bends with growing feet
✔️ Lightweight design for confident little walkers
✔️ Designed by podiatrists and tested by real toddlers
📍 Need help finding the right size?
Tom offers complimentary fittings every Thursday at 11am. Simply call us on 58977044 to book your fitting.
Currently stocking sizes from approximately 6 months to 2.5 years.
If you’ve been looking for healthy first walkers without the premium price tag, we’d love to help you find the perfect fit!

Podiatrists, Brothers and Toddler barefoot shoes feature in Goulburn Valley Grammar magazine

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We’re incredibly proud to see Tom and Ryan featured in the latest edition of Nexus, the Goulburn Valley Grammar School magazine.
The article shares their journey from GVGS students to podiatrists, and how that journey led to two businesses they’re passionate about:
👣 GV Sportscare, founded by Tom and his wife Sophie (physiotherapist), providing physiotherapy, podiatry and Clinical Pilates classes to the Goulburn Valley.
👣 Tiny Treads, co-founded by brothers Tom and Ryan, creating affordable barefoot toddler shoes inspired by what they see every day in the clinic and their own experiences as Dads.
Family, community and helping people move well have always been at the heart of what we do. We’re incredibly grateful to GVGS for sharing our story and proud to continue giving back to the community that helped shape us. 💙💛
See full magazine:

Autumn/Winter 2026

What is the pelvic floor and how does it impact my exercise?

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First of all, what is the pelvic floor?

You’ve probably heard the term ‘pelvic floor’ thrown around here and there, but what actually is the pelvic floor and why is it important?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located in our pelvis that stretch like a sling from the pubic bone at the front of your pelvis to the tailbone at the back of your pelvis, and side to side to each ischial bone (sitting bones).

In the simplest terms, the pelvic floor supports the pelvic organs that sit above it and prevents the pelvic organs from falling through. Above your pelvic floor sits your important organs including the bladder, bowel and the uterus, and the pelvic floor muscles help to control release of urine and faeces from these organs by relaxing and contracting muscles around the openings of these organs (sphincters). The pelvic floor also plays an important role in sexual function in both males and females.

Image source: https://www.continence.org.au/about-continence/continence-health/pelvic-floor

Just like any other muscle in your body, the pelvic floor muscles can become weak. This can happen in both females and males! This means that they are unable to support the pressure coming from your abdomen, or cannot control the flow of urine or faeces out of the bladder or bowel.

Some of the signs of this include bladder leakage with coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, jumping, urgency to use your bladder or bowels, or in females, signs of a prolapse including heaviness or pressure or the feeling as though something is coming out of your vagina.

Who is at risk of pelvic floor issues?

 Some people have a higher risk of developing pelvic floor problems:

  • Women who are pregnant, recently given birth (regardless of the birth type) or who have ever been pregnant
  • Women who are going through menopause or women post-menopause
  • People who have had surgery on the pelvis e.g. women who have had gynaecological surgery, men who have had prostate surgery, or following pelvic radiotherapy
  • People who participate in high-impact exercise e.g. running, jumping sports or high intensity cardio; or heavy lifting e.g. at work or at the gym
  • People who have a chronic cough or sneeze e.g. due to asthma or smoking
  • People who suffer from chronic constipation

So, what can physiotherapists do about it?

If you can relate to any of these symptoms, just remember you are not alone. 1 in 4 people (males and females) will experience bladder leakage, 1 in 4 women will experience a prolapse in their life, and 1 in 10 young women will experience bladder leakage during sport – but just because this is common doesn’t mean it is normal!

Physiotherapists are experts in managing musculoskeletal problems, and the pelvic floor muscles are no exception! The research suggests that exercises for your pelvic floor which are done for a minimum of 12 weeks can significantly reduce symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, and if started during pregnancy can prevent pelvic floor issues after pregnancy!

Our Shepparton physiotherapists are trained in delivering these exercise programs which we can design for you to complete at home and can make sure that you are completing the exercises correctly. Alternatively, our Clinical Exercise (formerly Clinical Pilates) classes are also designed to target the pelvic floor muscles if this is an issue for you.

I want to exercise – how can I modify my exercise to take care of my pelvic floor?

 If you are worried about your pelvic floor during your regular exercise routine, here are some tips that you can start with to reduce strain on your pelvic floor:

  • Engage the pelvic floor before performing an exercise, if you’re unsure how seek help from your Shepparton physiotherapist
  • Perform exercises in sitting or lying down, rather than in standing
  • Increase the number of repetitions (10-15) or sets (3-4) but reduce the weight you are lifting
  • Avoid holding your breath while completing an exercise
  • Switch from higher impact to lower impact cardio exercise e.g. walking or swimming rather than running
  • Switch from single leg to double leg exercise e.g. skipping on two feet rather than one

Unsure where to start?

Our Shepparton physiotherapists can assist you to form an exercise regime that is safe for your pelvic floor based on your individual needs. We can also help guide if you need to see a specialist women’s health physiotherapist.

 

Helpful Websites:

Continence Foundation of Australia

Pelvic Floor First, Pelvic Floor Safe Exercises

Go Against The Flow (support for young women with incontinence)

 

–Emily Wiedemann

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

What is the pelvic floor and how does it impact my exercise?

/0 Comments/in , /by

First of all, what is the pelvic floor?

You’ve probably heard the term ‘pelvic floor’ thrown around here and there, but what actually is the pelvic floor and why is it important?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located in our pelvis that stretch like a sling from the pubic bone at the front of your pelvis to the tailbone at the back of your pelvis, and side to side to each ischial bone (sitting bones).

In the simplest terms, the pelvic floor supports the pelvic organs that sit above it and prevents the pelvic organs from falling through. Above your pelvic floor sits your important organs including the bladder, bowel and the uterus, and the pelvic floor muscles help to control release of urine and faeces from these organs by relaxing and contracting muscles around the openings of these organs (sphincters). The pelvic floor also plays an important role in sexual function in both males and females.

Image source: https://www.continence.org.au/about-continence/continence-health/pelvic-floor

Just like any other muscle in your body, the pelvic floor muscles can become weak. This can happen in both females and males! This means that they are unable to support the pressure coming from your abdomen, or cannot control the flow of urine or faeces out of the bladder or bowel.

Some of the signs of this include bladder leakage with coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, jumping, urgency to use your bladder or bowels, or in females, signs of a prolapse including heaviness or pressure or the feeling as though something is coming out of your vagina.

Who is at risk of pelvic floor issues?

 Some people have a higher risk of developing pelvic floor problems:

  • Women who are pregnant, recently given birth (regardless of the birth type) or who have ever been pregnant
  • Women who are going through menopause or women post-menopause
  • People who have had surgery on the pelvis e.g. women who have had gynaecological surgery, men who have had prostate surgery, or following pelvic radiotherapy
  • People who participate in high-impact exercise e.g. running, jumping sports or high intensity cardio; or heavy lifting e.g. at work or at the gym
  • People who have a chronic cough or sneeze e.g. due to asthma or smoking
  • People who suffer from chronic constipation

So, what can physiotherapists do about it?

If you can relate to any of these symptoms, just remember you are not alone. 1 in 4 people (males and females) will experience bladder leakage, 1 in 4 women will experience a prolapse in their life, and 1 in 10 young women will experience bladder leakage during sport – but just because this is common doesn’t mean it is normal!

Physiotherapists are experts in managing musculoskeletal problems, and the pelvic floor muscles are no exception! The research suggests that exercises for your pelvic floor which are done for a minimum of 12 weeks can significantly reduce symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, and if started during pregnancy can prevent pelvic floor issues after pregnancy!

Our Shepparton physiotherapists are trained in delivering these exercise programs which we can design for you to complete at home and can make sure that you are completing the exercises correctly. Alternatively, our Clinical Exercise (formerly Clinical Pilates) classes are also designed to target the pelvic floor muscles if this is an issue for you.

I want to exercise – how can I modify my exercise to take care of my pelvic floor?

 If you are worried about your pelvic floor during your regular exercise routine, here are some tips that you can start with to reduce strain on your pelvic floor:

  • Engage the pelvic floor before performing an exercise, if you’re unsure how seek help from your Shepparton physiotherapist
  • Perform exercises in sitting or lying down, rather than in standing
  • Increase the number of repetitions (10-15) or sets (3-4) but reduce the weight you are lifting
  • Avoid holding your breath while completing an exercise
  • Switch from higher impact to lower impact cardio exercise e.g. walking or swimming rather than running
  • Switch from single leg to double leg exercise e.g. skipping on two feet rather than one

Unsure where to start?

Our Shepparton physiotherapists can assist you to form an exercise regime that is safe for your pelvic floor based on your individual needs. We can also help guide if you need to see a specialist women’s health physiotherapist.

 

Helpful Websites:

Continence Foundation of Australia

Pelvic Floor First, Pelvic Floor Safe Exercises

Go Against The Flow (support for young women with incontinence)

 

–Emily Wiedemann

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

ACL rupture, why bother with prehab?

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Why is PREHAB important in ACL injuries? 🤨
You’ve ruptured your ACL, you’ve consulted your surgeon and now you hear that you should do prehab?
Prehab is rehabilitation to prepare for a surgery. Research indicates those who perform 10 sessions of pre operative strengthening over 5 weeks are more likely to return to sport within 2 years of ACL rupture! Return to sport is not a given and there are many factors that can improve your likelihood and decrease your chance of re rupture.
There are many other benefits:
✅Opportunity for your Shepparton physiotherapist to assess your strength of your non injured leg. We use this measurement throughout your rehab post operative as part of your testing before you return to sport. We use testing to reduce chance of rupturing your graft. Taking this measurement before surgery gives us a more accurate measure of your strength BEFORE you decondition due to surgery. This gives us a more accurate measurement to aim for before returning to sport.
✅Reduce swelling before surgery and increase strength to improve your immediate post operative period
✅Improve confidence and walking pattern
✅Discuss goals, timelines and expectations
So while you may want to book the surgery and get going, consider and ask your surgeon about the benefits of prehab. As we get better at planning for major surgeries the outcomes continue to improve. Short term patience and effort can pay off in the long term 🧐
If you’re unsure, speak with one of our Shepparton physiotherapists before your surgery 👍🏼

-Sophie Woodhouse

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

physiotherapy shepp

Clinical Exercise (formerly Clinical Pilates), what’s so good about it?

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What is the difference between Clinical Exercise and Clinical Pilates?

Clinical classes are run by fully trained physiotherapists. Physiotherapists spend 4-6 years studying in depth anatomy and biomechanics in order to learn why and how the body should move. We then use these skills to assess injuries and how best to rehabilitate them.

Pilates has been well studied as a successful mode of rehab in particular for those with neck and back pain, but can be used for most injuries. Our Clinical Exercise classes are capped at a maximum of 6 participants, meaning that each person will be closely supervised in order to prevent poor quality execution of exercises and prevent further injury.

Each participant will perform their own individual program that has been designed by our Shepparton physiotherapists, in order to address areas of weakness or correct poor movement patterns.  The tailored program is progressed once quality of movement has been achieved. It is important to understand that at different stages of your life that your body adapts to increasing load differently and therefore progressions are carefully thought out by your physio.

Physios are also able to account for recent relapses or ‘flare ups’ of injury and alter your program accordingly to prevent further irritation. Physios are also able to manage multiple injuries and find a way to keep you exercising safely. We also have many clients who just like to exercise for general fitness under the supervision of a physiotherapist. For those who fall into more vulnerable groups eg pregnant, returning to exercise post pregnancy, returning to exercise post major surgery or illness, we can also account for changes in your anatomy, physiology and load tolerance to design an appropriate program.

For these reasons group physio classes is one of the only classes that are still funded by private health insurance companies as per the new government regulations.

What is a reformer and why is it so popular?

Joseph Pilates was the inventor of Pilates and one of the machines he developed to practice Pilates is called the Reformer. A Reformer has a carriage which is flat platform and rolls back and forth on a frame. The carriage is attached to one end by springs that provide differing levels of resistance. The reformer also has straps that you can use to push or pull with your arms or legs.

You may have heard that Pilates is a great way to train your core. With the Reformer the carriage which rolls along the frame and the springs that can be changed to provide more or less support which will challenge stability and core strength. The Reformer is designed in such a way that muscle is built but joints do not feel the same type of load that traditional exercise can place in them. Therefore people find that they can challenge their body more in Pilates and build strength easier. Our Shepparton physios can change how much of your body is supported by the Reformer which will change how much support your body will need to provide to perform the exercise.

One of the great advantages of the Reformer is that due to it’s versatility and design you can exercise is many different positions and it is adjustable for individual body types an

To summarise reformers are popular for a few reasons:

-it’s versatility means exercises can be tailored to many different fitness levels

-it’s gentle, many exercises can be performed lying down, sitting or standing. They are generally low impact however still count as ‘weightbearing exercise’ in most instances.

-it can also be really challenging, as your awareness and core strength improves the more challenging exercises you can master.

-there is much research to prove that Clinical Pilates is very beneficial in many musculoskeletal injuries, particularly neck and low back pain.

 

-Sophie Woodhouse

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

shepp physio

Cricket: Youth Pace Bowling Guidelines

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Youth Pace Bowling Guidelines 🏏 ☀️

I know we are all keen beans to get back to sport, but for those fast bowlers amongst us, slow down a second 😉

Adolescent fast bowlers are more at risk of lumbar (lower back) stress injuries and how many balls you bowl per week for your AGE is very important! Now more than any other season we have the potential to overdo it given the lack of sport over winter.

As researched by Cricket Australia: ‘the frequency of bowling sessions (more sessions per week and less time between sessions) increases the risk of developing a lumbar stress fracture. This was a more prominent risk factor than the number of balls bowled’

🌟Guidelines for U/11’s through to U/19’s🌟

-Avoid bowling more than 2 days in a row where possible

-Avoid bowling more than 4 days in a week

-Allow one easy week (eg: 50% of target load) every 4-5 weeks

-Schedule a week off bowling after every 10-12 weeks of bowling to allow your body to recover

🏏 For further information on how many overs/match and ball/week fast bowlers in each age group should aim for see:

https://www.community.cricket.com.au/clubs/youth-pace-bowling-guidelines

🏏 For an in depth overview for elite level junior athletes:

 2019 20 Junior Bowling Guidelines Explained

Any questions or any early concerns of back pain in bowlers, should be addressed by your healthcare professional ASAP!

 

#shepparton #cricket #sheppartoncricket #bowling #fastbowler #physioshepparton #loadmanagement #gvsportscare #gv #goulburnvalley

 

Sophie Woodhouse

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

gv podiatry gv health achilles

Mapping your weekly runs

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We have seen an increase in running injuries over the past few months in both experienced runners and those new to running.

running sheppShepparton Podiatrist Tom explains in this video how to map out your runs and think carefully about the amount of rest in between each run. He also explains why rest days, strength and conditioning and cross training are all great ideas.

When it comes to running injuries, Tom will often help his clients to write out their weekly routine and look at what can be added or adjusted to allow the individual to continue to run while rehabbing an injury.

 

Tom Davey

Podiatrist Shepparton, GV Sportscare

gv health Achilles pain in runner

Achilles tendon pain

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I have pain in my achilles tendon, should I rest it?

First, we need to make sure it IS a tendon that is causing your pain.
👍
If it is a tendon, the answer is no! ❌
In days gone past treatment and management of tendon pain was to rest and pain will get better.
🙅
Now we know, if you rest a tendon for too long it will adapt to the decrease in load and actually become weaker.
🤷🏼‍♀️
This makes returning to activity particularly difficult. Therefore, staged and progressive loading is key to coming back from a tendon injury.
🏃
Allow time for your body to recover before heading back to activity. If you’re a bit sore, complete a smaller session, or cross train and work parts of the body that aren’t sore.
🏊
A well balanced diet low in sugar and refined carbohydrates, good hydration and 8 hours of regular sleep per night will all help to decrease inflammatory markers within the tendon and recover quicker.
🥦🥬🥥🥑🍳🍗🥩🥗 💧😴
We understand how important physical activity is. Keeping you as active as possible and getting you back to sport as quickly as possible is something we at GV Sportscare take very seriously and endeavour to tailor loading programs individually for every client.
💁‍
gv podiatry gv health achilles

Tom Davey

Podiatrist Shepparton, GV Sportscare

shepp pod bunions

Bunions: non surgical management

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Our Shepparton podiatrist utilises treatment that is focussed on restoring the natural foot shape and function.

 

bunions gv podiatrist gv health

Tom achieves this via foot/leg strength, movement/mobility and footwear selection.
👞

Everyone needs natural foot shape and function to move pain free. Certain features in most modern shoes prevent the foot from functioning as it should.
👣
Building foot and leg strength, increasing mobility within the foot and avoiding particular shoe features can see a bunion return to normal over time.
⏰
Surgery for bunions is necessary in some cases. However, it is important to know that there are treatments and changes that can be utilised to fix or manage the bunion conservatively.
💉

gv health podiatrist

 

Tom Davey

Podiatrist Shepparton, GV Sportscare

CONTACT US

Shepparton Physio & Podiatry

03 5897 7044
1/164 Welsford St, Shepparton, VIC 3630

AHPRA Certified