TC Fitness & Sports Massage

A bit of an interesting linkage of a couple of journeys I'm on right now...

As you may have seen I'm training to become an Oxygen Advantage (OA) Advanced Practitioner at the moment.
It's going well; I passed the theory exam in the week! 🎉

I am also getting my teeth straightened with some fantastic Proligner clear aligners 😁 – my skilled dentist and all-round top bloke Dr. Niki Shah is making sure that everything goes to plan; I saw him yesterday and he is very pleased with progress! 👍

My question is: what's the link? 🤓

I'm guessing most of you are struggling to find it...

Well through doing the OA training, I realised that, for 47 years of my life, I have been a chronic mouth breather. 😮‍💨

All my life I have suffered from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (or “asthma” as it was diagnosed at the age of 😎, that is until I switched – lock, stock and two clear nostrils – to nose breathing a few months ago.
Since then I haven't needed my inhalers. 🚫
I am, for all intents and purposes, cured! 🙌😇

So I imagine you’re still asking: what's the link with the aligner treatment then?

It turns out 47 years of mouth breathing didn’t just mess with my bronchi – it messed with my teeth too. 🦷
I had an expensive (thanks Mum and Paddy ❤️) orthodontic treatment - the classic train tracks - growing up as a teenager in France 🇫🇷
Now I’m having to get the bloody things straightened all over again 😬.

If you didn’t know it, chronic mouth breathing can change the way your jaw develops, make your teeth all wonky, and even affect your facial structure. 😯

So now, I’m retraining my breathing & my bite! 💪

One with Oxygen Advantage, t’other with Proligner: making me more functional, more comfortable, and - big bonus - with a slightly stronger jaw, perhaps (hopefully) – a bit better looking. 😉

Next step on the way to qualifying as an Oxygen Advantage Advanced Practitioner is a trio of case studies 📚. I’ve got two lined up… which means there’s one spot left.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your breathing is holding you back, or you simply want to improve your athletic performance by breathing more efficiently, getting my help with it for free might just be the best decision you ever make! 💥

Message me today, grab that last place, and let’s get you breathing like you were designed to!

How to stay consistent without being perfect ⚖️💪

“I have to go all-in or it’s not worth it.” 😤
“If I miss a session, I’ve ruined the week.” 🙄
“I need everything to be just right before I start again.” 😬

Phrases I hear all the time from busy, driven types trying to finally get fit and stay there.

And honestly? It’s a one-way ticket to:
🔥 Burnout
🧨 Self-sabotage
🚧 A body that never quite gets where you want it

Luckily… it’s fixable. ✅

How do you become someone who trains consistently — no matter what life throws at you?

You stop aiming for “perfect” and start playing the long game. 🎯

Because here’s the truth:
⚠️ Trying to be perfect = inconsistent
✅ But being consistent, even at 70%, hell, even 30% = results.

If you think you have to tick every box or it doesn’t count…
You’ll end up doing nothing the second life gets messy. 🔁

Here’s what we do instead:
1️⃣ Build a baseline.
Something you can hit on your worst, busiest, most stressful week — not your best.
2️⃣ Ditch the guilt.
Missed a session? So what. Don’t try to “make up for it.” Just show up again. ⏩
3️⃣ Zoom out.
Stop thinking in days. Start thinking in weeks and months.
So you trained once instead of three times? Cool. That’s one more than not at all. 🧱

And if you start thinking:

🗣️ “I’m the kind of person who gets it done even when it’s not perfect” — you’ll be shocked how fast your body (and mindset) starts to change. ⚡🧠💥

Photo: What I set out to do today... and what I managed.
Crucially I did my knee rehab which is better than nowt!

It was a day where I focused on passing my OA Advanced Practitioner Exam (91% - chuffed with that) and making sure my Oaks training session was top notch... I'll do back and bis tomorrow!

When it comes to getting fit (and staying that way), a lot of borderline obsessive types fall into the all-or-nothing trap. 😬

You might recognise yourself in one of these:
❌ You go full beast mode for 3 weeks, then get derailed by work, parental responsibility, or your dodgy knee… and stop completely.
❌ You follow a plan obsessively… but the second you miss a session or eat a biscuit? It’s game over.
❌ You tell yourself “I’ll start again Monday”… except Monday turns into next week… then next month.

It’s a problem because it sets you up to fail — not because you’re not motivated, but because your approach isn’t sustainable.

You’ve built a system where anything less than perfect equals failure. 🤯

And let’s be honest — life doesn’t do perfect. 🙄
This ends up with you:
– Repeating the same start-stop cycle for years 🔁
– Feeling guilt and frustration every time you “fall off the wagon” 😣
– Never actually building habits that last more than a few weeks 😕

The consequence? You never really get what you want: the strength, the fitness, the energy, the confidence — it always feels just out of reach, because the wheels keep falling off. 🚫

Instead, what if you stopped chasing “perfect”, and started aiming for “consistent”?

What if you found a “middle path” somewhere in between the “all” and the “nothing” 🤔

Progress isn’t made in the mad 4-week bursts. It’s built in the boring weeks:
The “I did something” weeks.
The “I was tired but I still moved” weeks. 💪

The result? You train smarter. You stay injury-free. You build habits that survive real life. And yes — you actually get where you want to go.

So next time you find yourself saying “I’ve blown it” after missing a session or eating off-plan — remind yourself: it’s only over if you stop. ✅

Photo: The "I'm on holiday but I still got the travellettes out and did something" weeks. 😊

Patience When Injured: A Personal One 🤕

Every injury is different… but if there’s a pattern to mine, it seems to be this:
I never seem to find out what it actually is until time’s passed.

This ACL tear? Slipped under the radar of two healthcare professionals. But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right.

So I did what I’ve learned to do — step one from Tuesday’s post — and paid to get it looked at properly.

Turns out it was serious. Not ruptured, but a partial tear (MRI pending). Still enough to throw a proper spanner in the works. 🛠️

Here’s a “rap” sheet of what I did in the 11 weeks before I knew what I’d done:
❌ A hiking trip to the Outer Hebrides
❌ A few park runs
❌ Built, supported, and packed down a full race (lots of heavy lifting)
❌ Yin yoga (terrible idea, in hindsight)
❌ A fair bit of training with the Oaks

Basically... a what’s what of "what your knee doesn’t need right
now." 🙄

So yeah — finding out it was an ACL tear hit hard.
My physio said “don’t freak out.” Naturally, I freaked out.

But it also made sense. Because it wasn’t just not getting better — it was getting worse with limited activity. Something didn’t add up.

Realising I was three months behind on rehab, I dove in:
📝 Daily exercises. 🎯 Full focus. 💪 I had time to make up, after all.

And it was all going well — until I decided to go for a walk without my knee support.
Combine that with pushing the rehab, and… boom. 💥
Right back to Square One.

The pain flared up almost to where it was in the acute phase.
Frustrating doesn’t begin to cover it. 😤
So, I’ve had to back off again.

Only now — a week later — can I start to gently move forward with it. Trepidation dialled up to the max. 😬

🇮🇪 Just in time for a trip to Ireland. We’ve got some hill walking planned…
This time, I’ll be packing a knee support and a pole (not a fan, but needs must).

Because if there’s one thing this ACL injury is teaching me — it’s that:
👉 Progress doesn’t mean pushing harder.
👉 It means listening better.



Photo: Armed with knee support and "trusty" pole, ready to take on some Irish hills.

🎯 I Made Some of the Rehab Mistakes - So You Don’t Have To!

On Tuesday, I gave you 8 steps to manage injury rehab the right way (9 with Mike’s “be kind to yourself”)...
Now here’s what actually happened with me when I separated my AC joint — and how not knowing I’d done it led to a delay in the rehab process.

1️⃣ Diagnosis? Delayed.
I didn’t even know I’d separated my AC joint until about 6 weeks after it happened. 😬

I’d just recovered from a rotator cuff issue to the same shoulder, so when I hit the deck hard at Hemsworth 7s, I assumed I’d just aggravated that.

Then — weirdly — it was a body fat measurement that provided the tip-off.
The chap with the calipers asked: “When did you separate your shoulder?” …Eh? 😳

That led me to get an ultrasound scan with one of his colleagues which showed all rotator cuff muscles and tendons were intact (phew 🙏), but stiffness at end range of motion told the real story:

⚠️ I’d missed rehab… and by skipping that early work, I’d also skipped Steps 2, 4 and 5 (see Tuesday’s post for these).

3️⃣ I did get treatment — and it changed everything.
I booked in for myofascial release treatment with the incredibly skilled Craig Foden.

During those sessions, my body unwound — my arm moving into the painful ranges like it knew what it needed. The fascia released which allowed the healing process to continue.

💥 Two treatments later, movements that caused sharp pain before were suddenly back in reach.

6️⃣ I came back slow — and smarter.
When I did return to training, I focused on muscular endurance when it came to the affected pressing movements: military press & incline bench.

No heavy loading. Just control, reps, and time under tension. 🧠

Weirdly, movements like lateral and front raises (that weren’t affected) actually improved — maybe because I wasn’t cooked from going heavy overhead first.

7️⃣ Mobility became half my workout.
Once I had the right diagnosis, I gave the job of challenging the end of ROM the time it deserved.

Mobility made up 50% of my shoulder sessions — up from about 25% before.

And here’s the result:
✅ Explosive movements no longer triggered pain
✅ Range of motion improved
✅ Confidence that I could move like I could before the injury

8️⃣ I didn’t rush the return to playing rugby
The injury happened at the start of the summer and the season didn’t start again until autumn.
That gap naturally meant no pressure, no rushing back in.
By the time I did return to the pitch, my shoulder was ready — not just strong, but mobile and durable. 🛡️

The payoff?
Not only did I get back to where I was — I actually surpassed my previous numbers in both presses. 💪

🔁 Morals of the story:
I made some of the rehab mistakes so you (hopefully) don’t have to.

Every corner you cut early on will cost you later. 🧾
And every bit of time spent doing it properly is time you won’t have to spend recovering again.

Rehab isn’t punishment — it’s the blueprint for coming back stronger and more durable. 🙌

Photo: 'Up & Overs' as I call them (AKA 'Shoulder Dislocates') - an important mobility exercise that helped get my shoulder moving again.

📋 8 Steps for an Optimal Return from Injury

When it comes to the driven, athletic types amongst you:
✅ You train regularly
✅ You’ve got a decent handle on your body
✅ You’re disciplined and you put the work in

But then injury strikes.

When that happens do you have patience — to get back to pain-free training and stay there?

Patience is one of the most underrated tools when it comes to injury rehab and long-term recovery goals.

💡 Why? Because injuries don’t care about your calendar.
They heal on their timeline — and pushing too fast, too soon can end up resetting the clock.

It’s not all about “rest and hope for the best” either.
That’s how you limp back into the gym half-cooked and permanently frustrated.

Here are 8 steps to help you recover right — and come back stronger, not shakier:

1. Get a proper diagnosis.
Find out exactly what you're dealing with.
Invest in a physio who knows their onions 🧅 — it might be the best use of your hard-earned cash if exercise is crucial for your mental and physical health.

2. Stick to the plan.
If they say 3 sets, 10 reps, twice a day — do it.
This early phase deserves your full attention. Cut corners here, and the joint or muscle may never be quite the same again.

3. Consider sports massage.
A good L4 therapist can help manage scar tissue, pain, and flexibility using targeted techniques.
It’s not just a feel-good rubdown — it’s rehab.

4. Train the opposite limb.
Shoulder injury? Train the other one.
Leg injury? Single-leg work on the other side.
Thanks to the cross-education effect, your nervous system will still carry over strength to the injured side. 💥

5. Use mental imagery.
Seriously. Picture yourself doing the movement.
It activates similar neural pathways and can reduce the strength and coordination losses that usually come with inactivity.

6. Ease back in with light weights + high reps.
You’re not testing max strength here.
Build muscular endurance first — lay the foundation before even thinking about lifting heavy.

7. Prioritise mobility.
Regaining full range of motion is key.
Don’t just get strong — get supple and strong.

8. Delay your return to sport-specific movements.
Even when strength and mobility return, the risk of re-injury remains high.
Be smart, play the long game, and give your body the best chance of staying injury-free for good. 🧠

Some of these might be easier said than done — I get that.
But give them a go if you can.
You might be surprised how quickly you start feeling confident in your body again. 🙌

Photo: Quad sets - my ACL rehab nemesis (hence the face) 😳

Let me ask you…

When injured, do you want to get back to pain-free training — sooner rather than later? 💪

Do you want more confidence that you’re actually doing the right things for your recovery?

And do you need a rehab plan that respects both your injury and your mindset?

Well, of course you do.
Who wouldn’t?

But the thing is, many of us struggle to recover properly.
And here are three reasons why this is the case:

Reason #1: You treat rehab like training.
You end up chasing the burn, not the rebuild.
But your injured tissue doesn’t respond like healthy muscle.
It needs consistency — not the extra rep.

Reason #2: You’re not a pro athlete — but you’re expected to rehab like one.
Your physio gives you a plan — and it gets you started.
But after that? You’re on your own.

No S&C coach. No progression plan. Just guesswork. 🤷🏻‍♂️
So you either play it too safe and progress stalls...

OR
Reason #3: You lack patience & push too hard, too soon.
It starts to feel a bit better… so you think,
“Yep, let’s test it.”
Then boom — flare-up. Swelling. Setback. 😬
Now you’re back to square one, mad at your own knee (or shoulder, or back…)!

Have you made these mistakes?

You’re not alone — I’ve ticked all three myself (Reason #3? Guilty. Only last week. With this bloody ACL)

But let me be the first to tell you this:
👉 There is a way to rehab smart.
👉 To stay consistent.
👉 And to rebuild trust in your body — without landing back at square one.

This week, I’m going to share how to do just that — starting with my own journey rehabbing a shoulder injury… and what I’m trying to do now I’m back in the same boat with this ACL.

Photo: The gamma knee (next to the good'un for reference)

When I started working with Fran, she was already doing brilliantly — but deep down, she knew she wasn’t making much noticeable progress in the area that really mattered to her.

She’d lost over 20kg under her own steam with swimming, yoga and then running 🏊‍♀️🏃‍♀️🧘‍♀️👏

But she’d hit a bit of a wall.

She wanted to get stronger — not just for her running, but for life:
To move with more power 💥
To feel more stable and better balanced ⚖️

And when she joined my circuit sessions (we later found out that her sister bringing her along was a very successful attempt at match-making 😊), she threw herself into it.

The pair of them earned the nickname ‘The Terminatrices’ for always beingin the last few still going at the end of eliminator rounds! 🔥

We then added more controlled, slower resistance training into the mix — and that’s when the real magic started ✨

Lately she’s joined me on my exploration of calisthenics to great effect.🤸‍♀️

✅ Definitely getting stronger with each week
✅ Setting PBs with press-ups, squats and hanging trunk curls
✅ Getting ever closer to her first proper bodyweight upright dip and chin-up.

She even took up a martial art we’d both wanted to try — Tetsudo — and (don’t tell anyone) she’s much better at it than me! 🥋

Awesome, right?

And if you’re reading this thinking “maybe I need to find the forms of exercise that fit me too…”

You’re bang on. 💡

Because you should be able to feel strong, capable and proud of your body — without workouts that feel like punishment.

You just need something that’s right for YOU 🧩

💬 If you’re ready to make a change, comment CHANGE below and I’ll help you figure out what your own “fit” might be — no pressure! Just a plan that actually suits what you want from exercise. 💪

Top tips when considering what kind of exercise will work for you. 💥

Becoming aware of what your body needs and what you will enjoy is way more powerful than copying what your mate from work is doing. 🙄

This is what I like to call “The Movement Mindshift”! ⚙️

Because when you get it right, it helps:
✅ Break the all-or-nothing loop
✅ Ditch “no fun”, punishing workouts
✅ Find a rhythm that you can make stick! 🎯

Here are some questions I ask folk who want to move more but don’t know what doing… 👇

1️⃣ Does where you work out affect your consistency?
If dragging yourself to the gym feels like a mission — stop fighting it. 🚫
Maybe your garage, garden or living room is a better fit (at least for now). 🏡

2️⃣ Do you need to work out with other people to keep you motivated?
If solo workouts fizzle out, maybe it’s time to try a class, a small group, or even just a regular meet-up with a mate. After all: for some, accountability can work better than willpower.

3️⃣ What does your body need right now to stay strong, mobile, and pain-free long term?
Got dodgy knees? Stiff hips? Office-chair back? Maybe your body wants to bend and twist rather than work in a straight line! Perhaps it’s time to train for the life you want to live later? 🌀

4️⃣ Are you already doing something you enjoy? And could it be “upgraded” to give you more “bang for your buck”?
One client I work with was doing regular walks — we added a weight vest and boom: “rucking”! Same routine BUT more effort, more challenge = better strength and stability.

5️⃣What did you love doing as a young’un… before lie-ins and lager took over and you forgot you were actually pretty fit once upon a time?
Kicking a ball around down the local park? BMX? Climbing trees? 🌳
You didn’t care about the calories back then — it was about fun and freedom! Could you bring a version of that back now?

6️⃣Is there somewhere you’d love to go? Or something you’d love to do — but your current fitness holds you back?
Hiking in the Lakes? A walking tour abroad? 🌍 Keeping up with your children or grandchildren? Maybe let that drive your training.

7️⃣ Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but assumed you couldn't?
Dancing? Kick-boxing? Kite-surfing? What if you actually could do it — with the right plan and a bit of support? 🥊🪁

OR...

8️⃣ Is it just time to accept that resistance training needs to be part of your life — and you need to ask yourself what kind you’ll actually stick to?
Circuits? Dumbbells at home? Calisthenics in the park? Find a flavour you don’t hate and start there? 💪🏻

There’s no one-size-fits-all.
There’s just what fits you now. 💡

And when it fits — it sticks.
And when it sticks? That’s when the magic happens. ✨

Need help figuring out your right-fit approach?

Comment “Start Smart” and I’ll send you a few ideas to get you moving in a way your body actually says yes to. 👊

When it comes to finding out which kinds of exercise are right for you, most people make the same three mistakes...

❌ They think they need to find the one perfect form of exercise — as if it’s Match.com but for fitness 💘
❌ They assume they’re gonna hate exercise no matter what it is 😩
❌ They copy what worked for someone else… even though their body, lifestyle and abilities are totally different

It’s a problem because, if they get it wrong, exercise becomes a chore — something to endure, not enjoy.

Either that, or figuring out how to spend the little bit of precious time they do have ends up feeling like a guessing game. 🎲

So what do they do?
➡️ Bounce from one thing to another with zero consistency 🔁
➡️ Or don’t start at all, because nothing feels like a good fit 🛑

And that’s frustrating — because deep down, they want to move more.

They want to feel stronger, more mobile, more alive 💪⚡
But everything they try just feels… wrong 😣

The consequence?
Another 6 months of thinking about it 🤔
Overthinking it 🌀
Feeling stiff, tired, unmotivated 😩 — and quietly wondering if they’ve missed the boat 🚢

Instead — here’s a better set of beliefs:
✅ There’s no “right” kind of exercise for everyone
✅ There’s only what’s right for you — based on where you’re at, what you enjoy, and what your body needs right now ❤️

And yes, that might mean resistance training (because building muscle is the best way to futureproof yourself 🛡️).

But it might also mean hiking 🥾
Or mobility work
Or “rucking” (hiking with a weight vest).
Hell, I’ve even encouraged someone to take up salsa dancing. 💃

The result?
💥 You enjoy it enough to keep showing up
💥 Your body thanks you for it
💥 You start building momentum without burning out or falling off the wagon

So next time you find yourself Googling: “best workout for fat loss over 40” — pause ⏸️
And ask: “What’s the best kind of movement for ME right now?”

If you want help figuring that out — comment “Right Fit” and I’ll reach out with some of my best no-fluff tips and strategies to get you moving in a way that actually works for you. 👊