The Confident Body Show

This week, Michael Dermansky, senior physiotherapist at MD Health, is joined by long-time customers Stephen and Kathleen to hear about their experience in overcoming pain and getting stronger and more confident through exercise. Pain and injury can stop us from doing many things we enjoy - from gardening, to sport, to simply lifting up the grandkids - especially as we get older. After working with...

This week, Michael Dermansky, senior physiotherapist at MD Health, is joined by David Smith, Co-founder and Director at Absolute Health & Performance, to discuss the blurred line between performance and rehab training. As our understanding of how the human body works continues to deepen, it has changed how health practitioners approach injury management and performance improvement. Today, most pra...

This week, Michael Dermansky, senior physiotherapist at MD Health, is joined by a special guest, client Richard James, to discuss the importance of being strong and the difference it can make in your life.  At 50, after an active lifestyle, Richard was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma. He had to re-examine how to manage his life. After two rounds of chemotherapy, he wasn't able to do his usual f...

This week, Hanah Mills from Ideal Nutrition joins Michael Dermansky to discuss the vital role that recovery plays in achieving your exercise goals... so much so, it's the secret sauce of getting fit.  Hanah and Michael explore the role of nutrition in fueling our muscles and cells and ensuring everything is functioning optimally. Exercise depletes our energy, water and micronutrients; correct nutr...

This week, Michael is joined by osteopath Josh Blencowe from MD Health to discuss back pain – one of the biggest factors preventing us from living a full and happy life.  In this episode, Josh and Michael review the common causes of back pain, including the indirect causes of back pain that have only recently come to light due to recent progresses in pain science. They also explore the role fear p...

This week, Heath Williams from Principle Four Osteo and Corporate Work Health Australia joins Michael to discuss ergonomics.  With people spending the majority of their working week at a workstation, the ergonomics of that setup can play a large role in their overall health and wellbeing. The last few years have seen a seismic shift in how people work, with working from home on the rise – often in...

This episode of The Confident Body Podcast aims to change your thinking around women and weight training.  Michael is joined by Katie Crombie, a performance coach at Absolute Health and Performance, to discuss the benefits of lifting weights for women, regardless of age or weight training experience.  We explore the barriers that hold many women back from even considering strength training as an o...

You've navigated the excesses of Christmas and the new year, but you haven't yet got back into the swing of regular exercise. Motivation can be a challenge after having time off, especially if you aren't yet back into your normal routine. Fear not! The Confident Body Podcast is here to help you get back to doing the things you love. In this episode, Michael is joined by Adriane Ward, senior exerci...

2023 is the year of the confident body! Having confidence in your body means you're able to overcome age, injury and a sedentary lifestyle and get back to doing the things you love. This is especially important for over 50's. In this episode, Michael is joined by Josh Blenclowe, an Osteopath at MD Health Carlton North, to explore how you can gain confidence in your body in 2023 and avoid the barri...

This week, Michael is joined by Hanah Mills, Accredited Dietitian at Ideal Nutrition, to discuss the vital role of nutrition in getting your body right.  As the title of this episode suggests, nutrition is the missing link in getting more out of your body. It plays a critical role in general wellbeing on both a physical and psychological level.  While many of us don't think about nutrition beyond...

This week, Michael is joined by Nicole Davies, Senior Accredited Exercise Physiologist with MD Health, to discuss the benefits of clinical pilates regardless of age, injury or chronic pain.  The key difference between clinical pilates and broader or group exercises is the tailored nature to your needs, goals and stage of recovery. While some exercise is (usually) better than none, there are signif...

David Smith from Absolute Health and Performance joins Michael for another discussion around gaining confidence in your body so you can keep doing the things you love. This episode delves into whether habits or goals are more impotant for exercise success. Setting achievable goals and engaging in consistent effort enables you to embed positive habits – which is the key to achieving sustainable hea...

This week, Michael Dermanski is joined by physiotherapist Justine Gorman to look at the benefits of exercise while pregnant.  Just like for the general population, the heart and respiratory benefits of exercising while pregnant make it a highly beneficial activity. There are also many specific benefits achieved by exercising while pregnant, including reducing the risk of developing gestational dia...

Michael Dermansky is joined by special guest Judy Czuchnowski, a recent client of MD Health who has experienced chronic back pain for many years. As she got older and life got in the way of regular exercise, her pain reached a point where, despite strong medication, she didn't think she could go on. Following on from last episode (#11: Is back pain stopping you from getting the best out of your li...

This episode, Michael Dermansky is joined by Nick Adkins, an exercise physiologist at MD Health, to discuss the impact of back pain on exercise, wellness and mental health. With 80% of people experiencing back pain in their lives, it's a widespread problem that can strike any age group or fitness level. The good news is there are ways to manage and even overcome back pain so you can continue to ex...

This episode, Michael Dermansky is joined by David Smith, an exercise scientist and strength conditioning coach from Absolute Health and Performance, to discuss how to stay fit in your thirties and forties so you can get the most out of your body – both in the short and long term. David and Michael explore the most important elements of an exercise program in your thirties and forties, the vital r...

In this episode, Michael Dermansky is joined by Duncan McGregor to share a client's journey of building confidence in your body after 50. After a shoulder injury, Duncan has continued to work with MD Health to overcome injury and maintain his mobility and general health. At 74 he still plays squash every week as well as maintaining a regular exercise and pilates program.  Duncan shares the many ph...

This week, Andrew Wild from Wild Physio Fitness joins Michael Dermansky to explore the different benefits of strength training and cardio training so you can make an informed decision around which is right for you. Andrew is a physiotherapist as well as a strength and conditioning coach who has merged the two fields to become a hybrid therapist. The discussion covers the many (surprising) benefits...

In this special edition of The Confident Body, Michael Dermansky is joined by senior physiotherapist Will Ryan and special guest Natalie Hall who shares a patient's perspective of coming back from injury. (And if you listen closely, you'll hear our extra-special guest for the episode: Natalie's dog!) Natalie, who has a dance background, is a long-term client of MD Health who had a healthy and acti...

This week, exercise physiologist Zac Jefcoate joins Michael Dermansky to discuss the vital link between exercise and mental health. For many people, the mental and physical aspects of recovering from injury are intertwined. To achieve the best health outcome you need to look at both components together. Exercise is not just important in terms of recovery from physical injuries; it is proven to boo...

This week, Kristine Gardner shares her personal journey of getting more movement into her body to overcome the injuries that were holding her back.  A health and wellness coach, naturopath and trainer in her 50's, Kristine knew she wasn't moving enough despite her busy and active lifestyle, and as a result she experienced niggling pain throughout her body.  Kristine joins Michael Dermansky to disc...

Senior exercise physiologist Nick Adkins joins Michael Dermansky to discuss the wide-ranging and often surprising ways in which strength training can give you the confidence to do the things you love.  This episode explores why strength is the foundation of building body confidence. Strength training provides many physical, metabolic and psychological benefits for people of any age, and plays an i...

This episode, Dean Daskalou and Michael Dermansky discuss how clinical exercise, Pilates and treatment fit together.  Stability and control come from clinical exercise and pilates, which is very specific to the person's injury and to their particular weaknesses. Once they feel more confident in their own ability, we can use strength and conditioning work to address their weaknesses by gradually lo...

Episode 1 of The Confident Body Show explored the process of building a confident body. In episode 2, Michael Dermansky (senior physiotherapist and managing director of MD Health) and Nicole Davis (senior exercise physiologist and branch manager at MD Health Templestowe) discuss the importance of initial and ongoing assessments.  Ultimately, ongoing assessments ensure the practitioner stays focuse...

One of the most significant changes in treating injuries over the last few years is the use of strength training. Gradually incorporating strength training is arguably the key to gaining confidence in your body – and getting your life back. We see this time and again with patients, and the research backs it up. Importantly, age is not a barrier to strength work – in fact it becomes more important...