Auckland Health and Performance

❄️ Winter Is Here – Keep Moving This June ❄️

As the temperatures drop, many of us start moving less, sitting more, and feeling the effects in our bodies.

Sound familiar?

➡️ Tight shoulders
➡️ Rounded posture
➡️ Neck tension
➡️ Headache
➡️ Upper back stiffness

One simple exercise I often recommend is the IYWL exercise

This movement helps activate the muscles that support good posture, improve shoulder mobility, and strengthen the upper back muscles that often become weak from prolonged sitting.

Think of it as a reset button for your posture.

Try performing 8-12 repetitions of each position (I, Y, W, and L) with slow, controlled movement and focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Small amounts of movement performed consistently can make a huge difference to how your body feels this winter.

Move more. Sit less. Feel better.

If headaches, neck pain, shoulder tension, or poor posture are slowing you down, we're here to help.

📍 Auckland Health & Performance
🌐 www.ahap.co.nz

“Hips don’t lie” 🔥

One of my favourite ways to open up tight hips — a relaxed external rotation stretch that feels as good as it looks.

Great for:
✔️ Hip mobility
✔️ Reducing stiffness
✔️ Helping you move more freely
✔️ Post-training recovery

Sometimes the best mobility work isn’t forcing range… it’s learning to relax into it. 🙌

Hip aeroplanes ✈️🔥

One of my favourite drills for hip stability, balance, glute control, and improving motor control around the pelvis.

Using the foam roller against the wall gives feedback and support while teaching the hip to control movement properly — not just create force.

If you’ve got stubborn SI joint pain, poor single leg stability, or you keep feeling “tight” on one side… sometimes the issue isn’t stretching. It’s control.

Train the hip. Control the pelvis. Own the movement.

Fire cupping 🔥

One of the oldest recovery therapies still used today for a reason. Cupping can help reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, support recovery, and leave you feeling looser and more relaxed afterwards.

Perfect for:
✔️ Tight muscles
✔️ Gym soreness
✔️ Neck & back tension
✔️ Stress & recovery
✔️ Athletes & active lifestyles

No, it shouldn’t be painful 😅
Most people find it relaxing and walk out feeling lighter and freer in movement.

Now available at Auckland Health & Performance with our acupuncture services.

📍 East Auckland
📲 Book online at www.ahap.co.nz

Shoulder pain with pressing or overhead work? 👀

This banded shoulder extension drill with pronation/supination and traction is one of my go-to exercises for lifters and CrossFit athletes dealing with cranky shoulders.

Great for:
✔️ Bench press pain
✔️ Overhead stiffness
✔️ Push up discomfort
✔️ Front shoulder tightness
✔️ Improving shoulder opening & movement quality

A lot of athletes hammer pushing movements but lack good shoulder mechanics, thoracic movement, and control through range.

Sometimes the shoulder doesn’t need more smashing — it needs better movement.

Train mobility WITH control 🔥

Does acupuncture really work? 🤔 It's one of the most Googled health questions — and the answer might surprise you.

Acupuncture has been practised for over 2,000 years, but it's only recently that Western medicine has started paying serious attention. And the results? Actually pretty compelling.

Studies published in peer-reviewed journals show acupuncture can provide real, measurable relief for:

🔹 Chronic back, neck, and joint pain
🔹 Tension headaches and migraines
🔹 Anxiety and stress
🔹 Chemotherapy-related nausea
🔹 Insomnia

The WHO recognises it as effective for over 30 conditions. That's not nothing.

Now, it's not a magic bullet — and it works better for some people than others. But the idea that it's "just a placebo" doesn't hold up to scrutiny anymore.

If you've been curious about trying it, it might be worth a conversation with a qualified practitioner.

Have you had acupuncture before? We'd love to hear what your experience was like — share in the comments! 💬