Activate November 2025 Newsletter

Hello everyone,

This month’s newsletter is dedicated to enhancing your health and independence, both inside and outside the studio.

First, we are excited to share the results of our Recent Client Survey. Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We were especially pleased to hear your praise for our staff’s quality and the supportive environment. We also received a clear request for more ‘at-home’ exercise and health ideas, especially for those who visit once a week.

We are listening! Our feature article, Post-Menopausal Fracture Prevention Beyond Exercise, directly addresses this need. It’s a practical guide on safe lifting, balancing techniques, and home modifications to protect your bones and reduce fracture risk every single day.

We hope you find both the article and the survey summary valuable.

Warmly,

Susie and the Activate Team

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Article: Post-Menopausal Fracture Prevention Beyond Exercise

A Guide to Home and Life Modifications

Exercise plays a key role in bone health after menopause, but prevention also depends on how you move and live day to day. A few simple changes at home can go a long way toward reducing fracture risk and maintaining independence.

Lift Smart, Protect Your Spine
When lifting laundry baskets, groceries, or garden tools, bend your hips and knees — not your back. Keep your spine straight and hold objects close to your body. This reduces strain on your spine and helps prevent vertebral fractures.

Here are some pictures of Susie demonstrating Incorrect and correct spinal alignment and hip hinge action when lifting 7.5kg Sammy!

Practive Good Posture

Standing tall improves balance and alignment. Try to keep your shoulders relaxed, chin level, and core muscles gently engaged. Breath In, ‘ Grow tall’; Breath Out, ‘Stay Tall’! Posture reminders can be built into daily routines — even while working at the computer or standing in line.

Build Balance Into Everyday Life

Good balance reactions prevent falls. Practice standing on one leg while brushing your teeth or waiting for the kettle to boil. Maintain the single leg balance for at least 10-20 seconds! Walk heel-to-toe ‘tandem step’ across the room or rise slowly from a chair without using your hands. These small challenges strengthen stabilizing muscles and improve coordination.

Talk to your medical practitioner about any medication you take that may make your drowsy or cause dizziness. There may be alternative medication that suits you better.

Remember vision is extremely important for balance.

Reduce Trip Hazards
Keep walkways clear of clutter, cords, and loose rugs. Use good lighting, especially at night, and install sturdy handrails on stairs. Choose supportive, non-slip shoes that fit well. Remember to lift your feet when walking to shift your weight, and prevent shuffling.

Support Bones with Nutrition
Calcium, vitamin D, and protein remain essential for bone strength. Include dairy or fortified alternatives, leafy greens, and lean proteins in your diet. If needed, ask your healthcare provider about supplements.

With thoughtful adjustments to how you move, lift, and balance at home, you can greatly lower your risk of fractures, Protect your bones — and keep moving safely and confidently every day.

Activate News

Thank you to Claire Quinn who assisted Barbara on admin, while Lee was away in South America. It was such a pleasure to work with Claire, who was at MG Pilates previously.

Also a huge thank you to Sunantha ( Sunni) for her wonderful work in Pilates studio and as a physio over the last few months. We are sad to say goodbye to Sunni, who is moving away from Sydney.

Christy is back from her family holiday, and she will be available for physio and Pilates exercise rehab.

Recent Survey Results

Thank you very much to all those who responded. We received some great feedback and useful suggestions.

A few things people said:

• Staff Quality: Highly praised for being knowledgeable, professional, caring, friendly, and respectful. Specific mention of physios and instructors being up-to-date and tailoring classes to individual needs.
• Environment: Described as a “very pleasant place,” with a “positive atmosphere” and “supportive environment.”
• Sense of Safety: Feeling in “safe hands” due to the knowledgeable professionals.
• And some suggestions that we offer more ‘at-home’ exercise ideas, particularly for those that can only visit up once per week. We love this idea. It is exactly what we continue to do with this newsletter along with any personal coaching.

As you know, we want to make Activate better and better, so any time you have thoughts, please let us know. Thank you again for those that responded. We plan to make a little survey like this a more regular feature.

02 9518 5009

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at the clinic or speak to your physiotherapist or experienced Pilates instructor at your next appointment.

Warmly,

Susie and the Team at Activate Physio.