There is far more to Intulo Health than Sports and Remedial massage...

As we enter into our second phase of Lockdown, I thought I'd share a fantastic review with you all that may help to inspire you, and also change your perception of what we do at Intulo Health.... as I've always said, we are here to ensure that we provide a full and overall health service.... Your Body, Your Health, Your Life... and here you can read more about it from one of my clients Justin Cohen...

Justin Cohen - How balloons, dead bugs and Jane Fonda changed my life

I’ve always struggled with my weight. Since I was around 14 years old, I managed to develop a strong sugar habit. Long before alcohol was even a consideration, I’ve been piling on the pounds thanks to sugary snacks and drinks. I ate my way from a healthy 75kgs (165lbs) to an uncomfortable 106kgs (234lbs).

I dabbled with exercise and random diets along the way, but in truth, I can’t say I ever maintained anything long enough to have any lasting positive effect. The toll that this took on my body – in particular, my back – is immense. Eventually, this year – of all years – presented me with an opportunity.

After the first two months of lockdown, where I was drinking on average a bottle of red wine every night, enough had become enough. If I didn’t change something soon, I feared that the damage caused to my body would be irreparable, and that I’d be shuffling myself towards an early grave.

I made myself a promise to “sort my sh*t out”…

The power of surrounding yourself with positive people

I met Amanda Burger almost 10 years ago at a business networking event. As a fellow South African, we had a natural bond immediately. As mentioned, I’ve struggled with my back because of my weight, and I’ve always gone to Amanda's “Intulo Health” clinic to help alleviate the pain with deep tissue massage therapy. But I soon came to realise that Amanda is not just a physical therapist… her knowledge of the human body is encyclopaedic, and her enthusiasm for her clients to live happier, pain-free lives is what drove me towards where I am today.

Amanda and I had many conversations about food, exercise and general physical fitness. With her extensive knowledge (she even worked for a couple of years with the Premier League football team at AFC Bournemouth), she helped me wrap my head around what was possible. Her no-nonsense approach challenged my perceptions and, frankly, kept me from pulling the wool over my own eyes.

There was a lot of work to do.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I could never be accused of being a “runner”. But when I started (by doing the Couch to 5K programme), the running was causing me a whole new series of ailments. My lack of previous exercise meant that I had hardly any core strength. Amanda identified what was causing my shins and calves to become inflamed, and she gave me three unconventional exercises to do (well, unconventional by my standards anyway!): Using a balloon to blow into; lying on my back like a dead bug; and doing leg raises like the legend that is Jane Fonda. She said that leg warmers were optional!

Less than 4 weeks later, I was running 3x 5K runs every week (and I continue to do so), and have no such residual pain. My back has never been healthier; I’ve got more energy than ever; and as for my weight, to date I’ve lost over 35lbs and the trend is still downhill. As I approach my 40th birthday, I’m in better shape now than I was when I was 20. In truth, I don’t think I would have continued running if it wasn’t for Amanda's advice, support and encouragement, as well as her nutritional knowledge.

I may have gone to see her initially about my back, but frankly, she’s helped me change my life.

Justin Cohen (a very happy client of Intulo Health)