Most yoga mats are about one-eights (1/8) of an inch thick. These should be enough to let you feel the ground surface, and provide a bit of cushioning at the same time. You may want a thicker mat if you have painful knees or back, but the standard mat should be enough otherwise.
Some people even use bamboo mats- but these can be a bit slippery when wet.
The length of a yoga mat is usually 68 inches long. There are extra sized mats available- but they cost more.
Most yoga mats can be bought for about S$15. More expensive and branded mats are available- and your mileage may vary.
You do need to test which mat is best for you. In the end, it comes down to a matter of personal choice and the mat that suits you best, suits you best.
- You can buy mats from PHYSIOavenue. Just ask the next time you're here! -
Our pilates participants love the Hundreds. It's a focussed breathing exercise that makes you tighten your core, and get a good sweat at the same time. Here's how to do it. You can come to our classes - and learn in a friendly small group setting.
Foam rolling is a way to perform massage for yourself. It's a form of soft tissue therapy that focuses on the nerves, muscles and connective tissue.
In the same way that massage therapy is thought to relieve tense muscles (by kneading away tight spasms and milking out accumulated lactic acid), rolling simulates the movements to achieve these goals.
Here's the theory: muscle imbalance can be a cause of injury, and tight muscles are a form of imbalance. By somehow massaging away the tightness, you help to restore the imbalance (how much and for how long is difficult to say, given the different activities we all engage in).
Foam rolling techniques are easy to learn, and can be a wonderful way to warm up or cool down. Place the sore muscle area on the foam, and keep moving. Pulse on and off, until the tenderness goes away. You will likely feel better after that.
- PHYSIOavenue has foam rolling sessions as part of therapy. Call us to find out more!
That occassional stabbing pain in your heel when you take your first step out of bed in the morning is likely due to plantar fasciitis. It's a painful condition involving a thick fibrous tissue in your heel, which can be helped with physical therapy. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy has this patient perspective.
When can you return to sports after ACL repair? This paper from the Journal of Orthopaedic Sports and Physical Therapy gives you the answer.
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From the Business Times
Published March 30, 2012
Accessibility rules for older buildings may get a boost
By MINDY TAN
EVEN though almost all public buildings in Singapore have achieved some level of basic accessibility, and nearly nine in 10 buildings along Orchard Road now provide some accessibility features, the government is not ruling out legislation to give existing buildings built before 1990 an added impetus to meet basic accessibility requirements.
'We probably need a carrot-and-stick approach in the longer term,' said John Keung, chief executive of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). 'We will press on with our Accessibility Fund and see how far we can go. Of course, we don't rule out (introducing legislation into the building code and) making this mandatory one day.'
The mandatory requirement in the Accessibility Code, which was introduced in 1990, does not apply retrospectively. As such, upgrading to provide basic accessibility for pre-1990 buildings is voluntary.
A review of the current Accessibility Code, which will be completed by the end of the year, will include universal design features such as nursing rooms, smaller-sized toilet facilities for children, and family parking lots.
The BCA also said that the $40 million Accessibility Fund, which allows existing building owners to apply for grants to upgrade their buildings to include basic accessibility features, will be extended to 2016.
Launched in 2007, the fund co-pays up to 80 per cent of the cost for providing basic accessibility features to existing private buildings (except landed properties), subject to a cap of $300,000 per project.
As of February 2012, 101 applications have been approved - $6 million has been disbursed, with another $2.5 million under consideration. To date, almost all public buildings have achieved at least basic accessibility. However, challenges remain in getting existing private building owners to come on board, said Dr Keung.
Around 88 per cent of buildings along Orchard Road are now provided with at least basic accessibility, from 41 per cent in 2006. Outstanding buildings that the BCA hopes to bring on board are Liat Towers, Tong Building, Midpoint Orchard, and Concorde Hotel.
Said Dr Keung: 'We really hope that most of our key areas, whether Orchard Road, Shenton Way, or some other regional commercial centres, get as many private commercial buildings to come on board as possible.'
As of end-2011, slightly over 50 per cent of buildings in Shenton Way have barrier-free access, said the BCA.
The BCA convened a second meeting with the International Panel of Experts on Universal Design from March 28 to 30 with experts from Japan, Spain, Norway, the UK and US.
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