By way of introduction, I am Rachel’s husband Paul. I have decided to share my experience as a client of PPP with the hope that it may inspire one or two of you to create your own special goal.

Whilst I am quite active, I am 52 and have noticed the inevitable changes to my body that accompany the ageing process. Until recently, I have just accepted that I can’t do the things that I used to do when I was younger. For example, I was a decent basketball player in my youth and could slam dunk the ball quite emphatically!

At a hostel in Voss, Norway on the Sognefjord. Spectacular place to play basketball!

I had thought that trying to do that again would be reckless as I might break something until one day, I discussed it with Rachel. She assured me that there is no physical reason to not try (one of her favourite sayings is “move it or lose it”).

So, I decided to ask Vicki for help with this goal. As she is an elite volleyball player, I thought she would be a great choice (all PPP Physios are great of course 😊). Vicki was enthusiastic about my goal and started by assessing me and understanding what my baseline was for certain exercises. She then developed a program specific to my needs and shared it with me using a fantastic App we use for exercise prescription (doesn’t cost the client any extra). Here is what it looks like and you can see some of the exercises she has prescribed.

I love it because:

• It is simple to use on your phone or your PC
• You can see videos of the exercises
  • The ones that are specific to me, Vicki filmed herself to show the correct technique
• It tracks your progress easily
• It is motivating

One of the benefits of doing this with a Physio is that you know you are in safe hands. A good example of this is that she doesn’t want me doing explosive jumping yet. The reason being that the foundation needs to be set first to ensure a safe approach. Vicki is a bit like Mr Miyagi in Karate Kid. I feel like the Karate Kid who is painting fences and wondering when I will get to do Karate.

Joking aside, I really like this approach as I understand the importance of a graduated program. I am also realistic about the timeframe involved. This is a 3-6 month journey (given I need to increase my jump by approximately 15-20 cm to achieve my goal) so I am very happy painting fences right now.

I will share a video on the PPP Facebook page if I can achieve this goal. However, even if I can’t, the process is great, and I will significantly improve no matter what. Maybe, you can create a goal like this too. It could even be the same and we could start a PPP basketball team. Whatever your goals are, I wish you well.

Paul